The Great Schism

Everyone help me give a warm welcome to our last guest here. For this last person, we have brought in Pope Leo IX. Leo, today we are going to be talking about the East-West Schism. Could you start us off by telling us how this began?

L: Well, there is no one particular date of when the church began to split, as it happened over periods of time, but I will try to explain what happened in the beginning. In a sense, it started around 1054. A representative of mine excommunicated the Constantinople Patriarch, who then excommunicated me. This is how the Eastern Orthodox Church began to break away from Catholicism. Before I go into explaining all of that in detail though, let me explain how church power is split up. There are 5 Patriarchs, and Christians fell under the power of the Patriarch of the area. The 5 patriarchs controlled Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Rome. The two most powerful is the Constantinople Patriarch, and the Roman Patriarch, or the Pope.

Go on.

L: Well, later on, the other three Patriarchs fell to Muslim rule, and the pope had to rely on the Franks for protection. This left just 2 powers, with no one to act as a mediator. When I tried to work with the Byzantine Emperor to stave off the Normans, I was to be given control of an area that was already under the control of the Constantinople Patriarch Michael Cerularius. He told the people there to not listen to me. I responded by having him excommunicated. This is what led to the Orthodox Church.  It also resulted in the Byzantine Empire falling to the Ottoman Empire without my help.

Well, that wraps up our interviews. I hope you have learned something.

 

"Schism of 1054." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.

Columbus Leaves Spain

Today we have a VERY special guest, folks. He is the reason most of you are in your comfy American homes, and not in the crowded cities of Europe. Guessed who yet? May I introduce Christopher Columbus. Today, we are going to focus on how America was discovered, and how it influenced history. How did your trip begin?

C: My trip began with a thought. I believed the earth was predominantly land, and that Asia was fairly close to Western Europe. All someone would have to do is sale a small ways out from Europe, and you are on the other side of the world. The trade routes this would open up would be tremendous. Many people seem to think I was in it for the adventure. While I did enjoy that, I really just wanted the money and fame. When I first told the King of Portugal of my plan, and asked for funding for the trip, I was rejected. I then went to Spain and pleaded my case to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in 1492. They agreed to give me 3 ships and a crew.

How did your voyage go?

Well, we set off August 3^rd, 1492. The voyage stretched my crew to its limits. On October 12^th, we finally spotted land, after over 2 months at sea. We had arrived in the Bahamas, but at the time, I thought we had landed in India. I explored a few more islands, and left 40 men on the islands, and started back towards Spain. I made many other trips across the Atlantic, and established several colonies. After my 4^th expedition, I came back to find Queen Isabella had died, and all support for me was gone. I died in the year 1506 with neither the fame nor power I hoped to achieve.

A lot has come of your discovery. It obviously started the settling of the Americas. It almost doubled the known world’s land. Something else came of your discovery though. The Native Americans already living in America were cut down by warfare, disease, and viscous settlers looking for land. I will also point out you did not first discover America; you were just the first to have it well documented. Nevertheless, you changed history. Tune in for my final interview.

"Christopher Columbus." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.

Charlemagne

Today we bring in the great Charlemagne. You have done quite a few things in your life, haven’t you? How about you go ahead and tell us about your early life.

C: I was born in 742 to my father Pippin the Short, and I inherited his legacy and land. My grandfather was Charles “the hammer” Martel, who I believe was interviewed just a bit ago by you. Nothing of particular interest happened during my childhood.

How did your first few years of being a ruler go?

C: Well, when my father passed away, the land was split in two. My brother Carloman got the better half of the kingdom. His part was compact and easy to control. My half was underdeveloped, and had just been incorporated into our lands, so there were many rebels in my half. Me and my brother were also growing hostile towards each other, which probably would have resulted in a war if my brother had not passed away, leaving me with both halves in 771.

So you have your kingdom in check. What did you do then?

