IN THIS COURSE we will examine the history of Western civilization from its early beginnings in Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, and Rome right up to the present day. Because that leaves us with nearly three thousand years of history to investigate in only 15 weeks, our approach will be highly selective. Unlike other history courses you may have taken, this course does not survey these events in a linear progression. We will not be memorizing lots of names and dates. Instead, we will take a thematic approach that focuses on a number of the most important developments during the three millennia we will cover. We will focus our attention tightly on certain essential trends that one can discern in the history of the West -- trends that resonate in the present in addition to being vital to our understanding of the past.

By the end of the semester you will know a lot more than you do now about each of these trends, and you will be able to apply that knowledge not only to the events of European history, but also to many other areas of scholarly investigation. I am sorry to say that you will not have an encyclopedic knowledge of the names, dates, battles, treaties, kings, queens, artists, and philosophers. If memorization of these pieces of information is what you crave, you'll be better off in another section of this course.

To the right you will find general information about the course, including notes on attendance, grading, and office hours. You will also find schedules for writing assignments, out-of-class activities, and class meetings. Please note that for each class meeting I have prepared a separate page of introductory materials and instructions, and you should be sure to visit these pages BEFORE the class in question, when you will be responsible for any reading, web assignments, and other information you find there.