Why Were The Crusades So Popular?
The Crusade present us with one of the greatest paradoxes in history. Why would Christianity, a peace-loving religion, condone such aggressive military operations in the name of God? In this episode, ...
26 Sep 25min
The Secrets of Ancient Nicaea
In this episode, I tell you about my travels to Ancient Nicaea, a city that changed history from the famous First Council of Nicaea in AD 325, foundational for the Christian church, to the siege of Ni...
12 Sep 22min
Alexius Comnenus: The True Story
Alexius Comnenus is a well-known Byzantine Emperor not least because his daughter, Anna, wrote one of the greatest works of medieval literature about him called “The Alexiad.” It’s a cracking read, fu...
29 Aug 22min
The Battle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert in 1071 changed history. Not only was it the first step towards the end of the Byzantine Empire but it also established the foundation for modern Turkey. In western Europe, the...
15 Aug 27min
The Rise of the Seljuk Turks
In this episode, we’ll look at why the Seljuk Turks suddenly appeared in the Middle East in the eleventh century. The name Seljuk and the origins of Seljuk power lie with a man called Seljuk, who ros...
1 Aug 24min
The Road to Manzikert
In the years from 1068 to 1071, the Byzantine emperor Romanus Diogenes tried but failed to stem the Turkish raids into Anatolia. Finally, he decided to lead his army far into the east, to stem the rai...
18 Juli 22min
New Name, Same Show!
The Fall of the Roman Empire podcast is now called Echoes of Empires. Why change the name? Well, as you know, this podcast has already moved beyond the fall of Rome to cover a broader range of histori...
4 Juli 1min
