Monthly Archives: July 2016

Byzantine Stories Episode 3 – Porphyrius the Charioteer. Part 1 – The Spectacles

Chariot race in the Circus Maximus (turkeyfile.com)

Chariot race in the Circus Maximus (turkeyfile.com)

Chariot racing depicted on the Lampadii Diptych (art.com)

Chariot racing depicted on the Lampadii Diptych (art.com)

The life of Porphyrius the Charioteer is not one we can dive in to. Very little is known about him but thanks to two unusual sources we can sketch the existence of this fascinating character. In part one we explore the history of Roman spectacles so that we can fully understand the context of Porphyrius’ world.

To listen to the episode please sign up for the Ad-Free Bonus Feed at Patreon. You can cancel your sub any time and resubscribe at any time.

If you want to send in feedback to the podcast:

– Either comment on this post.

– Or on the facebook page.

– Leave a review on Itunes.

– Follow me on Twitter.

Categories: Byzantine Stories | 2 Comments

Episode 110 – The Four Wives of Leo VI

Leo (kneeling) venerating Christ from a mosaic in the Hagia Sophia

Leo (kneeling) venerating Christ from a mosaic in the Hagia Sophia

Leo enters the second half of his reign desperate to leave the Empire to a healthy son. Meanwhile his military are successful on land but suffer at sea.

Period: 900-912

Download: The Four Wives of Leo VI

RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium

If you want to send in feedback to the podcast:

– Either comment on this post.

– Or on the facebook page.

– Leave a review on Itunes.

– Follow me on Twitter.

Categories: Podcast | 14 Comments

Subscription Update

Hello everyone, this is an update on the subscriptions and the Byzantine stories series.

It was the 26th July 2015 when I released the special feed which you can subscribe to that gives you access to all the paid-for episodes I’ve produced.

We are now 2 weeks away from that 12 month period coming to an end. For those of you who bought the subscription back then, you will soon get an email offering you the chance to resubscribe.

The price has gone up to $42 as the History of Byzantium will soon be my only job. It’s very exciting as I can spend more time researching the show, producing episodes more quickly and discovering more fascinating lives that the narrative glossed over in our Byzantine Stories series.

You can resubscribe as soon as you receive the reminder email. Your new 12 month sub will begin when your old one ends so you can renew early and be all set up ahead of schedule.

In that 12 month period you will get another six bonus episodes. In addition to the six you got in this 12 month period. And don’t worry, number six for this year is just about to come out. It covers the life of the greatest charioteer of the 6th century but also delves into the history of Roman chariot racing and the Hippodrome in particular. It’s going to be a two part episode. So part 1 will be your sixth bonus episode and part 2 will be the first of the new 12 month period.

For those of you who subscribed later on in 2015 or in 2016, you don’t need to do anything. You will get an email reminder 2 weeks before your sub comes due.

Let me know if you have any questions thehistoryofbyzantium@gmail.com. And thank you for listening.

Robin

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Episode 109 – Leo the Wise?

Leo VI (from 'Rulers of the Byzantine Empire' published by KIBEA)

Leo VI (from ‘Rulers of the Byzantine Empire’ published by KIBEA)

Basil’s son Leo was known as “the Wise” during his lifetime. We get to know the new Emperor and explore if this reputation was justified.

Period: 886-900

Download: Leo the Wise?

RSS Feed: The History of Byzantium

If you want to send in feedback to the podcast:

– Either comment on this post.

– Or on the facebook page.

– Leave a review on Itunes.

– Follow me on Twitter.

Leo VI (Dumbarton Oaks coin collection)

Leo VI (Dumbarton Oaks coin collection)

The Romans flee from the Bulgars at Boulgarofygon (from the Chronicle of John Skylitzes)

The Romans flee from the Bulgars at Boulgarofygon (from the Chronicle of John Skylitzes)

Categories: Podcast | 7 Comments

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