Nigel Hillpaul ن ‘A Colourful Welshman’

Astonishing.

x.com/drsimevans/s...

List of monarchs of Iran - Wikipedia

A potted history of Persia (Iran) via Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

From the Other Place.

Monday. Again.

🤫

Happy Birthday to the patron saint of Social Media.

History can always find a precedent for dealing with a troublesome royal brother.

Another Lent. Time for fasting and reflection ahead of renewal.
Peace and love to you all.

My pleasure old chap.

cc @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social

Monday. Again.

Here’s something for the #Byzness
What were the Greek names of the seven hills of Byzantine Constantinople?
I can’t remember the source the last time I went looking for the answer.

Bliss.

The Warriors turns 47 today.

Monday. Again.

#Plans

Discuss.
digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/2334/re...

To paraphrase Enoch Powell, while all political careers end in failure, not all end in a pair of baggy whitey’s.

I am going to start using the emperor Franz Joseph's commentary formula of 'It was nice, we were quite pleased' whenever asked my views.

But even Mrs TheHillpaul tired of chintz, so off on the nearest tram to Cafe Demel, some sachertorte and Kaisershmarrn.
I’m not sure what Nom is auf Deutsch.

Brilliant Maps on X: "The Siege of Vienna 1683: The Most Epic Last-Minute Rescue in Military History? Credit: mapshistorical (YouTube) More about the battle: https://t.co/GpQfI5uAmt https://t.co/vL5yqTweiz" / X The Siege of Vienna 1683: The Most Epic Last-Minute Rescue in Military History? Credit: mapshistorical (YouTube) More about the battle: https://t.co/GpQfI5uAmt https://t.co/vL5yqTweiz

But for me, the most interesting thing is the counterfactual. If the Turks hadn’t been driven off, what was the future for Vienna? A colder version of Istanbul as it was absorbed, converted and reinvented?
(Gratia @brilliantmaps.bsky.social)

x.com/brilliantmap...

But in terms of history, if not taste, it is certainly worth the price of a tour.

Mrs TheHillpaul enjoyed Schönbrunn Palace more than I, it felt like Versailles in the snow.

And I know; relics, relics, relics, yadiya-di-ya. But the Holy Lance aka the Spear of Destiny has such a cultural depth in literature and the arts I imagined I felt a breath across the back of my neck and the hairs on my arms stand up when I saw it.

For anyone in the #Byzness the highlight of the Imperial Treasury in Vienna has to be this: the Imperial Crown of the HRE (late 10thC). Consciously modelled on the Byzantine Crown, gold, cloisonné enamel, precious stones, pearls.
It took my breath away.