Conflicted: A History Podcast
Untangling history’s greatest controversies. Every month, we take a hard look at the historical conflicts that raise difficult questions, stoke controversy, and send our moral compasses spinning.
When Justinian Met Theodora – Part 4
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
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Podcast Episodes
The City Of Dreams: The Aztec Conquest Part 2
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The City Of Dreams: The Aztec Conquest Part 1
How a handful of mercenaries, explorers, and pirates destroyed the Aztec Empire and burnt its capital city to the ground. Two cultures collide in the first of a two-part series on the Conquest of Mexico. SOURCES: Levy, B…
Forbidden Children: China's One-Child Policy
The story of China’s infamous One-Child Policy, the most ambitious (and catastrophic) social engineering project the modern world has ever seen. SOURCES: Fong, Mei. One Child: The Story of China’s Most Radical Experiment…
Six Days: The 1967 Six Day War
How a single week in 1967 changed the Middle East, and the world, forever. This is the action-packed, heartbreaking origin story of Israel and the Six-Day War. SOURCES: Oren, Michael B. Six Days Of War. 2002. Pressfield,…
Wonder Women
African berserkers, graceful samurai, and deadly Soviet fighter pilots. A three-part, globe-trotting tour of remarkable female soldiers and the complicated lives that they led. SOURCES: Vinogradova, Lyuba. Defending the…
They Saw Red
The Rated-R-for-Russian story of the Red Army’s horrific campaign of vengeance against Nazi Germany. SOURCES: Beevor, Antony. The Fall of Berlin 1945. 2003. Huggler, Justin. “Fall of Berlin: ‘Of course I was afraid. I wa…
The Tiger and the Turtle: Samurai Invasion of Korea
Sea battles, tiger hunts, and a mountain of human noses. This is the Shakespearean saga that triggered centuries of bad blood between Korea and Japan. SOURCES: Samuel, Hawley. The Imjin War: Japan's Sixteenth-Century Inv…
This Is Sparta?
A myth-busting breakdown of history’s favorite fitness cult. SOURCES: Hanson, Victor Davis. A War Like No Other. 2005. Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War Plutarch. Parallel Lives Xenophon. Hellenica Cartledge,…
Conflicted - Welcome
A quick introduction to the concept behind the show and your host, Zach Cornwell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
