The Dark Ages Podcast

November 536 to March 538 Belisarius continues moving up the Italian Peninsula, to bring his army to attack the greatest prize: Rome itself. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com And https://www.chosic.com/free...

Theodahad’s Thirty Pigs 535 to 536 The death of Amalasuintha triggered the Gothic Wars, wherein the Eastern Empire, under Justinian, attempted to claw back what it had lost in Italy. This episode follows the war up to  the siege of Naples by Belisarius in the autumn of 536. Transcript Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under...

Queen of the Goths 526 to 535 The death of Theodoric brought his youngest daughter Amalasuintha to power, as regent to her son Athalaric. She was the first queen of a post Roman state to openly wield authority, and inherited a realm divided against itself. This episode tells her story. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under...

September 533 - March 534 Things go from bad to worse for the Vandals in Africa. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com

533 The first of Justinian’s wars in the West begins, as Belisarius leads an army to Africa. Early victory makes the war seem like a slam dunk, and Procopius is there to tell us all about it. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects...

518 to 532 Justinian is probably the best-known “Byzantine” emperor to the general public. We’ll introduce the man and some of his circle, and explore some of the most important events at the beginning of his reign. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licens...

476 to 533 The Vandal Kingdom has had its ups and its downs since the fall  of the West. Four kings work to maintain Gaiseric’s legacy in the face of a hostile populace and a looming threat in the East. Website for this episode Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommon...

490ish to 526 A whirlwind tour around Europe, checking in on what’s been going on in the years up to Theodoric’s death. Webpage for this episode Instagram https://darkagespod.com/2023/07/11/2-14-consolidation-and-conversion/ Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/license...

493 (maybe?) to 511 We finish off the career of Clovis I, and then backtrack to talk about his conversion to Catholicism, and what it all meant. Webpage for this episode Instagram Facebook Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesou...

486 to 508 Clovis and his army carve a new thing, called France, out of old Roman Gaul. Webpage for this episode Instagram Facebook Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com

c. 400 to 486 CE We review the sources for the reign of Clovis the First, and review the scenario in northern Gaul when he came to power.   Webpage for this episode Instagram Facebook Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.co...

The legends and literature that came out of the Dark Ages are rich and stirring tales of heroism that have inspired both great art and terrible crimes. In this episode, I retell three stories from the many contained in the sagas and epics of Germany and Scandinavia. Transcript Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com) Incidental Music: "Pippin the Hunchback" by Kevin MacLeod (ht...

511 to 526 CE "Lying in a featherbed will not bring you fame, nor staying beneath the quilt, and he who uses up his life without achieving fame leaves no more vestige of himself on earth than smoke in the air or foam upon the water." --Dante The last years of Theodoric's reign in Italy saw the erosion of confidence, and increasing internal strife, along with diplomatic reversals abroad. Episode We...

484 to 519 CE Divisions within the church have consequence for Theodoric's relationship with the Emperor. Against my better judgment, this episode is mostly about religion. So, remember when I was talking about Boethius and I mentioned the Acacian Schism, and I said it was just too obscure to get into? Well guess what? Transcript and more Support the show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeo...

500 - 511 CE Theodoric and Cassiodorus work to prevent war in Western Europe, while crafting an image of imperial majesty. In the end, it works out pretty well for the Ostrogoths. Episode Website Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from fr...

We pause to take a look at two of the most famous subjects of Theodoric the Great. Transcript for today's show. Support the podcast here . Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com

493 to about 505 CE Theodoric's kingdom in Italy gets historians unreasonably excited. We'll explore how  he ran it, how he turned himself from warband chief to beloved king, and how he worked to restore the glory of old. Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sou...

488 to 493  Theodoric leads his people to Italy, to make war on Odoacer and win for himself a permanent kingdom. Transcript and Maps Here Just Maps Here Support the show Here Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: Heather, Peter J. The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes...

479 to 488 Rocky relations between Theodoric and Zeno lead to ups and downs for the Ostrogoths, along with many diversions and detours in their search for a stable home. Finally, an opportunity arises in Italy, and Theodoric moves boldly in the direction of one last gamble. Maps for this episode. Support the show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative...

c. 460 to 479 CE We welcome to the stage Theodoric, soon to be Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. In the process we catch up on the overwritten soap opera that was politics in Constantinople in the 470s. It’s a wild ride. Webpage for this episode Maps Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.o...

455 to 490 CE Odoacer is a name that is little known and little celebrated. This episode illuminates the career of the soldier who closed the book on the Roman empire, who was he, and why don't we know him better?  Episode Website Support the Show References Bury, John B. 1967. The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians. Edited by Fossey John C. Hearnshaw. New York: Norton. Eugippius. 1965. Commemor...

This the first episode of Season 2 takes a broad look at what the waging of war looked like in the dark ages, from weapons to tactics and funding. It's good to be back. For the transcript of this episode, along with images and links, visit www.darkagespod.com . Now you can support the podcast at ko-fi.com/darkagespod , the digital tip-jar. Help me keep the lights on around here with just a few buc...

474 to 476 CE In which we kill off the Western Roman Empire, and then dig through the remains to try and figure out what happened. More importantly, where do we go from here?   Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod at Free Music Archive Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

c. 367 to c. 460 CE The much-promised episode about post Roman Britain arrives, to explore what a real Dark Age would look like.   Sources   Music Credits: Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod at Free Music Archive Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Other Music: "Pippin the Hunchback", "Nordic Wist", & "Moorland", all by Kevin...

453 CE to 460 CE Out of the wreckage of Attila's empire, new peoples emerge. New actors inject new elements into the political game of the late Roman empire British Museum entry for the Gepids, with some artefacts History Files Article and Regnal List of the Gepids Scirian Earring found at Bakod Puszta   Sources Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod at Free Music Archive Licensed under Creat...