History Writing

Anselm is one of the greatest philosophers of the medieval period, and his ontological argument for the existence of God stands as “the only general, non-technical philosophical argument discovered in the Middle Ages which has survived to excite the interest of philosophers who have no other interest in the period” (Southern, 1992). But what was Anselm saying, and was his argument convincing? Read on to discover the presentation and history of this most fascinating and enigmatic piece of philosophy.

Maglocunus is one of the best-attested dark age British monarchs, but also one of the most controversial. To some, he was an arrogant and tyrannical ruler, who seized power violently and whose reign was marked by war and household strife; to others, he was a benefactor of the Church and a generous patron of the arts. In this article we look at the various ways in which this contradictory character was remembered in later British tradition.

This article was published in the spring 2018 edition of The Byzantinist, and a modified version was presented as a paper at the Oxford University Byzantine Society’s 2018 annual conference.