This is part two of my Q&A with Father John Strickland. We talk about the Protestant reformation, Autocephalous churches and connections to Byzantium amongst other topics. John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He wrote a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. He’s also recorded a podcast of the same name as an accompaniment to the books which you can find wherever you get your podcasts or at www.anci...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 4 min
This episode is brought to you by Telepaideia, a collection of live online courses in Latin, Ancient Greek, and the classical humanities offered by The Paideia Institute. Visit www.paideiainstitute.org/telepaideia to browse the course catalogue and register! It’s my pleasure today to welcome back Father John Strickland to the podcast. Four episodes ago we talked in detail about the Divine Liturgy and its place at the heart of Byzantine life. I put out the call for listeners to ask q...
Feb 12, 2025•57 min
This Saturday – the 8th February 2025 is the Intelligent Speech online conference. A gathering of fellow history podcasters. Who will be talking about Deception – lies and forgeries. There are 3 keynote speakers in Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, Otto English and Wesley Livesay. Along with a host of fun roundtables packed with podcasting talent. I will be on two panels. They are back to back so from 11 am – 1pm Eastern Standard time you will get all the History of Byzantium you need. I will be on a ...
Feb 03, 2025•1 min
This episode is brought to you by Telepaideia, a collection of live online courses in Latin, Ancient Greek, and the classical humanities offered by The Paideia Institute. Visit www.paideiainstitute.org/telepaideia to browse the course catalogue and register! I interview David Hendrix the man behind the incredible website ' The Byzantine Legacy .' It was David who showed me around Istanbul when I first visited in 2018. His website is an amazing resource for anyone who wants to know what sur...
Jan 30, 2025•42 min
Happy New Year. I have two interviews coming out shortly for you to enjoy. One with David Hendrix of the Byzantine Legacy website ( www.thebyzantinelegacy.com ) and a return visit from Father John Strickland to answer more questions about Orthodoxy. Both those episodes are being sponsored by Telepaideia. a collection of live online courses in Latin, Ancient Greek, and the classical humanities offered by The Paideia Institute. You can take beginner classes in Latin and Ancient Greek. Visit...
Jan 24, 2025•4 min
We look at listener questions about feudalism, the Catalans, the Armenians and many other topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 16, 2024•40 min
We look at listener questions about Andronikos II. Why was he so useless? Why did no one overthrow him? How poor was the Empire? And many more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 09, 2024•32 min
I have another 3 things to tell you. Tomorrow, as in Sunday 1st December, I will be hosting 3 Zoom Calls for Patrons, where you can ask me anything. This is a reminder for those of you already on Patreon. And if you’re not but want to get on the call then you could just sign up for $1 and join in the conversation. The calls are at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm in Coordinated Universal Time. Which is essentially the same as Greenwich Mean Time but apparently we don’t want to show off too much about that. Anyw...
Nov 30, 2024•3 min
It's time we talked about Orthodoxy in more detail. I ask Father John Strickland to explain the Divine Liturgy, and it's Byzantine origins, to me. John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He has also written a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. And he’s recorded a podcast of the same name as an accompaniment to the books. He also wrote the Making of Holy Russia : The Orthodox Church and Russian Nationalism be...
Nov 24, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Marco Cappelli, the man behind the Storia D'Italia podcast, has created a Roman history comic book. Ammianus - the Twilight of an Era tells the story of the incredible change that took place across Italy during the 6th century. The comic is so good it made me cry. I interview Marco about why he decided to make this and where the inspiration came from. Get your own copy in Italian, English or Latin! And in physical or digital form here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Nov 15, 2024•47 min
Professor Nicholas Morton returns to tell us about developments on the sea during the Crusading era. We discuss why Venice, Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi were able to dominate the waves. And talk about the ships they used and how they fought. Dr Morton is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern and Global history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. His new book The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East is available now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Hello everyone, Here are 3 podcast-related things you may be interested in. Roman Graphic Novel Friend of the show Marco Capelli has made a comic book set in 6th century Italy. It follows two figures that we know about from an Ostrogothic jewellery collection that was discovered in 1938. A Roman Patrician Stephanus who marries a Gothic noblewoman Valatrud. They are subjects of King Theodoric who is trying to create a functioning Gothic-Roman kingdom in Italy. But their union comes shortly b...
