A History of Western Society, Volume 1

The Combined Volume includes all chapters.

Volume 1 includes Chapters 1-16.

Volume 2 includes Chapters 14-30.

Since 1300 includes Chapters 11-30.

 

Preface

Maps, Figures, and Tables

Special Features

 

Chapter 1: Origins, to 1200 B.C.E.

What do we mean by "the West" and "Western civilization"?

      Describing the West

      What Is Civilization?

How did early human societies create new technologies and cultural forms?

      From the First Hominids to the Paleolithic Era

      Domestication

      Implications of Agriculture

      Trade and Cross-Cultural Connections

What kind of civilization did the Sumerians build in Mesopotamia?

      Environment and Mesopotamian Development

      The Invention of Writing and the First Schools

      Religion in Mesopotamia

      Sumerian Politics and Society

How did the Akkadian and Old Babylonian empires develop in Mesopotamia?

      The Akkadians and the Babylonians

      Life Under Hammurabi

      Cultural Exchange in the Fertile Crescent

How did the Egyptians establish a prosperous and long-lasting society?

      The Nile and the God-King

      Egyptian Religion

      Egyptian Society and Work

      Egyptian Family Life

      The Hyksos and New Kingdom Revival

      Conflict and Cooperation with the Hittites

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Thinking Like a Historian: Addressing the Gods

Evaluating Written Evidence: Hammurabi’s Code on Marriage and Divorce

Viewpoints: Faulty Merchandise in Babylon and Egypt

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Egyptian Family Life

Individuals in Society: Hatshepsut

 

Chapter 2: Small Kingdoms and Mighty Empires in the Near East, 1200–510 B.C.E.

How did iron technology shape new states after 1200 B.C.E.?

      Iron Technology

      The Decline of Egypt and the Emergence of Kush

      The Rise of Phoenicia

How did the Hebrews create an enduring religious tradition?

      The Hebrew State

      The Jewish Religion

      Hebrew Family and Society

How did the Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians gain and lose power?

      Assyria’s Long Road to Power

      Assyrian Rule and Culture

      The Neo-Babylonian Empire

How did the Persians conquer and rule their extensive empire?

      Consolidation of the Persian Empire

      Persian Religion

      Persian Art and Culture

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Individuals in Society: King Taharqa of Kush and Egypt

Thinking Like a Historian: The Moral Life

Viewpoints Rulers and Divine Favor: Views of Cyrus the Great

Evaluating Written Evidence: Manumission of an Enslaved Woman and Her Daughter

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Assyrians Besiege a City

 

Chapter 3: The Development of Greek Society and Culture, ca. 3000–338 B.C.E.

How did the geography of Greece shape its earliest kingdoms?

      Geography and Settlement

      The Minoans

      The Mycenaeans

      Homer, Hesiod, and the Epic

What was the role of the polis in Greek society?

      Organization of the Polis

      Governing Structures

      Overseas Expansion

      The Growth of Sparta

      The Evolution of Athens

How did the wars of the classical period shape Greek history?

      The Persian Wars

      Growth of the Athenian Empire

      The Peloponnesian War

      The Struggle for Dominance

      Philip II and Macedonian Supremacy

What ancient Greek ideas and ideals have had a lasting influence?

      Athenian Arts in the Age of Pericles

      Households and Work

      Gender and Sexuality

      Public and Personal Religion

      The Flowering of Philosophy

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Evaluating Written Evidence: Thucydides on the Great Plague at Athens

Evaluating Visual Evidence: The Acropolis of Athens

Viewpoints: Greek Playwrights on Families, Fate, and Choice

Individuals in Society: Aristophanes

Thinking Like a Historian: Gender Roles in Classical Athens

 

Chapter 4: Life in the Hellenistic World, 338–30 B.C.E.

How and why did Alexander the Great create an empire, and how did it evolve?

      Military Campaigns

      The Political Legacy

How did Greek ideas and traditions spread to create a Hellenized society?

      Urban Life

      Greeks in Hellenistic Cities

      Greeks and Non-Greeks

What characterized the Hellenistic economy?

