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The History of Byzantium
Baby and New Schedule
I have big news. A History of Byzantium baby is on the way. The purple room in the Palace is being prepared for the Autumn and I can assure you that the names Justinian and Theodora will not be under consideration.
Of course I’m very excited. But it means I think we need to change the way the podcast is scheduled. I plan on being as involved as possible during the first few months of my baby’s life. And so it won’t be possible to keep a normal podcast routine.
So what we’re going to do is switch to a sort of TV schedule. Where there is silence for a few months and then I will release a complete series of episodes. So that when the podcast is on air, so to speak, you know that it will be out every week without fail and that whatever period of narrative we’re in will reach a natural conclusion. This will include bonus episodes for those who subscribe over at Patreon.
I feel more comfortable switching to this new schedule thanks to Patreon. It means that those of you who kindly support the show can manage your subscriptions however you see fit. And if you’re still in any doubt about how Patreon works - you can pick up a subscription or cancel one any time you like. There is no contract or commitment. And when you resubscribe you get your benefits back instantly.
We’re going to switch to this new schedule immediately. So there will now be a period of silence before a run of episodes that will take us from the death of Manuel through to the sack of Constantinople in 1204.
I won’t be announcing any dates for this new schedule. The periods of silence will take as long as they take and then there will be loads of episodes in a row to enjoy. It will be an adjustment for all of us but I think it’s for the best.
I have pushed myself hard in the past to try and produce the podcast weekly and to leave as few gaps as possible and it can cause a lot of stress. History podcasting just does take a long time. Some topics take weeks to research. And the more I read the better the show gets.
I’m hoping this new schedule will make life easier for you and for me. Thank you for your patience and for your support.
More episodes
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Episode 355 - You Can’t Understand the Modern World without Byzantium
24:14|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.Episode 354 - Final Questions
32:32|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 called him dung,Assassinated by his mum.Noted writer, purple born,The Slayer's brother earns our scorn.If Monomachos tried his best,No Doukas could save the rest.Eleven fell amongst the crowd,So his forebears would be proud.Episode 353 - How did Romans become Greeks with Anthony Kaldellis
02:10:55|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.Episode 352 - Crusader Storm with Nicholas Morton
58:05|This is our last chance to talk about the Crusades on this podcast. So I put listener questions to Dr Nicholas Morton.Dr Morton is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern and Global history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. His research focuses on the history of the Crusades and the Medieval Middle East between the tenth and the fourteenth centuries. He has written four other books on Crusading and the Crusader states as well as The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East. His new book The Crusader Storm: A Global History of the Wars for the Middle East is available now.Episode 350 - Questions XIX
39:51|I answer your questions about where the Romans got their gold from, how Romania ended up with a Romance language, Byzantine games of polo and more.Episode 349 - Questions XVIII
26:01|I answer your questions about the Secret History, eunuchs, the Doukas name, the Byzantine crown, the Crown of Thorns and more.Episode 348 - Trebizond! Part Two
47:28|We explore the history of Trebizond under the Grand Komnenoi. Today I cover the period from 1297-1453.The music for these episodes comes from the brilliant Youtube channel of Farya Faraji. Farya is a musicologist who collaborates with traditional musicians around the world to present music from different cultures on his channel, with an emphasis on authenticity and accurate cultural representation. This track is called Trapezuntine - Epic Byzantine Music. You can buy his music here.Episode 347 - Trebizond! Part One
41:00|We explore the history of Trebizond under the Grand Komnenoi. Today I cover the period from 1204-1297.The music for these episodes comes from the brilliant Youtube channel of Farya Faraji. Farya is a musicologist who collaborates with traditional musicians around the world to present music from different cultures on his channel, with an emphasis on authenticity and accurate cultural representation. This track is called Trapezuntine - Epic Byzantine Music. You can buy his music here.