by Will Durant
Valois dynasty, 696
Vandals, 4, 22, 28, 37-38, 48, 73, 74, 95, 107, 109, 450, 453, 510, 579, 605
Varangians (Vaeringjar), 447-448
Varro, Marco Terentius, 466, 915
vases, 318, 847
vassals, 560, 563, 667, 786
Vatican, 134, 290, 441, 707, 823, 850, 909
vaults, 342, 457, 866-867, 869-872, 876, 883, 884
Vedanta, 244
Vegetius, Flavius, 122
veils, 341, 834
venereal disease, 823
Venetians, 436, 451, 608, 652, 654, 713, 831
Vent Creator Spiritus, 515, 604
Veni Sancte Spiritus (Innocent III), 897*
Venice, 318, 370, 376, 426, 431, 441, 453-455, 469, 586, 592, 602, 603, 605, 606, 612, 615, 616, 617, 619, 624, 627, 628, 629, 633, 635, 642, 651, 680, 706, 708-712, 722, 761, 811, 812, 846, 848-851, 854, 857, 868, 902, 919, 989, 993, 1065, 1085
Venus, 137, 987, 991, 1025, 1027
Vercelli, 712
Council of, 543
Verdun, 543
Treaty of, 473, 511, 686
vernaculars, 450, 484, 903-906, 1030
Verona, 40, 98, 451, 617, 662, 708, 722, 770, 916, 1065
verse, 263-270, 398, 400, 498, 755, 1022, 1045, 1057
verticality, 858, 865, 866, 872, 874
Vespers (Aquinas), 964-965
Vestiges of the Past (al-Biruni), 243
vestments, 440, 850, 876
veterinary science, 122, 429
Vexilla regis (Fortunatus), 94
Vézelay, 594, 599, 671
Via Francesa, 727, 728
vicarius, 32, 757
Vicenza, 40, 662, 708, 722, 723, 783, 918
Vico, Giovanni Battista, 957
Victimae paschali laudes (Wipo), 897*
Victoire, St., 745
Victor II, 545
Victor IV, 761
Victory (statue), 34-35, 56
Vienna, 619, 624, 664
Council of, 404
University of, 929
Vienne, 12, 688
Council of, 740, 816, 979
Vigilius, 115
Vikings, 447, 448, 471, 485, 502, 504-510
Vilgardus, 916
villages, 445, 558-560, 797, 803, 841
Villani, Giovanni, 578, 735, 915
Villard de Honnecourt, 864
Villehardouin, Geoffroi de, 603, 604, 697, 868, 1020, 1021
villas, 272, 299, 432, 435, 552, 558
Vincent of Beauvais, 736, 843, 988, 1005, 1016
“Vinland,” 504
Virgil, 32-33, 52, 78, 85, 915, 972, 1018, 1024, 1044, 1057-1058, 1067-1071, 1073-1076, 1081, 1085-1086
Virgin Birth, 186, 735, 771, 1008
virginity, 53, 76, 361, 807
virtues, 362, 691, 801, 820, 974, 985
Visby, 618, 619, 666
Visconti, Otto, 726
Visigoths, 22, 24, 25, 36, 37, 43, 47, 87, 95, 107, 114, 349, 423, 620, 699, 771
“Vision of Ezekiel,” 441
visions, 807, 810, 987, 1068, 1081
Visitation, 747, 889
Vistula River, 22, 445, 462, 618, 659, 665
Vita (Boccaccio), 1065
Vita nuova, La (Dante), 1050, 1059, 1065-1067
Viterbo, 513, 675, 701, 706, 770, 962
vivisection, 121, 245
vizierate established, 197
Vladimir, 442, 654, 656
Vladimir I, Grand Duke of Kiev, 448-449, 536
Vladimir of Bulgaria, 444
Vladimir and Kossara, 446
vocabulary, 578, 903
Voislav, Serbian prince, 446
Volga River, 24, 38, 208, 339, 443, 446, 616, 621, 654, 655, 656, 658, 659, 993
Volkhov River, 447, 449, 619, 654
Volsungasaga, 508, 1032, 1033
Voltaire (François Marie Arouet), 75, 87, 250, 485, 719, 739, 759*, 983, 1086
Voluspa, 508
Vortigern, 80, 81
Vouillé, battle of, 91
Vulgate, 54, 466, 1009
Wace, Robert, 1045
Wafa, Abu’l-, 242
wages, 119, 487, 647, 826, 917-918
Wagner, Richard, 711, 1032, 1048
Walafrid Strabo, 515
Walcher of Lorraine, 991
Waldemar I, King of Denmark, 665
Waldemar II, King of Denmark, 665-666
Waldemar, King of Sweden, 666
Waldenses, 767, 769-770, 783, 784, 809, 907
Waldo, Peter, 769-770
Wales, 80-82, 484, 493, 495-496, 501, 570, 675, 678-679, 681-685, 832, 871, 899, 992, 1003, 1032, 1045
Walid I, 194, 222, 230, 276
Walid II, 195, 221, 228, 270, 274, 280
Walkelin, Bishop of Winchester, 871
Wallace, William, 683
Wallada, 306
Wallia, 37
Walloons, 685, 832
walls, 271, 432, 835, 865, 867-868, 870, 872-873, 888
Walter of Châtillon, 1022
Walter de Merton, 924
Walter, Hubert, 673, 674
Walter the Penniless, 589
Walter, Archbishop of Sens, 1025
