Try GOLD - Free
Who was Prester John?
BBC History UK
|October 2025
In 1165, the Byzantine emperor received a letter purporting to have been sent by the mysterious ruler of an unknown distant land in the east.
-
Prester John, according to the letter, was a devout Christian and both king and priest of a vast empire where riches abounded, 72 kingdoms lived in peace, and crime and vice had been eliminated. This letter promised a Christian paradise to be explored, as well as the ally that western Europe so badly needed
This story is from the October 2025 edition of BBC History UK.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM BBC History UK
BBC History UK
"Economists studying history tend to focus on men, overlooking the contributions of half the population"
VICTORIA BATEMAN speaks to Danny Bird about the crucial roles women played in historical economies - and how recognising those contributions transforms our understanding of the past
10 mins
October 2025
BBC History UK
Adapting ancient beliefs
EMMA WILBY is fascinated by a look at how long-held religions and traditions of pre-Christian Europe endured right into the modern era
2 mins
October 2025
BBC History UK
Rita Levi-Montalcini
When I had to help my daughter find an inspirational woman in history for a school research project.
2 mins
October 2025
BBC History UK
Who was Prester John?
In 1165, the Byzantine emperor received a letter purporting to have been sent by the mysterious ruler of an unknown distant land in the east.
1 min
October 2025
BBC History UK
Fighting talk
GUY DE LA BÉDOYÈRE is impressed by a deep dive into the world of ancient Roman gladiators that shines a light on diverse aspects of that civilisation
4 mins
October 2025
BBC History UK
The lie of succession
Did James I 'steal' Elizabeth I's crown? Tracy Borman considers evidence that the transition from Tudor to Stuart dynasties may not have been quite as seamless as we've been led to believe
10 mins
October 2025
BBC History UK
Raising our voice
As the abolitionist Frederick Douglass argued in 1857, if there is no struggle there is no progress.
1 mins
October 2025
BBC History UK
Plumbing ocean depths
This is a history of margins and fringes – not only of the Atlantic Ocean itself, but also of the imaginations of those who worked on its surface and lived at its edges.
1 mins
October 2025
BBC History UK
Golden years
PAT THANE commends a richly detailed study of attitudes to older people through history
2 mins
October 2025
BBC History UK
Continental rift
GILBERT M JOSEPH is enthused by a novel exploration of the intertwined stories of North and Latin America
2 mins
October 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size