Uncategorized – The History of Byzantium

Pic: By kind listener Amy Reilly How do you explain your strange interest in Byzantium to your friends and family? I argue that you can’t understand the modern world without Byzantium. This is the last episode of the podcast. Stream: You Can’t Understand the Modern World without Byzantium Download: You Can’t Understand the Modern World without Byzantium […]

I answer the final batch of questions which came in after 1453. They are mostly fun speculation or about me and the podcast.  Pic: Constantines V, VII and I Our Constantine Acrostic Christianized the Roman state,Oldest offspring of the Great. Nearly reigned one hundred days,Saved the city, so they say. Theophanes called him dung,Assassinated by his mum. Noted […]

Pic: The Entry of King Otto of Greece into Athens by Peter von Hess (1839) A discussion with Professor Anthony Kaldellis about how the Romans became Greeks. Anthony Kaldellis is the Gaylord Donnelly Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Classics and the College at the University of Chicago. Stream: How did Romans become Greeks Download: How […]

This is our last chance to talk about the Crusades on this podcast. So I put listener questions to Dr Nicholas Morton. Dr Morton is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern and Global history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. His research focuses on the history of the Crusades and the Medieval Middle East between the […]

Just trolling, he’s not on the list. Stream: The 10 Worst Byzantine Emperors Download: The 10 Worst Byzantine Emperors 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. – Leave a review on Itunes. – Follow me on Twitter or Instagram

I answer your questions about where the Romans got their gold from, how Romania ended up with a Romance language, Byzantine games of polo and more. Pic: Playing Polo at the Great palace by AMELIANVS on deviantart.com Stream: Questions XVIII Download: Questions XVIII RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you want to send in feedback to the […]

I answer your questions about the Secret History, eunuchs, the Doukas name, the Byzantine crown, the Crown of Thorns and more. Stream: Questions XVIII Download: Questions XVIII 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. – Leave a review on Itunes. […]

We explore the history of Trebizond under the Grand Komnenoi. Today I cover the period from 1297-1453. Pic: Emperor Alexios III, from the chrysobull he granted to the Dionysiou monastery on Mount Athos. The music for these episodes comes from the brilliant Youtube channel of Farya Faraji. Farya is a musicologist who collaborates with traditional musicians around the world...

Pic: Trabzon today, Citadel of Trebizond in the foreground Pic: View of Trabzon in 1882 by Charles Texier We explore the history of Trebizond under the Grand Komnenoi. Today I cover the period from 1204-1297. The music for these episodes comes from the brilliant Youtube channel of Farya Faraji. Farya is a musicologist who collaborates […]

I tackle your counter factual questions. Pic: What if Alexios and Bohemond could have worked together? FYI: Two real pictures photoshopped together. Stream: What If? Download: What If? 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. – Leave a review […]

Did you hear that Constantine XI didn’t die? That he was taken below ground by an angel and will one day return. We explore all the myths which attached themselves to the final Roman Emperor. Pic: Statue of Constantine XI in Athens Stream: The Immortal Emperor Download: The Immortal Emperor RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you […]

I investigate the death of the Emperor Constantine XI. What happened to him on the last day of his life? Pic: Constantine XI Palaiologos, fresco from the Holy Monastery of Pammegiston Taxiarchon in Aigialeia Stream: Cold Case: Constantine XI Download: Cold Case: Constantine XI RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium If you want to send in feedback to […]

We look at the reaction to the fall of Constantinople in Venice, Rome and Russia. And briefly discuss those who claimed descent from Constantine XI. Pic: The gravestone of Fernando Paleologus (c. 1619–1670), also known as Ferdinando or Fernando Palaiologos. He was an Anglo-Greek settler in Barbados who worked as a planter of cotton, sugar, […]

We look at the fate of the Roman people after 1453. Many were enslaved while others searched desperately for loved ones. Those who adapted quickly to Ottoman rule could gain great wealth. While some fled to the West. Pic: Thomas Palaiologos from the Pintoricchio fresco of Pius II’s arrival at Ancona, in the Siena Cathedral […]

Mehmed did not make Constantinople his capital straight away. There were political, practical and psychological arguments against it. We talk about these and how the Sultan overcame them. Pic: Mehmed II investing Gennadios II as the new Patriarch. Housed in the Patriarchal buildings in Istanbul. Stream: Mehmed and Constantinople Download: Mehmed and Constantinople RSS Feed: The History of [&#...

We look at all your questions about the siege of 1453. As well as the Palaiologan era in general. Pic: This painting of the siege is from the Panorama 1453 History Museum in Istanbul. It was a collaborative project led by Hashim Vatandaş If you want to hear more about Trebizond then check out Byzansimp’s Youtube series […]

We follow events after the Ottomans broke through the walls of Constantinople. Taking the story up to the Sultans triumphant return to Edirne. Pic: The entry of Mehmed II into Constantinople, Benjamin Constant, 1876 Stream: What Happened Next? Download: What Happened Next? RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium To win the game Seljuk: Byzantium Besieged email me thehistoryofbyzantium […]

Professor Leonora Neville joins us to make the case for getting rid of the term Byzantium for good. She wants to replace it with a different term and a different understanding of Roman history. Professor Neville is the John W and Jeanne M Rowe Chair of Byzantine History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She specialises […]

As we look back at Byzantium I turned once more to Professor Anthony Kaldellis. I asked him to present a list of ten influential East Romans who were not featured heavily in the political narrative. Anthony Kaldellis is a Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Chicago. He is the author of over […]