Podcasts about Belisarius

After being crowned Emperor and Empress of the Byzantine Empire, Justinian and Theodora face their first major test as rulers, the deadly Nika Riots of 532 AD.  SOURCES: Bridge, Antony. Theodora: Portrait in a Byzantine Landscape. Potter, David. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint.  Parnell, David Alan. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian Hughes, Bettany. Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities.  Sarris, Peter. Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint.  Cesaretti, Paolo. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium. Procopius. The Secret History.  Phillips, Robin. West, Jeff. Who in the World Was The Acrobatic Empress?  Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy Evans, James Allan. The Empress Theodora: Partner of Justinian.  Holmes, Nick. Justinian's Empire: Triumph and Tragedy Charles Rivers Editors. Justinian the Great: The Life and Legacy of the Byzantine Emperor. Captivating History. The Byzantine Empire. 2018 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A dejar el tabú para hombres y mujeres en la playa, abre tu mente y disfruta Especial de Carnaval Con invitados especiales: La Psicóloga Clínica Niurka Villavicencio quien explica todo sobre la aceptación y el abrir la mente frente a los avances de la sociedad. El Diseñador de Modas Iván Belisario, CEO de la marca Belisarius con quién conversaremos sobre la nueva tendencia en trajes de baño y ropa interior y deportiva para hombres. En la conducción: Efraín Cruz. El horóscopo con José Aparicio. La receta para un cuerpo de verano con nuestra Chef Maivette. Las noticias de la semana con Marcos Campos. Controles técnicos: Carlos González. Risas: Christian Méndez. Diseño gráfico: Marcos Campos. Yormari Rodríguez †. FUERA DE LUGAR VENEZUELA

From 527 to 565 AD, Emperor Justinian I and his Empress Theodora ruled over the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. Together, they reshaped the Mediterranean world, weathering political upheaval, wars of conquest, and an outbreak of bubonic plague. In this first installment of a multi-part series, we explore the early years of New Rome's greatest power couple. Rising from a disreputable background in the brothels of Constantinople, the actress-turned-informant Theodora catches the eye of Prince Justinian, heir to the Byzantine throne... SOURCES: Bridge, Antony. Theodora: Portrait in a Byzantine Landscape. Potter, David. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint.  Parnell, David Alan. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian Hughes, Bettany. Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities.  Sarris, Peter. Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint.  Cesaretti, Paolo. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium. Procopius. The Secret History.  Phillips, Robin. West, Jeff. Who in the World Was The Acrobatic Empress?  Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy Evans, James Allan. The Empress Theodora: Partner of Justinian.  Holmes, Nick. Justinian's Empire: Triumph and Tragedy Charles Rivers Editors. Justinian the Great: The Life and Legacy of the Byzantine Emperor. Captivating History. The Byzantine Empire. 2018 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Nick Holmes from the Byzantium and the Crusades podcast. Although I'm no longer making new episodes of this podcast, I thought you might be interested in my latest project which is a series of books as well as a new podcast on the Fall of the Roman Empire. And I'm contacting you because my latest book, and the fourth in my Roman series, called  ‘Justinian's Empire', is out now on Amazon in ebook and paperback. It will be with other distributors later and also available in audiobook probably within the next six months.  It's about the triumph and tragedy of the late Roman Emperor Justinian's reign. Triumph because Justinian's general, Belisarius, recovered North Africa and Italy from the barbarians. Justinian also created a new law code that would endure to this day. And he built extraordinary monuments, like the iconic Hagia Sophia in modern Istanbul, rivalling the great buildings of Ancient Rome. But all that glitters is not gold. There was also tragedy in his reign, especially with a mini ice-age that caused famine and bubonic plague. And I also suggest Justinian was a ruthless opportunist, and his western conquests drained the empire's wealth and critically weakened its army.So, rather than restoring Rome's greatness did he in fact pave the way for its catastrophic collapse less than a century after his death? I think the ebook is also really good value at only $4.99 in the US and £3.99 in the UK – probably cheaper than a cup of over-priced coffee! – and certainly cheaper than most other books on the Roman Empire. Paperback is obviously more expensive since I can't control the printing costs.The links to Amazon US and Amazon UK are in the notes to this and I do hope you'll take a look, and if you do buy it and you're feeling generous why not leave a review? I'd love to hear your feedback.Thanks for listening and I hope you continue to enjoy Byzantium and the Crusades!Please take a look at my website nickholmesauthor.com where you can download a free copy of The Byzantine World War, my book that describes the origins of the First Crusade.

I thought you might be interested to know that my latest book called ‘Justinian's Empire' is out now on Amazon in ebook and paperback. It will be with other distributors later and also available in audiobook probably within the next six months.  It's about the triumph and tragedy of Justinian's reign. Triumph because Justinian's general, Belisarius, recovered North Africa and Italy from the barbarians. Justinian also created a new law code that would endure to this day. And he built extraordinary monuments, like the iconic Hagia Sophia in modern Istanbul, rivalling the great buildings of Ancient Rome. But all that glitters is not gold. There was also tragedy in his reign, with a mini ice-age that caused famine and bubonic plague. I also suggest Justinian was a ruthless opportunist, and his western conquests drained the empire's wealth and critically weakened its army.So, rather than restoring Rome's greatness did he in fact pave the way for its catastrophic collapse less than a century after his death? Of course, if you've been listening to my podcasts much of this will be familiar to you. But I hope the book offers more than the podcast – it has nine maps and 17 pictures, a chronology, list of emperors, an index in the paperback version, and the content is not just a transcript of the podcasts, it's more detailed with some additional material and a more carefully evaluated conclusion.I think the ebook is also really good value at only $4.99 in the US and £3.99 in the UK – probably cheaper than a cup of over-priced coffee! – and certainly cheaper than most other books on the Roman Empire. Paperback is obviously more expensive since I can't control the printing costs.The links to Amazon US and Amazon UK are in the notes to this and I do hope you'll take a look, and if you do buy it and you're feeling generous why not leave a review? I'd love to hear your feedback.Thanks again for your time and talk to you again on the 7th December when we continue with Heraclius' epic struggle against the Persians.For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon

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 an Ostrogothic jewellery collection that was discovered in 1938. A Roman Patrician Stephanus who marries a Gothic noblewoman Valatrud. They are subjects of King Theodoric who is trying to create a functioning Gothic-Roman kingdom in Italy. But their union comes shortly before Italy submerges into chaos. And Justinian sends Belisarius out to retake the home peninsula.You can get your hands on a copy in English or Italian. In paper or in a digital format. Plus loads of other goodies are available from Marco's Kickstarter campaign.The Kickstarter ends on October 11th so act now.Tour of GreeceLantern Jack, the host of the podcast Ancient Greece Declassified, is leading a tour to Greece.It's taking place from January 3rd to the 11th 2025. And it visits every site connected with the famous war between the Persians and the Athenians and Spartans. If you want to go you will visit the Acropolis, the Straits of Salamis, Marathon, Eubeoa, Thermopylae, Delphi, Plataea and you'll get to try on Hoplite Armour!Click here to find out moreThe History of Byzantium T-ShirtsFinally my new friend Magnus who creates Roman themed merchandise on Etsy has created an actual History of Byzantium podcast t-shirt. Or I should say t-shirts. Branded with the podcast logo you have several to choose from. I'm sure they will light up any occasion you go to with looks of confusion and bewilderment. But I think they look beautiful.Check them out here. He also has t-shirts and mugs celebrating lesser figures than me – such as Constantine, Justinian, Basil II, Marcus Aurelius and others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meşhur Doğu Roma komutanı Belisarius'un hapsedildiği Belisarius Kulesi İstanbul'un neresindeydi, nasıl kayboldu?