C: One of the first things I did was tried to take over and convert Saxony to Christianity. It took 30 years, but we did it. They put up a huge fight, though. I then threw my lot in with the pope and invaded Lombard, further adding to my Kingdom. I made massive reforms on my Clergy. I encouraged them to learn how to read and write, so it was easier to teach the bible to people, which resulted in a mini renaissance. Scholars from around the world came to research various things.  I also weeded out corruption by presiding over various religious councils. When Pope Leo III was named Pope, he had many enemies. He was kidnapped, blinded and turned into a mute, and accused of adultery and corruption. He escaped and came to me. I helped him regain his sight and speech, and then marched to Rome to catch the rebels. For this, I was crowned Emperor.

Anything happen when you became Emperor?

C: Very little. I had to deal with constant Viking threats, but other than that, I just lived out my life in my palace. In my old age, I crowned my son king, and died in 814. I believed I made a difference though. I set myself as a role model of a Christian King, and I impacted the political world for years to come through my ties with the pope.

You sure did a lot in your life, and you’re right, you did have a large impact on the world. To my bloggers, keep tuning in, we got 2 more people coming up.

"Charlemagne." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.

The Crusades

Today, we welcome the king of England, Richard the Lionhearted. He has just finished a grueling campaign to regain the holy city of Jerusalem. Before we talk about that, how about you tell us how these crusades started, and just what they are, Richard.

R: Well, the crusades started in 1096. People with the means would make pilgrimages to Jerusalem. When Jerusalem was captured by the Turks, Christians were turned away. In response to this, Pope Urban II asked knights to help retake the holy city. There was a second reason to this. All over Europe, various lords were getting into fights with each other. By focusing the knights on Jerusalem, there would be less bloodshed in Europe.

And how did this first crusade and the others leading up to yours go?

R: The first crusade was successful at taking Jerusalem with the help of the Byzantine Empire. For a while, this all worked out fine, with the area split up into 4 sections, each ruled by a noble. A lot of knights went home after they were done though, leaving the army weakened. One of the sections was captured, and the rest weakened, causing the second crusade to start. Because of disagreements, it, for the most part, failed. In the year 1187, the Muslim General Saladin captured back Jerusalem. That’s where I came in.

How did your Crusade go?

Well, I lead the third crusade. Actually, I was one of three leaders, but one died on the way there, and the other one fled back to capture France from me. I managed to capture some of the Mediterranean Coast, but I did not actually fight for Jerusalem. Me and the general Saladin came to an agreement; I would let them hang on to Jerusalem if they were more lenient on allowing Christian pilgrimages.

Thank you for taking the time to be a part of this blog. As for my readers, I got more interviews of famous figures coming.

 

"The Crusades (Overview)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.

Magna Carta

Today we bring you King John. Although you probably don’t know it, it is indirectly because of this man we are not all slaves. King John, tell us about the document in question, the Magna Carta.

John: I hate that document so much. I was forced to sign it after I abused my power a little by doing things like greatly increasing taxes. The Barons of the lands forced me to sign that in 1215. Through signing it, I put every ruler to come after me under the thumb of the law. I believe your constitution and Bill of Rights are based off of it. It basically states I can’t kill someone I don’t like for no reason, and I can’t take your money and food. It didn’t work at all the first few years, so I didn’t really follow it. After I died, King Henry the third came up with some revisions making it more applicable.

The Magna Carta is one of the most famous documents in history, and guarantees our rights nowadays. Good luck, John, with your new rules.

"Magna Carta." Reference Center. Web. <http://www.referencecenter.com/ref/reference/MagnaCar/Magna_Carta?invocationType=ar1clk&flv=1>.

Battle of Tours

Welcome Mr. Martel. Congratulations on your big victory over the Muslims! You should be quite proud. Tell us, what was the battle like?

