The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Recent Episodes
Nick Holmes
Ever wondered why the Roman Empire fell? Find out in this podcast from British historian, Nick Holmes, as he tells the extraordinary story of Rome's decline and fall, and how its legacy is still central to the world we live in today.
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 rose to prominence in the late tenth century. He was an Oghuz Turk, and at that time the Oghuz Turks were a group of nomads living around the Volga River. Originally from Mongolia, the Turks were ethnically similar to the Huns of the late Roman period and the future Mongols of the thirteenth century.
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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 raids at their point of origin, near the fortress of Manzikert. There he would fight a battle that would change history.
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For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Welcome to Echoes of Empires, my new podcast which is the successor to the Fall of the Roman Empire.
In this episode, I want to look at the First Crusade. This crusade was quite different from all the others. Not only did it establish and define the entire crusading movement, but it was also probably the largest military expedition put together in Europe since the days of the Roman Empire. Over 100,000 people, a large proportion of whom were knights and foot soldiers, marched east to give battle to almost the entire Islamic world. In the next few episodes, we’ll look at why they did this, what motivated them and what they expected to achieve. But whatever the answers to those questions are, one thing is abundantly clear. The First Crusade was astonishingly successful. The first crusaders were never defeated. Instead, they fought and routed every Islamic army they encountered. From Turkish nomads to Bedouin horsemen and Ethiopian infantry, they triumphed all the way from what is now Turkey down to Egypt.
No wonder medieval Europe spent the next century living in the shadow of the success of the First Crusade. The story was recounted repeatedly by troubadours in the banqueting halls of castles and in the market fairs of peasant villages. And it’s little wonder that on the other side of the Mediterranean, Islam was shaken to its very core. It had been shattered and broken by the crusaders. But it would come back. Eventually, the Islamic world found one of its greatest leaders: Saladin. And he would lead an Islamic resurgence that in its turn would break the power of the crusaders.
But long before we get to Saladin, I want to go back to the origins of the First Crusade to ask why did it happen at all? What was it that produced the most extraordinary single event of the entire Middle Ages?
And to find that answer, I want to start on a cold winter’s day in a field outside the town of Clermont in central France. That day was the 27 November 1095.
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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 historical topics. In the last few episodes, we’ve covered Charlemagne, the Arab Caliphates, the Vikings and Byzantium. And going forward I want to cover a host of new subjects including the Crusades, Medieval Europe, the Seljuk Turks, Saladin, Genghis Khan and much more!
And I’m going to begin with the First Crusade: yes, the story of history’s greatest crusade, the crusade that defined not just the whole crusading movement but also medieval Europe and Islam. Now, the First Crusade has attracted praise and criticism over the centuries, according to changing intellectual and cultural fashions. The purpose of this podcast, as it has always been, is to look at history on its own terms. I’m interested in looking at the past through the eyes of the men and women who lived at the time. To try to understand what mattered to them, to understand what their hopes and fears were, and to understand why they behaved as they did.
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I wanted to let you know that my latest book, The Inheritors of Rome, is now available in both paperback and ebook on Amazon and will be available through most major book retailers soon. Click here for the Amazon link.
Why did I write the book? I wanted to close my series on the fall of the Roman Empire with an examination of what happened after the fall.
I look at a period often called the Dark Ages. And yes, I think they were dark for many people. But they were also the birthplace for not just modern Europe (and to some extent America as well) but also for Islam.
I think it's difficult to understand the modern world without knowing what happened in the centuries after Rome fell.
So, the book covers the period from around AD 700-1000. It examines the collapse of Roman civilization in Europe to the rise of Charlemagne’s empire. From the explosive expansion of early Islam to the resilience of Byzantium. From the devastation of the Vikings to the birth of medieval Europe. It aims to paint a sweeping, interconnected portrait of a world in upheaval.
I aim to shed new light on forgotten turning points, revealing how environmental pressures, religious conflict, economic dislocation and cultural reinvention laid the foundations for the rebirth of Europe after the fall of Rome.
If you’ve been listening to my podcast, you’ll be familiar with some of these subjects but I think you’d still find the book worthwhile since it has more content than my podcast and includes 7 maps, 21 pictures, a chronology, a detailed bibliography, notes and an index.
And if you do read it, I’d be thrilled to hear your thoughts. Of course, if you enjoy it, a review on Amazon would mean a great deal to me.
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For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
In the century from 860 to 960 Byzantium was reborn as the greatest power in western Eurasia. Its armies were invincible, spearheaded by regiments of heavy cavalry which terrified its opponents. In this episode, I want to look at how Byzantium achieved this and why, in my view, in its hour of triumph, it lay the foundations for its fall in the eleventh century.
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In today’s episode, I’d like to switch from the Abbasid Caliphate to the Byzantine Empire. The fortunes of both were of course connected and the Caliphate’s decline during the ninth century created an opportunity for Byzantium. But it wasn’t an easy path for the Byzantines and there were some serious setbacks in the first half of the ninth-century. Nevertheless, ultimately Byzantium would emerge once again as the strongest power in western Eurasia, which was a truly remarkable achievement.
