Philip II of France: Did you mean...?

Meeting between Isabella of France, Queen of England, and her brother, Charles IV of France, in 1325, illustration from Froissart's Chronicles, c. 1475. National Library of France, Paris.

When Alexander the Great died in 323 BCE, he left behind an empire devoid of leadership. Without a named successor or heir, the old commanders simply divided the kingdom among themselves. For the next three decades, they fought a lengthy...

When Maximinus Thrax was named Roman emperor upon the death of Alexander Severus, the news was not well-received by many in Rome and the Roman Senate considered him an illiterate barbarian. His financial excesses, principally used to fund...

A statue of Francis I of France (r. 1515-1547 CE) in Cognac, France. The French king was born in the town in 1494 CE.

The age-old concept of the “divine right of kings” allowed that a country's ruler received his or her power or authority from God. However, few, if any, were delusional enough to actually believe themselves to be a god. An exception to this...

Elizabeth I reigned as queen of England from 1558 to 1603. Her 44-year reign was so long and packed with momentous events that the second half of the 16th century is now known as the Elizabethan era and still regarded as a 'Golden Age' for...

What happened to the places that history forgot – the cities submerged under water, decimated by invading armies or swallowed up by the sands of time? Where are they, and what can they tell us about our past? From the sunken city of Thonis...

Join the Celtic druid Camma in her village as she conducts religious rites, serves as a healer, and mediates conflict between tribes. — As the sun rises in 55 BCE, Camma lays two pigeons on the altar at the center of her village. She...

Charles Philippe de France, comte d'Artois (1757-1836), during the French Revolution, oil on canvas painting by Henri-Pierre Danloux, 1798. As the youngest brother of King Louis XVI, Artois was one of the first emigres to flee France after...

Alexandra David-Néel (l. 1868-1969) was a world traveler, writer, and Buddhist spiritualist who wrote over 30 books on her journeys which took her 18,641.136 miles (30,000 km) around the world on foot or by various conveyances. Her works...