Charles: Well, the battle happened October 25, 732 near Tours and Poitiers. The battle happened because the Muslims captured Spain, which allowed them to be close enough to raid Gaul on a regular basis. In 732, a large raid swept through lower France, led by Abd ar-Rahman I. The duke of the area, Odo, requested my help, and I decided to step in. I requested land from the church where I could train my troops, and my request was granted. We first used stirrups in this battle, allowing our cavalry to become very effective. After we had won, raids in the area effectively stopped. It was a major accomplishment of the century.

Thank you Charles, coming up next, William the Conqueror.

"Battle of Tours." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.

William the Conqueror

Good morning bloggers, we have a special guest today. Please help me welcome William the Conqueror. William, let’s start off with your early life.

W: well, I was born in the year 1027 A.D. in a town in France. I was the basterd child of Duke Robert of Normandy. I gained my father’s land and wealth at a young age when he died. I had many powerful friends, but also many powerful enemies. My cousin Count Guy even tried to take over Normandy, and it was only through the assistance of King Henry that I prevailed.

How did you get the throne?

W: it started when I was married to Matilda in 1053, which strengthened my ties with England. I began conquering more land and making strong alliances to increase my influence. I also made friends with the Catholic Church. In 1066, King Edward died and Harold II was crowned king. He had to fend off an attack from the King of Norway, who also wished to be king of England. This made his army tired and weak, and I managed to beat him at the battle of Hastings.

What did you do once you were king?

W: I first had to completely solidify my leadership by dealing with certain individuals and invading Scotland and Wales. I am mostly famous however, for my taxes.  I made all large land owners swear an oath to me, and had my agents collect information on all properties for use in taxation and land disputes. I finally died in the year 1087.

"William the Conqueror." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.

The Sack of Rome

Welcome Alaric, king of the Visigoths. Tell us about the sacking of Rome.

A: It started in 378 when Visigoths were placed in the roman army. In 395, we renounced a treaty we had made with Rome, and I was chosen as the king of the Visigoths. I tried invading Italy in 401, and managed to scare the emperor at the time to move his court to the city of Ravenna before I was pushed out of Italy. Luckily, the emperor died in 408, so I went ahead and invaded Italy again. This time, my arch rival Flavius Stilicho, who had bested me during my last invasion, was killed for his support in a power struggle. My army surrounded Rome, but the siege was lifted when we received tribute from the city in 409. In the summer of 410, the foolish emperor Honorius would not listen to our negotiations, so our allies in the city opened the city gates, allowing us in. we pillaged and took much wealth, but spared most of the civilians and buildings before moving on. Through this act, we sent shockwaves throughout the known world, and we started the decline of the Western Roman Empire.

 

"sack of Rome." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2010.

Constantine the Great

Hello bloggers, it’s me again. Today, I’m going to be interviewing the roman emperor Constantine the Great. Tell us a little about your childhood, Constantine.

C: I was born in 272 A.D. to my parents Helena and Constantius in the city Naissus. My mother was a common women, and my father was at the time a roman officer, who would later become the co emperor. I watched my father die in 306 in Britain, and then a man named Maxentius claimed the throne. The army remained loyal to me, and I defeated him in 312 at the battle of Milvian Bridge.

What did you do once you established yourself as ruler?

C: I decided to make my capitol city Byzantium, or present day Istanbul. Being very modest, I renamed the city Constantinople. I changed the status quo when I became the emperor though. I not only stopped Christian persecution, I became a Christian myself. I did this because jesus saved me at the battle of Milvian Bridge. I then worked on turning Constantinople into a city that would rival Rome. I then died in the year 337.

"Constantine the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2010.

Julius Caesar

I am here today interviewing the great Julius Caesar about the fall of the Roman Empire. Welcome Mr. Caesar. Tell us your story.

