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In this episode I host Anya Leonard who is one of the founders of Classical Wisdom which is an online platform that specializes in educating the public involving ancient history, art, philosophy, culture and so much more.
We talk about why she started the organization, how far they have come and what do they have planned for us in the future.
She excitedly tells us about an upcoming symposium that we can all attend with an awesome list of scholars titled End of Empires and Fall of Nations.
Get your ticket to the upcoming symposium here: https://classicalwisdom-symposium-2021.eventbrite.ie
Lastly we approach the benefits of becoming a member of classical wisdom from free eBooks to webinars and beyond. To appease our awesome fanbase here at SAMA, Anya Leonard kindly and graciously allowed us to use segments from a talk by Donald Robertson on Stoicism and How to think like a Roman Emperor and I hope that you all enjoy this.
Support Classical Wisdom below!
https://classicalwisdom.com/
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The podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks in available on all major platforms – and you can see the Youtube channel here: https://youtube.com/c/classicalwisdom
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Does Facebook have a war on history? The answer is a simple no but the story is complicated.
In this episode I am joined by author and reporter Peter Suciu on his article '"On Facebook, History Can Violate Community Standards."
To quote the article * One thing that is often taught to students of history is that "history" didn't happen. Events happened in the past, but history is just our way of chronicling those events. There is also a saying that history is written by the winners, but that too isn't entirely accurate – if history were only written by the winners we'd never hear of the setbacks, mistakes made by generals or losses incurred by said winners. History, to put it bluntly, is written by historians and those with knowledge of past events.
On Facebook it now seems that merely writing about – and then sharing those writings – could violate community standards. Even in this era of "fake news" it isn't so easy to understand why the social network has taken this stance - end quote.
Recently an incident on Facebook lead me to create this video.... while scrolling through my Roman themed history groups I noticed a post by a member showing that their history post had been taken down by Facebook for violating community standards. The post was a picture of the Roman Eagle with SPQR under its feet. This particular illustration was actually from the Rome Total War Gaming Franchise and that lead me to wonder more about how and why Facebook targets certain posts?
Is there confusion among Facebook employees and its algorithms involving not just Ancient History but specifically Roman History?
Why are Third Reich posts and photos censored? And why are they censored even if there are no violent images or symbols of hate shown?
Why are militaria groups coming under fire for trading, buying and selling Third Reich memorabilia when other memorabilia such as relating to the USSR or the CCP are deemed acceptable?
Why is Facebook warning me that the history groups I'm in may be exposing me to extremist content?
These are questions that I pondered while making this episode and so I hosted a fellow history buff and militaria collector on whether or not history can violate Facebooks Community Standards?
Support our great guest at all these links below!
On Facebook, History Can Violate Community Standards
https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuc...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeterSuciu
Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuc...
National Interest: https://nationalinterest.org/profile/...
His awesome history store: https://www.plundererpete.com/
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Eric Singleton who is the Curator of Ethnology at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to talk about religion and tradition in the Ancient Mississippian World.
We explore a variety of topics but first we define the geographic boundaries of the ancient Mississippians which covered large portions of the Midwest, South and South-East of what is now the USA.
We go back into history into a time of Native American migration and cultural expansion and ponder whether or not these migrations played a role in the evolution of Mississippian Religion similar to the arrival of Indo Europeans and its consumption of previous peoples and cultures and its transformation in ancient Europe.
We then explore sacred sites in the Mississippian world and discuss sacred geography in the Native American world from Spiro to Cahokia.
We turn to a crucial aspect of the story and we look at what evidence can tell us about their religions ranging from archaeology to primary sources and beyond to tribal oral traditions that still echo in our world today.
We then look at the minds of the ancient Mississippians themselves and ask how did they view the spiritual world around them? How did they view the afterlife? The Human Soul?
A brief overview of Mississippian Religion below.
Mississippian religion was a distinctive Native American belief system in eastern North America that evolved out of an ancient, continuous tradition of sacred landscapes, shamanic institutions, world renewal ceremonies, and the ritual use of fire, ceremonial pipes, medicine bundles, sacred poles, and symbolic weaponry. Mississippian people shared similar beliefs in cosmic harmony, divine aid and power, the ongoing cycle of life and death, and spiritual powers with neighboring cultures throughout much of eastern North America. Although similarities in religious practices and rituals existed throughout the Mississippian world, individual polities possessed divergent trajectories of religious thought that over time resulted in differing paths of belief and ritual.