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Many historians call the Abbasid caliphate ‘the Golden Age of Islam’ but in this episode I want to analyse the contradiction in this description since, at a time when Islam underwent an undisputed cultural flowering, it also collapsed politically.
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For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
First, let me wish you a Happy New Year and I hope you had a good break if you took time off. This episode tells the story of one of the greatest empires in history – the Umayyad Caliphate. Its territories stretched from Samarkand to the Atlantic. Like the Roman Empire, it straddled three continents – Asia, Europe and Africa. But appearances can be deceptive, and to most contemporaries the Umayyad Caliphate seemed much more fragile than it does to us today with the benefit of 1,400 years of hindsight. Find out why in this episode!
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For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
In this episode, we’ll hear about one of the most chilling rulers of Byzantium – the empress Eirene. She was Byzantium’s only empress to take on the reins of government in a sole capacity. Her reign is controversial because she took sole power only after she’d killed the reigning emperor by gouging out his eyes. And the emperor in question was her own son. Even by the shocking standards of the Dark Ages, this stands out as pretty extreme parenting. And yet despite that, today she is a saint in the Greek Orthodox church since she restored icon worship, overthrowing the iconoclasts we talked about in the last episode.
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In the first half of the eighth century, Byzantium stemmed the Arab advance into Europe. Critical to this achievement were two emperors: Leo III and Constantine V. In this episode, I explain why I think these two men were heroes of the Dark Ages who changed history. And their lack of visibility is explained by a conspiracy against them which echoes the cancel culture of our own times.
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For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
In this episode we turn east to consider Byzantium. We last spoke about the eastern Romans, or the Byzantines, in episode 113 when I described the emperor Leo III’s victory in the winter of 717/718 over an immense Umayyad army and navy intent on taking Constantinople. This was a pivotal moment in history. Few people at the time would have expected Byzantium to survive. But it did. And the Umayyad Caliphate’s advance into Europe was blocked.
But before we move on to the rest of Leo’s reign, the question I want to ask in this episode, is how did Byzantium do it? How was it able to fend off Islam, by far the greatest power of its age?
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
The final political legacy of the Roman Empire in western Europe was the Holy Roman Empire.
Amazingly, this curious political institution lasted until Napoleon abolished it in 1806. In the eighteenth century, the French political philosopher Voltaire famously described it as neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire. He may have been right in his own age, but it was originally born with the dream of restoring Charlemagne's empire, itself a restoration of the once mighty Roman Empire. It was a dream that would last a thousand years.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
The Vikings transformed European history, impacted the worlds of both Byzantium and the Abbasid Caliphate, and even, some 500 years before Christopher Columbus, discovered North America.
In this episode, I want to look at how and why the Viking diaspora first began, before moving to their initial impact on the world outside Scandinavia, especially on the Carolingians and the establishment of the Viking-Frankish state of Normandy.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
Charlemagne created the largest empire in western Europe since the Romans. But it didn’t last. Within only a few decades of his death, it had broken up and one half of it was fighting for its survival against a new and terrifying enemy from the north: the Vikings. In this episode, I want to ask why did that happen?
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
In this and the next episode, I want to look beyond the legend of Charlemagne to find the real man and his achievements and failings. His legend has made him into a symbol of power and authority as well as a figurehead for the cause of European integration. But it shouldn’t be forgotten that after his death, his empire quickly broke up and his accomplishments were shown to be hollow. So, what is the truth about him? Let’s find out.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
In this episode, we explore how the Carolingians rose to become the dynasty that would claim to be the inheritors of Rome.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
In this episode, I’m going to focus on one of the most famous battles in history: the battle of Tours, or Poitiers as it’s sometimes called, in 732. It’s famous because some historians think it stopped the Arabs from conquering Europe. But others think its significance has been exaggerated and, even if the Arabs had won, they did not intend to conquer Europe. So, in this episode let’s try to find out what really happened.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
In modern France, the Frankish king, Clovis, is often celebrated as the first French king. But Clovis’ Merovingian dynasty was in fact destined to fade and die. In its place, there arose a new dynasty that would become more famous: the Carolingian. But before we say goodbye to the Merovingians, I want in today’s podcast to ask the question why did they die out and why was it such a slow death?
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
I wanted to let you know that my latest book, The End of Antiquity, is now available in both paperback and ebook on Amazon and will be available through most major book retailers soon.
It explores the final days of the Roman and Persian empires, and how they were ultimately overwhelmed by the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD. It covers the warfare, politics, and religious upheaval of the time, but also introduces a compelling new angle: climate change.
Drawing on the latest scientific research, I examine the Late Antique Little Ice Age — a period of significant climatic cooling that struck at the heart of the Roman and Persian worlds, but — and here’s the catch — seems to have allowed Arabia to flourish. I believe this could be a crucial, yet overlooked, factor in understanding this pivotal era of history.
If you’ve been listening to my podcast, you’ll be aware of most of this but I think you’d still find the book worthwhile since it has more content than this podcast and includes 9 maps, 16 pictures, a chronology, lists of Roman emperors and Arab caliphs, a detailed bibliography, notes and an index.
