The History of 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 […]

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 to […]

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 […]

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 […]

I talk to Eric Halsey about his new book State Builders from the Steppe: A History of the First Bulgarian Empire. In it he chronicles the rise and fall of the Bulgars as they arrive in the Balkans and forge a state that would be a thorn in the Byzantine side. I thoroughly recommended the […]

To mark the 1000th anniversary of his death we revisit the bachelorhood of Basil II. My guest is Mark Masterson — until recently Associate Professor of Classics at Victoria University of Wellington (retired 2025). His work explores masculinity, desire, and male social bonds in the Roman world. In his book Between Byzantine Men he discusses […]