Sep 27, 2024•6 min
When Andronikos' son dies he ponders whether to disinherit his Grandson Andronikos III. This prompts two bouts of civil war as the younger generation try to force change on their elders. Period: 1310-1328 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 17, 2024•27 min
Andronikos roles the dice and hires the Catalan Grand Company to fight the Turks. Those who advised the Emperor not to hire them could never have imagined just how badly things would go. Meanwhile Latin forces continue to take Aegean islands for themselves. Period: 1281-1303 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 11, 2024•25 min
We look at Andronikos II Palailogos' domestic arrangements and European wars. After disbanding his fleet to save money the Emperor was repeatedly humiliated by the Venetians. We also look at the Emperor's personality to understand why he was not best suited to the difficult times he lived in. Period: 1281-1303 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 04, 2024•23 min
The arrival of the Mongols in Anatolia would eventually lead to the expulsion of the Romans. Mongol dominance of the plateau sent waves of tribes into Byzantine territory. It was a crisis which the Emperor Andronikos was not equal to. Period: 1281-1303 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 28, 2024•28 min
The Union of Lyons had unleashed bitter division within Byzantium. We follow Michael and his son Andronikos as they try to make peace with the various factions that had opposed them. Period: 1281-1310 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 21, 2024•21 min
The Pope responds with despair to the news of Constantinople's fall. He calls for a Crusade to restore the Latin position. The man who answers is the brother of the King of France, Charles of Anjou. Michael Palaiologos is willing to do whatever it takes to stop them. This means he must agree to church union. Period: 1261-82 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 14, 2024•37 min
Michael VIII Palaiologos enters the city of Constantine for the first time. He has a lot of work to do to rebuild the city and restore its prestige. He must also navigate a complex diplomatic position which sees his forces in action on five fronts simultaneously. Period: 1261-5 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 07, 2024•22 min
We look at listener questions about this period of narrative. Were the Varangian Guard still employed at Nicaea? Had Greek Fire been lost? How many Emperors are actually Saints? Why did Nicaea win? Should they have moved back to Constantinople? Were the Romans Greeks now? Period: 1204-61 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 21, 2024•36 min
We talk about the challenges which Michael Palaiologos and the Nicaens faced as they prepared to move back to Constantinople. Period: 1204-61 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 17, 2024•22 min
We talk about the Latin occupied parts of Byzantium. What was life like for the conquered and the conquerors? Was the occupation a colonial enterprise? Period: 1204-61 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 10, 2024•27 min
Professor Nicholas Morton returns to tell us the story of the Fifth Crusade. To learn more check out his book The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 03, 2024•54 min
For our 300th episode I decided to do something different. I chose my 10 greatest Byzantine Emperors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 26, 2024•23 min
With Constantinople back in Roman hands we explore the one vantage point we've ignored: the last Latin Emperor Baldwin II. Dr John Giebfried returns to give us Baldwin's biography. Period: 1215-61 John completed his PhD in Medieval History at St Louis University in 2015 and has subsequently worked at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Georgia Southern University, East Georgia State College, and since 2022 has been a faculty member at the University of Vienna, where he teaches History and Digita...
Jun 19, 2024•49 min
Theodore Laskaris II beds down his father's conquests in Europe. But his early death sees his family sidelined by Michael Palaiologos. The new Emperor needs some victories to legitimise his seizure of power and the fates reward him beyond all expectations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 12, 2024•29 min
With the Bulgarians and Turks hobbled by the Mongols the field is clear for Nicaea. John Vatatzes annexes a huge swathe of European territory and is widely recognised as the true Roman Emperor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 05, 2024•24 min
We talk to Dr Nicholas Morton about the arrival of the Mongols into the Byzantine world. Their confrontation with the Seljuks of Anatolia will have serious consequences. Dr Morton is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern and Global history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. His new book The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East is available now. In it he offers a panoramic account of the Mongol invasions of the Middle East during the thirteenth ce...
May 29, 2024•45 min
While Epirus was rising and falling, Nicaea was consolidating. John Vatatzes, the new Emperor, was competent at home and abroad. After years of consolidation he decided to besiege Constantinople. But he didn't act alone he invited an unlikely ally to join him. Period: 1215-37 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 22, 2024•27 min
Theodoros Doukas the leader of the Roman state of Epirus leads his people to ever greater heights in the 1220s. He captures Thessalonica and drives towards Constantinople itself. Doukas declares himself Emperor but does he have the resources necessary to reach the Hagia Sophia? Period: 1215-30 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 14, 2024•17 min
