Five Kings and Some Romans 513 to 552 CE Putting on the afterburners to get through about fifty years of Visigothic history, as the Balt dynasty runs out into the sand, and uncertainty and internal division opens the door to outside powers. Webpage for this Episode https://darkagespod.com/2024/07/21/50-five-kings-and-some-romans/ This episode spons…

Conquest and Crisis: Visigoth Hispania, Pt. 1 456 to 513 CE After beating up on the Suevi it was the Visigoths’ turn to be beaten up by the Franks. After years of expansion, the Visigoths are forced to realign themselves south, under a new, unlucky king. Webpage for this Episode https://darkagespod.com/2024/07/02/conquest-and-crisis-visigoth-hispan…

The Kingdom of the Suevi C.418 to 470 The Suevi have been the unloved stepchildren of the Dark Ages Podcast for far too long, and finally get their own episode! They’re going to have to be happy with it because I don’t see anything else coming their way. We’ll trace their origins in the forests of Germania, their establishment of a kingdom in north…

C.406 to 452 And we’re back! Thank you to everyone for your patience and kind emails and messages, they meant a lot to me and kept me motivated to come back. Hispania was a peaceful and prosperous part of the Roman Empire for much of its history, and a popular retirement destination. The arrival of the Vandals, Suevi, and Alans, followed by the Vis…

The Fall of Italy March 538 - May 540 The Gothic War grew in intensity after the siege of Rome, and Belisarius had to deal with threats both from without and from within his own army as he fought to bring it to a successful conclusion. The war spread across northern Italy, with devastating consequences for the civilian populace. Instagram Sources S…

What happens when I wander off topic into the wilds of Magical Practice in Byzantine Egypt? You get a bonus episode, that’s what! This one explores a story of one particular Egyptian saint, and the strange case of the woman transformed into a horse. It’s just a bit of anthropological fun. We’ll be back to Belisarius in the next episode. Instagram S…

Wives, Lovers, and The Worst Year Ever This episode is all over the place. It features marital infidelity, official corruption, Swiss glaciers, an Icelandic volcano, and an attempt at an Irish accent that inevitably slides into a Scottish one in less than four words. Enjoy. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacL…

November 536 to March 538 Belisarius continues moving up the Italian Peninsula, to bring his army to attack the greatest prize: Rome itself. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects fr…

Theodahad’s Thirty Pigs 535 to 536 The death of Amalasuintha triggered the Gothic Wars, wherein the Eastern Empire, under Justinian, attempted to claw back what it had lost in Italy. This episode follows the war up to the siege of Naples by Belisarius in the autumn of 536. Transcript Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by …

Queen of the Goths 526 to 535 The death of Theodoric brought his youngest daughter Amalasuintha to power, as regent to her son Athalaric. She was the first queen of a post Roman state to openly wield authority, and inherited a realm divided against itself. This episode tells her story. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" b…

September 533 - March 534 Things go from bad to worse for the Vandals in Africa. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com…

533 The first of Justinian’s wars in the West begins, as Belisarius leads an army to Africa. Early victory makes the war seem like a slam dunk, and Procopius is there to tell us all about it. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://cr…

518 to 532 Justinian is probably the best-known “Byzantine” emperor to the general public. We’ll introduce the man and some of his circle, and explore some of the most important events at the beginning of his reign. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By A…

476 to 533 The Vandal Kingdom has had its ups and its downs since the fall of the West. Four kings work to maintain Gaiseric’s legacy in the face of a hostile populace and a looming threat in the East. Website for this episode Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Co…

490ish to 526 A whirlwind tour around Europe, checking in on what’s been going on in the years up to Theodoric’s death. Webpage for this episode Instagram https://darkagespod.com/2023/07/11/2-14-consolidation-and-conversion/ Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By At…

493 (maybe?) to 511 We finish off the career of Clovis I, and then backtrack to talk about his conversion to Catholicism, and what it all meant. Webpage for this episode Instagram Facebook Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons…

486 to 508 Clovis and his army carve a new thing, called France, out of old Roman Gaul. Webpage for this episode Instagram Facebook Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com…

c. 400 to 486 CE We review the sources for the reign of Clovis the First, and review the scenario in northern Gaul when he came to power. Webpage for this episode Instagram Facebook Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/li…