Above all, Mississippian people were logical, pragmatic, and rational in their religious beliefs, and their observations and thoughts about the world around them were reflected in their views of the spiritual world. Their rituals and sacred narratives embodied abstract meanings, archaic language, complex symbolism, and esoteric metaphors. The numerous and widespread Mississippian polities gave rise to a remarkable tradition of religious beliefs and practices. Their religious system flourished for more than half a millennium as a meaningful and vibrant set of beliefs. Identifying the circumstances, complexity, and nature of Mississippian religion is a major focus of current research among a number of scholars, including anthropologists, archaeologists, ethnohistorians, folklorists, and historians. Although scholars debate various points of religious belief, there is general agreement on the overall religious traditions.
Dye, D. (2000). Mississippian Religious Traditions. In S. Stein (Author), The Cambridge History of Religions in America (Cambridge History of Religions in America, pp. 137-155). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521871105.008
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In this episode I host Megan Lewis and Dr. Joshua Bowen from Digital Hammurabi on Dr. Bowens latest work "The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament" and I'd add to that by saying it is also a handbook to the ancient Near East itself in general.
The Old Testament is a fierce battleground for atheists and Christian apologists, with each side accusing the other of taking challenging and troubling passages out of context. In this handbook, Joshua Bowen not only provides the background to the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, but engages with hotly contested topics like slavery, failed prophecy, and the authorship of debated Old Testament books.
In this episode I explore what lead him to write this book? How has it been received? And what does the book address?
This book provides:
-clear and straightforward explanations to complex topics
-direct engagement with hot-button Old Testament issues
-specific arguments to help you in a debate or discussion.
Whether you are looking to debate problematic Old Testament issues on social media or have a relaxed, meaningful discussion with a family member over coffee, The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament is an indispensable resource for you.
Get a copy of the book here : https://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Handbook-Old-Testament-ebook/dp/B094RF3CF3
Subscribe to their YouTube Channel below!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBQo27DbqeB-xG17-kekrdQ
Website: https://www.digitalhammurabi.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/digi_hammurabi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digitalhammurabi
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/digitalhammurabi
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On May 9, 1865, the American Civil War ended, or did it? Historians acknowledge that exact starting and ending dates of wars are open to debate, and likewise, so are the causes and reasons those wars were fought. In the case of the American Civil War, April 1861 to May 1865, the “cause” of Southern independence is a controversial and contentious subject even to this day. The main debate centers on whether or not slavery, that “peculiar institution,” was the main cause of the war and the reason for fighting such a costly conflict. Revisionist “historians” have tried mightily over the years to justify the Confederacy and their “Lost Cause,” which serious historians have repeatedly debunked.
The so called “Lost Cause” is a construct of revisionist history that makes the case that slavery as practiced in the American South was a benevolent institution that was mutually beneficial to the master and the slave, and furthermore, contributed to the general wealth of the United States. A mythology about the chivalrous nature of the Southern gentleman farmer and general social superiority of the Southern White population was promulgated and reinforced by a vigorous campaign over several decades to erect Confederate monuments and name many places after Confederate heroes. Statistics about how few Southern White people actually owned slaves was used to undermine the notion that the Civil War was fought over the issue of slavery, although such numbers grossly misrepresent the reality of the situation in the South. Since only the head of the household was likely to be listed as the slave owner, the several others in his family that benefited from the slave holding were technically not slave owners, but in reality were indeed people that were benefiting from the institution of slavery and living the lifestyle afforded by such human bondage.
Another fact that belies the storyline that slavery was not the main or even a main issue leading to the secession of the Confederate States from the United States is found in the documents announcing the secession of those various states. In fact EVERY Southern state that seceded to join the Confederate States of America prominently cited slavery as an issue of contention leading to secession.
Link to article titled "The Lost Cause? No!"
https://www.historyandheadlines.com/the-lost-cause-no/
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In this episode we are joined by the awesome YouTube channel host from Tipsyfish history to walk us through a complicated and controversial topic involving modern history and that is why did non slave owners support and fight for the Confederacy?
It is easy to understand and see why slave owners would be concerned about the threat, real or imagined, that Lincoln and the growing abolitionist movement posed to slavery.
But what about those Southerners who did not own slaves? What about the lower class in the Confederate States?
