The Humanities in the Western Tradition: Ideas and Aesthetics, Volume I: Ancient to Medieval: 1 - Tapa blanda

I. The Birth of the West: The Greco-Roman Judeo-Christian Heritage 1. The Ancient Near East: The First Civilizations Prehistory The Rise to Civilization Mesopotamian Civilization Egyptian Civilization Persia: Unifier of the Near East 2. The Hebrews: A New View of God and the Individual Early Hebrew History God: One, Sovereign, Transcendent, Good The Individual and Moral Autonomy The Covenant and the Law The Hebrew Idea of History The Prophets The Bible as Literature Art and Music 3. Hellenic Civilization I: From Myth to Reason Early Aegean Civilizations Evolution of City-States The Decline of the City-States Early Greek Literature Greek Religion Philosophy in the Hellenic Age 4. Hellenic Civilization II: The Arts and Literature Lyric Poetry Music Drama The Greek View of History Hellenic Art 5. The Hellenistic Age: Cultural Diffusion Alexander the Great Hellenistic Society Hellenistic Culture Hellenistic Art 6. Roman Civilization: The Expansion of Hellenism Evolution of the Roman Republic The Foundations of the Roman Empire The Decline of Rome Republican Culture: Philosophy and Literature Roman Culture During the Pax Romana Law Cultural Stagnation and Transformation Roman Art 7. Early Christianity: A World Religion The Origins of Christianity The Spread and Triumph of Christianity Development of Christian Organization and Attitudes Early Christian Theology and Literature Early Christian Art II. The Middle Ages: The Christian Centuries 8. The Medieval East: Byzantium and Islam A Survey of Byzantine History Byzantine Learning Byzantine Music Byzantine Art and Architecture The Origins and Expansion of Islam The Decline of the Arab Empire Islamic Theology Inner Divisions: Sunnites, Shi'ites, and Sufis Muslim Society Islamic Thought Islamic Literature Islamic Art and Architecture 9. The Early Medieval West: Fusion of Classical, Christian, and Germanic Traditions The Rise of Latin Christendom Early Medieval Literature Early Medieval Art 10. The High Middle Ages I: The Flowering of Medieval Thought Economic Expansion: Agricultural Improvements, Revival of Trade, and Growth of Towns The Rise of States Medieval Religion: Devotion, Power, Heresy Revival of Learning Philosophy-Theology Science The Recovery of Roman Law 11. The High Middle Ages II: The Flowering of Medieval Literature, Art, and Music Medieval Literature Medieval Art Pictorial Art Medieval Music 12. The Late Middle Ages: Crisis, Continuity, and Change The Fourteenth Century: An Age of Adversity The Decline of the Papacy Late Medieval Thought Late Medieval Literature: Continuity with Traditional Themes Late Medieval Literature: New Directions Late Medieval Art The Ars Nova (New Art) in Music

This book focuses on the historical component of the Humanities course, with an emphasis on intellectual history. It pays close attention to the lives of individuals, highlighting the human aspect of great artists and thinkers. An abundance of biographical information allows students to see these figures as real people with concrete motivations for creating great historical works. The text contains a number of pedagogical features, which are especially helpful for students who have no background in humanities.