A history of Romania

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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 can spare a few minutes, please send me an email with your thoughts and comments at [email protected]

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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.

Check out this episode's map: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/127-gentes-et-regna

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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.

Check out the map for this episode: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/126-blood-feud

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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.

This episode's map: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/125-free-for-all

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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.

Check out the maps for this episode: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/124-the-board-reshuffles

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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.

You can read Priscus' original retelling of his dinner with Attila, or check out some highlights I've selected from his first-hand account.

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A grand capital fit for a Christian emperor is built on the shores of the Bosphorus, and in order to ensure its safety, Constantine decides to retake the province of Dacia established by Trajan two centuries earlier.

Check out the two maps for the episode here: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/119-reconquest

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Diocletian initiates a great persecution of the Christians, and his reformed Roman empire undergoes the ultimate test as the time for succession arrives.

Check out what the Chi Rho symbol looked like here: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/118-let-the-gods-decide

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Diocletian transforms the Roman world through rational and autocratic reforms, discarding the system Augustus had built nearly three centuries earlier and forging an entirely new order.

There are two maps for this episode and you can find them here: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/117-reforging

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The Roman empire nears collapse as the Goths overrun the Balkans, the Persians invade the East, generals fight for the throne, and provinces secede to form new states, all while plague kills millions of people. As the inhabitants of Dacia stand against the chaos, messengers arrive bearing an imperial decision that will forever alter their lives.

You can find the map for this episode here: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/115-fragmentation

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Dacia recovers from the crisis that had defined Marcus Aurelius' reign and becomes more urban than ever before. At the same time, the province strengthens its defenses, and its soldiers grow more attached to the local communities they defend.

Here's the map for this episode: http://www.ahistoryofromania.com/episodes/113-iron-swords-for-marble-cities

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Plague decimates the population, the frontiers are breached, and barbarians ravage Dacia as emperor Marcus Aurelius fights to overcome the empire's direst crisis in living memory.

​For extra content that didn't make it into the episode, head to A history of Romania's Facebook page.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.