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.An Empress’ Guard Remembers.Then, as sudden as the crash after lightning, the weight was gone.I didn’t immediately react. My mind was a storm of pounding fury, my breath ragged in my ears and my body frozen and tense.After a few heartbeats of nothing, my soldier’s instincts forced me into motion. I lowered my shield, becoming suddenly aware of my shrieking muscles.I groaned, swayed, and would have fallen over had another body not leaned into me.Helena. My shield mate.Her eyes were glazed and her breath was the uneven, gasping hitch of a body pushed beyond all limits.But she was alive.She was here beside me, and together, we steadied each other enough to stand on our own. I blinked my vision into focus and raised my head.We were in a charnel house.Dozens lay dead before us, a carpet of blood and pale bodies that stretched from our feet to the splintered entrance. They’d been gutted and cut open, their insides spilled onto the surrounding stones.And the stench.It was shit and misery and death; a miasma of horror worse than any sort of butcher’s yard. Beside me, Helena coughed, staggered to the side, and retched. I just swayed in place, breathing through my mouth.“They ran away,” a voice rasped. “They all ran away.”It was the Empress. She was just a handful of steps behind us, leaning heavily onto the haft of her spear. Her limbs shook with exhaustion.“Augusta,” I croaked. “Are you hurt?”Blood stained the sweat-darkened purple of her dress. Thick droplets of it that were splattered along her chest and shoulders. It oozed from between her fingers, trickling down from the splintered tip of her spear.“Ah,” she said, seeming to notice herself for the first time. “No. I, I don’t believe any of this is mine. And you?”She reached a hand up to push at the strip of purple that held back her hair, leaving a streak of red behind on her forehead.I didn’t answer, refusing to look down and examine myself. I wasn’t ready to see, so I forced myself to stare down the hallway, distracting myself with thoughts of survival.And indeed, it appeared as if the Empress was correct. Nothing moved within the corridor, and I could hear nothing in the room beyond the shattered portal. The invaders had fled, and not a moment too soon, as I finally noticed that we’d been pushed most of the way back to Theodora’s sitting room.Not far away, Helena groaned. She managed to push herself upright, leaning heavily against the wall, her face wan.“Helena,” I said. “Are you,”I coughed, feeling a wave of bile rise through me. The smell was horrific, made so much worse by the thick summer air and the windless confines of this tunnel. My stomach writhed, but I clamped down on it ruthlessly.Not yet.Helena was covered in blood. Her chest, legs, and sword arm were caked in death, her face and neck splattered with it. I staggered over to her, conscious of the gumminess between my own fingers."I’m fine,” she said, trying to smile. “I’m fine. It’s just, how,”She turned and threw up once again. It was a hacking, heaving sort of retch; the kind that left you shaking. I came to stand beside her, pressing my hip to her side, all I could do without dropping my sword and shield. She leaned some of her weight into me."Leontius,” the Empress said, moving to join us. She lay a hand on the unarmored part of Helena’s hip, providing what comfort she could. “Is it safe to move?”I blinked, stirred, and shook my head. “Not yet. We still don’t know what’s going on in the rest of the palace. This is still the safest place for us.”Theodora nodded, turning her head to gaze down the length of the passageway. An ocean of red dotted with pale islands of green and blue.“It seems remarkable,” she said. “That we survived against so many.”“These weren’t soldiers, Augusta,” I said, exhaling. “They were potters, blacksmiths, dockworkers, They were drunk, pushed onto our swords by those further back. They were badly led, unarmored and most didn’t even have any weapons. They were just,”"People,” Theodora finished for me. “Dead because they believed in something strongly enough to fight for it.”I shifted, my gaze going back to Helena. She was still bent into the wall, her eyes screwed tightly shut and her frame vibrating with repressed feeling. She’d just gone through her first battle, and every single thought and feeling that she’d pushed aside while in the midst of it was tearing into her.My own soul felt raw, overused, and stretched near to the point of snapping. I could feel my own crash coming, though experience let me push it away. For a time, at least.“We believe as well, Augusta,” I said. “In you.”The Empress smiled, though it was one that I’d yet to see wear. It was an expression of unyielding certainty, of iron-hard conviction; the whole of it framed by a profound sense of grief. It was the smile of the lonely farmer taking his axe to the rabid skull of his favorite dog.She stepped forward to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be back with a bucket of water.”The Empress slipped into her private chambers a few moments later, leaving Helena and me alone. My shield mate had managed to straighten herself, though her body still shook. I watched as she breathed deeply, the lines of her face growing looser with every exhalation.She was eventually able to open her eyes and meet my gaze. I felt something crack within me, like the first axe blow that had split the door.It was still her.Though tears traced the lines of her cheeks, and something had changed within the cypress of her eyes, nothing had been lost. I still recognized her. She was still the woman I,“I’m sorry,” she said.“Helena, I, what?”“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’m here weeping like a child. But I’ll get stronger, Leo.”I blinked.“I promise,” she said, looking away. “I won’t hold you back for long. I just, I promise I’ll be stronger.”Then, despite the blood coating my limbs and the charnel house stink of the hallway, I laughed. I laughed, and I laughed and I felt myself draw back from the edge.Helena’s face went scarlet. “Fuck you,” she hissed, turning to march away.“No!” I gasped, lurching to step in front of her. “I’m sorry. It’s not that! It’s,”I devolved into another peel of laughter. And though Helena’s face burned a shade brighter, she didn’t move away.When I finally mastered myself, I stepped a bit nearer to her. I looked into her eyes, my face relaxing into a smile. "Helena, you wonderful, amazing, beautiful, and hopelessly blind woman. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known.”She snorted, though I saw something shine within her eyes. “You weren’t the one crying and puking.”“No,” I agreed. “Not yet.”