And you get all of that in the ebook format for only $6.99 in the US and £4.99 in the UK – not far off the price of a cup of coffee. The paperback is obviously more expensive but still not exorbitant at $13.99 in the US and £10.99 in the UK.
The link to Amazon is here - and if you do read it, I’d be thrilled to hear your thoughts. Of course, if you enjoy it, a review on Amazon would mean a great deal to me.
Thank you again for your continued interest and support — it’s what makes all of my work possible.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
By the year AD 719, the Arab/Berber army had conquered Iberia and was invading Gaul or what is modern France. They seemed unstoppable. Would western Europe fall to Islam? And would the Qu’ran be taught in the schools of Oxford, as Edward Gibbon rather mischievously speculated. Of course, Gibbon knew the outcome. The Arab advance into France came to a shuddering halt at the battle of Poitiers, or Tours as it’s sometimes called, in 732 when Charles Martel, or Charles the Hammer, would inflict the first major defeat on the Arabs in western Europe just as the emperor Leo III did in the east in 717/718 at the siege of Constantinople. Thereafter, the Arabs’ hopes of adding Europe to their vast empire would be checked in the west by the Franks, and in the east by the Byzantines.
In episodes 111 to 113, we looked at the Byzantines, and in the next few episodes I want to look at their western counterpart: the Franks. It comes as no surprise to say the Franks were important in history. Indeed, crucial. For they not just halted the Arab invasion of western Europe but under their greatest king, Charlemagne, they created a vast empire encompassing modern France, and much of Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Low Countries – in other words most of western Europe. Some historians believe Charlemagne’s empire – the Carolingian empire - was the starting point for modern Europe although it broke up fairly rapidly after his death. It would of course take the best part of a thousand years for that to happen but when Charlemagne was crowned as the new Roman emperor in AD 800 in Rome, in my opinion, the Franks rose above all the other Germanic invaders of the Roman Empire to become the true inheritors in western Europe of the once mighty Roman Empire. In this episode, we'll look at the beginning of their rise to power with the reign of the Frankish king Clovis (482-511), who forged the first strong Frankish kingdom in what is now France.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
So, we’re starting the final season in this podcast which is on the Dark Ages. But just how dark were they? One of the main themes of this new season will be to show the striking diversity of experience within western Eurasia and North Africa during the period from AD 700 to 1000 since, while the Dark Ages were, in my view, very dark for most of Europe, outside Europe, in the Middle East and North Africa, the period after the fall of the Roman Empire wasn’t necessarily that dark. The Dark Ages has become a Euro-centric term for the collapse of Roman civilization in Europe, but of course one of the key things about the Roman Empire was it wasn’t just European. We must remember that Rome was essentially a Mediterranean empire which extended into three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa.
And in Asia and Africa, the period that we in Europe call the Dark Ages was far from dark especially if you were a Muslim since the Islamic caliphates – the Umayyad and then the Abbasid – continued the astonishing rise of Islam after the death of Muhammad.
In episode 113, we heard how, at the eastern end of Europe, the Byzantine emperor Leo III defeated an Arab army at the gates of Constantinople in the cold winter of 717/718. This was a turning point in history since it marked the first major setback for the Arabs.
But what about the west? And that’s where we turn to in this and the next few episodes as the Arabs launch a huge offensive, first, into Visigothic Spain, and then into the heartland of Frankish Gaul or modern-day France.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
Apologies for the long radio silence, I’ve been busy with other projects but now I want to update you on the next and final season in this podcast which I’m super excited about because it will cover what I regard as one of the most fascinating parts of the story of the fall of the Roman Empire – i.e. what happened after the fall? Now, we all know that this time was called the Dark Ages although there’s a huge amount of debate among historians about just how dark it was. Some see it as a total collapse of civilisation which wasn’t reversed for hundreds of years while others think it was a time when new ideas and cultures came into being which formed the melting pot for the later development of Europe and the Islamic world.
I think there’s truth in both of these views but it does depend where you were at the time. For example, if you were in Britain, then it was a truly dark time when civilisation returned to prehistoric levels, with the complete loss it seems of pretty much every civilised skill, from pottery to house building to literacy. But if you were in Syria or Egypt then you were part of the Islamic Empire which would go through its golden age over the next 300 years with Baghdad, for example, becoming the largest and wealthiest city on the planet with over a million people.
And what I want to do in this season of podcasts is to show the big picture of what was happening because I think historians sometimes lose sight of this. The problem arises because we’re not just dealing with the Roman Empire any more but really with three major successor states to Rome: first, the Arab empire; second, the Byzantine empire and, third, as we’ll soon hear, the rise of another great empire – the Frankish empire.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
Why did Arabia rise so rapidly in the seventh century AD to become the dominant global superpower? In this episode, we look at a fascinating new theory.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
The Arab siege of Constantinople in 717/718 was one of the greatest turning points in all of history. Discover why in this episode.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
In the first half of the seventh century AD, the rise of Islam seemed unstoppable. How could Byzantium survive? Luck and the invention of a medieval flame-thrower would help!
