Byzantine strategy in the East and the key role of Armenia
What were the deeper reasons that drew the super-power of the time, Byzantium, into a protracted and ‘all-out’ conflict with the Arabs of Aleppo in the middle of the 10th century?
The past and future of De Velitatione Bellica and Byzantine Guerrilla Warfare
This manual contains a great deal of seemingly plausible advice on how to engage in low-intensity warfare along the Byzantine-Islamic frontier across the Tauros and Anti-Tauros Mountains.
Join the Navy! The Medieval version
How do you convince men to take a job on a medieval warship?
10 Moments in the Invention of Guns and Gunpowder
Here is our list of ten key moments in the development of guns and gunpowder during the Middle Ages.
The armour of the common soldier in the late middle ages
The designation Harnischrödel (rolls of armour) lumps together different kinds of urban inventories. They list the names of citizens and inhabitants together with the armour they owned, were compelled to acquire within their civic obligations, or were obliged to lend to able-bodied men
The Danger of the Soft Life: Manly and Unmanly Romans in Procopius’s Gothic War
Rather than uncovering the Goths, Byzantines, and Italians “as they really were,” this paper seeks to unearth some of the purpose and reasoning behind Procopius’s gendered depictions and ethnicizing worldview.
The Shortcomings of the Mongol Art of War as seen in China, Korea and Eastern Europe
This paper will briefly discuss the nature of the Mongol armies and some of their successes before exploring their shortcomings in a select number of regions
The Rise of the Buyid Brothers
The story of the Buyids in Iran and Iraq is an extraordinary tale of the rise from obscurity of three ambitious brothers to dominate the core regions of the Muslim world.
Warlords and Dynasties: How Daylami mercenaries came to power in the 10th century
In the fourth part of this series that looks at northern Iran in the Middle Ages, the decline of the Alid dynasty opens the door for Daylami mercenary leaders to seize power.
Pope Gregory VII and Count Eblous II of Roucy’s Proto-Crusade in Iberia c. 1073
This article surveys the surviving material regarding Gregory VII and Eblous of Roucy’s expedition to Iberia c. 1073.
Miter and Sword: Fighting Norman Bishops and Clergy
This thesis examines Norman bishops and abbots, and their involvement in warfare, either as armed combatants, or commanders of military forces in Normandy, and later in England after William the Conquerors invasion in 1066.
Honey and Medicine: The Sweeter Side of Medieval Warfare
In this episode of The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Dr. Ilana Krug about the use of honey in medieval military medicine and the time Henry V got an arrow in the face.
Hungary’s Castle Defense Strategy in the Aftermath of the Mongol Invasion (1241-1242)
Following the Mongol withdrawal from Europe in 1242, there was a flurry of castle-building in the Kingdom of Hungary.
The Daylamis: Elite Infantrymen in the Age of Mounted Warfare
The Daylamis provided a strong immovable wall of skilled and disciplined infantrymen that formed the main battle line of the army.
What was the fate of the ‘True Cross’ in the Byzantine-Sassanid Wars?
Despite the fact that there is a relative abundance of contemporary or near contemporary sources on Heraclius’ campaigns, it is hard – if not impossible – to retrace the chronology of the events leading up to the restoration of the Cross.
Saving Souls and Cracking Skulls: Warrior Clerics with Craig Nakashian
Episode 15 of The Medieval Podcast – Although it seems to be a fundamental contradiction, some medieval conflicts saw bishops braving the battlefield.
Ethics and Representation of War in the Lanercost Chronicle, 1327–47
I argue that Lanercost’s distinctive style is not simply the result of patriotic or anti-Scottish fervour, but instead reflects a sensitive awareness of the death and destruction of war.
The aftermath of the Battle of Manzikert (1071): What really brought the Byzantine Empire to its knees
The real challenge for the Empire in the aftermath of Manzikert lay in the mad scramble for power in Constantinople.
Technology of manufacture of firearms in the Teutonic Order’s state in Prussia: gun barrels and metal projectiles
The paper focuses on two issues related to the manufacture of firearms in the state of the Teutonic Order in Prussia: the technology of gun barrels and metal projectiles
Viking warrior women with Leszek Gardeła
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle interviews archaeologist Leszek Gardeła to learn more about women, warriors, and when a weapon is more than just a weapon.
Beech Trees in the Bayeux Tapestry: an Ecological Perspective
There are 37 trees or groups of trees on the tapestry and it has been widely noticed that trees are used as scene endings.
The Armaments of the Hundred Years’ War and Their Effects on Western Europe
This project investigates the development of weaponry during the late medieval period, specifically focusing on the Hundred Years’ War, fought between England and France between 1337 and 1453.
Medieval Geopolitics: The Iberian Crusades
The pre-history of the Iberian Crusades can be traced to the disintegration of Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031 and the subsequent emergence of a constellation of weak successor kingdoms.
New Medieval Books: Fighting Manuals
With the popularity of medieval fighting techniques growing at a rapid pace, we wanted to showcase some books that offer translations and insights into fighting manuals from the Middle Ages.
