Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.

In this episode, we swing south to the Iberian Peninsula to catch up on Islamic Spain and the small, Christian Kingdoms that surround it. We begin with the quick and total collapse of Visigoth Spain in 711 AD and end with the disintegration of the united Cordoba Caliphate between circa 1000 and 1035 AD.  

In this episode we return to what we will loosely be calling "France". The Carolingian Empire is forever gone. In its place are a patchwork of small kingdoms ruled over, nominally, by the new King, Hugh Capet. Over the next roughly one-hundred years, Capet and his successors would battle Dukes, Counts, and other Kings, in an effort to re-centralize authority in Medieval France. 

In this episode William the Conqueror cleans up the last few rebellions in England, only to turn around see his possessions back on the continent under siege. While William fights his son and the King of France, his subordinates in England nearly drive the English to yet another rebellion. 

Between 1066 and 1074 William the Conqueror fights off a series of rebellions in England to solidify his rule. 

In this episode we follow Harold Hardrada and William of Normandy across the seas to England to battle Harold Godwinson for the throne. When the dust settled, William the Bastard would be re-titled, William the Conqueror. 

We resume our narrative in this episode circa 1000 AD in the Kingdoms of England and Normandy. Things are not going well in England. A series of inept English rulers allow different Scandinavian Kings to seize control over the English throne. Finally, when Edward the Confessor established himself as the English King things appear to be headed in the right direction. But, left without an heir, the question looms large in the distance: who will rule when he is gone? Then, a fishing trip gone really, really bad, has a very odd result when Harold Godwinson, the heir apparent, shows up in the court of William of Normandy. And all that sets the stage for one of the most unusual and fateful years in human history: 1066. 

In this episode, we step back again from the narrative to consider the major demographic changes which swept Europe during the High Middle Ages (1000 - 1300 AD). 

In this episode we consider the question: what are the Dark Ages? And specifically, when should the Early Middle Ages be said to begin?

Medieval Hungary (865 - 1035)

The empire of Charlemagne finally collapses for good.

The Binding of Fenrir Wolf

The Age of Viking Exploration

The Eastern Empire: 855 - 1043 AD

In this episode we swing back to Ireland and explore the fascinating story of the battle that took place on Good Friday, 1014 AD. 

In this episode, we examine England in the Viking Age. In the late Ninth Century England was nearly overrun by the Northmen. Only the tiny Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex held out. Enter stage left: Alfred the Great. (England 793 - 920 AD)

The Rus and Byzantium (900 -1030 AD)

This episode traces Byzantine History from the middle of the Seventh Century through the reign of Leo V in the middle of the Eighth Century. 

In this episode we trace the Viking Invasions of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries as they ravage Francia. 

A background of early Scandinavian history. In this episode, we back up and provide the background of the Viking invasions of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries.  Check out our website for more! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for bonus content! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast.com

In this episode, we delve into the murky past that is Anglo-Saxon England and consider the major impact that the influence of Christianity had on Anglo-Saxon culture and politics. Then, we examine the reigns of two critical Anglo-Saxon Kings: Aethelbald and Offa.  Check out our website for more! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

Believe it or not, modern Europe actually finds its origins as early as the Ninth Century. Today, we look at how the division of the Carolingian Empire actually corresponds nicely with the map of modern Europe.  Medieval France (802-843) Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

Charlemange makes a claim to be the new Emperor of Rome. The new HOLY Roman Emperor in fact...  Check out our website for more at westerncivpodcast.com and become a Patron today for bonus content and to support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

Feudalism dawns in Carolingian France. Serfs, lords, fiefs, and so, so much more!  Check out our website for more! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

In today's episode, we cover a wide range of events during the Early Middle Ages in Italy and Spain.  Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show for as little as one dollar! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

Today we step away from our narrative and shift our focus to the Arabian Penninsula. We will detail the creation and rapid expansion of the first Islamic Caliphate in the years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Things will never be the same.  Check out our website for more content! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and enjoy bonus content for as little as $2.00 per month! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

After the death of Justinian, Justin II takes the reigns and tries to reverse the course of the declining Empire. His death is followed by the brief reigns of Tiberios and Phokas as well as the long and relatively successful reign of Maurice. This episode finishes with the Great Persian War under the Emperor Herakleios during which the Empire nearly falls. 

