218. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium (Part 1)

What was the ancient city of Rome actually like in the first century BC? Who was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, another great, but aristocratic, Roman general who would clash with Gaius Marius in a totemic struggle termed the Social War? And, who were the terrifying Germanic tribes amas ...  Show more

Who was Gaius Marius, one of the two men who would shape the fate of Rome in the first century BC? Why was his road to fame, fortune, and political greatness, from total obscurity, so dangerous? And, would Marius be the man to face down the existential threat facing the empire du ...  Show more

Placed by her mother into a brothel when she was just a child, Theodora was born into the most brutal of worlds. It was a Constantinople riven with division, whether due to theology or circus factions it was always ready to boil over. As befitting a Christian saint, Theodora mana ...  Show more

As you may know I have already produced three episodes about Women in the Roman World which are available for you on the Ad-Free Bonus Feed at Patreon.I now present three more episodes about Women in the Byzantine World. And these episodes are very much a continuation of that ser ...  Show more

On the outskirts of modern Istanbul, a line of ancient walls lies crumbling into the earth...In this episode, we look at one of history’s most incredible stories of survival - the thousand-year epic of the Byzantine Empire. Find out how this civilization suffered the loss of its ...  Show more

Dr. Eleanor Janega and author Stella Duffy dive into the extraordinary life and legacy of Empress Theodora.

A woman who rose from the lowest ranks of society as a prostitute at the Hippodrome to capture the heard of an emperor to become the most powerful woman ...