Threads
Today, 570 years ago, Ottoman Janissaries poured over the Theodosian Walls. The Genoese fled when their leader, Giovanni Giustiniani, was injured. The Emperor threw himself into...
The Byzantine army was the most multi-ethic force in the pre-modern world. Mongols, Turks, Africans (Zanj), Saxons, Norse, Rus, Normans, Huns, Alans, Cumans, Pechenegs, Germans, I...
Few people realize how close Europe was to a second Dark Age in the 9th century. The world that emerged from that chaos created the Medieval World far more than the Age of Charlema...
Today, 998 years ago, Emperor Basil II died in Constantinople. Basil was the longest-reigning Roman Emperor. Basil’s early reign seemed destined to follow that of his grandfather...
In the spring of 718 AD, the once mighty besiegers of Constantinople limped southwards. Sources say only 5 ships out of almost 2,000 returned to Syria. The Byzantines smelled blo...
In Autumn 1116 AD, a dying Alexios Komnenos marched East. The Turks were once again encroaching on lands he had dedicated his life to returning to the Empire. The last major bat...
There is much debate on how to properly periodize the ~2,200 years of Roman history. I have created a system that I believe works well: Kingdom (753-509 BC) Republic: Early (509-2...
I don’t think any other empire has been able to match the Assyrians for their gruesome & terrible proclamations of victory. They sound almost like something an evil alien invader w...
2,240 years ago, Hannibal Barca met the Roman army on the plains near Cannae. Outnumbered & deep behind enemy lines, Hannibal displayed his unmatched tactical genius, annihilatin...
Did you know The Last Samurai is based on a true story? A thread on the incredible life & adventures of the real “Last Samurai;” Jules Brunet. https://t.co/o0yXrnk2TY
In 711 AD a Muslim army landed on Gibraltar. Within a few years Islam seemed destined to absorb Iberia… However, one holdout remained in the mountains of the North. The survival...
The Byzantine Empire experienced both eddying heights & devastating catastrophes in the 11th century, what is the reason for this? The inability to solve the security predicament...