#bosworth matters

[wonder-worker]

Any judgement on (Richard III)’s reign has to be seen as provisional. The critic of the reign only has to consider how the Tudors would now be regarded if Henry VII lost at Stoke, to realize the dangers of too many assumptions about the intractability of Richard’s problems. But it would be equally unrealistic to ignore Richard’s unpopularity altogether. The fact that he generated opposition among men with little material reason for dissent, and that the disaffection then continued to spread among his own associates, says something about what contemporaries regarded as the acceptable parameters of political behaviour. There is no doubt that Richard’s deposition of his nephews was profoundly shocking. To anyone who did not accept the pre-contract story, which was probably the majority of observers, the usurpation was an act of disloyalty. Gloucester, both as uncle and protector, was bound to uphold his nephew’s interests and his failure to do so was dishonourable. Of all medieval depositions, it was the only one which, with whatever justification, could most easily be seen as an act of naked self-aggrandizement.

It was also the first pre-emptive deposition in English history. This raised enormous problems. Deposition was always a last resort, even when it could be justified by the manifest failings of a corrupt or ineffective regime. How could one sanction its use as a first resort, to remove a king who had not only not done anything wrong but had not yet done anything at all?

-Rosemary Horrox, Richard III: A Study of Service

[fideidefenswhore]

everytime a weird tory monarchist is like [X] hobby isn't manly/‘kingly’, you can remind them that henry viii did it because he probably did (he did almost everything...except fucking another man. probably.)

[hlficlibrary]

HL FIC LIBRARY ✤ AUTHOR REC

AO3: devilinmybrain

Tumblr: @thedevilinmybrain

STATS:

✤ Number of fics: 119

✤ Posting Since: 2013

TOP 5 FICS:

1️⃣ babydoll blues {E, 111k}

Louis is a high profile, filthy rich label executive who has the world at his feet - a music god.. Harry is the sugar baby trying to make a name for himself singing in shady bars and hanging off the arm of Louis' biggest rival. What Louis wants, Louis gets. But what if the game gets too hot and hits a little too close to the heart?

2️⃣ you taught me how to love (i taught you how to stop) {E, 50k}

"I was always better at hand to hand than you," Harry growls, even as he leans his weight into the blade. It's small, sharp, has a handle of gold roses.

"I don't know about that." Louis moves his arm forward, makes the presence of the barrel of the gun fit snugly to Harry's hip. "I think we just play differently."

"You going to shoot me?" Harry asks, those wild eyes tracking over Louis' face. "Do it."

"I think I've put enough scars on you," Louis answers, means it about the stretch marks still lining the sides of Harry's stomach, but it lands a little too raw. There are other scars on Harry's body that Louis blames himself for, scars inside too.

3️⃣ and i would search the night sky to find you {E, 56k}

Harry Styles is a high class, well-bred Omega attending Bosworth Academy - a prestigious boarding school looking over the small town on Kinsey. He has his whole life already planned for him, learning his place as the potential mate for an important Alpha, practicing his home making skills, and be obedient above all else.

When he attends a school trip into town though, he meets Louis Tomlinson - a blacksmith and mouthy Alpha who doesn't particularly care for the standards of high society nor for the people in it. But things are not always what they seem and a past grievance may change the lives of everyone involved forever.

4️⃣ stop the world ('cause i wanna get off with you) {E, 12k}

Five times Louis and Harry get walked in on at the worst time, and one time Louis makes sure they don't.

5️⃣ secrets don't make friends {E, 30k}

5 times Louis' crew knew too much, and the 1 time they thought they knew, but didn't really. Not at all.

HIDDEN GEM:

💎 yeah, he's a looker (but i really think it's guts that matter most) {E, 40k}

Five times Oli was asked to do something that was outside of his job description, and the one time he didn't have to be asked.

[revnah1406]

⛰️☀️ABBY MASON 🌿🍂

Name: Abigail Mason

Nickname(s): "Abby", "Abs" (only by Woods), Kid, kiddo, girl.

Date of birth: February 29th 2012

Age: 18/19 yo (2030)

Height: 1.65m/5.4 ft

Weight: 56 Kg/ 123.5 lbs

Blood Type: O+

Sexuality: Lesbian

Family:

David Mason (Father) - *Alive*

Alice Johnson (Mother) - *Deceased*

Alex Mason (Grandfather) - *Deceased*

Frank Woods (Adoptive Grandfather) - *Deceased*

Biography:

(Call of duty black ops 2 spoilers!)

Abby is the Daughter of David Mason and Alice Johnson. She was born and raised in an environment full of fun and love. She had a great childhood. But the sad thing is due to her parents job she didn't see them very recently. David in the military and Alice working in the hospital.

But she stayed the majority of her days with the one and only Frank Woods. While her parents worked she was raised by Woods, like he did with David before. She has her best memories with that old man. He taught her a lot of things and told her a lot of stories too.

She loved that old man.

She had an amazing youth until she was 13. One night while visiting Woods in The Vault. They had a strange visit. After all that happened, Menéndez appeared again. Ready to get his revenge for what Woods did years ago. The poor kid didn't know what to do but look. Until suddenly Menéndez aimed a gun at her and shot. She hit the ground holding her chest while she started to bleed out.

Woods couldn't do anything because in the blink of an eye, he got stabbed in the throat with a knife. Abby just could lay there, bleeding out, begging, screaming, witnessing how Menéndez killed the man that practically raised her.

That affected her enormously, and she never was the kid she was once.

Personality:

She was practically raised by Woods, so it's not a surprise that she got a few traits from him. She has a strong personality, not afraid to say what's in her mind, it doesn't matter if she's talking with the fucking president Bosworth herself.

It's hard to gain her trust, she's reluctant and even rude to strangers. But when it comes to friends and family she's pure joy and kindness, she leaves her mean shell aside and she jokes around (usually dark humour), laughs, giggles...

"Abs swears like a sailor but has the imagination of a five year old" - Woods.

She has a really strong bond with her family, it's everything to her, so she would and will do everything for her family.

So it's better not to mess with her but if you earn her trust she will show you that little kid inside her.

She's impatient, stubborn and badly-tempered, but she also has a great imagination and sense of humour. Everything that you can expect from a teenager.

Trivia:

Abby is left-handed

Her name was chosen by Woods, he knew that if his Friend Mason would have a daughter would name her Abigail. So in honour of his memory David and Woods named her like that.

She's Allergic to seafood

She doesn't like sweets and is a huge fan of spicy food. Although the next day she will feel as if she has been hit by a truck.

She has one of Woods' tattoos to honour his memory, although she feels a little bit shy when she has to talk about it.

