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…

...and all your Q&A questions about Lion Hearts answered Thanks to everyone who asked questions about my new book, Lion Hearts, which is out on July 31st (and Sept 25th in the US). You’re all great. Here are the answers.

…and post your questions for a special Essex Dogs trilogy Q&A ahead of the final novel release this summer It’s all go with my Essex Dogs fiction series.

Medieval Murder Maps throws you into the deadly world of medieval Oxford on an average Sunday afternoon Friends, my new novel, LION HEARTS, is published in just a few weeks. It is the third book in the Essex Dogs trilogy and I am mighty excited for you to read it.

They inspired writers from Homer to Chaucer and beyond LIVE BOOK SIGNINGS - 25% DISCOUNT

This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with John Beusterien about elephants and ivory in medieval China and Spain, including how elephants were put into service, and how ivory was used and traded across the world.

Discover the meaning of hwæt, the iconic first word of Beowulf, and explore the medieval and modern debates over how it should be translated.

Discover 517 real Viking nicknames from the sagas, including bold, funny, and bizarre names like “Butter Penis” and “Fairhair.” Explore what these names reveal about Norse culture and identity.

Tattoos in the Middle Ages? While often associated with criminals or pagans, these marks on the skin could also signal Christian devotion, sacred journeys, and personal identity in unexpected ways.

The Medici family revolutionized banking and the arts in Florence and beyond, but their contributions were not without moments of conflict.  Theme: The rise of the Medici Alice Isabella Sullivan, "A lasting impact: The Medici family and its legacies," 16-17. Katalin Prajda, "The rise of the Medici: The family, the firm, and the faction," 18-25. Natalie Tomas and Alice Isabella Sullivan, "Know your Medicis: Key members of the famous Florentine family," 26-27. Emma Iadanza, "Camaraderie and animosity: The Medici and the Pazzi," 28-35. Dorigen Caldwell, "The Medici as patrons: Art in Renaissance Florence," 36-41. Features: Dorian Koçi, "Ruined heritage: Albania's Shirgj Church," 8-9. Robert Jones, "Chivalric literature: Reading and living the knightly life," 10-11. Clay Vagrant, "Conquistadors and Asian Vikings: The Spanish conquest of the Philippine Archipelago," 12-15. Javier G. de Gabiola, "Grunwald: The Teutonic Order's iconic defeat," 42-47. Tim Parks, "Machiavelli's The Prince: The psychology of a leader," 48-49. Jonathan H. Jones, "Tostig Godwinson: A study in toxic bortherhood," 50-53. Lucie Laumonier, "Growing old in the Middle Ages: Understanding medieval life expectancy," 54-55. Jonathan H. Jones, "Book review: Birth of the Red Dragon: Wales and the Wars of the Roses," 56. Gabrielle Storey, "Book review: Medieval Sovereignty," 57.

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'.

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.

Athens transformed from a small town to Greece's largest city post-King Otto, driven by philihelenes supporting its growth and independence. The population surged after the 1920s transfers, peaking in the 1970s before facing suburbanization and decline since the 1980s. The city's future relies on effectively managing this urban transition.

This is a tutorial to use Pinterest to search for Byzantine topics on the internet.

Vikings staged elaborate spectacles to usher their rulers into the afterlife