logo
episode-header-image
Aug 30
24m 30s

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 118...

Nick Holmes
About this episode

In this episode, I’m going to focus on one of the most famous battles in history: the battle of Tours, or Poitiers as it’s sometimes called, in 732. It’s famous because some historians think it stopped the Arabs from conquering Europe. But others think its significance has been exaggerated and, even if the Arabs had won, they did not intend to conquer Europe. So, in this episode let’s try to find out what really happened.

For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.

Up next
Sep 27
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 120 "Charlemagne's Empire"
In this and the next episode, I want to look beyond the legend of Charlemagne to find the real man and his achievements and failings. His legend has made him into a symbol of power and authority as well as a figurehead for the cause of European integration. But it shouldn’t be fo ... Show More
24m 29s
Sep 13
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 119 "The Rise of the Carolingians"
In this episode, we explore how the Carolingians rose to become the dynasty that would claim to be the inheritors of Rome. For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German ... Show More
25m 6s
Aug 16
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 117 "The Slow Death of the Merovingians"
In modern France, the Frankish king, Clovis, is often celebrated as the first French king. But Clovis’ Merovingian dynasty was in fact destined to fade and die. In its place, there arose a new dynasty that would become more famous: the Carolingian. But before we say goodbye to th ... Show More
23m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
The Fall of Roman Britain
By 410 AD, over 450 years after Julius Caesar first landed on its shores, the Romans had formally withdrawn from Britain. Burdened by military threats and political upheaval on the continent, the empire began to contract in on itself. The Romano-Britons were left to fend for them ... Show More
36m 10s
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
Nov 2024
Gladiators: The Real Spartacus
Spartacus is probably the most famous gladiator in history but how much of his legend is actually true? Dan is joined by Dr Rhiannon Evans, from Melbourne’s Le Trobe University, a leading expert in Ancient History and one of the hosts of the Emperors of Rome podcast to find out. ... Show More
40m 58s
Sep 7
History of Ancient Rome, Part 1 of 2 - The Republic
This sleepy story about the History of Ancient Rome is the first of two parts, because there were too many things to say for one single episode. The next part about the end of the Republic and the Empire will be out soon. In this episode, I tell you about the origins of Rome, its ... Show More
1h 19m
Dec 2024
The Fall of Constantinople
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 b ... Show More
37m 4s
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
Sep 2024
Love, Betrayal, and the Battle for Rome (Replay)
HISTORY This Week returns with new episodes starting September 16th! In the meantime, listen to a favorite classic from the archives. September 2, 31 BCE. Two camps prepare for battle off the coast of Greece. On one side is Octavian, Julius Caesar’s heir apparent. On the other, M ... Show More
44m 48s
Apr 2025
Caesar Augustus | From Clay to Marble (Republish)
During the next few weeks, the 15-History Podcast team is taking a break and bringing you some of their favorite previous episodes. This episode originally aired on November 1, 2021._______The old man lay in his bed surrounded by courtiers and family members. He had traveled from ... Show More
16m 11s
Sep 3
597. The First World War: The Massacre of the Innocents (Part 4)
What happened at the crucial, bloody, Battle of Ypres in October 1914? How did the battle come about? Why did the Germans and the British fight each other so brutally and for so long to take Ypres? What made the fighting so particularly violent? How were the British able to repel ... Show More
55m 15s
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