She swears more than she talks. (She spent too much time with old Woods)

Loves talking and reading about space and astronomy. One of her dreams was to become an astronaut.

Wears silly socks with silly patterns.

Although she was raised by a lieutenant commander and an ex-CIA agent, she has a really anarchical mentality. She doesn't believe in rules or the government and she's not afraid to "debate" it.

OCs canon in Abby's timeline:

Aleks Clarke R. @alypink

Mila (Bell) @efingart

Craig Alan Jones @kaitaiga

Koa "Hunter" Nikau @islandtarochips

Delta (∆):

Moodboard:

Playlist:

You can read more about her here!

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Mason's Legacy

[saltygilmores]

THOUGHTS WHILE WATCHING GILMORE GIRLS: S3/EP5/8 O CLOCK AT THE OASIS (PART 3) Aka SweaterPaws, Fake Fish, The Best Okuh Ever, And Jess Mariano Is A Waterlogged Infant Kitten

Parts 1 & 2 and all other episodes can be found in my pinned post.

This scene of Rory overhearing an answering maching message from Dwight's irate wife combines two of AmyShermanPalladino favorite things: answering machines and (the voice of) Alex Borstein (Celine & Drella on GG, Suzie on Mrs Maisel. Also Lois on Family Guy). Gilmore Girls Producer: Attention, Gilmore Girls crew! It has come to my attention that our budget will not cover both Outdoor Landscaping Scenes and Fishtanks. Sacrifices will have to be made.

Finally she admits to herself that Dean is a serial killer. And casual swearing from Rory? Wow, what a delight to hear.

!!!SWEATER PAWS ALERT!!!!

What do the kids say? Unbothered. Moisturized. Flourishing? In my lane? Something like that. It's clearly a school day (since Rory is in her uniform) while it appears to be a rare day where Jess hasn't been scheduled to work in the Coffee Mines before school. Speaking of school, he's walking away from school instead of towards it and is not carrying any school supplies or a backpack. He looks happy. Just vibing in his ugly oversized clothing. Hopefully he looks up every so often so he doesn't walk face first into a lamp post.

Or that.

Blue Crush was a 2002 movie about a girl who surfs starring Kate Bosworth. Get it? Cause Rory is covered in water?

Hey. Eyes up top, Pal.

The floofy hair. The prominent draggy lip. The five o'clock shadow. Salty enjoys naming things she can see.

How many of Jess' books have been ruined with water? 2 so far. The answer is 2.

And now...ladies and Gentlemen...I present the greatest Milo Okuh Ever Okuh'D:

Get you a man who will risk soaking himself and pretend he didn't assist you with turning off a sprinkler so your boyfriend Dean won't fly into a jealous rage over it. It brings a tear to ol Salty’s eye. The episode wraps up with Lorelai attempting to end the Peyton Sanders nonsense by apologizing to Emily and taking the blame for the entire incident. Silly Lorelai, she didn't consider "What would Emily Gilmore think?" first and foremost before agreeing to go on one date with a random guy. I mean, Lorelai declining a second date with Peyton could have caused Emily to lose rank in her Tea Party Circle with Peyton's mother or some nonsense like that, according to a ridiculous story Richard just told Lorelai earlier in the episode. Let me be clear here, in case the message got a little lost- I am 100% siding with Lorelai here. She should not have to grovel like this over something so meaningless.

HOGWASH. Stop this right now Lorelai. Emily is standing just a few feet away and you're in a kitchen filled with many sharp knives and cooking implements. I'll look the other way. She even agrees to go on a second date with Peyton just to pacify Emily even though she just made it painfully clear how miserable it would make her to see this dude again. Emily is quite pleased seeing Lorelai's state of misery. Well, like I said earlier, you do only have a very small window of time before David Bowie stops performing forever, so go for it I guess. Take the tickets, then drop Hamm. Drop him like Rory dropped out of Yale. I have a final comment: Although by the end of this episode we don't see Rory at school, one would have to presume that after the sprinkler incident she either had to get on the bus and go to school sopping wet or go home and change and blowdry her hair and risk being very late to class. Either she gets reprimanded for showing up to school late or she gets reprimanded for the wet uniform and hair so she's screwed no matter what. If he didn't take an ounce of pity on Rory for her Hit By A Deer story, do you think Headmaster Charleston would buy some fantastical tale from Rory about her tardiness being due to a sprinkler, sweater paws, a neighbor with a board game fetish, and Dean the unabomber?

[thelarriefics]

TOP 10 DEVILINMYBRAIN FICS:

Tumblr: @thedevilinmybrain​

babydoll blues (111k)

Louis is a high profile, filthy rich label executive who has the world at his feet - a music god.. Harry is the sugar baby trying to make a name for himself singing in shady bars and hanging off the arm of Louis' biggest rival. What Louis wants, Louis gets. But what if the game gets too hot and hits a little too close to the heart?

the agony and the rapture (79k)

Louis thinks back to that first day, sitting in that pub with Harry, asking him about heaven. He hadn't thought much of it then, but maybe Harry's word choice had a heavy weight behind it. If Louis would see paradise when he got to heaven, what would Harry see? What is home like for him? It must be something else with the way Harry is always cowering around, fearful of the above.

“Do you think we’re worth it?” Louis asks, glancing over at Harry. “Humans? Worth all the drama?”

“Of course, you’re worth it.” Harry doesn’t pull his gaze away from the window, staring at the rendering of the angel again. It really is in his likeness. “I wouldn’t be here if I thought you weren’t.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” Louis’ tone goes soft, so very sincere. “Glad you were assigned to me.”

into that goodnight (62k)

Once upon a time, there was a boy. But not just any sort of boy. This was a clever boy, the cleverest of them all.

and i would search the night sky to find you (56k)

Harry Styles is a high class, well-bred Omega attending Bosworth Academy - a prestigious boarding school looking over the small town on Kinsey. He has his whole life already planned for him, learning his place as the potential mate for an important Alpha, practicing his home making skills, and be obedient above all else.

When he attends a school trip into town though, he meets Louis Tomlinson - a blacksmith and mouthy Alpha who doesn't particularly care for the standards of high society nor for the people in it. But things are not always what they seem and a past grievance may change the lives of everyone involved forever.

secrets don't make friends (30k)

5 times Louis' crew knew too much, and the 1 time they thought they knew, but didn't really. Not at all.

you're shooting stars from the barrel of your eyes (20k)

5 times Louis was gross hot and 1 time Harry was.

i'm a captain on a jealous sea (15k)

It’s not that Louis doesn’t like Nick. He is, if he’s being honest, kind of indifferent. Louis gets that Nick is just doing his job most of the time, being loud and prying, not having boundaries. But it’s just a little too much for Louis’ taste. Louis, who has learned over the years, when to be loud and when to know that coy is the game. But, it doesn’t matter really. He’s not required to like everyone, doesn’t have to make nice with them outside of having a camera shoved in his face. He can let Nick be Nick and it shouldn’t affect Louis at all.