      Rural Life

      Production of Goods

      Commerce

How did religion, philosophy, and the arts reflect and shape Hellenistic life?

      Religion and Magic

      Hellenism and the Jews

      Philosophy and the People

      Art and Drama

How did science and medicine serve the needs of Hellenistic society?

      Science

      Medicine

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Viewpoints: Greek Historians on Alexander the Great

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Bactrian Disk with Religious Figures

Evaluating Written Evidence: A Hellenistic Spell of Attraction

Individuals in Society: Epicurus

Thinking Like a Historian: Hellenistic Medicine

 

Chapter 5: The Rise of Rome, ca. 1000–27 B.C.E.

How did the Romans become the dominant power in Italy?

      The Geography of Italy

      The Etruscans

      The Founding of Rome

      The Roman Conquest of Italy

What were the key institutions of the Roman Republic?

      The Roman State

      Social Conflict in Rome

How did the Romans build a Mediterranean empire?

      The Punic Wars

      Rome Turns East

How did expansion affect Roman society and culture?

      Roman Families

      New Social Customs and Greek Influence

      Opposing Views: Cato the Elder and Scipio Aemilianus

What led to the fall of the Roman Republic?

      The Countryside and Land Reforms

      Political Violence

      Civil War and the Rise of Julius Caesar

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Viewpoints: Praise of Good Women in the Eulogy for Murdia and the Turia Inscription

Evaluating Visual Evidence: The Temple of Hercules Victor

Thinking Like a Historian: Land Ownership and Social Conflict in the Late Republic

Evaluating Written Evidence: Julius Caesar on the Gauls

Individuals in Society: Queen Cleopatra

 

Chapter 6: The Roman Empire, 27 B.C.E.–284 C.E.

How did Augustus and Roman elites create a foundation for the Roman Empire?

      Augustus and His Allies

      Roman Expansion

      Latin Literature

      Marriage and Morality

How did the Roman state develop after Augustus?

      The Julio-Claudians and the Flavians

      The Nerva-Antonine Dynasty

What was life like in the city of Rome and in the provinces?

      Life in Imperial Rome

      Approaches to Urban Problems

      Popular Entertainment

      Prosperity in the Roman Provinces

      Trade and Commerce

How did Christianity grow into a major religious movement?

      Factors Behind the Rise of Christianity

      The Life and Teachings of Jesus

      The Spread of Christianity

      The Growing Acceptance and Evolution of Christianity

What political and economic problems did Rome face in the third century C.E.?

      Civil Wars and Military Commanders

      Turmoil in Economic Life

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Thinking Like a Historian: Army and Empire

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Ara Pacis Augustae

Viewpoints: The Pax Romana

Evaluating Written Evidence: Ovid, The Art of Love

Individuals in Society: Pliny the Elder

 

Chapter 7: Late Antiquity, 250–600

How did Diocletian and Constantine try to reform the empire?

      Political Measures

      Economic Issues

      The Acceptance of Christianity

How did the Christian Church become a major force in the Mediterranean and Europe?

      The Church and Its Leaders

      The Development of Christian Monasticism

      Monastery Life

      Christianity and Classical Culture

      Christian Notions of Gender and Sexuality

      Saint Augustine on Human Nature, Will, and Sin

What were the key characteristics of barbarian society?

      Village and Family Life

      Tribes and Hierarchies

      Customary and Written Law

      Celtic and Germanic Religion

How did the barbarian migrations shape Europe?

      Celtic and Germanic People in Gaul and Britain

      Visigoths and Huns

      Germanic Kingdoms and the End of the Roman Empire

How did the church convert barbarian peoples to Christianity?

      Missionaries’ Actions

      The Process of Conversion

How did the Byzantine Empire preserve the legacy of Rome?

