logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
49m 44s

The Jagiellonians: the dynasty that shap...

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
Natalia Nowakowska reveals the story of the Jagiellonians – one of the most successful dynasties that many people have never even heard of. Speaking with Emily Briffett, she discusses how they rose from pagan tribal origins in Lithuania to become one of the biggest Catholic dynasties in Europe, with an expansive empire and a legacy that can still be felt tod ... Show More
Up next
Today
What causes cultures to decline and fall?
The new BBC TV series Civilisations: Rise and Fall charts the decline of some of history's most famous cultures, from the Aztecs to the ancient Egyptians. Three of its experts – Islam Issa, Caroline Dodds Pennock and Luke Kemp – joined Matt Elton to explore some of the series' ma ... Show More
44m 5s
Yesterday
Christopher Marlowe: life of the week
From his possible espionage work for the Elizabethan state to his open flirtations with atheism and subversive sexual themes, the brief life of playwright Christopher Marlowe tells us much about the shadowy edges of 16th-century England. Stephen Greenblatt joins Elinor Evans to d ... Show More
42m 54s
Nov 24
Uprising: the Civil Wars untangled
On 30 January 1649, Charles I was led on to a freshly erected scaffold outside Whitehall’s Banqueting House in London. Thousands of spectators watched in shock and awe as the king of England, Scotland and Ireland was executed as a traitor. It was the climax of one of the most des ... Show More
37 m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
137. Empress Theodora: Making Heaven on Earth
The Empress Theodora is often unfairly remembered for the salacious stories that have been told about her when she was forced to work in a brothel. She was far more than that. She used her power to improve the fortunes of women who were unfortunate enough to go through the same s ... Show More
55m 37s
Dec 2023
105. The Last Great War of Antiquity
Eurasia is divided into two great superpowers. Khusrow II rules the Sassanian Empire. Maurice, the last of the Justinian dynasty, rules their mighty rivals, the Byzantines. When he is overthrown, Khusrow looks to capitalise upon the chaos, invades his neighbour, and begins to swe ... Show More
47m 49s
Aug 2023
75. Catherine the Great: The Golden Age
Not a drop of Russian blood. A woman in a world ruled by men. A loveless marriage to a man who lacked even a shred of empathy. The odds were always stacked against Catherine the Great when she arrived from Prussia. But this German Princess and child of the Enlightenment was a pol ... Show More
51m 23s
Apr 2024
138. The Graceful Reed: Ruling the Islamic Empire
Sold as a slave to the great Abbasid Caliph, al-Khayzuran quickly rose to the very top of the pyramid. Through marriage and motherhood, she became wife of the caliph and then Queen Mother and in both instances she wielded extraordinary power. In the court at Baghdad - the very he ... Show More
43m 18s
Jul 2021
The History of the Knights Templar in Ireland
<p>You've probably heard of the Knights but did you know they had a long history in Ireland lasting nearly two centuries?</p><br><p>In this podcast I interview Maeve Callan, an expert on the history of the Templars in Ireland. Maeve details this intriguing story from their first ... Show More
13m 40s
Jan 2024
Episode 280 - The New Roman Empire with Anthony Kaldellis. Part 3 - Narrative
Professor Kaldellis' new history of Byzantium is out now in the USA and on Kindle everywhere. In our third conversation we walk through the narrative picking out interesting things to talk about. The creation of Constantinople, Justinian's personality, Heraclius' achievements and ... Show More
1h 42m
Nov 2011
Sisi: The Empress of Austria and Her Cult of Beauty
<p>Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi, is often considered the public's "favorite" member of the Habsburgs. She only reluctantly carried out her duties, but her murder created an outcry across Europe -- and the story doesn't end there.</p><p> </p> Learn more about ... Show More
30m 4s
May 2024
445. The Habsburgs: Secrets of a Dynasty
The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the Habsburg dynasty's mightiest ruler, was at once King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgundy. With a lineage supposedly stretching back to Noah’s Ark, and a name born in Ancient Rome, the Habsburgs are one ... Show More
56m 29s
Apr 2024
142. Isabella of Castile: Uniting Spain
To some she is Europe’s first great queen, to others she is one of history’s great villains, but there is no doubt that Isabella of Castile holds one of the most significant legacies in European history. Born third in line to the throne of Castile, she asserted herself and rose t ... Show More
46m 49s
Mar 2024
135. Helena: Queen of the World and Finder of the One True Cross
Born in poverty at a time when the Roman Empire was in danger of cracking up and disintegrating, Helena was set for a life of obscurity as a stable hand, bar maid, and, according to some, a prostitute. Yet, in the most improbable tale she rose through the social hierarchy to be p ... Show More
56m 51s