Where the Middle Ages Begin
A conversation with Lea Niccolai on the challenge faced by emperors and theologians who claimed authority on the basis of their religious positions while simultaneously admitting that the truth about God lay beyond reach. How did they cope with this self-professed ignorance or deploy it as an asset in polemics, e.g., against heretics who presumed to know too much?
What everyday objects did people use in the Middle Ages? From clothing and household necessities to tools for work and warfare, these 25 medieval items were essential to daily life and shaped how people lived, ate, and survived.
Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500.
Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages
In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolete occupations and how historical changes led to their disappearance.
Are you wanting to talk more like someone from the Middle Ages? We have a list of 30 great sayings and proverbs that you can use in your conversations.
Have you wondered what a medieval king did on a typical day? Thanks to Christine de Pizan, we have an account of what daily life was like for King Charles V of France.
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Want to know what kind of jobs there were in the Middle Ages? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work.
From demon to deity: Kang Wang in Thirteenth-Century Jizhou and beyond By Anne Gerritsen T’oung Pao, Vol. 90:1-3 (2004) Abstract: This essay discusses…
Late medieval churchwardens’ accounts and parish government: looking beyond London and Bristol By Beat Kümin English Historical Review, Vol. 119:480 (2004) Abstract: This…
Parties and factions in the late middle ages: the case of the Hoeken and Kabeljauwen in The Hague (1483–1515) By Serge ter Braake…
Intentional ethics and hermeneutics in the Libellus de symoniacis: Bruno of Segni as a papal polemicist By Leidulf Melve Journal of Medieval History,…
Magnificent entrances and undignified exits: chronicling the symbolism of castle space in Normandy By Leonie V. Hicks Journal of Medieval History, Vol. 35:1…
Masculinity and medicine: Thomas Walsingham and the death of the Black Prince By David Green Journal of Medieval History, Vol. 35:1 (2009) Abstract:…
Constructing a diocese in a post-conquest landscape: a comparative approach to the lay possession of tithes By Thomas W. Barton Journal of Medieval…
The evolution of hospitals from antiquity to the Renaissance By François P. Retief and Louise Cilliers Acta Theologica Supplementum, Vol. 7 (2005) Abstract:…
The Use of Scripture in The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis By J. Huls Acta Theologica Supplementum, Vol. 8 (2006) Abstract: This…
The spirituality of Andrei Rublev’s Icon of the Holy Trinity By Johannes Reimer Acta Theologica Supplementumm, Vol. 11 (2008) Abstract: This article focuses on…
From the ninth to the nineteenth century, more than two hundred well-recorded animal trials took place in Western Europe.
Examines various accounts of Mongol activity in eastern Europe during the 13th century.
The Mongol Invasion of Persia By Syed Abid Ali Abid Iqbal Synopsis: Examines the military conflict between the Mongols under Genghis Khan and…
Medieval Civilization from the World-Historical View By Thomas Goldstein Journal of World History, Vol. 4 (1958) Synopsis: Examines medieval civilization from the overall…
For the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the article covers mathematics, astronomy, medical sciences, pharmacology and agricultural techniques.
Transferring Technical Knowledge and Innovating in Europe, c.1200-c.1800 By Stephan Epstein Working Paper(2005) Abstract: The role of technology in the transition from premodern…
Exploitation is thus meaningful only in terms of the ways in which the state and society of Byzantium functioned—who exploited whom and how, in economic and political terms—and in respect of the cultural impact of Byzantine civilization on the outside world.
Eikonomachia: The Afterlife of the “Iconoclastic Controversy” in Byzantium By Charles Barber Iconoclasm: The War on Images: 6th Annual Platsis Symposium (2007) Introduction:…
Byzantine iconoclasm has been wrapped in an almost impenetrable membrane of attitudes and assumptions, many of them conflicting.
Examines the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and China and Korea, which began in the third century AD, and included the sending of envoys.
What those ideas were I shall endeavor to make clear by first translating and then commenting on the passage in question. After that I propose to draw the reader’s attention to certain broad but significant similarities between these ideas and the concept of Jihad as initially expressed and enunciated in the pages of the Qur’an.
Church and State in the Kingdom of Cilician Armenia, 1198-1375 By Charles A. Frazee Byzantine Studies / Etudes Byzantines, Vol.3:2 (1976) Introduction: Cilcian…
Bannockburn: The Triumph of Robert the Bruce By David Cornell Yale University Press, 2009 ISBN: 9780300145687 Few battles resonate through British history as strongly as…
Prato: Architecture, Piety, and Political Identity in a Tuscan City-State By Alick M. McLean Yale University Press, 2009 ISBN: 9780300137149 This handsome book recounts…
This fascinating two-volume work explores urban life in China during the Song Dynasty, offering insights into the appearance of its cities, how they were governed, and what everyday life was like for the people who lived and worked in them.
A conversation with Lea Niccolai on the challenge faced by emperors and theologians who claimed authority on the basis of their religious positions while simultaneously admitting that the truth about God lay beyond reach. How did they cope with this self-professed ignorance or deploy it as an asset in polemics, e.g., against heretics who presumed to know too much?
A conversation with Derek Krueger on homoerotic language and imagery in the works of the eleventh-century writer Symeon the New Theologian. These passages are unusual enough that earlier editors and scholars were made uncomfortable about them. We discuss their devotional context but also the broader context of homoeroticism and homophobia in the monastic world of that time.
This episode of Bow & Blade was recorded live at the 2026 International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds. Kelly and Michael answer questions including was Agincourt the most decisive battle of the period, what battle do they find most useful to teach, and who was the most effective general of the Middle Ages?
Florence and its allies faced the forces of Arezzo in one of the most important battles of medieval Tuscany. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss the Battle of Campaldino and the fighting that brought Dante Alighieri onto the battlefield.
A conversation with Naomi Pitamber about the art and architecture of the empire of Nicaea (Nikaia), the Roman state that emerged in Asia Minor after the disaster of 1204.
King Richard III faces Henry Tudor in one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss the Battle of Bosworth and how the identification of its battlefield has offered new insights into how the fighting unfolded.