Myths and History of Greece and Rome: Recent Episodes
Paul Vincent
Manuel II goes a-calling on the heads of state of the major European powers in order to find some support in saving his dying empire.
A lot has been going on in the former Western Roman Empire in the 300 years between 1100 and 1400!
Fractious and incompetent behaviour from the ruling family plunge the Empire into crisis. It’s not going to get any better!
A brilliant general becomes Emperor of Nicaea. It only takes him a few years to regain the great city of Constantinople. Unfortunately everyone is out to get him and it takes a lifetime of juggling to stabilise his empire.
Welcome to nearly sixty years of total and utter chaos. Four empires and at least twenty emperors fight, make alliances, break alliances and generally fail to get on. Something has to give!
The Angeli prove themselves to be so incompetent that the capital of the Empire cannot withstand the crusading armies. Calamity results.
Andronicus Comnenus could not, quite obviously, be allowed to continue as Basileus. If only his demise, like that of Domitian for example, had been planned. Then, perhaps, the chaos and incompetence that followed could have been avoided.
Manuel Comnenus thinks big but is a bit to pro-western. His cousin, though, is an entirely different kettle of fish!
John the Beautiful fails to achieve all his aims as he goes and dies at exactly the wrong moment. He is succeeded by his son: how will he do?
A quick look at France, Germany and England in the 300 years up to the start of the First Crusade.
Everyone knows about 1066 and all that. The Normans' other conquests are less famous but equally important. Just ask Alexius Comnenus!
The great Macedonian Dynasty comes to an end. The Empire begins its final spiral into nothingness.
Basil II takes control of his empire, finally dispatching the pesky Bardases! And then he plans... a lot.
Romanus II succeeds his father but is partied out before too long. Romanus's loss is the Empire's gain.
Having taken the place of his own son-in-law as senior emperor Romanus Lecapenus begins ro rule. He does a surprisingly good job. Shame about his sons!
Leo the Wise finally solves his marriage problem and has the legitimate heir he's always wanted. Then he dies too early!
Michael III is known to history as Michael the Drunkard. While this may have some truth, it is mostly slander - perpetrated by a certain Basil the Macedonian.
Christmas Day dawns and Leo V is a troubled man. By the end of it he would be a dead one. The Empire, though, is soon rolling in cash.
The Khagan of the Bulgars proves to be more than a match for Nicephorus. Meanwhile the hermit's prophecy begins to come true!
Leo IV could have been a good emperor but didn't get the chance. Unfortunately his wife did!
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After decades of turmoil a strong emperor finally assumes the purple. His reign may have been good news for the people but it was bad news for icons! And as for his son....
The Empire realises, far too late, that exile is not enough for a deposed hated emperor..... he just might come back!
Is there finally some light? Maybe. Bring on a vigorous young emperor and a brand new weapon!
A huge welcome to Elias Belhaddad who will take us through the rise of a new force. The world will never be the same again!
Phocas's reign comes to an end in a brutal manner. His successor proves to be just what the Empire needs.
Justinian was certainly a great man; a man of drive, vision and courage. His achievements were many... but at what cost?
Justinian sends his best general, the great Belisarius, to North Africa to evict the Vandals. If successful he will plough on and have a go at the big one: the reconquest of Rome.
Justin is the Emperor but he's not really in charge. His nephew, Peter Sabbatius, gains a new name and a lot of power. Not only that, Peter has the ambition and drive to exercise his power.
The Eastern Empire is healthy and flourishing but the Western Empire is gone. It's time to reflect on the reasons why.
The fact that the Roman Empire used to contain a city called Rome quickly becomes a distant memory. Constantinople has its own problems. Stability is provided by an old man who proves that age is no barrier to imperial success.
Rome may have fallen but it's not taking this podcast with it. The Eastern Empire is still going strong but will undergo major changes, making our histories of Greece and Rome merge into one.
And so Rome falls. The inevitability is clear but the shock is still remarkable. On the other hand life continues as normal.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Barbarian generals and emperors battle for control of the Empire while other barbarians annex large parts of it. The countdown towards the fall of Rome gathers pace.
And so we reach the beginning of the end. The signs have been there since the death of Theodosius the Great but now everyone can see them, including a certain very famous barbarian king!
It is the turn of Carthage to get a good sacking and this time the perpetrators are so efficient that they had the whole concept named after them! Worse than that, the ancient city is lost to the Empire as it is occupied by the barbarians.
The fall-out from Adrianople is severe and long lasting; too much for a teenager. Fortunately Gratian has a plan.
Julian the Apostate. Julian the Hero or Julian the over-rated chancer? Brave or stupid? I know what I think!
The three surviving sons of Constantine the Great take over stewardship of the Roman Empire. Only one of them shows any semblance of being a chip off the old block!