“It’s coming?”I nodded.She made a small sound, moving nearer to me. “Then, I’ll be here when it does.”The Empress returned a few minutes later with a bucket of water and several strips of clean, white cloth.We dropped our weapons, washing the worst of the blood and sweat from our hands and faces. Helena and I discovered that we’d each suffered a myriad of cuts, and to my horror, the Empress proceeded to tend to our injuries.“Leontius, enough!” She snapped, as I tried to squirm away. She looked ferocious in her still bloody dress, her hands clamping down on me. “You risked your lives for me, the least I can do is clean and wrap your wounds.”“Augusta,” I tried.“Stop,” she said, taking up a clean rag. “I’ll be quick. I have some experience if that reassures you.”I frowned, glancing over to Helena.“At the brothel,” she said. “When the men were too rough; Theodora would patch us up.”“You didn’t have a guard?” I asked. “Or a bouncer?”“Not until Helena grew a little older,” the Empress said, pulling over a clean strip of cloth. “Your arm now, Leontius.”“Augusta, I can handle,” Her glare silenced me, and I meekly held my forearm out for her to inspect."Thank you.” She took my arm, her fingers strong and sure. “Please don’t keep fighting me on this. I’m having difficulty sitting still, to tell you the truth. I keep, well, no matter.”I relaxed, submitting myself to her care. The Empress fell silent, unwilling to explain further. But she didn’t have to, the stiffness in her limbs and the tension at the corners of her eyes mirrored my own.Our day wasn’t yet done.The Empress was most of the way through checking over Helena when I heard the sound of boots on stone. The two women heard it with me, and we moved as one. Helena and I had our shields strapped on in moments, the Empress having collected our swords for us in the meantime.We jogged towards the shattered entrance, my limbs stiff and my heart beating faster.“Mary’s tits!” A voice loudly swore. “It fucking reeks here. Are you sure we’re going the right way, Serg?”“I thought you’d be used to the smell of your own sack by now, Grat?”“Oh, they stink, do they? How about you come lick them clean for me, Niketas?”Helena and I slowed, exchanging incredulous looks. We stopped before reaching the first body, my eyebrows high in disbelief.“Shut your hole, Grat,” I heard Sergius growl. “You too Nik. Shields up, lads, we don’t know what we’re going to find here.”“Why have we stopped?” The Empress said. She’d picked up her broken spear haft. “Are these our men?”“They’re Leo’s friends,” Helena said with a wide grin. “From his legion days. Since when have they been in the palace?”The tension rushed from me in a wave, leaving my body light and trembling. I sucked in a deep breath.“I’ll give ‘em a few licks too, Grat!” I roared. “I’m tired of breathing them in!”I heard a series of startled curses, while behind me, the Empress laughed. There was a stampede of pounding boots and then a squad of armored soldiers appeared in the shattered doorway.“Centenarius!” Sergius laughed. “You’re alive! The Empress?”“She’s here as well!” I called back.The men whooped, cheering and thanking God as Sergius turned back to them. “We found them, boys! Maurice, run back and tell the General. You three, watch the hall.”The two women and I moved back as Sergius led his men in towards us. What followed was coarse laughter, back-slapping, wide-eyed realization, and a whole mess of clumsy bows as the Empress stepped out to introduce herself.Theodora smiled through the men’s stammering apologies. She thanked them each in turn, her voice shifting from a high, courtly accent to the less polished version she’d have grown up with. It was the language these soldiers knew, and the Empress left blushing cheeks and sheepish smiles in her wake.The gates, we were happy to learn, had been sealed. Though, as of yet, nobody knew who had let the rioters in. The mob still rampaged through parts of the palace, though they’d been beaten back from the outer wall. Belisarius was in command of the palace’s fighting men, coordinating squads like Sergius’ that were sweeping through the halls.“And my husband?” The Empress asked.“Safe, Augusta,” Sergius answered. “Last I heard, at any rate. The General was with him when the enemy broke in.”“Thank you, soldier,” she said, laying a palm on his forearm.“A, Augusta!” Sergius stammered, and I grinned to see the grizzled old veteran flush.“Well then, gentlemen,” Theodora said. “I believe that I will leave you here. I’ve got to wash the stink of Gratian’s balls from my skin.”A few of the men snorted, trying to choke down on their laughter. Grat, for his part, looked positively horrified. He mangled a few words, his entire face blazing a scarlet. He hadn’t produced anything more than a gargle before the Empress slipped away with a wink and a small laugh.“Grat,” Sergius said in the moment of silence after her departure. “You’re a fucking idiot.”“It wasn’t me!” Gratian exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic. “Serg, I, Nik, and, the Empress! She,”"Dumber than a sackful of rocks,” Serg said, shaking his head. “Start piling these bodies outside, and the rest of you grinning monkeys can help.”“Oh, don’t be too hard on him,” Helena said. “I was worried that he’d start talking about his phallus again.”Gratian fled, followed by the laughter of his squad mates. Sergius shook his head again, but I saw a smile part the hairs of his worn face.“Aye, well, we can thank the Lord for that.” The old soldier’s gaze shifted to the doors to Theodora’s salon. “The Empress, she really fought with you?”My face twisted into a grimace. “I tried talking her out of it, but I didn’t have time.”“What a woman,” Sergius said, amazed. “And you, Helena, not a lot of stratiotai could have held back so many.”“Leo did most of the work,” she said.Both Sergius and I snorted.“I’m an old soldier, lass. I know what it would have taken to do this.” Sergius suddenly stiffened, saluting her with a fist over his heart. “Stratiotai!”Helena saluted back, her face flushing. I grinned, sure that she was about to squirm with suppressed pride.“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go help the monkeys.”, ,Sergius, however, categorically refused our help.They’d barely fought, he said. And itching to do something after three long days stationed in the palace. This was the least that they could do.Neither Helena nor I had had the energy to argue, and so we’d taken off our helmets, unstrapped our shields, and sat back against the far wall.“I guess that now it’s official,” Helena said.“Hmm?” I answered.We were seated near enough for our legs to touch, my body throbbing with pain and heavy with exhaustion.“After today, we’re officially shield mates.”I tilted my head towards her. “We’ve been shield mates for longer than that.”