Except.

What Louis actually has a problem with is the way Nick Grimshaw looks at Harry.

stop the world ('cause i wanna get off with you) (12k)

Five times Louis and Harry get walked in on at the worst time, and one time Louis makes sure they don't.

to be a better man (9k)

“I can tell how much of a good boy you think he is.” Leon’s snarl doesn’t change, the corner of his mouth lifting higher. “But he’s still calling me, not you, hm?”

“Watch your mouth.” Louis is about done with this conversation. Who the fuck talks about their own boyfriend like this? “Or are you accusing me of something?”

“Just giving you an out, lad. Like Harry would even look at you. He’s too busy crawling up my ass to notice anyone else.” Leon snarls, rolling his eyes in a dismissive shake of his head. “But if you’re so concerned, go see what he wants. Make him happy enough to leave me alone, eh? Since you’re so worried.”

I don't know if I could ever go without (5k)

Sunshine is pouring in through the bedroom window, hazy with early morning and the bitterness that is a December London. It hasn't snowed yet but there is rain in the forecast, dark clouds probably rolling in from the coast later tonight. No one will think to bother them, too caught up in their own quarantine, their own lives. It's the first time in a long time that Louis doesn't have to worry about their phones ringing or someone coming to knock on their door or flight itineraries. Right now, it's all soft and warm, sliding over white sheets and the mess of brown curls next to him.

[atruththatyoudeny]

Happy 28th! Here are all the fics I read and enjoyed this month:

And What If I Were You | jacaranda_bloom | [110k] For Louis, will losing his sight give him the clarity to realise what is right in front of him? For Harry, will losing the love of his life give him the strength to finally open his heart? And can they find their way back, before they lose each other forever? A story of love. A story of loss. A story of fighting for each other, no matter the odds.

and i would search the night sky to find you | devilinmybrain (venomedveins) | [56k] Harry Styles is a high class, well-bred Omega attending Bosworth Academy - a prestigious boarding school looking over the small town on Kinsey. He has his whole life already planned for him, learning his place as the potential mate for an important Alpha, practicing his home making skills, and be obedient above all else. When he attends a school trip into town though, he meets Louis Tomlinson - a blacksmith and mouthy Alpha who doesn't particularly care for the standards of high society nor for the people in it. But things are not always what they seem and a past grievance may change the lives of everyone involved forever.

there's no pleasure in this resisting (so go ahead and kiss me) | etherealbliss | [26k] “No, Harry, you don’t get it. Like, I can hear you.” When he notices Harry’s disbelieving expression, Louis takes a shuddering breath before continuing. “I don't know how else to explain it. I can hear every breath you take, every song you sing along to, every sweet thing you mumble when no one is around, every sigh, every gasp, every moan…” Louis rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands. “It’s like my senses are heightened to the max, but only when it comes to you.” Louis stares up at him, eyes imploring, like he’s begging Harry to understand. “I can’t fucking sleep, because all I can think about, all I can focus on… is you.” He looks away, scoffing as he shakes his head, “And I don’t even know you.” or When Louis, a gorgeous alpha, moves into the flat next door, Harry's attention is immediately piqued. However, after a misplaced noise complaint and a series of interactions with the man that inspire a litany of fantasies, Harry soon realizes his attraction goes far deeper than he had initially assumed.

Loved You First | Snowy38 | [100k] Harry has lived his life ruled by anxiety, bullied by overbearing work-mates and ridiculed for his geeky look. When a new boss starts Harry can barely look him in the eye but Louis appears to be on his side. Soon Harry develops feelings for the protective and supportive Louis but Louis tries to fight it at first. There's rumours about Louis at his last work place and his penchant for his secretaries so Harry has a right to feel insecure. Harry slowly lets his curls break free as Louis thaws him and they embark on a new beginning together. Featuring Harry styled as Marcel, Niall as Louis' best friend and Zayn as Harry's gay mentor.

Place In Me | therogueskimo | [42k] Louis really didn’t like therapy, that much was true. He had become notoriously used to keeping his emotions close to his chest, opening up to no one, keeping up the facade of someone who had their life together, and therapy was a special kind of torture. But he would much rather be sitting in therapy right now than in the studio, waiting for Harry Styles to show up. The thing was, he could have said no. Louis could have read that text that reignited the band group chat after years of silence and ignored it. He could have just said he would come and then bailed. He could have told Harry to fuck off and blocked him. But no. He’d fallen into the exact trap that he was sure Harry had set by putting the message in the group chat instead of sending it to them individually. There was no way he could refuse when Niall and Liam had been so enthusiastically on board with the idea. ____________________ One Direction reunites in 2023. Louis and Harry haven’t spoken to each other in years.

Paparazzi | Darling28 | [93k] "Oi, what happened to treat people with kindness?" Louis yells loud enough for Harry to hear from across the street. "That goes for everyone but you!" Harry calls back and while he can only see the back of him, he gives him his middle finger again. ⊷ ❤︎︎ ⊶ Louis is a successful paparazzi that the stars love. He brings out the beautiful in them and treats them kindly. But then he suddenly gets the job of photographing Harry Styles for the next few months. Not only that the two constantly get into fights, but suddenly Louis has to question his true self. Because the star makes him doubt his sexuality.

Baby Steal My Heart Away | Snowy38 | [61k] Louis headed into the hall, seeing the Moses basket right away. "Wah-wah-wahhh!" Was that... Fuck. It was. It was a baby! A loudly crying, clearly unhappy-actually properly distressed baby. It was already red in the face and-- Why was there a baby? He looked up and around, palm flattening to his forehead to push his scruffy hair away from his clammy skin, checking he wasn't being punked.

Hung Up On You | hazzahtomlinson | [12k] Louis received a dick pick from a stranger and normally, he'd be completely furious at something like that-- except, whomever it was, had a super nice dick. If only the person attached to it hadn't turned out to be a complete asshole.

[boleynqueenes]

🖊 + Elizabeth (Howard) Boleyn

The unsung hero(ine), most stalwart 'soldier' in the 'war' to make her daughter Queen (she was the moral support, and the one not afraid to get her hands dirty when it came to countering slander with intimidation or revoked favour, the one who held her daughter's face like porcelain on the barge to York Place in the wake of Wolsey's disgrace as she declared, in that intrepid, low voice, that she would sooner see the Cardinal hanged, than restored, and then waved to her future son-in law coming up the steps, smile never faltering), but she took a backseat once the new mission was to maintain Anne's influence and power as Queen, and her husband took the helm (he's more experienced in these matters, and now he has near equal rank to the glitter of her own status at birth, and he deserves the reward of that place after all he did to get Anne there), jostling elbows with Norfolk at the whipstaff.

