A History of Western Society, Combined Volume
by Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Clare Haru Crowston, Joe Perry, John P. McKay
14th Edition
Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's
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Book Details
| Print ISBN | 9781319329884 |
| eText ISBN | 9781319480332 |
| Publisher | Bedford/St. Martin's |
| Publishing Year | 2023 |
| Edition | 14th Edition |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 1116 |
A History of Western Society, Combined Volume, 14th Edition is an academic textbook designed for students and instructors studying the history of Western civilization. Published by Bedford/St. Martin's in 2023, the volume is written by Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Clare Haru Crowston, Joe Perry, and John P. McKay.
The narrative focuses on social and cultural history by examining how ordinary and extraordinary men and women experienced historical transformations. Central coverage spans early human societies and agriculture, Sumerian politics and religion, ancient Egypt, small kingdoms, Near Eastern empires, Greek society and philosophy, the Hellenistic world, and the Roman Empire.
This Combined Volume integrates all chapters from the full textbook series across 1,116 pages of content. It delivers a consolidated framework suitable for introductory Western history courses across multiple terms.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Origins, to 1200 B.C.E.
- • What do we mean by "the West" and "Western civilization"?
- • Describing the West
- • What Is Civilization?
- • How did early human societies create new technologies and cultural forms?
- • From the First Hominids to the Paleolithic Era
- • Implications of Agriculture
- • Trade and Cross-Cultural Connections
- • What kind of civilization did the Sumerians build in Mesopotamia?
- • Environment and Mesopotamian Development
- • The Invention of Writing and the First Schools
- • Religion in Mesopotamia
- • Sumerian Politics and Society
- • How did the Akkadian and Old Babylonian empires develop in Mesopotamia?
- • The Akkadians and the Babylonians
- • Life Under Hammurabi
- • Cultural Exchange in the Fertile Crescent
- • How did the Egyptians establish a prosperous and long-lasting society?
- • The Nile and the God-King
- • Egyptian Religion
- • Egyptian Society and Work
- • Egyptian Family Life
- • The Hyksos and New Kingdom Revival
- • Conflict and Cooperation with the Hittites
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Addressing the Gods
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: Hammurabi’s Code on Marriage and Divorce
- • Viewpoints: Faulty Merchandise in Babylon and Egypt
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Egyptian Family Life
- • Individuals in Society: Hatshepsut
Chapter 2: Small Kingdoms and Mighty Empires in the Near East, 1200–510 B.C.E.
- • How did iron technology shape new states after 1200 B.C.E.?
- • Iron Technology
- • The Decline of Egypt and the Emergence of Kush
- • The Rise of Phoenicia
- • How did the Hebrews create an enduring religious tradition?
- • The Hebrew State
- • The Jewish Religion
- • Hebrew Family and Society
- • How did the Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians gain and lose power?
- • Assyria’s Long Road to Power
- • Assyrian Rule and Culture
- • The Neo-Babylonian Empire
- • How did the Persians conquer and rule their extensive empire?
- • Consolidation of the Persian Empire
- • Persian Religion
- • Persian Art and Culture
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Individuals in Society: King Taharqa of Kush and Egypt
- • Thinking Like a Historian: The Moral Life
- • Viewpoints Rulers and Divine Favor: Views of Cyrus the Great
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: Manumission of an Enslaved Woman and Her Daughter
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Assyrians Besiege a City
Chapter 3: The Development of Greek Society and Culture, ca. 3000–338 B.C.E.
- • How did the geography of Greece shape its earliest kingdoms?
- • Geography and Settlement
- • The Minoans
- • The Mycenaeans
- • Homer, Hesiod, and the Epic
- • What was the role of the polis in Greek society?
- • Organization of the Polis
- • Governing Structures
- • Overseas Expansion
- • The Growth of Sparta
- • The Evolution of Athens
- • How did the wars of the classical period shape Greek history?
- • The Persian Wars
- • Growth of the Athenian Empire
- • The Peloponnesian War
- • The Struggle for Dominance
- • Philip II and Macedonian Supremacy
- • What ancient Greek ideas and ideals have had a lasting influence?
- • Athenian Arts in the Age of Pericles
- • Households and Work
- • Gender and Sexuality
- • Public and Personal Religion
- • The Flowering of Philosophy
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: Thucydides on the Great Plague at Athens
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: The Acropolis of Athens
- • Viewpoints: Greek Playwrights on Families, Fate, and Choice
- • Individuals in Society: Aristophanes
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Gender Roles in Classical Athens
Chapter 4: Life in the Hellenistic World, 338–30 B.C.E.
- • How and why did Alexander the Great create an empire, and how did it evolve?
- • Military Campaigns
- • The Political Legacy
- • How did Greek ideas and traditions spread to create a Hellenized society?
- • Urban Life
- • Greeks in Hellenistic Cities
- • Greeks and Non-Greeks
- • What characterized the Hellenistic economy?