“Sure, but now we’ve fought together. I held my place at your side.” And despite the horror of what we’d had to do, I heard the fierce pride in Helena’s voice.“I knew you would. I’ve trusted you for a long time.”“Oh yeah?” She said, shifting to rest her sweat-darkened head against mine. “Since when?”I leaned more of my weight into her, resting my shield hand on her thigh. I could feel the eyes of the others drifting towards us as they worked, and could picture their knowing grins.But I didn’t care. I was with her.“Remember the first day we trained together? How difficult you were being?”“Difficult? Is that what it’s called when your gender makes everyone treat you differently?”“Hmm,” I said. “That, or simple laziness.”She swatted me with the back of her hand, swearing as her knuckles rapped on my breastplate. I laughed, squeezing her thigh.“When you swallowed your pride and your anger,” I said. “When you decided to set all that aside and let me train you. That’s when I knew.”She snorted, shaking out her sore knuckles. “Well, all I remember from that day is how much you enjoyed hitting me.”“You don’t remember when I said the words, 'you’re my shield mate’?”“No,” she said. “You must have done something mean to make me forget.”I laughed. She brought her hand down atop mine, and I turned it so our fingers intertwined. Her thumb drew a swirling pattern along my skin, and I let myself get lost in the hypnotic motion.With her here, it felt like I could accomplish anything. Like I might pull myself forward as she had. What might I do, with this woman at my side? Where might I go? What might I build, with her hands working alongside my own?A little tavern by the sea, perhaps.“Helena,” I said.I shifted my hand in hers, and in doing so, my thumb came to rest atop hers, stopping the circle she was making and pulling my vision back into focus.“Leo,” she answered, and I heard the soft smile in her voice.“I,” But my words were cut short, pressed back into me by a sudden weight. Blood, there was blood beneath my nails.I was suddenly reminded of where I was, of what I had done. The charnel stink of the hallway, and the emotions I’d tucked away flooded back into me. I started to shake; my lungs squeezed tight.I couldn’t take my eyes off the blood that still crusted my hand."Leo?” Helena said, shifting so that she could look at me. “Are you ok?”I didn’t answer, freeing her hand from my filthy grip. I shifted from her, pulled away by a crushing weight against my side. I clawed at the pocket beneath my armor, ripping something free.My mother’s letter.I opened it with unsteady hands, revealing a single slip of yellowed parchment and my mother’s blocky letters.My little lion, it said. Come home.I stared at the page, blinking stupidly. Five little words, was that all? I turned the folded parchment over, my fingers smudging its surface.That was it.I felt the mad urge to laugh. Come home? Was I some lost, weeping child who needed the comfort of my mother’s arms?I grit my teeth, reading those words again and again. I ached to tear into the offending letter; to rage and scream and damn my mother to hell.I’d been expecting something like this but,  What the fuck did this mean?I was happy. For the first time in my fucking life, I was happy. I was the Empress’ guard, sitting beside a woman who was nothing but good. With her, I had a vision of a future where I wouldn’t have to kill anymore.I wasn’t fucking lost.“Leo?” Helena whispered.She was beside me, she’d red the letter too. She once again wrap

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.An Empress’ Guard Remembers.Then, as sudden as the crash after lightning, the weight was gone.I didn’t immediately react. My mind was a storm of pounding fury, my breath ragged in my ears and my body frozen and tense.After a few heartbeats of nothing, my soldier’s instincts forced me into motion. I lowered my shield, becoming suddenly aware of my shrieking muscles.I groaned, swayed, and would have fallen over had another body not leaned into me.Helena. My shield mate.Her eyes were glazed and her breath was the uneven, gasping hitch of a body pushed beyond all limits.But she was alive.She was here beside me, and together, we steadied each other enough to stand on our own. I blinked my vision into focus and raised my head.We were in a charnel house.Dozens lay dead before us, a carpet of blood and pale bodies that stretched from our feet to the splintered entrance. They’d been gutted and cut open, their insides spilled onto the surrounding stones.And the stench.It was shit and misery and death; a miasma of horror worse than any sort of butcher’s yard. Beside me, Helena coughed, staggered to the side, and retched. I just swayed in place, breathing through my mouth.“They ran away,” a voice rasped. “They all ran away.”It was the Empress. She was just a handful of steps behind us, leaning heavily onto the haft of her spear. Her limbs shook with exhaustion.“Augusta,” I croaked. “Are you hurt?”Blood stained the sweat-darkened purple of her dress. Thick droplets of it that were splattered along her chest and shoulders. It oozed from between her fingers, trickling down from the splintered tip of her spear.“Ah,” she said, seeming to notice herself for the first time. “No. I, I don’t believe any of this is mine. And you?”She reached a hand up to push at the strip of purple that held back her hair, leaving a streak of red behind on her forehead.I didn’t answer, refusing to look down and examine myself. I wasn’t ready to see, so I forced myself to stare down the hallway, distracting myself with thoughts of survival.And indeed, it appeared as if the Empress was correct. Nothing moved within the corridor, and I could hear nothing in the room beyond the shattered portal. The invaders had fled, and not a moment too soon, as I finally noticed that we’d been pushed most of the way back to Theodora’s sitting room.Not far away, Helena groaned. She managed to push herself upright, leaning heavily against the wall, her face wan.“Helena,” I said. “Are you,”I coughed, feeling a wave of bile rise through me. The smell was horrific, made so much worse by the thick summer air and the windless confines of this tunnel. My stomach writhed, but I clamped down on it ruthlessly.Not yet.Helena was covered in blood. Her chest, legs, and sword arm were caked in death, her face and neck splattered with it. I staggered over to her, conscious of the gumminess between my own fingers."I’m fine,” she said, trying to smile. “I’m fine. It’s just, how,”She turned and threw up once again. It was a hacking, heaving sort of retch; the kind that left you shaking. I came to stand beside her, pressing my hip to her side, all I could do without dropping my sword and shield. She leaned some of her weight into me."Leontius,” the Empress said, moving to join us. She lay a hand on the unarmored part of Helena’s hip, providing what comfort she could. “Is it safe to move?”I blinked, stirred, and shook my head. “Not yet. We still don’t know what’s going on in the rest of the palace. This is still the safest place for us.”Theodora nodded, turning her head to gaze down the length of the passageway. An ocean of red dotted with pale islands of green and blue.