Plato the Athenian was the philosopher who founded the Academy and whose brilliant writings are the foundation texts of the entire western philosophical tradition. A student of Socrates, his dialogues use the Socratic method of question-and-answer to probe some of the most important questions humans have ever asked about our situation. What is true knowledge? How do we distinguish it from falsehood or mere opinion? Is the human soul immortal, and if so, what happens after death? How can we best organise a community and who should govern it? Should the arts be censored in the name of community wellbeing? What is the nature of true goodness, and how can a philosopher pursue the goal of achieving it? This talk focuses on Plato’s masterpiece, the Republic, but also considers the importance of the dialogues which are set during the very last days of Socrates.

‘St Thomas has adorned…London by his rising and Canterbury by his setting’. This lecture will explore how the influence of Thomas Becket permeated city life in medieval London until Henry VIII ordered the destruction of his shrine and the removal of his name from all liturgical books. It will include consideration of the first stone bridge over the Thames made possible by offerings in the chapel dedicated to him; the hospital in Southwark; and the Becket family home in Cheapside (later the hall of the Mercers’ Company).

A family best known for producing one of England’s most famous queen consorts started out owning substantial estates in Norfolk before buying, and inheriting, a series of major houses close to London. These mansions became the stage for the tragedy of Ann‘s life and death. New research allows us to understand the role of property owning at the heart of the story of the Boleyn family.

British art historian Waldemar Januszczak shows that Hans Holbein witnessed and recorded the most notorious era in British history. He painted most of the major characters of the 16th century Tudor Era, including the famous image of King Henry VIII. What unsettling secrets lay hidden in his famous paintings? What do his images reveal about Henry's relentless drive to control the English church?

Hans Holbein the Younger, portraitist, muralist, designer of jewellery and precious metalware, spent half of his distinguished career in London during the turbulent reign of King Henry VIII. Arriving in 1526 as a German speaking citizen of the city of Basel, Switzerland, he swiftly rose to become a court painter trusted to provide the likenesses of the King's potential Queens. This lecture will explore Holbein's work as a resident of the City of London, and examine the tensions between artists of the court and the City as well as the synergies between London and the continent which made the Tudor metropolis a magnet for foreign artists seeking fame and fortune. (ROIU Interdisciplinary: acceptable for History - 1500 - 1600; Arts & Sciences - Visual Arts; Arts & Sciences - Sciences.)

17 September 2015. The Cultural Legacy of the Battle of Agincourt: 1415-2015. 'Armour and 1415: The Evidence of Church Monuments' by Dr Tobias Capwell (speaker 5) This seminar was sponsored and hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of London in its apartments at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. The Society recorded the proceedings and, with permission of the speaker(s), made them available online here, and on its website at www.sal.org.uk.

Tobias Capwell is the Curator of Arms and Armour at the Wallace Collection. He is one of the world's leading authorities on medieval and Renaissance weapons and armour, with special emphasis on armour in England during the 15th Century.

The medieval knight was defined by his armour, which set him apart from other fighting men. However, the study of knightly armour poses a number of daunting challenges. It was practical, functional equipment, but also ‘body art’ of great expressive power. Armour must be contemplated on technical and aesthetic levels simultaneously, and indeed, these two aspects are fundamentally intertwined. Another very significant obstacle is the lack of surviving armour; what does exist is usually fragmentary or incomplete. We must therefore take a rigorously interdisciplinary approach, considering the subject from many different perspectives at once. We must look at the extant material evidence at the same time as we delve into sources as diverse as illuminated manuscripts, funerary effigies, martial arts treatises, and even everyday objects like candlesticks, mirror-cases and water jugs. The expressive visual power of armour in life made it an essential image in art of all kinds, leaving us a vast and very complex trail of evidence to follow, and many meanings to ponder.

It has been a bit, Kal has been BUSY with life, but he is back for this special Castle Wars edition of "Koffee with Kalbardr". The topic of the day is burnout, specifically within the SCA but the topic applies to and is effected by real life as well. As a special treat, Kal will be joined by Master Ximon, from the Barony of South Downs.

On this episode of Koffee with Kal, Kal will be sipping coffee in the presence of visiting Royalty! Kalbardr's Korner would like to welcome Their Highnesses Patric and Sara, Prince and Princess of the Mists. Tune in and join in on the discussion about the fighter and consort relationship.