The invasion of Ifriqiya by the Bedouin…

Novgorod’s thirty-eight-meter high, five-domed, stone cathedral had been built by Vladimir of Novgorod between 1045 and 1050 to replace an oaken thirteen-domed church built by Ioakim Korsunianin, the city’s first bishop, in or around 989 (making it the oldest church building in Russia proper and, with the exception of the Arkhyz and Shoana churches, the oldest building of any kind still in use in the country).

It is consecrated by Bishop Luka Zhidiata on September 14, in 1050 or 1052, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.

(A fresco just inside the south entrance depicts Saints Constantine and Helena, who found the true cross in the fourth century; it is one of the oldest works of art in the cathedral and is thought to commemorate its dedication.)

While it is commonly known as St. Sophia's, it is not named for any of the female saints of that name (i.e., Sophia of Rome or Sophia the Martyr); rather, the name comes from the Greek for wisdom (whence we get words like philosophia or philosophy—"the love of wisdom"), and thus Novgorod's cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Wisdom of God, in imitation of the Hagia Sophia cathedral of Constantinople.

The cupolas are thought to have acquired their present helmet-like shape in the 1150s, when the cathedral is restored after a fire.

Henry undertakes a fourth campaign against Hungary in 1052, and Pressburg (modern Bratislava) is besieged, without success, as the Hungarians manage to sink Henry’s supply ships on the Danube river.

Henry is unable to immediately continue his campaign, and in fact will never renew it.

Differences of philosophical understanding, liturgical usage, language, and custom have already contributed to the growing misunderstanding and alienation between the Eastern and Western churches, but political rivalries and divisions are equally important factors.

Open division on doctrinal questions, as well as matters of discipline and daily practice, has resulted in heated disputes over such matters as the ecclesiastical calendar, the use of leavened or unleavened bread, or additions to the creed (notably the “filioque” clause of the Nicene Creed).

Michael Cerularius had been named patriarch in 1043 by Constantine, although he had been educated for the civil service rather than for an ecclesiastical career.

Cerularius' ambitious desires for political power, coupled with his inflexible belief in the autonomy of the Eastern Church, have led him to thwart Constantine's attempts to ally the Greek and German empires in defense against the Normans; he also rejects the “filioque” clause.

In 1052, partly in response to concessions that Constantine has made to Pope Leo IX, Cerularius decides to force the Latin churches in his diocese to use the Greek language and liturgical practices; when they refuse to do so, he orders them closed.

Marpa Lotsawa, born as Marpa Chökyi Lodrö, in Lhodrak Chukhyer in the southern part of Tibet, to an affluent family, had begun studying at a young age but was wild and untamed compared to other children.

Marpa had first received instruction for three years at Mangkhar with Drokmi Shakya Yeshe and mastered Sanskrit.

Deciding to travel to India to study with renowned Indian Buddhist masters, Marpa had returned home to Lhodrak and converted his entire inheritance into gold to fund his travel expenses and to make offerings to teachers.

Marpa journeyed first to Nepal where he studied with Paindapa and Chitherpa, two famous students of Naropa.

Paindapa later accompanied Marpa to Pullahari, near Nalanda University, where Naropa taught.

Marpa spent twelve years studying with Naropa and other great Indian gurus, most prominently Maitripada.

After twelve years he set forth on his journey back to Tibet to teach and continue his dharma activities.

Marpa was to travel to India twice more and Nepal three more times and studied with Naropa and other great teachers including Maitripa.

On his third visit to India, Naropa, who was engaged in tantric practices, proved difficult to find.

However eventually Marpa found him and received the final teachings and instructions from Naropa.

It was then that Naropa prophesied that a family lineage would not continue for Marpa, but that his lineage would be carried on by his disciples.

Marpa now had received the full transmission, so Naropa formally declared Marpa to be his successor, although he had other major disciples including Paindapa, Chitherpa, Shri Shantibhadra or Kukuripa, and Maitripa.

Upon his return to Tibet, Marpa has spent many years translating Buddhist scriptures and made a major contribution to the transmission of the complete buddhadharma to Tibet.

Marpa continues to practice and give teachings and transmissions to many students in Tibet.

After his second visit to India, Milarepa became his disciple.

After the death of Marpa's son, Darma Dode, Milarepa inherited his lineage in full.

Marpa lives with his wife Dakmema and their sons in Lhodrak in the southern part of Tibet.

Marpa is said to have founded Stongdey Monastery in Zanskar in 1052.

Rajadhiraja, in response to these aggressions by Somesvara, leads another expedition into the Chalukya territories in 1054.

The two forces meet at Koppam on the Krishna River.

In a hotly contested battle, Rajadhiraja is killed.

His younger brother Rajendra Chola II immediately takes command of the Chola forces and defeats the Chalukya forces and causes them to retreat after killing Somesvara's brother Jayasimha.

A number of generals are killed in the battle and the Cholas capture great treasure and some of Somesvara's queens.

However, other sources indicate a Chalukya victory and the construction of a temple in Annigeri, Dharwad district in celebration.

Somesvara I mounts a counter invasion into the Chola territories and captures Kanchipuram in 1052.

Humphrey of Hauteville, as count of Apulia, had married the sister of the Lombard prince Guaimar IV of Salerno in 1051.