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
Roman Egypt was not only the Roman Empire's wealthiest province, it was also one of the earliest bastions of Christianity. Therefore, its rapid fall to the armies of Islam has long baffled historians. Discover the surprising story of how division, betrayal and sheer bad luck caused a turning point in history.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
In this episode, we look at climate history and ask whether the rise of Islam was helped by more favorable climatic conditions during the Late Antique Little Ice Age?
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
In this episode, we revisit the 'Late Antique Little Ice Age' and the Justinianic Plague, and consider whether these contributed to the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
After defeating the Romans at the Battle of Yarmuk in 636, the first Islamic Caliphate turned its attention to Persia. The fighting there would be even more decisive than against the Romans.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
In August 636, near the Yarmuk river in modern-day Syria/Jordan, a battle was fought between the new Islamic Caliphate and the Roman Empire that would change the course of history.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
As Rome and Persia fought the last war of antiquity, they scarcely noticed a revolution was taking place in Arabia. A revolution led by a man named Muhammad.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
Heraclius was one of the greatest of all Roman Emperors and soldiers, and in 628-30 he secured a complete victory over Rome's oldest enemy - Sasanian Persia.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
The Roman Emperor Heraclius faced his gravest challenge yet in AD 626 as the Avars and Persians closed in on the capital city, Constantinople. But the year ahead would be full of surprises.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.
The year AD 622 was a difficult one for the Roman Empire and its emperor, Heraclius. Surrounded by the Avars in the west and the Persians in the east, the position looked hopeless. But Heraclius was a truly remarkable emperor and soldier. And he knew what the best form of defence was.
If you're looking for a good read over the Christmas Holidays, check out my latest book 'Justinian's Empire' at Amazon US and Amazon UK. And if you speak German, please take a look at the German translation of 'The Roman Revolution' (first book in my series on 'The Fall of the Roman Empire') just published on Amazon.de.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
In 615, the Roman Empire was on its knees. The Persians had conquered most of Syria and the Levant and were poised to invade Egypt, the empire's richest province. But from the ashes of defeat would arise a new army, led by the emperor Heraclius, determined to avenge the fall of Jerusalem. Centuries later, they would be called the First Crusaders.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
When Heraclius seized the throne from Phocas, you might think the Romans had got lucky. But no! The first few years of his reign were nothing short of disastrous as the Persians advanced into the heart of the empire.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
I thought you might be interested to know that my latest book called ‘Justinian’s Empire’ is out now on Amazon in ebook and paperback. It will be with other distributors later and also available in audiobook probably within the next six months.
It's about the triumph and tragedy of Justinian’s reign. Triumph because Justinian’s general, Belisarius, recovered North Africa and Italy from the barbarians. Justinian also created a new law code that would endure to this day. And he built extraordinary monuments, like the iconic Hagia Sophia in modern Istanbul, rivalling the great buildings of Ancient Rome.
But all that glitters is not gold. There was also tragedy in his reign, with a mini ice-age that caused famine and bubonic plague. I also suggest Justinian was a ruthless opportunist, and his western conquests drained the empire’s wealth and critically weakened its army.
So, rather than restoring Rome’s greatness did he in fact pave the way for its catastrophic collapse less than a century after his death?
Of course, if you’ve been listening to my podcasts much of this will be familiar to you. But I hope the book offers more than the podcast – it has nine maps and 17 pictures, a chronology, list of emperors, an index in the paperback version, and the content is not just a transcript of the podcasts, it’s more detailed with some additional material and a more carefully evaluated conclusion.
I think the ebook is also really good value at only $4.99 in the US and £3.99 in the UK – probably cheaper than a cup of over-priced coffee! – and certainly cheaper than most other books on the Roman Empire. Paperback is obviously more expensive since I can’t control the printing costs.
The links to Amazon US and Amazon UK are in the notes to this and I do hope you’ll take a look, and if you do buy it and you’re feeling generous why not leave a review? I’d love to hear your feedback.
Thanks again for your time and talk to you again on the 7th December when we continue with Heraclius’ epic struggle against the Persians.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
The emperor Phocas' reign was one of the most tyrannical and bloodthirsty in all of Roman history. In North Africa, a young general rebelled against him. His name was Heraclius. He was to become the last great Roman emperor.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
We've reached a turning point in late Roman history. In 602, a Roman army officer called Phocas overthrew the emperor Maurice and began a tyrannical and bloodthirsty reign that would imperil the empire.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
Having secured peace with Persia in 592, the emperor Maurice could switch his army to the desperate situation on the western front. The Roman fight-back was in full swing.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
In 590, the emperor Maurice got his big break. Civil war in Persia opened up the possibility of an entirely new world.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
As the emperor Justin II descended into madness, Tiberius II stepped into his shoes. His reign would be short but eventful.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de.
In 565, Justinian died and he was succeeded by his nephew, Justin II. How would he cope with the over-extended empire Justinian had created?
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A quick update on the next season in this podcast, starting on 14th September. It's going to be the most exciting of all - about the collapse of the ancient world in the seventh century AD, and the rise of Islam. A true turning point in history.
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Did Justinian make or break the Roman Empire? Find out in this episode!
