logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
37m 4s

The Fall of Constantinople

History Hit
About this episode

May 1453 saw the siege that would lead to the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was the culmination of an age-long struggle between Christianity and Islam for control of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Ottoman leader Mehmed II had dreamed of possessing the city since he was a boy, and now the shining light of Christian civilization, which had lasted 1100 years, fell into the hands of Ottomans. 


In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis is joined by Prof. Marc David Baer to delve into this epochal moment in medieval history.


This episode was edited and produced by Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior Producer was Elena Guthrie.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

Up next
Aug 21
Emperor Nero
Emperor Nero has gone down in history as the archetypal bad ruler - cruel, decadent, and perhaps even responsible for setting Rome ablaze. But how much of this is fact, and how much is propaganda?Dr Shushma Malik from the University of Cambridge joins us to dive into Nero’s reign ... Show More
45m 16s
Aug 19
The Colosseum
Join Dan in Rome as he unravels the dramatic story of the Colosseum and the gladiators who fought — and died — for glory. From the origins of gladiatorial combat in funerary rites to the elaborate, politically charged spectacles of the Imperial era, Dan reveals what it took to re ... Show More
1h 12m
Aug 17
Napoleon in Paris
Napoleon Bonaparte dreamed Paris would be the 'capital city of the universe' and much of what we see - and love - about Paris is thanks to him. The long straight boulevards, the fountains, the galleries and museums- even the bread that comes with European cuisine were brought in ... Show More
48m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Constantinople
From humble beginnings as a modest Greek colony, through its later grandeur as part of the Roman and Ottoman Empire, the city of Constantinople has witnessed centuries of transformation. A melting pot of cultures and religions, it was the bridge between the East and West, where i ... Show More
59m 55s
May 18
The Council of Nicaea
1700 years ago, the Roman Emperor Constantine called an unprecedented meeting of early Christian leaders from across the empire to settle a fierce dispute threatening to split the early Church. The result? The Council of Nicaea - Christianity’s first great general council and the ... Show More
38m 26s
Dec 2024
Emperor Constantine
How did Constantine the Great conquer his rivals and shape the Roman Empire? Tristan Hughes discusses the dramatic rise of Roman Emperor Constantine I with Professor David Potter. They discuss the scandalous tales and strategic manoeuvres that defined Constantine's ascent, includ ... Show More
51m 14s
Nov 2024
Emperor Macrinus: Usurper of Rome
Denzel Washington stars as Emperor Macrinus in the epic new movie Gladiator II, but who exactly was this shadowy ruler of Rome? Join Tristan Hughes as he sits down with Dr Alex Imrie and Matilda Brown to explore the real story behind this lesser-known usurper of Rome, a North Afr ... Show More
56m 48s
Jan 2025
The Rise and Fall of Al-Andalus
Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Brian A. Catlos to explore the nearly eight centuries of Al Andalus, Islamic Spain. From a daring invasion in 711 led by Tariq ibn Ziyad to the emergence of great cities like Cordoba, Matt and Brian delve into the multicultural experiment where M ... Show More
53m 13s
Jun 2024
Rise of the Crusader States
The Crusader states in the Near East were created after the First Crusade in order to keep hold of the territorial gains made by those known in the region as the Franks - essentially Christians from Western Europe. What can the military activities of the many different factions i ... Show More
38m 51s
Dec 2024
The Fall of Constantinople
Assassin's Creed Revelations transports us to Constantinople, only a couple of generations after its conquest by the Ottoman Empire. It is one of history’s defining events, turning the city into the bridge between Christian West and Islamic East. Dr Gemma Masson gives Matt Lewis ... Show More
45m 5s
Jan 2025
The Roman Invasion of Britain
43 AD. A large Roman armada sails across the perilous English Channel intent on conquest. It is the dawn of one of the most seminal moments in Britain’s ancient history. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by archeologist Duncan Mackay to follow in the foots ... Show More
46m 47s
Oct 2020
Crassus and the Battle of Carrhae: The Defeat of Rome
Gareth Sampson, author of Defeat of Rome in the East: Crassus, the Parthians, and the Disastrous Battle of Carrhae, 53 BC came on the podcast to provide an in depth account of Marcus Crassus’ disastrous campaign east of the Euphrates River in 53 BC. Gareth sorted the fact from th ... Show More
57m 22s
Oct 2024
Pyrrhus: Warlord of Ancient Greece
It’s 279 BC. On a large plain in Southern Italy near the town of Asculum, a famous Greek warlord likened to Alexander the Great faces down the legions of the Roman Republic. His name was Pyrrhus of Epirus. And the victory that he won at Asculum would come to define his legacy. In ... Show More
1h 7m