A report from the Venetian ambassador sent to the court of Suleiman the Magnificent and returning in 1553. Background
Peace negotiations between Charles V and Francis I after the Italian War of 1536-1538 Background
Report Having been ambassador in the legation of France on behalf of Your Serenity for some forty months, I know my duty, according to the most laudable custom of this Most Serene Dominion, is not to give an account of all my actions during that legation, because day by day I have striven to keep Your Lordships advised of those matters that have seemed to me worthy of your notice: and therefore I shall not say a word about them, which will also be the cause of that brevity I desire. Report Having been ambassador in the legation of France on behalf of Your Serenity for some forty months, I know my duty, according to the most laudable custom of this Most Serene Dominion, is not to give an account of all my actions during that legation, because day by day I have striven to keep Your Lordships advised of those matters that have seemed t…
Revenues; Court; Territories; Religious and Political Turmoil; War Against the Turks; Personal Matters This is Part II of a 1532 report on the Habsburg dominions. Part I here.
This is the latest instalment from my book tour diary. This is the latest instalment from my book tour diary. The North American begins next week. Dates are below. There will be a couple of Christmas signing evenings at bookstores in London, TBC.
From the land of my fathers to an evening with friends This is the latest instalment from my book tour diary. There are still a couple of shows upcoming in the UK, and plenty in North America. Dates are below. There will be a couple of Christmas signing evenings at bookstores in London, TBC.
NEW North American tour date confirmed on November 10th Canada tour - NEW
Still on the road This is the second instalment of my tour diary for my new book, Castles: A Fortified History of the World.
Castles: A Fortified History of the World
A History of Britain in 21 Paintings (Standard Edition) - Signed
Castles: A Fortified History of the World (Standard Edition) - Signed
Ancient DNA from a 1,600-year-old burial in Germany reveals connections to the Roman Empire and new evidence of how leprosy spread across early medieval Europe.
New research challenges the idea that Viking raids impoverished Anglo-Saxon Northumbria, revealing a thriving economy and an unusual approach to coinage.
A look at the craft guilds of medieval Paris, examining apprenticeships, working conditions, trade regulations and the daily lives of artisans.
Scotland’s succession crisis drew Edward I into the Great Cause, bringing John Balliol to the throne and sparking a struggle over Scottish independence.
The First Intermediate Period of Egypt is often characterized as a dark age, a time of famine and war. Yet recently, this view has come under increasing scrutiny — the truth appears to be far more nuanced. Theme: The First Intermediate Period Juan Carlos Moreno García, 'A time of change and misunderstanding - The end of the Old Kingdom in Egypt'. Ellen Morris, 'Remembering the First Intermediate Period - The best of times, the worst of times'. Wojciech Ejsmond, A land divided - The competing kingdoms of Egypt'. Dr Simone Petacchi, 'Ancient Nubia and the Kingdom of Kerma - A new power on Egypt's southern frontier'. Marco Daniele, 'A tale of decline and renewal - Egyptian pyramids' changing faces'. Features: Jason Douglas Porter, 'Endemic and crucial - The role of slavery in democratic Athens'. Henrik Mouritsen, 'A wild goose chase - Political parties in Republican Rome'. Phil Wood, 'An infamous opportunist - The rise and fall of Sejanus'. Anneka Rene, 'Helmets and crowns - Hellenistic Macedon's warrior queens'. Lauren Morris, 'The kingdoms that connected Eurasia - Central Asia and long-distance exchange'.
Bronze helmets, greaves, armour, and bronze-faced shields make for an impressive army, but who fought in all that kit, next to whom, and how? Theme: Greece in the Late Archaic period Murray Dahm, 'State of play - Warfare in late Archaic Greece'. Ben Truska, 'Two coins in the hand - Economics and war in Archaic Greece'. Adam Godfrey, 'A man of bronze - The Archaic hoplite up close'. Murray Dahm, 'Writing their names in blood - The Battle of the Champions'. Paul Bardunias, 'Gleaming like the sun - The Archaic Greek shieldwall'. Annelies Koolen, 'Bring in Colophon! - Cavalry in Archaic Greece'. Features: Mardonbek Rajapov, 'Their name alone terrifies - Who were the Hephthalites'. Mark McCaffery, 'Imperium - The authority to command'. Velite Aquila, 'An underwater source - Roman soldiers of the First Punic War'. Nicky Nielsen, 'The "Late Egyptian Miscellanies" - Daily life for the soldiers of Ramesses II'. Sean Lake, 'The problematic Spoila Opima - A rare and mysterious military honour'. Jo Ball, 'Name, unit, kit - The tombstone of Severius Acceptus'.
