W E N Book of explore the heroes, villains, battles and discoveries that changed the world forever KINGS & QUEENS (cid:138) CRUSADES & CONQUERORS (cid:138) LEGENDS & LEGACY Welcome to Book of The Medieval era is often dismissed as a brutal period of darkness, ignorance, bloodshed and disease – the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ dividing classical antiquity from the age of enlightenment. But while warfare, invasions and religious persecution were certainly dei ning themes of the period, Medieval history is also i lled with intrepid explorers, revolutionary artists and thinkers, and inspirational rulers whose legacies still live on to this day. In the All About History Book of Medieval History we explore some of the most fascinating stories from this tumultuous period, from the triumph of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings to the brutal Spanish Inquisition begun by Isabella of Castile. Read on to discover tales of kings and queens, crusaders and criminals, popes and peasants, and more… Book of Imagine Publishing Ltd Richmond House 33 Richmond Hill Bournemouth Dorset BH2 6EZ (cid:8) +44 (0) 1202 586200 Website: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk Twitter: @Books_Imagine Website: www.facebook.com/ImagineBookazines Publishing Director Aaron Asadi Head of Design Ross Andrews Editor in Chief Jon White Production Editor Ross Hamilton Senior Art Editor Greg Whitaker Assistant Designer Briony Duguid Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT Distributed in the UK, Eire & the Rest of the World by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU Tel 0203 787 9060 www.marketforce.co.uk Distributed in Australia by Gordon & Gotch Australia Pty Ltd, 26 Rodborough Road, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086, Australia Tel +61 2 9972 8800 www.gordongotch.com.au Disclaimer The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. 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All About History Book of Medieval History © 2016 Imagine Publishing Ltd ISBN 9781785464317 Part of the bookazine series Medieval History 8 The Medieval era: An age of darkness and light WARS, INVASIONS CHURCH & EXPLORATION & STATE 20 M edieval arms 72 R ise of the and armour holy empire 22 H ow to capture a 76 S aint Thomas Medieval castle Aquinas 78 Charlemagne 30 A lfred the Great 82 Saladin’s battle 34 W hen Vikings for Jerusalem ruled the waves 90 R ichard the 42 W illiam the Lionheart’s Conqueror bloody Crusade 50 T he adventures 100 B etrayal of of Marco Polo the Knights Templar 58 A century of blood and wrath 108 T he birth of Magna Carta 62 A clash of kings at Agincourt 112 I sabella of Castile’s Spanish 66 J oan of Arc Inquisition 6 108 66 LIFE, DEATH & THE GATEWAY TO MODERNITY 122 D ark Ages myths 128 T he advent of feudalism 130 D aily life in the Middle Ages 134 A Medieval banquet 136 Arts and culture in Medieval Europe 140 Dante Alighieri 142 M edieval crime and punishment 144 S urviving the Black Death 150 D iary of a Medieval plague doctor 152 H ow the Medieval era shaped the world 7 An age of darkness and light The Medieval era was a turning point in human history where, after the fall of Rome, Western civilisation had to readjust and move forward he Medieval period straddles the into being, and the provinces and city states of middle of the three accepted divisions Germany and Italy growing in power. of Western history between classical It was an age of religious learning and strife, antiquity and the modern age. It is of scientific advancement and repression. The itself typically divided into three arts and literature flourished in the lead up to the sections, with the Early period running from Renaissance. Warfare too changed with the arrival roughly 500-1000, the High period stretching of gunpowder, and change in the fundamental from 1000-1300, and coming to a close make-up of armed forces saw combat in the Late period from around evolve, but still remain as bloody as 1300-1500. After the year 1500, Contrary before. The Medieval period has a the world enters the Early romance associated with chivalric to popular belief, Modern period and the age and dashing knights roaming people in the Middle of discovery. These dates are the land while kings ruled from not set in stone, rather they Ages did not think the castles up on high. The reality are there for convenience. earth was flat; this was quite different with plagues, The end of classical famines and wars ravishing the view was a Victorian antiquity saw upheaval in landscape and claiming millions Europe with mass migrations, invention of lives. There was a silver lining to and the Early Medieval period is this calamity in the literary, scientific often seen as a chaotic and lawless and cultural contributions that still time in which barbarian rulers carved reverberate in the world today. Much of the out territories in the death throes of the Roman knowledge we hold as integral today had its origins Empire. Much of what we recognise as Europe in the discoveries and travels of great