Why would they risk their livelihoods by leaving the United States and pledging allegiance to a new nation grounded in the proposition that all men are not created free or equal, a nation established and founded to preserve a type of property that they did not own?
Why did people who couldn't afford slaves support a slave society and economy?
Did non slave owners benefit from slavery?
Was state nationalism a contributing factor in their decisions to fight and oftentimes die in a conflict that revolved around the enslavement of human beings?
In this episode these questions are addressed and much more as Aster describes the motivations that drove non-slaveholding white Southerners to fight for the Confederacy and to protect slavery.
Support Tipsyfish and her awesome work at these links below!
YouTube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3JcwC4qjfi-zbe759tCv2Q
Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/Tipsyfishs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tipsyfishs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TipsyfishHistory/
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This is the second episode of a long series that we have titled "On the Fringe" where we host controversial guests and as the host play the "Devils Advocate" where we ask critical questions about their work, theories and etc.
In this episode I host fringe archaeologist | theorist involving his claims of ancient advanced civilizations and technology.
To begin I ask him to explain his views on ancient advanced technology and he goes into what he considers to be "machine" markings and drill holes and saw marks that in his view couldn't be done by a handsaw.
I ask him to explain why he doesn't believe that Dynastic Egyptians didn't construct the pyramids of Egypt and why he believes the timeline for these monuments should be pushed back by thousands of years.
I counter his claim by asking about experimental archaeology that has shed light on how ancient monuments were built and with what tools and whether of not he discounts their work while also pointing out that we have the tools and living quarters of the workers who built the pyramids while asking how he counters that archaeological evidence.
I ask what criticism he has received?
I ask why he believes that an advanced civilization built Stonehenge and if he discounts the ancient populations that could have built it and I get him to come to a common ground on the issue.
I bring up a question posed by Stefan Milo (YouTube Historian) who asks how he can justify his claims when he has no evidence to support ancient advanced civilizations in the prehistoric era.
Lastly, I ask him * where is the evidence? Discount the marks and I ask him where are these tools? Why have we not found them?
He then explains that (1) they could have been covered up in a conspiracy or (2) these advanced cultures left and took the tools with them.
Lastly in the video comment section I provide links to mainstream sources and references that critique his work so that you the viewer can make up your own mind.
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This is the first episode of a long series that we have titled "On the Fringe" where we host controversial guests and as the host play the "Devils Advocate" where we ask critical questions about their work, theories and etc.
In this episode we host Brien Foerster who has starred in Ancient Aliens on the History Channel and we explore the elongated skulls of Paracas Peru, the DNA of these skulls and the controversy surrounding his work and theories.
For those not familiar with the subject elongated skulls are artificial cranial deformation or modification, head flattening, or head binding is a form of body alteration in which the skull of a human being is deformed intentionally. It is done by distorting the normal growth of a child's skull by applying force. Flat shapes, elongated ones (produced by binding between two pieces of wood), rounded ones (binding in cloth), and conical ones are among those chosen or valued in various cultures. Typically, the shape alteration is carried out on an infant, as the skull is most pliable at this time. In a typical case, head binding begins approximately a month after birth and continues for about six months. Many people believe that this involves social status and group belonging.
In this episode we ask what lead him to investigate these skulls?
What criticism has he received based on his work and I ask if his work is "mainstream?"
Was he connected to the DNA tests run on these skulls? Who all was involved? In what condition and environment were these skulls kept and what precautions were taken? Was the Peruvian government involved?
What were the results? What did the Peruvian archaeologist have to say about the findings? Why was his work never published?
Did they really have red hair? How does he know that the hair didn't turn read after death?
Lastly I ask why he thinks archaeologists and historians ignore his work? I pose the question that wouldn't it be more beneficial for them to promote his work if it was factual rather than overlook it and not make a name for themselves?
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In this episode Spencer McDaniel from the Tales of Times Forgotten Blog joins us for a rebuttal of sorts aimed towards a controversial work by Catherine Nixey titled "The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World."
We begin with Spencer explaining how his religious and educational background differs from Nixey’s and how this might be influencing this perspective.
Spencer continues with where, on a general level, they disagree with Nixey’s framing.
We explore if it’s true that early Christians did try to destroy certain kinds of writings and, if so, what kinds of writings did they target?
I ask why, if Christian attempts at censorship were so limited and generally unsuccessful, so many writings from antiquity have been lost?