“It seems remarkable,” she said. “That we survived against so many.”“These weren’t soldiers, Augusta,” I said, exhaling. “They were potters, blacksmiths, dockworkers, They were drunk, pushed onto our swords by those further back. They were badly led, unarmored and most didn’t even have any weapons. They were just,”"People,” Theodora finished for me. “Dead because they believed in something strongly enough to fight for it.”I shifted, my gaze going back to Helena. She was still bent into the wall, her eyes screwed tightly shut and her frame vibrating with repressed feeling. She’d just gone through her first battle, and every single thought and feeling that she’d pushed aside while in the midst of it was tearing into her.My own soul felt raw, overused, and stretched near to the point of snapping. I could feel my own crash coming, though experience let me push it away. For a time, at least.“We believe as well, Augusta,” I said. “In you.”The Empress smiled, though it was one that I’d yet to see wear. It was an expression of unyielding certainty, of iron-hard conviction; the whole of it framed by a profound sense of grief. It was the smile of the lonely farmer taking his axe to the rabid skull of his favorite dog.She stepped forward to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be back with a bucket of water.”The Empress slipped into her private chambers a few moments later, leaving Helena and me alone. My shield mate had managed to straighten herself, though her body still shook. I watched as she breathed deeply, the lines of her face growing looser with every exhalation.She was eventually able to open her eyes and meet my gaze. I felt something crack within me, like the first axe blow that had split the door.It was still her.Though tears traced the lines of her cheeks, and something had changed within the cypress of her eyes, nothing had been lost. I still recognized her. She was still the woman I,“I’m sorry,” she said.“Helena, I, what?”“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’m here weeping like a child. But I’ll get stronger, Leo.”I blinked.“I promise,” she said, looking away. “I won’t hold you back for long. I just, I promise I’ll be stronger.”Then, despite the blood coating my limbs and the charnel house stink of the hallway, I laughed. I laughed, and I laughed and I felt myself draw back from the edge.Helena’s face went scarlet. “Fuck you,” she hissed, turning to march away.“No!” I gasped, lurching to step in front of her. “I’m sorry. It’s not that! It’s,”I devolved into another peel of laughter. And though Helena’s face burned a shade brighter, she didn’t move away.When I finally mastered myself, I stepped a bit nearer to her. I looked into her eyes, my face relaxing into a smile. "Helena, you wonderful, amazing, beautiful, and hopelessly blind woman. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known.”She snorted, though I saw something shine within her eyes. “You weren’t the one crying and puking.”“No,” I agreed. “Not yet.”“It’s coming?”I nodded.She made a small sound, moving nearer to me. “Then, I’ll be here when it does.”The Empress returned a few minutes later with a bucket of water and several strips of clean, white cloth.We dropped our weapons, washing the worst of the blood and sweat from our hands and faces. Helena and I discovered that we’d each suffered a myriad of cuts, and to my horror, the Empress proceeded to tend to our injuries.“Leontius, enough!” She snapped, as I tried to squirm away. She looked ferocious in her still bloody dress, her hands clamping down on me. “You risked your lives for me, the least I can do is clean and wrap your wounds.”“Augusta,” I tried.“Stop,” she said, taking up a clean rag. “I’ll be quick. I have some experience if that reassures you.”I frowned, glancing over to Helena.“At the brothel,” she said. “When the men were too rough; Theodora would patch us up.”“You didn’t have a guard?” I asked. “Or a bouncer?”“Not until Helena grew a little older,” the Empress said, pulling over a clean strip of cloth. “Your arm now, Leontius.”“Augusta, I can handle,” Her glare silenced me, and I meekly held my forearm out for her to inspect."Thank you.” She took my arm, her fingers strong and sure. “Please don’t keep fighting me on this. I’m having difficulty sitting still, to tell you the truth. I keep, well, no matter.”I relaxed, submitting myself to her care. The Empress fell silent, unwilling to explain further. But she didn’t have to, the stiffness in her limbs and the tension at the corners of her eyes mirrored my own.Our day wasn’t yet done.The Empress was most of the way through checking over Helena when I heard the sound of boots on stone. The two women heard it with me, and we moved as one. Helena and I had our shields strapped on in moments, the Empress having collected our swords for us in the meantime.We jogged towards the shattered entrance, my limbs stiff and my heart beating faster.“Mary’s tits!” A voice loudly swore. “It fucking reeks here. Are you sure we’re going the right way, Serg?”“I thought you’d be used to the smell of your own sack by now, Grat?”“Oh, they stink, do they? How about you come lick them clean for me, Niketas?”Helena and I slowed, exchanging incredulous looks. We stopped before reaching the first body, my eyebrows high in disbelief.“Shut your hole, Grat,” I heard Sergius growl. “You too Nik. Shields up, lads, we don’t know what we’re going to find here.”“Why have we stopped?” The Empress said. She’d picked up her broken spear haft. “Are these our men?”“They’re Leo’s friends,” Helena said with a wide grin. “From his legion days. Since when have they been in the palace?”The tension rushed from me in a wave, leaving my body light and trembling. I sucked in a deep breath.“I’ll give ‘em a few licks too, Grat!” I roared. “I’m tired of breathing them in!”I heard a series of startled curses, while behind me, the Empress laughed. There was a stampede of pounding boots and then a squad of armored soldiers appeared in the shattered doorway.“Centenarius!” Sergius laughed. “You’re alive! The Empress?”