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Gordian Emperors
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...

Article
Alexander the Great as a God
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...

Video
King Philip's Death Site - Bristol, Rhode Island - Travels With Phil
King Philip's Death Site - Bristol, Rhode Island - Metacomet was also known as King Philip. He was a leader of the Wampanoag tribe. After some peaceful co-existence with the Pilgrims, conflict broke out in 1675. It became known as King Philip's...

Definition
Antipater (Macedonian General)
Antipater (c. 399-319 BCE) was a Macedonian statesman and loyal lieutenant of both Alexander the Great and his father Philip II of Macedon. As a regent in Alexander's absence, Antipater subdued rebellions and mollified uprisings, proving...

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...

Definition
Alexandra David-Néel
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...

Image
Isabella of France
Isabella of France, Detail from an illustration in the Grandes Chroniques de France (Français 6465, fol. 338v.) by Jean Fouquet, Tours, c. 1455-1460.
National Library of France, Paris.

Definition
Richard Henry Lee
Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794) was an American politician from Virginia, who played a significant role in the American Revolution (1765-1789), particularly in the push for independence. A member of the prominent Lee family of Virginia, he...

Definition
Sacred Band of Thebes
The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite unit of the Theban army comprised of 150 gay male couples totaling 300 men. They were formed under the leadership of Gorgidas but first achieved fame under the general Pelopidas. They remained invincible...

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Isabella of France Arrives in Paris
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.