Echoes of Empires

Julian the Apostate was one of the most extraordinary emperors in all Roman history. Find out in this episode how the bookish young man began his ascent to power. 

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In the middle of the fourth century, the emperor Constantius II faced not just a revitalised Persia in the east, but the agony of civil war as Magnentius, a popular general in the Rhine army, seized power in the west.

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After Constantine's death, political instability returned to the Roman Empire as his three sons jostled for power. But just as disturbing was the resurgence of a powerful Persia led by the formidable new King of Kings, Shapur II.

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Constantine's reign was a watershed moment for the Roman Empire - with his conversion to Christianity and the founding of Constantinople. But what happened when he died? Find out in this episode!

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For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com

If you'd met a fourth century Roman and asked them what they thought of their emperor, Constantine, you might have expected them to talk about Christianity or Constantinople, but instead, they would probably have shown you a gold coin called the 'Solidus' which was to become the dollar of both the ancient and medieval worlds.

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The Emperor Constantine is probably best remembered for his conversion to Christianity. But his founding of the city of Constantinople was another landmark event that was to shape the entire future of the Roman Empire. 

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The Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity shortly before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312 is seen as a landmark event in not just the history of the Roman Empire but of Christianity, and indeed of the entire world. But what really happened? Find out in this episode.

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One of the most remarkable aspects of the Roman Empire was the rapid rise of Christianity in the late third and fourth centuries. While much attention has been focused on the roles of emperors, like Diocletian, who persecuted the Christians, and Constantine, who championed them, in this episode, we'll look at one of the questions which has always puzzled historians - what were the underlying reasons for the spread of Christianity in Roman society?

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In the late third century, the Roman Empire was changing rapidly. Civil war had done much to contribute to its near destruction. Now, the radical  Emperor Diocletian came up with an innovative solution for this - the Tetrarchy. He also decided to confront a strange new religion that was increasingly a threat to the traditional Roman gods - Christianity.

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Diocletian's greatest innovation may sound mundane but it was to form the basis of the financial strength of the Roman and Byzantine Empires for centuries to come. It was the reform of the Roman tax system.

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For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com