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In this episode, we look at society and religion in the age of Justinian. And we discover something that's been hidden in the sands of Egypt for 1,500 years.
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Justinian's wars of reconquest in the west left much of the Roman Empire weakly defended. Nowhere was this more evident than along the Danube frontier where new enemies were massing to pillage the empire and slaughter its inhabitants. They were the wolves from the north.
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In the early 550s, with its economy and population recovering from the effects of the Justinianic Plague, Justinian launched a new offensive to subdue the Ostrogoths in Italy. This time the Roman army was well resourced and success looked likely. But would the cost of victory be worth it?
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In 544, Belisarius returned to Italy to fight the Goths. It was his last campaign and the end of his career. But many years later, he was asked by the emperor Justinian to don his armor one more time and save the empire from a new foe!
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In 540, the Persians sacked Antioch. It was one of the greatest disasters in Roman history. But in 541, Belisarius was back from Italy. Could he now reverse the situation on the eastern front?
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In the summer of 541, bubonic plague struck the Roman Empire. Known as the Justinianic Plague, it would be just as bad as the Black Death that 800 years later devastated Medieval Europe. Find out what happened here!
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In the year 536, something very strange happened on planet Earth. The sun was dimmed and temperatures plummeted. This was followed by another apparently inexplicable event. A pandemic of unparalleled proportions struck the eastern Roman Empire. What was going on?? Find out in this episode!
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In May 540, the unthinkable happened. The Persian shah, Chosroes, burned the Roman Empire's second city, Antioch, to the ground and butchered or enslaved its inhabitants. How did this catastrophe happen? Find out here!
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In May 540, Belisarius captured Ravenna from the Goths and took prisoner the Gothic king Wittigis. But before he could destroy the Gothic kingdom completely, he was recalled to Constantinople to face the invading Persians. In the next few years, a new Gothic king - Totila - would retake most of Italy.
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After Belisarius' heroic defense of Rome in 537-538, it looked as if there might be a rapid end to the Gothic war. But no. The Roman high command was wracked by internal division that would prolong the war and lead to the tragic sack of Milan.
Check out my website nickholmesauthor.com for a free ebook, maps and blogs.
Find my latest book, 'Rome and Attila' on Amazon.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
In the summer of 536, Belisarius crossed the straits of Messina and marched on Rome. His army numbered 6,000 and he faced at least 30,000 Goths. It would be his greatest test.
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Find my latest book, 'Rome and Attila', on Amazon.com here.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
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After Belisarius' triumph in North Africa, Justinian turned his gaze to Italy and the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths. But what was that Kingdom like? Find out here.
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For my latest book, Rome and Attila, click here.
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Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
Belisarius conquered the Vandal kingdom in North Africa in just six months. But it would take 15 years to bring peace to this new province of the Roman Empire. Find you why in this episode. Also, find a free ebook, maps and blogs at my website nickholmesauthor.com. Link here for my exciting new book 'Rome and Attila' only just out!
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
On 15th September, 533, Belisarius captured Carthage from the Vandals. But the Vandal king Gelimer was mustering all the forces he could for a last desperate battle. Interested in finding out more about Roman history? Visit my website nickholmesauthor.com for maps, blogs and a free ebook!
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Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
In June 533, Belisarius sailed for North Africa to reconquer Carthage. Most people thought he would fail...
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The Nika riots ripped the heart out of Constantinople and nearly toppled Justinian. Desperate to restore his authority, Justinian looked west to the Vandal kingdom of Carthage which was experiencing its own problems.
To find maps, blogs and a free ebook check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
My latest book, 'Rome and Attila', is now available on Amazon in ebook and paperback, links below. It’s about one of the most infamous figures in history—Attila the Hun. He’s a household name, but remarkably little is known about him and his popular legend as a brutal tyrant is not necessarily correct. I delve into the primary sources in search of the real Attila and find someone very different from the legend—a complex, captivating personality who despised ostentation, admired bravery and valued loyalty.
I also develop a new theory about the military history of this period, suggesting it was Attila’s ferocious onslaught against Constantinople that prompted the development of a new and more professional eastern Roman army which formed the basis for the army that Belisarius would later lead to victory when he reconquered much of the west in the sixth-century.
Now, of course you’ve heard about this in the podcast episodes but I hope the book offers much more since it has maps, pictures and it’s certainly more than just a transcript of the podcast since it goes into more detail in some areas and also contains more developed analysis and ideas than when I was recording the podcasts. So, think of the podcasts, if you like, as an introduction to the book.
Thanks for your time and I hope you enjoy it!
Link to buy the book Amazon.com
Link to buy the book Amazon.co.uk
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
In January 532, the Nika riots in Constantinople shook the world and nearly overthrew the emperor Justinian. Find out what happened here. Link to my website for free resources - nickholmesauthor.com
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
Despite Belisarius' victory at Dara in 530, dissatisfaction was growing with Justinian which would soon lead to rebellion.
