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.

Become a patron of Keith Hernandez today: Get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.

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...

31/07/2020

Here’s an example of the crazy stuff I’ve come across while researching for Episode 3: Northmen:

One Rus leader became half the man he used to be in the tenth century CE. Due to a failed raiding expedition to Constantiple in 944, the Rus leader Igor demanded twice the amount of tribute from his Slavic subjects. Leo the Deacon tells us Igor raided the Drevljane twice to enforce his demands, but was killed on the second raid. The Drevljane who did the deed tied his legs to two bowed trees and then released the trees, splitting his body in half and leaving an angry wife and infant on the throne.

08/07/2020

Don’t forget to listen to Constantinople burn as I talk about the Nika Revolt and the hooligans that made it possible. And if twitter is more your bag, you can follow me at twitter.com/badassbyzantium.

Hooligans have been around as long as there have been competitions and young, bored men to watch them. For a time in the Eastern Roman empire, it was a state-paid gig. In Episode 2: Hooligans, I dive into the world of the Byzantine Blues and Green...

28/06/2020

It's here! Episode 2: Hooligans has arrived. In this episode, I talk about ancient sports shenanigans and how bored, young men nearly burned Constantinople down and usurped Justinian the Great. Hope you all enjoy.

Hooligans have been around as long as their have been competitions and young, bored men to watch them. For a time in the Eastern Roman empire, it was a state-paid gig. In Episode 2: Hooligans, I dive into the world of the Byzantine Blues and Green...

11/06/2020

Hi all!

*Episode two sneak peak and **TLDR below

I wanted to give everyone an update and update I shall. When I published episode one, I promised myself I wouldn't push back deadlines, that I wouldn't let life get in the way, but to quote Jeff Goldblum, "Life, uh, finds a way." Well, life, work, a pandemic, and my trying to understand how to handle the influx of information that has made its way into all of our lives over the past week-and-a-half to be clear. After days of thinking, stalling, talking, and action, I am returning to my research for episode two of Badass Stories from Byzantium, but will unfortunately have to move back my original deadline of June 13 to June 27 unless I finish sooner. The subject matter deserves research and attention to detail, and I won't stiff you all on either. I apologize for the delay and I don't plan to break my deadlines moving forward.

*Episode two sneak peak:

Here's a tidbit I found interesting while researching for episode two. After the last democratic institutions of the Roman Republic - the right to elect praetors and consuls - lost all relevance during the principate, one unofficial institution remained: freedom of expression during the games. The hippodrome was the premiere place to let the emperor know you were pi**ed off without fear of reprisal. They were often built in his backyard after all. The airing of grievances were "Godfather"-like scenarios - the emperor had to listen to and oblige his people, who would use the energy of the chariot races to chant their wishes. Their strength was in numbers. Their weapon was fire; even Justinian the Great couldn't prevent the people from burning down half of Constantinople. Those who ignored the acclamations of the people (Caligula and Domitian for example) paid the ultimate price. A good emperor would listen intently, respond by herald or gesture, followed by a tablet explaining his decision. He may even throw a devoted minister under the chariot, blaming them for the people's strife. So for those of you who favor the Roman Republic, take solace that it did not die in 27 B.C.E.

**TLDR: Pushing back episode two to June 27 unless I finish sooner. Life pulled me away for a week-and-half, but am back at it. Don't p**s off the Roman people during the games.

See you all soon,
Keith

20/05/2020

Trying to become emperor? I'd recommend enlisting one of the chariot clubs so you can intimidate and kill your way to the top. Will you go with the whites or reds? Or the two that matter, the blues and greens? Make your choice after you listen to Episode 2: Hooligans from Badass Stories from Byzantium on June 13.

19/05/2020

Hi all! Researching for the next episode now. It's going to be very blue and green. If you haven't had the opportunity to be grossed out by the first episode in which I discuss the Plague of Justinian, here it is. Thanks!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1036729/3787967-episode-1-empire-of-the-dead

Constantinople wasn't built in a day, nor did it fall as quickly. In Badass Stories from Byzantium, I tell the stories from the Eastern Roman Empire that you haven't heard and won't soon forget. Sit on the edge of late antiquity with me while we listen to it burn.

17/05/2020

Something relevant to listen to during our quarantine
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1036729/3787967-episode-1-empire-of-the-dead

The Plague of Justinian, thought to be a demon by its contemporaries, ravaged what was left of the ancient world. What came out on the other side was quite medieval. In this episode, I tell the story of a 200-year plague pandemic that struck the M...