Search
Remove Ads
Advertisement
Search Results
Definition
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation (1517-1648) refers to the widespread religious, cultural, and social upheaval of 16th-century Europe that broke the hold of the medieval Church, allowing for the development of personal interpretations of the Christian...
Definition
Council of Clermont
The Council of Clermont in central France was held in November 1095 and witnessed Pope Urban II's (r. 1088-1099) historic call for the First Crusade (1095-1102) to capture Jerusalem for Christendom from its Muslim occupiers. The Pope's speech...
Definition
Byzantine Government
The government of the Byzantine Empire was headed and dominated by the emperor, but there were many other important officials who assisted in operating the finances, judiciary, military, and bureaucracy of a huge territory. Without elections...
Image
Pope Joan Giving Birth
A c. 1450 illustration showing Pope Joan giving birth during a procession. Pope Joan was a legendary female pope of the Middle Ages said to have reigned from 855 to 858. Her existence is disputed. (Spencer Collection)
Image
Pope Joan
A 15-16th century manuscript illustration of Pope Joan, a legendary female pope of the Middle Ages said to have reigned from 855 to 858. Her existence is disputed. (Bibliothèque nationale de France).
Article
Unam Sanctam: Spiritual Authority & the Medieval Church
The Unam Sanctam (1302) was a papal bull issued by Pope Boniface VIII (served 1294-1303) requiring the complete submission of all people, including kings, to the authority and dictates of the pope. As the Church was understood as holding...
Image
Leo III & Constantine V
A gold solidus coin depicting Constantine V, emperor of the Byzantine empire between 741 and 775 CE (right) and Leo III (r. 685-741 CE)
Image
Portrait of a Humanist: Leo Africanus
Portrait of a Humanist by Sebastiano del Piombo c. 1520. The identity of the person is unknown. Dietrich Rauchenberger has suggested that the painting may depict Leo Africanus (1485-1554).
Image
The History and Description of Africa by Leo Africanus
An early title page from The History and Description of Africa by Leo Africanus (1485-1554), first published in 1526.
Image
Leo Africanus as Shakespeare's Othello
Many scholars, without concrete evidence, believe that Leo Africanus 1485-1554 was the inspiration behind William Shakespeare’s Othello, shown here with Desdemona in an 1849 painting by Théodore Chassériau, currently in the Louvre Museum...