- • Rural Life
- • Production of Goods
- • Commerce
- • How did religion, philosophy, and the arts reflect and shape Hellenistic life?
- • Religion and Magic
- • Hellenism and the Jews
- • Philosophy and the People
- • Art and Drama
- • How did science and medicine serve the needs of Hellenistic society?
- • Science
- • Medicine
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Viewpoints: Greek Historians on Alexander the Great
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Bactrian Disk with Religious Figures
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: A Hellenistic Spell of Attraction
- • Individuals in Society: Epicurus
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Hellenistic Medicine
Chapter 5: The Rise of Rome, ca. 1000–27 B.C.E.
- • How did the Romans become the dominant power in Italy?
- • The Geography of Italy
- • The Etruscans
- • The Founding of Rome
- • The Roman Conquest of Italy
- • What were the key institutions of the Roman Republic?
- • The Roman State
- • Social Conflict in Rome
- • How did the Romans build a Mediterranean empire?
- • The Punic Wars
- • Rome Turns East
- • How did expansion affect Roman society and culture?
- • Roman Families
- • New Social Customs and Greek Influence
- • Opposing Views: Cato the Elder and Scipio Aemilianus
- • What led to the fall of the Roman Republic?
- • The Countryside and Land Reforms
- • Political Violence
- • Civil War and the Rise of Julius Caesar
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Viewpoints: Praise of Good Women in the Eulogy for Murdia and the Turia Inscription
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: The Temple of Hercules Victor
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Land Ownership and Social Conflict in the Late Republic
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: Julius Caesar on the Gauls
- • Individuals in Society: Queen Cleopatra
Chapter 6: The Roman Empire, 27 B.C.E.–284 C.E.
- • How did Augustus and Roman elites create a foundation for the Roman Empire?
- • Augustus and His Allies
- • Roman Expansion
- • Latin Literature
- • Marriage and Morality
- • How did the Roman state develop after Augustus?
- • The Julio-Claudians and the Flavians
- • The Nerva-Antonine Dynasty
- • What was life like in the city of Rome and in the provinces?
- • Life in Imperial Rome
- • Approaches to Urban Problems
- • Popular Entertainment
- • Prosperity in the Roman Provinces
- • Trade and Commerce
- • How did Christianity grow into a major religious movement?
- • Factors Behind the Rise of Christianity
- • The Life and Teachings of Jesus
- • The Spread of Christianity
- • The Growing Acceptance and Evolution of Christianity
- • What political and economic problems did Rome face in the third century C.E.?
- • Civil Wars and Military Commanders
- • Turmoil in Economic Life
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Army and Empire
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Ara Pacis Augustae
- • Viewpoints: The Pax Romana
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: Ovid, The Art of Love
- • Individuals in Society: Pliny the Elder
Chapter 7: Late Antiquity, 250–600
- • How did Diocletian and Constantine try to reform the empire?
- • Political Measures
- • Economic Issues
- • The Acceptance of Christianity
- • How did the Christian Church become a major force in the Mediterranean and Europe?
- • The Church and Its Leaders
- • The Development of Christian Monasticism
- • Monastery Life
- • Christianity and Classical Culture
- • Christian Notions of Gender and Sexuality
- • Saint Augustine on Human Nature, Will, and Sin
- • What were the key characteristics of barbarian society?
- • Village and Family Life
- • Tribes and Hierarchies
- • Customary and Written Law
- • Celtic and Germanic Religion
- • How did the barbarian migrations shape Europe?
- • Celtic and Germanic People in Gaul and Britain
- • Visigoths and Huns
- • Germanic Kingdoms and the End of the Roman Empire
- • How did the church convert barbarian peoples to Christianity?
- • Missionaries’ Actions
- • The Process of Conversion
- • How did the Byzantine Empire preserve the legacy of Rome?
- • Sources of Byzantine Strength
- • The Law Code of Justinian
- • Byzantine Learning and Science
- • The Orthodox Church
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Individuals in Society: Macrina the Younger
- • Viewpoints: Roman and Byzantine Views of Barbarians
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Slavery in Roman and Germanic Society
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: Gregory of Tours on the Veneration of Relics
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Mosaic of Empress Theodora
Chapter 8: Europe in the Early Middle Ages, 600–1000
- • What were the origins of Islam, and what impact did it have on Europe as it spread?
- • The Culture of the Arabian Peninsula
- • The Prophet Muhammad
- • The Teachings and Expansion of Islam
- • Sunni and Shi’a Divisions
- • Life in Muslim Spain
- • Muslim-Christian Encounters
- • Cross-Cultural Influences in Science and Medicine
- • How did the Franks build and govern a European empire?
- • The Merovingians
- • The Rise of the Carolingians
- • The Warrior-Ruler Charlemagne
- • Carolingian Government and Society
- • The Imperial Coronation of Charlemagne
- • What were the significant intellectual and cultural developments in Charlemagne’s era?
