Dr. Patrick Hotle a decorated and award winning historian and professor discusses the amazing and important history of the Byzantine Empire and the ancient city of Constantinople.  He explains the division of the Roman Empire under Emperor Diocletian and establishment of the city of Constantinople by Emperor Constantine.  The professor emphasizes the geographic and economic importance of the location of the Byzantine capital.  The concept of "Nova Roma" and the difference between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires are emphasized.  Hotle details the reign of Emperor Justinian including his territorial ambitions, building projects, and the establishment of the Justinian Code.  He tells of General Belisarius's military conquests and his role in defeating the Nika Rebellion.  The Empress Theodora, her history and her importance to Justinian are the focus of the second half of the discussion.  Dr. Hotle explains the impact a divided empire had on Christianity, and how we are in debt to the Byzantines for preserving Greco-Roman culture.  He completes the conversation with an description of the Hagia Sophia, the rise of Islam in the region, and the eventual fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453.  Istanbul, not Constantinople remains a cultural hub for Christians and Muslims alike.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Schnickelfritz Bavarian-Style Weissbier Ale (Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, St. Louis, Missouri

MUSIC:  Bones Fork