The legends and literature that came out of the Dark Ages are rich and stirring tales of heroism that have inspired both great art and terrible crimes. In this episode, I retell three stories from the many contained in the sagas and epics of Germany and Scandinavia. Transcript Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com) Incidental …

511 to 526 CE "Lying in a featherbed will not bring you fame, nor staying beneath the quilt, and he who uses up his life without achieving fame leaves no more vestige of himself on earth than smoke in the air or foam upon the water." --Dante The last years of Theodoric's reign in Italy saw the erosion of confidence, and increasing internal strife, …

484 to 519 CE Divisions within the church have consequence for Theodoric's relationship with the Emperor. Against my better judgment, this episode is mostly about religion. So, remember when I was talking about Boethius and I mentioned the Acacian Schism, and I said it was just too obscure to get into? Well guess what? Transcript and more Support t…

500 - 511 CE Theodoric and Cassiodorus work to prevent war in Western Europe, while crafting an image of imperial majesty. In the end, it works out pretty well for the Ostrogoths. Episode Website Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creative…

We pause to take a look at two of the most famous subjects of Theodoric the Great. Transcript for today's show. Support the podcast here. Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com…

493 to about 505 CE Theodoric's kingdom in Italy gets historians unreasonably excited. We'll explore how he ran it, how he turned himself from warband chief to beloved king, and how he worked to restore the glory of old. Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.…

488 to 493 Theodoric leads his people to Italy, to make war on Odoacer and win for himself a permanent kingdom. Transcript and Maps Here Just Maps Here Support the show Here Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: Heather, …

479 to 488 Rocky relations between Theodoric and Zeno lead to ups and downs for the Ostrogoths, along with many diversions and detours in their search for a stable home. Finally, an opportunity arises in Italy, and Theodoric moves boldly in the direction of one last gamble. Maps for this episode. Support the show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin…

c. 460 to 479 CE We welcome to the stage Theodoric, soon to be Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. In the process we catch up on the overwritten soap opera that was politics in Constantinople in the 470s. It’s a wild ride. Webpage for this episode Maps Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Co…

455 to 490 CE Odoacer is a name that is little known and little celebrated. This episode illuminates the career of the soldier who closed the book on the Roman empire, who was he, and why don't we know him better? Episode Website Support the Show References Bury, John B. 1967. The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians. Edited by Fossey John C. Hearn…

This the first episode of Season 2 takes a broad look at what the waging of war looked like in the dark ages, from weapons to tactics and funding. It's good to be back. For the transcript of this episode, along with images and links, visit www.darkagespod.com. Now you can support the podcast at ko-fi.com/darkagespod, the digital tip-jar. Help me ke…

474 to 476 CE In which we kill off the Western Roman Empire, and then dig through the remains to try and figure out what happened. More importantly, where do we go from here? Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod at Free Music Archive Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/…

c. 367 to c. 460 CE The much-promised episode about post Roman Britain arrives, to explore what a real Dark Age would look like. Sources Music Credits: Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod at Free Music Archive Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Other Music: "Pippin the Hunchback",…

453 CE to 460 CE Out of the wreckage of Attila's empire, new peoples emerge. New actors inject new elements into the political game of the late Roman empire British Museum entry for the Gepids, with some artefacts History Files Article and Regnal List of the Gepids Scirian Earring found at Bakod Puszta Sources Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin Ma…

466 to around 473 The Visigoths break out, under the leadership of their new and aggressive King Euric. Inside the empire, another emperor falls to Ricimer's scheming. An appropriate map for this episode is here. Sources are here Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod at Free Music Archive Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 ht…

461 to 468 CE The East and West combine forces in one great push to take Africa backs from the Vandals and make everything all better. Sources Title Music: "The Britons" and "The Vikings" by Kevin MacLeod at Free Music Archive Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesoun…

456 to 464 CE Emperor Majorian and his Right-Hand man Ricimer attempt to pull the empire back from the brink after the departure of Avitus. But there's a snake in the grass, a fly in the ointment, and a bad apple in the barrel. It all leads to the creation of a new entity called the Kingdom of Soissons. Or does it? Map of Majorian's Campaigns Sourc…

The Franks, Part I 280 to 480 CE We welcome the Franks onto the stage of Europe, and look at their origins, early history, ferocious reputation, and the way modern politics work their way into the telling of history. Fittings from the Sword and Scabbard found in Childeric's tomb. Childeric's Ring at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France Childeric's …

