It would be easy to chart the history of civilization through a timeline of its wars. Most great kingdoms and empires were built and destroyed through conquest, from the very first classical records to the present day. Therefore, compiling a list of epic battles that shaped history is a daunting task, with a potential […]

Aristotle’s basic argument was that human beings could abstract, universalize, and freely choose. This is impossible for mere matter. Therefore, a part of human nature is not found in matter. In other words, the soul is at least in part immaterial. Aquinas, heavily influenced by Aristotle, affirms this centuries later with his own thought […]

The Vikings mercilessly raided England in the 8th century, ruthlessly took land for themselves in the 9th century, and systematically extorted Danegeld from the locals in the 10th century. Nevertheless, in the early part of the 11th century, Viking kings were recognized as the official kings of England.   Sweyn Forkbeard took England from […]

The incident of the Sword in the Stone is one of the most famous stories in the Arthurian legends. This account tells how Arthur was accepted as the rightful king of the Britons. Arthur proved his right to rule by withdrawing a special sword that had been stuck in a stone. The sword had […]