- • The Carolingian Renaissance
- • Northumbrian Learning and Writing
- • How did the ninth-century invasions and migrations shape Europe?
- • Vikings in Western Europe
- • Slavs and Vikings in Eastern Europe
- • Magyars and Muslims
- • How and why did Europe become politically and economically decentralized in this period?
- • Decentralization and the Origins of "Feudalism"
- • Manorialism, Serfdom, and the Slave Trade
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Viewpoints: The Muslim Conquest of Spain
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Charlemagne and His Second Wife Hildegard
- • Individuals in Society: The Venerable Bede
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: The Death of Beowulf
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Vikings Tell Their Own Story
Chapter 9: State and Church in the High Middle Ages, 1000–1300
- • How did monarchs try to centralize political power?
- • England
- • France
- • Central Europe
- • Italy
- • The Iberian Peninsula
- • How did the administration of law evolve in this period?
- • Local Laws and Royal Courts
- • The Magna Carta
- • Law in Everyday Life
- • What were the political and social roles of nobles?
- • Origins and Status of the Nobility
- • Training, Marriage, and Inheritance
- • Power and Responsibility
- • How did the papacy reform the church, and what were the reactions to these efforts?
- • The Gregorian Reforms
- • Emperor Versus Pope
- • Criticism and Heresy
- • The Popes and Church Law
- • What roles did monks, nuns, and friars play in medieval society?
- • Monastic Revival
- • Life in Convents and Monasteries
- • The Friars
- • What were the causes, course, and consequences of the Crusades and the broader expansion of Christianity?
- • Background and Motives of the Crusades
- • The Course of the Crusades
- • Consequences of the Crusades
- • The Expansion of Christianity
- • Christendom
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Viewpoints: Oaths of Fealty
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Illustrations from the Life of St. Edmund
- • Individuals in Society: Hildegard of Bingen
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Christian and Muslim Views of the Crusades
Chapter 10: Life in Villages and Cities of the High Middle Ages, 1000–1300
- • What was village life like in medieval Europe?
- • Serfdom and Social Mobility
- • The Manor
- • Work
- • Home Life
- • Childbirth and Childhood
- • How did religion shape everyday life in the High Middle Ages?
- • Christian Life in Medieval Villages
- • Saints and Sacraments
- • Muslims and Jews
- • Rituals of Marriage and Birth
- • Death and the Afterlife
- • What led to Europe’s economic growth and reurbanization?
- • The Rise of Towns
- • Merchant and Craft Guilds
- • The Revival of Long-Distance Trade
- • Business Procedures
- • The Commercial Revolution
- • What was life like in medieval cities?
- • City Life
- • Servants and the Poor
- • Popular Entertainment
- • How did universities serve the needs of medieval society?
- • Origins
- • Legal and Medical Training
- • Theology and Philosophy
- • University Students
- • How did literature and architecture express medieval values?
- • Vernacular Literature and Drama
- • Churches and Cathedrals
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Social and Economic Relations in Medieval English Villages
- • Individuals in Society: Cecilia Penifader
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: Apprenticeship Contract for a Money-Changer
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Healthy Living
- • Viewpoints: Male and Female Troubadours
Chapter 11: The Later Middle Ages, 1300–1450
- • How did climate change shape the late Middle Ages?
- • Climate Change and Famine
- • Social Consequences
- • How did the plague affect European society?
- • Pathology
- • Spread of the Disease
- • Care of the Sick
- • Economic, Religious, and Cultural Effects
- • What were the causes, course, and consequences of the Hundred Years’ War?
- • Causes
- • English Successes
- • Joan of Arc and France’s Victory
- • Aftermath
- • Why did the church come under increasing criticism?
- • The Babylonian Captivity and Great Schism
- • Critiques, Divisions, and Councils
- • Lay Piety and Mysticism
- • What explains the social unrest of the late Middle Ages?
- • Peasant Revolts
- • Urban Conflicts
- • Sex in the City
- • Fur-Collar Crime
- • Ethnic Tensions and Restrictions
- • Literacy and Vernacular Literature
- • LOOKING BACK / LOOKING AHEAD
- • REVIEW & EXPLORE
- • Viewpoints: Italian and English Views of the Plague
- • Evaluating Visual Evidence: Dance of Death
- • Evaluating Written Evidence: The Trial of Joan of Arc
- • Individuals in Society: Meister Eckhart
- • Thinking Like a Historian: Popular Revolts in the Late Middle Ages
Chapter 12: European Society in the Age of the Renaissance, 1350–1550
- • How did political and economic developments in Italy shape the Renaissance?
- • Trade and Prosperity
- • Communes and Republics of Northern Italy
- • City-States and the Balance of Power
- • What new ideas were associated with the Renaissance?
- • Humanism
- • Education
- • Political Thought
- • Christian Humanism
- • The Printed Word
- • How did art reflect new Renaissance ideals?
- • Patronage and Po
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