“She’s here as well!” I called back.The men whooped, cheering and thanking God as Sergius turned back to them. “We found them, boys! Maurice, run back and tell the General. You three, watch the hall.”The two women and I moved back as Sergius led his men in towards us. What followed was coarse laughter, back-slapping, wide-eyed realization, and a whole mess of clumsy bows as the Empress stepped out to introduce herself.Theodora smiled through the men’s stammering apologies. She thanked them each in turn, her voice shifting from a high, courtly accent to the less polished version she’d have grown up with. It was the language these soldiers knew, and the Empress left blushing cheeks and sheepish smiles in her wake.The gates, we were happy to learn, had been sealed. Though, as of yet, nobody knew who had let the rioters in. The mob still rampaged through parts of the palace, though they’d been beaten back from the outer wall. Belisarius was in command of the palace’s fighting men, coordinating squads like Sergius’ that were sweeping through the halls.“And my husband?” The Empress asked.“Safe, Augusta,” Sergius answered. “Last I heard, at any rate. The General was with him when the enemy broke in.”“Thank you, soldier,” she said, laying a palm on his forearm.“A, Augusta!” Sergius stammered, and I grinned to see the grizzled old veteran flush.“Well then, gentlemen,” Theodora said. “I believe that I will leave you here. I’ve got to wash the stink of Gratian’s balls from my skin.”A few of the men snorted, trying to choke down on their laughter. Grat, for his part, looked positively horrified. He mangled a few words, his entire face blazing a scarlet. He hadn’t produced anything more than a gargle before the Empress slipped away with a wink and a small laugh.“Grat,” Sergius said in the moment of silence after her departure. “You’re a fucking idiot.”“It wasn’t me!” Gratian exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic. “Serg, I, Nik, and, the Empress! She,”"Dumber than a sackful of rocks,” Serg said, shaking his head. “Start piling these bodies outside, and the rest of you grinning monkeys can help.”“Oh, don’t be too hard on him,” Helena said. “I was worried that he’d start talking about his phallus again.”Gratian fled, followed by the laughter of his squad mates. Sergius shook his head again, but I saw a smile part the hairs of his worn face.“Aye, well, we can thank the Lord for that.” The old soldier’s gaze shifted to the doors to Theodora’s salon. “The Empress, she really fought with you?”My face twisted into a grimace. “I tried talking her out of it, but I didn’t have time.”“What a woman,” Sergius said, amazed. “And you, Helena, not a lot of stratiotai could have held back so many.”“Leo did most of the work,” she said.Both Sergius and I snorted.“I’m an old soldier, lass. I know what it would have taken to do this.” Sergius suddenly stiffened, saluting her with a fist over his heart. “Stratiotai!”Helena saluted back, her face flushing. I grinned, sure that she was about to squirm with suppressed pride.“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go help the monkeys.”, ,Sergius, however, categorically refused our help.They’d barely fought, he said. And itching to do something after three long days stationed in the palace. This was the least that they could do.Neither Helena nor I had had the energy to argue, and so we’d taken off our helmets, unstrapped our shields, and sat back against the far wall.“I guess that now it’s official,” Helena said.“Hmm?” I answered.We were seated near enough for our legs to touch, my body throbbing with pain and heavy with exhaustion.“After today, we’re officially shield mates.”I tilted my head towards her. “We’ve been shield mates for longer than that.”“Sure, but now we’ve fought together. I held my place at your side.” And despite the horror of what we’d had to do, I heard the fierce pride in Helena’s voice.“I knew you would. I’ve trusted you for a long time.”“Oh yeah?” She said, shifting to rest her sweat-darkened head against mine. “Since when?”I leaned more of my weight into her, resting my shield hand on her thigh. I could feel the eyes of the others drifting towards us as they worked, and could picture their knowing grins.But I didn’t care. I was with her.“Remember the first day we trained together? How difficult you were being?”“Difficult? Is that what it’s called when your gender makes everyone treat you differently?”“Hmm,” I said. “That, or simple laziness.”She swatted me with the back of her hand, swearing as her knuckles rapped on my breastplate. I laughed, squeezing her thigh.“When you swallowed your pride and your anger,” I said. “When you decided to set all that aside and let me train you. That’s when I knew.”She snorted, shaking out her sore knuckles. “Well, all I remember from that day is how much you enjoyed hitting me.”“You don’t remember when I said the words, 'you’re my shield mate’?”“No,” she said. “You must have done something mean to make me forget.”I laughed. She brought her hand down atop mine, and I turned it so our fingers intertwined. Her thumb drew a swirling pattern along my skin, and I let myself get lost in the hypnotic motion.With her here, it felt like I could accomplish anything. Like I might pull myself forward as she had. What might I do, with this woman at my side? Where might I go? What might I build, with her hands working alongside my own?A little tavern by the sea, perhaps.“Helena,” I said.I shifted my hand in hers, and in doing so, my thumb came to rest atop hers, stopping the circle she was making and pulling my vision back into focus.“Leo,” she answered, and I heard the soft smile in her voice.“I,” But my words were cut short, pressed back into me by a sudden weight. Blood, there was blood beneath my nails.I was suddenly reminded of where I was, of what I had done. The charnel stink of the hallway, and the emotions I’d tucked away flooded back into me. I started to shake; my lungs squeezed tight.I couldn’t take my eyes off the blood that still crusted my hand."Leo?” Helena said, shifting so that she could look at me. “Are you ok?”I didn’t answer, freeing her hand from my filthy grip. I shifted from her, pulled away by a crushing weight against my side. I clawed at the pocket beneath my armor, ripping something free.My mother’s letter.I opened it with unsteady hands, revealing a single slip of yellowed parchment and my mother’s blocky letters.My little lion, it said. Come home.I stared at the page, blinking stupidly. Five little words, was that all? I turned the folded parchment over, my fingers smudging its surface.That was it.I felt the mad urge to laugh. Come home? Was I some lost, weeping child who needed the comfort of my mother’s arms?I grit my teeth, reading those words again and again. I ached to tear into the offending letter; to rage and scream and damn my mother to hell.I’d been expecting something like this but,  What the fuck did this mean?I was happy. For the first time in my fucking life, I was happy. I was the Empress’ guard, sitting beside a woman who was nothing but good. With her, I had a vision of a future where I wouldn’t have to kill anymore.I wasn’t fucking lost.“Leo?” Helena whispered.She was beside me, she’d red the letter too. She once again wrap