Constantine the Great is one of the few people in history who genuinely changed the world. His achievements are many and varied but he also had a dark side!
Christianity and the Roman Empire are inextricably linked. Before Constantine, though, the relationship had been a bit rocky.In this chapter we look at the early interactions between the Empire and the Christians.
The Tetrarchy was a lovely idea. It worked so very well when Diocletian was in charge. When he was gone, though, self interest trumped duty. Civil wars ensued: lots of them.
The Tetrarchy: one man's attempt to create an entirely new, entirely workable system. It worked...until he was gone.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. All feedback very gratefully received.
Stupidity reigns in a resurgent Empire. Senior officers in the army, seemingly not content with the dramatic improvement, proceed to shoot Rome in the foot... twice!
Gallienus tries and tries until the army have had enough of him. The man who follows him then has some instant success!
If you thought Decius's fate was bad then wait until you hear what happens to Valerian. Gallienus battles on against overwhelming odds after his father is removed from the equation.
The Goths arrive in Roman territory and cause havoc. Decius takes them on in battle. The result is complete disaster.
Incursions by barbarian tribes had been a constant but manageable irritation to the Romans before the current crisis. Some new ones, though, are about to get a whole lot more troublesome.
The Sassanids recognise that the Empire is in chaos and take the opportunity to attack. Gordian III travels east to see the finale but then bad things happen.
From the History Collage show on historypodcasters.com, a look at the four Julias who helped rule the Empire during the Severan years.
It's time to celebrate the great literary achievements of the Romans. And, by the way, Merry Christmas to you all.
Alexander Severus was a very nice young man. His mother was politically astute and determined that her son would be an excellent emperor. If only the times had been different.
Marcus Aurelius had a son who ruined the good work of the dynasty. Septimius Severus had TWO sons. They were no better!
Lucius Septimius Severus was energetic, capable and focussed on running a fair and stable empire. Unfortunately he was also rather too keen on warfare and totally incapable of managing his highly dysfunctional family!
In the year 193AD five men separately lay claim to the top job in Rome. After the best candidate is treacherously let down by the Praetorian Guard, the next man buys the throne from them. The Praetorians, though, are about to discover that their luck has run out!
Poor Marcus Aurelius. Having spent most of his reign fighting the barbarians he dies when the job is just about complete... and his primary legacy is his unhinged son!
"Don't waste time wondering what a good man is: be one." Marcus Aurelius's thoughts on how to live virtuously have stood the test of time.
Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus bring their very different approaches to being emperors. It is surprisingly successful partnership. And then one of them dies!
The Golden Age of Rome! Hadrian ensures that the Empire will in safe hands for another forty years.
Trajan's successor could not be more different from the great man. In his own way, though, he turns out to be just as impressive.
The Myths and History of Greece and Rome has achieved a million downloads. Thanks to everyone for listening!
There is nothing worse than a micromanager, even if his intentions are good... except an increasingly paranoid micromanager.
Vespasian and his son get to grips with running a huge Empire. Meanwhile Mount Vesuvius gets to grips with the Bay of Naples and a couple of towns which are now very famous indeed.
In 69AD four different men held the highest office in the Roman world... and they weren't sharing!!
Power is dangerous in the hands of the very young. The sixteen year-old Nero is given absolute power. Oh dear!
Things get a bit weird as the most unlikely candidate becomes emperor. The strangeness continues as he does a surprisingly good job. Shame about the wife, though!
The seamless transition is exactly that: seamless! The personal foibles of Augustus's successors, though, make for interesting times!
The succession has been on Augustus's mind from early in his tenure as emperor. Death, misfortune and exile intervene repeatedly as he has to modify his thinking over and over again.
Octavian's political skills dovetail beautifully with the practical and organisation skills of Marcus Agrippa. Bye bye Republic; hello Emperor Augustus Caesar!
Who will come out on top? Will it be Caesar's right hand man or Caesar's adopted heir? And what part will the Eastern Queen play?
They're all there: Et tu Brute; I came, I saw I, conquered, etc etc. Julius Caesar rises like a supernova and then disappears with a bang.
The Republic worked when Rome was small and manageable. The conquest of vast tracts of territory, glorious though it was, brought with it hidden dangers. Great men rose and the Republic was too constraining... so they broke it!
The Romans come up against their most formidable opponent yet. The Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca proves to be more than a thorn in their side for many years. Being Romans, though, they learn and adapt and eventually destroy the ancient empire of Carthage.
The Roman Republic is founded but its early years are still the stuff of legend. Only after the Gauls sack Rome are we really able to talk about Roman history.
Time to meet Romulus and his successors. The foundation of Rome and the following 250 years are the mythical basis of that great civilisation. The stories may not be true but they say a lot about the character of Rome and of its people.