We discuss if it’s true that early Christians did, in some cases, destroy works of Greek and Roman art?
We then approach the Christian desecration and destruction of "Pagan" temples.... did it happed? If so, to what extent?
Lastly I ask a question involving a subject that the history world is obsessed with and that is if it’s true that Christians deliberately destroyed the Library of Alexandria? The answer is a definite no, but Spencer will gladly and thoroughly explain why.
For those not familiar with this subject "The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World," is a book published in 2018 by Catherine Nixey. In the work itself, she argues that early Christians deliberately destroyed classical Greek and Roman cultures including art, sources, architecture and in some cases mass murder and caused the Dark Ages. It enjoyed popular publishing success (I myself own a copy and I did enjoy it but I acknowledge certain issues) but it has received major criticism from certain religious communities and many historians in general.
To support our guest, check out these links below!
Website : https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpenceMcDaniel
Original article titled : What Was the Conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity Really Like?
https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/04/11/what-was-the-conversion-of-the-roman-empire-to-christianity-really-like/
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In a long series that explores the ancient Aegean cultures, peoples and civilizations of the Bronze Age we host PhD student Theodore Nash on a fascinating topic and that is the history, development and archaeology relating to ancient Aegean scripts and their writing systems.
From exploring the complexity of Linear A, Linear B and Cretan hieroglyphs to looking at the archaeology surrounding this subject we are taken on a journey into an obscure and complicated subject.
Though studying ancient writing systems lacks the imaginative glory of an ancient battlefield or the suspense of court intrigue I can't stress enough how important it is to study writing in the ancient world and why that history matters because without studying the history of writing you will never truly understand our history itself.
Support our awesome guest PhD Student Theodore Nash below!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theo_nash
History Blog: https://mycenaeanmiscellany.wordpress.com/
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The Wolf King of Murcia: Ibn Mardanish and the Second Taifa Period in Eastern Al-Andalus.
Before Game of Thrones was a thought in our imagination, literature and television there was man in medieval Iberia who would reshape trade, the borders of Kingdoms and would forever define the complicated relationship of Medieval Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Medieval World.
That man commonly known as El Rey Lobo or the Wolf King was officially known as Abu ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Mardanīš.
Surrounded by rivals and potential allies the Wolf King set out to make medieval Murcia a force to be reckoned with as he expanded and fought to ensure the prosperity of his kingdom, family and people.
From working with Christian kingdoms to going to war with fellow Islamic kingdoms he was a man who looked beyond religion and ethnic bias in order to achieve what he wanted.
As he expanded his impact would greatly impact trade in the medieval Mediterranean, Iberian coinage, architecture, traditional borders and the way that medieval chroniclers saw powerful Muslims in medieval Iberia.
But as he grew older caliphates and dynasties came and went into the abyss of history and a new power arose. Slowly the Almoravids came under conquest of the Almohads and the old wolf found himself in a world that was changing and he foresaw a future that would not bode well for his family.
Tragically he spent his last days trying to negotiate power between his Muslim enemies and his heirs who would follow him.
From battlefields to Christian courts the wolf king left a legacy of cunning ambition and one that would never be forgotten.
This episode explores a series known as "Heroes or Villains in Medieval Iberia where the audience decides if a certain historical character is a hero, a villain or if it is more complicated than one over the other.
Video Footage attribution goes to Adam Myrie of HAMAA | The Historical African Martial Arts Association.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2AdDHTxTH9hzchUqxVeI1A
For more information on Dr. Lincoln and his awesome work check out these links below to his book and other writings!
KING ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE : GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, AND WAR
Edited by Miguel Gómez, Kyle C. Lincoln and Damian J. Smith
https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823284146/king-alfonso-viii-of-castile/
Academia Profile: https://norwich.academia.edu/KyleLincoln
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More than 150 years after the end of the Civil War, scores of websites, articles, and organizations repeat claims that anywhere between 500 and 100,000 free and enslaved African Americans fought willingly as soldiers in the Confederate army. But as Kevin M. Levin argues in this carefully researched book, such claims would have shocked anyone who served in the army during the war itself.
Levin explains that imprecise contemporary accounts, poorly understood primary-source material, and other misrepresentations helped fuel the rise of the black Confederate myth. Moreover, Levin shows that belief in the existence of black Confederate soldiers largely originated in the 1970s, a period that witnessed both a significant shift in how Americans remembered the Civil War and a rising backlash against African Americans’ gains in civil rights and other realms.
