logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
25m 50s

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 84 ...

Nick Holmes
About this episode

After Belisarius' heroic defense of Rome in 537-538, it looked as if there might be a rapid end to the Gothic war. But no. The Roman high command was wracked by internal division that would prolong the war and lead to the tragic sack of Milan.
Check out my website nickholmesauthor.com for a free ebook, maps and blogs.
Find my latest book, 'Rome and Attila' on Amazon

For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.

Up next
Jul 5
UPDATE ON NEXT SEASON - THE DARK AGES
Apologies for the long radio silence, I’ve been busy with other projects but now I want to update you on the next and final season in this podcast which I’m super excited about because it will cover what I regard as one of the most fascinating parts of the story of the fall of th ... Show More
4m 10s
Apr 19
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 114 "The Missing Link"
Why did Arabia rise so rapidly in the seventh century AD to become the dominant global superpower? In this episode, we look at a fascinating new theory.For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amaz ... Show More
22m 11s
Apr 5
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 113 "Byzantium's Greatest Victory"
The Arab siege of Constantinople in 717/718 was one of the greatest turning points in all of history. Discover why in this episode.For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Fo ... Show More
24m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2020
Fall of the Western Roman Empire
In the late 4th century and early 5th centuries two massive largely-Germanic confederations arrived on Roman borders, having been uprooted from their homelands by the Huns. These were the Goths and the Vandals. Both peoples would become prime enemies of the Roman Empires in the E ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 2020
The Fall of the Roman Empire
In 476, the last of the Roman emperors in the West was deposed; in 1776, historian Edward Gibbon wrote “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, and Rome’s fate became a major point of comparison for all empires. In Gibbon's view, instead of inquiring why the Rom ... Show More
39m 40s
Oct 2023
Life in Rome at the Very Height of Its Power
The Pax Romana has long been shorthand for the empire’s golden age. Stretching from Caledonia to Arabia, Rome ruled over a quarter of the world’s population. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state in the history of humankind. Today we are speaking with Tom Holland, autho ... Show More
37m 53s
Feb 2024
423. Carthage vs. Rome: The Wolf at the Gates (Part 3)
“Every man is the architect of his own destiny”Long before Rome reigned over the Mediterranean, there was Carthage: the supreme predator of Antiquity. But how did Rome rise to become one of the most ruthless powers of all time, united in cold, disciplined violence? And what was i ... Show More
51m 29s
Jan 2022
The Birth of the Roman Empire
16 January 27 BC is a date sometimes associated with the beginning of the Roman Empire. It was on that day that Octavian received the name Augustus, effectively becoming the first emperor of Rome. Augustus ordered the gates of Janus to be closed, marking an end to the period of C ... Show More
50m 18s
Sep 2023
The Roman Legionary
When you picture ancient Roman Soldiers, an image of battle-hardened warriors equipped with iron breastplates, large rectangular shields and mighty helmets will no doubt come to mind. Immortalised in cinematic classics like 'Gladiator' or HBO Period Dramas - the depictions of Rom ... Show More
1h 6m
Aug 2020
'Killing for the Roman Republic'
In 281/280 BC, the Hellenistic King Pyrrhus ventured to southern Italy to aid the Italiote-Greek city of Tarentum against a rising power based in central Italy. This enemy was the Romans. Over the next 150 years this civilisation would rise to become the Mediterranean superpower, ... Show More
59m 23s
Feb 2023
Heliogabalus: Rome’s scandalous emperor
The story of the Roman emperor Heliogabalus is filled with sex, death, decadence and religious extremism, but it also touches on some key questions about imperial Rome. What were the limits of political power? How far should a ruler intervene in the life of his subjects? And what ... Show More
38m 58s