The Medieval Python

From ancient times, China's remote and exotic South—a shifting and expanding region beyond the Yangtze River—has been an enduring theme in Chinese literature. For poets and scholar-officials in mediev

This volume is a collection of papers presented at the academic conference "Politics and Religion in Ancient and Medieval Europe and Asia" organized by the Department of History and New Asia College o

High Gothic: Christian Art & Iconography of the 13th–14th Century showcases classic examples of statuary, stained glass, diptychs, textiles and caskets that were used in the expression of Christian devotion in Western Europe.‘Gothic’ was originally a derogatory term coined by scholars during the Renaissance to describe the ‘barbaric’ medieval architecture that arose with the decline of the classical forms of the Roman Empire. The word is now understood to describe a style of buildings and objects created between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries which incorporate elements such as novel advances in masonry work and the characteristic ogival arch.The Gothic period saw an increased emphasis on the power of images, where vision became an active force for activating emotion and inspiring contemplation. The great cathedrals constructed in this period―with their thin walls and high vaults filled with statuary and stained-glass windows―were designed to evoke awe among visitors. The exqui

高駢（822–887）不單是中古時期河內（交趾）要塞的建造者，亦於唐代邊境地區建立了大規模防禦及交通建設，是中越兩地於軍事、政治、思想史上傑出的人物。他一方面是具有感召力的軍事、政治領袖；同時好學而好奇，對道教尤其耽味，好玄秘之術；另一方面更是有才情的詩人。高駢在加速唐朝滅亡和越南自主政權的建立中，均擔任關鍵的角色，這使後世對高駢的評價褒貶並存；甚至在生時已被奉為神明。另高駢於其幕府內亦網羅了一些卓越的文人，這亦有助提升其名望。高駢晚年於淮南割據一方；後來唐亡而五代興──這亦正是自安史之亂以後藩鎮割據局面的頂峰。Gao Pian (822–887), the architect of the medieval citadel of Hanoi and of large-scale defensive and communication works in several frontier regions of China, is a towering figure in the military, political, and intellectual history of both countries. A charismatic governor and commander, inclined to the occult arts of strategy, he was a man of wide learning and curiosity, with a strong attraction to Daoism, as well as a talented poet. In turn reviled and revered, for his pivotal roles in hastening both the end of the Tang and the emergence of Vietnam, Gao Pian became the object of local cults in his own lifetime. The presence of prominent literati on his staff contributed to this renown. At the end of his career, Gao laid the found

Democracy literally means "rule by the people" in ancient Greek. The modern concept of democratic government sprang from ideas and institutions in medieval Europe as related to divine and natural righ