1277
Baibars dies after a lifetime of conquest
The Mamluk sultan who had broken the Mongols at Ain Jalut, destroyed the Assassins' Syrian strongholds, and dismantled the Crusader states died in Damascus, reportedly after drinking poisoned kumiss intended for someone else. His career had reshaped the political map of the Middle East more thoroughly than any ruler since Saladin.
Condemnations of Paris denounce Aristotelianism
Bishop Etienne Tempier of Paris condemned 219 theological propositions derived from Aristotle and Averroes. The list tangled theologians in knots for decades but ironically opened space for new kinds of natural philosophy by breaking slavish obedience to Aristotle. Among the condemned propositions was the denial of God's power to create a void, a prohibition that paradoxically encouraged later speculation about vacuums and infinite space.
Edward I's first Welsh war
Launching from Chester, the English king led a massive summer campaign against Llywelyn ap Gruffudd of Wales. Overwhelmed by numbers, Llywelyn submitted at Aberconwy and was reduced to a rump of Gwynedd. The conquest of Wales had begun. Edward deployed a strategy of road-building and castle construction that would become his signature method of subjugating conquered territories throughout the British Isles.
Guelph-Ghibelline conflicts convulse Florence
The uneasy peace in Florence between papal Guelphs and imperial Ghibellines broke down again amid factional murders and expulsions. The bitter local politics would shape Dante's life a generation later and provide most of the damned souls for his Inferno. The conflict was less about ideology than about control of the city's lucrative banking and wool industries, with families choosing sides for commercial advantage.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1277?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1277. The most significant is Baibars dies after a lifetime of conquest: The Mamluk sultan who had broken the Mongols at Ain Jalut, destroyed the Assassins' Syrian strongholds, and dismantled the Crusader states died in Damascus…
What era was 1277 part of?
1277 falls within the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). Crusades, cathedrals, and the slow waking of Europe.
Which regions saw notable events in 1277?
The curated events from 1277 span Middle East and Europe.