Badass Stories from Byzantium

22/07/2021

The massive Arab navy nor the Vikings of the Early Middle Ages stood a chance against Roman Fire, a fact that was proven on more than one occasion to both peoples. In Episode 8: Roman Fire, I examine this Medieval super weapon and why it mysteriously disappeared.

The massive Arab navy nor the Vikings of the Early Middle Ages stood a chance against Roman Fire, a fact that was proven on more than one occasion to both peoples. In Episode 8: Roman Fire, I examine this Medieval super weapon and why it mysteriou...

18/06/2021

There was no pathway for women to rule the Byzantine Empire as there was for men, but that didn't stop some from reaching the top. Theodora was one such woman. In Episode 7: The Blue Augusta, I follow Theodora's journey from blue rags to purple riches as she championed women's rights and saved the empire from descending into chaos on more than one occasion.

There was no pathway for women to rule the Byzantine Empire as there was for men, but that didn't stop some from reaching the top. Theodora was one such woman. In Episode 7: The Blue Augusta, I follow Theodora's journey from blue rags to purple ri...

04/06/2021

I am back to it! My next episode will deal with Empress Theodora and her journey from blue rags to purple riches. I plan to release this upcoming episode June 17. Thanks for your patience.

Keith

26/04/2021

Update: If any of you didn’t know, I work in the wonderful industry of retail. I am currently going through a store closing, and as a manager, I am unfortunately pretty involved in the process. Until the store is officially closed, I am going to take a break and will pick back up making full episodes in late May. That means I hope to have a new full episode out in June and will resume a monthly schedule thereafter. Sorry for the delay!

12/04/2021

Thanks for your patience everyone. This one is a little different from my usual formula. Please let me know what you think.

In today's episode I deviate from my conventional narrative style and take a more laidback approach to the topic, the Bubonic Plague and its effect on the Byzantine Empire. We'll go over numbers and the difficulty in finding them, as well as how d...

10/04/2021

Working on the Episode 7 now, but it may not be finished until tomorrow.

20/03/2021

What if the Byzantine Empire were alive today? If the Kingdom of Greece had its way in the 19th century, that very well could have been the case. In Short Stories: The Megali Idea, I talk about Eastern Roman pipe dreams in the modern day and how they almost came to be.

What if the Byzantine Empire were alive today? If the Kingdom of Greece had its way in the 19th century, that very well could have been the case. In Short Stories: The Megali Idea, I talk about Eastern Roman pipe dreams in the modern day and how t...

07/03/2021

The Byzantine Empire fell in 1453, but the Greek-speaking, Eastern Orthodox Romans lived on as exiles in Western Europe and second-class subjects under the Ottoman sultans. In Episode 6: Are You Romiós, I follow the last of the Palaiologi and the Romií in the 15th century and beyond. In doing so, I will answer the question: Do Eastern Romans still walk among us?

The Byzantine Empire fell in 1453, but the Greek-speaking, Eastern Orthodox Romans lived on as exiles in Western Europe and second-class subjects under the Ottoman sultans. In Episode 6: Are You Romiós, I follow the last of the Palaiologi and the ...

05/03/2021

A tidbit from upcoming Episode 6: Are You Romiós? Here I examine the impact of Plethon, the great Byzantine philosopher who rekindled the study of Plato in the west.

Come with me Saturday, March 6, as I follow the last of the Palaiologi and the Romií in the 15th century and beyond. In doing so, I will answer the question: Do Eastern Romans still walk among us?

06/02/2021

Trying a new, shorter format in between the larger episodes. Today’s episode takes a closer look at Manuel II Palaiologos, who appealed to the west in person while Constantinople was under siege. Hope you enjoy!

Desperate times call for desperate measures. With an Ottoman army at the gates in Constantinople, Manuel II Palaiologos knew this all too well. In today's Short Stories episode, I tell of Manuel's trip to Western Europe, where he pled for aid and ...

30/01/2021

The last couple centuries of the Byzantine Empire were defined by a cycle: Civil war begot foreign aid begot opportunism. With each rotation, the empire wound up weaker. In Episode 5: Ashes to Ashes, I examine the Eastern Roman Empire's final breaths on the world stage and the 1453 Fall of Constantinople.

The last couple centuries of the Byzantine Empire were defined by a cycle: Civil war begot foreign aid begot opportunism. With each rotation, the empire wound up weaker. In Episode 5: Ashes to Ashes, I examine the Eastern Roman Empire's final brea...

15/01/2021

Hi all! I am hard at work on Episode 5: Ashes to Ashes and plan to publish it January 30. In the episode I will discuss the challenges East Rome faces after its rebirth in 1261 and leading up to its smoldering in 1453. If you’re a fan of the show and want to support it, leave a rating/review on Apple Podcasts and/or become a patron at Patreon.com/badassbyzantium.

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05/12/2020

You're Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and you've just invited western armies to pass through the richest city in the world. What could go wrong? You and your successors will find out in Badass Stories from Byzantium Episode 4: Phoenix in the East.

The medieval Eastern Romans looked up to their glorious past and down on their Latin cousins. The former would let them down time and time again and the latter would remind them through blood and fire that the west shared the same history. In Epis...

13/11/2020

Hey everyone, I'm working on a Badass Stories from Byzantium three-part series that will examine the Eastern Roman identity in context of the empire's final gasps. I want to explore who the Byzantines were and what happened to them leading up to and after the 1204 and 1453 sacks of Constantinople. I go into further detail in my announcement, but I plan to publish the first episode of the series Dec. 5. Thanks for listening!

Who were the folks that made up the Byzantine Empire and what happened to them after it fell? I hope to answer these questions in Diaspora, a Badass Stories from Byzantium three-part series starting Dec. 5. Also, I'd love to see how you're liking...

30/09/2020

By 23 Harald Hardrada had traveled from Norway to Constantinople, most of the way by boat, and was already a seasoned pirate hunter and leader. What did you accomplish by 23?

For centuries, the Varangians were the cream of the crop of the Byzantine army. As Scandinavian warriors in a foreign land, they were ruthlessly efficient and loyal to a man. In Episode 3: Norsemen, I tell the history of the Varangian Guard and th...