She's not unfamiliar with reversals of fortune (her family was on the 'wrong' side of Bosworth, after all), and is always trying to dance with the shifts in fortune that come her family's way, not against them.

[racefortheironthrone]

Wasn't there also a bit of a culling by the House of York of other Lancastrian claimants such as the Marquess of Dorset and the Duke of Somerset's beheadings in 1471 or the Duke of Exeter's drowning in the English Channel in 1475 and the Duke of Buckingham's beheading in 1483? Maybe some others? Those deaths were another boosting up for Henry VIII pre-Bosworth Field?

The deaths of John and Edmund Beaufort don't fit: John was killed during the fighting at Tewksbury and Edmund two days later because they had fought for Henry VI as the Lancastrian King of England and while they were both of the House of Lancaster, they were certainly behind Henry and his son Edward of Westminster in the line of succession and were not claimants to the throne at the time of their death.

Whether Exeter was actually assassinated or just fell overboard is a matter of rumor, but again he wasn't a claimant and if he was killed it was probably because he had fought for Lancaster even after marrying Anne of York, which Edward would porbably have considered a betrayal. Buckingham wasn't a claimant either; his rebellion was on behalf of Henry Tudor.

[scotianostra]

On September 9th 1513 James IV and the "flower of Scotland's" nobility were killed in battle at Flodden Field.

Onc they crossed the border King Jame set about securing his line of supply by besieging the castles of Norham to the east and Wark to the west. Within a week he held both sites, giving him control over an 8 mile stretch of the River Tweed and the national border. Next he secured his eastern flank by taking the castles of Etal and Ford and then moved his army onto the summit of Flodden Hill. There he began to fortify the position. Evidence suggests that the Scottish army, perhaps between 60-80,000 strong including the non-combatant men, women and children who were accompanying the fighting force, spent more than a week building modern fortifications around the top of Flodden Hill, along the adjacent ridge of Flodden Edge and on to the knoll to the west known as the King’s Chair. Before his departure to France in June, Henry VIII realised the potential for just such an invasion and appointed Thomas Howard, the Earl of Surrey, Warden of the Northern Marches, leaving him with instructions to prepare defences against the threat that James IV posed. In 1513 Surrey was 70 years old, a skilled and longstanding soldier whose experience went back beyond the Battle of Bosworth of 1485, where he had fought for Richard III against Henry VIII’s father, Henry Tudor (thereafter Henry VII). Surrey turned this experience to good use and as early as July was making arrangements, including the stockpiling of grain to feed any army he may have to raise. Once word of the Scottish invasion reached him, Surrey ordered an army to muster in Newcastle by 1st September 1513. At this time his main fear seems to have been that the Scots would slip away across the Tweed before he had a chance to engage them in battle. In an attempt to avoid this he wrote to James IV in early September asking him to engage in a contract to fight a battle, which would take place near Milfield no later than 9th September.

While contracting a battle is a very strange concept in modern diplomacy and politics, during the early 16th Century, at the very end of the medieval age, it was a matter of chivalry and there is no doubt that James would as a matter of honour, in his own mind at least, have had no option but to fulfil the contract once it was agreed. James IV seems to have put the time he spent waiting for the English army to good use. RWhen the Earl of Surrey finally arrived in Wooler on the evening of 6th September he again sent communications to James IV, this time informing him that he had no intention of assaulting his prepared positions on Flodden Hill (a sure indication of the strength of the fortification) and asking that James come forth onto the plain and give battle as had been agreed. When Surrey’s herald arrived at the Scottish camp, James refused to meet him and instead sent word that he would not be dictated to by a ‘mere Earl’. While there is no record of exactly how that particular Earl reacted to this slight, his actions over the following 48 hours give us some sense of his mood., he sought a means by which to gain the best advantage over the Scots’ fortifications on Flodden Hill. To do this he decided to try and outflank the position and effectively place himself between James and Scotland, severing his lines of supply and blocking the line of any potential retreat. During September 8th he marched his army from Wooler Haugh to Barmoor the traditional camping ground of English Armies for over 500 years. There the army presumably spent a miserable and cold night in what are said to have been damp rainy conditions, before being roused early to continue their march. On the morning of 9th September the English fighting contingent (between 20-25,000 men) marched away from Barmoor to the north and west, leaving their baggage train and non-combatant followers in the camp established the night before. The Earl of Surrey’s son, the Lord Admiral, also called Thomas Howard, is said to have led the vanguard including all of the heavy equipment (artillery and supporting wagons). Regardless of this historical uncertainty, James IV’s forces on Flodden Hill woke on the morning of the 9th to effectively find themselves outflanked and with their supply and communications routes back to the Scottish border either cut or close to being so. While there are no contemporary written accounts of the decisions taken on Flodden Hill that morning it is reasonable to assume the order was rapidly given for the army to prepare to move out of their fortified positions, with the fighting force of perhaps 30,000 men leading the way and the heavier Scottish guns following on as soon as they could be moved. What is far from certain is the intention of James IV during this movement. Historians and archaeologists alike agree that he may have either been seeking to retreat hoping to slip past the English vanguard before they completely cut his line of retreat, or that he may have been turning to face his enemy, seeking the most advantageous ground so that he could fight. Regardless of his intent, fighting was the result. The move from Flodden Hill to Branxton Hill, no more than 2 miles, left James’ army facing that of the Earl of Surrey arrayed across the lower ground.

The manoeuvring and forming up of the two armies took until the late afternoon, but once the engagement commenced the outcome was settled in about three hours. It is said that between 1000 and 4000 English solders were casualties and that between 7,000 and 11,000 Scots also lay dead, including King James and most of his important nobles present on the field. Note, other sources give Scots losses at anything up to 17,000. However the events of the late afternoon of 9th September 1513 were not the end of the story. In the hours that followed the battle itself, the Scottish army was effectively in rout, retreating in total disarray towards the Tweed at Coldstream and possibly west along the Bowmont Water towards Yetholm. These men would have been hunted all the way to the border by English detachments. To add to the slaughter, it is said that a force of at least 500 French mercenaries, who had fought on the Scottish side, were killed by the retreating Scots.

The English now also set about destroying and looting the non-combatant parts of the Scots force, raiding Flodden Hill and taking or burning anything of value, attacking the Scottish wagon train (a group of perhaps 25,000 - 40,000 people) with untold consequences for those civilians who had followed the fighting men south and who were now effectively caught on the wrong side of the English lines.

