1. Compare and contrastthe height of Egyptian civilization during the Pyramid Age (2682-2181 BC)with the definingVedic-Aryan civilization along the Indus River (c.1500 BC). While earlier civilizations had settled the Nile and Indus Rivers, this was the time when Egyptian and Indian civilization and culture weresolidified. Consider how these civilizations were similar and/or different. What were their achievements? What were the causes of their decline? What is their enduring legacy, if any? How did each influence the development of Western Civilization?

2. Compare and contrast the Roman Empire and its Eastern contemporary, the Han Dynasty, in China. What were their achievements? What were the causes of their decline? What is their enduring legacy, if any?

3. Compare and contrast the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church at the time of their split in 1054 and shortly after. In comparing the theological differences, hierarchical structures, and influence on community, do not go beyond 1517. Include in 1 or 2 paragraphs a short consideration of the modern legacies of these medieval churches and consider how modern European society views them.

4. Compare and contrast Italian and northern humanism using the Italian humanist,Alberti, and the northern humanist, Erasmus, as examples. To what extend did each look to the classical past of Greece and Rome?

5. Compare the Protestant teaching of Luther regarding women to the medieval Catholic view of women. To what extent were these ideas an extension of classical ideas and/or ideas of early church fathers?

6. Describe the rise of the nation-state for either France or England. Consider the origins of the kingdom and significant developments from the Middle Ages through the end of the 1500s. How does this narrative compare to the political development of Germany or Italy in the same period?

7. Compare and contrast early Spanish exploration from 1492-1548 with early English exploration of 1584-1648. Look at the motivations behind Spanish and English exploration; consider how each nation viewed the discoveries made, and how exploration of new lands influenced the political power and economy of each respective nation. *Note that this is a European, not American, topic, so keep the focus on England and Spain throughout the paper.