Gisulf, the eldest son and successor of Guaimar and Gemma, daughter of the Capuan count Laidulf, had been made co-prince with his father in 1042 while very young.

Only a decade later, on June 3, 1052, his father is assassinated in the harbor of his capital by four brothers of his wife Gemma, sons of Pandulf V of Capua, who had been goaded into the act by the pro-imperial partisans of Amalfi.

Guaimar's brother Pandulf of Capaccio is also killed, but Guy of Sorrento escapes while Guaimar's sister and niece are locked up.

The brothers-in-law seize the city and elect Pandulf, eldest among them, prince.

Young Gisulf is taken captive by the assassins, but soon his uncle Guy garners a Norman army under Humphrey of Hauteville and besieges Salerno.

The assassins' families soon fall into their enemies' hands and they negotiate their release by releasing Gisulf to Guy.

Guy accepts their surrender soon after, promising not to harm them.

The Normans, however, who maintain they are not bound by Guy's oath, massacre the four brothers and thirty-six others, one for each stab wound found in Guaimar's body.

Thus the Normans show their loyalty to Guaimar even after his death.

The city soon surrenders and Guy and the Normans pay homage to Gisulf, who confirms their titles and lands.

The rocky start to his reign us merely an indication of its character, for Gisulf will hold a grudge against the Amalfitans who had initiated the slaying of his father.

He also, for reasons unknown, will also come to hate the Normans as barbarians and will spend his entire reign in opposition to them.

Pope Leo had joined the Emperor at Pressburg in 1052, and vainly sought to secure the submission of the Hungarians.

At Regensburg, Bamberg and Worms, the papal presence had been celebrated with various ecclesiastical solemnities.

The Normans, who have plundered and devastated many churches and monasteries in their marauding expeditions, continue to present considerable dangers to the existence of the papal state.

The Norman advances in southern Italy had alarmed the papacy for many years, though the impetus for the imminent battle itself has come about for several reasons.

First, the Norman presence in Italy is more than just a case of upsetting the power balance, for many of the Italian locals do not take kindly to the Norman raiding and wish to respond in kind, regarding them as little better than brigands.

The raiding activities which brought about such hatred also occur in the see of Benevento, a deed not emphasized in the Norman chronicles, but for Pope Leo this is the more significant concern in the political instability of the region.

In fact, according to Graham Loud, the Beneventians, who previously had been approached by both the German Emperor Henry III and by the Pope previously to swear fealty, had finally appealed and submitted to Leo to personally take over the control of the city (as well as lifting a previous excommunication) in 1051.

At this point, Benevento is also the border and march land between Rome and the German Empire and the newly established Norman holdings.

The second reason behind the conflict is the instability brought about on the Norman side by the death of Drogo de Hauteville, who had been the nominal war leader of the Normans and Count of Apulia, and who had been murdered in 1051 in unclear circumstances.

According to Malaterra's account, the native Lombards were responsible for the plot, and a courtier named Rito committed the deed at the castrum of Montillaro.

Despite the benefit the pope and both Greek and German emperors would have drawn from his murder, it is difficult to speculate beyond Malaterra's report since the details of the murder do not appear in most other sources, particularly the Norman chronicles.

Nevertheless, there had certainly been a strong reaction to Drogo's death, with his brother Humphrey taking over the leadership position of his brother, and scouring the countryside and his enemies in response.

Finally, in 1052, Leo asks the emperor for aid in curbing the growing Norman power.

Bejaïa was the ancient capital of the short-lived African kingdom of the Germanic Vandals (founded in 429-430), which was wiped out circa 533 by the East Romans, who had established the African prefecture and later the Exarchate of Carthage.

It had disappeared but is refounded by the Berber Hammadid dynasty (whose capital it becomes) in 1052, with the Banu Hilal menace rising (spurred by the rival Fatimid caliphs of Egypt).

Béjaïa, as an important port and cultural center, will became one of the most prosperous cities in the medieval Mediterranean.

The Franco-Angevin Invasion of Normandy and the Revolt Against William (1052–1053)

By 1052, Duke William of Normandy had begun to consolidate his power over his duchy, leading to growing concerns among his neighbors. Most notably, King Henry I of France, who had previously supported William, now reversed his position and formed an alliance with Geoffrey Martel, Count of Anjou, to curb William’s rising dominance. At the same time, discontented Norman nobles saw an opportunity to challenge William's authority, further destabilizing the duchy.

King Henry I’s Change of Policy: Fear of Norman Strength

• King Henry I of France had originally supported William’s rule, assisting him in crushing the Norman rebellion of 1047 at Val-ès-Dunes.
• However, as William gained greater control over Normandy, Henry grew alarmed that Normandy was becoming too powerful and independent.
• Fearing that a strong Normandy could challenge his Capetian authority, Henry sought to weaken William by supporting his enemies.

The Alliance with Geoffrey Martel of Anjou

• Henry allied with Geoffrey Martel, one of William’s most persistent rivals, whose Angevin expansionism threatened both Normandy and the French crown.
• Geoffrey, always seeking to extend his influence into Maine and Normandy, took advantage of the situation to launch an invasion of William’s lands.
• Together, the French king and the Angevin count coordinated attacks on Normandy, seeking to destabilize William’s rule from multiple fronts.