Betrayal or Mistake? Rethinking the Defeat at Manzikert
Was the Byzantine defeat at Manzikert caused by betrayal or by poor decisions on the battlefield? George Theotokis re-examines the medieval chroniclers and the search for scapegoats after one of Byzantium’s most famous defeats.
New Medieval Books: Othon de Grandson
Othon de Grandson was one of the leading household knights of Edward I of England. This biography traces Othon’s career, from his military service in Wales to his participation in crusading expeditions to the Near East and his later work as a diplomat in continental Europe.
10 Ways Video Games Have Rewritten the Middle Ages
How have video games reshaped our view of the Middle Ages? Discover ten ways gaming has transformed how we imagine medieval society, rulers, religion, and history.
New Medieval Books: Silence of the Gods
By the end of the Middle Ages, the last predominantly pagan regions of Europe were undergoing conversion to Christianity. This book traces that transition and explores how older pagan beliefs and practices continued to endure for centuries afterward.
Leoba: England’s Earliest Female Poet
In the eighth century, an English nun named Leoba composed a short Latin poem that has quietly survived for more than a millennium. Though brief, the verse offers valuable insight into the education, literary culture, and spiritual ambitions of women in the early medieval Church.
New Medieval Books: Castles and Strongholds of Northumberland
Planning to visit the northeast corner of England and explore its many castles? This guide is your companion, now expanded to include over 500 entries.
New Online Course: En Garde! Fencing in Late Medieval and Early Modern England
This six-week course begins Friday, March 6th, with live sessions from 2:00 to 3:30 pm EST.
Charlemagne’s Failed Invasion of Spain, 777–778
David Bachrach on Charlemagne’s failed invasion of Spain in 777–778, a campaign that ended with the Frankish defeat at Roncevaux Pass and later inspired the Song of Roland.
New Medieval Books: The Lost Kingdom: The Rise and Fall of the Taifa of Albarracín (1012–1300)
This book attempts to recount the history of the small taifa state of Albarracín in Iberia. Unfortunately, it provides too few details to serve as a truly useful resource.
Caterina Sforza’s Renaissance Recipes for ‘Restoring’ Virginity
Did Renaissance writers believe virginity could be restored? Recipes attributed to Caterina Sforza offer a surprising glimpse into late medieval medicine.
New Medieval Books: The Taifa Kingdoms
Iberia in the eleventh century fractured into dozens of rival states, triggering decades of warfare and political upheaval. Bringing together 23 papers, this volume offers the most comprehensive account of the taifa era and its wider impact.
The Survival of Roman Education in Early Medieval Britain
Roman rule ended in 410, but Latin education did not. Nicholas J. Higham explores elite learning and literary culture in post-Roman Britain.
15 Plots Against William the Conqueror
Discover 15 rebellions, conspiracies, and assassination plots against William the Conqueror, from his youth in Normandy to his reign as King of England.
Baybars and the Fall of the Syrian Assassins
Steve Tibble on how Baybars dismantled the Syrian Assassins, turned them into Mamluk agents, and reshaped Nizari Ismailism in the thirteenth century.
New Medieval Books: Father Chaucer and the Apologists
One of the most hotly debated issues in medieval literary studies in recent years concerns Cecily Chaumpaigne, Geoffrey Chaucer, and the contested meaning of the phrase de raptu meo. This book traces how scholars have interpreted the case since the nineteenth century and shows how those debates have shaped—and sometimes reshaped—the study of Chaucer’s writings.
Online Courses on Medieval Music
If you are interested in medieval music, we have six online courses starting up over the next three months.
New Medieval Books: The Conqueror’s Gift
The Romans were deeply connected with peoples both within and beyond their empire. This book explores how those ties shifted between the first and seventh centuries AD—especially as Christianity spread—and how these changes reshaped the Empire.
Music for a Medieval Coronation: Edward the Confessor at Winchester
What music accompanied Edward the Confessor’s coronation in 1043? Explore the procession, ceremony, and the Winchester Troper’s possible links to the chants and polyphony heard at Winchester Cathedral.
New Medieval Books: The Medieval Moon
People across the medieval world looked up at the moon and found all kinds of meaning in it—scientific learning, literature, art, faith, and folklore. This book explores how the moon shaped society in all these ways, and why it mattered so much to people at the time.
The Magical Gemstones of King John of England
King John of England’s treasure hoard included gemstones prized not only for their rarity, but for the powers medieval people believed they held. James Turner explores how kings used jewels to project authority, how lapidaries shaped ideas about stones, and what the evidence suggests about John’s personal fascination with them.
The Byzantine Poor: Poverty, Charity, and Social Order
Zoe Tsiami writes about how poverty shaped everyday life in the Byzantine Empire, and how the state and Church responded through law, charity, and social institutions.
Military Intelligence and Planning in the Carolingian Empire
David Bachrach explores how the Carolingian rulers gathered intelligence, interrogated travellers, and compiled detailed frontier reports to plan and execute their military campaigns.
Explore the Medieval Maps of the Ryukyu Kingdom Online
Explore the Ryukyu Kuniezu—three massive 17th-century maps of the Ryukyu Kingdom—now online in high resolution, with zoomable details of Okinawa and the island chains, plus the Wako Zukan pirate scroll.
From Medieval Moon Princess to Anime Icon: The Many Lives of Princess Kaguya
From tragic moon princess to anime icon, discover how Princess Kaguya’s medieval story lives on.