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The People’s Crusade

Crusade, Crusades, Knights Templar -

The People’s Crusade

In November 1095, Pope Urban II called for Christians to go to Jerusalem and free it from Muslim rule. The Crusades began in August the following year. But, did you know that there was a Crusade before the First Crusade? This venture did not garner the status of the real thing and was largely a failure, but it was an honest effort nonetheless.  So, what was it? The People’s Crusade was the prelude to the official thing and lasted about six months, from April–October, 1096. It is also called the Popular Crusade and by other less flattering names, such as the Peasants’...

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The Pirate Wardrobe

Accessories, Pirate, Pirate Costumes -

The Pirate Wardrobe

Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush and the rest of the cast of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise surely helped popularize pirate costumes. But were their costumes a true depiction of what buccaneers wore during their time? There is a fair amount of confusion about what pirates might have looked like. While we may be loathe to accept anything other than the romanticized version force fed to us over the centuries, the reality could be a lot less spectacular. Pirates, like everyone else, wore the best clothes they could lay their hands on. There was no standard attire. How could there...

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Roman Soldier Gear – The Legionary

Gladius, Helmets, Roman, Shield, Soldiers -

Roman Soldier Gear – The Legionary

A Roman legionary had to be a Roman citizen and over 17 years of age. And, of course, he had to be a stud – fit, strong, and brave. Anything less and he would be rejected. Roman soldiers typically signed up for 25 years of service. If they survived the time, they were gifted a land they could farm. But surviving in the brutal battlefields was tough. It required skill and armor and gear you could trust. A Roman legionary could carry between 66–100 lbs of gear and weapon, which included corn rations and a tent. A helmet called a Galea...

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The Greek Shield

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The Greek Shield

"To lose one's shield is the basest of crimes," wrote the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus. "Come back with your shield or upon it," says the Spartan mother to her son in another popular anecdote. For over two millennia, the shield was a vital cog in the military armory. Of course, it has never been exalted like the sword or other weapons. But, in ancient times, the shield was viewed as the mark of a warrior, even more so than the weapons he carried. Here, we focus on a Greek shield that was in vogue even before the medieval age. The...

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Food of the Spartan Warrior

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Food of the Spartan Warrior

Spartans were fierce warriors who lived to fight. Boys were trained the ways of the sword and spear from an early age and by the time they joined the army, they were killing machines feared and admired by the enemy in equal measure. To complement their obviously formidable military training was a diet to match. That figures. Leonidas’ 300 repelled Xerxes’ enormous army of men and beasts not just by fighting skill but a stamina that’d make modern CrossFitters seem like casual morning joggers. That legendary endurance was likely based on a specific diet, or one vile dish in particular. ...

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