Writers of the Middle Ages
The atlas holds 24 people and 482 moments here, from 482 to 1452. The most recorded lives are Ibn Battuta, Petrarch and Du Fu.
Notable people
Ibn Battuta
from 1304 to 1369
113 moments here
Maghrebi Muslim jurist, traveller, explorer, and author from Tangier. Between 1325 and 1354 he journeyed through North and East Africa, the Middle…
Petrarch
from 1304 to 1374
38 moments here
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) was an Italian scholar, poet, cleric, diplomat, and foundational humanist.…
Du Fu
from 712 to 770
35 moments here
Tang-dynasty Chinese poet and minor official. His documented movements span the capital region, the northwest frontier, Sichuan, the Yangtze…
Francis of Assisi
from 1181 to 1226
33 moments here
Italian Catholic friar, deacon, preacher, and founder of the Order of Friars Minor. Born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone at Assisi, he renounced his…
Li Bai
from 701 to 762
27 moments here
Li Bai (701–762), also known as Li Bo or Li Po, was a major Tang-dynasty Chinese poet. His surviving biography documents a childhood relocation to…
Dante Alighieri
from 1265 to 1321
26 moments here
Florentine poet, prose writer, philosopher, and statesman whose Divine Comedy became a foundational work of Italian and European literature.…
Giovanni Boccaccio
from 1313 to 1375
26 moments here
Italian writer, poet, and humanist, best known for the Decameron. His documented life moved between Florence, Naples, Romagna, papal Avignon and…
Marco Polo
from 1254 to 1324
25 moments here
Venetian merchant, traveler, and author whose account describes journeys across Asia between 1271 and 1295.…
Thomas Aquinas
from 1225 to 1274
21 moments here
Italian Dominican friar, priest, theologian, and philosopher. His documented movements connected family residences in southern Italy, Dominican and…
Ali ibn Abi Talib
from 600 to 661
21 moments here
Ali ibn Abi Talib was the fourth Rashidun caliph (656–661), cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, and first Shia Imam.…
Avicenna
from 980 to 1037
17 moments here
Ibn Sina (Avicenna; c. 980–22 June 1037) was a Persian philosopher, physician, and court official.…
Geoffrey Chaucer
from 1359 to 1400
16 moments here
English poet, courtier, diplomat, and civil servant, best known for The Canterbury Tales. His documented career included military service in France,…
Ibn Khaldun
from 1332 to 1406
15 moments here
Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) was a Tunis-born historian, jurist, political official, teacher, and author of the Muqaddimah.…
Al-Ghazali
from 1058 to 1111
14 moments here
Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazali was a Persian Sunni jurist, theologian, philosopher, logician, and mystic.…
Rumi
from 1207 to 1273
9 moments here
Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi was a Persian-language poet, jurist, teacher, and Sufi mystic. Born at Wakhsh in the Khwarazmian Empire, he moved with his…
Al-Biruni
from 973 to 1048
9 moments here
Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni was a Khwarazmian polymath whose documented movements connect Kath and Khwarazm, Bukhara, Gurgan, Gurganj,…
Murasaki Shikibu
from 973 to 1013
8 moments here
Japanese novelist, poet, and lady-in-waiting of the Heian court, best known for The Tale of Genji.…
Justinian I
from 482 to 565
7 moments here
Eastern Roman emperor from 527 to 565, noted for the Corpus Juris Civilis, extensive building programs, religious policy, and campaigns that…
Averroes
from 1126 to 1182
6 moments here
Averroes, also known as Ibn Rushd, was an Andalusian jurist, physician, philosopher, and commentator on Aristotle.…
Omar Khayyam
from 1048 to 1131
5 moments here
Persian polymath, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and poet. The securely dated portions of his documented life place him in Nishapur,…
Abu Nuwas
from 756 to 814
5 moments here
Abū Nuwās al-Ḥasan ibn Hānī al-Ḥakamī was a classical Arabic poet. Sources document his birth in the Ahvaz area, childhood and study in Basra and…
Muḥammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi
from 780 to 825
3 moments here
Persian mathematician, astronomer, geographer, and author active under the Abbasid caliphs. Biographical evidence is exceptionally sparse and his…
Hafez
from 1315 to 1390
2 moments here
Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez Shirazi was a Persian lyric poet. Surviving biographical evidence is notably sparse; the defensible physical-presence…
Leonardo da Vinci
in 1452
1 moment here
Italian Renaissance painter, draftsman, engineer, architect, anatomist, and natural philosopher.…
Moments
- 482 Born at Tauresium Justinian I
- 518 Resides at the Palace of Hormisdas Justinian I
- 525 Marries Theodora in Constantinople Justinian I
- 532 Addresses the Nika rebels in the Hippodrome Justinian I
- 537 Inaugurates Hagia Sophia Justinian I
- 559 Establishes his court at Selymbria Justinian I
- 565 Dies in Constantinople Justinian I
- 600 Traditional birth at the Kaaba Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 622 Arrival and fraternity in Medina Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 622 Stayed in Mecca as Muhammad's decoy Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 624 Standard-bearer at Badr Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 625 Defended Muhammad at Uhud Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 627 Defeated Amr ibn Abd al-Wud at the Trench Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 628 Commanded the expedition to Fadak Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 628 Standard-bearer at Khaybar Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 628 Wrote the Treaty of al-Hudaybiya Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 630 Announced Quranic message in Mecca Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 630 Defended Muhammad at Hunayn Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 630 Left in charge of Medina during Tabuk expedition Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 631 Preached Islam in Yemen Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 632 Investiture scene at Ghadir Khumm Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 632 Mubahala appearance in Medina Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 656 Established himself at Kufa Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 656 Took the caliphal oath in Medina Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 656 Battle of the Camel outside Basra Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 657 Fought on the frontline at Siffin Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 658 Marched to and fought at Nahrawan Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 661 Assassinated during prayer at the Great Mosque of Kufa Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 701 Birth at Suyab Li Bai
- 705 Childhood relocation to Sichuan Li Bai
- 712 Birth near Luoyang Du Fu
- 718 Retreat at Mount Dakuang Li Bai
- 724 Travel at Mount Emei Li Bai
- 725 Arrival at Nanjing Li Bai
- 725 Departure through Dongting Lake Li Bai
- 725 Journey to Yunmeng Li Bai
- 727 Marriage at Anlu Li Bai
- 730 Stay at Zhongnan Mountain Li Bai
- 730 Stop at Luoyang Li Bai
- 730 Visit to Taiyuan Li Bai
- 735 Imperial examination Du Fu
- 735 Court-martial intervention in Shanxi Li Bai
- 740 Domestic residence Du Fu
- 740 Move to Shandong Li Bai
- 740 Wandering in Jiangsu Li Bai
- 740 Wandering in Zhejiang Li Bai
- 742 Summoned to Chang'an court Li Bai
- 744 Departure from Chang'an court Li Bai
- 744 Meeting Du Fu at Luoyang Li Bai
- 744 Second marriage in Liangyuan Li Bai