The Middle Ages, also sometimes referred to as the Medieval Period, had its origins in the fall of the Roman Empire and ran from the 5th to the 15th centuries AD, and […]
What was the Medieval Period (Middle Ages)?
Denis Diderot – Enlightenment Philosopher and Compiler of the Encyclopédie
Denis Diderot (1713-1784), born in Langres, France, was an influential essayist, novelist, philosopher, and promulgator of Enlightenment values, known for his willingness to position himself in opposition to established authority. Diderot was […]
What was the Golden Age of Islam?
The Islamic Golden Age or Golden Age of Islam was spurred on by conquests resulting in the collections of Greek manuscripts held within Arab-controlled areas, and the founding of the city of […]
Thales of Miletus – Pre-Socratic Natural Philosopher
Thales (620-546 BC) was born in the city of Miletus of Greek Ionia located on the coast of modern day Turkey. He was active prior to the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, […]
Polybius – Hellenistic Greek Historian
Polybius (c. 200 – c. 118 BC), born in the town of Megalopolis to a father who was an influential politician and land owner, was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. While growing up, Polybius […]
Who were the Apostolic Fathers?
The Apostolic Fathers were members of the early church who bridged the New Testament era with the beginning of the Christian era following the lives of the apostles. Some are known by […]
Moses Maimonides – Jewish Philosopher and Theologian
Born into a Jewish family living in Cordoba, Spain, Moses Maimonides (or Moshe ben Maimon) (1135-1204 AD) had a substantial influence on both philosophical and Jewish theological thought. He was educated […]
Who were the Vikings? (Viking Age)
The Viking Age was a period in Medieval history (793-1066 AD) marked by trade, raids, colonization, and conquest of the Scandinavian Norsemen known as the Vikings, a people who had their origins […]
What was the Hellenistic Period?
The Hellenistic Period marks the time between the moment of Alexander the Great’s (356-323 BC) death in 323 BC and the rise of the Roman Empire in 31 BC. It is often […]
What’s Historiography?
F.E. Deist’s intent is to illustrate the rich multi-faceted nature of the study of history (historiography), and he seeks to challenge a naive monolithic concept that history is merely “a series of […]
