Episode 259 - The Fourth Crusade (Part 1)

Did you hear that Constantine XI didn't die? That he was taken below ground by an angel and will one day return. We explore all the myths which attached themselves to the final Roman Emperor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

I investigate the death of the Emperor Constantine XI. What happened to him on the last day of his life? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 

The Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos had asked the pope for a small crack team of western knights to aid him with his struggles in Asia Minor – a plea for help which had set crusading wheels into motion. But, he was shocked when waves of unruly crusaders began arriving in wav ...  Show more

In the call to crusade that ignited the idea of holy war in the minds of the western European populace, Pope Urban II painted a picture of evil “infidels” torturing and massacring the Christians of the Holy Land. However, when the armed pilgrims of the First Crusade crossed over ...  Show more

When we talk about the crusades today the mental images that spring to mind are as clear as they are striking – valiant crusader knights emblazoned with crosses and penniless pilgrims in search of salvation, perhaps even a brutal clash of civilisations. But, behind the popular my ...  Show more

In episode one of our series on the First Crusade, we consider how a landmark papal bull lit a fire under the idea of crusading, triggering a military machine that saw tens of thousands make an unprecedented journey into the unknown and face off against an unfamiliar enemy When ...  Show more