This course is a general introduction to the cultural and intellectual history of Britain and Europe from late antiquity to the end of the fifteenth century, including the interaction between Europe and the Arabic-speaking world. How did the legacy of Greek and Roman antiquity, the feudal system, Celtic paganism, Scandinavian heathenism, Christianity, and the encounter with Islam shape English and European culture from the fall of Rome up to the Renaissance and the Reformation? Through independent reading, guided reading, lectures, and in-class discussion, students acquire a substantial introductory knowledge of the cultural and intellectual history of medieval Britain and Europe, as well as their relation to the Near East.