Dissension in the capitolBased on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.“My guards were out in the city last night,” the Empress said. “They can confirm some of the captain’s reports. There is real wealth, real organization behind some of these dissenters.”“Traitors,” Belisarius growled. The dark-haired general’s cheeks were red with anger. “Augustus, let me bring my legions into the city. I can have the worst of the factions hanged by sunset.”The Emperor, Justinian, massaged the bridge of his nose. “I’m not going to let stratiotai loose in my own capital, Bel. The people aren’t our enemy.”“They’re burning the city down around us!”“Captain,” Theodora said before her husband could speak. She addressed the nervous-looking commander of the city guard. “We’ve had riots before. Why haven’t you been able to keep the peace these past few days?”The guardsman bowed low. “Your pardon, Augusta. I have few men under my command, and the Blues and Greens are well entrenched in most parts of the city. In the past, they’ve done a lot of the work in keeping their own neighborhoods orderly. Now, however,” He trailed off into a grimace."Now, they’re the bastards doing all the damage,” Antonina said from where she sat beside her husband.Belisarius’ wife had swept her blonde hair back from her face, sifting through a stack of reports on the table in front of her. Antonina accompanied the general nearly every time he went out on campaign. She was well used to helping him untangle the mess of paperwork that taking any sort of decision inevitably produced.“You cannot control the city, then?” The Empress said.“Forgive me, Augusta, but I cannot. Not on my own. I’ve lost dozens already in the attempt.”“Then let me bring in the legions,” Belisarius said, his fist slamming against the table. “We’re letting the mob run us over!”“Enough!” The Emperor snapped. “I am not slaughtering hundreds because a few nobles are stirring up discontent! We are an Empire of laws, and I will not taint our efforts with the senseless spilling of blood.”The two men glared at each other. They were men of power, both used to getting their own way. But of course, only one was Emperor.Belisarius looked away. “Of course, Augustus.”The Empress let out a breath. She dismissed the captain with a few words of thanks, before going to her husband. She leaned into him from behind his chair, wrapping her arms around his chest.Justinian slumped back. “The Blues and the Greens; why did my damned predecessors have to cede so much to them?”Theodora kissed him on the cheek. “We always knew that curtailing them would be difficult, love. Don’t lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish.”The Emperor breathed deeply of his wife’s scent, leaning into her touch. He let out a long sigh and straightened.“Okay. They want me to pardon the escaped prisoners, right? Will satisfy them?”“Seems like the minimum,” Antonina said, fanning her summer-reddened face. “They’ve already escaped, so what’s the harm?”“The harm,” Belisarius said. “Is that they were condemned to die.”“Bel is right, my love,” the Empress said. “You spoke of upholding our laws; what message does it send to those watching us for weakness if we capitulate on this now?”I shifted in my place against one of the walls. Helena and I were the only other ones in the room now, our post only a protective lunge from the Empress’ seat.They had been at this for an hour and more, a series of officials, titled aristocrats and soldiers streaming in and out of the Emperor’s office. They’d been summoned to give their official opinions, testimonies, and reports; the mass of information intended to aid the Emperor in handling the developing crisis.Or not handling it, as seemed to be the case.I turned away, looking towards the open window. Outside, the sun was high in the sky. I could see the sloping roofs of the Hagia Sofia and the Patriarch’s residence. The city stretched beyond, baking in the afternoon heat.The scorching summer temperature, not at all helped by the pall of smoke that hung over the capital’s streets.The planned chariot races were due to begin soon, when there was a loud knock at the door. One of the Excubitors on duty poked his head in.“Senator Hypatius is here, Augustus,” the man said.“What?” The Emperor responded. “This is a closed meeting. Send him away.”The guard hesitated. “Of course, sire. He says that he’s come from the city, however. And that he holds a list of the people’s demands.Justinian and his wife exchanged a glance. "Very well. Send him in.”“You Imperial Majesties,” the senator said, sweeping his robes out in a deep bow. “Thank you for seeing me.”“Out with it, Hypatius,” Belisarius growled. “We don’t have time for your pretty words.”“Of course, general,” the senator said. He approached after a nod from the Emperor, pulling a roll of parchment from somewhere on his person. “I’ll speak plainly. Representatives from the Blues and Greens approached me earlier today. We sat down together to speak of their grievances. This is the result of that meeting.”He set the parchment down. The Emperor, Belisarius, and Antonina set upon it like wolves; ripping it open and devouring its content. The Empress, however, watched the senator.“You’re uninterested in the people’s demands, Augusta?” Hypatius asked.“I have a good idea as to what they are already, senator,” she said. “I’m more interested in what role you play in all this.”The man smoothed his robes. “That of simple messenger, Augusta.”“But why you?” She said. “And who were these ‘representatives’ you met with.”Hypatius shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I’ve worked hard to cultivate a reputation as a fair man who is much agreeable to reason. So, perhaps it is for that.”“Indeed,” the Empress said. “It must be your, reputation.”The senator bristled, but the Emperor chose that moment to speak. “This is absurd! The dismissal of my prefect, John, and of my quaestor? The full pardon of the prisoners and the repeal of my new laws?”“Not every single one of your new laws, Augustus,” Hypatius said, smoothly. “I believe those changes most desired are spelled out.”“No,” the Emperor said. “Not all. Mainly those towards women and the change in the aristocracy’s share of tax.”“The people are aggrieved, your Majesty,” Hypatius said. “You’ve stripped the Blues and Greens of power and have changed many of the basic tenants of our laws. Add to this, the ruinous cost of our campaigns in the east; surely you must understand some of the people’s plight?”“I’m not agreeing to any of this,” the Emperor growled.