A history of Romania
Arthur Soporan
Key Metrics
About the Show
A narrative podcast telling the tale of the peoples of Romania from ancient times to the present.
The story is divided into five seasons:
- Beginnings, covering prehistory to the year 602
- Foundations, 602 to 1396
- Burgeonings, 1396 to 1774
- Unifications, 1774 to 1919
- Identities, 1919 to 2007
If you'd like to see the maps, the bibliography, or learn more about me as your storyteller, head to the website.
If you’d like to support the show and help me continue making it, please consider making a donation.
Currently on Season 2, Foundations, covering the period from 602 to 1396.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Partnership & Audience Signals
45 episodes — long track record
Production & Distribution
Recent Episodes
S2E14 2.14 A rising shadow
Avar society undergoes profound changes as its warriors are forced to abandon the pursuits of war and turn inwards to govern their own realm. Meanwhile, to their west, a usurper ascends the Frankish…
S2E13 2.13 The collapse of concord
Decades of collaboration between the Romans and Bulgars come under threat as frictions flare on the frontier, and instead of diffusing tensions, two ambitious leaders seek to secure their legacy.…
S2E12 2.12 Keystone
After centuries of living outside of the empire and in isolation from other Romance peoples, the Romanics of the Balkans develop a language of their own and transform into a new people. Hosted on…
S2E11 2.11 Kaisar khan
The Bulgars fortify their new homeland, wary that the Romans may try to reclaim what they’ve lost. Yet the khan has a chance to reset relations with them when a noseless emperor comes calling for…
S2E10 2.10 Melting pot
Romanic and Slavic communities both north and south of the Danube continue to influence each other, as neighbours become bilingual and introduce subtle shifts in their respective languages.…
S2E9 2.09 Keeping it together
A generation after the defeat at Constantinople, the Avars readjust their way of life, all while trying to keep their remaining subjects in line.Check out the map for this episode. Hosted on Acast.…
S2E8 2.08 No respite
The siege of Constantinople is over, with the emperor victorious over the khagan and the shah. Yet as all these combatants slink away from each other to lick their wounds, new dangers threaten to…
S2E7 2.07 The Queen of Cities
Having fought the Romans separately for over a decade, the Avars and Persians now join forces to strike Constantinople together and finally destroy their arch enemy. Hosted on Acast. See…
S2E6 2.06 Into the abyss
With the empire mired in invasions and civil war, the new Avar khagan launches a grand campaign against the Romans to prove himself as a military leader and bolster his legitimacy. Hosted on Acast.…
S2E5 2.05 On the precipice
We begin this season’s narrative on the Danube where periodic raids by the Romans and Slavs simmer along the frontier—until an unexpected spark triggers a conflagration that engulfs the entire…
S2E4 2.04 Village life
In this last episode of setup, we explore what daily life looked like for the farmers who made up most of the population of the khaganate, considering everything from their homes to their meals,…
S2E3 2.03 A tapestry of subjects
As we explore the khaganate in more depth, we take a look at the subject peoples who lived under Avar dominion, their ways of life, and the relationships they negotiated with their overlords to…
S2E2 2.02 The khaganate
In the year 602, the lands north of the Danube were dominated by the Avars, a little-known people from the steppes. In this episode, we take a look at their origins, values, and the khaganate they…
S2E1 2.01 The legacy of Antiquity
As we begin season two, I share what you can expect from this next chunk of narrative and then take a look at the story so far to refresh our memories and prepare us for what comes next.Check out the…
S1E30 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…
S1E29 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…
S1E28 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…
S1E27 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…
S1E26 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…
S1E25 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.This episode's map. Hosted on Acast. See…
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