Today we cover English History after the fall of the Roman Empire and until the Anglo-Saxon invasions.  Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com. Become a Patron today for extra content! Check it out at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast  

Justinian takes his forces West to re-conquer the Roman Empire under a brilliant young general: Belisarius. 

A look at western Europe between immediately after the fall of the Roman Empire. (476 - 533 CE) Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast  

In this episode, we cover the reigns of various Eastern Emperors leading up to Justinian's attempted reconquest of the West.  Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

In this episode, we recap the last 4,500 years of Western History and set the stage for the turbulent Dark Ages to come.  Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

Take it for what it is worth. Here is my list of the top ten BEST and WORST Roman Emperors.  Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast  

By 476 AD, the Western Roman Empire had fallen. In this episode, we trace the final twenty years of Roman History in the West. We continue with the collapse of the Hunnic Empire after the death of Attila and see how the West gets on without Aetius. Then, the Eastern Empire mounts one last rescue mission before the final Roman Emperor in the West is deposed. Before finishing, we briefly consider the different arguments as to why the Western Empire fell and discuss the merits of each. 

In the late 430's power in Hunnic Society finally centralized around one, powerful leader: Attila. He would use this power to assault both the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. These episodes follow those turbulent years and then take stock of the total damage wrought on the Empires by the arrival of the Huns. 

In 410 AD the Roman Empire hit one of its lowest points. But, within a decade it had rebounded. The reason Flavius Constantius. Constantius would rebuild the West only to die and early and unexpected death which would then throw the West back into chaos. Aetius would spend a decade cleaning up the mess (again) and would become the dominant force in the West by 433 AD. Meanwhile, the Vandals set sail for Africa with terrible consequences. 

Our story continues with Theodosius briefly reuniting the Empire in 394. Then, all hell breaks loose again as the Huns force different Germanic Tribes from the Hungarian Plain in the first decade of the Fifth Century. Gaul is overrun and the situation is compounded by a growing rift between the East and West halves of the Roman Empire. Then, the Goths return to Italy around 408 AD behind a new leader, Alaric, desperate to find a permanent homeland within in the Empire. All that sets the stage for the epic sack of Rome in 410. 

In this Episode, we take a step back and chronicle the changing social and political landscape beyond Rome's borders to the North. There, the arrival of the Huns from the Eurasian Steppe has a dramatic domino effect on the people's of Northern and Central Europe which eventually brings a group of Goths to the Danube in 376 seeking asylum. Once the Goths are allowed in things go from bad to worse culminating in the critical Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD. 

Jovian Tries to Turn Back the Clock. Valentinian Tries to Keep the Peace. And Valens Fights with Everyone... Check out our website for more content!!!  westerncivpodcast.com

Constantine wins the civil war, ushering in a new age for the Romans. For the first time, the empire will be Christian.  Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Also, become a Patron today and support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

Between 284 CE and 305 CE, Emperor Diocletian rebuilds the Roman Empire. His model for what will become known as "The Dominant" would become the model for European kingship for centuries.  Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for hours of additional content plus support the show for only $2.00 per month! Check out patreon.com/westerncivpodcast

The Third Century was not a kind century to the Roman Empire. A rising Persia coupled with nearly non-stop civil unrest nearly ended the empire long before the final fall of Rome. In this episode, we cover this tumultuous period in detail.  For more information, check out our website at westerncivpodcast.com.

After the death of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Empire begins a slow and steady decline. And, it all begins with Commodus...

Rome reaches its height under the Antontines. Trajan leads the Empire to its greatest territorial heights. 

Nero's suicide leads to a year of unprecedented chaos in Rome. Four men stake their claim to the throne and ultimately only one can triumph and lead the Empire into a new golden age. 

Rome gets a short reprieve under the reign of the unexpectedly good Emperor Claudius. Then, after his murder, Nero brings the short-lived age of the Julio-Claudians to an end. 

In this episode, we cover the turbulent reigns of Tiberius and Caligula. If you like random persecutions and insanity, this episode is for you as the vision of Augustus Caesar gets off to a rocky start. (14 - 41 AD)

An Exploration of Roman Urbanization Efforts and Tour of the Empire.