Explore the peoples of Romania from ancient times to the present.
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Extra episode: Callidromus’ story
In this standalone episode, we follow an enslaved man who served a Roman general, saw the Dacian capital in its prime, worked in the palace of the Parthian King of Kings, and staged a daring escape to gain his freedom in the midst of war.
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1.29 Threads of beginnings
To close out season one, we discuss the impact of the Goths, Huns, and Gepids in the region, ask how we can discern ethnicity in our sources, and consider the effects of Christianity north of the Danube. We also explore some of my storytelling choices and glance at what’s next for the podcast. If you…
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1.28 Misty myths
The story of season one is done and we have plenty to discuss: the legacy of the Dacians, Romanization in the provinces, contrasting historical theories, and what it all means for that greatest of unresolved questions — What are the origins of the Romanian people?
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1.27 Gentes et regna
In the last narrative episode of season one, the Avars spring out of the Carpathian Basin and into the Balkans, while Slavic tribes roam the lands on either side of the Danube seeking a permanent place to settle. Here’s what the Balkans looked like after the Romans stabilized the Danube frontier in 602 CE. Though…
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1.26 Blood feud
The Gepids reign as the most powerful people north of the Danube, but a new rival supported by the Roman empire threatens to dismantle their kingdom, all while a horrifying illness makes its appearance in the Balkans. Here’s what the region looked like in the 540s after the Lombards settled west of the Gepids at…
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1.25 Free-for-all
The Gepids seek to retake their lost capital at Sirmium, all while dealing with a resurgent Roman empire and ambitious new players on the board. Here’s what the Balkans looked like in 535 CE. Note the key cities on either side of the Danube, as well as the arrival of new peoples on the borders…
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1.24 The board reshuffles
Having led the war of independence against the Huns, the Gepids take the wealth of their former overlords and establish a kingdom on the lands of the original province of Dacia. Their efforts then turn to securing themselves a spot in the new Mediterranean world created by the collapse of half the Roman empire. Below…
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1.23 Dominoes
Attila aims the full force of the Hunnic confederation against the western Roman empire, and the resulting confrontation leads to tectonic changes for the Romans as well as for the peoples beyond the frontiers.
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1.22 When swords turn to daggers
As Attila scourges the Roman empire and outmanoeuvers its forces, the emperor in Constantinople seeks a way to stop the ongoing ravages, and so a conspiracy is hatched to assassinate the Hunnic ruler. In this episode, we follow a writer named Priscus who was part of a Roman embassy to Attila. Invited to dinner with the…
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1.21 Friends on a coin’s edge
The Huns shatter Germanic kingdoms and Roman defenses as they establish their powerbase in the Pannonian Plain. Their relentless attacks devastate the Balkans and push the tribes of Europe to flee to the safety of the western empire – with disastrous consequences.