Medieval Coins with Rory Naismith
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Rory Naismith about the complex world of medieval coins.
Imaginary Byzantiums in modern Russia, with Eugene Smelyansky
A conversation with Eugene Smelyansky on the invention of ideologically useful versions of Byzantium in modern Russia. We talk about the much more limited engagement with Byzantium in imperial Russia and the reasons behind some of the current obsessions with it.
Medieval Fish with Richard Hoffmann
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Richard Hoffmann about what people were eating, how they caught it, and how fish farming evolved over time.
The Siege of Constantinople (1453)
One of the key dates from the Middle Ages is the year 1453. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss how the Ottomans were able to conquer the city of Constantinople and bring an end to the Byzantine Empire.
The Art of Medieval Anatomy with Taylor McCall
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Taylor McCall about what medieval people knew about internal medicine, where they learned it, and how they illustrated it.
Byzantium and the early Rus’, with Monica White
A conversation with Monica White about the earliest contacts between Constantinople and the first Rus’-Varangian raiders, traders, and mercenaries to cross the Black Sea. Who were these people, what did they want, and how did contact with East Roman culture change them?
The Battle of Halidon Hill (1333)
Scotland and England are at war again, with the important border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed under siege. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss how the English were able to inflict a quick and devastating defeat on the Scots.
Mary of Egypt with Sonia Velazquez
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Sonia Velázquez about St. Mary of Egypt, why she caught the medieval imagination, and how her beauty, age, and holiness spoke to generations of artists and the faithful.
How to Focus Like a Monk with Jamie Kreiner
We live in a world full of constant notifications, interruptions, and complications. If only we could get away from it all, the peace and quiet would allow us to concentrate. Or would it? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Jamie Kreiner about some new old strategies for concentration, courtesy of ancient and medieval monks.
The emperor’s clothing and public appearances, with Maria Parani
A conversation with Maria Parani on the emperor’s clothing and the staging of his public appearances. We talk about his most formal garments, what he wore on the battlefield, his military banner, how he changed, and much more.
Medieval Hair with Emanuele Lugli
It may be an ordinary body part, but medieval people definitely had strong opinions about hair and what it said about you. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Emanuele Lugli returns to talk about hair, how it was used as a form of control, how it spilled out onto artists’ canvasses, and what this all has to do with bodily excrement.
Dirty Books with Kate Rudy
Through grime, stains, and wax droplets, the filthiest, most well-loved manuscripts tell us the story of how medieval people used – and abused – their books. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Kate Rudy about what we can learn from the smudges the people of the Middle Ages left behind, how modern technology helps us figure it out, and why we should all appreciate a really dirty book.
Crisis and Resilience in Late Antique Rome, with Michele Salzman
A conversation with Michele Salzman about the resilience shown by the city of Rome and its ability to recover from crisis during the fifth-seventh centuries. These recoveries were usually spearheaded by the Senate of Rome, which continued to invest in the city and its institutions even after the emperors ceased to reside there full-time.
The Battles of Thermopylae
A rather unassuming spot in Greece has seen dozens of battles throughout history. On this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries are joined by Myke Cole to talk about the book The Killing Ground: A Biography of Thermopylae, written by Michael and Myke.
Introducing the Medieval Fox with Paul Wackers
Foxes were everywhere in the medieval world and the medieval imagination. But where do the ideas we have about foxes come from? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Paul Wackers about why foxes were loved and hated in the real world, in fables, and in the Christian imagination of the Middle Ages.
Rome and the Papacy with Jessica Wärnberg
He’s one of the most powerful figures in all of Western history, with influence not only over life and death, but over the immortal souls of billions of people over thousands of years. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Jessica Wärnberg about the role of the pope, his influence on Rome, and what happens when the holiest of men isn’t quite so holy.
Inheriting the Mantle of the Roman Empire, with Nathan Aschenbrenner
A conversation with Nathan Aschenbrenner about Western European claims to the Roman imperial title, from the Middle Ages to early modernity. We also discuss some plans in the West after 1453 to reclaim the “eastern empire” and a curious history from the early sixteenth that fuses Western and Eastern imperial history into one.
Medieval Charms with Katherine Storm Hindley
Like many people today, medieval people used charms, personal talismans, and amulets to help smooth their way through life. But just who used them? How did they use them? And what did the church think about such things? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Katherine Storm Hindley about charms in the Middle Ages.
The Battle of Edington (878)
The Vikings are attacking England, and it’s up to Alfred, King of Wessex, to stop them. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss this important battle in Anglo-Saxon England.
A Medieval Map of the World with Meredith Small
With a team of dedicated monks and lay brothers to help him, fifteenth-century Venetian Fra Mauro attempted to create the most accurate map of the world. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Meredith Small about this incredible mappamundi, what it contained, and how this landed Fra Mauro on the moon.
What is a battleline?
In their ninth Q&A, Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries answer listener questions about medieval military history. What do we mean when we talk about lines at a battle? Could those first into a battle survive? Are there campaigns that do not lead to battles or sieges? What was their favourite scene of medieval warfare from a film?
Justinian: statecraft, law, and self-glorification, with Peter Sarris
A conversation with Peter Sarris about the emperor Justinian (527-565), on the 401st anniversary of the rediscovery of Prokopios’ Secret History. We talk about Justinian’s goals, accomplishments, and victims, all of which continue to spark debate and controversy, just as they did during his own lifetime.
The Battle of Poitiers (1356)
In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly take another look at this important battle from the Hundred Years’ War. How do a visit to the battlefield and the writings of an Italian chronicler change their views on how Edward the Black Prince gained his victory?
Medieval Monsters with Charity Urbanski
They’re the things that go bump in the night, the creatures that storm your mead hall and eat your friends, the beings that wander restlessly from their graves. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Charity Urbanski about monsters in the medieval world.