“Give the lie to the Devil”: The Battle of Hattin
By John France The dead were scattered over the mountains and valleys, lying immobile on their sides … Hattin shrugged off their carcasses,…
How Medieval Kings Paid for War
In 1242 Henry III of England raised a large army to protect his lands in France. It cost £40,000, roughly the same as the normal annual income of the crown. So how could such a sum be met?
Why Medieval Warfare was Expensive Business
War is expensive, but especially so in the early medieval period when Europe was poor. Let’s examine the business of warfare from the Roman Empire to the Early Middle Ages.