Show Notes
In the conclusion of the series, Justinian and Theodora face a cascade of setbacks and disasters. The Empress hatches a plan to destroy John the Cappadocian. Belisarius learns of Antonina’s serial infidelity. A deadly Plague threatens to bring the Byzantine empire to its knees.
SOURCES:
Bridge, Antony. Theodora: Portrait in a Byzantine Landscape. 1978.
Potter, David. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint. 2015.
Parnell, David Alan. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian. 2023.
Hughes, Bettany. Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities. 2017.
Sarris, Peter. Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint. 2023.
Kaldellis, Anthony. The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium. 2023.
Cesaretti, Paolo. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium. 2003.
Procopius. The Secret History.
Procopius. The Wars of Justinian.
Phillips, Robin. West, Jeff. Who in the World Was The Acrobatic Empress? 2006.
Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy. 2011.
Evans, James Allan. The Empress Theodora: Partner of Justinian. 2002.
Holmes, Nick. Justinian’s Empire: Triumph and Tragedy. 2024.
Charles Rivers Editors. Justinian the Great: The Life and Legacy of the Byzantine Emperor. 2014.
Captivating History. The Byzantine Empire. 2018
Captivating History. The Vandals. 2018
Dahm, Murray. Combat: Byzantine Cavalryman vs Vandal Warrior. 2023.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/01/03/gods-librarians Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Conflicted: A History Podcast
After the humiliating rejection by King Phillip Augustus at Paris, the Children’s Crusade is forced to carry on without political support and find a different road to the Holy Land. Moving east into Germany, the Crusade amasses new followers, including a scrappy young boy named Nicolas from the shrine city of Cologne. But Pope Innocent III, the powerful head of the Catholic Church, is monitoring the Crusade closely from Rome, weighing his response to this unsanctioned movement…
In the late spring of 1212, a spontaneous mass movement of 30,000 children arose in medieval France. Led by a 12-year-old shepherd boy named Stephen from the small village of Cloyes, the “Children’s Crusade” swore to march on the Holy Land and peacefully reclaim the city of Jerusalem from Muslim control. In this first episode of a two-part series, we examine the origins of the Children’s Crusade, the historiographical controversy surrounding it, and the enigmatic figure at its center, Stephen of Cloyes.
In the third and final installment of the series, President Theodore Roosevelt mobilizes the full industrial might of United States to “make the dirt fly” in Panama and succeed where the French Syndicate failed. But many perils await them in “The Zone”. From disease-bearing mosquitos and intractable terrain, to labor problems and lethal accidents, the Panamanian jungle will not be tamed without a fight.
After the French project to build a canal through Panama collapses in 1889 amidst disease and financial scandal, US President Teddy Roosevelt resolves to pick up where they left off. However, powerful interests in Washington are aggressively lobbying for a different route – not through Panama, but Nicaragua. As debate rages and backdoor deals are made, Panama becomes a lightning rod for controversy…and revolution.
In August of 1914, the United States of America completed a man-made waterway through the Panamanian isthmus, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for the first time in history. But that engineering triumph was the culmination of decades of toil, conflict and death. In this first episode of a multi-part series on the Panama Canal, we trace the origins of its construction, beginning with the doomed French attempt and its tragic protagonist, Ferdinand de Lesseps.