figures of the today was started in the Medieval period, with Middle Ages such as Thomas Aquinas, Al-Ghazali nations such as Spain, England and France coming and Marco Polo. 8 An age of darkness and light 9 Book of Medieval History The path from antiquity to modernity The Nika riots This map shows the Hippodrome where 532 the riots took place and the palace where Siege of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora During a chariot race in would have taken refuge Jerusalem Constantinople, a riot broke out 1187 between the two rival teams, the After the defeat of the Greens and the Blues. Partly fuelled Crusader army at Hattin, the by political grievances, the mob forces of Saladin laid siege to decried the Emperor Justinian and the holy city of Jerusalem. his wife Theodora and proclaimed Defended by Balian of Ibelin, a new emperor in his place. After he decided to surrender the hearing of her husbands decision to city to spare the lives of its flee, Theodora reportedly scolded inhabitants. In contrast to him by saying, “Royal purple the Crusaders’ behaviour is the noblest shroud”. Suitably some years before, Saladin embarrassed, Justinian ordered the let the Christian population riots be quelled and up to 30,000 go if they paid a ransom. people were killed in the ensuing Any that couldn’t do so were violence. Justinian had kept this sold into slavery. The fall of throne and went on to recapture the city shocked Europe, much of Italy and grow the power and two years later, the The Crusaders find the relic of the True Cross after taking the city of the Eastern Roman Empire. Third Crusade was called. (cid:79) Odoacer deposes (cid:79) Battle of Poitiers (cid:79) Reign of (cid:79) Treaty of Saint- (cid:79) Take the Cross (cid:79) Third Crusade the last emperor A Frankish army Charlemagne Clair-sur-Epte The First Crusade Richard the Often seen as the checks Moorish Under his A treaty between the is called by Pope Lionheart and end of the Western aggression in rule, northern Franks and Normans Urban II to help Saladin clash on Roman Empire, Europe. Once Europe enjoys leads to permanent liberate the Holy the scorching Odoacer becomes thought to be the Carolingian settlement in Land. It ends with sands of the King of Italy when one of the pivotal Renaissance. Northern France, the capture of Middle East. The he overthrows battles in Early 768-814 leading to the Jerusalem and the Crusader objective, the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus Medieval history, creation of the Duchy Oxford University is one of creation of the Jerusalem, remains R4o7m6ulus Augustulus. cedwesa rhriiso rc rOodwona ctoer the issticsnr cuseitgi nncyoif.mi c7ae3n 2ucned hears o9f1 1Normandy. thuen oivldeerssitt iEens ginli sthh es pweoarklidn g C10ru9s6ad-9e9r Kingdoms. i1n1 8M9u-s9li2m hands. 470 520 620 670 720 770 820 870 920 970 1020 1070 1120 (cid:79) Plague of Justinian (cid:79) Death of (cid:79) First Viking raid (cid:79) Alfred the (cid:79) The Battle of Hastings (cid:79) Oxford University As the pandemic Muhammad Norsemen attack the Great emerges William the Conqueror founded spreads, Millions The prophet Isle of Lindisfarne Under Alfred’s rule, defeats Harold Godwinson One of the world’s of people around of the Muslim and sack the Wessex defeats on the field of battle and premier centres of the Mediterranean faith dies and monastery there. the Viking invaders claims the English throne, learning opens its doors basin are killed and is buried in This marks the with its royal court displacing much of the as English students are Constantinople’s his wife Asha’s Lindisfarne monastery beginning of the becoming a haven for native aristocracy. 1066 banned from studying population is almost house. 632 was the victim of a Viking Age. 793 scholars. 871-899 in Paris. 1167 halved. 541-542 Viking attack Death of The Fourth Crusade Thomas Becket 1202-04 1170 After the Third Crusade failed to capture Thomas Becket was the archbishop Jerusalem, Pope Innocent III called for of Canterbury, and in 1170, knights another attempt, this time to attack through loyal to Henry II murdered him at Egypt. En route, the Crusader force diverted Canterbury Cathedral. Previously to Constantinople to restore the deposed Becket had excommunicated some king, Isaac II Angelos, to the throne in return of Henry’s bishops, of which, it is for support. After successfully crowning the popularly remembered, Henry uttered king, he was again removed in a popular the words, “Who will rid me of this uprising and killed. With all promises of troublesome priest?” Taking this as support evaporating, the Crusaders brutally a desire to see Becket dead, his men sacked the city. This act hastened the decline Becket’s murder as seen in an illumination from slew the Bishop. This outrageous act of the Eastern Roman Empire and widened a Medieval Book Of caused uproar and tainted Henry for The Crusaders attacked the city the split between the Catholic Church in the Hours, c. 1390 from both land and sea the rest of his reign. West and the Orthodox Church in the East. 10