In 463 B.C.E., a devastating plague weakened Rome and the Volsci and Aequi took advantage to do some plundering. Rome won the deciding battle so the crisis was overcome. In 459, the Aequi attacked Tusculum, an ally of Rome. Rome sent an army to lift the siege. It sent another Read more…
A centurion was an officer in the Roman army. They were the equivalent of a modern sergeant. They were easily identified on the battlefield because of their side-to-side crests on their helmets. You got the job after being promoted from the ranks due to coolness in combat and leadership Read more…
By this time in Roman history, the citizens were divided between the upper-class patricians and the common people called plebeians. Although called a republic, the government was closer to an aristocracy as the patricians, despite being around 10% of the citizens, held most of the power. In 493 BCE, the Read more…
One of the most famous anecdotes from Medieval England is the story of Canute and the waves. Canute was a Viking who came to England in 1013 with his father Sweyn Forkbeard, the King of Denmark. Sweyn became King of England, but died one year later. In 1016, Canute Read more…
Crusaders were not limited to the Crusades. And the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller weren’t the only militaristic orders in the Christian church. In the 13th Century, the Teutonic Knights were warriors for Christ in Eastern Europe. Not that they were particularly religious. They participated in wars along the Read more…
Albert Einstein was once traveling on a train when the conductor came down the aisle asking each person for their ticket. When he got to the great genius, Einstein looked all through his clothes and could not find the ticket. The conductor told him: “That’s okay, Mr. Einstein, I know Read more…
They were supposed to be religious, so many started each day with a Mass. The code of conduct for knights was called chivalry. It was intended to keep knights under control. Some of its provisions were: – don’t hurt priests – no stealing livestock – no Read more…
There are a bunch of saints named Valentine or Valentinus. But two are considered the most likely person associated with the holiday. Both lived in the 3rd Century. One was a priest who defied an edict by Claudius II. The emperor felt that married soldiers were not as good Read more…
Of all of Henry VIII’s wives, Catherine Howard is the one who gets the least sympathy. In fact, history has determined that she got what she deserved for being stupid and promiscuous. But has history given her a raw deal? Catherine was born around 1523. Her father was Read more…
American submarines have been overshadowed by German u-boats in the history of submarines in WWII, but America’s “silent service” had a devastating effect on Japanese shipping. This was despite the embarrassing performance of American torpedoes for a long period of time. By 1944, this problem had been mostly corrected Read more…