A Humanities Primer: How to Understand the Arts

Introduction: Why Study Cultural History?

1. PREHISTORY AND NEAR EASTERN CIVILIZATIONS

Prehistory and Early Cultures / The Civilizations of the Tigris and Euphrates River Valley: Mesopotamia / Personal Perspective: “A Sumerian Father Lectures His Son” / The Civilization of the Nile River Valley: Egypt / Personal Perspective: “Egypt: The Instruction of Amenemope” / Heirs to the Mesopotamian and Egyptian Empires / The Legacy of Early Near Eastern Civilizations / Windows on the World: 5000–500 B.C.

2. AEGEAN CIVILIZATIONS: THE MINOANS, THE MYCENAEANS, AND THE GREEKS OF THE ARCHAIC AGE

Prelude: Minoan Civilization, 3000–1300 B.C. / Beginnings: Mycenaen Civilization, 1900–1100 B.C. / Interlude: The Dark Ages, 1100–800 B.C. / The Archaic Age, 800–479 B.C. / The Emergence of Greek Genius: The Mastery of Form / Personal Perspectives: Solon, “Political Verses: The Ten Ages of Man”; Sappho, “He Seems to Be a God” / The Legacy of Archaic Greek Civilization

3. CLASSICAL GREEK CIVILIZATION: THE HELLENIC AGE

General Characteristics of Hellenic Civilization / Domestic and Foreign Affairs: War, Peace, and the Triumph of Macedonia / The Perfection of the Tradition: The Glory of Hellenic Greece / Personal Perspective: Xenophon, “Secrets of a Successful Marriage” / The Legacy of Hellenic Civilization / Windows on the World: 500–300 B.C.

4. CLASSICAL GREEK CIVILIZATION: THE HELLENISTIC AGE

The Stages of Hellenistic History / The Cities of Hellenistic Civilization / Personal Perspective: Theocritos, “A Street Scene in Alexandria” / The Elaboration of the Greek Tradition: The Spread of Classicism to the Hellenistic World / The Legacy of the Hellenistic World

5. ROMAN CIVILIZATION: THE PRE-CHRISTIAN CENTURIES

The Colossus of the Mediterranean World / The Style of Pre-Christian Rome: From Greek Imitation to Roman Grandeur / Personal Perspective: Marcus, Son of Cicero, “Letter to Tiro, Secretary to Cicero Senior” / The Legacy of Pre-Christian Rome / Windows on the World: 300 B.C.–A.D. 500

6. JUDAISM AND THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY

Judaism / Personal Perspective: Flavius Josephus, “The Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem” / Christianity / Personal Perspective: Vibia Perpetua, “Account of Her Last Days Before Martyrdom” / The Legacy of Biblical Judaism and Early Christianity

7. LATE ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The Last Days of the Roman Empire / Personal Perspective: Paulina, “Epitaph for Agorius Praetextatus” / The Transition from Classical Humanism to Christian Civilization / Personal Perspective: St. Jerome, “Secular Education; The Fall of Rome” / Why Did Rome Fall? / The Legacy of Late Roman Civilization

8. THE SUCCESSORS OF ROME: BYZANTIUM, ISLAM, AND THE EARLY MEDIEVAL WEST

The Eastern Roman Empire and Byzantine Civilization, 476–1453 / The Islamic World, 600–1517 / The Early Medieval West / Personal Perspectives: Anna Comenena, “The Arrival of the First Crusade in Constantinople”; Usamah, “The Curious Medicine of the Franks”; Liudprand of Cremona, “A Mission to the Byzantine Court” / The Legacy of Byzantium, Islam, and the Early Medieval West / Windows on the World: 500–1000

9. THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES: THE CHRISTIAN CENTURIES

Feudalism / Medieval Christianity and the Church / Personal Perspective: Hildegarde of Bingen, “Scivias” / The Age of Synthesis: Equilibrium between the Spiritual and the Secular / The Legacy of the Christian Centuries / Windows on the World: 1000–1300

10. THE LATE MIDDLE AGES: 1300–1500

Hard Times Come to Europe / The Cultural Flowering of the Late Middle Ages / Personal Perspective: Henry Knighton, “Chronicle” / The Legacy of the Late Middle Ages / Windows on the World: 1330–1500

11. THE EARLY RENAISSANCE: RETURN TO CLASSICAL ROOTS, 1400–1494

The Renaissance: Schools of Interpretation / Early Renaissance History and Institutions / The Spirit and Style of the Early Renaissance / Personal Perspective: Laura Cereta, “Defense of the Liberal Instruction of Women” / The Legacy of the Early Renaissance / Suggestions for Listening

12. THE HIGH RENAISSANCE AND EARLY MANNERISM: 1494–1564

The Rise of the Modern Sovereign State / Economic Expansion and Social Developments / From High Renaissance to Early Mannerism / Personal Perspective: Giorgio Vasari, “Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects” / The Legacy of the High Renaissance and Early Mannerism / Suggestions for Listening

13. NORTHERN HUMANISM, NORTHERN RENAISSANCE, RELIGIOUS REFORMATIONS, AND LATE MANNERISM: 1500–1603

Northern Humanism / The Northern Renaissance / The Breakup of Christendom: Causes of the Religious Reformations / Personal Perspective: Albrecht Dürer, “On Luther” / Late Mannerism / The Legacy of Northern Humanism, Northern Renaissance, Religious Reformations, and Late Mannerism / Suggestions for Listening / Windows on the World: 1500–1600

In each chapter:

Key Cultural Terms

Suggestions for Further Reading

Appendix:

Writing for the Humanities: Research Papers and Essay Examinations

Glossary

Credits

Index