Often when one reads world histories, they are confronted with a strange contradiction regarding the medieval period of European history. Readers at once believe that the Middle Ages were a long homogenous period stretching from about 500 to about 1500. During this time, European society was uniformly backward and static. But, dig down into more […]
Why Are the Early Middle Ages Called the Dark Ages? Read More »
We know how the Roman Republic’s war machine facilitated its rise. By the third century BC, the Roman legions were the most significant fighting force in the Mediterranean. But often less commented upon is how the political institutions of the Roman Republic allowed for the rise of the city on the Tiber to pre-eminence across
What Was a Consul During the Roman Republic? Read More »
In the ninth episode of the third season of the massively successful HBO television series, Game of Thrones, there is an extended scene in which the story ark of much of the show pivots. This is based around the wedding of Edmure Tully to a daughter of Lord Walter Frey, a supposed ally of Robb Stark,
Did the Black Dinner Really Inspire the Red Wedding? Read More »
Maria Victoria Henao was the wife of one of the world’s most notorious criminals, Pablo Escobar. They were married for 17 years. While she admits that she was unaware of her husband’s criminal dealings through the first few years of their marriage after she found out, she remained married to him until his life ended
The Life of Maria Henao, Pablo Escobar’s Wife Read More »
Often romanticized as chivalrous, dangerous, gun-toting, horse-riding men, cowboys are popular motifs in pop culture. With their trademark hats, boots, bandanas, and gun holsters, they are portrayed as fighters who defend their towns from invaders and thugs. A strong code of conduct and unbridled courage are often associated with cowboys, no matter what action movie
What Was It Like To Be a Cowboy in the Wild West? Read More »
In 1810, by which time he had built an empire that spanned most of continental Europe, if the Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, wanted to get a message from Paris to Rome, he couldn’t send it any faster than the Romans were able to nearly 2,000 years ago. By the first and second centuries AD,
The Amazing Engineering of Ancient Roman Roads Read More »
In many ways, the First World War was a more horrific experience for those who fought in it than the much bloodier Second World War. While the savagery of the Eastern Front between 1941 and 1944 was immense, at least the soldiers there were constantly on the move in a rapidly shifting conflict. The same
What Was it Like to Fight in the Trenches During the First World War Read More »
The thirteen colonies, also known as Colonial America, were established during the 17th and 18th centuries. Under British rule, the colonies were located along the eastern coast of the modern-day United States. Over time, the colonies grew and flourished as they began stretching across the rest of the Atlantic coast. When the American Revolution came
What Was Life in the Thirteen Colonies Like? Read More »
In Monty Python The Life of Brian, a film set in Roman Judaea around the time of Christ, there is a scene where the film’s main protagonist, a reluctant messiah called Brian, is selling snacks at the local amphitheater. His goods were unusual, to say the least, and included larks’ tongues, wrens’ livers, chaffinch brains, and
What Kinds of Food Did Ancient Romans Eat? Read More »
Gucci, the word today, evokes the concept of high-end fashion as soon as one hears it. Few people aren’t familiar with the Italian luxury handbag and footwear company. Indeed, today the company has approximately 500 outlets worldwide and generates over ten billion dollars in sales annually. And the family behind it has even become the
The Strange Life of Guccio Gucci, Founder of Gucci Read More »
