The Dark Ages Podcast

The International Rescue Committee

War dominates the scene on today's episode, as it does on today's headlines. The inevitable consequence of war is the displacement of those caught in its path. If you can, please donate to one of the organizations working to help Ukrainian refugees, and people all around the world who are victimized by the violence of the powerful and the greedy. Links to a few of them are below. Thank you.

Global Giving

Doctors Without Borders

Music

"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Apostle of Noricum Mar 21, 2022

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 anxieties and dangers. In this episode we'll talk about those changes and the new role religion was taking on in the formerly Roman West.

Article on the Noricum Limes - with Map

More Serpent than Dove Apr 04, 2022

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 diplomacy is used by the new king. Meanwhile, jealousy and paranoia lead to big changes in the Roman government, and the consequences are severe. The Vandals play their most famous role in Roman history in this episode.

The full text of Sidonius' letter describing Theodoric.

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sound effects from freesound.com and zapsplat.com

Unmitigated Gaul Apr 20, 2022

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.

Childeric's Ring at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Speaking Frankly May 13, 2022

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 Bees

Sword and Scabbard Decoration from Childeric's Treasure

Map of Majorian's Campaigns

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Phantom Kingdom Jun 07, 2022

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?

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sound effects from freesound.com and zapsplat.com

All or Nothing: The Battle of Cape Bon Jun 27, 2022

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.

British Museum entry for the Gepids, with some artefacts

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 freesound.com

King Euric Jul 25, 2022

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
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Gepids East Goths and Huns, Oh My Aug 08, 2022

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

History Files Article and Regnal List of the Gepids

Scirian Earring found at Bakod Puszta

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/

Alas, Britain Aug 29, 2022

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.

Full text of "The Battle of Maldon"

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", "Nordic Wist", & "Moorland", all by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The End of the Beginning Sep 12, 2022

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/

On War Oct 24, 2022

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 keep the lights on around here with just a few bucks, if you can.

Links:

A reading of "The Battle of Maldon"

Music:

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Usurper Nov 07, 2022

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

References

Bury, John B. 1967. The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians. Edited by Fossey John C. Hearnshaw. New York: Norton.

Eugippius. 1965. Commemoratorium Severinus. Translated by Ludwig Bieler. Washington, DC: Catholic University Press.

Frassetto, Michael. 2003. Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe: Society in Transformation. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.

Goldsworthy, Adrian K. 2009. How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Heather, Peter J. 2014. The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wolfram, Herwig. 1997. The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples. Translated by Thomas Dunlap and Thomas R. Dunlap. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Balkan Bust-Up Nov 28, 2022

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.

Maps

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Boldness Be My Friend Dec 12, 2022

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 MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sound effects from freesound.com

The War for Italy Dec 26, 2022

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, Peter J. The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014.

Martindale, J.R. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. II. vol. 2, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1980. 3 vols. The Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/prosopography-later-roman-empire/PLRE-II/mode/1up.

Wolfram, Herwig. History of the Goths. Translated by Thomas Dunlap, University of California Press, 1990.

Regnum Italiae Jan 16, 2023

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.

Transcript for today's 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

Cass and Bo Feb 01, 2023

We pause to take a look at two of the most famous subjects of Theodoric the Great.

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

Friends & Neighbors Feb 20, 2023

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

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

Schism Mar 06, 2023

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 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

Every Wave Must Break Mar 24, 2023

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, along with diplomatic reversals abroad.

Episode Webpage

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

The Germanic Heroes Apr 24, 2023

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 Music:
"Pippin the Hunchback" by Kevin MacLeod (https://freepd.com)
"Hidden Past" by Kevin MacLeod (https://filmmusic.io/u/kmac)
"Temple of the Manes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://filmmusic.io/u/kmac)
"Nordic Wist" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com)
"The Ice Giants" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Rulers of our Lands" by Rafael Krux (https://freepd.com/)
"Rites" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com)
"Combat Theme #2" by Andrew Sitkov

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sound effects from freesound.com

A Great Many Things May 25, 2023

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.

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

Clovis a-Conquering Jun 26, 2023

486 to 508

Clovis and his army carve a new thing, called France, out of old Roman Gaul.

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

Consolidation and Conversion Jul 10, 2023

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.

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

The Magical History Tour Jul 24, 2023

490ish to 526

A whirlwind tour around Europe, checking in on what’s been going on in the years up to Theodoric’s death.

https://darkagespod.com/2023/07/11/2-14-consolidation-and-conversion/

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

Sons of the Vandal Sep 11, 2023

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

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

Young Justinian Sep 25, 2023

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.

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

The Vandal War Oct 09, 2023

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.

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

Treasures of Carthage Oct 23, 2023

September 533 - March 534

Things go from bad to worse for the Vandals in Africa.

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

Queen of the Goths Dec 04, 2023

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.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additional Music:

"I Walk With Ghosts", by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au

Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

"The Epic 2" by Rafael Krux

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5384-the-epic-2-

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music promoted on https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

"Nordic Wist" and "Pippin the Hunchback" by Kevin MacLeod (https://www.incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"We Three Celtic Kings" by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com

Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

Sound effects from freesound.com and https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Theodahad’s Thirty Pigs Dec 18, 2023

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.

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

The Siege of Rome v1.0 Jan 09, 2024

November 536 to March 538

Belisarius continues moving up the Italian Peninsula, to bring his army to attack the greatest prize: Rome itself.

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

Wives, Lovers, and the Worst Year Ever Jan 29, 2024

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.

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

Bonus Episode: Macarius and the Mare Jan 29, 2024

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.

Title Music:
"The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Other Music:

"Ritual" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

"Rites" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Sound effects from freesound.com

The Fall of Italy Mar 04, 2024

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.

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

Roman Hispania Jun 10, 2024

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 Visigoths, put all that peace and tranquility firmly in the rear view mirror.

Webpage for this Episode darkagespod.com/2024/06/10/47-roman-hispania/

This episode sponsored in part by manscaped.com, enter DARKAGES at checkout for 20% off and free shipping!

Buy me a coffee with ko-fi.com/darkagespod

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

The Kingdom of the Suevi Jun 17, 2024

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 northwestern Hispania, and the fortunes of their three most successful kings, before it all turns to mush in the end.

Webpage for this Episode https://darkagespod.com/2024/06/17/48-the-kingdom-of-the-suevi/

This episode sponsored in part by manscaped.com, enter discount code DARKAGES at checkout for 20% off and free shipping!

Buy me a coffee with ko-fi.com/darkagespod

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

Conquest and Crisis Jul 03, 2024

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-hispania-pt-1/

This episode sponsored in part by manscaped.com, enter discount code DARKAGES at checkout for 20% off and free shipping!

Buy me a coffee with ko-fi.com/darkagespod

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

Five Kings and Some Romans Jul 23, 2024

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 sponsored in part by manscaped.com, enter discount code DARKAGES at checkout for 20% off and free shipping!

Buy me a coffee with ko-fi.com/darkagespod

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