May 2024

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 89 "Belisarius is Back!"

In 540, the Persians sacked Antioch. It was one of the greatest disasters in Roman history. But in 541, Belisarius was back from Italy. Could he now reverse the situation on the eastern front?For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website <a href='https://www.nic ... Show More

28m 38s

May 2024

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 90 "Three Hundred Heroes"

In 544, Belisarius returned to Italy to fight the Goths. It was his last campaign and the end of his career. But many years later, he was asked by the emperor Justinian to don his armor one more time and save the empire from a new foe!For a free ebook, maps and blogs ch ... Show More

25m 18s

May 2024

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 91 "Those Doomed to Suffer"

In the early 550s, with its economy and population recovering from the effects of the Justinianic Plague, Justinian launched a new offensive to subdue the Ostrogoths in Italy. This time the Roman army was well resourced and success looked likely. But would the cost of victory ... Show More

27m 33s

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

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 o ... Show More

50m 18s

Jul 2022

Hannibal vs Rome: Terror at Trasimene

Towards the beginning of the Second Punic War on 21 June 217 BC, a Carthaginian force under Hannibal launched a vicious ambush on a Roman army commanded by Gaius Flaminius. The resulting battle, at Lake Trasimene in Italy, saw a complete capitulation of the Roman for ... Show More

39m 10s

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

36m 58s

Jul 2023

How to Survive Plague and War in the Middle Ages

Throughout history, there have been plenty of hugely destructive, catastrophic moments. And yet somehow the human race managed to live on until today. So how did people in the Medieval period find ways to survive, for example, a siege of their city, or a natural disaster, or p ... Show More

25m 16s

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 ... Show More

37m 53s

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 superpow ... Show More

59m 23s

Apr 2023

The Great Fire of Rome

In July 64AD, the Great Fire of Rome tore across the city, and ultimately burnt two thirds of Rome to ashes before it could be bought under control. A devastating event that can still be seen in the archaeology today, it ultimately led to the first persecution against the earl ... Show More

41m 58s

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 88 ...