MedievalReporter.com

Covering history's most marvelous millennium

Covering history's most marvelous millennium

Simon Duits

Simon has a master's degree in History and has written tens of articles on the Middle Ages. Next to building his blog at MedievalReporter.com, he has been published on WorldHistory.org, Ancient-Origins.net & TheFreelanceHistoryWriter.com.

Articles: 30

Byzantine, Holy Roman, Frankish

The Two-Emperors Problem (2): Byzantine Basileus vs. Holy “Roman” Emperor

Both the Holy Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire claimed to be the true "Roman Empire". Which state best claimed Rome's legacy?

December 20, 2022
4

Frankish, Byzantine, Gothic, Lombard

The Two-Emperors Problem (1): Will The Real Roman Emperor Please Stand Up?

How did the Roman Empire lose the West? Learn about upstart Goths, disloyal Lombard and insolent Franks - all working with and against a court in Constantinople that was waging war on many, many fronts.

December 20, 2022

Timurid, Indian

Delhi Devastated: How Timur Crushed India’s Capital

When a fully-fledged Timurid army swoops into India with tens of thousands of horsemen and camels, only to be met with armored war elephants, death and devastation are sure to follow.

November 16, 2022

Arab, Byzantine, Caliphate

The Sword of God In Action: Khalid ibn al-Walid In Syria

Khalid ibn al-Walid, the "Sword of God", leading his men through the desert

The very first caliph sent his star general Khalid ibn al-Walid - the "Sword of God" - to conquer Byzantine Syria, but the great city of Damascus stood in his way.

August 1, 2022
4

Vietnamese, Mongol

So… Did The Mongols Manage To Conquer ‘Nam?

The mighty Mongol army tried to invade Vietnam on multiple occasions but had great difficulty bringing the country to heel.

July 5, 2022

Women's, Rus'

The Revenge of Kiev: How Saint Olga Brutalized the Drevlians

Olga of Kiev became ruler of the Rus' because her husband was killed in an uprising. She started her reign with a savage campaign against the rebels.

June 1, 2022
14

French, Holy Roman, English

The Battle of Bouvines & The End of the Angevin Empire

Two large armies fought each other in a grand battle in 13th-century Flanders. The outcome had major consequences for France, England and the Holy Roman Empire.

April 19, 2022
2

Byzantine, Climatic

Worst Year Ever: 536 CE – “When The Sun Lost Its Wonted Light”

Girl staring at the eruption of a volcano. An explosion like this may have caused the volcanic winter of 536 CE.

Thought COVID was bad? People living through 536 experienced the worst time ever to be alive: volcanic eruptions, sudden climate change, and the first plague.

April 1, 2022
2

Chinese

Whores Aren’t Free – The Downfall of the Liao Dynasty

For centuries, the Khitans ruled Northern China as the Liao dynasty. But their oppression and rape of Manchurian women sired a rebellion that would come to haunt them.

March 1, 2022
12