logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
45m 3s

Why the Middle Ages matter

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
The Middle Ages have often been shrouded in myth and mystery, but was it actually as unchanging, uncivilised and muddy as we might think? Historian and author Ian Mortimer challenges these popular perceptions, arguing how the period has often been overlooked in favour of later centuries. Speaking to Emily Briffett, Ian highlights how the medieval period was ... 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
May 2023
Medieval Warfare: Deception and Trickery
<p>Deception and trickery have always been a universal feature of warfare and the wars of the Middle Ages were no exception - from the Battle of Hastings to the “fake corpse ruse”.&nbsp;But how did Medieval mores justify deception during wars?&nbsp;Was cunning considered an admir ... Show More
35m 40s
Jan 2024
Past the Medieval Horizon — with Ian Mortimer and Lydia WIlson
<p>Ian Mortimer is frustrated. The historian and author of “Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter” says the problem is that most people seem to think they don’t. </p> <p> </p> <p>“You realize how little people know about the world around them,” Mortimer tells New Lines ma ... Show More
40m 14s
May 2023
How the Mediterranean Created Wealth
<p>What does archaeology tell us about how regions in the Mediterranean built their wealth between the 10th and 12th centuries?&nbsp;How did economies grow in Egypt, Tunisia, Sicily, the Byzantine empire, Islamic Spain and Portugal, and north-central Italy? And what were their tr ... Show More
27m 42s
Sep 2023
The Middle Ages in Five Facts
<p>Where is the grave of King Arthur? What was the worst year in human history? Who were the most fractious royal siblings? What were the origins of humble pie? Which monsters pre-occupied Medieval minds?</p><br><p>In this episode, <em>Gone Medieval</em>’s co-hosts Matt Lewis and ... Show More
39m 34s
May 2022
A Violent History of Fun - Having the Craic in Medieval Ireland 50/16
When you think of the Middle Ages what springs to mind? Medieval battles, warfare and general hardship? Certainly not fun. However while medieval Ireland was a violent place by any standard people were still able to enjoy themselves. In this episode I explore what our medieval an ... Show More
14m 18s
May 2024
Travel Guide to the Middle Ages
<p>If you are planning - or dreaming of - your next holiday, have you stopped to wonder whether our medieval counterparts did exactly the same thing? Why did people travel in the Middle Ages, and what was the experience like for them? Were there any similarities with travelling ... Show More
37 m
Feb 2024
Medieval Apocalypse
<p>In the early 12th century, when England was suffering wave after wave of Viking invasions, many wondered how God could allow their kingdom to be ravaged by pagans? The Archbishop of York Wulfstan had an answer: the apocalypse was coming. What did that mean to people in the Mid ... Show More
29m 15s
Nov 2023
Life on the Medieval Coast
<p>The popular BBC television series <em>Villages by the Sea</em> explores coastal life through the centuries. Its presenter Ben Robinson is an archaeologist with the fantastic job of exploring lost villages and uncovering their secrets, including those that give an insight into ... Show More
41m 8s
Oct 2020
Classic Tides | Peasants and the Medieval Countryside
<p>When we think of the medieval world, our minds usually turn to knights, royalty, and clergy. But the backbone of the medieval economic and social order was the humble peasant. In this rebroadcast from 2018, we explore the world and lives of the vast bulk of the people who actu ... Show More
54m 48s
Jan 2024
How To Keep Fit in the Middle Ages
<p>If your new year's resolutions include getting more exercise, drinking less, or eating well, you might be surprised to know that medieval people were every bit as interested as we are in becoming, being and staying healthy.</p><br><p>In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Elean ... Show More
30m 48s