After Julian's death on campaign in Persia in AD 363, his successors struggled to stave off growing barbarian invasions in the west and Persia's new-found dominance in the east. They did their best to keep the show on the road but the cracks in Rome's armour were beginning to show. Indeed, for the emperor Valentinian, it all proved too much when he literally ... Show More
Aug 2022
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 36 "The Huns are Coming"
In AD 376, a huge host of Goths, maybe 200,000 strong, appeared on the banks of the river Danube. But this was not the usual raid for plunder. Instead, the Goths appealed for asylum on Roman territory from a terrifying new enemy - the Huns.Support the showFor a free ebook, maps a ... Show More
21m 54s
Sep 2022
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 37 "War with the Goths"
In the summer of AD 376, a vast mass of Goths, maybe 200,000 men, women and children, appeared on the river Danube, begging for asylum. They were fleeing from the Huns. The eastern emperor, Valens, was at that moment preparing for war against the Persians. What should he do? The ... Show More
23m 49s
Aug 2025
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT - 'The End of Antiquity' Book 5 in The Fall of the Roman Empire
Although I’m no longer making new episodes of this podcast, I thought you might be interested in my latest book, called The End of Antiquity, which relates particularly well to the content in this podcast since it’s about the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD and the collap ... Show More
1m 53s
Feb 2024
Justinian: Greatest Byzantine Emperor?
<p>The Eastern Roman Emperor from 527 to 565, Justinian was a ruler who infused even the most mundane tasks with spiritual and religious significance. The challenges he faced - climate change, battles over culture and identity, the first recorded global pandemic - and many o ... Show More
40m 4s
Jun 2024
Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar (Extract)
To coincide with the re-release of Dynasty in audiobook, now with Tom Holland himself narrating, we have the book’s introduction for you to enjoy.
Dynasty, the sequel to Rubicon, is a dazzling portrait of Rome's first imperial dynasty, tracing the full astonishing story of its ... Show More
33m 58s
Jun 2024
Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic (Extract)
To coincide with the re-release of Rubicon in audiobook, now with Tom Holland himself narrating it, we have the book’s introduction for you to enjoy.
Rubicon is a story of incomparable drama. This was the century of Julius Caesar, the gambler whose addiction to glory led him to t ... Show More
25m 31s
Aug 2022
220. Justinian & Theodora: The Secret History (Part 3)
Wars, disease, and legacy.
In the final episode of the trilogy, Tom and Dominic discuss the Byzantine reconquest of Italy, the arrival of the Justinianic plague, and the legacy of Justinian and Theodora.
Join The Rest Is History Club for ad-free listening to the full archive, w ... Show More
53m 15s