Mycenaean Greece was the late Bronze Age period of Greek history from around 1750 to 1050 BC, when the first advanced civilization emerged in mainland Greece. It is named after the city of Mycenae. The Mycenaean Greeks made significant advances in engineering, architecture, and military infrastructure. They created the first Greek script, Linear B, and... Continue Reading →
Goju-Ryu: From Okinawa to the World
(In memory of the late Hanshi Scott Hogarth, a great friend and teacher) Goju-ryu is a karate style from Okinawa, one of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands. It was founded by Chojun Miyagi in 1930, but its roots go back to his master Higaonna Kanryo, creator of the Naha-te style. Goju’s main kata or form, Sanchin, is... Continue Reading →
Short Overview of Early Hebrew History
Abraham was a clan chief from Ur in Mesopotamia. Following God’s call, who promised him his own land and many descendants, he travelled west to Canaan. Abraham believed that God demanded his son Isaac as a sacrifice. However, God stopped Abraham at the last minute, and Abraham offered a ram instead, foreshadowing the Crucifixion. To... Continue Reading →
The Role of the Jews in the Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution was one of the most significant events in English history. It was the last successful invasion of England and saw the replacement of the Stuart monarch James II with his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange, who became King William III. This paper will argue that Jews played a crucial... Continue Reading →
St. Martin of Tours as an ideal “miles Christi” for the late Middle Ages
St. Martin of Tours was one of the central saints of the medieval monastic tradition. He had been a soldier, monk, and then bishop of Tours in his lifetime. This essay argues that because Martin was portrayed as the exemplary miles Christi or warrior for Christ in his monastic biography, he was an ideal for... Continue Reading →
The Ideals and Roles of Late Antique Monasticism
Late antique monks and nuns believed their true utopia would come later in heaven, while on Earth they had to strive for perfection through virtue. One of the things this involved was being free of material possessions that could distract them so they could imitate Christ. Monks were often wealthy people who sold their possessions... Continue Reading →
Queen Elizabeth’s Role as a Female English Monarch
Queen Elizabeth I was one of England’s greatest monarchs, staying in power for 45 years, one of the longest reigns of any English monarch. But her rise to power was not easy, and she wasn’t even the first in line. Carole Levin’s Heart and Stomach of a King tells us the ways Elizabeth navigated the... Continue Reading →
The Clashing Worldviews of Dante and Petrarch
Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarch were Florentine thinkers active in the 13th and 14th centuries. But their worldviews were very different, and two of their most famous texts reflect this. Dante’s On Monarchy uses Aristotelian scholasticism to argue that the Holy Roman Emperor has the right to rule over Europe. Meanwhile, Petrarch’s On His Own... Continue Reading →
A Glimpse into the Development and Growth of Quebec’s Railway Industry in Historic Newspapers
A large country such as Canada requires a strong railway industry for its transportation and economy. Four historical articles from Quebec’s English speaking media can tell us about the growth and development of the railway industry in Quebec and in relation to the rest of Canada, with citizens and the government being integral to this... Continue Reading →
A Glimpse into the Life Cycle of Medieval Novgorod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMIzcrVXY9c&t=938s Video Script Hello, my name is Diego De la Parra and this video is on “A Glimpse into the Life Cycle of Medieval Novgorod Through the Eyes of Birchbark”. In the 1950s archeologists discovered hundreds of birchbarks documents near Novgorod, Russia. They were letters, notes and receipts dating from the 11th to 15th centuries,... Continue Reading →