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Map of the World in the 14th Century
The 14th century was a time of crisis and transformation across much of the world. Plague, war, shifting power structures, and intellectual ferment reshaped societies from Asia to Africa, Europe to the Americas. Despite profound instability...
Definition
The Crisis of the Third Century - A Pivotal Era of Ancient Rome
The Crisis of the Third Century (also known as the Imperial Crisis, 235-284) was the period in the history of the Roman Empire during which it splintered into three separate political entities: the Gallic Empire, the Roman Empire, and the...
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Enemies of Rome in the 3rd Century CE - The Greatest Enemy of Rome was Rome Itself
It has been said that the greatest enemy of Rome was Rome itself, and this is certainly true of the period known as the Crisis of the Third Century (also known as the Imperial Crisis, 235-284). During this time of almost 50 years, over 20...
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Global Trade in the 13th Century
In the 13th century, astonishing quantities of spices and silk passed from the Far East to Europe. Exact amounts are not known, but spice popularity in both cuisine and medicine reached its historical peak during the Middle Ages in Europe...
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Interview: Refugees & Reformation in 16th-Century Frankfurt
In the 16th century, German cities and territories welcomed thousands of refugees fleeing the religious persecution sparked by the Protestant Reformation. In Strange Brethren: Refugees, Religious Bonds, and Reformation in Frankfurt, 1554-1608...
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How Christmas Was Shaped by 19th-Century Literature
How we celebrate Christmas today is largely shaped by a small group of authors who recorded festive traditions in the 19th century. These authors include Washington Irving (1783-1859), Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863), and Charles Dickens...
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The Sixteenth-Century Massacre of the Waldensians of Mérindol
As the Reformation developed in France in the first half of the 16th century, there were several episodes of severe repression which preceded the Wars of Religion (1562-1598). These were times of great hardship and oppression against those...
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Map of the Dominant Religions in Europe, 16th Century - Shaping Nations Through Faith: The Religious Landscape of a Changing Continent
This map illustrates the major religious divisions across Europe during the 16th century, a period marked by the sweeping changes of the Reformation. As Protestant movements challenged the authority of the Catholic Church, the religious landscape...
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The Roman Empire and the Crisis of the Third Century, c. 270 CE - Pretenders, Breakaways, Plague, and the Fight for Unity
The Crisis of the Third Century (235–284 CE) began with the assassination of Emperor Severus Alexander (reign 222–235 CE) in 235 CE, triggering the collapse of centralized imperial authority. Over the next five decades, Roman power fractured...
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Map of the Silk Road During the Late 8th Century
In the late 8th century CE, the interconnected caravan routes later termed the “Silk Road” formed a transcontinental system linking East Asia, Central Asia, the Islamic world, and parts of Europe. The label “Silk Road” (German: Seidenstraße...