The History Collage is a project produced by a group of history podcasters. Each episode has a theme and is made up of short, no longer than nine minute, articles on the topic. The current theme is 'Unsung Heroes'. You can hear about my unsung hero on part two of the podcast which was released on 20th November 2013. Give it a listen.
www.historypodcasters.com
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-podcasters-podcast/id741485933?mt=2
Introducing Cupid and Psyche from a Roman perspective. Also we tell two other tales from Roman Mythology in which Venus plays a prominent role.
Not a happy ending in sight as we follow three more tragic tales. Expect plenty of divine interference and a fair amount of drowning!
A quick look at the similarities and differences between the Greek and Roman pantheons.
An epilogue: How Greece emerged from Roman rule and then fell to the Turks before rebelling and forming the modern country which exists today.
More Greek philosophers. Introducing the Cynics, the Stoics, and the man who lived in a barrel.
Greek independence comes to an end. The last king of Macedon does his best but when there are Romans around there is only going to be one outcome.
Philip V of Macedon does his best but he's only delaying the inevitable. The Romans are only getting stronger and the days of independence for the Greeks are numbered.
It's finally time to introduce the people who will finally and Greek independence. The city of Rome has risen from being an unnoticed backwater to a major regional power.
A brief look at some famous Greek mathematicians and their groundbreaking discoveries. There are some links on the website to helpful diagrams!
We concentrate now on the Greek and Macedonian part of Alexander's fractured empire. The Antigonids do their best to hold things together while the cities fight amongst themselves (again!)
Hold on tight everyone as this is a bit of a rollercoaster of a chapter. Alexander's generals spend forty years fighting over his legacy!
Alexander the Great. A man who really lives up to his billing... even if he's a bit crazy too!
The King of Macedon goes about executing his plans but comes up against a bit of an issue: his own death! His successor, though, is just marvellous.
In a quick detour we take a brief look at philosophy in Ancient Greece. We barely scratch the surface but there is plenty of information out there for those who want to dig a bit deeper!
With Greece in disarray, brought to its knees by constant internal warfare, the time is ripe for a confident, clever and determined conqueror to take advantage. Enter Philip II of Macedon.
The title of the chapter says it all. More infighting results in all of the poleis becoming weaker and the city state culture beginning to collapse.
Athens and Sparta have knocked the stuffing out of each other for years. Two men from another city, helped by a fair amount of luck, take advantage.
Two men take centre stage in the battles between Athens and Sparta. And everyone gets weaker. Again!
Athens and Sparta fight to a standstill. One of them comes out on top but they are both weakened. Neither learns the lesson they so need to learn!
With the Persians defeated it is time for the Greeks to band together to increase their power. Unfortunately they don't. Both Athens and Sparta form alliances with other local cities but exclude each other. Athens particularly goes a bit too far!
At last, the Greeks band together to defeat an external enemy. The Persians are coming!
We've done Sparta. Now Athens takes centre stage. The largest and most cultured of the Greek poleis became the centre of the Greek world and, a few detours excepted, remains so today.
Sparta was a very important city in Archaic Greece. Not only that it was a very strange one. In this chapter we find out why!
As Greece drags itself from the Dark Ages an entirely new kind of society emerges. The city states which would dominate the Greek world for the next few hundred years rise and the citizen populations try to work out how to govern themselves. A few interesting characters get a taste of power!
The Mycenaean civilisation fell and nothing much rose to replace it. In this chapter we look at why it fell and why the following few hundred years are known as the Greek Dark Ages.
Did the Trojan War actually happen? Was it a real event or just mythological? In this chapter we assess the evidence from archaeology, from Homer and from the records of other civilisations.
Ancient Greek history began a very long time ago! In this first history chapter we look at the pre-history of Greece and at the bronze age peoples that populated the area. Step forward the Minoans and the Mycenaeans!
The adventures of Odysseus and Aeneas come to an end. We see what happens when Odysseus finally arrives home and find out whether Aeneas's city ever gets built! The age of heroes is over.
Poor old Odysseus. The creator of the Wooden Horse knew he wasn't destined to get home for ten years but he never imagined quite how horrible the journey would be. On the way he loses ships and men, meets a scary one-eyed giant and has to choose between Scylla and Charybdis. Will he ever see his beloved Ithaca again?
The Trojan War is over. Troy is gone, destroyed by the marauding Greek army and all of its leaders, except one, are dead. The weary Greek heroes make their various ways home. Some of them don't get the welcome they expected!
At last everything is in place for the Greeks to take Troy. It is not all plain sailing, though; it takes trickery and cunning to complete the quest. Fortunately, in Odysseus, the Greeks have the trickiest and most cunning of all the heroes. Odysseus does not disappoint!
At last, Hector and Achilles finally meet in battle. One of them dies and the other revels in his glorious victory. Sadly, for him, the victor doesn't have much time left to enjoy it.
