Course Catalogue

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Byzantium, or the eastern Roman Empire, was the dominant power in the Mediterranean at the beginning of the seventh century, but a hundred years later, much of the Near East and North Africa were ruled by Umayyad caliphs, rulers who both followed a new religion, Islam, and held sway over lands well beyond Byzantium. Understanding these geopolitical, cultural, and religious changes involves an examination of the Byzantine background alongside wider Eurasian connections to the Arabian Peninsula, as well as engaging in ongoing historiographical debates. By surveying a broad range of textual and material sources from Britain to Iran, this course will assess the key changes and continuities of this transformative period in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

10 x 1 hour lectures and 10 x 1 hour seminars. This is one of the Honours options in History and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into History, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Final essay responding to set questions - 3,000 words - 60% 

■ Source analysis of selected primary text and its use for historians - 1,000 words - 30% 

■ 5-minute seminar participation and responses to Q&A - 10% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the Final essay responding to set questions, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ There are no alternatives to the Source analysis, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ One-to-one presentation / discussion/Q&A with staff as alternative to seminar participation.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course will provide the opportunity for students to:

■ develop an understanding of the political, cultural, and religious transformations that occurred in the seventh-century Near East

■ assess a wide range of primary sources and hone their skills in source criticism

■ develop effective communication skills through engaging with existing historiographical debates

■ develop the confidence and skills required in writing convincing arguments for both historical research and future employment

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ explain key developments in the history of Byzantium and early Islam in the seventh century

■ analyse and critique key debates in the historiography of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages

■ formulate their own interpretations of the evidence in seminar discussions, written source analysis, and seminar presentations

■ consolidate and develop their writing skills in formulating persuasive historical arguments