Levin also investigates the roles that African Americans actually performed in the Confederate army, including personal body servants and forced laborers. He demonstrates that regardless of the dangers these men faced in camp, on the march, and on the battlefield, their legal status remained unchanged. Even long after the guns fell silent, Confederate veterans and other writers remembered these men as former slaves and not as soldiers, an important reminder that how the war is remembered often runs counter to history.
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In this episode Historian Kevin M. Levin the author of Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth takes us into a fascinating discussion of the roots and causes of the American Civil War, the decline and collapse of the Confederacy and more importantly the origins, development and manifestation of the Confederate Lost Cause Movement.
At the beginning he talks about what he thinks about when pondering the American Civil War before moving on into the very heart of the episode.
He begins by setting a foundation and exploring core issues and events preceding the eventual secession and war from talking about the American expansion into new territories, the question of "New States" and slavery, Bleeding Kansas and naturally the Compromise of 1850 and the collapse of the Whig Party and the beginning of the Republican Party.
But then we come to the end of the Confederacy and the origins, birth and manifestation of the Lost Cause movement and its mythical and fictional narratives that became a cancer within American historiography and the role it plays in miseducating and misinforming the public today.
He discusses slavery and the "states rights" debate while debunking many of the myths put forward in Lost Cause narratives that are still defended today by Neo Confederates such as Black Confederates a term that attempts to explain away "camp slaves" which is narrative that Neo Confederates cling to today while avoiding the truth, horror and reality of American slavery.
We discuss confederate monuments, the monument debate and the role that groups have played such as the Daughters of the Confederacy from memorial services to the very monuments that spark debates today.
From modern Americans who struggle with their Confederate ancestors to the internet and its role in misinformation and the safe space it gives "fake history" this episode truly encompasses the very heart and soul of American history and the battle that still rages involving the origins of the American Civil War and the movements that came after.
We end by asking why Americans have a fascination and almost romanticized view of Civil War and why the USA continues to struggle with its past.
Topics debunked:
That slavery wasn't the fundamental cause of secession and the eventual outbreak of war.
The myth of unlimited Northern resources over Confederate bad generalship.
The States rights narrative.
Black Confederates.
The loyal slave narrative.
The myth of Northern Aggression.
The myth of Confederate Unity.
The myth of the "morally" superior South.
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In this episode Medievalist Matias Vanhanen takes us into a fascinating subject that is really obscure and one that provides immense challenges to researchers and that is slavery in the "Viking World."
We explore archaeology such as Slavic pottery and what it tells us about slavery in Northern Europe as we move to Iceland and see the prominence of "Celtic" surnames that appear throughout Icelandic history as slaves, concubines and hostages are transported throughout the area.
We take a look at what the Vikings called their slaves and why... does it revolve around ethnicity? Was there a second class of people who were not slaves but were still not completely free?
From trade routes and beyond to what primary sources such as Muslim explorers and the Irish Annals we are painted a complicated and often contradictory narrative as we have to sift through what is "real" and what is not.
From slave routs to Viking Ireland and Viking raids in Africa we watch as a complicated subject becomes even more complicated.
Support our guest below!
Matias Vanhanen is an undergraduate student of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge focusing his studies on the history and languages of Northern Europe in the Viking Age.
He is from Finland and writes a blog that you can support at http://arktikronika.eu
Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/Vanhasen_Matias
To my dear subscribers, thank you all. You have my love and appreciation.
Check out our store! History Merch: https://the-history-shop.creator-spring.com/listing/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?country=US¤cy=USD&product=212&tsmac=google&tsmic=youtube&utm_content=YT-AGNkefDmjQuev3D9FCdfGTzVei__NdcDvx6Ejc3PWFy0gRXdTwV7u-t0uMhtj-VthFY1CId-lUa7BzNUqiR6O9neIWOvztpS26tAAPnkRhzwYSlF9d0dAZj_z2EuNB3fzmCL01mSsMo9C9D6qjvFL5kyeyvBCf2foye1fpbZnEO4_mtrBSayL2AKr-CeMOFOPh0yJ_H1eZst8K_qNzfiiNSOXgFRku0NmiIMd6Ez&utm_medium=product_shelf&utm_source=youtube&utm_term=UCxRSpkGOH_09pxKvgD8S5jQ&variation=5819&view_as=USA
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In this episode Dr. Andrew Traver takes us into the very heart and genesis of the future Roman Emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.
