A History of Art and Civilization: The Medieval World

Trudy McNair’s A History of Art and Civilization series provides comprehensive coverage of the art and cultural history of different regions and time periods throughout antiquity. The texts place art and societal movements in context, giving students a panoramic view of history and an understanding of how circumstance relates to cultural output.

Table of Contents:
PREFACE CHAPTER 1: THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN AND BYZANTINE TRADITIONS Historical Overview The Beginnings of the Hebrew People The Age of the Patriarchs Portraits from the Past—Joseph, the Favorite Son The Exodus The Conquest The Rise and Fall of the Israelite Nation The United Monarchy The Period of the Two Kingdoms Puzzles from the Past—The Lost Ark of the Covenant The Babylonian Captivity Persian Rule The Maccabean Revolt Roman Rule and the Siege of Masada Puzzles from the Past—The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls The Christian Religion Portraits from the Past: The Life of Jesus Puzzles from the Past—Veronica’s Veil and the Shroud of Turin The Gospels The Mission of St. Paul St. Paul’s Views on Women Mithraism The Period of Persecution and Constantine’s Vision Early Christian Architecture Uncovering the Past—Dura-Europas and the Catacombs of Rome The Byzantine Empire Historical Overview The Golden Age of Justinian The Magnificent Hagia Sophia San Vitale in Ravenna Christian Christograms The Importance of Icons The Iconoclastic Controversy The Byzantine Legacy in Italy and Russia Suggested Readings from the King James Version of the Christian Bible CHAPTER 2: THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES AND THE RISE OF ISLAM The Foundations of Medieval Europe Historical Overview The Roman Catholic Church The Rise of the Barbarians Portraits from the Past—St. Augustine, from Sinner to Saint The City of God St. Augustine’s Views on War and Peace Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy Christian Monasticism Historical Overview St. Anthony, St. Jerome, and St. Simeon The Founding of Benedictine Monasticism The Rule of St. Benedict Pope Gregory The Celtic World Historical Overview Celtic Religion The Roman Period Portraits from the Past—St. Patrick and St. Brigid, Patron Saints of lreland Celtic Christianity Chronicling the Past—The Venerable Bede Celtic Art The Art of Manuscript Illumination Uncovering the Past—The Legend of King Arthur The Rise of Islam Historical Overview Portraits from the Past—Mohammed’s Mission Islamic Beliefs The Spread of Islam Suggested Readings from St. Augustine’s The Confession and The City of God CHAPTER 3: THE FLOWERING OF MEDIEVAL AND ISLAMIC CULTURE Historical Overview The Franks Portraits from the Past: The Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne Charlemagne’s Educational Revolution Carolingian Art and Architecture The Song of Roland Women’s Voices—Dhuoda, a Frankish Mother Anglo-Saxon England and the Age of the Vikings Historical Overview Alfred the Great The Voyages of the Vikings The Norman Conquest of England Historical Overview The Bayeux Tapestry Medieval Tapestries Feudalism Manorialism The Medieval Castle Medieval Music and Drama The Gregorian Chants and the Liturgical Tropes Women’s Voices—The Plays of Hrotsvit, a Saxon Canoness The Morality Play Everyman The Flowering of Islamic Culture Historical Overview Islamic Art and Architecture The Dome of the Rock Moorish Spain The Flowering of Jewish Culture in Spain The Alhambra Islamic Poetry Suggested Readings from The Song of Roland, Thais, and Everyman CHAPTER 4: THE TWELFTH-CENTURY RENAISSANCE Historical Overview The Growth of Towns and the Guilds The Growth of Monasticism The Medieval Pilgrimage Romanesque Architecture Gothic Architecture Chartres Cathedral The Cathedral Builders The Rise of the University Historical Overview The Universities of Paris and Oxford The Town-and-Gown Riots The Oxford Colleges Student Life Portraits from the Past—The Tragic Lovers Abelard and Heloise The Scholasticism of Thomas Aquinas Medieval Alchemy The Age of Knighthood and Chivalry The Knight—Historical Overview Medieval Armor Jousting Tournaments and Heraldry The Code of Chivalry The Code of Courtly Love Historical Overview The Rules of Courtly Love The Troubadours Women’s Voices—The Lais of Marie de France The Arthurian Romances The Medieval Romance A Legend Is Born The Fall of Camelot The Search for the Holy Grail The Once and Future King Suggested Readings from The Summa Theologica, Marie de France, and L’Morte d’Arthur CHAPTER 5: THE DECLINE OF THE MIDDLE AGES Historical Overview The Crusades Historical Overview The First Crusade The Second and Third Crusades Portraits from the Past—The Irrepressible Eleanor of Aquitaine The Later Crusades The Military Orders of Warrior Monks Puzzles from the Past—The Mysterious Knights Templars The Spiritual Revolution of St. Francis of Assisi Portraits from the Past—St. Francis of Assisi, God’s Troubadour Women’s Voices—St. Clare of Assisi St. Francis and the Natural World The Bubonic Plague Historical Overview The Plague Years The Peasants’ Revolts The Hundred Years’ War Historical Overview The Battles of the Hundred Years’ War Portraits from the Past—Joan of Arc The End of the “Age of Knights” The End of the “Age of Faith” Historical Overview Gnosticism and the Cathars The New Babylonian Captivity The Great Schism Late Medieval Literature Historical Overview Dante’s Journey of Self-Discovery Chaucer’s Pilgrimage Women’s Voices—Christine de Pisan Suggested Readings from Dante’s Divine Comedy, The Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, and the Works of Christine de Pisan INDEX