This is a pie chart showing the distribution of the population of the Byzantine Empire in 560s AD at the end of the Justinian era. As one can see, Anatolia had the greatest percentage of citizens in the empire. Syria and Egypt were the next most populus regions of the empire. These were the regions […]
The Byzantine Empire was an empire that endured for more than a millennium. However, when was the empire truly the strongest and most influential in Europe?
Did artists 12,000 years ago illuminate a cave in Tajikistan with their vision of the Milky Way?
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…
Today we lay the foundation for the violent (and eventually horrifying) era that will forge the Norse of the Viking Age into existence, by diving into the ultra ‘off-grid’, independent, and warlike Norse way of life, walking through the Longhouse and farmstead, and immersing ourselves in the ‘engines’ of the Norse world: Honor, Kinsmen, and the Tribe. REFERENCE IMAGES Image 1: Longhouse layouts during the early/late Iron Age. Credit: Frands Herschend and Lotte Hedeager. Image 2: Nydam style features swirling geometric designs, often with stylized animals ( sea-creature-like, birds, or half-human hybrids) along the edges. The “motif” is both supernatural and pattern-driven. It is a precursor to the famous “Norse Interlace” of the later Viking Age. Image 3. I’ve uploaded a series of different images of what Norse beds could have looked like. Box beds look super cozy tbh. Don’t come a-knockin if the box bed’s a rockin. Image 4. Norse quern.You pour the grain in the hole in the top and rotate the top stone. As it rotates it grinds grain and the flour falls out the side. Image 5. ‘Hnefatafl’ is what board gamers call an ‘asymmetrical board game’: one player defends the king (who is in the center); the other attacks him with a larger army. All the pieces move like castles (rooks) in chess. The win condition is different based on what side you are playing. If you are the ‘middle’ (outnumbered) army with the King, you win by getting the King to one of the four corners. If you’re on the outside, you have to capture the king. Pieces are captured by sandwiching them on two sides (except the King, who needs to be boxed in on all four sides). The game is super fun because the rules are simple but there is massive depth to it. Check out this video, but set the playback speed to 30 or 40% (to slow it down to ease understanding it). https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-3ufysDeJN8 Image 6: Norse upright warp weighted loom’s allow women to weave wool yarn into clothing and blankets. The little sacks on the bottom are filled with light weights to keep the thread ‘taut’ (pulled firmly down). The weaver passes a thread horizontally across, weaving it over and under the vertical threads to form clothe/clothes. Very time consuming. Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MccYNjahW1k Image 7: Barley was the workhorse: it grows super fast, is semi frost tolerant, tastes decent and can make beer. Rye was a ‘safe play’ choice: it handles low quality land and colder temperatures well but the bread and beer it can produce are bitter. Oats was another safe play: it handles cold, wet weather well, but it can’t make beer, and its bread quality was low. Wheat was the luxury grain, as it makes high quality / good tasting bread–but wheat requires very nutritious soil and it takes longer to grow, making wheat a ‘flex’ in the Norse world of Iron Age Scandinavia. Image 8: Norwegian Elkhound / Swedish Jamthund were used in Scandinavia for thousands of years as a combination hunting, herding, and guard dog, which is interesting because (in a way) it perfectly reflects the needs of the Norse farmstead. The Elkhound averages ~45 pounds (20kg) and, like it’s name suggests, will track and hold Elk at Bay for Hunters to catch up and make the kill. The dog is ‘stocky’, intelligent, and protective: they are known to charge and bite bears. Here are a few videos of them confronting large animals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpKmmSVF5rY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKdTVlLFnNc
The Tudor family is finally looking secure. Prince Arthur will marry Catherine of Aragon, Margaret Tudor is promised to Scotland, and Henry VII has heirs to spare. The only problem is the collection of Yorkist threats locked inside the Tower of London. When Perkin Warbeck and Edward, Earl of Warwick line up an explosive escape plot, Henry moves to protect his dynasty. The new Tudor brood is ready to reshape Europe. First, the patriarch needs to tidy up unfinished business. –– Ever wondered about what goes into a royal heir’s training? Dan will give you the lowdown in this week’s bonus episode with Producer Al. Together, they’ll do a stocktake of the new Tudor generation, and why the royal residences of Sheen and Ludlow represented matriarchal and patriarchal approaches to child-rearing. Plus, get your latest standings of the ever-expanding Tudor Power League. Find it all on our royal court on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishistory –– A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices – Presented by Dan Jones Sound Design - Amber Devereux Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Junior Producer - Dulcie Whadcock Executive Producer - Louisa Field Executive Producer - Dan Jones Production Coordinator - Eric Ryan Head of Content - Chris Skinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Many listened to the Dirty John podcast, which introduced the world to John Meehan, a dangerous serial predator who infiltrates the life of Debra Newell and ultimately dies at the hand of her daughter, Terra. But there was an overlooked story that’s now being told, in full, for the first time.