HIST-339 Columbus’s Library: Texts, Travel and the Medieval Imagination
This research and historiography seminar examines works of geography, natural history, and exploration that informed how medieval readers imagined the wider world as Europe embarked on an era of unprecedented expansion. Special attention to texts read by Columbus in preparation for what he thought would be a voyage to East Asia, such as Pliny’s Natural History, Travels of Marco Polo, and Travels of Sir John Mandeville, but other traditions, such as Alexander Romance, the legend of Prester John, apocalyptic theology, Crusader histories, and Arab travel literature will also be considered.
Writing-Intensive (18)
Credits
1
Prerequisite
One course in history or Asian studies.