From exploring his childhood in a world of uncertainty to his coming of age in the early Roman Empire, this story covers a variety of topics from his personal ailments that caused him to be scorned and oftentimes mocked by family members to his love of researching and studying the past and beyond to him being noticed by Emperor Augustus as someone who may have more potential after all.
It is a sad story, it is filled with tragedy but it ends in triumph as we see political figures rise and fall and we approach the eventual triumph of Claudius to the very heart of the Roman Empire itself and the "Emperorship" that held it together. Emperor Claudius was the Emperor that ancient Rome needed and deserved.
Support Dr. Traver and his works at these links below!
Academia Page: https://selu.academia.edu/ATraver
Faculty Page: http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/hist_ps/faculty/bio/traver.html
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In this episode Dr. Florin Curta takes into a fascinating and controversial topic and that is the origins and history of the Bogomils and Bogomilism that originated and spread rapidly in the Medieval Balkans.
Before starting off Dr. Curta takes us into an introduction to Gnosticism and different Gnostic Sects and beliefs such as the Paulicianism, Manichaeism, Marcionism and etc, to set the foundation for this episode and different responses to these sects and those that came after.
We explore the persecution of the Paulicians under the Byzantine Empire and how their forced resettlement in places like the Balkans and the rushed Christianization of Bulgarian society could have actually created the groundwork for the rise of the Bogomils.
We discuss what their enemies thought of them including "The Treatise Against the Bogomils" and correspondence between the royal family and the church.
We talk about what they actually believed such as that God had two sons... Satan and Jesus. That Satan created all matter including human flesh in which contained trapped souls which is one of the reasons Bogomils didn't believe in engaging in sexuality or eating meat.
Lastly, we discuss... what happened to them? Are Stećci Medieval tombstones a testament to who they were? And are the Bogomils and the famous Cathars connected and if so.. then how?
Support Dr. Florin Curta at the links below!
Previous talk on the Origins and History of the Slavs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lBSm87304Q
His latest book titled "The Long Sixth Century in Eastern Europe."
https://brill.com/view/title/59822
Another important work by him titled "Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages (500-1300) (2 vols.)"
https://brill.com/view/title/34623?language=en
Purchase his other books : https://www.amazon.com/Florin-Curta/e/B001HD1RW4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Academia : https://florida.academia.edu/FlorinCurta
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Alfonso I “the Battler” of Aragon: Hero, Villain, or Both?
This episode explores a series known as "Heroes or Villains in Medieval Iberia where the audience decides if a certain historical character is a hero, a villain or if it is more complicated than one over the other.
Alfonso was the son of Sancho V Ramírez. He was persuaded by Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile to marry the latter’s heiress, Urraca, widow of Raymond of Burgundy. In consequence, when Alfonso VI died (1109) the four Christian kingdoms were nominally united and Alfonso I took his father-in-law’s imperial title. The union failed, however, because Leon and Castile felt hostility toward an Aragonese emperor; because Urraca disliked her second husband; and because Bernard, the French Cluniac archbishop of Toledo, wanted to see his protégé, Alfonso Ramírez (infant son of Urraca and her Burgundian first husband), on the imperial throne.
At Bernard’s prompting, the Pope declared the Aragonese marriage void, but Alfonso continued to be involved in civil strife in the central kingdom until he eventually gave up his claims in favour of his stepson after the death of Urraca (1126). Despite these embroilments, he achieved spectacular victories against the Moors, capturing Saragossa in 1118 and leading a spectacular military raid far into southern Andalusia in 1125.
In his campaigns he received much help from the rulers of the counties north of the Pyrenees, resulting in the involvement of Aragon in the affairs of southern France. Alfonso was fatally wounded in battle at Fraga in 1134. Deeply religious, he bequeathed his kingdom to the Templars and the Hospitallers, but his former subjects refused to accept the donation, and the kingdoms eventually came under the control of the counts of Barcelona.
Description above was taken from Britannica.
And so at the end we look at his achievements, his shortcomings and we put him on a scale to see who he really was and how he is viewed today.
For more information on Dr. Lincoln and his awesome work check out these links below to his book and other writings!