<br />In The First Wife: John Meehan’s Reign of Terror, Tonia Bales recounts her harrowing experiences as John’s wife of 10 years and the mother of their daughters, Emily and Abby. Highlighting new details and revelations, Tonia shares the abuse she suffered from the man she once believed to be her soulmate, but who ultimately revealed himself as a coercive and controlling terrorist. Through exclusive archival materials and all-new interviews with the people who knew her and John best, uncovering long-held secrets and including perspective from their daughters, Tonia embarks on a re-investigation of the man she thought she knew. The multiple bombshells she unearths include one that will change her and her daughters’ lives forever.<br />Listen now: <a href="http://link.pscrb.fm/6438e/fdinternalthefirstwife-2b03b">HERE</a><br />Audible subscribers can binge all episodes right now ad-free. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.<p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>
A conversation with Felege Yirga (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) about the presence of Ethiopians in late antique Egypt. We discuss relations between the Roman province and the lands to the south and the roles that Ethiopians play in stories in Greek sources, especially the lives of ascetics, focusing on the monk Moses. Felege is the author of a recent monograph on post-Roman Egypt, The Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Coping with Crisis in Post-Roman Egypt (University of California Press, 2025) and is currently writing a book on "The Idea of Ethiopia." Our conversation is based on an article, "Moses the Black," that is scheduled for publication in the Dumbarton Oaks Papers.
Whether it's an action movie or a romance novel, everyone loves a new story. But we also love having some idea about how it's likely to play out. Medieval authors also played with novelty and predictability, relying – as we do – on a device called type-scenes. This week, Danièle speaks with Dominique Battles about what type-scenes are, how medieval authors used them, and why we still love them.<br /><br />This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval history, please visit patreon.com/themedievalpodcast
When news of America doesn’t even clear King Henry’s diary, you know something’s not quite right. In 1497, Genoese explorer John Cabot returns from his successful voyage to what is now the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Tudor England enters the European race for Atlantic trade and exploration. But celebration of England’s maiden Atlantic crossing is dampened, yet again, by the thorn in Henry VII’s side: Perkin Warbeck. Warbeck is mustering another rebellion in Cornwall. As thousands march towards London, Henry VII moves to crush the uprising and finally confront the Yorkist pretender who has haunted his reign. But as Warbeck will soon discover, capture is just the beginning of his punishment. –– Catch this week's bonus episode where Dan and Producer Al dig deeper into John Cabot, Perkin Warbeck and Henry VII. Together, they explore the lineage of Tudor adventurers, Warbeck’s confession and the king’s taste for ritual humiliation. Plus: Dan gives you a primer on stocks (not the finance kind), inventive royal punishments and the latest standings of the all-important Tudor Power League. Find it all on our royal court on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishistory –– A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices – Presented by Dan Jones Sound Design - Amber Devereux Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Junior Producer - Dulcie Whadcock Executive Producer - Louisa Field Executive Producer - Dan Jones Production Coordinator - Eric Ryan Head of Content - Chris Skinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
<p>In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Mary T. Boatwright about Agrippina the Younger, how she navigated the conspiracies and intrigues of the imperial Roman court, and how we can reconstruct her life from what the many sources say about her.</p>
It’s one of the most well-known burial sites in the world, its treasures drawing thousands upon thousands of people to the British Museum each year, and its discovery the stuff of Hollywood. For over a millennium, the mounds at Sutton Hoo hid not just gold, but the secrets of early medieval shipbuilding. This week, Danièle speaks with Martin Carver about what was found at Sutton Hoo, what we know about the people buried there, and what we can learn from walking – or sailing – in their footsteps.<br /><br />This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval history, please visit patreon.com/themedievalpodcast
Perkin finds a patron. And king Henry loses his cool. In late 1495, Perkin Warbeck, the Flemish fraudster claiming to be one of the lost princes in the tower, talks King James IV of Scotland into treason. For Henry VII, who’s reeling from treason, invasion, trade war, and the death of his young daughter, this enemy alliance is the last straw. Will he crumble under the pressure of his two newfound rivals? As Perkin Warbeck and James IV plot to invade England, Henry has the weight of the Tudor dynasty on his shoulders… – Catch this week's bonus episode where Dan opens Henry VII's big, bad book of tragedies — the full catalogue of everything 1495 threw at the broken king. Plus, they discuss Pope Alexander VI's rhyme written for Henry Tudor. Write your own Tudor verse on Patreon — the best entry wins a signed copy of Dan's new book, Castles: A Fortified History of the World. Find it all on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishistory –– A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Presented by Dan Jones Sound Design - Amber Devereux Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Junior Producer - Dulcie Whadcock Executive Producer - Louisa Field Executive Producer - Dan Jones Production Coordinator - Eric Ryan Head of Content - Chris Skinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Hollywood stuntwoman turned personal injury attorney. A handsome disbarred lawyer with a dark past. And an elaborate scheme that leads to murder.