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In this episode, we meet one of Rome's greatest generals who will change the course of history. His name is Belisarius.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
Procopius is our main source for Roman history in the sixth century. He praises Justinian, Theodora and above all, Belisarius. But he's also left us with an unpublished document called the Secret History which contradicts everything he said in his other works. What's going on? Find out in this episode. For my website click here.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
In 518, the emperor Anastasius died. According to Procopius, he was succeeded by an illiterate peasant named Justin. Although this did not sound promising, it was the beginning of a new golden age.
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For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
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In this episode, we continue with one of the most remarkable but largely forgotten Roman emperors - Anastasius. In his reign, a great religious conflict divided the empire and one that nearly toppled him from power.
For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com
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Anastasius was one of the most important but often ignored of the eastern Roman emperors. In his reign, to paraphrase Gregory of Tours: 'A great many things happened, some good, some bad.' In this episode, we look at one that was decidedly bad for the Romans - the return of the Sasanians.
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Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
Anastasius is not one of Rome's most famous emperors but his achievements were critical to the growing strength of the eastern empire. It would be no exaggeration to say he was 'The New Diocletian'.
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After the defeat at Carthage in 468, the eastern empire was looking precarious. But a new emperor, Zeno, would ensure both its and his own survival.
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The Western Empire has fallen. In the East, Rome stands firm despite the failure of its expedition to recover North Africa. But a new power is emerging: the Ostrogoths.
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Find my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon
Just a quick update on the next season which I’m very excited about because it will cover the reign of the emperor Justinian when his famous general, Belisarius, reconquered much of the west. We'll start on September 16th. See you then!
Before we begin the story of the great Age of Justinian, let's return to Attila the Hun. What was his role in paving the way for Justinian? You may be in for a surprise!
In this episode, we look at what life for ordinary people was like as the western empire fell. And one extraordinary document has survived to tell us a fascinating tale.
We are now counting down the days to the official end of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476. But there are plenty of twists and turns still to come.
In 468, the eastern emperor Leo launched an invasion fleet to recapture Carthage from the Vandals. It was one of the greatest military expeditions in Roman history.
In 461, Ricimer executed the emperor Majorian. He would become the virtual king of Italy.
After the Vandals sacked Rome in AD 455, it looked as if the Western Roman Empire might be finished. But a new emperor seized power. His name was Majorian. He was the last hope of the West.
The year is AD 455. The Vandals are at the gates of Rome. The emperor, Petronius Maximus, has been ripped to pieces by the Roman mob. Is this now the end of the western empire?
I wanted to let you know my second book, called The Fall of Rome, is now available on Amazon. It's about how the unthinkable happened in AD 410 when Rome was sacked by the Goths. Packed with maps and pictures, it's only $3.99 for the ebook and $11.99 for the print version. Hope you enjoy it!
On the 21 September 454, one of the most extraordinary events in all of Roman history happened. Aetius, the hero of the Western Empire, was stabbed to death by the emperor Valentinian III.
In AD 453, the eastern Roman emperor, Marcian, dreamed an angel brought him a broken Hunnic bow. Two days later, news reached Constantinople that Attila the Hun was dead. Now, his great empire began to unravel.
After his defeat at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, Attila looked for an easier target than Gaul or Constantinople. In 452, a Hunnic army swept into the Adriatic side of Italy. The Italian job had begun.
On 20 June, 451, one of the most decisive battles in history took place in Gaul as Attila's invading army was met by a great coalition of Romans, Visigoths, Alans, Franks and others. It was the battle for western Europe.
The year is AD 451. Attila the Hun is marching on Gaul. There the Roman general Aetius - remembered as 'The Last of the Romans' - is trying to form a grand coalition to save Europe.
In AD 450, a Roman princess called Honoria contacted Attila the Hun. She asked him to stop an arranged marriage with a man she disliked. Attila replied: why not marry me instead?
In 447, Attila struck the Eastern Roman Empire. It was the largest military engagement for half a century. After peace was agreed, the Romans sent an embassy to have dinner with Attila...and assassinate him!
In the 430s, a new Hunnic leader rose to power. Soon his name would strike fear into the hearts of the Romans. It was Attila.
In AD 433, Aetius secured his position as the effective ruler of the Western Roman Empire. With the help of the Huns, he defeated the Burgundians and Visigoths. But a disaster was about to strike the Western Empire.
In AD 425, the six-year-old Valentinian III became emperor of the west. Another child emperor created another power vacuum. His mother, Galla Placidia, would try to hold onto power but could she thwart the ambitions of a Roman general called Aetius?
In this episode, we find out what was happening in the eastern half of the Roman Empire after the sack of Rome in AD 410. And it won't be long before an eastern army arrives in Ravenna.
Happy New Year 2023! This is a bonus episode about my recent trip to Milan where I was struck by the strange absence of Roman remains - and found the answer in the strange tale of Attila the Hun and the Roman princess Honoria!
The year is AD 410. Rome has been sacked. Is this the end of the western empire? Not yet. And the next few years will be full of surprises.
In this episode, we reflect on the reasons for the sack of Rome in AD 410, and ask whether climate change on the steppe-lands of Asia was the ultimate cause?
