The Battle of Didgori and the Rise of Georgia Under the white-capped peaks of the Greater Caucasus live the Kartvelians. Jason’s Argonauts found them on the balmy shores and hills, retreating from the Black Sea as an already ancient people. Modern scholars estimate their occupation dating well into the Neolithic when the Kartvelians first made wine in

How African Slaves Helped Break the Caliphate In the sweltering August heat of Southern Iraq, an army of slaves and Bedouins laid siege to the wealthy city of Basra. Over a month the besiegers tightened the noose around the city, burning outlying villages, and ambushing reinforcements and supply trains bound for the city. By September 7th, 871 AD the rebel army had gained a foothold in the city and…

How Viking Trade Revitalized Europe In 655 AD the first Muslim fleet met the Byzantine navy off the coast of Anatolia. The rough seas forced both sides to lash their ships to one another and the two great rafts collided in a fierce battle. Soldiers and sailors jumped from ship to ship in ruthless melee combat. As the day wore on the Muslim fleet gained the upper hand. When enemies closed …

How Geography Has Shaped Levantine Politics On a scorching July day in Palestine Ludolf of Tournai clambered over the battlements and scattered his Fatimid foes. Ludolf fought wildly, desperately, he had endured years of suffering on behalf of his God to reach the Holy City. He had survived the arrows of Turkish horsemen as he thirsted on the Anatolian Plateau. He had braved the treacherous footp…

A lecture from Southwark Cathedral Christmas books!

...one last lecture for this year... and more Hello, I’ve been writing a lot these last couple weeks - and doing a lot, I suppose.

…and the Tower of London In 1252 Henry III took delivery of a white bear, sent to him as a gift from King Haakon IV of Norway. He decided to keep it in the Tower of London. The bear was either too big or too exciting to be taken to Oxfordshire, where there had been a royal menagerie at Woodstock since Henry I’s reign. What’s more, it needed to fish.

From Tudor art to Renaissance medicine to self-betterment through Stoic virtues The books land on my doormat by the half dozen at the moment. That’s what this bit of the autumn is like. Some of these books I ordered months ago when I first heard about them. Some I didn’t order at all, but kind authors and diligent publicists send them my way.

How did medieval people tell time? What devices did they use to mark its passage?

Interested in taking an online course about the Middle Ages? Now is the time, as we are having our Black Friday sale.

Discover why the death penalty was rare in medieval Europe, as courts relied on fines, banishment, and royal pardons instead of routine execution.

This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Ayoush Lazikani about what – and who – medieval people across the world believed the moon to be.

In ancient Rome, as throughout the ancient world, people's lives were structured around religious rituals and festivals, they prayed to the gods for guidance, and it was believed the gods even interceded on their behalf.  Theme: Religion in ancient Rome Gwynaeth McIntyre, 'Worshipping the imperial family - When religion meets politics'. Stuart McKie, 'Curse tablets in the Roman world - Hidden secrets of ancient magic'. Amber Gartrell, 'Roman worship of Castor & Pollux - The best of brothers'. Laurie Porstner, 'Watching over the family - Roman household gods'. Jen Baird, 'Religious life in Dura-Europos - One town, many faiths'. Features: Jeremy McInerney, 'Centaurs - Wildness and the Greek imagination'. Stephen Hodkinson, 'Classical Sparta - A militaristic society?'. Sem van Atteveld, 'The snail craze - Producing Tyrian purple'. Stephen Roberts, 'Hengistbury Head - A vibrant Iron Age settlement'. Philip Matyszak, 'Widowhood in ancient Rome - Wealth, love, and politics'. Ulla Rajala, 'Peopling the past - Experiencing the Jewry Wall Museum'.

How do you get the right man to command your armies? Does he learn on the job, or from books, and what happens when something goes wrong? Theme: Officers and generals Jasper Oorthuys, 'Who put you in charge - Historical introduction'. Ross Ballard, 'The burden of command - Republican military leadership'. Murray Dahm, 'The value of experience - The commanders of Alexander the Great'. Gareth Williams, 'The Battle of Artemisium - Context and continuity'. Murray Dahm, 'The Battle of Boju - Sun Tzu seals his reputation?'. Murray Dahm, 'Read your way to victory - Texts to help train your commanders'. Jo Ball, 'Centurions behaving badly - The darkers side of the Roman centurion'. Fred K. Drogula, 'Flexible officers - Lucius Marcius and the disaster in Spain'. Features: Andrew Yamato, 'The Telamon grip - A theory of Greek shield functionality'. Clay Vagrant, 'Generals of the martial emperor - Asserting Han military dominance'. Murray Dahm, 'The "little" Ludovisi sarcophagus - Great things come in small packages'. Velite Aquila, 'Nakes fury - Warriors of Ixtlan and La Playa'. Mark McCaffery, 'Carinifex Adulescens - Decrying a betrayer of the state'. Jo Ball, 'Lost to the sea - The stele of Demokleides'.

Vikings Behaving Reasonably: Nordic Hóf in Civic and Legal Rhetoric was written to try and make sense of the rhetoric shown in the Icelandic family sagas, but I expanded its scope to look more at how the medieval Scandinavians dealt with conflicts in both the civic and legal arenas. I found through my research that the medieval Scandinavians had a native rhetorical tradition outside of Classical influence.

Empire Earth remains one of my most favorite games for a reason. The game is a sandbox not just a game you play and put away then come back to it.

The Byzantine Empire is featured in Age of Empires IV's Sultans Ascend expansion, with a focus on the Macedonian Dynasty from 867 to 1055 A.D. The game highlights the Norse influence and the role of mercenaries in the weakened Byzantine Army after Basil II. Greater variety in gameplay suggests innovative directions for future installments.

Evidence emerges of the day in 1562 when an infamous Spanish cleric tried to destroy Maya religion