The Knights Templar: With Dan Jones
More Interviews
•
44m
They might be more famous today for their cameos in The Da Vinci Code and Assassin’s Creed, but in real life they were an army of valiant, daring Crusaders famous for their self-discipline, who fought in the Middle Ages' most bloody battles. They were allowed no sex, no personal possessions, and no fun – but they were some of the most formidable fighters and they quickly accrued power and wealth. The order was initially set up to protect pilgrims, who would attempt to make dangerous journeys between the cities and sites of interest in the Holy Lands – journeys that required traversing paths filled with rotting bodies on either side, as the time it would take to bury fellow pilgrims would most likely result in one’s own death. The Knights were answerable only to the Pope and didn’t have to pay many taxes, which meant they quickly became financially secure and wielded great power across various countries. In this episode, Dan Snow meets the man with whom he is often confused, bestselling writer of Medieval history Dan Jones. He discusses his book 'The Knights Templar' at the Temple Church in Central London, the physical embodiment of this medieval religious order that also trained warrior monks.
Up Next in More Interviews
-
Quickfire Questions with Author Berna...
English author Bernard Cornwell, best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe, sits down with Dan Snow to answer some quickfire questions for the fans. Ever wondered if an early 19th Century infantryman could really fire three rounds a minute? Or whether Bernard plans o...
-
The Origins Of Homo Sapiens
From where did humans originate? What did the earliest humans look like? Why did homo sapiens survive while other hominin species went extinct?
In this filmed episode of The Ancients podcast, we're on location at the Natural History Museum in London as Tristan Hughes delves into a huge topic; t...
-
Dan Snow and James Holland talk D-Day
In today's very special episode of History Hit Live, Dan is joined by fellow historian and presenter James Holland. James is here to discuss the Normandy Landings in 1944, better known as D-Day.