A HISTORY OF SPAIN
From the Romans to the Spanish Civil War
Situated at the edges of the “known world,” Spain was a
land coveted by Phoenicians and Greeks both for its
strategic location and vast mineral reserves. It was not,
however, until the arrival of the Romans (3rd c. BC) that
any foreign power sought domination of the entire
peninsula. Hispania, despite the burdens of conquest,
would ultimately give Imperial Rome some of its greatest
emperors (Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and
Theodosius) and a number of renowned writers
(Seneca, Martial). Under the Visigoths the jeweler’s art
reached new heights and the horseshoe arch made its
appearance in western architecture. But when Islamic
armies overran the Iberian peninsula in the eighth
century AD, it seemed that the land was all but lost to
Christian civilization. A small but determined resistance
spread from the remote mountains of northern Spain
and, after more than seven centuries, finally managed to
subdue the last Moslem kingdom, the fabled Caliphate
of Granada. In that same year, 1492, Spain launched
upon a global venture that would bring her a world-wide
empire.
Spanish history is replete with characters and events of
fable and legend: Pelayo, El Cid, Cervantes, the
Inquisition, al-Andalus, Columbus, Francisco Franco,
Alfonso El Sabio, El Greco, the Reconquista, Ferdinand
and Isabel. In these lectures we will examine the course
of Spanish history from the arrival of the Romans to the
end of the Spanish Civil War. Special emphasis will be
given to Spain’s archaeological and historical sites.
The lectures will be richly illustrated with images, and
course material will include detailed lecture notes and an
extensive syllabus including maps and ground plans.
LECTURES:
Six lectures.
509 DVD. 6 lectures on DVD $40.00.
519 CD. 6 lectures on audio CD $30.00.
From the Romans to the Spanish Civil War
Situated at the edges of the “known world,” Spain was a
land coveted by Phoenicians and Greeks both for its
strategic location and vast mineral reserves. It was not,
however, until the arrival of the Romans (3rd c. BC) that
any foreign power sought domination of the entire
peninsula. Hispania, despite the burdens of conquest,
would ultimately give Imperial Rome some of its greatest
emperors (Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and
Theodosius) and a number of renowned writers
(Seneca, Martial). Under the Visigoths the jeweler’s art
reached new heights and the horseshoe arch made its
appearance in western architecture. But when Islamic
armies overran the Iberian peninsula in the eighth
century AD, it seemed that the land was all but lost to
Christian civilization. A small but determined resistance
spread from the remote mountains of northern Spain
and, after more than seven centuries, finally managed to
subdue the last Moslem kingdom, the fabled Caliphate
of Granada. In that same year, 1492, Spain launched
upon a global venture that would bring her a world-wide
empire.
Spanish history is replete with characters and events of
fable and legend: Pelayo, El Cid, Cervantes, the
Inquisition, al-Andalus, Columbus, Francisco Franco,
Alfonso El Sabio, El Greco, the Reconquista, Ferdinand
and Isabel. In these lectures we will examine the course
of Spanish history from the arrival of the Romans to the
end of the Spanish Civil War. Special emphasis will be
given to Spain’s archaeological and historical sites.
The lectures will be richly illustrated with images, and
course material will include detailed lecture notes and an
extensive syllabus including maps and ground plans.
LECTURES:
- Roman and Visigothic Spain.
- The Islamic Conquest of Iberia.
- The Reconquista: the Christians Re-group.
- Moslem Spain and the Triumph of the
Reconquista. - The Unification of Christian Spain and the Road to
Empire. - The Golden Age and the Unraveling of the Empire.
Six lectures.
509 DVD. 6 lectures on DVD $40.00.
519 CD. 6 lectures on audio CD $30.00.
SPAIN
509 DVD: 6 lectures on DVD $40.00.
519 CD. 6 lectures on audio CD $30.00.
509 DVD: 6 lectures on DVD $40.00.
519 CD. 6 lectures on audio CD $30.00.
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