Villains and Virgins History Podcast

This is the story of a woman who began as a circus performer and child prostitute, and became Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. No less remarkable is her husband Justinian, who became emperor. This episode takes you into the heart of Constantinople in the 6th century, where slaves, chariot races, spies, and intrigue are part of an empire in transition. It is also one of the greatest love storie...

The story of Troy has resounded across millennia: the beauty of Helen, the nobility of Hector, and the feats of Achilles have become legend. One man set out to prove that this story was not just legend, it was history. His name was Heinrich Schliemann, and he is an incredibly controversial and deeply eccentric character. He was the man who pursued the history of Troy, and also plundered it. Was he...

Rumi was a 13th century poet and mystic often quoted today.  He was born into a world shattered by the Mongol invasions that sent his family fleeing the only home they had known.  Along the road we meet Francis of Assisi, the army of the Fifth Crusade, a couple of sultans, and cave dwelling Christians.  Rumi will develop his own approach to faith that scandalises religious conservatives and inspir...

The story of how Constantinople was assaulted and sacked by the army of the Fourth Crusade is horrifying.   Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and it was full of Eastern Christians.   So how did the army of the Fourth Crusade, who thought they were going to fight Muslims and reconquer Jerusalem, end up looting churches and assaulting nuns?   A naive prince, a cunning Venet...

Of all the Crusades, this one may be the worst.  It is the story of how an army of Crusaders end up fighting only other Christians, and it ends with the sacking of Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and the heart of the eastern Christian world.  It is a tale of mistakes, greed, and misjudgment.  Along the way we meet a runaway prince with delusions of grandeur, and the powerfu...

The Third Crusade is over and King Richard the Lionheart is making his way home, escorted by the Knights Templar. After a daring journey in disguise, he will end up becoming a prisoner, as enemies he has made settle scores. When he is ransomed and returns to his kingdom, he has a few scores of his own to settle. This story is a crazy ride through the politics of medieval Europe, where serving the...

The Third Crusade involves two of the most well known figures of any crusade: Richard I, the Lionheart, King of England, and Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, Sultan of Egypt and Syria. These two men each command an army, and the fate of the Near East hangs in the balance.  After the Siege of Acre, the army of the Third Crusade takes the road to Jerusalem.  Along the way they will face Saladin, and ha...

The siege of Acre, from 1189-1191 was one of the most brutal battles of the Third Crusade.  The armies of the King of Jerusalem surrounded the city of Acre, but were themselves under attack from the armies of Saladin.  Into this mess, the armies of the Third Crusade, led by King Richard the Lionheart of England and Philip Augustus of France, joined the fight.  The brutal siege lasted for two years...

Richard the Lionheart is one of the most famous English kings and he made his reputation on the Third Crusade. In this episode we take a closer look at the man behind the legend. His mother was the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his father was the easily angered Henry II. Richard's early career as a feudal enforcer made him an expert in siege warfare. The fall of Jerusalem triggers the call for...

Saladin and Richard the Lionheart are two of the most legendary figures in the history of the Crusades.  Saladin was both feared and admired by his friends and his enemies.  This episode explores the rise of this remarkable character.  We also meet the noble knight Balian of Ibelin, Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem, and the bellicose brigand Reynauld of Chatillon.  There are Templar knights, a siege dur...

The Knights Templar are one of the most famous medieval orders.  They combined legendary discipline and bravery in battle with the ascetic habits of monks.  Then they were publicly disgraced in a show trial and soon after the Pope dissolved the Order.  But some Templars survived, and even thrived in other parts of Europe, particularly in Portugal.  This episode is a sweeping ride through the Recon...

The story of Portugal during the 100 Years War is a story of lust, treachery and murder.  It is also a story of survival and resistance.  This episode covers Portugal's most notorious queen: a beautiful woman who imprisoned and killed her political enemies.  The history of the royal court includes tragic love story of Ines de Castro and the military genius of Nun Alvarez.  We also cover Portugal's...