J: I was born in 100 B.C. with the name Gaius Julius Caesar. Because of the dangerous feud between my uncle and Lucius Cornelius Sulla , I fled Rome and studied politics and warfare in Asia Minor. In the year 73 B.C. I returned to Rome. I assumed the position of a priest, and took up the job of military tribune. When my wife and aunt died, I stirred up emotions by giving them public funerals, something that was very rare in Rome. I then went to Spain where I got rid of the hostile tribes there, greatly adding to the public coffers and paying off my debts. I was elected into the consulship in 58 B.C. and used corruption and violence to reward my followers. I became increasingly corrupt and was tried for corruption, but was found innocent. I then took my own personal army in 49 B.C. and crossed the Rubicon, where I attacked and defeated republican forces in 45 B.C. becoming dictator for life. It was short lived however; as I was murdered by senate members in march 44 B.C. After I died, a cycle of Civil wars followed, where Augustus was crowned the first emperor of Rome.

"Julius Caesar." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 12 Nov. 2010

Alexander the Great

Hello Alexander, I am honored to be interviewing you today. Let’s get started. Let’s first talk a little bit about your early life.

A: Well, I was born in the year 356 B.C. to King Phillip II of Macedonia. I had a great teacher, Aristotle, to lead me through the teen years. My father was assassinated in 336, leaving me to the throne.

What were your plans when you took the throne?

A:My longtime goal has always been to defeat Persia, mainly for revenge of the Persian wars, but also for the land and plunder, but before I could do this, I viscously put down a rebellion in Thebes.

How did you plan on doing this?

A: I brought an army of 30,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry across the Dardanelles River and attacked the Ionian cost. I pushed down the cost into Egypt, where I liberated the people there, who believed I was a god. I then overthrew the Persian government, and was crowned ruler.

What happened afterwards?

I encouraged marriage to Persians to fuse our cultures, which was met with much resent. I took ill in Babylon in 323 and dyed June 13.

Thank you for your story.

"Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.

Golden Age in Greece

Hello Mr. Pericles, thanks for letting us interview you. I have a couple questions for you. First off, how did Athens ascend to a golden age?

P: You see, we were under the threat of the Persian army. We managed to beat them twice over, proving us superior to them, and allowed us to expand and prosper.

When did this all happen?

P: around the year 470 B.C.

Now what exactly happened in this time period?

Our great city of Athens became the Hellenic capital of the world. We had a bustling trade center, a thriving economy, and a soothing spirituality. During my reign, we also took over the Ionian Greek cities. In 478, we made a pact with many other Greek states (although some of it was forced) to rid our lands of the remaining Persians. During this period, we began to use our power to force this pact of states to do what was in our best interest. We began to make other states pay payments to us for our army and such, and we were forced to move the treasury to Acropolis in 454 to keep the money safe.

What happened after that?

P: We began to expand intellectually and culturally. We had the great philosopher Socrates, who came up with the Socratic method of teaching. His student is also world renowned as the great Plato.

And how did all of this come crashing down?

P: In the year 431 B.C. the Spartans became afraid of our rising power, and sought to put an end to us. A great plague further reduced our numbers. Finally, the Spartan army managed to defeat us in our invasion of Sicily in 415 B.C.

 

Thank you for your time

Barrett, Matt. "The Golden Age of Greece." matt barrett's travel guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov 2010. <http://www.ahistoryofgreece.com/goldenage.htm>.

Zheng He

Boy, what a lifetime it’s been. I, Zheng He, have done more in my life then 10 normal people. It all began in 1371, when I was born. I was castrated at 10 years old to serve in the emperor’s palace. He befriended prince Zhu di, and was a great warrior. In 1405, he embarked on his first great voyage with a fleet of hundreds of ships and thousands of men to scour the world. A total of 7 expeditions were sent out with the intent of showing the power of the Chinese. On the third expedition, the flotilla defeated the king of Sinhalese. The last expedition was undertaken in 1730. That’s where I am, on the way home. There is a storm on the horizon and I must be off to tend to the ships.

Zheng He died on the way back from his last expedition, and the fleet was destroyed when It got back by the emperor, and no one is sure why.

