The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 101 "The...

In 615, the Roman Empire was on its knees. The Persians had conquered most of Syria and the Levant and were poised to invade Egypt, the empire's richest province. But from the ashes of defeat would arise a new army, led by the emperor Heraclius, determined to avenge the fall of J ...  Show more

The year AD 622 was a difficult one for the Roman Empire and its emperor, Heraclius. Surrounded by the Avars in the west and the Persians in the east, the position looked hopeless. But Heraclius was a truly remarkable emperor and soldier. And he knew what the best form of defe ...

Although I’m no longer making new episodes of this podcast, I thought you might be interested in my latest book, called The End of Antiquity, which relates particularly well to the content in this podcast since it’s about the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD and the collap ...  Show more

In the 10th century, a succession of Byzantine rulers reversed centuries of strategic policy by embarking on a series of campaigns that dramatically reshaped their empire. This effort and its consequences for the history of the region is the focus of Anthony Kaldellis‘s Streams o ...  Show more

By 410 AD, over 450 years after Julius Caesar first landed on its shores, the Romans had formally withdrawn from Britain. Burdened by military threats and political upheaval on the continent, the empire began to contract in on itself. The Romano-Britons were left to fend for t ...

The Roman Empire was one of the greatest empires in the ancient world.  It left us a host of languages based on Latin, as well as many cultural institutions which still exist. While the Roman Empire is gone, when exactly did it cease to exist?  Learn more about exactly when th ...  Show more