This course traces the transformations of the eastern Mediterranean from Classical Antiquity into the Medieval Middle East. It explores the rise and fall of the Roman empire, the legacy of Rome in Byzantium, and the encounters between Christians and Muslims in the Islamic worlds of the Medieval Middle East, from the 1st century CE to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 CE. To do so, in this course we will follow the history of two people groups - Armenians and the Syrians - who lived on the fringes of the Roman empire, in the deserts, mountains, and frontiers of its far eastern borders. Often relegated to the fringes of history, Armenians and the Syrians lived at the center of the Medieval world, where the empires of Rome and Persia, Byzantium and Islam, the Mongols and the Ottomans vied for control of the Mediterranean, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Silk Routes. Their experiences at the crossroads of the world shaped not only their identities, cultures, and their particular forms of Christianity, but also the history of the Roman empire at its limits and the formation of the Medieval world.

In this course, we will learn about their history and the history of the Medieval Middle East from their perspectives: we will read about their experiences as subjects of the great empires of Europe, Asia, and the Indian subcontinent; we will be confronted with their views on the divine, mysticism, orthodoxy, and heresy; we will reflect on their artistic expressions; we will uncover the history of Rome after Rome; and we will examine how they navigated their place at the edges of the Roman world and at the center of world history.

Course Requirements:

Quizzes, short essays, final project (analytical paper or other media)

Intended Audience:

Majors and non-majors, or anyone interested in the history of empires, Rome, Persia, Islam, and the transformation of ancient world into the world of the medieval Middle East.

Class Format:

Seminar combined with lecture