The History of Rome Podcast, 12 Byzantine Rulers

Here are two good history podcasts: The History of Rome and 12 Byzantine Rulers.

They’re not quite as gripping as Hardcore History, but they’re still very engaging and interesting, with a solid focus on characters and stories. You may be asking yourself: What exactly is the Byzantine Empire? It’s not that well known, for kind of a weird reason. The Byzantine Empire is the name given by modern scholars to the the Roman Empire after it moved its capital to Constantinople (previously Byzantium, hence “Byzantine”) and became Christian. Which brings us to Edward Gibbon, who wrote the famous The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. As a boy, Gibbon had attempted to convert from Protestantism to Catholicism, only to change his mind when his family violently opposed the idea. This incident left him with a lasting distaste for Christianity generally, and he basically declared that when the Roman Empire went Christian it got all lame and stupid and not worth bothering with. Gibbon was so influential that much subsequent scholarship followed his lead. The Byzantine Empire is definitely worth studying though, particularly if you’re a fan of bloody palace intrigue.