Medieval History

The Château de Saumur - Public Domain

When Were the Middle Ages?

Solidus from the reign of Justin II - Photo provided by Classical Numismatic Group, made available through the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

Concise Biography of Emperor Justin II

Statue of Peter Abelard - Adapted from a photo by Wikimedia user Thesupermat; made available through the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Philosopher and Famous Lover Peter Abelard

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Portrait Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky from Cyclopaedia of Univeral History, published in 1884. - Public Domain
Prince Alexander Nevsky
Prince of Novgorod and Kiev and Grand Prince of Vladimir, Alexander Nevsky is best known for stopping the advance of the Swedes and the Teutonic Knights into Russia.
Saint Germanus - Public Domain; courtesy of Wikimedia
Saint Germanus of Auxerre
Saint Germanus, or St. Germain, visited England to preach against the Pelagian Heresy and helped to consolidate the British church. Saint Germanus was also the first bishop of the Scots and, according to tradition, helped St. Patrick evangelize Ireland.
King of the Franks dictates the Salic Law - Public Domain; courtesy of Wikimedia
The Salic Law
The Salic Law had ancient origins, but would be incorrectly applied in French laws of royal succession.
Plague procession - Public Domain
Before the Black Death, There Was the Sixth-Century Plague
Centuries before the horrific Black Death, a virulent epidemic of plague struck Byzantium, Persia, and parts of southern Europe, shaking the empire and affecting it for decades.
Alchemists engaged in distillation - Public Domain; courtesy of Wikimedia and the Chemical Heritage Foundation
The Art and (proto)Science of Alchemy
A mixture of science, philosophy and mysticism, medieval alchemy was a precursor to chemistry, and medieval alchemists accomplished some important scientific advances.
Harald Bluetooth - Public Domain; courtesy of Wikimedia
Harald Bluetooth - King of Denmark and Norway
Harald is credited with unifying Denmark under one rule. He also allowed the spread of Christianity through much of his territory, and at one point had control of Norway.
Pope Benedict IX from The Lives and Times of the Popes, Volume 3 - Public Domain
Benedict IX - The Pope Who Sold the Papacy
Pope Benedict IX resigned willingly -- for a price. Then he came back.
Arthur Tudor - Prince of Wales - Public Domain
Arthur Tudor
Arthur's marriage to young Catherine of Aragon would end with his early death, but it would have far-reaching consequences that would play a crucial role in both the English monarchy and its break with the Catholic Church.
King Charibert I - Public Domain; courtesy of Wikimedia
Charibert I - King of the Franks
He was trained in the law and noted for his eloquence, but thanks to Gregory of Tours he is better remembered for his marital misadventures.
Wessex Wyvern - Image by Wikimedia user Sketchy Berd; made available through the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license
The Kingdom of Wessex
Wessex would become the most powerful of the early English kingdoms.
Procopius of Caesarea
This important chronicler of Byzantine history also wrote a scandalous expose of his emperor and empress.
Emperor Justin I - Adapted from a photo copyright © the Classical Numismatic Group; made available through the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
Emperor Justin I
Justin is best known for sponsoring his nephew, Justinian, but he was a capable leader in his own right.
Mutton Chop - Photo by Wikimedia user Tvabutzku1234, who has kindly released it into the Public Domain
The Myth of Rotten Meat
Did medieval people regularly use spices to disguise the taste of rotten meat? A medieval myth exploded by your Guide.
Venetian grosso depicting Enrico Dandolo - Adapted from a photo by Sailko; made available through the GNU Free Documentation License.
Enrico Dandolo - Doge of Venice
As Doge of Venice, Enrico Dandolo achieved great things for his city; but he is best known for his role in the fourth Crusade.
Portrait of Alcuin of York - Public Domain
Alcuin of York
He was the foremost scholar of the Carolingian Renaissance, making important reforms in the Catholic liturgy, bringing Anglo-Saxon traditions of humanism into Europe, writing histories and poetry, and serving as the head of Charlemagne's Palace School at Aachen
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