Imagine being a Burgundian peasant and having to endure Viking, Arab, AND Magyar raids throughout your lifetime.

The Order of the Dragon was a monarchical chivalric order from the Holy Roman Empire. It was charged to defend the cross and fight the enemies of Christianity, primarily the Ottoman Empire.

Here is the story of these Imperial Knights and their order, a thread.🧵

Unexpected guests

Medieval Fortress of the Armenian Highlands.

For most of the region’s history these strongpoints, built to control key terrain & fertile valleys, were the focus of conflict. Great empires fought over them to control the routes to Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Persia, and the Caucasus.

Our next commission piece is here:

• Basil II Boulgaroktónos •

Emperor and Autokrat of the Romans

Never thought of that tbh

“We say ‘Istanbul’ now don’t we?”

“Do we?”

Monday again

“Whoa, that’s crazy. The Roman Empire survived until 1453? And the emperor had Viking bodyguards?

I had no idea.”

I know you Gibbonites don’t want to hear it.

But it’s true.

The rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity was not a cause of social malaise but a response to it.

The Christian East survived the collapse. The Germanic conquerors were Christians. Think!