Podcast

Isaac Angelos begins his reign by defeating the Normans and making as many alliances as he can to secure his position. Unfortunately he rejects an offer from two Vlach Chieftains Peter and Asen. They turn on the Romans and found the Second Bulgarian Empire north of the Haemus Mountains.

Period: 1185-87

Pic: Isaac II Angelos (Miniature portrait from a 15th-century codex containing a copy of the Extracts of the History by Joannes Zonaras)

Stream: The Second Bulgarian Empire

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Killing of Stephen Hagiochristophorites by Isaac Angelos, c. 1473, miniature by Jean Colombe in Les Passages d’outremer, BNF.

A 15th century depiction of the death of Andronikos. Original in the Bibliothèque Nationale, France.

When Manuel Komnenos died he left an 11 year old son as his heir. The Regency Council set up to protect him fails. Manuel’s cousin Andronikos seizes the throne instead and begins a reign of terror.

Period: 1180-83

Pic: Andronikos I Komnenos. Miniature portrait from a 15th-century codex containing a copy of the Extracts of the History by Joannes Zonaras

Stream: A Lion Pouncing on a Large Prey

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We take a look around the parts of Anatolia which were controlled by Turkic peoples between 1080 and 1180 AD. We don’t have a huge amount of written sources to draw on but hopefully there’s enough information available to give you a better picture of what’s been happening there. We also discuss the two different groups of Turkic peoples in Anatolia – the settled and the nomads.

Period: 1070-1180

This beautiful drawing of Manuel Komnenos is by Diogo DaCunha. Check out more of his work on Instagram, at his website or on Vimeo.

I talk to historical fiction author Gordon Doherty about his Byzantine book series ‘Strategos.’ We talk about inspiration and research but also what advice he’d give to aspiring writers.

We also give you the chance to win a copy of the first book in the Strategos trilogy.

Find out more about Gordon and his other book series (including more Roman era stories) at his website.

While I’m away on the third ‘History of Byzantium’ tour I thought it was time to talk to the man behind them – Şerif Yenen. Şerif has been a tour guide in Istanbul for decades and has published many excellent books on the subject. He has also gone online to share his love for travel through podcasts and Youtube videos. I talk to Serif about his career and ask him listener questions about what to do and see in Turkey.

Contact me if you’d like to be on the mailing list for future ‘History of Byzantium’ tours.