Although the rout and subsequent plundering and attacks on the two camps would have been intensive and bloody, it seems the mopping up of the remaining Scottish forces was relatively short lived. Within a week Surrey dismissed the vast majority of his army, an essential move at the time so he could avoid paying their wages for a period longer than was absolutely necessary. In Edinburgh, however, the expectation was obvious - that Surrey would continue northwards to claim the city. The construction of the Flodden Wall around the city limits was begun immediately., I covered Edinburgh's walls a few months ago.

[wonder-worker]

“Although (Elizabeth of York) was presented as the ultimate Tudor trophy wife, her position and popularity were potential threats to her husband’s authority.” - Lauren Rose Browne

*sigh*

When are we going to move past this dismissive, simplistic and frankly rather problematic image of Elizabeth of York? Derek Neal encapsulates what exactly is so troubling about it far better than I could, which I'm quoting below:

“The first Tudor consort is mainly remembered as a dynastic symbol, one element of an equation: York plus Tudor equals peace. In this interpretation, handed down to us by the Tudor chroniclers via Shakespeare, Elizabeth accomplished her most important work, if not without lifting a finger, merely by proffering a finger for a wedding ring.”

We need to stop defining Elizabeth of York by the basic purpose of her marriage and queenship and begin understanding her through the actual practice of her queenship.*

Because the fact of the matter is, Elizabeth of York was a tremendously successful queen. She was an able intercessor, an active administrator of her lands, and a patroness in her own right. We have evidence that Henry listened to her on matters that people often assume he acted alone or only through his mother's advice. She contributed culturally to the court, including festivities and building projects, and played an active and positive role in queenly diplomacy, including but not limited to her involvement in her sisters’ and children’s marriages, her correspondence with the Pope and foreign rulers, and receiving important ambassadors in her husband’s absence**. She may have some discreet influence in some appointments in the Crown Prince's household. In short, Elizabeth of York excelled in spheres of queenship that were both conventional and powerful, because the two could and did co-exist, because medieval queenship was inherently political and the lines between public and private were blurred to the point of non-existence for queens just as they were for kings. As we can clearly see, Elizabeth was not presented as a “trophy wife” any more than literally any queen consort before or after her; she was, in fact, an evidently active and influential queen who greatly inspired both her daughter and her daughter-in-law's queenships respectively.

Furthermore, Elizabeth of York’s position was not a "threat" to her husband. Why would it be? As J.L. Laynesmith (whose reading of Elizabeth I don't agree with either) says, "Identification with Elizabeth of York's kin aided Henry VII in gaining an entire kingdom." The Croyland Chronicle, a contemporary source, likewise emphasizes her importance in cementing Henry VII's position: in Elizabeth "there could be found whatever appeared to be missing in the king's title elsewhere." Elizabeth of York's position, in fact, bolstered Henry VII's kingship, and this extended far beyond his marriage to her. We must remember that while Henry Tudor was Lancastrian in blood and allegiance, his fight for the throne was very much as a Yorkist claimant - specifically, a claimant for Edwardian Yorkists against Richard III's rule (The events of 1483 were a violent conflict within the Yorkist dynasty, not an external threat against the Yorkist dynasty). You could argue that Henry VII's road to the throne was, effectively, as Edward IV's symbolic heir rather than Henry VI's (who was quite irrelevent to the current conflict, tbh): Henry Tudor was the prospective husband of the Yorkist heiress and the 'avenger' of the dead Yorkist Princes. This was the widely recognized interpretation of contemporaries like Croyland and William Caxton*** and was also how he gained the majority of his new support in England which (without discounting his own initiative, actions and clear competence) were essential to both make him a credible threat and ultimately win Bosworth. He relied on several of her father's former councilors as well, ensuring a great deal of continuity between their reigns. In this context, Elizabeth of York's "position" as the Yorkist heiress, cemented by her formal proclamation as Duchess of York, was not a disadvantage to Henry VII but an indispensable advantage to him. Elizabeth herself was aware of this and played an important role in image politics for the new Tudor dynasty: "Her role as a daughter of the house of York was a major aspect of her identity. Whereas her mother and Margaret of Anjou had adopted emblems personal to them...Elizabeth of York used her father's white rose. Other Yorkist emblems such as the sun in splendour and the falcon and fetterlock were also used in Tudor iconography." As you can see, Elizabeth's contribution went far beyond merely standing at Henry's side with a wedding ring; she was actively involved in cementing the image of the Tudor dynasty in her own right, and was equally invested in doing so. In short: Elizabeth of York's "position" was not a threat to her husband’s rule; it was vital to her husband’s rule. In fact, her unique position was so important that, even years later, post-contemporary Tudor depictions gave her a uniquely equal footing to her husband: for example, in the first pageant of the coronation procession for her granddaughter Elizabeth I, Elizabeth of York was depicted as "a stabilising and legitimising force of the dynasty, and, incredibly, as the equal to her husband" - as Lauren Rose Browne herself writes.

You cannot claim that Henry VII needed Elizabeth of York to bolster his kingship and also claim that he shunted her aside because her position was a threat to his kingship. You cannot claim that Henry VII used Elizabeth of York’s Yorkist heritage to his benefit but also claim that he tried to avoid any implication of her royal inheritance. Those are fundamentally contradictory and make very little sense. You're trying to have your cake and eat it too.

Even more baffling is the idea that Elizabeth of York's "popularity" would have somehow been a threat to her husband's authority. She and Henry lived in a world where queens were meant to embody "the feminine element necessary to legitimate sovereignty", to perform their role as Marian-like intercessors on behalf of their subjects, to engage in appropriate charity and almsgiving, and to provide "models of womanhood for the realms' female subjects"****. If Elizabeth of York was "popular" due to the reaction of crowds gathered to watch her coronation, or because of the gifts she was frequently given by her subjects, or because she was hailed as the "most gracious and best beloved Princesses in the world" after her death, her popularity means that Elizabeth was successful as queen and is an indication of how much her queenship supported and endorsed Henry VII's kingship. A popular queen benefitted the King, not the other way around.*****

(What's especially funny about this traditional interpretation is that the only actual way Elizabeth of York's position and popularity could potentially worry Henry and become a genuine "threat" to his authority is if Elizabeth herself was actively opposed to Henry and was using them against him to undermine his rule (for whatever hypothetical reason). Which would automatically indicate agency on her part and ALSO end up contradicting the "trophy wife" image. So....?)

Enough with the traditional patronizing dismissal of Elizabeth of York. Give her the credit she's due.

