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The History of Byzantium
Back to the Narrative
I have now finished all of the videos of Istanbul. So do subscribe to the History of Byzantium Youtube channel if you’d like to see them. The first few will go up next week.
I have also completed our next Byzantine Story. It will be available in the next hour. It’s about a provincial magnate named Kekaumenos whose life gives us the invaluable perspective of a Roman outsider. Someone who viewed the Emperor and his bureaucracy with some suspicion. For anyone interested in daily life in other parts of the Empire this is a must listen.
It will be available on the bonus episodes feed at Patreon and to anyone who is still subscribed at thehistoryofbyzantium.com. If your subscription ran out in the last year email me and I’ll add it to your feed for free.
You can also buy the episode on its own for $7 but remember from October the only place to get any bonus episodes will be Patreon. Go to patreon.com/historyofbyzantium to find out more. The feeds at Patreon are also advert-free.
You’ll be pleased to hear that I am now going back to the narrative. I’ll be back soon with the reign of John Komnenos, son of Alexios.
More episodes
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Episode 343 - The End of Crusading and the Third Rome
22:48|We look at the reaction to the fall of Constantinople in Venice, Rome and Russia. And briefly discuss those who claimed descent from Constantine XI.
Intelligent Speech conference this Saturday
01:49|What if Belisarius had accepted the Goths offer and become the Western Roman Emperor in 540AD? This is one scenario I will be discussing on Saturday at the Intelligent Speech Conference. Use the code Byzantium to get 10% off your ticket https://intelligentspeechonline.com/
Episode 342 - The Roman Diaspora
28:40|We look at the fate of the Roman people after 1453. Many were enslaved while others searched desperately for loved ones. Those who adapted quickly to Ottoman rule could gain great wealth. While some fled to the West.
Episode 341 - Mehmed and Constantinople
26:33|Mehmed did not make Constantinople his capital straight away. There were political, practical and psychological arguments against it. We talk about these and how the Sultan overcame them.
Episode 340 - Questions XVII
25:15|We look at all your questions about the siege of 1453. As well as the Palaiologan era in general.If you want to hear more about Trebizond then check out Byzansimp's Youtube series
Episode 339 - What Happened Next?
25:28|We follow events after the Ottomans broke through the walls of Constantinople. Taking the story up to the Sultans triumphant return to Edirne.To win the game Seljuk: Byzantium Besieged email me thehistoryofbyzantium at gmail.com before February 28th. See an interview with the creator here.
Episode 338 - Get Rid of Byzantium with Leonora Neville
39:57|Professor Leonora Neville joins us to make the case for getting rid of the term Byzantium for good. She wants to replace it with a different term and a different understanding of Roman history.Professor Neville is the John W and Jeanne M Rowe Chair of Byzantine History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She specialises in the 9-12th centuries of the Empire’s history. And her research has focussed on gender, civic religion, and religious aspects of political culture as well as historical memory and historiography.She has written several excellent books which have been vital to this podcast. Her guide to Byzantine historians is essential reading for students. Her book on Byzantine gender helped direct my episodes on ‘Women in the Roman world’ and her book on provincial authority was extremely helpful in understanding Kekaumenos. She is also a Senior fellow at Dumbarton Oaks and an editor of several book series. Find out more at the University of Madison-Wisconsin website.
Episode 336 - 10 Influential East Romans with Anthony Kaldellis. Part 2
01:10:37|As we look back at Byzantium I turned once more to Professor Anthony Kaldellis. I asked him to present a list of ten influential East Romans who were not featured heavily in the political narrative.Anthony Kaldellis is a Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Chicago. He is the author of over a dozen books on Byzantium including the definitive history (The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium). Find out more here.Timestamps:Photios: 0.47 secs - 15m 08sMichael Psellos: 15m 09s - 31m 25sAnna Komnene: 31m 26s - 39m 25sEustathios of Thessaloniki: 39m 26s - 47m 27sGeorge Gemistos Plethon: 47m 28s - 1h 07m 22s
Episode 335 - 10 Influential East Romans with Anthony Kaldellis. Part 1
01:15:10|As we look back at Byzantium I turned once more to Professor Anthony Kaldellis. I asked him to present a list of ten influential East Romans who were not featured heavily in the political narrative.Anthony Kaldellis is a Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Chicago. He is the author of over a dozen books on Byzantium including the definitive history (The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium). Find out more here.Timestamps:Gregory of Nazianzus: 6m 10s - 21m 12sJohn Chrysostom: 21m 12s - 38m 12sTribonian: 38m 12s - 52m 40sAnthemius of Tralles: 52m 40s - 1h 02mTheodore the Studite: 1h 02m - 1h 15m