In the time of the crusades, Europeans were looking for any allies in their battles against the Muslims for the Holy Land. Medieval writings often feature a fabulously wealthy Christian king in the East. This was Prester John. He was believed to be a member of the Nestorian Church, which was an independent Eastern […]
Category: Rest of the World
The Lost Roman Legion of Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the richest men in the Roman World and part of the First Triumvirate with notables such as Pompeius Magnus and Julius Caesar. He had made his money through picking up the property of those killed in Sulla’s proscriptions at firesale prices. Indeed, he was accused of adding the name […]
Hürrem Sultan- From slave to queen
Born Aleksandra Ruslana Lisowska around 1502, little Nastia as she was known would never have dreamed she would rise to become a queen. She was born in the town of Rohatyn in Polish Ruthenia, which is now in Western Ukraine. Legend has it her father was an Orthodox priest. Some time in the 1520’s, Nastia’s […]
Jinn
Written on May 8, 2017 by Adela at 3:00 PM | 0
Adela, Fertile Crescent, Middle East, Rest of the World
Adela, Fertile Crescent, Middle East, Rest of the World
Tales of the mystical creatures appear in early Arabian and later Islamic mythology. An individual member of the jinn is known as a jinni, djinni, or genie. Throughout the Quran and other Islamic texts they are mentioned frequently. The Quran says that the jinn were created from a smokeless and “scorching fire”, but are also […]
Enrico Dandolo’s Revenge or The Fourth Crusade
Written on May 5, 2017 by ER at 4:03 PM | 0
Byzantium, ER, Italy, Rest of the World, Southern Europe
Byzantium, ER, Italy, Rest of the World, Southern Europe
Enrico Dandolo had an ax to grind. At first, it seemed like he had a pretty good life. He was born in the early 12th century to an influential Venetian noble family. His father was Vitale Dandolo, who was a famous jurist and diplomat. His uncle, another Enrico Dandolo, was the patriarch of Grado, the […]