Why didn't the Roman army defend the city of Rome better when it was sacked in AD 410? Many historians blame the internal conflict within the empire. But the Roman army was also in terminal decline. Find out why in this episode.
In AD 410, Alaric the Visigoth sacked Rome. It was the first time in 800 years that the city had fallen. Find out in this episode why and how it happened.
In AD 408, Stilicho's fall from power was as spectacular as his rise had been. Alaric took advantage of this to invade Italy and lay siege to Rome. The western Roman Empire was rapidly imploding.
In December AD406, catastrophe struck the Roman Empire as a huge force of Germanic barbarians crossed the Rhine. Could Stilicho, the Roman general and hero of two wars with the Goths, save the empire?
In the early fifth century, Stilicho led the Roman armies in the west to victory after victory over the Goths, giving new hope to the empire.
At the end of the fourth century, the Roman Empire lacked strong emperors and was ruled by Stilicho in the west and Eutropius in the east. As it drifted into the fifth century it was drifting towards disaster.
When the emperor Theodosius died in 395, he left the empire to his two young sons, Arcadius in the east, and Honorius in the west. It proved to be an unhappy legacy.
The emperor Theodosius I is sometimes called 'The Great'. But if he was so great why was the city of Rome sacked by the Goths only fifteen years after his death? Find out in this episode.
This is just to let you know that you can get my ebook called The Roman Revolution, which accompanies the first part of my podcast, at a discounted price at Amazon for the next few days (until 29th September). It focuses on the transition from the classical Roman Empire to Constantine's Christian-centred empire run out of Constantinople. It's priced at 99 cents or pence in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Links to it on Amazon by country are below.
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After its disastrous defeat at the Battle of Adrianople, you might think the late Roman Empire had enough problems already. But in Theodosius' reign, the Romans decided to add a few more in the form of civil wars and a bitter theological dispute.
On the 9th August, AD 378, the eastern emperor Valens rode north from Adrianople to give battle to the Goths. The outcome of this conflict would prove decisive in the history of the fall of the Roman Empire.
In the summer of AD 376, a vast mass of Goths, maybe 200,000 men, women and children, appeared on the river Danube, begging for asylum. They were fleeing from the Huns. The eastern emperor, Valens, was at that moment preparing for war against the Persians. What should he do? The next few years would prove decisive for the future of the Roman Empire.
In AD 376, a huge host of Goths, maybe 200,000 strong, appeared on the banks of the river Danube. But this was not the usual raid for plunder. Instead, the Goths appealed for asylum on Roman territory from a terrifying new enemy - the Huns.
After Julian's death on campaign in Persia in AD 363, his successors struggled to stave off growing barbarian invasions in the west and Persia's new-found dominance in the east. They did their best to keep the show on the road but the cracks in Rome's armour were beginning to show. Indeed, for the emperor Valentinian, it all proved too much when he literally burst a blood vessel and died in a fit of anger while negotiating with the German tribe, the Quadi.
In March 363, the emperor Julian led one of the largest Roman armies ever seen into Persia. He thought his destiny was to be the next Alexander the Great. Things didn't work out quite as he'd hoped.
In March 363, the emperor Julian led a vast army east to fight Persia. Why did he want to risk his own future and the future of the Roman Empire by taking on its most powerful adversary? Find out in this episode.
Julian the Apostate is best remembered for his epithet 'the Apostate', referring to his anti-Christian policies. But what was he really like and how did he want to change the Roman Empire? Find out in this episode.
In late August, 357, Julian, the new Caesar in Gaul, watched as a massive German army, 35,000 strong, crossed the Rhine to face him outside Strasbourg. Julian was heavily outnumbered with a Roman army of only 13,000 men. But he decided to fight what would become one of the most famous battles in Roman history: the Battle of Strasbourg.
This is just to let everyone know that my book covering the early part of this podcast is now available on Amazon priced at $2.99 or equivalent in other countries. It has 10 maps and 15 images which I hope will bring the podcast to life as well as more detailed written content! Print version will be available to all retailers (not just Amazon) in the next week or so. Here is the link to the book on Amazon US.One click and you're there! Hope you enjoy it!
Julian the Apostate was one of the most extraordinary emperors in all Roman history. Find out in this episode how the bookish young man began his ascent to power.
In the middle of the fourth century, the emperor Constantius II faced not just a revitalised Persia in the east, but the agony of civil war as Magnentius, a popular general in the Rhine army, seized power in the west.
After Constantine's death, political instability returned to the Roman Empire as his three sons jostled for power. But just as disturbing was the resurgence of a powerful Persia led by the formidable new King of Kings, Shapur II.
Constantine's reign was a watershed moment for the Roman Empire - with his conversion to Christianity and the founding of Constantinople. But what happened when he died? Find out in this episode!
If you'd met a fourth century Roman and asked them what they thought of their emperor, Constantine, you might have expected them to talk about Christianity or Constantinople, but instead, they would probably have shown you a gold coin called the 'Solidus' which was to become the dollar of both the ancient and medieval worlds.
The Emperor Constantine is probably best remembered for his conversion to Christianity. But his founding of the city of Constantinople was another landmark event that was to shape the entire future of the Roman Empire.
The Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity shortly before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312 is seen as a landmark event in not just the history of the Roman Empire but of Christianity, and indeed of the entire world. But what really happened? Find out in this episode.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Roman Empire was the rapid rise of Christianity in the late third and fourth centuries. While much attention has been focused on the roles of emperors, like Diocletian, who persecuted the Christians, and Constantine, who championed them, in this episode, we'll look at one of the questions which has always puzzled historians - what were the underlying reasons for the spread of Christianity in Roman society?
In the late third century, the Roman Empire was changing rapidly. Civil war had done much to contribute to its near destruction. Now, the radical Emperor Diocletian came up with an innovative solution for this - the Tetrarchy. He also decided to confront a strange new religion that was increasingly a threat to the traditional Roman gods - Christianity.
Diocletian's greatest innovation may sound mundane but it was to form the basis of the financial strength of the Roman and Byzantine Empires for centuries to come. It was the reform of the Roman tax system.
In AD 284, a new Emperor seized the purple. His name was Diocletianus, or Diocletian, as he is better known to us. He had a new vision of the Empire which was as revolutionary as that of Augustus, three hundred years before.
Having defeated Palmyra in AD 272, Aurelian turned west to face the breakaway Gallic Empire. Could he now reunite the Roman Empire?
In AD 272, the Emperor Aurelian's eastern offensive was in full swing. His army recaptured Antioch while, in the south, the Roman navy reconquered Egypt. But Palmyra was far from finished and great battles were still to be fought.
In the AD 270s, the Roman Empire was fighting for its life. But the Emperor Aurelian was one of the best generals in Rome's history. He managed to defeat a German invasion of Italy and then pushed the Goths back over the Danube. He was now ready to turn east to face the might of Palmyra.
When Claudius Gothicus died of the plague in AD270, it seemed as if the Roman fight back against the barbarian invasions might be stalled. But his deputy, Aurelian, quickly assumed the purple and led the Roman armies to even greater glories.
In the late AD 260s, under the leadership of the soldier-Emperor, Claudius 'Gothicus', the Roman army started to turn the tide against its enemies. So, how and why had the Roman army changed? Find out in this episode!
We've now reached one of the most exciting parts of Roman history. With the break-up of the Roman Empire in the AD 260s, the situation looked extremely bleak. But this was the catalyst for revolution, and the emergence of a new breed of tough soldier-Emperors who would save the Empire.
One of the most fascinating parts of Roman history is the little known "Fall before the Fall". This was the period from around AD 250 to 275 when the Roman Empire broke up into three separate parts. It was a close-run thing if the empire would survive. Find out more here!
You might not immediately associate climate change with the Roman Empire but in fact it was critically important both to Rome's rise to power and also to its fall. Find out why here!
The decline of the Roman Empire was not only due to barbarian invasions and civil war. In the second century AD, it was hit by the first pandemic known in human history: the Antonine Plague. Was it germs rather than Germans that brought down the empire?
More than any other Germanic tribe, the Goths would dominate Roman history from the third to the sixth centuries. In this episode, we hear how they were the first of Rome's many enemies to precipitate the crisis of the third century.
The third century was a time of crisis for the Roman Empire. Not only was Persia revived by the Sasanians but, in the West, the Germans posed a far greater threat than ever before. Find out why in this episode!
In the third century, Rome faced a reinvigorated Persia, led by the Sasanian dynasty. In 260 AD, the Roman Emperor Valerian was defeated and captured. Allegedly, the Persian King used him as a footstool to mount his horse before flaying him and displaying his skin in his palace. How did the Sasanians triumph over the Romans? Find out in this episode.
Tacitus wrote that the Year of the Four Emperors, in 68-69AD, revealed "The Secret of the Empire." It was a secret that would lead to the near collapse of the Roman Empire in the third century. Find out in this episode what that secret was!
Marcus Aurelius was the last of the 'Good Emperors'. His son, Commodus, proved to be the exact opposite of his father. A bloodthirsty tyrant, his reign is often seen as marking the beginning of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
Augustus' Roman Empire produced over two hundred years of peace in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It was called the 'Pax Romana', or Roman Peace. It has never been achieved before or since. So, how did the Romans do it? Find out in this episode.
Julius Caesar lies dead on the floor of the Senate. What will happen now? The answer lies with a man called Octavian, who will surprise and astonish the ancient world by reinventing the Roman state and ensuring two hundred years of peace - he is better known by his honorary title of Augustus, the first Roman Emperor.
In this episode, we look at the collapse of the Roman Republic, and the man whose brilliance and whose greed for power, caused a crisis in the Roman world. This was Julius Caesar, the most famous Roman of all.
We continue with the story of Rome's rise to power in the third and second centuries BC, and ask two vital questions: first, did the Romans simply get lucky? Second, how did the Roman legions become the most feared fighting machine of the ancient world?
Welcome to the Fall of the Roman Empire! Ever wondered why and how the Roman Empire fell? Then you've come to the right place! This episode explains how the show works and starts at the very beginning of Rome's rise to power since we need to know what Rome was to understand why it fell.