It’s AD652, and after surviving dark intrigues at the Frankish royal court, Beobrand is finally able to undertake the mission his queen set him: to escort a party of pilgrims to the holy city of Rome. Yet Beobrand’s life is never easy. His party includes a scheming churchman whose ambition is boundless, and a mysterious […]
Shadows of the Slain by Matthew Harffy
AD652, and after surviving dark intrigues at the Merovingian court of Frankia, Beobrand is finally able to undertake the mission his queen set him: to escort a party of pilgrims to the holy city of Rome. But Beobrand’s life is never easy. His party includes a scheming novice churchman whose ambition is boundless, and a […]
Early medieval Rome: the changing face of the Eternal City
By the 7th century, the ‘grandeur that was Rome’ had faded, thanks to wars, sackings and plagues. Power had shifted eastwards. Yet the lure of the Eternal City drew pilgrims and tourists along an ancient route, says Matthew Harffy, author of Shadows of the Slain. He describes early medieval Rome for Historia. Shadows of the […]