“And from that moment on, he was addressed as emperor and Augustus!”
The coronation of Charlemagne on Christmas Day 800 AD, is one of the landmark moments in all world history. More than three centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, the emperors had returned once more, and a Caesar ruled in Rome. But how did this legendary event come to pa ... Show More
Mar 12
651. London’s Golden Age: Sex and Scandal in Georgian Britain (Part 2)
Why was London such a cauldron of sexual scandal and political tumult in the 18th century? What licentious escapades did the infamous Scottish nobleman, James Boswell, get up to there? And, how did his legendary first meeting with the renowned wit Samuel Johnson, unfold? Join Tom ... Show More
1h 8m
Mar 9
650. London’s Golden Age: The Mad Life of Dr Johnson (Part 1)
Who was Samuel Johnson, the dominant literary celebrity of 18th century London and the man who wrote the Dictionary? Why did his friendship with James Boswell, a sex and celebrity obsessed, but very talented writer, flourish? And, how does this titanic friendship open a window on ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 2024
Irene of Athens, Byzantine Empress
Queens of the World Series: Irene of Athens ruled as regent for her son, Easter Roman Emperor, Constantine VI. But when he rose up against her and threatened her religious conviction, she had his eyes gouged out. Thus she became the first Roman Empress to rule in her own right. B ... Show More
23m 21s
Aug 2025
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 116 "Clovis, King of the Franks"
<p>By the year AD 719, the Arab/Berber army had conquered Iberia and was invading Gaul or what is modern France. They seemed unstoppable. Would western Europe fall to Islam? And would the Qu’ran be taught in the schools of Oxford, as Edward Gibbon rather mischievously speculated. ... Show More
26m 28s
Sep 2025
Who Was Muhammad II Fatih?
<p>The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked the end of the Roman Empire after more than 2,000 years and the rise of the Ottomans as a dominant global power. Dr. Roy explores the centuries of turmoil that led to this moment: Mongol invasions, the Black Death, fractured kingdoms, ... Show More
59m 10s
Aug 2025
#304 - Qing 39: Twilight of the Dragon
As both the Qianlong Emperor's extensive reign and the Eighteenth Century itself comes to a close, the Qing Empire faces - in spite of its outward posturing of timeless grandeur and invulnerability - an ever more uncertain future. By this time his successor, the Jiaqing Emperor, ... Show More
41m 15s
Apr 2025
Attila the Hun, Part 1 of 2
We’re in south-eastern Europe in the 400s AD. The once mighty Roman Empire is riven in two. And on the Great Hungarian Plain a fearsome enemy is rising. The Huns’ king, Attila, will become a terrifying, iconic figure. A byword for plundering and pillaging. The archetypal warlord. ... Show More
57m 10s