By Patrick Hunt Plague in the Middle Ages was a constant specter of death for much of the population for centuries, especially in the Mediterranean where ports were the point of entry for plagues in many kingdoms. Sicily was no exception, in fact it was one of the first places […]
By Patrick Hunt – The Order of the Golden Fleece in late medieval Europe found its source in the old Greek myth – at least as old as Homeric lore – of the hero Jason’s search for the Golden Fleece. This magical ram fleece of pure gold itself recalled an […]
By Patrick Hunt – C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) had a long half century of association with Oxford, commencing as an Oxford university undergraduate and continuing in a three decade teaching fellowship from 1925-54 at Magdalen College, Oxford University. One of the most enduring, accessible relationships “Jack” Lewis – as he was […]
By Patrick Hunt – The Great Zimbabwe ruins in Zimbabwe form what is probably the greatest African monument ever, impressive in the high granite walls of the Great Enclosure towering up to 36 feet high and length of walls extending over 820 feet. This site’s importance is such that the […]
By Patrick Hunt – One of the most important marbles of Italy has almost become synonymous with the splendor of Venice, indeed this marble has itself traveled further than the outposts of Venice’s extensive empire. Such is the lure of Verona Marble. While it can be found in the most […]
By Patrick Hunt – On the southern flanks of Mt. Vesuvius in Campania south of Naples, here seen above the farming village of Trecase, winemakers like Maurizio Rosso continue traditions that are several thousand years old. No doubt the fertility of Campania is assured by the rich volcanic soil of […]
By Patrick Hunt – In the Palazzo Normanni of Palermo, the uniquely famous gold background mosaics of the Salle di Roger were designed by artists who either consciously or unconsciously evoked Sassanian Persian motifs that were also known from earlier Byzantine and imported silks. The Sassanian Empire (224-651 AD) followed […]
By Patrick Hunt – Most readers of history will recall how the mighty juggernaut Assyria finally fell at the hands of the rebel Babylonians and how Nineveh was sacked in 612 BCE at the able hands of Nabopolassar, Babylon’s new warlord king. Fewer readers know he rebuilt temples in […]
By A.C. Williams – The feudal age of castles is well represented in the Rhine Valley in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria. Scattered throughout the mountainous terrain and usually near the base of these ranges are numerous remains of the castles and forts that once ruled and dictated this Alpine passage […]
By Patrick Hunt The subtitle of Andreas Kluth’s insightful book Hannibal and Me is “What History’s Greatest Military Strategist Can Teach Us About Success and Failure”. It has more than just Hannibal wisdom, as expected from a writer for whom history is family and family is history: his great […]