MCCCD Program Description

History of Western Civilization to Middle Ages

Course: HIS100

First Term: 2022 Fall

Lecture 3.0 Credit(s) 3.0 Period(s) 3.0 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S - Standard Load

Description: Survey of the origin and development of Western civilization and its institutions from prehistory through the Ancient World and the Middle Ages.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Describe the transition of humans from tribes to civilization. (I, II) 2. Evaluate the elements of civilization that emerged in Mesopotamia and Egypt. (I, II) 3. Describe the origins and growth of western civilization rooted in the Near East. (I, II, III) 4. Describe the onset of the Ancient Dark Ages and the interactions between civilizations in the Mediterranean region. (III) 5. Trace the origins of political institutions and cultural contributions of Hellenic Greece. (III, IV) 6. Describe the factors in the spread of classical Greek civilization throughout the Near East during the Hellenistic era. (V) 7. Analyze the contributions of Roman social, political, cultural, and technological achievements to western civilization. (VI, VII) 8. Interpret the emergence of Christianity within the context of contemporary Judaism and the Roman Empire. (VII) 9. Differentiate the historical theories regarding the decline of the Roman Empire. (VII, VIII, IX) 10. Evaluate the roles of the classical tradition, the Germanic contribution, and Judeo-Christianity to the formation of early medieval Europe. (IX)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Mesopotamia A. Evolution of urban society in Mesopotamia B. Growth of organized religion C. Invention of writing D. Development of the law; Code of Hammurabi II. Ancient Egypt A. Dependency on geographical features B. Evolution of bureaucracy; development of the first unified state C. Egyptian civilization and religion III. Ancient Dark Ages A. Civilizations of the Near East 1. The Hittites 2. The Phoenicians 3. The Homeric Era: The Minoans and Mycenaeans 4. The Hebrews B. Collapse and aftermath 1. Factors in collapse 2. Recovery IV. Hellenic Greece A. Minoan civilization B. Homeric Mycenae C. Origins of Hellenic Greek political institutions 1. Emergence of the polis 2. Contrasting political forms 3. Communal society vs. the evolution of the individual D. Conflicts in Hellenic Greece 1. Greece and the Persian Empire 2. Wars between the city states E. Evolution of thought and art in Greece 1. Schools of Hellenic thought 2. Greek architecture 3. Greek theatre V. Hellenistic Greece A. Rise of Macedonia 1. Alexander the Great 2. Conquest of Persia 3. Diadochi B. Hellenistic world 1. Successor states 2. Thought and art in the Hellenistic world VI. Roman Republic A. Origins of the Roman Republic B. Roman constitution and Roman law 1. Twelve Tables 2. Roman oratory C. Roman society 1. Citizenship 2. Religion D. Roman imperialism E. Fall of the Republic 1. Social and political stresses 2. Julius Caesar VII. Roman Empire A. Augustus and his successors B. Pax Romana C. Imperial society D. Spreading Roman civilization 1. Roman jurisprudence 2. Roman engineering 3. Latin culture E. Dividing the Empire 1. Shifting eastward 2. Decline of Rome VIII. Early Christianity A. Context: The Judaic world in the 1st century CE B. From Jesus to Christ 1. Jesus 2. Aftermath a. the Apostles b. Paul C. Christianity in the Roman world 1. The spreading faith a. From polytheism to monotheism b. Persecutions c. Varieties of Christianity 2. The Christianization of the Roman Empire a. Council of Nicaea b. Other IX. Early Medieval Europe A. Fall of the Western Roman Empire 1. Germanic invasions 2. Civil Unrest 3. Theories of "the Fall" B. The Christian West 1. The early Roman Catholic Church 2. The Germanic kingdoms 3. Early medieval society C. Byzantium D. Towards the Carolingian Empire

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: June 28, 2022

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.