Gone Medieval10 Juni 2025

Theodora, the rags to riches Empress

Dr. Eleanor Janega and author Stella Duffy dive into the extraordinary life and legacy of Empress Theodora.

A woman who rose from the lowest ranks of society as a prostitute at the Hippodrome to capture the heard of an emperor to become the most powerful woman in the Byzantine Empire.

A strident feminist, she fought for women's rights bringing in laws to stop sex trafficking and punish rape, Theodora was a game changer of the highest order who was venerated a as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Rise of Constantinople

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0xDnUgTBWpztIx2NCDrFPt

Justinian: the Greatest Byzantine Emperor?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rCisdx9LPzINtcXPa1pRg

Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Tim Arstall, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(529)

Seeking Sanctuary

Could a medieval church really protect a killer from the law?From the 40-day asylum of parish churches to the more permanent protections claimed by Westminster Abbey, sanctuary was never simply an esc...

2 Juni 1h 5min

The First Troubadours

How could a love song become a political weapon? How were scandals, wars and crusades turned into some of the most influential poetry ever written?The songs of the troubadours - celebrities in their d...

29 Maj 47min

Foolish Medieval Fatalities

Who survives when medieval deaths are turned into Top Trumps? In this riotous made up game of Foolish Fatalities, Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis rank the most ridiculous ends of the Middle Ages, fr...

26 Maj 1h 8min

Fatimid Dynasty: Descendants of Prophet Muhammad

How did the Fatimids build one of Islam's most powerful medieval empires? What can the rise of this dynasty reveal about power, culture, tolerance, and women’s authority?Stretching across North Afric...

22 Maj 41min

The Merovingian Dynasty: France's First Kings

Long-haired rulers, dynastic bloodshed, secret letters, and a kingdom built in the aftermath of empire; Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. James Palmer dive into the wild, Roman-adjacent world of the Meroving...

19 Maj 57min

After Agincourt: Henry V's French Campaigns

What happened after the Battle of Agincourt? How did Henry V's victory turn into a seven-year struggle of sieges, diplomacy, ambition, murder and missed destiny?Matt Lewis is joined by W.B. Bartlett t...

15 Maj 52min

Matilda of Canossa: Medieval Italy's Iron Countess

What if one medieval woman could outwit emperors, shape popes, and force Henry IV to stand barefoot in the snow?Dr. Katherine Harvey joins Dr. Eleanor Janega to tell the astonishing story of Matilda o...

12 Maj 43min

Battle of the Eras: Medieval vs Early Modern

What if the medieval world did not end with a bang, but with a messy argument over who gets to define history itself? Matt Lewis spars with Not Just The Tudors' host Professor Suzannah Lipscomb to spa...

8 Maj 55min