The Sixth Age: A Medieval History Podcast

Today, I cover the rulers of the Visigoths from 410-531 AD, focusing on the Balt dynasty, which led the Visigoths to conquer vast portions of Spain and France before they were defeated by internal squabbling and neighboring tribes. I cover great kings like Alaric I, Theodoric I, and Euric, as well as their less able descendants. 

As always, you can leave comments or questions at the podcast website. If you liked this episode, please like, comment, share, and subscribe to support the show. 

In this episode, I cover three of the earliest recorded Christian monks and the origins of Christian monasticism. 

Leave comments or questions at https://www.6thagepod.com/contact

Follow the podcast on Tiktok at @6thagepod

In this episode, I cover the waning years of Geiseric's reign, and the reigns of his successors, setting the stage for the ultimate confrontation between the Eastern Romans and the Vandals. 

As always, you can review my sources, or leave comments or questions, at https://www.6thagepod.com/

Ever wondered where the term "vandalism" came from? Listen to this podcast to find out. I cover the Vandal tribes, from their first appearance in written records through the Vandal Sack of Rome in 455 AD. 

If you like this episode, make sure you subscribe so you don't miss part two. As always, you can leave feedback or review the show's bibliography at https://www.6thagepod.com/.

In this episode, we do a deep dive on early Medieval heroic traditions - including Germanic and Celtic legends. Also, there's a brief summary of Beowulf and a little bit of historical and literary analysis you can dive into. Enjoy!

As always, you can review my sources or leave questions and comments at the podcast website, www.6thagepod.com

This episode traces the end of Roman rule in Britain, the withdrawal of imperial protection around 410 AD, and the rise of Germanic settlers (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) who mixed warfare, settlement, and legend with the Romano‑British population.

Learn more at www.6thagepod.com

This week we're covering the origins of Medieval European Serfdom, through the eyes of an Italian couple. As always, you can leave comments, view bibliographies, and support the show on the podcast website.

In this episode we trace the Jin Empire’s collapse in the 4th–5th centuries: pressure from nomadic invasions and disastrous internal politics and taxation under the Sima family. 

Read the podcast substack at https://6thagepod.substack.com/

In the 4th–5th centuries AD the Gupta Empire’s golden age—shaped by rulers like Samudragupta and Chandragupta II, thriving trade with Rome, and rich religious and urban life—was shattered by repeated invasions by the Huns. Reliant on Roman gold and international trade, the Guptas could not withstand the sustained pressure.

The episode traces the Guptas’ rise, their ties to Roman commerce, the Hunnic invasions and attacks on monasteries, and the empire’s collapse into regional kingdoms—drawing parallels to the fall of Rome and the birth of medieval societies in India and Europe.

This episode explores the legendary and historical origins of the Merovingian dynasty, from the myth of Merovich’s sea-monster conception to Clovis’s military conquests and conversion to Christianity.

It examines Frankish identity, Roman influence, the synthesis of Roman and Germanic cultures, and how Clovis’s actions set the foundation for the medieval kingdom of France.