The Last Knight: Emperor Maximilian I
Was Maximilian brilliant and innovative, or was he a schemer who put family above country, or was he a natural leader, or was he just a politician with a mixed record?
Emperor Frederick II, Mr. Controversy
Let’s look at the factors that made Frederick important.
Crime and Punishment in the Reign of Vlad the Impaler
In the medieval stories, many made up by the Transylvanian Saxons at the end of the fifteenth century and sent to the Hungarian king, Vlad is presented as a vicious and bloody ruler who used to impale hundreds or thousands of people.
Scottish Child Kings with Emily Joan Ward
Kate Buchanan is joined by Emily Joan Ward as they talk about Scottish Child Kings and medieval adolescence.
Two Houses, Two Kingdoms with Catherine Hanley
To see the tangled knots of medieval interpersonal and international relationships, we need look no further than two of the most powerful, long-lasting, and entwined dynasties of the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Catherine Hanley about two hundred years of rule by the houses of Plantagenet and Capet.
The Warlord Missionary: Abu Sa‘id al-Jannabi and the Rise of the Qaramita of Bahrayn
Fierce desert tribesmen, united by a sectarian missionary, emerged in Eastern Arabia in the 9th century. Under the leadership of this warlord missionary, they established a powerful predatory polity in Bahrayn that would terrorize the neighboring regions for 150 years.
Medieval Representation: England’s Parliament
Democracy has many roots, some of which are medieval.
Surviving the Mongol Storm, with Nicholas Morton
A conversation with Nicholas Morton about the Mongol conquests of the thirteenth century, the terror that they inspired, and the strategies by which its targets tried to survive them. What did the Mongols think they were doing and how did the Byzantines use diplomacy to deflect the danger and even use it to their advantage?
Who ran the Kingdom of Jerusalem (1099-1187)?
Created in the wake of the First Crusade, the Kingdom of Jerusalem proved to be a challenging place to rule over.
Harald Hardrada: King of Norway
Coming back to Norway meant that Harald Hardrada had two relatives to deal with – Sweyn and Magnus. It would make for an interesting path to the Norwegian throne.
The Fall of the Templars: How to destroy a military order
Why did the king of France think that he had the power to bring about the Templars’ downfall?
Rus-Byzantine Treaties – A unique insight into the tenth century
Two treaties from the tenth century are fascinating sources about life and legality in a time before we know much about Rus.
Why did the Crusader States fall in 1291?
The war between the Mongols and the Mamluks in the second half of the thirteenth century would be the catalyst for the downfall of the Crusader States in the Near East.
The Abbasid Civil War: Chaos in Iraq (813-819)
Despite al-Ma’mun’s victory in the war against his brother, al-Amin, the fighting did not end in Iraq. The six years after the siege of Baghdad were punctuated by factional fighting, violence, bloodshed, and social and political turmoil and unrest.
The Deeds of Philip Augustus with Cecilia Gaposchkin and Sean Field
As a teenage king, a crusader, and a bigamist, Philip Augustus’ life story is filled with enough saintliness and scandal to satisfy the appetites of any medieval chronicler. This week, Danièle speaks with Cecilia Gaposchkin and Sean Field about the life of Philip II Augustus, as recorded by a contemporary monk.
Harald Hardrada: Going Back to Norway
While Harald Hardrada was gaining fame and fortune in Byzantium, much was changing in Norway and Scandinavia.
A Dangerous Duke: Gloucester Complains about Richard II of England
The reign of England’s Richard II (1376-1399) is very interesting for giving us moderns a feel for what political debates were like at the end of the 14th century.
“Stop the Steal!”: Challenging an election, medieval style
Today, the United States and other democratic countries are dealing with fundamental challenges to their electoral systems. Can events from the year 1378 give us some insights into what is a ‘legitimate’ election?
Lord of the Pen and Sword: Genealogy and Sovereignty in the Medieval Islamic West
Mohamad Ballan’s project closely examines the phenomenon of the “scholar-statesman”—litterateurs, physicians, and jurists who ascended to the highest administrative and executive offices of state—in late medieval Islamic Spain and North Africa.
Top 10 Peace Treaties of the Middle Ages
Wars and conflicts rarely end with one side totally defeating the other. Even in the Middle Ages enemies understood the value of diplomacy, and hundreds of peace treaties were signed (although many were not followed). Some would have profound consequences. Here is our list of the ten most important peace treaties of the Middle Ages, arranged chronologically.
El Cid and the Conquest of Valencia
Rodrigo Díaz, better known as El Cid, would find his greatest success in the year 1094, when he captured the city of Valencia. How he did it depends on which writer you believe.
Al-Muqanna‘: The Veiled Prophet of Transoxiana
One of the most serious revolts against the still young Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century was led by a man best known in the sources as al-Muqanna‘, or “the veiled one.”
The First Khurramiyya Revolts: Mazdak and Sunbadh’s Rebellions
Abu Muslim’s betrayal and murder by the Abbasid caliph, al-Mansur, in 755 was the spark that ignited a series of revolts against caliphal rule by the various groups of Khurramiyya in the chaotic decades that followed the Abbasid Revolution. The largest and longest Khurramiyya revolts took place during the years 755-833.
Tilly goes to Church: the Medieval and Religious Roots of European State Formation
The single most powerful challenger to kings and emperors in the Middle Ages was the Catholic Church.