What were the motivating factors for crusaders, from the Pope to the humblest warrior? By Mark CartwrightHistorian...
Medieval
The Donation of Constantine was most likely written, and almost certainly used, to coerce Pepin the Short...
What did medieval Christians believe about women’s nature and social roles? How did they express these beliefs...
The medieval Church developed and retained its power by encouraging the innate human fear of death and...
Before the age of printing, the texts and layouts of Hebrew works were not standardised. This is...
The Third Crusade failed to put Jerusalem back in Christian hands. Introduction In 1187 Outremer (the collective...
The message in medieval manuscripts is clear: The rich are good, the poor are trouble. Gluttony—overindulging in...
Language about Jews in the medieval Good Friday liturgy often carried over into physical violence toward local...
The medieval period saw Jews experience intense antisemitism. Introduction The roots of antisemitism can be found in...
Developments forced a dramatic transformation in the character of warfare from antiquity, changing tactics, weaponry, and fortifications....
Faith, science, and stargazing influenced everyday decisions in the Middle Ages. Introduction Humankind has always looked to...
The Rus are first mentioned in the Annals of Saint-Bertin. Introduction Kievan Rus (862-1242 CE) was a...
The discovery of lapis lazuli pigment preserved in the dental calculus of a religious woman in Germany...
Jews living in Europe were easy, early targets for Crusaders while life was comparatively tranquil in Islamic...
The Westerners managed to maintain a political presence in the region until 1291 CE but were constantly...
The armies could have involved over 100,000 men on either side who came from all over Europe....
To reach this elevated status became more and more challenging as the Middle Ages wore on. By...
Double page opening: Provinces Bringing Tribute (f.23v.) and Ruler Portrait of Otto III (f.24) Gospels of Otto III,...
Introduced by Richard I in 1194, the taxable value of an estate was initially assessed from the...
Saint Trophime, Arles, 12th – 15th century (photo: Elliot Brown, CC BY 2.0) By Christine M. Bolli / 08.08.2015 PhD...
Church of Sainte‐Foy, Conques, France, c. 1050–1130 (photo: jean françois bonachera, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) By Dr. Elisa Foster...
During the devil’s last apogee in early modern Europe, demonic afflictions were taken seriously by both priests...
Goryeo (Koryo) ruled ancient Korea from 918 CE to 1392 CE. By Mark CartwrightHistorian Introduction Goryeo (Koryo)...
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, urban settlements in Italy generally enjoyed a greater continuity...
Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Introduction Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had...
Serfs increased their political power by acting collectively in village communities which began to hold their own...
Saint Matthew, folio 15 recto of the Coronation Gospels (Gospel Book of Charlemagne), from Aachen, Germany, c. 800-810, ink...
The full range of consumer goods of the period was set out to tempt the shopper and...
What tools would an alchemist use in the quest to transmute other elements into gold? David Teniers...
Sforza was an early scientist who experimented with chemistry and medicine. By Amy Lifson Caterina Sforza, the...