In this unscripted episode I speculate about why the Holy Roman Empire tends to be written out of European history, and suggest it is time to take it a bit more seriously.

He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope

Oct 3rd, 2016 6m 31s

In the Victorian world women were subservient to men. It sounds great in thery, but how did it actually work?

The View From The Foothills by Chris Mullin

Sep 26th, 2016 12m 38s

A view from inside the Blair government in the years leading up to the war in Iraq.

The Secret History - Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 41 Part 5

Sep 15th, 2016 10m 42s

The private life of Belisarius is revealed in the Secret History. Or is it?

SPQR by Mary Beard

Sep 10th, 2016 12m 6s

Mary Beard sums up the Roman Empire for the general reader.

HBR The Gothic War Continues - Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 41 Part 4

Sep 8th, 2016 8m 2s

Belisarius is recalled after almost completely defeating the Goths in Italy.

The Siege of Rome - Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 41 Part 3

Aug 27th, 2016 11m 46s

Belisarius had done well to capture Rome, but could he hold in the face of a determined counter attack by the Goths?

The Reconquest of Italy Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 41 Part 2

Aug 23rd, 2016 13m 56s

Belisarius invades Italy and captures Rome. But the Goths soon regroup and lay siege to him.

The Reconquest of Africa – Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 41 Part 1

Mar 20th, 2016 11m

Belisarius recaptures Africa from the Vandals in a risky but brilliant campaign.

The Byzantine Military Revolution

Mar 7th, 2016 15m 39s

Radical threats led to radical changes to the way the Romans fought.

The Ministry of Spin by Richard Milton

Jul 18th, 2015 10m 38s

The basic thesis of the book is that post war governments have used the emergency war powers to issue state funded Propaganda to win support for their political objectives.

The Suppression of the School Of Athens – Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 40 Part 4

Jul 16th, 2015 9m 5s

Justinian puts an end to a centuries old ph

Hagia Sofia - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 40 Part 4

Jul 9th, 2015 5m 21s

Justinian constructs one of the great buildings of history, the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. But what did he mean by it?

Nika Nika - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 40 Part 3

May 17th, 2015 11m 27s

The early reign of Justinian and Theodora was challenged by an outbreak of rioting that nearly led to them fleeing the city. But Theodora was made of sterner stuff.

Silk - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 40 Part 2

Apr 30th, 2015 8m 19s

Justinian was responsible for one of the most remarkable bits of economic espionage in history, giving him an edge on his enemies and creating the basis of the lingerie industry at the same time.

The Rise of Justinian - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 40 Part 1

Apr 23rd, 2015 9m 25s

The Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire Chapter 39

Apr 16th, 2015 10m 42s

Byzantine history starts in earnest with the end of the western Roman Empire, but events in Italy remain important.

A Hymn To The Enlightenment - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 38 Part 4

Apr 9th, 2015 8m 3s

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is permeated from beginning to end with the atmosphere of the Enlightenment. But at the end of the third volume, he comes out and says directly what he believes in.

Conquest of Britain - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 38 Part 2

Apr 2nd, 2015 10m 34s

The extent of the continuity of institutions in Roman Gaul during and after the barbarian invasions is something that has been widely debated and will no doubt continue to be debated. But in Britain there is no argument. The Romans pulled out

Reasons For The Fall Of Rome - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 38 Part 3

Mar 28th, 2015 9m 36s

Towards the end of volume 3 of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Gibbon speculates about the reasons for its fall. And so do I

Reign and Conversion of Clovis - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 38 Part 1

Mar 5th, 2015 17m 26s

The last remnants of Roman authority are swept away by the Visigoths and the Franks, while Clovis the Frankish ruler establishes the basis for the kingdom of France.

Conversion of the Barbarians - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 37 Part 3

Feb 26th, 2015 9m 32s

The fall of the empire, perhaps paradoxically led to greater religious uniformity than had ever been achieved before or since. Paganism was eliminated. Heresy was repressed. Before long, the only people left to persecute were the Jews.

Simeon Styllites - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 37 Part 2

Feb 19th, 2015 12s

Simeon Styllites was a major celebrity in the fifth century, gathering attention from the public and the court alike. What does Gibbon make of him? I find out in a reading from the book.

Monks - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 37 Part 1

Feb 12th, 2015 13m 48s

One of the effects of the growth of Christianity into a mass religion was the development of monasticism. The early monks were rather different to later ones, but even so their fanaticism was evident early on and meets with Gibbon's most extre

Extinction of the Western Empire - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 36 Part 3

Feb 5th, 2015 18m 48s

The collapse of the Western Empire took around 80 years from the invasions at the beginning of the fifth century to the deposition of the last emperor in 476. It was a grim tale of failure and disaster, which got steadily worse as things went