The volcanic eruption that buried Pompeii was a catastrophe of epic proportions. But the mass burial site it created also preserved details of daily life in a first century Roman city that we might otherwise never know. From flying phalluses and gladiators to condiments made from decaying fish, dive into the life and death of Pompeii. To support this podcast on Patreon go to: www.patreon.com/evasc...

Santa Claus is a very strange figure when you think about it.  Where does he come from and why does he fly through the sky handing out presents at night? This episode traces the connection with an old Norse god and an Anatolian bishop from the 3rd century, and explores the gritty reality of life in the Roman empire for ordinary people.  You will never look at old Saint Nick the same way again. 

What did life look like for the average soldier in the Roman army?  In this episode we get into the details of packs, march speed, camp construction, and food on the march.  Many of the procedures for new recruits in the Roman military machine sound shockingly familiar.  The penalties for breaking the rules were extremely severe.  Come along on the march with Legionary Valerius and experience a ta...

The sword is more than just a weapon. It has been used to dub knights and legitimise kings, determine guilt and settle matters of honour. From the ancient Romans and the Song of Roland to dueling culture and German Mensur matches, this cultural history traces the legends and traditions that have given the sword its enduring mystique.

The horrific murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in his own cathedral shocked Europe and immediately created one of the most famous martyrs in English history.  The story begins with Thomas Becket in exile in France, fleeing the anger of Henry II of England.  Despite being the king's pick for Archbishop of Canterbury, he has refused to cooperate with the king's plans for the church.  An internation...

King Henry II was a man with a terrible temper. He was determined to have absolute control of his subjects, but one unlikely man stood up to him. In this episode women are seized from convents and forcibly married, messengers suffer grisly punishments, and a good number of body parts are forcibly removed when the king flies into a rage. This is the story of archbishop Thomas Becket who stood up to...

This is the story of how one woman changed the balance of power in Western Europe, by divorcing one man and marrying another.  Eleanor of Aquitaine is the Queen of France, but has been alienated from her husband.  Her campaign for an end to that marriage led to a shocking remarriage with a much younger man, and the beginning of the Plantaganet dynasty in England.  Along the way we discover why our...

The dwindling army of the Second Crusade arrives in Antioch, where a quarrel over military strategy is influenced by rumours of a sex scandal involving the Queen of France. The Crusaders make some very bad decisions, leading to a failed attack and a humiliating retreat. Find out why the Second Crusade was such a dismal failure. Support this podcast on Patreon.com/evaschubert For details of an upco...

The Second Crusade leaves Europe under the command of two kings, fielding the largest number of men in a generation.  Eleanor of Aquitaine rides with her husband, King Louis VII of France, while Conrad Hohenstaufen leads forces from the Holy Roman Empire.  What follows is not glorious victory, but embarrassment and disaster on an epic scale.  The fingers of blame point in all directions, as the Cr...

The Second Crusade would be a disaster, but why did it happen and how did it get started?  The call to arms was preached by a closet dwelling ascetic who happened to be the leading churchman of his generation-- none other than Bernard of Clairveaux.  In this episode we meet Eleanor of Aquitaine, the queen who ruled both France and then England, and went on crusade.  A horrifying mass death, a guil...

The Templars began as warrior monks, but have been linked to everything from demon worship to forbidden sexual practices. What happened? This episode follows the history of the spectacular fall of a knightly order. A power struggle between a king and a pope, infiltration, torture, and the Inquisition -- it is a turbulent tale. Because of the many rumours about the Templars, I will point out that t...

The Knights Templar are surrounded by legends and conspiracy theories.  Who were they actually? This episode tracks the Templars from their inception as an order of warrior monks in the Crusader state of Jerusalem, to their astonishing expansion into an international organisation of enormous wealth and power.  Along the way we encounter Crusader kings, Bernard of Clairveaux, the white slave trade,...

The Crusaders have taken Jerusalem but they face one final battle.  When the men start to head home, the legend of the First Crusade is born, and a massive new wave of Crusaders heads east.  Not everyone wants to go home however; Godfrey of Bouillon becomes ruler of Jerusalem.  His brother Baldwin manages to take control of Edessa, and one Crusader aspires to be not just a prince, but to take the...