Wrathful Achilles may be sitting on the sidelines sulking but the war rages on. Man mountain Ajax takes on the mighty Hector in single combat. Diomedes and Odysseus capture a Trojan spy and Agamemnon is injured in the fighting. When one particular Greek is killed, though, wrath turns to rage.
Unfortunately, for the Greeks, Kalchas is proved to be correct. The poor heroes struggle to get to Troy and then have to wait nine years before the real fighting starts. A couple of the warriors are lost and then Agamemnon upsets his best fighter. It doesn't bode well!
All the prophecies start coming true as the Apple of Discord does its work. An inevitable chain of events leads to the launching of a magnificent fleet carrying the greatest army of the mythological world. The heroes of Greece are on their way to Troy!
The story of the Trojan War is one of the most famous and exciting of the Greek myths. It is a tale full of friendship, treachery, love, revenge, tragedy and death. This is the first of nine chapters which will tell the whole story of the build up to the war, the war itself and what happened to the survivors. In it we meet some of the important characters and hear about the wedding at which the seeds of the war were sown.
We have reached what is, for me, the most exciting part of our journey through Greek mythology. Later this week we will begin the tale of the Trojan War. Paris, Helen, Achilles, Odysseus and the rest are names familiar to people in most of the world and their story is both heroic and tragic. Look forward to an action-packed nine chapters!
The story of Heracles draws to a close. We hear how he completes his final labour and then goes off on a spree of revenge before meeting a sticky end!
He's done the easy ones! Now it's time for the greatest hero of them all to get down to some really difficult tasks. As he goes about his last six labours Heracles drops in on the city of Troy and meets a couple of the Titans!
At last, it's time to begin the story of the greatest hero of them all. First we hear about the early life of Heracles, known to the Romans as Hercules. Everyone knows about the twelve labours he performed, though he was originally only set ten! We find out what causes him to have to perform his labours and we follow him as he sets out to complete them.
A chapter all about the goings on in the city of Thebes. We hear about the city's foundation and how it came to be ruled by one of the most unfortunate men in Greek mythology. We also solve the Riddle of the Sphynx!
In this chapter we complete the tale of Theseus. We see him reach the height of his heroism and then fall from grace. We will also hear about one of the most famous incidents in Greek myth, commemorated by artists as different as Breughel and Iron Maiden: the flight of Icarus.
It's time to begin the story of King Minos and the terrifying Minotaur. We will hear about the building of the labyrinth in which the beast was imprisoned. We will also meet the hero Theseus and have a good laugh at his interesting journey to Athens.
It's time for the story of the king who turned everything to gold simply by touching it. No trip through the myths of Greece would be complete without it. We will also hear about Meleagros of Kalydon and the great hunter Atalanta and we will finish with the sad tale of the young man who fell in love with his own reflection.
This week we complete the story of Jason and the Argonauts. We meet the most scheming woman in Greek mythology and watch as she first helps Jason and then turns against him.
The first part of the story of Jason and the Argonauts. We hear how the Golden Fleece came to be where it was and why Jason was sent to find it. We follow the Argonauts on their long sea journey to the land of Kolchis.
In this chapter we hear the bloodthirsty story of the family of Pelops, including an unusual chariot race and a bitter feud. Zeus is up to his usual tricks and a few more of his children are hatched (and yes... I do mean hatched!)
This week we hear the story of the first of the great mythical heroes of Greece. Perseus is sent by an evil king to kill Medusa, the only mortal Gorgon. He does not find it easy!
It's time for us to meet some of the early mortal men and women and see how the gods interfered in their lives. We will find out about the births of two of great heroes of Greek mythology.
A journey into the murky depths of the Underworld where Hades, King of the Dead, rules. Here we meet the inhabitants of Tartaros forever destined to do pointless tasks as punishments for their actions while they were alive.
In this chapter we meet the rest of the great Olympians. In doing so we find out about some of more unpleasant gods and their equally nasty children! Ares and his kids are particular favourites of mine.
This week we meet the rest of the children of Kronos and a couple of the other Olympians. Look out for the story of Poseidon's persuasive dolphin and the tale of poor Persephone.
The fun really starts here! Zeus and his brothers and sisters fight against Kronos and the Titans over who will rule the heavens and the Earth. Only one side can come out on top. Which one will it be?
The frst chapter of our story introduces Gaia, the Earth and Ouranos, the Sky. We hear the Greek creation myth and meet the Titans and some hideous monsters!
This first podcast is an introduction to the wonders of Ancient Greek mythology and history. It contains a brief summary of what I will cover in the coming fifty chapters! I hope you enjoy it.
Welcome to the Myths and History of Greece podcast; a journey through the myths and history of Ancient Greece for children aged ten and over. Hopefully adults will enjoy it too.
I hope you enjoy the podcast. I would be very grateful for any feedback.