Images

This panel was part of a mosaic pavement. It depicts a lion taunted and bound by cupids. The mosaicist has used very small tesserae (cubes of stones) to achieve the effect of a painting. This technique is known as opus vermiculatum. Formerly...

A scene from the 11th century CE Bayeux Tapestry showing the death of King Harold of England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 CE. (Centre Guillaume le Conquérant, Bayeux, France)

Panel 39 of the 11th century CE Bayeux Tapestry depicts horses and soldiers of the Norman fleet leaving their ships en route to Hastings for battle against the Saxons in 1066 CE. (Centre Guillaume le Conquérant, Bayeux, France)

Lothaire Bluteau as Charles of West Francia and Morgane Polanski as Gisela of France in the TV series Vikings. The Charles character is an amalgamation of the historical kings of West Francia, Charles the Bald, Charles the Simple and Charles...

Lothaire Bluteau as Charles of West Francia in the TV series Vikings. The character is an amalgamation of the historical kings of West Francia, Charles the Bald, Charles the Simple and Charles the Fat. Photo by Bernard Walsh/HISTORY - ©...

A map indicating in red the territory controlled by Charles the Simple, aka Charles III of West Francia (r. 893-923 CE)

A silver coin of Charles the Simple, aka Charles III of France (r. 879-929 CE).

A bronze lamp in the form Silenus seated on a wine-skin. Silenus was a companion to the wine-god Dionysus. Roman period, made in Italy, about 50-150 CE. Townley Collection. (The British Museum, London).

This bronze statuette probably represents cupid (god of love, attraction, and affection). Said to be from Foggia, in modern-day Italy. Roman period, 10-100 BCE. (The British Museum, London).

The scene on this terracotta lamp depicts Attis on a cult-car pulled by rams; a Corybant (a devotee of the god) is shown beyond. Said to be from Mitcham, Surrey. Roman period, made in central Italy, about 175-225 CE. (The British Museum...