bitsmithy blog

Today, the popular interpretation of Brian Boru, a famous high king alive during medieval Gaelic Ireland, is that he died as a martyr for Ireland, unified Ireland into one nation, and drove the heathen Vikings from Ireland’s coasts. This interpretation has been about for a very long time, beginning at least 900 years ago when the Cogad Gáedel re Gallaibh was written (“Cogadh Gaedhel Re Gallaibh”). The Cogad Gáedel re Gallaibh was essentially political propaganda in the form of a book written by Brian Boru’s descendants in the 12th century that told the tale of Brian’s life and his wars with the Vikings. »

The 14th century was a trying century for Western Europe. Death became a constant companion, as history recalls that some cities experienced a mortality rate of up to 60 percent. Much of the blame for this death and suffering can be attributed to four things: plague, famine, war, and the decline of the Roman Catholic Church’s power. This short post will explore how these disturbances had a snowball effect, escalating the difficulties of the 14th century. »

This post will be a comparison of Greek poleis, or city-states, with some of their preceding and contemporary Near Eastern neighbors, along with some of the reasons the Greeks collectively experienced successes and failures. The comparative section of this post will focus on the social and religious aspects of Greek poleis in respect to their Near Eastern neighbors. The section of the post discussing the successes and failures of Greece will mostly focus on the arts, sciences, philosophy, politics, and war. »