Hst 555 Topics in Renaissance History

Identifies and examines those special aspects of Western European civilization that mature roughly between 1300 and 1550 and that begin to set it apart from the medieval era. Not a survey of life during a period of time but a study of selected phenomena. Topics include the revival of antique (above all Latin and Greek) letters and attitudes, types of Humanism, new education ideals, secular outlook, the functions of Renaissance patrons, political theory and the growth of the "early modern state," Neoplatonism, and the spread of the Renaissance from Italy to Northern Europe. (Maximum number of credits is 12; 4 credits each for three courses with different topics.) Also offered for undergraduate-level credit as Hst 455.