A conversation with Sverrir Jakobsson (University of Iceland) about the experiences of Northmen -- especially Varangians -- who traveled to Constantinople and the south and returned home with stories, swords, riches, and prestige. The conversation is based on Sverrir's book The Varangians: In God’s Holy Fire (Palgrave 2020). Instead of my usual intro, Sverri ... Show More
Nov 20
144. The two millennia of Roman history, with Ed Watts
<p>A conversation with Ed Watts (University of California, San Diego) about his recent book, The Romans: A 2,000 Year History (Basic Books 2025), which covers two millennia of Roman history, down to 1204 AD. We talk about questions of scale in writing history, of continuity and d ... Show More
1h 7m
Jun 2024
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 93 "Anatomy of a Regime"
<p>In this episode, we look at society and religion in the age of Justinian. And we discover something that's been hidden in the sands of Egypt for 1,500 years.</p><p>For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website <a href='https://www.nickholmesauthor.com/'>nickholmes ... Show More
25m 7s
Dec 2024
Episode #216 - Did the Siege of Constantinople Even Happen? (Part I)
When the capital of the Roman empire was moved from Rome to the city of Constantinople, the city on the Bosporus strait became one of the most important places on planet earth. One top being the heart of Roman religious, political, and cultural life for a millennium, the city had ... Show More
1h 14m
Aug 2017
Anthony Kaldellis, “Streams of Gold, Rivers of Blood: The Rise and Fall of Byzantium, 955 A.D. to the First Crusade” (Oxford UP, 2017)
In the 10th century, a succession of Byzantine rulers reversed centuries of strategic policy by embarking on a series of campaigns that dramatically reshaped their empire. This effort and its consequences for the history of the region is the focus of Anthony Kaldellis‘s Streams o ... Show More
56m 57s
Jan 2023
Faithful Frontiers: A Turkish Scholar Describes How She Became a Catholic Apologist
Derya Little has been a Muslim, an atheist, and a Protestant; today she is a Catholic writer and apologist. She tells the story of her conversion, talks about faith, family, Islam, history, the role of women in our Church. Since she and I are both fans of Star Trek and some other ... Show More
1h 13m
Apr 2024
Season 3, Episode 6: Richard E. Rubenstein, Aristotle's Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages
Join Professors Jeffrey Sachs and an expert on religious conflict, Richard E. Rubenstein as they discuss Rubenstein’s book, Aristotle's Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages. Rubenstein skillfully guides us th ... Show More
48m 49s
Aug 11
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT - 'The End of Antiquity' Book 5 in The Fall of the Roman Empire
Although I’m no longer making new episodes of this podcast, I thought you might be interested in my latest book, called The End of Antiquity, which relates particularly well to the content in this podcast since it’s about the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD and the collap ... Show More
1m 53s
Aug 11
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT - 'The End of Antiquity' Book 5 in The Fall of the Roman Empire
<p>I wanted to let you know that my latest book, <em>The End of Antiquity</em>, is now available in both paperback and ebook on Amazon and will be available through most major book retailers soon.</p><p>It explores the final days of the Roman and Persian empires, and how they wer ... Show More
2m 21s