The History of Byzantium
A podcast telling the story of the Roman (Byzantine) Empire from 476 AD to 1453. www.thehistoryofbyzantium.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 333 - The Bachelorhood of Basil II with Mark Masterson
To mark the 1000th anniversary of his death we revisit the bachelorhood of Basil II.
My guest is Mark Masterson — until recently Associate Professor of Classics at Victoria University of Wellington (retired 2025). His work explores masculinity, desire, and male social bonds in the Roman world.
In his book Between Byzantine Men he discusses an oration written in Basil's day which may shed light on his intimate life.
Find out more about Professor Mark Masterson here and check out his two books on male relationships within the Roman world.
Between Byzantine Men: Desire, Homosociality, and Brotherhood in the Medieval Empire
Routledge (2022)
Man to Man: Desire, Homosociality and Authority in Late-Roman Manhood
The Ohio State University Press. (2014)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast Episodes
January 2025 Update
Happy New Year. I have two interviews coming out shortly for you to enjoy. One with David Hendrix of the Byzantine Legacy website (www.thebyzantinelegacy.com) and a return visit from Father John Strickland to answer more…
Episode 316 - Questions XVI
We look at listener questions about feudalism, the Catalans, the Armenians and many other topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 315 - Questions XV
We look at listener questions about Andronikos II. Why was he so useless? Why did no one overthrow him? How poor was the Empire? And many more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ask me anything and Tour Dates
I have another 3 things to tell you. Tomorrow, as in Sunday 1st December, I will be hosting 3 Zoom Calls for Patrons, where you can ask me anything. This is a reminder for those of you already on Patreon. And if you’re n…
Episode 314 - The Divine Liturgy with Father John Strickland
It's time we talked about Orthodoxy in more detail. I ask Father John Strickland to explain the Divine Liturgy, and it's Byzantine origins, to me.John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. H…
Episode 313 - A Roman Comic Book with Marco Cappelli
Marco Cappelli, the man behind the Storia D'Italia podcast, has created a Roman history comic book. Ammianus - the Twilight of an Era tells the story of the incredible change that took place across Italy during the 6th c…
Episode 312 - The Mediterranean in the Crusading era with Nicholas Morton
Professor Nicholas Morton returns to tell us about developments on the sea during the Crusading era. We discuss why Venice, Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi were able to dominate the waves. And talk about the ships they used and h…
3 things you might like
Hello everyone,Here are 3 podcast-related things you may be interested in.Roman Graphic NovelFriend of the show Marco Capelli has made a comic book set in 6th century Italy. It follows two figures that we know about from…
Episode 311 - The Next Generation
When Andronikos' son dies he ponders whether to disinherit his Grandson Andronikos III. This prompts two bouts of civil war as the younger generation try to force change on their elders.Period: 1310-1328 Hosted on Acast.…
