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4 Maps of Epic Ancient Quests
In this gallery, we cross the ancient Mediterranean world four times to follow the adventures of four great heroes from Greek and Roman mythology. Here...
Featured Image
Image
Rue Eugène Moussoir at Moret: Winter by Sisley
An 1880 oil on canvas, Rue Eugène Moussoir at Moret: Winter, by Alfred Sisley (1839-1899), the Franco-British impressionist painter. Like many of the...
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Definition
Phoney War
The Phoney War was the period from the start of the Second World War (1939-45) when Britain and France declared war against Germany on 3 September until...
Collection
The Steps to World War Two
The causes of WWII (1939-45) were many and varied, but there was a chain of international crises in Europe, which finally degenerated into a conflict...
Collection
A Gallery of Ancient, Medieval, & Modern Warrior Women
The first female warrior attested to historically is Queen Ahhotep I of Egypt (l. c. 1570-1530 BCE) who put down a rebellion by the Hyksos when her...
Image Gallery
Gods & Goddesses of Rebirth & Renewal Around the World
Deities representing the concepts of rebirth and renewal have been a vital aspect of the human condition for thousands of years. Early animistic belief...
Article
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie (10 September 1813), also known as the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was a decisive naval engagement in the War of 1812. It saw a squadron...
Article
Interview: Medieval Christian Art in the Levant
Medievalists retain misconceptions and myths about Oriental Christians. Indeed, the fact that the Middle East is the birthplace of Christianity is an...
Article
Paul's Journeys and the Mediterranean Trade
Mediterranean trade increased exponentially at the turn of the first millennium. During Rome's zenith, goods of all sorts began to move in all directions...
Article
How Christmas Was Shaped by 19th-Century Literature
How we celebrate Christmas today is largely shaped by a small group of authors who recorded festive traditions in the 19th century. These authors include...
Article
Siege of Fort Meigs
The Siege of Fort Meigs (28 April to 9 May 1813) was a major engagement on the northwestern frontier of the War of 1812. It saw a US army under Major...
Definition
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942) was a lieutenant-general in the Nazi SS organisation, Gestapo chief, and head of Reich security. A favourite of Adolf...
Definition
Washington Irving
Washington Irving (1783-1859) was an American author, essayist, and diplomat best known for his short stories The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van...
Collection
The History of Christmas Celebrations
In this collection of resources we look at the origins of Christmas and the story of the Nativity, the pagan traditions that have influenced how the...
Image Gallery
A Gallery of Norse Gods & Yule Traditions
The Norse tradition of celebrating Yule (Yuletide=Yule Time) influenced many of the later traditions now associated with Christmas. "Yuletide" appears...
Article
Rabbit Tales of the Cherokee
In the lore of the Cherokee nation, the rabbit is a trickster figure living by its wits, who sometimes outsmarts adversaries or predators and sometimes...
Definition
The Christmas Truce
The Christmas Truce of 1914 occurred on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-18). On Christmas Eve soldiers in the trenches spontaneously...
Article
Interview: Swiss Colonialism Exhibition
The National Museum Zurich recently opened a comprehensive and multi perspectival exhibition on Switzerland’s colonial past: Colonial – Switzerland’s...