KING ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE : GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, AND WAR
Edited by Miguel Gómez, Kyle C. Lincoln and Damian J. Smith
https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823284146/king-alfonso-viii-of-castile/
Academia Profile: https://norwich.academia.edu/KyleLincoln
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The Muslim Conquest of Medieval Iberia has been framed as this massive expansion of Islam and a vicious Holy War to seize lands from the defensive Christian Kingdoms of Europe and Asia and no other conquest comes to mind such as the Muslim Conquest of Medieval Iberia that is modern day Spain and Portugal.
But what if..... that isn't entirely true? What if rather than it being an "invasion" we find out that it is way more complicated than that?
What if we told you that they were invited in by Visigoths themselves?
In this episode Dr. Kyle Lincoln debunks, clarifies and explains many common misconceptions and inaccurate narratives and opinions when it comes to medieval Islam, its conquests and medieval Iberia.
During this period the Visigoths were at war with each other and some of them looked to mercenary help from the outside to help them defeat their enemies and so they turned to professional soldiers who realistically may have been "Muslim" in name and minor practice only. Upon arrival they fought for their Visigoth Employers and eventually the Visigoths attempted to cheat them out of their pay. Naturally these mercenaries then proceeded to take what was theirs and eventually that lead to more armies and factions moving into Iberia and expanding across the peninsula creating what is commonly referred to as "Muslim or Islamic" Spain - Iberia.
In short.... always pay your mercenaries and lastly Dr. Lincoln gives us a list of works by actual experts that dive into this complex subject that better explains it and leaves us with a much better understanding of the past.
For more information on Dr. Lincoln and his awesome work check out these links below to his book and other writings!
KING ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE : GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, AND WAR
Edited by Miguel Gómez, Kyle C. Lincoln and Damian J. Smith
https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823284146/king-alfonso-viii-of-castile/
Academia Profile: https://uwlax.academia.edu/KyleLincoln
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antiquity-middlages/support -
In this episode PhD student takes us into a fascinating and obscure topic relating to ancient history, maritime history and military history, and that is the development and use of the battery ram in ancient naval warfare with a focus on the Greeks and Romans. From discussing their origin and apparent unsuccessful proto rams we watch as craftsmen and experts perfect their work over time through trial and error to create a piece that would come to play a crucial war in warfare on the ancient seas.
He explores what sources we have from ancient historians and what do they have to say. He then approaches the history of naval rams in general categorizing them by period and giving an awesome overview on the subject. We also explore tactics and how they were used along with what we know about how they were crafted, how they were put on the ship and lastly we approach the end of the naval ram in Mediterranean and Aegean warfare as it becomes more of a sign of power and symbolism rather than a tool of war.
Before leaving off he talks about an upcoming project where he and his colleagues will be setting out to build a naval ram to better understand the process and how the ancients built them.
Support our awesome guest below! Twitter: @SDeCasien
Website: stephendecasien.com
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In this video award winning Medievalist Dr. Kyle C. Lincoln a Medieval Iberian Historian guides us through an introduction to his upcoming series titled "Heroes or Villains of Medieval Iberia" he will examine historical figures and explore their world that we know as Medieval Iberia.
The medieval figures that this series will cover in totem:
(1) Alfonso I “the Battler” of Aragon: Hero, Villain, or Both?
(2) The Wolf King: the Life, Legend, and Legacy of Ibn Mardanish of Murcia.
(3) Gerardo sem Pavor: Portuguese Brigand or Brave Profiteer?
(4) Who Was the Evil Twin: Berenguer Ramon and Ramon Berenguer of Barcelona.
(5) “Along Came a Bear:” The Story of Sancho Fernandez of Leon.
(6) Samuel ben Naghrela: Rebel or Revolutionary of Granada.
(7) The Count who Killed an Archbishop: Guillem Ramon de Moncada.
(8) Abd al-Rahman of Cordoba: The Refugee Who (Re-)Founded an Empire.
(9) The Myth of El Cid: Rodrigo Diaz.
From exploring the historical setting and climate that they emerged from to their actions that sealed their place in history and beyond to their mortality and historiography this series seeks to paint these characters as they were and leaves the audience to decide was this person a hero? A Villain? Or... is it more complicated than that?
For more information on Dr. Lincoln and his awesome work check out these links below to his book and other writings!
KING ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE : GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, AND WAR
Edited by Miguel Gómez, Kyle C. Lincoln and Damian J. Smith
https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823284146/king-alfonso-viii-of-castile/
Academia Profile: https://norwich.academia.edu/KyleLincoln
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