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…

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A thirteenth-century killing field or a 'turdhill'? Last week I gave a speech in the beautiful countryside of East Sussex, which is for my money one of the loveliest places in all of England. My subject was the medieval ‘battle’ of Terrible Down.

And it cost £7 This is the sort of thing I like waking up to hear.

…and I need you to see this This morning I woke up at 4.30am with a wild hair and decided I would fly to Copenhagen and go see a Viking ring fortress.

Explore a dozen medieval manuscript labyrinths and uncover surprising facts about their origins, meanings, and hidden designs. Can you find your way through?

This book traces the history of Madrid from prehistoric settlements to the present day, charting its rise to become the heart of one of the largest empires of the early modern world.

This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Ada Palmer about Petrarch, Machiavelli, atheism, and how we should look at the period formerly known as the Renaissance.

Explore medieval swords like Excalibur, Joyeuse, and Durendal, where legend, miracle, and history meet in tales of power and mystery.

Ancient history is full of people dubbed tyrants, yet the precise nature of ancient tyranny varied across periods and cultures. They could be bloodthirsty warlords, power-hungry populists, or even the first among equals. Theme: Ancient tyrants Owain Williams, Archaic Greek tyrants - Dictators or first among equals'. Carol Atack, 'Harmodius and Aristogeiton - The Athenian tyrannicides'. Matthew K. Reising, 'King of kings - Achaemenid tyranny and kingship'. Owain Williams, 'Mausolus of Caria, 'Dynast satrap, tyrant'. Martijn Icks, 'Dreadful Domitian - How an emperor became a tyrant'. Jason S. Whitmarsh, 'The Diadochi - Kings and tyrants'. Features: Colin Elliot, 'The Antonine Plague - The end of the Pax Romana'. Peter Gainsford, 'Historical Homer? - The invention of the Trojan War'. Nicholas Baker-Brian, 'A sword through the family - The succession of Constantine's sons'. Neil Middleton, 'The Aitolian League - Primitives and pirates or pioneers'. Philip Matyszak, 'Roman hairstyles - Dyes, wigs, and hairpieces'.

In this issue, we look at how the horse impacted medieval life and culture, from the monastery to the court, and from the training grounds to the battlefield. Theme: Horses in the Middle Ages Anastasija Ropa, "From coursers to hackneys: Medieval horses and the people who rode them," 16-21. Timothy George Dawson, "The horse in Byzantium: Adaptations for daily life and battle," 22-25. Jürg Gassmann, "Fighting on horseback: Cavalry organisation, training, and tactics," 26-33. Anastasija Ropa, "The mirror of man: The horse and rider metaphor," 34-37. Annelies Koolen, "The right way to ride: Dom Duarte on horsemanship," 38-41. Miriam A. Bibby, "Jingling monks and sidesaddle nuns: Ecclesiastical horses on the road," 42-45. Features: Rowdy Geirsson, "Freyja's final resting place: Secrets of a Viking-age burial," 8-13. Robert Jones, "Chivalry and violence: Worshipping at the altar of prowess," 14-15. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele, "Clovis' baptism: eldest daughter of the church," 46-49. Lucie Laumonier, "Shopping in the Middle Ages: Markets, sellers, and fraud," 50-53. Joseph Luzzi, "Sacred poetry and secular politics: Dante's contested legacy," 54-55. Rowdy Geirsson, "Book review: Forgotten Vikings - New Approaches to the Viking Age," 56. Jonathan H. Jones, "Book review: The Green Ages - Medieval Innovations and Sustainability," 57.

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.

Vikings staged elaborate spectacles to usher their rulers into the afterlife