Robin Pierson

Episode 339 – What Happened Next?

Episode 338 – Get Rid of Byzantium with Leonora Neville

Professor Leonora Neville joins us to make the case for getting rid of the term Byzantium for good. She wants to replace it with a different term and a different understanding of Roman history.

Zoom Calls for Patrons - Sunday 15th February

Hey everyone,

I'm going to host two more Zoom calls for Patrons on Sunday 15th February. I'm happy to just do a Q&A but I'm also open to other suggestions. If people wou...

Episode 337 – Byzantine Christmas

In a bonus episode for Patrons I take you through what the Christmas period looked like in Constantinople.

Episode 336 – 10 Influential East Romans with Anthony Kaldellis. Part 2

As we look back at Byzantium I turned once more to Professor Anthony Kaldellis. I asked him to present a list of ten influential East Romans who were not featured heavily in the political narrative...

Episode 335 - 10 Influential East Romans with Anthony Kaldellis. Part 1

As we look back at Byzantium I turned once more to Professor Anthony Kaldellis. I asked him to present a list of ten influential East Romans who were not featured heavily in the political narrative...

Episode 334 – State Builders from the Steppe with Eric Halsey

I talk to Eric Halsey about his new book State Builders from the Steppe: A History of the First Bulgarian Empire.

In it he chronicles the rise and fall of the Bulgars as they arrive ...

Episode 333 – The Bachelorhood of Basil II with Mark Masterson

To mark the 1000th anniversary of his death we revisit the bachelorhood of Basil II.

My guest is Mark Masterson — until recently Associate Professor of Classics at Victoria University of ...

Zoom Calls this Sunday (30th November)

Hey everyone,

This is the link to the Zoom Calls on Sunday 30th November:

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2025-11-26 13:03:06 +0000 UTC View Post

Zoom Calls - 30th November (Quiz!)

Hello everyone,

I am back from my latest tour to Turkey. That is me posing right above the C...

Zoom Calls - Sunday 7th September

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This is the link to the Zoom Calls on Sunday 7th September:

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2025-09-05 11:59:49 +0000 UTC View Post

More Patreon Zoom Calls

Hey everyone,

I'm going to host three more Zoom calls for Patrons on Sunday 7th September.

The Zoom calls will be at 1pm, 5pm and 9pm UK time. Each w...

Where can I find the bonus episodes?

Here is a list of the episodes which you gain access to with the $6 a month feed at Patreon and where to find them.

Episode 28 – After the Apocalypse

The Origins of Islam (between epi...

Zoom Calls

Hey everyone,

This is the link to the Zoom Calls on Sunday 20th July:

Join Zoom Meeting

...

What Happens Next

Hello everyone,

I hope you enjoy the final episode of the narrative. I’m here to answer the question that people have been asking me for about 10 years now. So what are you going to do afte...

Episode 332 - Not with a Whimper but a Bang

Mehmed II becomes Sultan in 1451 and immediately makes plans to conquer Constantinople.

Period: 1448-53

Siege delayed

Hey everyone,

I'm afraid the final siege won't be out this Friday. For various reasons the episode has taken much longer to produce than I had anticipated. I can't give you an ETA at this st...

Patreon Zoom Calls

Hey everyone,

I'm going to host three Zoom calls for Patrons on Sunday 20th July. The podcast narrative will have finished and it will be a chance for me to say thank you to...

Episode 331 – The Last Hope

John VIII Palaiologos asks the Pope for an Ecumenical Council to reunite the churches. To his surprise the Pontiff says yes and a huge Byzantine contingent travels to Italy.

Pic: John VIII Pa...

Episode 330 – The Life of Manuel II Palaiologos

We explore the life of Manuel II Palaiologos. The last Roman Emperor who we can actually get to know. We go through his life story and his writing to learn more about being the Basileus in an age o...

Episode 329 - Buying Time

With the Ottoman civil war raging Manuel II Palaiologos tries to improve the Roman position and ensure his sons succeed him.

Period: 1402-30

Pic: John VII, Manuel II and ...

Episode 328 – In the Nick of Timur

Pic: Bayezid held captive by Timur, painting by Stanisław Chlebowski (1878)

Manuel II Palaiologos refuses to play vassal to Sultan Bayezid. So the Ottomans set up a permanent blockade of New...

Episode 327 – Vassals and Pawns

John V Palaiologos faces rebellions from his sons and Grandsons. Forcing the Romans to become both Ottomans vassals and the pawns of Venice and Genoa.

Period: 1371-91

Pic: John V Palaio...

Episode 326 - The Rise of the Ottomans, Part 2

We look at the details of how the Ottomans ran their state. Including the creation of loyalty to the ruling dynasty, succession policy, military recruitment and slave trading. 

Period: 1...

On this spot...

When I take listeners around the Hagia Sophia its really cool to be able to show them the exact spot where Emperors were crowned. If you could visit one spot where something from Byzantine history ...

Episode 325 - The Rise of the Ottomans, Part 1

We follow the last century of narrative from an Ottoman point of view.

Period: 1280-1371

Pic: Sultan Orhan (painted by Konstantin Kapıdağlı, 19th century)

Episode 324 – Just Another Beylik

John V Palaiologos takes charge of the Empire but finds he has only one option left to save his state. He must travel West and beg for Latin help. Meanwhile the Turks conquer Thrace.

Period: ...

Episode 323 – At Least Things Can’t Get Any Worse

Map: The Roman Empire c 1350 AD

Finally in sole control of the Empire John Kantakouzenos makes plans to restore the Roman world. His plans come to nothing though as he immediately faces war, ...

Episode 322 – The Worst Civil War, Part 2

In order to gain the throne John Kantakouzenos destroys what is left of the Roman Empire. He allows the Serbs to conquer Macedonia while his Turkish allies enslave his people.

Picture: Stefan...

Episode 321 – The Worst Civil War, Part 1

Andronikos III Palaiologos died on the 15th June 1341. Four months later his nearest and dearest were at each others throats.

His right hand man John Kantakouzenos declared himself Emperor bu...