This course explores the essential contours of the human experience in what has come to be called "Western civilization." From its humble beginnings in the ancient Near East to the dawn of the modern world, these presentations cover developments from about 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1600

Explores the five momentous centuries that link the Classical and Modern worlds and shows how the fall of the Roman Empire gave rise to three great civilizations: Medieval Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic Caliphate. Examines many features of the period between A.D. 253 and A.D. 750, including the development of these unique civilizations, their memorable political and religious leaders, and daily life in the late antique world.