Month: September 2014

Hilda of Whitby – A Ray of Light in the “Dark Ages”

In this special guest post, Ms. Susan Abernethy of The Freelance History Writer introduces Ancient History et cetera readers to the compelling life and achievements of St. Hilda of Whitby. Renown for her piety and learning, Hilda is one of the most appealing and yet elusive figures from the Early Middle Ages (or Late Antiquity). Thanks to her vigorous activities, Hilda’s religious and political influence ensured that northern England remained Christian, while many, including The Venerable Bede, attested to her reputation for intellectual brilliance. In 2014, we celebrate the 1400th anniversary of her birth. Whenever I hear the term the “Dark Ages” I cringe a little bit. This term has fallen out of use, but you still hear it occasionally. The more I’ve studied medieval history, the more I see this era of history wasn’t “dark” at all. There are some “rays of light” that appear to us, even with the non-existent to scant documentation we have. One of them is St. Hilda of Whitby (c. 614-680 CE).

Real History in Total War: Attila

In this exclusive interview, James Blake Wiener of Ancient History Encyclopedia speaks to Janos Gaspar, Lead Designer of Total War: Attila, about Creative Assembly’s newest historical video game. JW: What provided the impetus for Creative Assembly to make Total War: Attila? Why create a computer game about the Hunnic invasions of Europe (c. 370-469 CE) and the decline of the Roman Empire given the popularity of the Roman Total War series? JS: In Rome II, we told the story of Rome becoming the world’s first superpower — from its first steps outside of Italy to the major body of its conquests; from a small republic to a vast empire. This time, we jumped almost 400 years into the future — right to the brink of the so-called “Dark Ages” — in order to recreate the last moments of this glorious empire and the birth of the new Europe. One of the major catalysts for such profound change is Attila himself. Overall, we thought it would be a fascinating era to cover.

EAGLE 2014 International Conference in Paris

EAGLE 2014 International Conference on Information Technologies for Epigraphy and Digital Cultural Heritage in the Ancient World September 29-30 and October 1, 2014  École Normale Supérieure and Collège de France Chaire Religion, institutions et société de la Rome antique Paris, France EAGLE 2014 International Conference on Information Technologies for Epigraphy and Digital Cultural Heritage in the Ancient World is the second in a series of international events planned by EAGLE – Europeana network of Ancient Greek and Latin Epigraphy. The conference will be held September 29-30 and October 1, 2014, in Paris. The event will consist of a number of lectures, panels and selected papers organized into several sessions. It is expected that the conference proceedings will be published with a major European scientific editor. The conference will also provide space for demonstrations and product display. Keynote lectures will be delivered by Susan Hazan (The Israel Museum) and Tom Elliott (New York University).

Seja Majeed – The Forgotten Tale of Larsa

Born in Algeria to Iraqi refugees, Ms. Seja Majeed grew up in the United Kingdom, where her family claimed asylum. Impassioned by history, archaeology, and especially Iraqi culture, Seja yearned to be a writer. In her début novel for young adults, The Forgotten Tale of Larsa, Seja explores the themes of love, loss, change, and exile in an ancient Near Eastern setting. In this conversation with James Blake Wiener of Ancient History Encyclopedia, Seja relates the joys and struggles one faces in writing the “young adult novel,” in addition to her thoughts on the current perils facing Iraqi cultural patrimony.