Episode 298 - The Providence of God

How do you explain your strange interest in Byzantium to your friends and family? I argue that you can't understand the modern world without Byzantium.This is the last episode of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

I answer the final batch of questions which came in after 1453. They are mostly fun speculation or about me and the podcast. Our Constantine Acrostic Christianized the Roman state,Oldest offspring of the Great.Nearly reigned one hundred days,Saved the city, so they say.Theophanes ... Show More

A discussion with Professor Anthony Kaldellis about how the Romans became Greeks.Anthony Kaldellis is the Gaylord Donnelly Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Classics and the College at the University of Chicago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i ... Show More

Following the death of Constantine, a short dynastic bloodbath occurs, after which his sons divide the empire between themselves. In addition, the new emperors also permit all the eastern bishops exiled by their father to return. As a result violent clashes soon erupt between riv ... Show More

The long-lost heir to the throne of Athens reluctantly sets off to claim his birthright. But when Theseus discovers his father is ensnared by a sorceress, he might just get to be the hero he’s dreamt of being all along. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/a ... Show More

In this episode, we uncover the brief and bizarre reign of Emperor Shah Jahan II, who ascended the Mughal throne in absentia after his father’s assassination. Overshadowed by court intrigue and swiftly dethroned, his story is a testament to the empire’s turbulent decline. Tune in ... Show More

The Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos had asked the pope for a small crack team of western knights to aid him with his struggles in Asia Minor – a plea for help which had set crusading wheels into motion. But, he was shocked when waves of unruly crusaders began arriving in wav ... Show More

Succession once again warrants its own episode. Al Saffah relied on three commanders to oversee different parts of his caliphate, and while the setup kept the new dynasty safe and stable, the ambitions of these three leaders clashed soon after the caliph passed away. 

Darius has already been defeated by Alexander. His wife has been kidnapped and has now died in childbirth. The omens sent by the gods bode ill for him. Yet, the two are ready to face off at Gaugamela. Will Darius be the first commander to defeat Alexander in battle, or will he fa ... Show More

The self-proclaimed Kung Wu of Zhou stands triumphant amid the smoking ruins of the Shang Dynasty... but though the war is over, victory is far from assured. With his premature death, his unready heir will prompt rebellion against the fledgling Zhou Dynasty - not only by the Shan ... Show More

On his death bed, Babur tells his eldest son not to fight with his brothers however awful they will be to him. As his father passes away, Humayun inherits a fragile empire on shaky ground. And his dad’s message of peace quickly comes to the fore when his treacherous younger broth ... Show More

Beginning his life in exile, this Egyptian deity soon learns that he has a destiny to fulfill... and rises to challenge his uncle for rule over the ancient Egyptian pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe travel back to the third century CE to discuss the Battle of Edessa, in which the Sasanian Empire not only defeated the Roman army but also took its Emperor as a prisoner of war. How did the emperor’s capture impact the a ... Show More