*What's particularly silly about hyper-focusing on the point/purpose of Elizabeth of York's marriage (a political alliance and dynastic unification) is that fundamentally, its purpose was ultimately no different from the vast majority of other English royal marriage since the Norman conquest (sans, say, her parents'). Most of them were politically arranged and/or politically motivated, just like Henry and Elizabeth's. It would be ridiculous to judge Isabella of France or Philippa of Hainault's lives and queenships solely based on how politically important their marriages were, right? They obviously had an impact apart from that and beyond that. What exactly is different about Elizabeth of York? Admittedly, her and Henry's situation wasn't exactly the same: he needed her as a potential bride to cement his position as a threat to Richard III and as a King of England; and an English princess becoming an English queen consort was unprecedented at that juncture. But ultimately, there's no reason for why Elizabeth of York's entire life and queenship should be defined and decided on the basis of how and why she married Henry VII. She lived for almost two decades after that. It's more than a little frustrating.

**From what I can make out, so much more evidence has luckily survived for Elizabeth of York's diplomatic activities compared to many of her predecessors, and with far more details. I would literally kill to get similarly detailed evidence for Elizabeth Woodville. So it's certainly strange when Elizabeth of York's role in diplomacy is not emphasized more when it comes to her queenship - especially because it is, ultimately, an expected element of queenship which queens were traditionally meant to excel at. My guess is that it's not highlighted as much because it actually gives Elizabeth agency, which historians often refuse to do.

***Edward IV definitely wasn't the first or only one to claim the red dragon (it was used for/used by many others, and some poets used it for Henry himself in the early 1460s). However, at that point in time in England specifically, it would have very much been Edward IV who was most commonly and universally associated with it; after all, he was the one who won the throne and ruled for more than two decades. Its association with Edward IV is also what would have been the most familiar to Caxton, who established himself in England only in the 1470s, and who was a supporter of Edward IV's family (aka: the Woodvilles) during that time. His support of Henry (who he did not know) during this time would have been through that context as well, rather than loyalty to Henry in his own right.

****Obviously, we can recognize how problematic such inherently gendered expectations are now, but contextualization is important.

*****Elizabeth of York's popularity as queen, at least in the beginning, may have been partly due to the fact that she was English princess who grew up in the public eye, was the daughter of a fairly well-liked king, and the fact that her marriage played a vital role in "uniting" the two rival dynasties. So her circumstances probably played a role in her popularity as well. But we shouldn't discount Elizabeth's own affability and charm, nor her evident generosity, nor the fact that however this popularity emerged, it was Elizabeth who maintained it, and it ultimately signified the success of Elizabeth's queenship and bolstered her husband's kingship.

Sources:

Lauren Rose Browne, "Elizabeth of York: Tudor Trophy Wife", "Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty

Derek Neal, "The Queen's Grace: English Queenship 1464-1503"

J.L. Laynesmith, "The Last Medieval Queens: English Queenship 1545-1503"

Retha M. Warnicke, "Elizabeth of York and her six daughters-in-law: Fashioning Tudor Queenship

[catt-nuevenor]

Deórling

No funny w's to confuse matters this time round. You might already be able to guess the meaning of this word from trying to sound it out, though it may also surprise you to find its origins in the Old English language.

As with all compounds, let's break it down:

There are, unfortunately, a few competing spellings at work here. I'll start with the one I used for the title.

Deór - animal, beast (usually wild) or deer, reindeer or brave, bold or heavy, severe, violent

Deóre - expensive, precious, costly, valuable or dear, cherished, beloved or worthy, respected, noble, glorious

Bit mixed there. Let's try an alternate spelling:

Dýrling

Dýre - dear, beloved or dear of price, costly

Interestingly, in one of my dictionaries (full details of them at the end of the post) dýre is treated as a simple alternate to deór (not deóre) with no alternate definition.

The spellings dér-, diór- and déor- also pop up, but they are considered a bi-product of a lack of standardised spelling and regional dialect.

Right, now let's look at -ling:

-ling - ...

We're going a little off piece here as the dictionaries give quite academic answers and examples that might not translate to tumblr well. Basically, -ling is a suffix, or an ending you stick on a pre-existing word to change its meaning, that typically denotes something smaller, lesser, lower in a social or professional hierarchy, younger, or subordinate.

For example:

Eorþling (Ýrðling) - husbandman (horses), farmer, farm labourer, ploughman

Eorþe (Ýrð) - ground, land, earth, globe, world or ploughing, tilling or arable land or standing corn, crop, produce

Literally Earthling

Hæftling - prisoner, captive

Hæfte - bond, fetter or captive, slave, servant or bondage, imprisonment, affliction

There are many other examples, but I think that's enough for our purposes.

So, what does all that mean for Deórling?

There are typically, but not always, two ways to look at translations; context meaning, and literal meaning. Context and interpretation relies on how it is used in a sentence and wider piece, poetry and its translation often falls the most foul of this. Here, new words are made from compounds rarely if ever found in alternate source material. Take two separate words and push them together to give an enforced or sometimes more nuanced meaning. This type of compound is called a kenning. This tends to be the translation you find in glosses and dictionaries, and to quote one of my go-to books on the Old English language:

The best glossaries will give you both a literal of a kenning and an interpretation of it... But you must be on your guard, for some glossaries supply only an interpretation. To do so, of course, is to rob poetry of much of what makes it poetry. If you suspect that the definition of a compound is not literal but rather an interpretation, got to a dictionary and look up its elements separately.

P S Baker. Introduction to Old English. Third Edition

I always try and break compounds down into their component elements regardless of context, my archaeology background still haunting me into digging deeper.

Finally, after all that, we get back to our word.

Interpretive meaning:

Deórling - darling, favourite or minion or household god

Literal meaning:

Deórling - little beast, brave little one, fierce little one, beloved little one, cherished little one, dear little one, etc

I hope that proved interesting!

P.S. By the by, I've tried looking into what is meant by 'household god' from the Clark-Hall's dictionary, but unfortunately the entry is devoid of details and I've yet to find the context from which that definition hails. I'll put up another post if I find anything.

---

Dictionaries used: Bosworth and Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary online. A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary by J.R. Clark-Hall. Old-English Translator by Blue Engine Web Development

[hlficlibrary]

any new really good angst?

