John II Komnenos was one of, if not the greatest of the Komnenian emperors to rule the Roman Empire. Throughout his quarter of a century...

In the early years of the reign of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses III (c.1186-1155BC), a storm broke on the coastline of the eastern...

A (hopefully) fun and accessible portal into Ancient History, with some academic and 'real world' insights. Episode 2: Attempting to lay...

A (hopefully) fun and accessible portal into Ancient History, with some academic and 'real world' insights. Episode 1: The hosts...

(originally posted 5/3/16; https://classicalassociationni.wordpress.com/2016/03/05/game-of-thrones-and-ancient-history-ia-a-golden-crown/) While in a setting with knights, tournaments and castles has a distinctly medieval flavour, it is evident that the creator of A Song of Ice and Fire, upon which the TV show Game of Thrones was based, George R.R. Martin is also well versed in and influenced by the history of the ancient world. In S01E06 "A Golden Crown," Viserys Targaryen,

A black dwarf in the rings of power during the mid-fifth century...