Fandom High School

Methos lectures on the Renaissance.

Methos is there and ready to hear discussion.

[[Go ahead]]

[[No. Really. It's Wednesday. Shaddup.]]

Methos is present, un-hungover, and smiling.

[[OCD threads, etc. You all know this already. Post away!]]

On the door of Humanities #2 is pinned the following sign:

Your professor is hung over indisposed. Please sign in and then go away to let me die in peace go study the Medieval Islamic Civilisation. Prof. Pierson will return when he damn well feels like it next Tuesday.

Byzantine Civilization of the Middle Ages

In the fifth century AD, the mighty Roman Empire "fell" to invading barbarians and complex internal pressures. An empire that had been centrally governed for centuries disintegrated into numerous warring states. Yet the Emperor Constantine's new capital city -- named with charming modesty after himself -- remained.

Constantinople was located on a peninsula, which made it naturally secure from invasion on three sides, and its fourth side was fortified with a network of three walls that withstood direct attack for over a thousand years. Its stable economy provided a strong military and, together with an abundant food supply and advanced civil engineering, a high standard of living. Christianity was firmly entrenched in Byzantium, and literacy was more widespread there than in any other nation in the middle ages. Although the predominant language was Greek, Latin was also fairly common, and at one point all seventy-two of the world's known languages were represented in Constantinople. Intellectual and artistic endeavors thrived.

This is not to say that the Byzantine Empire was an oasis of peace in the desert of the perilous middle ages. On the contrary, its long history is marked by numerous wars and remarkable internal strife. Its official borders expanded and shrank several times as its rulers attempted to restore the empire to its former glory or fought off invaders -- or occasionally attempted both simultaneously. The penal system was so harsh as to be viewed by western crusaders -- no strangers to mutilation and other extreme measures in their own systems of justice -- as exceedingly cruel.

Nevertheless, Byzantium remained the most stable nation of the middle ages. Its central location between western Europe and Asia not only enriched its economy and its culture but allowed it to serve as a barrier against aggressive barbarians from both areas. Its rich historiographical tradition -- strongly influenced by the Orthodox Church -- preserved ancient knowledge upon which splendid art, architecture, literature and technological achievements were built.

Alas, all good things come to an end. The Byzantine Empire's end came at the hands of the Ottoman Turks who, since nearly the beginning of Byzantium's ascendancy, had been trying to conquer it. In 1453 they finally did. They renamed the city Istanbul, turned the Hagia Sofia
into a mosque, and Islam has reigned there since.

We will revisit the Byzantine Empire from the point of view of the Islamic world next week, and from the point of view of the rest of Western Europe later in the semester.

(Cribbed from: http://historymedren.about.com/cs/byzantinestudies/a/forgotten.htm)

[[OOC: OCD threads are coming up!!]]

Methos has his feet up on his desk and appears to be asleep. A TV in the front of the room has a sign on it reading, "Press Play."

Sign in book is lying on his desk. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to watch Gladiator today.

[[OOC: Sorry for the lateness! Ack! So you get movie day. OCD threads as soon as possible are up.]]

Greetings, class. Today, we're going to discuss the Roman Republic.

For your homework, I'd like you to write one hundred words on what you think it would be like to be either a patrician, a plebian, or a slave in the Roman Republic. Due next Tuesday but to be turned in here.

[[OOC: Hold for OCD threads Threads up, go ahead.]]

Methos, kindly, has a full spread from Jeff, God of Biscuits spread out. Everything from doughnuts to bagels to cookies. Coffee and soda provide caffiene.

Methos himself is sitting at his desk, working on what looks like a photocopy of an ancient manuscript. He's translating it into a spiral bound notebook. He's frowning and thumbing through several of the pages.

On the board is written:

EXAM 1

Pick three topics and write or handwave 100 words (at least) on each:

- Sumeria
- Egypt
- Crete
- Greece, political
- Greece, cultural

When finished, you may turn in your papers and leave.

NO TALKING.

Tomorrow is doomsday. Yes, your first exam lingers on the horizon like a baleful blight upon your week. But fear not! Today is a review section where you may ask what questions you will of your humble professor. In addition, your gracious TA will be holding a second review section immediately following this class for those of you who really, really need more help.

[[OOC: OCD threads are coming up!!]]

[Poll #664022]

So what was this Greek culture that was spread throughout the ancient world, first by the Greeks themselves, then by the Macedonian Alexander, and finally by the Romans who adapted and copies so much of it?

( Prof. Pierson explains it all for you... )

As usual, homework is due here today. So far only Ms. Evans has turned in her homework for this week.

This is the last lecture in this section. Next Tuesday is going to be a review discussion section, and a week from tomorrow will be your first exam. All hope abandon, etc., etc.

===============
[[As usual, mad props to aka_vala for the lecture.
(Sources here, here, and here.)

[[OOC: OCD threads are up. Go ahead and post!]]

All right, class. You know how the syllabus says that this week is early Greece and next week is Classical Greece? It lies. When I started writing the lecture, it seemed easier to divide things between cultural and political than on arbitrary dates.

Now, we barrelled through Sumeria, Egypt and Crete to get to Greece for a specific reason. While Greece was very heavily influenced by the cultures around it, it itself became a hugely influencial culture. To this day, something cast in the image of ancient Greece has an automatic dignity and authority.

( Ancient Greece -- Politics and Wars: Agamemnon to Alexander )

All right, next time we're going to focus on the cultural developments.

Your homework from last week is due today here. Please turn it in if you have not already done so.

[[OOC: As always, much lint to aka_vala, who prepped this even though she hates the Greeks. (Sources here, here, and here.)]]

[[OMG wait for OCD threads are up! Post away!]]

Good afternoon. Everybody, lift your writing hand, rotate it in the air, and shake it out. We're going to do a marathon session today.

( Egypt )

( Crete )

Right. Now that you are all soporific from overdosing with words, I'm going to give you something to think about. For tomorrow's discussion session: reflect on the two cultures we I discussed here today. One of them was incredibly long-lived and yet fairly stagnant, and one of them was fairly short-lived and yet incredibly energetic and diverse. Does stagnation make for a more stable culture? Or what other factors, such as their geographic placement, for an obvious example, could have contributed to their differences?

Last week, I didn't make you do any homework. This week, homework will be assigned tomorrow after the discussion session. It will be based on readings.

[[OOC: Once again, mad props to aka_vala, who isn't even in this class and yet is prepping my lectures for me. Her notes: (cribbed and modified from here and here)]]

[[OCD comment threads are up. Jump in.]]

Methos stood in front of the class, dressed in jeans and a sweater, leaning back against his desk. "Right. First of all, the official title for this class is the History of Western Civilisation, Part 1. We are very consciously going to be ignoring the vast majority of the world in this survey. We're doing it because at this time and place, we are living in the result of everything that has gone before, and I'm a firm believer in understanding what's gone before to understand what's going on now.

On your desks you should have a syllabus and course information sheet. You will be responsible for knowing all the information on that sheet. I'd like you to meet your TA, Janet Fraiser, who you probably know if you got a library card. And if you don't have one? Get one. Any questions? Good.

( Lecture 1 )

Tomorrow we will meet in Humanities Classroom #2 during 5th period and discuss what I said today. If you would like to gain some additional ammunition, I can suggest some reading topics after class.

"One last thing: You have a term paper due at the end of this semester. I would like you all to pick topics before the second exam. You must clear your topics with me. Please see me if you are having trouble thinking of a topic, and I'll help you."

[[OCD threads are up! Post away!]]

Much love and thanks to aka_vala for the Sumarian portion of the lecture. **SMOOCHES**