<br />Vanessa Motta gives up a career of fake car crashes for real ones. But her law career in New Orleans gets off to a rocky start — until she meets Sean Alfortish, a charming man who offers her the perfect space for her law office. Vanessa and Sean fall hard for each other, and as a former lawyer himself, Sean becomes her mentor. So, what if he's done some prison time for fraud?<br />When Sean introduces Vanessa to one of the city's most prolific case runners, Cornelius Garrison, the money starts rolling in. Cornelius brings her a steady stream of accident victims looking to sue. There's just one problem: the accidents aren't real. And once the secret gets out, someone will have to pay.<br />Reported and hosted by Mitch Moxley, Over My Dead Body: Operation Sideswipe is a six-part series about greed, betrayal, and who gets thrown under the bus when everything is on the line.<br />Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible App or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. Listen now: <a href="https://link.pscrb.fm/6438e/fdaudibleronovermydeadbody-79230">HERE</a><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>
As a longtime fan of the "Assassin's Creed" series, and in preparation for my upcoming trip to Egypt, I sat down and played through "Assassin's Creed Origins" (2017). Set during the reign of Cleopatra VII, Origins provides one of the most authentic recreations of Hellenistic Egypt put to media, and I wanted to share my thoughts about what the game does right and the balancing act of fun gameplay versus a historical simulator. Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/hellenisticpod.bsky.social) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) ImperialWares (https://tinyurl.com/ybmpk7xd) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)
A conversation with Lea Niccolai (University of Cambridge) on the challenge faced by emperors and theologians who claimed authority on the basis of their religious positions while simultaneously admitting that the truth about God lay beyond reach. How did they cope with this self-professed ignorance or deploy it as an asset in polemics, e.g., against heretics who presumed to know too much? The conversation is based on Lea's contributions to a forthcoming volume, co-edited with Giulia Maltagliati and entitled Not Knowing in Classical Antiquity: Discourses of Ignorance in the Greco-Roman World (Cambridge University Press).
Earlier this year, we looked at the journey a pair of Eastern Christians made from their home near Bejing to Europe in the thirteenth century. Today, we’re investigating some incredible archaeological evidence of Franciscan missionary activity on the farthest shores of China. This week, Danièle speaks with Nancy Wu about a fourteenth-century Franciscan tombstone found in Quanzhou, what the religious community there was like, and what a tombstone can tell us about art, culture, and technique.<br /><br />This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval history, please visit patreon.com/themedievalpodcast
*THIS IS HISTORY — THE TUDORS* *Episode 5: Traders and Traitors* An emperor loses a leg. England gets a headache. In 1493, surgeons saw off the gangrenous leg of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. It is a brutal, miraculous operation. The emperor survives, briefly. Then comes a funeral, a court gathering, and a diplomatic ripple that rolls all the way to Tudor England. There, Henry VII has bigger problems than imperial orthopaedics. Pretender Perkin Warbeck attends Emperor Frederick’s funeral and is welcomed as England’s king-in-waiting. In the pews, Warbeck collects royal patrons, noble endorsements and invitations to Europe's most exclusive parties. Nothing attracts support quite like almost being king. Henry responds with spies, executions and a trade war. His economic weapon backfires, leaving English merchants furious and London in disorder. Markets wobble. Tempers fray. And somewhere across the sea, a fantasy is beginning to acquire ships. – Don't forget to catch this week's bonus episode where Dan gets knee-deep into the remarkable amputation of Emperor Frederick III — a moment that went down in medical and artistic history. Plus, we get into the economy stupid: Dan gives a primer on how Henry VII’s ill-fated trade war really rankled English merchants. That’s all for you to discover on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Thisishistory – A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices – Presented by Dan Jones Sound Design - Amber Devereux Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Junior Producer - Dulcie Whadcock Executive Producer - Louisa Field Executive Producer - Dan Jones Production Manager - Ethan Sills Production Coordinator - Eric Ryan Head of Content - Chris Skinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Last week, we took a look at the first hundred years of crusading, and the tactics involved in fighting in and around the crusader kingdoms of the Middle East. In this episode, we follow the crusaders as they shift their lens southward to Egypt, and make a bold attempt to capture one of the biggest prizes of the day. This week, Danièle speaks with Thomas Smith about why the Fifth Crusade targeted Egypt in the first place, how this campaign differed from the many that had come before, and just how close this crusade came to changing history as we know it.<br /><br />This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval history, please visit patreon.com/themedievalpodcast