"voyages of Zheng He." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/>

Sung Dynasty

I’m Chang Khan, royal historian for the Mongolian Empire. I help our generals out by telling them the history of lands we are going to conquer, which can sometimes help a battle plan. Today I was asked to shed some light on the Sung Dynasty. Started in 960 by General Zhao Kuangyin when he usurped the emperor of the zhou dynasty, the Sung Dynasty had large social, economical, and cultural effects on the world. From the dangerous presence of us, the Mongolians, Zhao, or as he renamed himself, Taizu, created a large national army to defend his new dynasty, which began to use gunpowder in Ernest. His capitol fell to the Jurchens in 1125, but a southern Song dynasty was set up. This southern dynasty made numerous advancements to the era, through art, literature, and numerous inventions such as the southern compass and wood block printing. Because of this form of inexpensive literature, a new middle class showed up. Now it is the year 1279, and we are going to easily take over the remnants of this dynasty.
"Song dynasty." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/>

Tang Dynasty

Hey guys, Wu Hou here. I lay on my deathbed. It is the year 705 AD, and as I wait for death’s claws to grip me into the next life, I lay back and think about all that has happened in my kingdom. It all started around the year 618. Gao Zu ruled the budding dynasty at first, but abdicated the throne so his son, Li Shimin could rule. Under his guidance, the Tang people took over Tibet, and tried to take Korea, but couldn’t. Gao Zu also helped his people by lowering taxes and trying to set himself as a role model to his citizens. After he died, Gao Zong came into power in 649. Gao Zong took one of Li Shimin’s beautiful concubines. That lady was me, Wu Hou. I always tried to rule the people through my husband, and when he died in 683, and grabbed power and became the empress. I managed to finally take Korea, which Gao Zu could never do. And now, as I lie on my deathbed, I can see this once great dynasty is headed downhill. I need some rest.

This is a descendent of Wu Hou editing this post. I felt like my Great great something grandma would want this to be finished. Because no one could hold a flame to her leadership skills, the dynasty fell in 907. Good bye.

"Tang dynasty." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/>

Mongols take over China

Hello, its Chong Gei with what might be my last post ever. The Mongols are coming. Its taken them almost 6 decades, but they have overrun almost all of china. My little corner is the last piece of freedom. You see, back in 1209, Genghis Khan declared war on Western Xia. He defeated them fairly quickly, and in 1211, declared war on the Jin Empire. He was very skilled in battlefield combat, but severely lacked when it came to taking cities. With the help of Muslim and Chinese Engineers, he built the Muslim Phao, a trebuchet with a range of 300 meters. With these, he easily could destroy enemy fortifications. It actually took the Mongol Empire until 1234 to take the Jin capitol, but that is because the capitol was moved right before the Mongols took it. This was then followed by the Tangut Xi Xia Dynasty, then the Yunnan dynasty, and finally, Song China in 1276. I am part of that dynasty. What I am telling you is happening right now. I can see them coming. It will be a long day.

"Mongol Invasion of China." Web. 20 Oct. 2010. http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Mongol_invasion_of_China.

 

Han Dynasty

Hey followers, its Liu Bang. It’s been a pretty sweet few years, hasn’t it? Back in 206 B.C. I stomped those stupid Qin dynasty people. Look at me now! I’m king of a nation! We got rid of that awful legalist way of doing things too, and brought in Confucianism. Then we had a huge party and created our new capital Ch'ang-an. Under my rule, the Silk Road began too. My dynasty’s going to last for probably a few hundred years. I predict around 184 AD from another peasant uprising. Whatever, that’s not for a while. I got to go, so see you guys later.
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/early_imperial_china/han.html