Walter Cornutus, Archbishop of Sens, 402
Walther von der Vogelweide, 905, 1039, 1041, 1049
Waltham, 494, 495
Wandering Jew, 1020
“wandering scholars,” 1024-1025
war, 79, 158, 264, 279, 292, 310, 339, 423, 429, 430, 431, 433, 443, 444, 445, 450, 451, 480, 496, 500, 503, 513, 514, 521, 532, 565, 566, 569-572, 576, 578, 618, 666, 700, 729, 755, 757*, 779, 812, 828, 829, 844, 906, 928, 979, 1004
civil, 292, 296, 392, 459, 472, 473, 501, 550, 639, 706, 798, 1063
holy, 424, 774-776
Waraqah ibn Nawfal, 163
wars, 285, 343, 442, 458, 464, 474, 531, 579, 560, 640, 642, 651, 698, 699, 727, 765, 766, 775, 784, 811, 854, 894, 1005, 1013, 1057, 1086
Albigensian, 776, 817
Balkan, 657
Carolingian, 465
English, 679
Italian, 762
Portuguese, 701-702
Russian 653-654
Wars of the Roses, 565, 578
Wartburg Castle, 1039, 1047
wastelands, 465, 578, 766
Waterford, 500, 682
Wathiq, al-, 201*, 251
Wazo, Bishop of Liége, 778
wealth, 266, 299, 302, 311, 360, 378, 393, 405, 432, 435, 454, 456, 463, 473, 475, 527, 578, 647, 786, 794, 795, 802, 824, 829, 833, 835, 845, 854, 870, 920, 949, 989, 1018, 1075
Byzantine, 118-121, 431-437
Christian, 386
Church, 547, 767, 770, 813
French, 876
Moslem, 190, 208, 701
weapons, 569-570, 572
Wearmouth, 483, 488, 491
weavers, 135, 298, 342, 487, 648, 704
weddings, 419, 823, 824, 838
Wedmore, Peace of, 484
weights and measures, 378
Weimar, 263
Weinsberg, 661
Welfs (Guelfs), 661
wells, poisoning of, 386, 393, 1003
Wells Cathedral, 883, 885
Well-Tempered Clavichord (Bach), 980
Wenceslas I, 660
Wenceslas II, 660, 661
Wends, 445, 510, 511
wergild, 90, 464, 486, 487, 506, 641
Werner, Archbishop of Mainz, 391
Wessex, 483, 484, 493
West, 845, 846
Christian, 50-57, 395, 457, 468, 627, 913, 1000
decline of, 450-482
Islamic, 315-317
Western Empire, 98, 103, 132
Westminster, 679, 752, 995
Abbey, 494, 677, 681, 744, 852, 861, 870, 883, 885, 1020
Palace, 642
Westphalia, 622, 785
whisky, 997
Whitby, monastery of, 490
Synod of, 534
Whitman, Walt, 86
“Why Ignorant Physicians Have More Success,” etc. (al-Razi
), 247
widows, 379, 381, 464, 531, 755, 778, 805
Wilfred, St., 491, 534
will, 406, 528, 972, 981, 1005
William the Lion, King of Scotland, 683
William I the Conqueror, King of England, 369, 481, 482, 494-495, 504, 510, 550, 564, 640, 666-668, 670, 672, 679, 681, 684, 788, 822, 825, 851, 869, 870, 871, 893
William I the Bad, King of Sicily, 705
William II Rufus, King of England, 589, 669
William II the Good, King of Sicily, 705
William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, 1036
William X, Duke of Aquitaine, 827
William, Count of Holland, 723
William of Auvergne, 402, 406, 414, 956-958, 988
William of Champeaux, 808, 920, 933-935, 953
William of Chartres, 692
William of Conches, 476, 921, 945, 950, 951, 953
William of Durham, Archbishop of Rouen, 924
William the Englishman, 884
William Fitzobert (Longbeard), 648
William of Innsbruck, 868
William of Malmesbury, 81, 488, 498, 533, 587, 822, 870, 1019
William de la Mare, 977-978
William of Moerbeke, 611, 912, 962
William of Nogaret, 815, 816
William of Norwich, 392
William of Rubruquis, 608, 993, 1010, 1012
William of St. Carilef, 871
William of St. Cloud, 991
William of St. Thierry, 789, 939* 946, 950
William of Saliceto (Guglielmo Salicetti), 1001, 1016
William of Sens, 884
William, Archbishop of Tyre, 598, 599, 611, 1020
William of Volpiano, 479
Willibrord, 534-535
wills, 419, 754, 765, 766
Wilton, battle of, 484
Winchester, 81, 392, 487, 492, 578, 622
Cathedral, 87, 491, 866, 883, 884, 902
School, 915
windows, 272, 286, 342, 835, 846, 847, 856-857, 865, 867, 868, 872, 876, 877, 879-880, 881, 883, 884, 885-886, 887, 888, 891, 892, 1085
Windsor, 676
Castle, 893
wine, 358, 379, 553, 645, 740-741, 749, 786, 787, 837, 928, 997, 1000
