Sources for the History of Western Civilization: Volume One: from Antiquity to the Reformation, Third Edition

Sources for the History of Western Civilization is a primary source reader designed specifically to allow undergraduate students to interact with historical documents. Michael Burger provides only the editorial guidance that students truly require, without unnecessary interventions. The third edition gives special stress to certain genres, including letters and biographical writings, to facilitate comparisons across time. Introductions to sources are brief, encouraging students to make their own assessments and giving instructors the freedom to supplement where desired. The third edition features substantive revisions and additional coverage of key topics throughoutas well as new material on the Crusades, Jewish persecution, and European expansion.

Table of Contents:
Preface to the First Edition Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the Third Edition Introduction for Students: An Example of How to Analyze a Primary Source 1. The Descent of Ishtar 2. The Code of Hammurabi 3. The Enuma Elish 4. Hymn to Aton 5. First Book of Kings, 15–19 6. Book of Job 1–14, 21–24, 38–42 7. Homer, The Iliad 8. Plutarch, Life of Solon 9. Plato, The Symposium 10. Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 11. Plutarch, Life of Alexander the Great 12. Material Evidence Concerning the Greek World 12.1. Vase (detail) (Sixth Century BC) 12.2. The "Priam Painter," Hydria (c. 520–510 BC) 12.3. Kylix (detail) (c. 520–510 BC) 12.4. Kylix (detail), Attica (c. 490–480 BC) 12.5. Column Krater, Attica (c. 460 BC) 12.6. Funerary Vase (c. 440 BC) 12.7.1. House on Slope of the Areopagus (Fifth Century BC): Probable Functions of Rooms 12.7.2. House on Slope of the Areopagus (Fifth Century BC): Areas Used by Women and by Men 12.8. Polycleitus, Doryphorus (c. 440–435 BC) 12.9. Caryatid from the Erectheum, Athens (Roman copy; original late Fifth Century BC) 12.10. Praxiteles, Aphrodite of Cnidos (c. 350 BC) 12.11. Praxiteles, Hermes (c. 325 BC) 12.12. Crouching Aphrodite (Hellenistic) 12.13. Gaul (with His Wife) Killing Himself (c. 230–220 BC) 12.14. The Pharaoh Sesostris I (?) (Egypt, Second Millennium BC) 12.15. Queen Arsinoë II (Egypt, c. 210 BC) 12.16. Queen Cleopatra (possibly Cleopatra VII) (Egypt, 200–30 BC) 12.17. Agesander, Athenodorus, and Polydorus of Rhodes, Lacoön and His Sons (c. 125 BC) 12.18. Market Woman (First Century BC) 13. Vergil, The Aeneid 14. Augustus, The Deeds of the Divine Augustus 15. Pliny the Younger, Letters 15.1. To Junius Mauricus 15.2. To Acilius 15.3. To Trajan 15.4. Trajan’s Reply 15.5. To Trajan 15.6. To Trajan 15.7. Trajan’s Reply 15.8. To Trajan 15.9. Trajan’s Reply 16. Letter from Apion 17. Inscription from Mactar 18. Book of Matthew 3–9.32 19. John, Book of Revelation 15–20 20. Perpetua and Others, The Martyrdom of Saint Perpetua 21. Diocletian’s Edict on Prices 22. Augustine, Confessions 23. Tacitus, De Germania 24. Sidonius Apollinaris, Letters 24.1. To Donidius 24.2. To Bishop Lupus 24.3. To Magnus Felix 24.4. To Ecdicius 24.5. To Arbogast 25. Benedict of Nursia, The Rule 26. Einhard, Life of Charlemagne 27. The Dooms of King Alfred 28. Gregory VII, Henry IV, and the German Bishops, Documents 28.1. Gregory VII, The Dictatus Papae   28.2. Letter of Gregory VII to Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor   28.3. Letter of Henry IV to Gregory VII   28.4. Letter of Bishops in Germany to Gregory VII   28.5. First Deposition and Banning of the Emperor Henry IV by Gregory VII   29. Speech of Urban II at the Council of Clermont: Two Accounts   29.1. Account of Fulcher of Chartres   29.2. Account of Robert the Monk   30. Fulcher of Chartres, Historia Hierosolymitana 31. Ibn al-Althir, The Complete History 32. Usamah Ibn-Munqidh, The Book of Contemplation 33. Two Letters from Crusaders   33.1. Letter of Anselm of Ribemont to Manasses II, Archbishop of Reims   33.2. Letter from Stephen, Count of Blois, to Adele, His Wife  34. Letter of Prester John 35. Magna Carta  36. Documents from the County of Champagne 36.1. Charter of the Count Thibaut III of Champagne 36.2. Charter of Simon, lord of Châteauvillain 36.3. Charter of Count Thibaut V to Renaud of Bar-le-Duc 36.4. Decree of King Philip IV ("the fair") of France 36.5. Notice from agents of King Philip IV of France 36.6. Charter of Count Thibaut V 36.7. Count Henry of Champagne establishes of village 36.8. Announcement of Countess Blanche of Champagne and Count Thibaut IV of a tax on the Jews 36.9. Countess Blanche of Castile’s announcement regarding women’s inheritance of castles 36.10. Statement of nobles of Champagne regarding royal taxation 37. Robert Grosseteste, Letter to Margaret de Quency, countess of Winchester, regarding Jews and Tithes 38. Court Rolls of the Abbots of Ramsey and Battle   38.1. Court Roll of the Abbot of Ramsey for the Manor of Elton   38.2. Court Roll of the Abbot of Battle for the Manor of Brightwaltham   39. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles   40. Ralph of Shrewsbury, Letter   41. City Officials of Cologne, Letter   42. English Statute of 1363 on Food and Clothing   43. Petrarch, Letters of Familiar Intercourse   43.1. To His Friend Socrates   43.2. To Tomasso da Messina   43.3. To Marcus Tullius Cicero   44. Christine de Pizan, The Book of the Body Politic 45. Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince   46. Desiderius Erasmus, Letters   46.1. To Anne of Borselle   46.2. To Jacobus Battus   46.3. To Pope Leo X   46.4. To Lambertus Grunnius   46.5. Lambertus Grunnius to Erasmus   46.6. To Cardinal Wolsey   46.7. To Henry Bullock   47. Martin Luther, Letters   47.1. To George Spalatin   47.2. To Paul Speratus  47.3. To George Spalatin   47.4. To Wolfgang Reissenbusch   47.5. To George Spalatin   48. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Testimonies  48.1. No. 22. Eucharistic experience 48.2. No. 25. The nature of union 48.3. No. 26. Do not renounce what awakens love 48.4. No. 31. Spiritual Marriage 48.5. No. 32 The way of suffering and love 48.6. No. 47 The value of good works 48.7. No. 64 Counsels for the Discalced Fathers 49. The Florentine Codex 50. Articles of the Catholic League   51. Michel de Montaigne, Essays   51.1. On Cannibals  51.2. That It Is Folly to Measure Truth and Error by Our Own Capacity   Sources   Index of Topics

About the Author :
Michael Burger is a professor of history at Auburn University at Montgomery.

Review :
"Michael Burger has provided a splendid anthology of carefully selected primary source readings by both men and women. From ancient Mesopotamia to the reign of Louis XIV, these documents reveal clear and insightful evidence of social, political, economic, religious, and cultural change over time. The introduction offers guidance to students on how to read and assess primary sources, and the notes and illustrations encourage deeper research and interpretation."--Kenneth R. Bartlett, University of Toronto "It has always been one of the strengths of this collection that the textbook and the sourcebook mesh so effectively, and this continues to be true. Everything syncs up beautifully across the volumes."--Jay Diehl, Long Island University