Thucydides claims the Peloponnesian War is the greatest event or movement in human history, and the most important part of this great war takes place in Books VI-VII: The ill-fated Sicilian Expedition. The Sicilian Expedition represents the turning point in the war. Thucydides begins to explain the expedition by offering a history of the origins … Continue reading The Sicilian Expedition: Alcibiades and Nicias in Thucydides’s Peloponnesian War (Books VI-VII)
Tag: history
The Norman Kings (1066-1154)
After the death of William The Conqueror his kingdom was divided between his sons: Robert was given Dukedom of Normandy, William II was given the Kingship of England, and Henry was awarded riches. This uneasy arrangement was all but certain to cause tension. William II was the second surviving son of William The Conqueror. He … Continue reading The Norman Kings (1066-1154)
Anglo-Saxon England, Part IV
Taking a step back for a moment, we return to the Viking pirates, the fearless thieves of the icy north who surprised much of Western Europe when their long-boats suddenly appeared out of the fog of the Dark Ages, sacking coastal towns, raiding churches, slaughtering and conquering thousands. At the time, the early Christian kingdoms … Continue reading Anglo-Saxon England, Part IV
Anglo-Saxon England, Part III
After the death of Alfred The Great, his bloodline would produce a series of warrior kings that were destined to conquer the Danes and dominate the British isle. The dream of a unified Aengla Land would fall to his son Edward "The Elder." Edward continued his father's uncompromising resistance to the Danes, and he gained … Continue reading Anglo-Saxon England, Part III
Alfred the Great (871-899)
"I desired to live worthily as long as I lived, and to leave after my life, to the men who should come after me, the memory of me in good works"-Author's note in Alfred's translation of Boethius's On The Consolation of Philosophy Alfred (or "Aelfred) is the only king of England ever to be given … Continue reading Alfred the Great (871-899)
Anglo-Saxon England, Part II
With the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, a slough of changes took effect across Britain. Old English replaced Latin as the lingua franca, the island of Brittania was renamed Aengla Land after the Angles, and perhaps most significantly, there was a political shift. The Saxons brought with them the idea of kingship by consent. That is, … Continue reading Anglo-Saxon England, Part II
