The Rise of Constantinople with Bettany Hughe...

Step onto the dusty and dangerous fields of the medieval tournament with the only knightly teammates worth having: Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis *sound trumpets*They discover how chaotic and brutal melees evolved into a highly lucrative sport where losing knights instantly fo ...  Show more

What can the contents of a medieval French woman’s handbag tell us about her life, her beliefs and the strange world she inhabited?When she was captured by the Inquisition, Béatrice de Planisolles revealed all the juicy details of her forbidden relationships and folk magic practi ...  Show more

From humble beginnings as a modest Greek colony, through its later grandeur as part of the Roman and Ottoman Empire, the city of Constantinople has witnessed centuries of transformation. A melting pot of cultures and religions, it was the bridge between the East and West, where i ...  Show more

Assassin's Creed Revelations transports us to Constantinople, only a couple of generations after its conquest by the Ottoman Empire. It is one of history’s defining events, turning the city into the bridge between Christian West and Islamic East.

Dr Gemma Ma ...

May 1453 saw the siege that would lead to the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was the culmination of an age-long struggle between Christianity and Islam for control of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Ottoman leader Mehmed II had dreamed of possessing the city since he ...

How did Constantine the Great conquer his rivals and shape the Roman Empire?

Tristan Hughes discusses the dramatic rise of Roman Emperor Constantine I with Professor David Potter. They discuss the scandalous tales and strategic manoeuvres that defined Constantine's a ...