Hmm...okay, so these are new(er) like within the last year that I loved and then I'll give you a few more that are on my to read list that are newer and by two of my favorite writers.

another dream but always you by you_explode / @nobodymoves

Harry is a Dreamwalker; he has the ability to visit people in their dreams and help put them on the right path. He's assigned to Louis, who's struggling after the break-up of his band. It's an unusual assignment from the beginning; Harry has a crush on Louis, and Louis's subconscious immediately decides Harry is the love of his life. When Dreamers cast Harry as their love interest, he can usually redirect them, but Louis is insistent on being Harry's boyfriend, and despite knowing they have no future, Harry wants to keep up the charade.

and i would search the night sky to find you by devilinmybrain / @thedevilinmybrain

Harry Styles is a high class, well-bred Omega attending Bosworth Academy - a prestigious boarding school looking over the small town on Kinsey. He has his whole life already planned for him, learning his place as the potential mate for an important Alpha, practicing his home making skills, and be obedient above all else.

When he attends a school trip into town though, he meets Louis Tomlinson - a blacksmith and mouthy Alpha who doesn't particularly care for the standards of high society nor for the people in it. But things are not always what they seem and a past grievance may change the lives of everyone involved forever.

your memory over me by @shimmeringevil

Three years have passed since Louis last saw him, but all it took was a few minutes in Harry’s presence for him to be relegated to the desperate twenty-one year old that was practically begging his boyfriend for an ounce of reassurance that he still cared about him.

Harry shouldn’t be here. He’s brought too many unresolved feelings with him, that Louis thought he’d never have to face.

It’s Harry’s apparent apathy that’s the most difficult to come to terms with. Anger, he could handle. Regret, he would welcome. But Harry’s amiability, and carefree demeanor can only be born from indifference.

He’s moved on. He doesn’t care. And that is something Louis doesn’t think he’ll ever be strong enough to face.

OR - The worst heartbreak of Louis’ life walks right back into it when his parents invite their family friends on an all-expenses-paid trip for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Facing a past that he tried to bury long ago, Louis learns that some people have a way of sticking with you even when they’re gone.

TO READ:

Get Out Of My Head (and I'll get out of yours) by Imogenlee

“You really that desperate, are you?” Despite it being a shitty thing to say, Harry didn’t mind too much, as the bitterness in Louis’ tone sounded like music to Harry’s ears. Harry was winning tonight. “Can’t find anyone new to be interested in you, so you try to hit on Zayn.”

“I can’t find someone interested in me?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re having a laugh, mate.”

“Yeah, well, where are they, then? Because from what I’ve heard, you’re here alone.”

“As if I’d bring anyone to somewhere I knew you’d be. I wouldn’t wish your presence on my worst enemy.”

“Aw,” Louis cooed in a way that made Harry want to slap him. “You’re saying I’m not your worst enemy?”

“For someone to be an enemy, you have to give a shit about them. So, no. You’re not even on the list.”

“Oh–kay. Well, it’s been lovely as always, gents,” Zayn said before knocking back the rest of his drink.

Or the one for the Bottom Harry Fic Fest where Harry bottoming is more of a side plot, because angst got in the way--but it doesn't really matter because the fest stopped existing when I was halfthrough.

with venom on your tongue by wildestdreams

While Louis had to try so hard to stay focused and be the best, Harry somehow did the same things with ease and confidence. He hated how Harry glided through life, carrying happiness on his shoulders like it was nothing when it was arduous for Louis. His carefree demeanor made Louis feel crazy.

But that feeling just motivated him to always keep his eyes on the prize. Number one in the class rankings every year and the valedictorian spot the next year when they graduated. He was so close he could taste it. And if the only thing in his way was Harry Styles, then Louis was willing to up the stakes to figure out what made him weak just to beat him.

“Whatever,” Louis eventually said to Liam. “He’s a fucking cliche.”

or a boarding school AU where Harry and Louis are academic rivals until they realize they’re more similar than they thought.

[blackboar]

Did the large-scale rebellion of the York Party during the reign of henry vii mean that the desire to unite the two forces through marriage with Elizabeth of York failed?

Good question. My personal opinion is that the marriage between Elizabeth of York and Henry VII wasn't meant to unite anything because there was nothing to unite.

The Lancastrian faction was dead for a long time when Henry VII became king. Sure, it allowed the rehabilitation of some diehard Lancastrian opponents like Jasper Tudor and John de Vere, but those were a few individuals. The rest was already integrated into Yorkist England.

Henry VII was the chosen figurehead of anyone opposed to Richard III and loyal to Edward IV's children. Elizabeth of York was the heiress for those people, but as a woman, people were reluctant to let her rule. Just so you know, no queen ruled in her own right in England until 1553; in 1553, every contender for the throne was a woman.

So those people wanted someone to champion Elizabeth's claim, restore her and vindicate Edward V. As an exile with little enmity in England, royal blood, connection with French and Briton courts and influential family connections (the Wells, Stanleys, etc...), Henry Tudor was a perfect pick sold by his mother. His Lancastrian background mattered for his prestige, but he wasn't heading any faction, it just granted him loose useful connections due to family ties and the ability to wink at some Lancastrian nostalgist like Oxford.

His victory at Bosworth is the victory of one Yorkist faction against another. Lovell, Lincoln or Margaret of York either outright supported Edward V's deposal or tacitly let it happen. They don't care about his sister and it's sure isn't any sort of reconciliation for them considering they opposed her future husband on the battlefield. The battle of Stoke isn't a failure of unifying anything, just the end of a third war of the Roses between Edwardian and Ricardian Yorkists.

However, Perkin Warbeck do indicate less a failure from the Tudor-York instalment than his frailty. This challenge was partly a split inside the Edwardian faction between those who believed he was Richard and those who didn't or who had a stronger loyalty toward Henry VII. I says frailty because there wasn't much large-scale uprising here. The strongest sign of a split was the Household plot and it was discovered before it came into fruition. The Cornish rebels rosed for reasons unrelated to royal succession and allied to Perkin in desperation. Eventually, the Tudor settlement remained broadly strong although it was served by chance.

Thanks for the question!

[battlephase]

The Duelists of the Roses Character Profiles - Yorkists/The Whites Name: Christian ‘Seto’ Rosenkreuz  Deck Leader: Blue-Eyes White Dragon Location: Stonehenge, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “You’re here much sooner than I expected. I knew that Crawford would turn on us one day. But I didn’t expect the tide of battle to turn so soon. Actually, Crawford’s betrayal and the fall of the Yorkists matter not to me. All I hoped from this tiresome struggle was to find an opponent worthy of my attention! When I knew you’d been summoned I chose to wait. Each time a member of my Rose Crusaders fell before you I shivered in anticipation. Once you beat the final member I knew you were ready to face me! Long have I starved to best a duelist equal in power to me, hungered to best such an opponent in battle! You wish to have my Rose Card? Then take it from me! Face me in battle, Duelist!” Player Win Dialogue: “Well done, Duelist. I may have lost, but my heart sings with the joy of having faced you in battle.” Name: Weevil Underwood Deck Leader: Basic Insect Location: Chester, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “Hehehe. So, you’re the legendary Rose Duelist. Prepare to face the wrath of my Insect deck!” Player Win Dialogue: “Nooo! I lost! This can’t be happening!”

