Podcast – The History of Byzantium

Mehmed II becomes Sultan in 1451 and immediately makes plans to conquer Constantinople. Period: 1448-53 Stream: Not with a Whimper but a Bang Download: Not with a Whimper but a Bang RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you want to send in feedback to the podcast: – Either comment on this post. – Or on the facebook page. – […]

John VIII Palaiologos asks the Pope for an Ecumenical Council to reunite the churches. To his surprise the Pontiff says yes and a huge Byzantine contingent travels to Italy. Pic: John VIII Palaiologos (from ‘Rulers of the Byzantine Empire’ published by KIBEA) Period: 1425-48 Stream: The Last Hope Download: The Last Hope RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If […]

Pic: John VII, Manuel II and John VIII (from a 15th-century codex in the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris) With the Ottoman civil war raging Manuel II Palaiologos tries to improve the Roman position and ensure his sons succeed him. Period: 1402-30 Stream: Buying Time Download: Buying Time RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you want to send in feedback to the podcast: – […]

Pic: Bayezid held captive by Timur, painting by Stanisław Chlebowski (1878) Manuel II Palaiologos refuses to play vassal to Sultan Bayezid. So the Ottomans set up a permanent blockade of New Rome. The siege would last for eight years and only a miracle could save the Romans. Period: 1391-1402 Stream: In the Nick of Timur Download: In […]

John V Palaiologos faces rebellions from his sons and Grandsons. Forcing the Romans to become both Ottomans vassals and the pawns of Venice and Genoa. Period: 1371-91 Pic: John V Palaiologos  (from ‘Rulers of the Byzantine Empire’ published by KIBEA) Stream: Vassals and Pawns Download: Vassals and Pawns RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you want to […]

We look at the details of how the Ottomans ran their state. Including the creation of loyalty to the ruling dynasty, succession policy, military recruitment and slave trading. Period: 1280-1371 Pic: Sultan Murad I (16th century miniature) Stream: The Rise of the Ottomans, Part 2 Download: The Rise of the Ottomans, Part 2 RSS Feed: The History of […]

We follow the last century of narrative from an Ottoman point of view. Period: 1280-1371 Pic: Sultan Orhan (painted by Konstantin Kapıdağlı, 19th century) Stream: The Rise of the Ottomans, Part 1 Download: The Rise of the Ottomans, Part 1 RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you want to send in feedback to the podcast: – Either […]

John V Palaiologos takes charge of the Empire but finds he has only one option left to save his state. He must travel West and beg for Latin help. Meanwhile the Turks conquer Thrace. Period: 1355-71 Map: The breakup of the Serbian Empire c 1360 AD Stream: Just Another Beylik Download: Just Another Beylik RSS Feed: The History […]

Map: The Roman Empire c 1350 AD Finally in sole control of the Empire John Kantakouzenos makes plans to restore the Roman world. His plans come to nothing though as he immediately faces war, invasion and plague. Period: 1347-55 Stream: At Least Things Can’t Get Any Worse Download: At Least Things Can’t Get Any Worse RSS Feed: The […]

In order to gain the throne John Kantakouzenos destroys what is left of the Roman Empire. He allows the Serbs to conquer Macedonia while his Turkish allies enslave his people. Picture: Stefan Uroš IV Dušan (fresco painted between 1341-7 in the Lesnovo monastery in North Macedonia). Period: 1343-47 Stream: The Worst Civil War, Part 2 Download: The […]

Andronikos III Palaiologos died on the 15th June 1341. Four months later his nearest and dearest were at each others throats. His right hand man John Kantakouzenos declared himself Emperor but was rejected by the people at every turn. Refusing to give up he invited foreign powers to intervene on his behalf. Picture: John VI […]

Andronikos III Palaiologos takes charge of a Roman state still recovering from the loss of Anatolia and the raids of the Catalans. He takes on the challenge with enthusiasm and tangles with the Turks, Latins and Serbs. He also reunites Epiros and Thessaly with Constantinople. Pic: Andronikos III Palaiologos, 14th century miniature from the State […]

This is part two of my Q&A with Father John Strickland. We talk about the Protestant reformation, Autocephalous churches and connections to Byzantium amongst other topics. John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He wrote a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. He’s […]

We welcome back Father John Strickland to answer your questions about Orthodoxy. In part one we tackle the Orthodox view on salvation and purgatory. As well as the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch and thoughts on the Byzantine understanding of how the divine played a role in daily life. Then we finish with the Orthodox […]

This episode is brought to you by Telepaideia, a collection of live online courses in Latin, Ancient Greek, and the classical humanities offered by The Paideia Institute. Visit www.paideiainstitute.org/telepaideia to browse the course catalogue and register!  I interview David Hendrix the man behind the incredible website ‘The Byzantine Legacy.’ It was David who showed me […]

We look at listener questions about feudalism, the Catalans, the Armenians and many other topics. Pic: Roger de Flor Street in Valencia Stream: Questions XVI Download: Questions XVI RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you want to send in feedback to the podcast: – Either comment on this post. – Or on the facebook […]

We look at listener questions about Andronikos II. Why was he so useless? Why did no one overthrow him? How poor was the Empire? And many more. Pic: Chrysobull (Imperial decree) depicting Andronikos II alongside Christ, AD 1301. Stream: Questions XV Download: Questions XV RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you want to send in […]

It’s time we talked about Orthodoxy in more detail. I ask Father John Strickland to explain the Divine Liturgy, and it’s Byzantine origins, to me. John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He has also written a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. […]

Marco Cappelli, the man behind the Storia D’Italia podcast, has created a Roman history comic book. Ammianus – the Twilight of an Era tells the story of the incredible change that took place across Italy during the 6th century. The comic is so good it made me cry. I interview Marco about why he decided […]