      Sources of Byzantine Strength

      The Law Code of Justinian

      Byzantine Learning and Science

      The Orthodox Church

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Individuals in Society: Macrina the Younger

Viewpoints: Roman and Byzantine Views of Barbarians

Thinking Like a Historian: Slavery in Roman and Germanic Society

Evaluating Written Evidence: Gregory of Tours on the Veneration of Relics

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Mosaic of Empress Theodora

 

Chapter 8: Europe in the Early Middle Ages, 600–1000

What were the origins of Islam, and what impact did it have on Europe as it spread?

      The Culture of the Arabian Peninsula

      The Prophet Muhammad

      The Teachings and Expansion of Islam

      Sunni and Shi’a Divisions

      Life in Muslim Spain

      Muslim-Christian Encounters

      Cross-Cultural Influences in Science and Medicine

How did the Franks build and govern a European empire?

      The Merovingians

      The Rise of the Carolingians

      The Warrior-Ruler Charlemagne

      Carolingian Government and Society

      The Imperial Coronation of Charlemagne

What were the significant intellectual and cultural developments in Charlemagne’s era?

      The Carolingian Renaissance

      Northumbrian Learning and Writing

How did the ninth-century invasions and migrations shape Europe?

      Vikings in Western Europe

      Slavs and Vikings in Eastern Europe

      Magyars and Muslims

How and why did Europe become politically and economically decentralized in this period?

      Decentralization and the Origins of "Feudalism"

      Manorialism, Serfdom, and the Slave Trade

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Viewpoints: The Muslim Conquest of Spain

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Charlemagne and His Second Wife Hildegard

Individuals in Society: The Venerable Bede

Evaluating Written Evidence: The Death of Beowulf

Thinking Like a Historian: Vikings Tell Their Own Story

 

Chapter 9: State and Church in the High Middle Ages, 1000–1300

How did monarchs try to centralize political power?

      England

      France

      Central Europe

      Italy

      The Iberian Peninsula

How did the administration of law evolve in this period?

      Local Laws and Royal Courts

      The Magna Carta

      Law in Everyday Life

What were the political and social roles of nobles?

      Origins and Status of the Nobility

      Training, Marriage, and Inheritance

      Power and Responsibility

How did the papacy reform the church, and what were the reactions to these efforts?

      The Gregorian Reforms

      Emperor Versus Pope

      Criticism and Heresy

      The Popes and Church Law

What roles did monks, nuns, and friars play in medieval society?

      Monastic Revival

      Life in Convents and Monasteries

      The Friars

What were the causes, course, and consequences of the Crusades and the broader expansion of Christianity?

      Background and Motives of the Crusades

      The Course of the Crusades

      Consequences of the Crusades

      The Expansion of Christianity

      Christendom

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Viewpoints: Oaths of Fealty

Evaluating Written Evidence: Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Illustrations from the Life of St. Edmund

Individuals in Society: Hildegard of Bingen

Thinking Like a Historian: Christian and Muslim Views of the Crusades

 

Chapter 10: Life in Villages and Cities of the High Middle Ages, 1000–1300

What was village life like in medieval Europe?

      Serfdom and Social Mobility

      The Manor

      Work

      Home Life

      Childbirth and Childhood

How did religion shape everyday life in the High Middle Ages?

      Christian Life in Medieval Villages

      Saints and Sacraments

      Muslims and Jews

      Rituals of Marriage and Birth

      Death and the Afterlife

What led to Europe’s economic growth and reurbanization?

      The Rise of Towns

      Merchant and Craft Guilds

      The Revival of Long-Distance Trade

      Business Procedures

      The Commercial Revolution

What was life like in medieval cities?

      City Life

      Servants and the Poor

      Popular Entertainment

How did universities serve the needs of medieval society?

      Origins

      Legal and Medical Training

      Theology and Philosophy

      University Students

How did literature and architecture express medieval values?

      Vernacular Literature and Drama

      Churches and Cathedrals

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Thinking Like a Historian: Social and Economic Relations in Medieval English Villages

Individuals in Society: Cecilia Penifader

Evaluating Written Evidence: Apprenticeship Contract for a Money-Changer

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Healthy Living

Viewpoints: Male and Female Troubadours

 

Chapter 11: The Later Middle Ages, 1300–1450

How did climate change shape the late Middle Ages?