Name: Rex Raptor Deck Leader: Two-Headed King Rex Location: Tewkesbury, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “The Rose Duelist, eh? I’m not impressed. In fact, I’ll crush you to a pulp with my Dinosaur deck!” Player Win Dialogue: “What?! Me!? Lose?! I don’t believe it!” Name: Necromancer Deck Leader: Pumpking the King of Ghosts Location: Exeter, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “Oooh, my Zombie deck hungers for a taste of you.” Player Win Dialogue: “Argh! You’d be a fool if you think you’ve seen the last of me!” Name: Darkness Ruler Deck Leader: King of Yamimakai Location: St. Albans, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “You dare challenge the Dark deck of the Darkness Ruler?! Rose Duelist or not, you don’t stand a chance!” Player Win Dialogue: “No! How can it be? How could I lose!?” Name: Keith Deck Leader: Slot Machine Location: Towton, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “So, you’ve managed to beat a few minor duelists. Well let’s see how you fare against my Machine deck!” Player Win Dialogue: “I can’t believe you actually beat me! Me! The ‘Card Professor’ of the Rose Crusaders!” Name: Labyrinth Ruler Deck Leader: Monster Tamer Location: Newcastle, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “What brings you to this northernmost region? Lost? If you want some directions, you’ll have to beat me first!” Player Win Dialogue: “Unbelievable! You’ve won yourself a light to guide you out of this labyrinth!” Name: Lord Pegasus Crawford (Thomas Stanley) Deck Leader: Illusionist Faceless Mage Location: Lancashire, England Notes: Has a son that is being held hostage by Richard Slysheen (Richard III). Pre-Duel Dialogue: “Wow! So you’re the famed Rose Duelist! I am Pegasus Crawford, the Champion of the Northlands, the noblest of Yorkists, and master of the Rose Crusaders. I am also known to some as Thomas Stanley, or Lord Stanley to my friends. Seto has told me much about you, dear Duelist. Seto has taught me a thing or two about dueling. So, come on! Let’s duel!” Player Win Dialogue: “You must be joking! Me? Lose? Never! Oh dear... You might be stronger than Seto... I really enjoyed that! I’ve learned a lot from you. In fact, you’ve done wonders for my game! Oh, by the way: I’m afraid I don’t have any Rose Cards. Sorry.” Name: Ishtar Deck Leader: Witch of the Black Forest Location: Isle of Man, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “Amazing. I never thought you would reach the point where you could challenge me. Too bad that it all has to end here...” Player Win Dialogue: “I’m not surprised, you know. I knew I was destined for defeat. I can live with that.” Name: Richard Slysheen of York (Richard III) Deck Leader: Battle Steer Location: Bosworth, England Pre-Duel Dialogue: “I see you’ve got Rose Cards! You must be one of Lord Crawford’s Rose Crusaders. Your timing couldn’t be better! When I heard Yugi had landed, I rushed my troops to the front. However, I arrived much too early. It will be some time before Lord Crawford and his men arrive. In the meantime, why don’t we play a duel or two. I learned a trick or two from Seto that I’d like to try out. It’s not every day that you have the great opportunity to play the great King Richard III of England! How about it?” Player Win Dialogue: “Drat! I lost!”

[jeannereames]

Good morning Dr. Reames I wanted to ask you, what do you think that Christian Cameron compared Alexandros with Hitler, do you think it is a fair comparison? That is, there will be traits that all leaders must share to motivate a large number of people to follow them and come to power, but is it really true that Alexandros was the Hitler of his time?

First, let me say that Chris Cameron and I share some mutual author friends, so I know him “adjacent,” but we have never had a conversation. Let me also say that while I’m not a fan of his God of War novel about Alexander, I assume he’d equally dislike Dancing with the Lion (assuming he’s even read it). Authors are allowed to have different visions.

So, that stated, I had some pretty serious issues with God of War (GoW), in terms of both his reading of Alexander as well as his historiography. In GoW, he Mary-Sued Ptolemy at the expense of Alexander (and Hephaistion and Olympias, for that matter). Compare his “can do no wrong” Ptolemy (which seems to swallow Arrian’s history whole-hog) with Kate Elliott’s Persephone/Ptolemy in the Sun Chronicles…a much more nuanced portrayal, where—surprise!—Persephone/Ptolemy *lies* when it suits her…like the historical Ptolemy, who was establishing a dynasty, so he carefully curated his history. Basically, Cameron’s historiography is problematic as it doesn’t show much awareness of the tropes and themes present in ancient literature, and doesn’t properly “interrogate” the ancient sources for bias.

GoW is a very “het” novel although I don’t think he considers himself homophobic. Nonetheless, parts of GoW read as homophobic, and misogynistic too. Or it may just be that his sifting of the sources isn’t, IMO, nuanced enough to recognize the misogyny in the ancient sources. I doubt he likes (or perhaps has not even read) Beth Carney on Olympias. And I’m sorry, but calling a character presented as primarily homosexual (Hephaistion) a “bitch queen” can’t be anything BUT homophobic, unless there’s a counterbalance gay character somewhere in the (800-page) text, and there’s not. Having a gay character in another novel elsewhere really doesn’t count (and that gay character has other moral issues).

He has a military history audience, and he doesn’t dare alienate them. I’m not convinced he fully gets the problems in what he’s written for LGBTQ representation OR misogyny OR complex historiography generally.

As for ATG as Hitler, there are OH, so many problems with that. He’s read a little too much Ian Worthington and Peter Green (and Brian Bosworth and Ernst Badian, maybe), then taken it further. ATG was not the ancient Hitler. That doesn’t mean he was necessarily a good guy, or that conquest should be elevated in the modern world. But just as Cameron doesn’t seem aware of the various tropes in ancient sources and their impact on historiography, he also doesn’t seem to understand how to analyze ancient expectations.

There is, IMO, a middle road between simply condemning Alexander on modern grounds, versus undue elevation of Alexander and the “conquest narrative” found throughout the ancient world. Basically, Alexander pursued what he grew up to understand as a noble aspiration. Virtually nobody in HIS world would have critiqued that, only how he went about achieving it. That doesn’t mean we can’t critique it, but critiques that expect ancient people to think like moderns hitch on anachronism.

This is something I think Classics/ancient history generally is struggling with at present. How do we avoid making conquest into a thing to emulate, versus applying modern moral standards to ancient people?