Buddhism comes to China

Hey bloggers, its Kumarajiva here. Another beautiful day in this 400 A.D. Anyways, today I translated yet another Buddhist text into Chinese. It’s been interesting seeing the effect Buddhism has had on China. To think, just 200 years ago Buddhism was a minority in China. An up and coming minority. Many people here in China liked the simplicity of the religion, and how it lacked real organization. I have theories of how Buddhism is going to evolve. Monasteries are going to begin to pop up, and millions will be Buddhist. It is going to split into two groups. 1 group will dwell on the unknown and mystical aspects of it, and the other group will be simple farmers and such who will worship in their own simple ways. Eventually, though, people will again become corrupt, and monasteries will no longer be spiritual. Well, I have to get back to work spreading Buddhism around to the ignorant, and helping people see the way.
"Siddhartha Gautama." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/>

The Great Wall of China

Hello, I am Chin Wan, an engineer for the great country Zhong guo (China). We have almost completed one of the most ambitious projects in the known world. After years of work, we have created a barrier between us civilized people and the barbarians to the north. It actually began a long time ago, when several independent dynasties built several smaller walls, which were eventually connected into one wall over 3,100 miles around 214 B.C.E. It took us over 300,000 slaves to do this. Watchtowers were also built 2 bow shots away from each other along the wall. Finally, it is almost done. It will last thousands of years, and show the greatness of China to the entire world.
"Great Wall of China." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/>

 

Confucius

Hey guys, another update from Confucius here. After all these years, I finally found out why my dad used to do so many things for me. Apparently, I was destined to be either a great king, or a great spiritual leader. My dad must have wanted the former. Well, after seeing the old man, the sick person, the dead person, and the monk, I decided to go the way of the spiritual leader. I escaped from my dad, and learned how to be at peace. I even went a period of time off of 6 grains of rice a day. Just recently, though, I finally decided to attain nirvana. I sat under that tree for just the longest of time. I had to go the bathroom soooo badly. Then that evil Mara kept trying to keep me from Nirvana by sending 3 ladies to seduce me. Then she tried to kill me with rocks and lava and the like, but I turned them all into flowers. Finally, she challenged me, saying I couldn’t do it. Ah, but I did. It was sweet. Well, I got to hit the road again, and keep teaching people the way of…hmm haven’t come up with a name yet. I’ll just name it after myself.
"Confucius." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/

Unification of China

Hey, Shi Huangdi here, and im pumped! I just took over all of china! You know how big that is? A lot bigger than your little hut! I saw all these poor, stupid warring states, and I thought, these guys need some direction. So to help them, I killed most of them and left the rest of them miserable and crippled from taxes. Then I took away all their former nobles power, and split the empire up into 36 sections. For some reason, most people don’t like me. All I did was make millions of them work on various structures I didn’t need. So what of most of them died, I still managed to build a wall that stretched over 5000 miles! People just don’t understand genius, though. I solved this by burning pretty much every book that didn’t have any real use, so people didn’t get any bad ideas. I made sure that when I die, I’ll be surrounded by a HUGE tomb, and a few thousand terra cotta soldiers. Well, back to the book burning, gtg.

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/early_imperial_china/qin.html

Lao Zi and Taoism

Hey bloggers, its Lao Zi here, just updating you on my day so far. Nothing new yet except for, ya know, discovering a new religon, no biggie. Had this awesome idea for a new book, which should provide good reading material for all the soldiers, seeing as its the era of warring states. All these mystics claim we're in something called 400 B.C. and someone importants gonna go down in 400 years. Its all really confusing and i dont believe a word of it. anyways, i think im onto something big here. My book's called Tao-te ching, and im trying to teach people about ying and yang, and harmony and all this good stuff. Its gonna talk about harmony in nature too, and my whole religon is literally going to mean "the way". its going to be awesome, at least until 500 A.D. when Buddhism takes over. well peace out i got work to do!
"Taoism." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/

Welcome!

Hey guys, this is my first post on this blog, and i hope it works out. When im doing a blog i will be acting as various people from the time im talking about. Welcome to the History of China!