Picture: Silver Coin (Aspron trachy) of John III Vatatzes

With the Bulgarians and Turks hobbled by the Mongols the field is clear for Nicaea. John Vatatzes annexes a huge swathe of European territory and is widely recognised as the true Roman Emperor.

Period: 1237-54

Stream: The Rise and Rise of Nicaea

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We talk to Dr Nicholas Morton about the arrival of the Mongols into the Byzantine world. Their confrontation with the Seljuks of Anatolia will have serious consequences.

Dr Morton is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern and Global history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. His new book The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East is available now.

In it he offers a panoramic account of the Mongol invasions of the Middle East during the thirteenth century, examining these wars from the perspectives of the many different societies impacted by their conquests, including of course Byzantium.

Stream: The Mongol Storm

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While Epirus was rising and falling, Nicaea was consolidating. John Vatatzes, the new Emperor, was competent at home and abroad. After years of consolidation he decided to besiege Constantinople. But he didn’t act alone he invited an unlikely ally to join him.

Period: 1215-37

Pic: John III Vatatzes from ‘Rulers of the Byzantine Empire’ published by Kibea

Stream: The Forgotten Siege

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Theodoros Doukas the leader of the Roman state of Epirus leads his people to ever greater heights in the 1220s. He captures Thessalonica and drives towards Constantinople itself. Doukas declares himself Emperor but does he have the resources necessary to reach the Hagia Sophia?

Pic: Electrum coin with Theodoros (left) blessed by Saint Demetrius.jpg

Period: 1215-30

Stream: The Rise and Fall of Epirus

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Today we look at Constantinople itself. What was the physical state of the city and what was the Latin administration like? Guiding us today is Dr John Giebfried.

John completed his PhD in Medieval History at St Louis University in 2015 and has subsequently worked at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Georgia Southern University, East Georgia State College, and since 2022 has been a faculty member at the University of Vienna, where he teaches History and Digital Humanities. His academic work focuses on the Crusades, the Crusader-States, and European interactions with the Mongols.

Reacting to the Past Games

Stream: Governing Constantinople with John Giebfried

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Today we look at the parts of the Roman Empire we haven’t covered so far in the post-siege narrative. This includes Attalia, Trebizond and the multiple acquisitions of Venice. Helping me is Dr John Giebfried from the University of Vienna.

Stream: Episode 292 – Venice and the Rest of the Empire with John Giebfried

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Michael Komnenos Doukas would have had a forgettable career if it wasn’t for the chaos which followed Manuel Komnenos’ death.

But the twists of fate allowed him to found a new state in Epirus (Western Greece) which would eventually seize huge parts of the Roman world.

Period: 1204-15

Stream: Episode 291 – Michael Doukas of Epirus

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We follow Theodore Laskaris as he escapes from Constantinople and establishes a new state at Nicaea. Crowned as the new Roman Emperor he must face down rivals on every side including the Turks.

Map: The Empire of Nicaea

Period: 1204-12

Picture: Laskaris’ forked beard on his coins (Dumbarton Oaks)

Stream: Episode 290 – The Despot, Theodore Laskaris

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With Baldwin and Boniface dead the Bulgarians run riot across Thrace. Their Tsar Kaloyan attempts to capture Thessalonica and ponders whether he could become the new Roman Emperor.

Picture: St. Demetrius Killing Kaloyan. Mosaic from Visoki Dečani Monastery in Kosovo

Period: 1204-07

Above: Statue of Kaloyan in Varna, Bulgaria

Stream: Episode 289 – Kaloyan, Tsar of Bulgaria

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After throwing a huge strop Boniface, the Marquis of Montferrat, is made King of Thessalonica.

He sent his men to conquer most of Greece but the Bulgarians were on his tail.

Picture: The Acrocorinth where Leo Sgouros took refuge from Boniface

Period: 1204-07

Stream: Episode 288 – Boniface, Marquis of Montferrat

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