The Morgan Library & Museum has unveiled an extraordinary exhibition, The Book of Marvels: Imagining the Medieval World, running from January 24 through May 25, 2025.
Travel in the Middle Ages was anything but easy. From grueling journeys on foot to muddy, impassable roads and slow-moving carts, medieval travelers faced challenges that make modern road trips seem luxurious.
The reign of Augustus was a major turning point in Roman history. Despite claiming to return to Republican traditions, he transformed Rome, from its government to the very city itself, creating a system that would persist for centuries. Theme: The age of Augustus Edward Watts, 'A history of the Second Triumvirate - The rise of Octavian'. Jason Whitmarsh, 'Good old-fashioned values - The Augustan moral reforms'. Lindsay Powell, 'Transforming the city of Rome - Augustus the builder'. Josiah Osgood, ' Livia ad the Augustan principate - Mother of the nation'. Arienne King, 'Queen, warrior, peacemaker - Amanirenas of Meroe'. Features: Jona Lendering, 'A look at the future of papyrology - Dating ink'. Maria Anita Ronchini, 'Was there an ancient Roman Halloween? - Mundus Patet'. Murray Dahm, 'Discoveries from the royal cemetery at Ur - Beyond the standard'. Dominic Rathbone, 'The history of Indo-Roman maritime trade - Pepper and profits'. Trevor Culley, 'The role of Achaemenid kurtaš - Labor and captivity in ancient Persia'. Philip Matyszak, 'Faces in wax, wood, stone, and bronze - Ancient Roman portraiture'.
While associated with deserts and wild animals, the Roman provinces of Africa were densely urbanized. Beyond these towns were rich agricultural lands and wide pastures, with North Africa being known for its grain and horses. Theme: Roman North Africa Andy Merrills, 'The limes in North Africa - Forgotten frontier'. Owain Williams, 'Agriculture in Roman Africa - The breadbasket of ancient Rome'. Jessica Brain, 'Building the Severan dynasty - Septimius Severus and Lepcis Magna'. Eric Fournier, 'Schismatics, heretics, martyrs - The Donatist conflict'. Features: Owain Williams, 'Fantasy fiction and historical inspiration - Against the Gods'. Tim Miller, 'Sun worship in Bronze Age Denmark - The chariot of the sun'. Lee Lanzillotta, 'Passports for the dead or ritual tools for the living? - The Orphic funerary tablets'. Briana Jackson, 'The assassination of Ramesses III - A conspiracy in the harem'. Andromache Karanika, 'Voices and representation - Women and music in ancient Greece'. Ilkka Lindstedt, 'The Arabian Peninsula's religious diversity - Pre-Islamic Arabian religions'. Philip Matyszak, 'Brothels in ancient Rome - Entering the wolf's den'.
Phoenicians ships sailed throughout the Mediterranean world, meeting new cultures and trading with them. They brought new technologies, art styles, and ways of thinking. Without them, the ancient world would have been very different. Theme: The Phoenicians Murray Dahm, 'Exploring Phoenician influence - Overlooked innovators'. Carolina López-Ruiz, 'The ancient Phoenicians - A question of identity'. Eleftheria Pappa, 'From myth to history - Phoenicians in Iberia and Tartessos'. Iván Fumadó Ortega, 'Early history and legends - Phoenician Carthage'. Owain Williams, 'Tyre's control over Cyprus - Trick imperial entanglements'. Features: Roy van Wijk, 'A little frog in a big pond? - Oropus and the Amphiareum'. Gregory Mumford, 'Early Egyptian relations with sub-Saharan Africa - Trade, war, and diplomacy'. Philip Matyszak, 'Measurements and mathematics in Ancient Rome - Practical-minded masters'. Gareth Williams, 'Funerary cult in ancient Athens - Visting rites'. Tim Howe, 'Separating fact from fiction - The founding of Alexandria'. Philip Matyszak, 'Manumission in ancient Rome - How to free your slave'.