      Climate Change and Famine

      Social Consequences

How did the plague affect European society?

      Pathology

      Spread of the Disease

      Care of the Sick

      Economic, Religious, and Cultural Effects

What were the causes, course, and consequences of the Hundred Years’ War?

      Causes

      English Successes

      Joan of Arc and France’s Victory

      Aftermath

Why did the church come under increasing criticism?

      The Babylonian Captivity and Great Schism

      Critiques, Divisions, and Councils

      Lay Piety and Mysticism

What explains the social unrest of the late Middle Ages?

      Peasant Revolts

      Urban Conflicts

      Sex in the City

      Fur-Collar Crime

      Ethnic Tensions and Restrictions

      Literacy and Vernacular Literature

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Viewpoints: Italian and English Views of the Plague

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Dance of Death

Evaluating Written Evidence: The Trial of Joan of Arc

Individuals in Society: Meister Eckhart

Thinking Like a Historian: Popular Revolts in the Late Middle Ages

 

Chapter 12: European Society in the Age of the Renaissance, 1350–1550

How did political and economic developments in Italy shape the Renaissance?

      Trade and Prosperity

      Communes and Republics of Northern Italy

      City-States and the Balance of Power

What new ideas were associated with the Renaissance?

      Humanism

      Education

      Political Thought

      Christian Humanism

      The Printed Word

How did art reflect new Renaissance ideals?

      Patronage and Power

      Changing Artistic Styles

      The Renaissance Artist

What were the key social hierarchies in Renaissance Europe?

      Race and Slavery

      Wealth and the Nobility

      Gender Roles

How did nation-states develop in this period?

      France

      England

      Spain

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Viewpoints: Venice Versus Florence

Individuals in Society: Leonardo da Vinci

Thinking Like a Historian: Humanist Learning

Evaluating Written Evidence: Christine de Pizan, The Treasure of the City of Ladies

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Andrea Mantegna, Adoration of the Magi (c. 1495-1505)

 

Chapter 13: Reformations and Religious Wars, 1500–1600

What were the central ideas of the reformers, and why were they appealing to different social groups?

      The Christian Church in the Early Sixteenth Century

      Martin Luther

      Protestant Thought

      The Appeal of Protestant Ideas

      The Radical Reformation and the German Peasants’ War

      Marriage, Sexuality, and the Role of Women

How did the political situation in Germany shape the course of the Reformation?

      The Rise of the Habsburg Dynasty

      Religious Wars in Switzerland and Germany

How did Protestant ideas and institutions spread beyond German-speaking lands?

      Scandinavia

      Henry VIII and the Reformation in England

      Upholding Protestantism in England

      Calvinism

      The Reformation in Eastern Europe

What reforms did the Catholic Church make, and how did it respond to Protestant reform movements?

      Papal Reform and the Council of Trent

      New and Reformed Religious Orders

What were the causes and consequences of religious violence, including riots, wars, and witch-hunts?

      French Religious Wars

      The Netherlands Under Charles V

      The Great European Witch-Hunt

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Evaluating Written Evidence: Martin Luther, On Christian Liberty

Individuals in Society: Anna Jansz of Rotterdam

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Lucas de Heere, Allegory of the Tudor Succession, 1572

Thinking Like a Historian: Social Discipline in the Reformation

Viewpoints: Catholic and Calvinist Churches

 

Chapter 14: European Exploration and Conquest, 1450–1650

What was the Afro-Eurasian trading world before Columbus?

      The Trade World of the Indian Ocean

      The Trading States of Africa

      The Middle East

      Genoese and Venetian Middlemen

How and why did Europeans undertake ambitious voyages of expansion?

      Causes of European Expansion

      Technology and the Rise of Exploration

      The Portuguese Overseas Empire

      Spain’s Voyages to the Americas

      Spain "Discovers" the Pacific

      Early Exploration by Northern European Powers

What was the impact of European conquest on the New World?

      Conquest of the Aztec Empire

      The Fall of the Incas

      Portuguese Brazil

      Colonial Empires of England and France

      Colonial Administration

How did Europe and the world change after Columbus?

