The City of Constantinople in the Age of Justinian I
An architectural and civic survey of Constantinople during a particularly important period of its history in the mid 6th century.
The city of Byzantium, an...
The Christmas Tradition of Wassailing
The word “wassail” originates from the Anglo-Saxon “waes hael” which means “to be whole or hale” and the phrase “hale and hearty” comes from...
Modern and Medieval Thought
To understand and assess rational thought and its importance to Christianity, medieval thinkers investigated the literature of Plato and Aristotle. The outcome of their...
Etheldreda – A Medieval Woman, Founder of Ely Cathedral
The magnificent Ely Cathedral stands on the site of a monastery established in Saxon times by the popular Anglo-Saxon Saint Etheldreda (also known as...
Forbidden Fruit: Male-Female Relations in the Medieval Cloister
Medieval monks and nuns lived by rules that demanded three vows: chastity, obedience and poverty. Problems arose with all three at times, and oft...
Harold and the Battle of Stamford Bridge
King Harold’s Dilemma
By mid-September of 1066 the newly crowned English king, Harold Godwinson, was faced with a terrible dilemma.
All summer long he had been...
The Story of Martin Guerre
While identity theft may seem like a modern problem, it has been going on for centuries. This is one of the most famous cases...
A History of Medieval St Margaret’s Chapel in Edinburgh Castle
The tiny chapel of St Margaret is one of the most popular attractions at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. The tiny stone building stands high...
Edward Gibbon and the Crusades
Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was very much a man of the Enlightenment and his view of the crusades is evident from his verdict of his...
Historic Torture Devices Used to Elicit Confessions
Around the 12th or 13th centuries drawing out confessions of those accused of witchcraft, people who were thought to be heretics, or individuals believed...