Entirely Unofficial Rest is History Catalogue and Interrogator

Late Antiquity & Early Middle Ages

78 Episodes 20 Series 77 Figures 36 Events 214 Books 157 Authors

Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (roughly 3rd–10th centuries) are covered through several focused series and individual episodes examining political, religious and cultural change across Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond. Series include "12 (or 13) Days of Christmas" (events dated 25 Dec–4 Jan from early Christian history to later African modernization), a multi‑part Alfred the Great series on ninth‑century Viking pressures, governance and reform, a Baghdad sequence tracing late Umayyad decline and the Abbasid revolution, a Charlemagne trilogy from Merovingian collapse to the 800 coronation, and episodes on England’s ties with Denmark, Ukraine, Germany and Italy. Topics and episodes treat battles (Yarmouk, Tours), Heraclius’ campaigns, the Danelaw, the Umayyad–Berber wars, figures such as Arius, Theodora, Honorius, Harald Bluetooth and Theophano, and cite works including Procopius’ On Buildings, Palace in Split, Dominion and Dictionary of the Khazars.

Timeline Subway

Episodes Series Figures Events Books Authors

Episodes by year

Showing 12 of 78

2022

12 episodes

Spain: The Caliphate of Córdoba

Great World Cup Saga · Part 27

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook trace the rise, golden age and collapse of the Caliphate of Córdoba. They open with t…

RIHC: Podwashing, Tom’s opera, and Pixar

In this listener-questions episode Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland trade banter and respond to audience comments prim…

Saudi Arabia: The Mystery of the Kaaba

Great World Cup Saga · Part 11

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the Kaaba’s religious significance, its rites (kiswah, tawaf, the Black Stone…

Croatia: The Man Who Saved The Roman Empire

Great World Cup Saga · Part 6

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the rise, rule and lasting reforms of Diocletian (born Diocles in Salona) aga…

RIHC: Athelstans, Alfred and Anglo-Scottish relations

Alfred the Great · Part 3

This episode is a conversational update from the hosts following recent live Rest Is History events and studio recordin…

RIHC: Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and videogames

This episode is an informal two‑year anniversary special of The Rest Is History. Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbroo…

Alfred the Great: Return of the King (Ep 2)

Alfred the Great · Part 2

Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the life and legacy of Alfred the Great, focusing on his escape after t…

Alfred the Great: Fury of the Vikings (Ep 1)

Alfred the Great · Part 1

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the life and times of Alfred the Great and the Viking threat to ninth-century…

Roman Holidays (Ep 4)

Holidays · Part 4

This episode examines holidays and tourism in the ancient world, comparing Roman elite leisure — villas, spas and the B…

RIHC: Holidays, Yorkshire, and disease

Holidays · Part 5

In this bonus episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook chat informally about recent work and listeners' contributions.…

Justinian: Making Rome Great Again (Ep 2)

Justinian and Theodora · Part 2

This episode is the second part of a series on Emperor Justinian I and Empress Theodora. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbr…

Theodora: Empress of Byzantium (Ep 1)

Justinian and Theodora

In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook introduce listeners to the world of Constantinople and the remarkable…

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Series in this era

20 series

Baghdad

4 episodes Aired: 2023-10-08 – 2023-10-09

12 (or 13) Days of Christmas

3 episodes Aired: 2021-12-25

Alfred the Great

3 episodes Aired: 2022-11-05 – 2022-11-16

Charlemagne trilogy

3 episodes Aired: 2024-12-16

Great World Cup Saga

3 episodes Aired: 2022-11-22 – 2022-12-13

Justinian and Theodora

3 episodes Aired: 2022-08-08

Vikings in the East

3 episodes Aired: 2022-02-07 – 2022-02-23

Warlords of the West (The Franks)

3 episodes Aired: 2024-12-09

Coronations

2 episodes Aired: 2023-05-04

Holidays

2 episodes Aired: 2022-08-10 – 2022-08-22

Historical figures

77 tagged

Alfred the Great (King of Wessex)

16 episodes

Æthelstan, King of England (Athelstan)

16 episodes

Constantine I (Constantine the Great)

15 episodes

Charlemagne (Charles I, King of the Franks / Emperor)

14 episodes

Justin I, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire

12 episodes

Muhammad

10 episodes

Theodora (Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire)

9 episodes

Edgar I of England (Edgar the Peaceable)

7 episodes

Saint Augustine of Hippo

7 episodes

Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne

6 episodes

Historical events

36 tagged

Abbasid Revolution (c.747–750)

6 episodes

Arab conquests (7th century)

6 episodes

Crisis of the Third Century (3rd century AD)

6 episodes

Lindisfarne raid (793)

6 episodes

Battle of Tours (732, France)

5 episodes

Coronation of Charlemagne (25 December 800)

5 episodes

Baptism of Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 988)

3 episodes

Christianization of the Roman Empire (4th century)

3 episodes

Danelaw (Viking occupation of eastern England, 9th–10th centuries)

3 episodes

Nika (Nike) Riots (532 CE, Constantinople)

3 episodes

Books

214 tagged

In the Shadow of the Sword

Author: Tom Holland

7 episodes

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (standardized)

Author: Edward Gibbon

7 episodes

Millennium: The End of the World and the Forging of Christendom

Author: Tom Holland

4 episodes

Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age

Author: Tom Holland

4 episodes

The Secret History

Author: Procopius (Procopius of Caesarea)

4 episodes

Dominion

Author: Tom Holland

3 episodes

Ladybird books

Author: L. Du Garde Peach (and various)

3 episodes

Quran (Koran)

Author: Traditional Attribution or Various

3 episodes

The Arabian Nights

Author: Traditional Attribution or Various

3 episodes

The Last Kingdom

Author: Bernard Cornwell

3 episodes

Authors

157 tagged

Tom Holland

21 episodes

Traditional Attribution or Various

17 episodes

Bernard Cornwell

7 episodes

Edward Gibbon

7 episodes

Procopius (Procopius of Caesarea)

4 episodes

Robert Graves

4 episodes

Anonymous

3 episodes

Einhard

3 episodes

Neil Price

3 episodes

Peter Brown

3 episodes