418 to 456 CE A senator by the name of Eparchius Avitus is dragooned into filling the imperial shoes left behind by the well-aimed brick that took out Petronius Maximus. His life gives a framework for discussing the place of southern Gaul within the Roman empire, and how the Visigoths were settling in. The full text of Sidonius' letter describing T…

The Vandals Part III 439 to 455 CE “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be therefore as wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew, 10:16 Gaiseric weathers Roman attempts to recover the African provinces, and begins to set his house in order. Marriage deals are made and broken, and an ancient version of gunboat diplomac…

c. 450 to c. 482 CE Saint Severinus was a holy man who was active in Noricum Ripensis, in modern Austria and Bavaria. His life coincided with the end of Roman rule in the west, and the biography that was written by his disciple Eugippius includes several insights into the world as the ancient social structures changed and were replaced by new anxie…

The Huns, Part IV 450-453 CE Attila unleashed his fury on the Western empire in two back to back campaigns. The first culminated in the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields. The second ended with the famous meeting between Attila the Hun and Pope Leo I. Map of Attila's Invasion of Italy Sources War dominates the scene on today's episode, as it does on …

c. 448 CE In the spring, a diplomatic mission set out from Constantinople for discussions with Atilla the Hun. One of the men on the trip later wrote out his experience in one of the most detailed accounts of life among the Huns. This episode condenses the writing of Priscus of Panion, diplomat and historian. Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin Mac…

408 - 439 CE The Vandals, along with their allies, the Alans and Suevi, ravage Spain before moving into Africa. There, under the leadership of their king Gaiseric, they will achieve something no other Barbarian tribe has yet accomplished. Map of the Vandal Invasion of Spain Roman Provinces of Africa The Peutinger Tabula Music Title: "The Britons" b…

c. 200 BCE to 408 CE I introduce the Vandals with a cold. The Vandals don't have a cold, I have a cold. So, sorry about that. The Vandals rose up next door to the Goths, with whom they would have a complicated relationship. This episode tracks their early migration into Gaul and then Spain, and talks a little bit about what their home life would ha…

435 - 446 CE The scourge of God rises from the Hunnic horde. The Romans have to deal with him while also facing earthquake, flood, and plague. Straight up not having a good time, bro. Map of the Roman road network. Another map of the geography of the Balkans in late antiquity. Music "The Bretons" By Kevin MacLeod freepd.com…

395 - 435 CE Contact with the wealth of the Roman empire gradually changes the Huns and sets the stage for their most famous ruler. Map of Roman Provinces Music "The Bretons" By Kevin MacLeod freepd.comBy Bert Bushman

c. 370 - 395 CE Where had the Huns come from? Who were they? How did they fight? What made them so scary? I'll look for answers in this episode, and may even find some. Information on cranial modification is here and here An image of the patera is here Music "The Bretons" By Kevin MacLeod freepd.comBy Bert Bushman

The Goths, Part 5 410 - 451 CE The Visigoths move out of Italy, into more years of privation. Along the way there's a royal marriage, long marches, sieges and naval blockades. Ultimately the Goths find what they've been looking for for nearly half a century - a home. But there's another, even greater test on the horizon, and a chance to face an old…

The Goths, Part 4 408-410 CE The death of Stilicho leaves Alaric and the Visigoths high and dry. Negotiations break down, and Alaric takes drastic action. The Sack of Rome of 410 is pointed to as one of the points where the Roman Empire fell and the resonance of the event would be felt down through the centuries. Music : "The Britons" by Kevin MacL…

The Goths, Part 3 378 - 408 CE The Gothic Wars end in stalemate as Goths and Romans try to come to terms with new realities. A new leader appears to push for dignity and power for his people, who will take the fight into the heartland of the Roman world. Map of Alaric's invasion of Greece Map of Alaric's First Invasion of Italy Bust of Eutropius Mu…

The Goths, Part 2 c. 264-378 CE The Goths face challenges at home and abroad. An ambitious Roman Emperor seeks to shore up his reign at their expense. Religious controversy and rivalry threatens internal stability. But the greatest challenge arises in the East, and the Goths must abandon their way of life. The Lord's Prayer in Gothic Map of the Adr…