For thousands of years, across various societies and cultures, humans have enjoyed consuming alcohol. From beer at a feast in Early Dynastic Ur to wine at a Roman taberna, alcohol has played a major role in civilization's development. Theme: Beer and wine in antiquity Tate Paulette, 'Beer in ancient Mesopotamia - The land of Ninkasi'. Pauline Komar, 'Innovation, libations, and intoxication - Drinking with the Etruscans'. Paula Lock, 'All about Roman drinking culture - Vines, Venus, and vomiting'. Bettina Arnold, 'The politics and ritual of Celtic feasting - Competitive commensality'. Emlyn Dodd, 'The nectar of humans and gods - Winemaking in Roman Italy'. Features: Anthony Adolph, 'Aeneas: prince, refugee, founder of Rome - From Troy to Rome'. Guy Halsall, 'Barbarian settlements in fifth-century Gaul - Imperial policy or imaginative experiment'. Owain Williams, 'Canine aspects of classical sea monsters - Salty sea dogs'. Henriette Broekema, 'The Egyptian origins of the Nimrud Ivories - The "Woman in the Window"'. Trevor J. Davis, 'Tiberius' character in Roman sources - General, emperor, and tyrant'. Philip Matyszak, 'Roman religion beyond state sacrifices - Personal piety'.
Uncover the story of Washington Cathedral’s transformation, as it sheds Confederate symbols and reclaims medievalism to reflect a modern vision of justice and unity.
Recent ground-penetrating radar surveys have confirmed that Karnilshaugen, a large mound in western Norway, is a man-made burial site, validating long-held archaeological theories.
The original Rodrigo Diaz was a mercenary who fought for Christian and Muslim rulers, and for himself. This book tracks how, over the centuries, this figure becomes El Cid, the Christian and Spanish hero.
A hoard of over 321 mint-condition silver coins has been discovered near the construction site of Sizewell C, a future nuclear power station on England’s eastern coast.
How cultural connections, trade networks, as well as military and religious conflicts shaped the Baltic region during the Middle Ages. Theme: The medieval Baltic Alice Isabella Sullivan, "A Frontier and a Crossroads: Trade and Power in the Medieval Baltic," 16-19. Anti Selart, "Medieval Livonia: Connected and Contested," 20-23. Jeremy Solel, "Livonian Brothers of the Sword: Conquering in Christ's Name," 24-27. Jean Henri Chandler, "The Anglo-Hanseatic War: An Old Sea Bird and the Last Judgement," 28-35. Lehti Mairike Keelmann, "The Brotherhood of the Blackheads: Medieval Tallinn's Wealthy Merchants," 36-39. Features: Robert Jones, "Well protected? The strength of medieval armour," 8-9. Paul Aitchison, "Charles Martel: The progenitor of Europe," 10-15. Sean Manning, "Feeding Northumberland's House: A Late Medieval Household Budget," 40-41. James G. Clark, "The legend of Loreto: Mary's Humble, Holy House," 42-45. Ian Ross, "Kenilworth 1266: England's Greatest Siege," 46-49. Jonathan H. Jones, "Viking York: Life and Conflict in Medieval Jórvík," 50-53. Gabrielle Storey, "Theophanu: Empress, Ruler, and Rival," 54-55. Dan Spencer, "Book review: Gunpowder Technology in the Fifteenth Century: A Study, Edition and Translation of the Firework Book," 56. Tim Miller, "Book review: Shared Saints and Festivals Among Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Medieval Mediterranean," 57.
How the cathedral of Notre-Dame became a landmark in the history of architecture and the topography of Paris, then and now. Theme: Notre-Dame de Paris Kyle G. Sweeney (with textboxes by Dany Sandron), "Going Gothic: Notre-Dame de Paris," 20-29. Emily Davenport Guerry, "Crowning Paris: The royal procession of the Crown of Thorns in 1239," 28-33. Jennifer M. Feltman, "A portal through time: The Last Judgement at Notre-Dame de Paris," 34-36. Murray Dahm, "The gargoyles of Notre-Dame: Monsters to watch over us all," 37. Features: Galen Ford, "Chasing Chronos: Measuring time in the Middle Ages," 8-13. Conor Robison, "Ready to fight and die: The Battle of Antioch-on-the-Meander," 16-19. Robert Jones, "Knightly nostalgia: The legacy of medieval armour," 38-39. Susan Abernethy, "Catherine of Burgundy: An exception to the rule?," 40-43. M.G. Haynes, "Righteous fury: Northeast Asia's fighting monks," 44-47. Mark Lewis, "The sign of the Cid: Heraldry, history, and propaganda," 48-51. Kathryn Walton, "The might of Saint Margaret: Defeater of dragons, protector of mothers," 52-54. Tim Miller, "Book review: Jewish Poetry and Cultural Coexistence in Late Medieval Spain," 56. A.L. McMichael, "Book review: Bastions of the Cross: Medieval Rock-Cut Cruciform Churches of Tigray, Ethiopia," 57.