Wipo, 897*
witchcraft, 410, 416, 433, 451, 531, 568, 970, 985-986
Witelo, 288, 1011
Witenagemot, 485, 486, 493, 494, 666, 668, 678
Witigis, 109
Witiza, 97
Wolfger, Bishop of Passau, 1041
Wolfram von Eschenbach, 905, 1039, 1045, 1046-1047, 1049, 1085
women, 137-138, 264, 269, 271, 278, 363, 381, 418, 432, 496, 505, 559, 569, 575, 576, 635, 697, 701, 731, 746, 757*, 771, 787, 798, 805, 806, 818, 822, 823, 824, 825-828, 832, 839, 840, 850-851, 896, 905, 973-974, 985, 986, 1007, 1018, 1025, 1036, 1052, 1054, 1059
Anglo-Saxon, 487-488
Byzantine, 433
dress of, 833-834
German, 515
Italian, 1057
Jewish, 379, 380, 386, 387
Moslem, 158-159, 180-182, 220-223, 387
Slav, 77, 113, 121, 341, 445, 579, 748, 1039, 1044
wood carving, 286, 287, 318, 848
woodcuts, 906
woodwork, 274, 700, 847, 848
wool, 624, 685, 700
Worcester, 392, 487
Cathedral, 871
words, 342, 807, 816, 905-906, 912
workers, 296, 442, 575, 648, 650, 718, 864, 878
Works (Voltaire), 759*
World War, First, 880, 886
Second, 467, 519, 862, 870, 893
Worms, 369, 386, 401, 403, 511, 513, 514, 516, 543, 619, 633, 640, 1034, 1035
Cathedral, 870
Concordat of, 760
council at, 548
worship, 356, 765
Arab, 160-161
Coptic, 289
freedom of, 292, 299, 451
phallic, 745
Worstead, 624
Wright, Thomas, 825, 1024*
Wulfilaich, 57
Würzburg, 391
Cathedral, 1041
Wyclif, John, 74, 678, 784, 926*, 1082
Wyvill, Peter, Bishop of Exeter, 1082
Yahya, 197, 198, 199, 207, 208, 278
Yahveh, 161, 177, 184, 348, 353, 357, 358, 382, 384, 386, 395, 416, 717, 742, 746, 769
see God
Yaqub ibn Qillis, 284, 285, 287
Yaqub Yusuf, Abu, 314, 315, 334, 335-336
Yaqubi, Ahmad al-, 229, 230, 236, 242
Yaqut, 230, 237, 329
Yarmouth, 645
Yarmuk River, battle of the, 189
Yaroslav, 448-449, 653
Yathrib, see Medina
Yazuri, 287
year, 956
Jewish civil, 359
Moslem, 171
Yekutiel ibn Hassan, 396, 397
yellow badge, 373
Yemen, 156, 366
Yezdegird I, 140
Yezdegird III, 151-152
Yezid I, 193
Yezid II, 195, 384
Yezid III, 195
Yezid, Abu, 258
Yolande of Brienne, 716
Yom Kippur, 214, 359
York, 369, 405, 483, 488, 491, 495, 642, 863
cathedral school of, 914
Minster, 871
Ypres, 615, 618, 622, 623, 642, 648, 685, 886, 888
Yuhanna ibn Masawayh, 246
Yunus, Ali ibn, 288
Yusuf, Emir, 372
Yusuf ibn Omar, 226
Yusuf and Zuleika (Firdausi), 268
Y wain (Chrétien), 1045
Zab River, battle of the, 196
Zacharias (Zachary), Pope, 461, 542
Zahra, al-, palace of, 302-303
Zahira, 294, 296
Zahrawi, Abu’l Qasim al- (Abulcasis), 305
Zaid, 164, 172
Zaid ibn Thabit, 175
Zallaka, battle of, 307
Zamora, 892
Council of, 373
Zangi, 310, 594
Zara (Zadar), 446, 603
Zarqali, Ibrahim al-, 305, 991
Zayrids, 314
“Zealots,” 300-301, 802
Zemzem, 216, 285
Zeno, Emperor, 42-43, 49, 97, 103, 115
Zeno, philosopher, 9, 101, 1070
zero, 241, 912, 990
Zobaida, 198, 199, 221, 222
Zobeir, 190, 191, 193, 227
Zoë, fourth wife of Leo VI, 429
Zoë, wife of Romanus Argyrus, 430
Zonaras, 650
zoology, 429, 720, 994
Zoroaster (Zarathustra), 139, 147, 183
Zoroastrianism, 47, 136, 137, 139, 142, 174, 194, 200, 218, 219, 243, 305, 416
Zosimus, 70, 125
Zuhair, Kab ibn, 171
Zuhr, Abu Marwan ibn (Avenzoar), 330, 910
Zurich, 624, 687
About the Authors
WILL DURANT was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, on November 5, 1885. He was educated in the Catholic parochial schools there and in Kearny, New Jersey, and thereafter in St. Peter’s (Jesuit) College, Jersey City, New Jersey, and Columbia University. New York. For a summer he served as a cub reporter on the New York Journal, in 1907, but finding the work too strenuous for his temperament;, he settled down at Seton Hall College, South Orange, New Jersey, to teach Latin, French, English, and geometry(1907–11). He entered the seminary at Seton Hall in 1909, but withdrew in 1911 for reasons he has described in his book Transition. He passed from this quiet seminary to the most radical circles in New York, and became (1911–13) the teacher of the Ferrer Modern School, an experiment in libertarian education. In 1912 he toured Europe at the invitation and expense of Alden Freeman, who had befriended him and now undertook to broaden his borders.
