The Byzantine Balkan Provinces in the 6th century

We take a look at the remaining Byzantine Balkan Provinces along with the northern neighbours of the Empire. We also take a glance at the Black Sea Coast and the Byzantine military interest in the Crimea.

Period: 376-518

Map: The map shows the administrative districts of the Byzantine Balkan provinces around the turn of the 6th century.

(Author: Konstantinos Plakidas, Source Website: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Cplakidas)

Download: Episode 9 – The Balkan Provinces

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The Eastern Hemisphere in AD500

We take a look at the former Roman Provinces of  Italy and Africa and see what Theodoric’s Ostrogoths and the Vandals, respectively, have been up to in the last century.

Period: 406-518

Map: The map shows the political distribution of states and nations during 500 AD.

(Author: Thomas Lessman, Source Website: www.WorldHistoryMaps.info.)

Download: Episode 8 – Italy and Africa

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Clovis, King of the Franks by François-Louis Dejuinne

We take a look at the former Roman Provinces of Gaul and Spain and see what the Franks and Goths have been up to in the last century.

Period: 406-511

Download: Episode 7 – Gaul and Spain

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The Empress Ariadne (from a 5th century imperial diptych from Venice)

The Emperor Anastasius now faces a real rebellion from the Count of the Federates in Thrace, Vitalian. The Emperor sends out an army under his nephew Hypatius but they are defeated and Vitalian marches on Constantinople. Anastasius turns once more to Marinus for help but this time he asks him to lead an army against the rebellious General. We then wrap up Anastasius’ long life and talk about the economic health of the Empire and the riots.

Period: 513-518

Download: Episode 6 – The Prosperous Exuberance

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The Barberini Ivory (from the Louvre). It’s unknown if this is meant to be Zeno, Anastasius or Justinian.

The Emperor Anastasius deals with more riots along with an invasion in the West by the Bulgars and the East by the Persians. He then begins to give in to his monophysite sympathies and is almost toppled after allowing his Patriarch to interfere with the Orthodox Liturgy. As the crowds demand he be replaced though he takes a gamble and offers to resign.

Period: 498-513

Download: Episode 5 – The Gamble

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Anastasius’ new bronze coins

The Emperor Zeno dies in 491 after trying to appease the monophysites with his ‘Henoticon.’ Zeno’s widow Ariadne then gets to pick his succesor and marries Flavius Anastasius. We have a look at the early years of his reign and the Isaurian War. We see how his financial policies made him popular despite his distaste for the public entertainments.

Period: 482-498

Download: Episode 4 – Give us a Roman Emperor

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The Emperor Zeno is now back in charge and has to deal with the members of the conspiracy that ousted him. In the first half of the episode we see how he handled his enemies close to him and in the second we look at his relationship with the Goths. At the very end we take a look at the final outposts of Roman rule in the West.

Period: 477-488

Download: Episode 3 – The Isaurian Emperor

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Emperor Leo I (from the Louvre)

We journey back to 457 to introduce the Emperor Leo.

I don’t cover his reign in full but there are important details about life in the East which “The History of Rome” didn’t cover.

Period: 457-477

Download: Episode 2 – Two Steps Back

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