Fortune's Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story

Fortune's Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story

Author: Jonathon LaRosa Language: English Episodes: 100
Jonathon LaRosa hosts Fortune's Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story, a series dedicated to pulling the medieval period out of the shadows of misconception. It’s an exploration of how the brutal power struggles, explosive changes, and surprising alliances of that distant time directly shaped the borders, cultures, and traditions we navigate in the present. Each episode is built on a foundation of relentless research, but it’s delivered as gripping narrative, letting you hear the clash of swords and the whispers in royal courts as if you were there. This isn't just a dry recounting of dates and kings; it's about resurrecting the lived experience of our ancestors, the forgotten people whose decisions and dramas set our world in motion. By untangling the intricate web of stories that span continents and centuries, the podcast reveals the medieval era for what it truly was: the essential, volatile crucible of modernity. Tune in to discover how the turning of fortune’s wheel in the past still echoes in our politics, our conflicts, and our identities today.
Episodes
210: "Many Wept For Joy" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:10
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 210: “Many Wept For Joy”The road from Arqa to Jerusalem was no stroll in the park, and soon the crusaders found themselves humbled at the sight of Jerusalem…at long last. The anonymous…
209: Ground Zero: Jerusalem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:19
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 209: Ground Zero: JerusalemThis is the final offering from my archive—an episode I couldn’t leave behind. It became something more than a retelling; it became a reckoning with one of th…
208: A Crusade Divided [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:12
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 208: A Crusade DividedAntioch had fallen—and with it, unity. Bohemond of Taranto claimed the city as his prize, but the greater question lingered: who, if anyone, could command the Crus…
207: Antioch & the Gate of Heaven [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:41
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 205: Antioch & the Gate to HeavenAs Antioch grinds its besiegers down to the bone, whispers of salvation begin to circulate—quiet plans, private bargains, and a single gate that might o…
206: Antioch & the Harrowing of Hope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:42
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 206: Antioch & the Harrowing of HopeThe long siege of Antioch grinds on, and the crusaders are forced to endure more than a military struggle. Between disaster and miraculous deliveranc…
205: Antioch & the Winter in Hell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:30
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 205: Antioch & the Winter in HellWinter descends on Antioch like a verdict. Starvation, disease, and desertion hollow out the Crusader camps while Ridwan of Aleppo and Duqaq of Damascus…
204: Antioch & the Edge of Damnation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:45
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 204: Antioch & the Edge of DamnationThe Crusaders reach Antioch in October of 1097 and begin the uneasy work of surrounding one of the greatest fortified cities in the eastern Mediterra…
203: Before the Walls of Antioch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:59
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 203: Before the Walls of AntiochWhat was Alexios and the Romans doing while the main army swept through Cilicia and the Taurus Mountains? This beef forming between Tancred and Baldwin…i…
202: Routes & Ruptures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:11
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 202: Routes & RupturesSteel meets panic at Dorylaeum in 1097, where the Crusade nearly collapses before clawing its way back from annihilation. From that chaos, Tancred and Baldwin peel…
201: The Secret Drama of Treachery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:36
SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 201: The Secret Drama of TreacheryNicaea.May – June, 1097.Anna Komnene writes about “the secret drama of treachery,” a hint as to how this formidable Seljuk capital of the new Sultanate…