A wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Photograph by Connor Kurtz (June 10, 2007). Public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tomb_of_the_Unknowns_crack.jpg. In ancient Rome, a festival known as the Rosalia, “the Festival of the… Read More ›

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The Curved Double-Edged Broadsword: A Failed Medieval Experiment, or Medieval Artistic Fiction?
NOTE: My gracious thanks to those who have given their input on this article and who pointed out the flaws in the first draft. The content of this article has since been modified in accordance with these critiques. Necessity is… Read More ›
The “Other” Windtalkers: The Comanche Code-Talkers of the US Army in World War II
IntroductionThanks to the 2002 movie Windtalkers starring Adam Beach and Nicolas Cage, many people have become aware of the Navajo code-talkers who served with the US Marines in the Pacific Theater against the Japanese during World War II. Numerous books… Read More ›
The First Battle of the Hundred Years’ War: The Battle of Cadzand – November 9, 1337
The Hundred Years’ War is perhaps the second-most well-known military conflict of the Middle Ages, second only to the Crusades. This epic clash between the kingdoms of England and France, which was actually a series of separate conflicts spread out… Read More ›
Ancient Rome and the Horror of H. P. Lovecraft
Manes, Lares, and Lemures. © Jason R. Abdale (August 21, 2021). Introduction Halloween is nearly upon us. As October rolls through its days and nights, inching ever-closer towards the 31st, some of us may celebrate the spooky season by indulging… Read More ›
July 19-21 – The Lucaria: The Festival of the Sacred Grove
Photo by Jason R. Abdale (June 29, 2018). Trees are wonderful – most people will agree with that. They provide oxygen for us to breathe, they remove pollution and excess carbon dioxide from the air, they give us shade on… Read More ›
The Possibly Fictitious Battle of Potentiana, 379 AD
Roman soldiers of the late antique period assemble for battle at the Musée Parc Archéologique des Temps Barbares MARLE – Aisne. Photo by Jacques Maréchal (2013). Image used with permission. Introduction In the year 379 AD, an epic battle took… Read More ›
History Lecture – “The Great Illyrian Revolt” at the Queens Public Library – January 26, 2021
Greetings everyone! On January 26, 2021, I conducted my first ever public lecture as a historian when I delivered a talk for the Queens Public Library via WEBEX concerning the Great Illyrian Revolt, a massive uprising which took place against… Read More ›
An Announcement: I’ll be giving a public lecture on ancient Roman history!
Greetings all! I am happy to report that I will be delivering my first-ever public lecture as a historian. I will be giving a talk about the Great Illyrian Revolt of 6-9 AD, one of the biggest, most consequential, and… Read More ›
January 16, 7 BC – The Day that Germany Surrendered to Rome
The date of January 16, 7 BC is important for both Roman and German history. Ten years earlier in the year 17 BC, three German tribes crossed the Rhine and raided Gaul, which was controlled by the Roman Empire. It… Read More ›