      Economic Exploitation of the Indigenous Population

      Society in the Colonies

      Population Loss and the Ecological Impacts of Contact

      Sugar and Slavery

      Spanish Silver and Its Economic Effects

      The Birth of the Global Economy

How did expansion change European attitudes and beliefs?

      Religious Conversion

      European Debates About Indigenous Peoples

      New Ideas About Race

      Michel de Montaigne and Cultural Curiosity

      William Shakespeare and His Influence

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Evaluating Written Evidence: Columbus Describes His First Voyage

Thinking Like a Historian: Who Was Doña Marina?

Individuals in Society: Catarina de San Juan

Viewpoints: Aztec and Spanish Views on Christian Conversion in New Spain

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Andrés Sánchez Gallque, The Mulatto Gentlemen of Esmeraldas, 1599

 

Chapter 15: Absolutism and Constitutionalism, ca. 1589–1725

What were the crises and achievements of seventeenth-century European states?

      The Social Order and Peasant Life

      Environmental, Economic, and Social Crisis

      The Thirty Years’ War

      State-Building and the Growth of Armies

      Baroque Art and Music

What was absolutism, and how did it evolve in western and central Europe?

      The Decline of Absolutist Spain in the Seventeenth Century

      The Foundations of French Absolutism

      Louis XIV and Absolutism

      Life at Versailles

      Louis XIV’s Wars

      The French Economic Policy of Mercantilism

What explains the rise of absolutism in Prussia and Austria?

      The Return of Serfdom

      The Austrian Habsburgs

      Prussia in the Seventeenth Century

      The Consolidation of Prussian Absolutism

What were the distinctive features of Russian and Ottoman absolutism?

      Mongol Rule in Russia and the Rise of Moscow

      Building the Russian Empire

      The Reforms of Peter the Great

      The Ottoman Empire

What were alternatives to absolutism in early modern Europe?

      The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

      The Failure of Absolutism in England

      The Puritan Protectorate

      The Restoration of the English Monarchy

      Constitutional Monarchy

      The Dutch Republic in the Seventeenth Century

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Thinking Like a Historian: What Was Absolutism?

Evaluating Written Evidence: Peter the Great and Foreign Experts

Individuals in Society: Hürrem

Viewpoints: Stuart Claims to Absolutism and the Parliamentary Response

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Gonzales Coques, The Young Scholar and His Wife, 1640

 

Chapter 16: Toward a New Worldview, 1540–1789

What revolutionary discoveries were made in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?

      Contributions from the Muslim World

      Scientific Thought to 1500

      The Copernican Hypothesis

      Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo: Proving Copernicus Right

      Newton’s Synthesis

      Natural History and Empire

      Magic and Alchemy

What intellectual and social changes occurred as a result of the Scientific Revolution?

      The Methods of Science: Bacon and Descartes

      Medicine, the Body, and Chemistry

      Science and Religion

      Science and Society

How did the Enlightenment emerge, and what were major currents of Enlightenment thought?

      The Early Enlightenment

      The Influence of the Philosophes

      Enlightenment Movements Across Europe

How did the Enlightenment change social ideas and practices?

      Global Contacts

      Enlightenment Debates About Race

      Women and the Enlightenment

      Urban Culture and Life in the Public Sphere

What impact did new ways of thinking have on politics?

      Frederick the Great of Prussia

      Catherine the Great of Russia

      The Austrian Habsburgs

      Jewish Life and the Limits of Enlightened Absolutism

LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD

REVIEW & EXPLORE

Evaluating Written Evidence: Galileo Galilei, The Sidereal Messenger

Thinking Like a Historian: The Enlightenment Debate on Religious Tolerance

Viewpoints: Rousseau and Wollstonecraft Debate Women’s Equality

Evaluating Visual Evidence: Léonard Defrance and the Public Sphere

Individuals in Society: Moses Mendelssohn and the Jewish Enlightenment

 

Glossary

Index

Timeline: A History of Western Society: A Brief Overview

About the Authors