Returning to the Ferrer School, he fell in love with one of his pupils—who had been born Ida Kaufman in Russia on May 10, 1898—resigned his position, and married her(1913). For four years he took graduate work at Columbia University, specializing in
biology under Morgan and Calkins and in philosophy under Wood-bridge and Dewey. He received the doctorate in philosophy in 1917, and taught philosophy at Columbia University for one year. In 1914, in a Presbyterian church in New York, he began those lectures on history, literature, and philosophy that, continuing twice weekly for thirteen years, provided the initial material for his later works.
The unexpected success of The Story of Philosophy (1926) enabled him to retire from teaching in 1927. Thenceforth, except for some incidental essays Mr. and Mrs. Durant gave nearly all their working hours (eight to fourteen daily) to The Story of Civilization. To better prepare themselves they toured Europe in 1927, went around the world in 1930 to study Egypt, the Near East, India, China, and Japan, and toured the globe again in 1932 to visit Japan, Manchuria, Siberia, Russia, and Poland. These travels provided the background for Our Oriental Heritage (1935) as the first volume in The Story of Civilization. Several further visits to Europe prepared for Volume 2, The Life of Greece (1939), and Volume 3, Caesar and Christ (1944). In 1948, six months in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Europe provided perspective for Volume 4, The Age of Faith (1950). In 1951 Mr. and Mrs. Durant returned to Italy to add to a lifetime of gleanings for Volume 5, The Renaissance (1953); and in 1954 further studies in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, and England opened new vistas for Volume 6, The Reformation (1957).
Mrs. Durant’s share in the preparation of these volumes became more and more substantial with each year, until in the case of Volume 7, The Age of Reason Begins (1961), it was so great that justice required the union of both names on the title page. And so it was on The Age of Louis XIV (1963), The Age of Voltaire (1965), and Rousseau and Revolution (winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1968).
The publication of Volume II, The Age of Napoleon, in 1975 concluded five decades of achievement. Ariel Durant died on October 25, 1981, at the age of 83; Will Durant died 13 days later, on November 7, aged 96. Their last published work was A Dual Autobiography (1977).
* An occasional hiatus in the numbering of the notes is due to last-minute omissions.
* Blackened with time and fire, it is now known as the Burnt Pillar.
* The story that he died exclaiming, “Thou hast conquered, Galilean,” appears first in the Christian historian Theodoret in the fifth century, and is now unanimously rejected as a legend.56
* Our chief authority here is still the moralistic Tacitus (Germania, 18–19); but cf. a letter of Bishop Boniface, c. 756: “In old Saxony if a virgin in her father’s house, or a married woman under the protection of her husband, should be guilty of adultery, they burn her, strangled by her own hand, and hang her seducer over her grave; or else, cutting off her garments to the waist, modest matrons whip her, and pierce her with knives, till they destroy her”2—an extreme device for pegging a price.
