Copper-alloy steelyard weight. Thought to be a portrait bust of the Emperor Phocas (from the British Museum)
The narrative resumes with the new Emperor Phocas having to deal with yet another Persian invasion.
Period: 602-608
Download: Episode 42 – In Fairness to Phocas
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We explore who the Byzantines thought they were and whether they were right.
Linguistic map of the Byzantine Empire c565
Period: 500-602
Map: The map shows the theoretical linguistic distribution of people in the Byzantine Empire around 560 AD.
(The map comes from Wikipedia but the author admits he used a map from Cyril Mango’s book “Byzantium: the Empire of the New Rome” as his source. Source Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Linguistic_Map_of_Justinian_I%27s_Empire_c._560.png I added the word Syriac after Aramaic. Syriac is derived from Aramaic and as it was the language of much writing in the area I wanted to make sure it was mentioned as part of the mix)
Download: Episode 41 – Who is a Byzantine?
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Bélisaire, by François-André Vincent (1776). Belisarius, blinded, a beggar, is recognised by one of his former soldiers.(Wikipedia).
I answer your 6th century questions from education to eunuchs and food to fleets.
Period: 500-602
Download: Episode 40 – Questions (6th Century)
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Belisarius Begging for Alms (1781) by Jacques-Louis David (Wikipedia).
The Eastern Hemisphere in 600AD
We travel through Spain, Gaul, Italy, the Balkans, Anatolia, the East and Persia to uncover the geo-political situation in 600AD.
Period: 500-602
Map: The map shows the political distribution of states and nations around 600 AD.
(Author: Thomas Lessman, Source Website: www.WorldHistoryMaps.info.)
Download: Episode 39 – Neighbours and Provinces
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An icon of Christ from Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Mount Sinai
We look at how Christianity spread more deeply into Roman culture across the 6th century and see how this affected the Empire’s cities and Jews.
Period: 500-602
Download: Episode 38 – Christianising
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Plus life got in the way a little.
Late Roman infantry with a Labarum standard (www.durolitum.co.uk)
Belisarius scouts the terrain with a Hun bowman looking ahead from Ancient Warfare Magazine Volume IV, Issue 3 (www.ancient-warfare.com)
We look at how the Roman army has changed up to the end of the 6th century. To guide us we are using the Byzantine army manual the Strategikon. We learn how the army fought, who fought, what they looked like and how they were organised.
Period: 500-602
Download: Episode 37 – The Army of the Strategikon
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Byzantine cavalry from Ancient Warfare Magazine Volume IV, Issue 3 (www.ancient-warfare.com)
Hey everyone,
There is a slight delay to Episode 37 on the army. It should be with you next week instead of this weekend.
With all your questions to answer and specific topics to research the whole process has taken me longer than I thought it would.
So I won’t be saying “in two weeks time” on any of the next few podcasts. I’m going to just go away and do the work and write the episodes and release them when they are ready. So there might be a three or four week pause. But I suspect that once I’ve had time to do some serious reading the episodes will come fairly quickly. So hopefully it’s a case of a few weeks off and then an episode a week or more until the narrative moves forward again.
Thanks for your patience and support,
Robin
Coins depicting the legitimate King of Kings Khosrau II
Maurice has a tough decision to make about his role in the Persian civil war. Once that is over he turns his attention to the Balkans. Success in the field is ruined by the cost of paying the army.
Period: 589-602
Download: Episode 36 – The End of Legitimacy
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Emperor Maurice by Emilian Stankev (from ‘Rulers of the Byzantine Empire’ published by KIBEA)
The new Emperor Maurice continues fighting on the Eastern front trying to convince the Persians to sign a peace treaty. But they won’t. Meanwhile Slavic settlers spread throughout the Balkans and the Avars continue to demand more money. The Emperor begins to fear for the Empire’s solvency and attempts to cut the pay of his army.
Emperor Maurice, 15th century miniature from the Modena manuscript of the chronicle of John Zonaras
Period: 582-589
Download: Episode 35 – The Lucky Break
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The History of Byzantium 
