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 but was rejected by the people at every turn. Refusing to give up he invited foreign powers to intervene on his behalf.

Picture: John VI Kantakouzenos (from ‘Rulers of the Byzantine Empire’ published by KIBEA)

Period: 1341-43

Stream: The Worst Civil War, Part 1

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Andronikos III Palaiologos takes charge of a Roman state still recovering from the loss of Anatolia and the raids of the Catalans.

He takes on the challenge with enthusiasm and tangles with the Turks, Latins and Serbs. He also reunites Epiros and Thessaly with Constantinople.

Pic: Andronikos III Palaiologos, 14th century miniature from the State Library of Württemberg, Stuttgart.

Check out my episodes on the First Crusade which have been turned into videos by @Empire-Builders

Period: 1328-41

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This is part two of my Q&A with Father John Strickland. We talk about the Protestant reformation, Autocephalous churches and connections to Byzantium amongst other topics.

John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He wrote a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. He’s also recorded a podcast of the same name as an accompaniment to the books which you can find wherever you get your podcasts or at www.ancientfaith.com.

Stream: Orthodox Questions. Part 2

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We welcome back Father John Strickland to answer your questions about Orthodoxy.

In part one we tackle the Orthodox view on salvation and purgatory. As well as the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch and thoughts on the Byzantine understanding of how the divine played a role in daily life. Then we finish with the Orthodox view of Catholicism, Church Union and evangelisation.

John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He wrote a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. He’s also recorded a podcast of the same name as an accompaniment to the books which you can find wherever you get your podcasts or at www.ancientfaith.com.

Stream: Orthodox Questions. Part 1

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This episode is brought to you by Telepaideia, a collection of live online courses in Latin, Ancient Greek, and the classical humanities offered by The Paideia Institute. Visit www.paideiainstitute.org/telepaideia to browse the course catalogue and register! 

I interview David Hendrix the man behind the incredible website ‘The Byzantine Legacy.’ It was David who showed me around Istanbul when I first visited in 2018. His website is an amazing resource for anyone who wants to know what survives from Byzantium today.

David is leading a tour of Byzantine Macedonia in September 2025.

Check out the Byzantine Legacy website and Youtube channel. Follow David on Instagram, Facebook and X. And support him at Patreon.

Stream: The Byzantine Legacy with David Hendrix

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We look at listener questions about feudalism, the Catalans, the Armenians and many other topics.

Pic: Roger de Flor Street in Valencia

Stream: Questions XVI

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We look at listener questions about Andronikos II. Why was he so useless? Why did no one overthrow him? How poor was the Empire? And many more.

Pic: Chrysobull (Imperial decree) depicting Andronikos II alongside Christ, AD 1301.

Stream: Questions XV

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It’s time we talked about Orthodoxy in more detail. I ask Father John Strickland to explain the Divine Liturgy, and it’s Byzantine origins, to me.

John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He has also written a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. And he’s recorded a podcast of the same name as an accompaniment to the books. He also wrote the Making of Holy Russia: The Orthodox Church and Russian Nationalism before the Revolution.

Stream: The Divine Liturgy with Father John Strickland

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Marco Cappelli, the man behind the Storia D’Italia podcast, has created a Roman history comic book. Ammianus – the Twilight of an Era tells the story of the incredible change that took place across Italy during the 6th century.

The comic is so good it made me cry. I interview Marco about why he decided to make this and where the inspiration came from.

Get your own copy in Italian, English or Latin! And in physical or digital form here.

Stream: A Roman Comic Book with Marco Cappelli

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Pic: The Capture of Constantinople in 1204, oil painting by Tintoretto (1580).

Professor Nicholas Morton returns to tell us about developments on the sea during the Crusading era. We discuss why Venice, Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi were able to dominate the waves. And talk about the ships they used and how they fought.

Dr Morton is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern and Global history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. His new book The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East is available now.

Stream: The Mediterranean with Nicholas Morton

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