We're Not So Different

folks, we're back with another installment of our occasional Medieval women series where we look back at two influential women from the Middle Ages. today, we look at two who couldn't be more different in most respects: the Byzantine princess and historian, Anna Komnene, and the English anchoress, mystic, and visionary, Julian of Norwich. we talk about what made each of them influential and how they made their marks in male-dominated fields of history, politics, and religion. check it out!

folks, we're back and it's time to talk about polling! specifically, a recent YouGov poll that asked Americans for their opinions on the European Middle Ages. and before you think the worst, the responses were quite heartening! the Dark Ages myth is now below 50% and seems to be far more popular with older generations and more Americans think about the Middle Ages on a weekly basis than they do about the Roman Empire. there's a lot more, which you can check out at the link below. but we good news is we got to ask David Montgomery, who conducted the poll, plenty of questions about what it means and what we should infer from the results. unfortunately, Dr. Eleanor had to join the recording partway through do to us working between multiple deadlines to get it done but Luke and David talk it through until then.poll: https://today.yougov.com/entertainment/articles/51889-violent-dark-dirty-americans-middle-agesDavid's podcast about French history after Napoleon to before WW1: www.thesiecle.com

folks, it's time for us to catch up on some more patron questions with another mailbag! we cover a whole host of topics including our favorite mad king and scheming vizier combos, fascist representations of the Middle Ages, whether city life or country life was preferable, Medieval snow shoveling, manly crying, and much more! Enjoy and subscribe to the patreon to have your questions answered: patreon.com/wnsdpod

folks, we are behind on our patron questions and so we're making it up starting today. we answer questions on everything from Medieval children's toys, pregnancy tropes, what the HRE would've looked like with sustained hegemony over Italy, the least worst rulers, and more!

folks, we love the weird side of Medieval life and one of the weirdest was the mystery play. these were living tableaux depictions of biblical stories that became huge, elaborate stage productions, which were performed during mass before the popes got mad and forbade the clergy from participating, at which point they became secularized by the guilds. but even better, we have guests to share in this weird Medieval fun with us as we welcome Josh, Brian, and AJ from The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast to the show. The fellas specifically asked to come on and discuss this topic due to personal involvement with mystery plays and we simply couldn't say no. it's a lot of fun!link to a review of the stage production mentioned: https://newyorktheater.me/2014/04/03/the-mysteries-the-flea-takes-on-the-bible-epically-irreverently/https://www.worstpossible.world

folks, we've made it 209 episodes into the show and we still haven't done one on the end of the Middle Ages, well that stops now. we conclude out series on Constantinople with The Fall. and this one really lives up to the name, unlike the Western Roman Empire. we say goodbye to Constantinople, the Eastern Roman Empire, the Theodosian Walls, and all the rest as the Ottomans wash it away in a tide of gunpowder, olive oil, and so many soldiers. enjoy the spectacle as we talk the Fall of Constantinople.

folks, we continue the series on Constantinople with the real decline hours. last week, we started looking at the long, slow decline of the Queen of Cities and the Byzantine Empire but that pales in comparison to the final 400 years. after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, it's all downhill as the Byzantines step on rakes, shoot themselves in the foot, and are the victims of just plain bad luck and historical circumstance. from Manzikert to the Fourth Crusade to the Black Death to the final, bleak years before 1453, it's nothing but true, unmitigated decline leading to the inevitable fall next time.artwork is The Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople, Gustave Dore

folks, we're back after a brief hiatus, and back into our series on Constantinople. this time, we take a look at the beginning of the decline of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, which started in 567 after Justinian I's death. but, as civilizational declines go, it wasn't so bad for the first 500 years or so. however, the myriad factors that would lead to the fall of Constantinople were beginning to pile up even before Justinian's reign and they would only get worse as things went along. factors such as the city's propensity for riots and civil wars, the rise of Islam, Iconoclasm, the East-West Schism, and more! so this time, we talk about these factors and follow the gradual decline through the first five Medieval Byzantine dynasties. then next time, we will talk about real DECLINE.

Dive into the intriguing world of the Holy Roman Empire as hosts explore how emperors governed from the road through itinerant rule, revealing shifts in imperial power over time. Transitioning to the bizarre realm of modern monarchy, they delve into the surreal happenings at a recent Habsburg convention in Texas, where noble aspirations collided with suburban oddity. From calls for sainthood for Karl I to the absurdities of royal pageantry in a strip mall, the discussion is filled with laughs, surprises, and a sprinkle of schadenfreude.

folks, we're continuing our series on Constantinople. last time we introduced the city via its geography, Constantine making it the capital of the Roman Empire, and the Theodosian Walls. this time, we get into the early Medieval history of the city, which also happens to be the real golden age for Constantinople. beginning under Emperor Justinian I, Constantinople took the mantle of "Rome" seriously and began a long revanchist campaign to take back parts of the former Western Roman Empire, turned it into a religious and cultural capital, made it unbelievably wealthy, and had some zany fun on the way too. everything after Justinian I's rule is the long, slow decline toward 1453 and the Fall but it takes a while before anyone notices, so the Golden Age continues for at least a couple of more centuries. we talk about all that today!