“Augustus, please. There is wisdom in giving a little to gain a lot.”Theodora snorted. “Explain to me the wisdom of completely folding over?”They continued in this vein for the rest of the time they had, arguing back and forth until we left for the Hippodrome. Hypatius accompanied us through the halls of the Imperial Palace, one of several that had been invited to watch that afternoon’s races in the presence of the Emperor.The stadium was full when we arrived, the crowd a roiling mass of anger. They roared when Justinian stepped into view, drunk on wine and the victories they’d already had against the city.The Emperor called for quiet, biding them to let him answer their resentments. It was several long minutes before the mob was still enough for his voice to be heard. He began his speech, and on the sands, the first of the charioteers emerged.Theodora had not yet taken her seat, remaining back by Helena and me while her husband spoke. There were a dozen or so Excubitors in the box as well, there to make sure no harm came to the Imperial family and their guests.Hypatius approached while Justinian was halfway through his prepared words.“The Emperor is wise to give into these demands.”The Empress didn’t let any of her anger show. She’d argued hard against any sort of concession. “There are some things that he will not bend on. No matter how much of your wisdom that you share.”The senator’s eyes moved about, making sure that none but we were within earshot. Disdain flooded his tone.“You mean the repeal of your laws?” He smirked. “I fear that it is only a matter of time, Empress.”“Victory is an ugly color on you, Hypatius. But it is a bit premature, is it not?”“Premature?” The senator swept his arm out. “Look at this. The people cry for change! Will you really try to keep forcing your unwanted beliefs onto so many who want nothing of them?”“Unwanted?” The Empress said. “The elevation of women is good for the Empire as a whole, senator. Are we too, not God’s creatures.”“Of course, though none other possess such delusions of grandeur.”The Empress snorted. “Only those born to privilege see equality as a loss.”“A privilege,” Hypatius said, “that was granted to us by God. And how wise a decision it was. Did a woman’s choice not already cost us the paradise of Eden?”“Ah, of course,” Theodora said. “That old tale. What a stupid girl she was, to listen to the serpent and hide her naked perfection. As if clothing herself against a man’s crawling eyes could ever bring some sort of comfort.”“A wholly false interpretation.” The senator sneered. “But I suppose that we should trust a whore’s mind to see lust as the root of all things.”I tensed, my anger flaring. I made to step forward, but the Empress flicked her open palm towards me.“I was a whore, senator,” she said. “And so, you may trust me when I say that it wasn’t women that came to me with minds full of lust.”“As you well know,” Hypatius said, face reddening. “Eve’s sin was disobedience; her refusal to submit herself to man and God. A sin which you seek to drive us back into.”“Was it not God who made me Empress?” Theodora said. “It is by His divine authority I rule.”“Your authority,” he spat, “comes from trapping a powerful enough man between your legs. You would determine the course of our Empire through the ungodly use of your sex!”“Does my husband’s love and respect for me somehow cloud his mind?”“Love,” he said. “Or is it your flesh that you use to steer him towards your ends?”“My husband is no slave to his desires, Hypatius. Great men do not possess the flaws of the majority.”Hypatius’ eyes flashed, but the Empress wasn’t finished.“And surely, senator, a man like you can come up with something other than the same fearful lamentations? God has granted gifts to all his creations. Is it not the most pathetic sort of weakness; that the man who lords over his family with the strength of his arm, suddenly cries sin when his own base lust is used against him?”“Our laws are clear,” Hypatius said through gritted teeth. “Do not expect us to sit quietly by as you trample over nature and tradition.”“Ah, so it is 'us’ now?” Theodora said. “How easy you speak of disobedience when it is the sin of another. Your Emperor, the one who you have sworn to obey as your master, has commanded that you cease this insurrection.”The Empress’ expression was hard, looking down towards the senator from an eagle’s height. “Do you too, as Eve once did, refuse to submit yourself?”Hypatius didn’t respond, glaring at the Empress with barely-held fury. But she wasn’t finished speaking, leaning forward.“You cannot see past your own failings. You’re weak, and your insecurities disgust me. Men like you make us out to be frail, simple creatures that are good for nothing more than venting your lust and bearing your children. Your fragile egos cannot bear the thought that a woman might, in truth, be a stronger, more intelligent, more capable being than you will ever be.”The Empress moved towards him; the deadly grace of the raptor’s dive. Her words, filled with the eagle’s unshakable pride, pinned him like talons.“But I will liberate us. I will show all of you what a woman can really be.”She reached out to run a finger along Hypatius’ jaw. He flinched back at the sudden contact, looking away from the Empress’ languid smile.“And be sure,” she purred, her silken chest so near to his. “That I will use every weapon in my arsenal.”“Vile woman,” he hissed. His face blazed. “You don’t know what’s coming, you stupid whore. I’ll,”The mob’s rising roar swallowed his next words. I turned in time to see the crowd flooding onto the sands of the Hippodrome.”Nika! Nika! “They crashed against the palace walls; swords and axes and pitchforks flashing in the summer sun. The Emperor shouted, but the mob didn’t hear. They pounded against the walls, flames rising from where men held torches to the stadium’s wooden stands.The Hippodrome was burning, smoke rising with the thunder of the crowd’s battle cry.”Nika! Nika! Nika! Nika! “We were under siege. And when I looked back towards the Empress, Hypatius was gone.Act 3An Empress besieged."Have you ever been under siege, my Leontius?”I turned at the sound of the Empress’ voice, stiffening into a salute. “Augusta! ”She rolled her eyes. “And a good morning to you too. Has three days of confinement truly done nothing to ease your sense of property?”“That’s like asking whether the sight of the sun makes the fish want to fly,” Helena called from where she stood by the door.“Oh?” Theodora said. “And what does this fish have in common with our Leontius?”Helena grinned. “Neither of them can actually comprehend the question.”The Empress laughed, and I leveled my best glare toward my shield mate. This, of course, had the unfortunate result of drawing laughter from her as well.“We’re under siege,” I reminded both women.The Empress came to stand beside me at the window. She lay a warm palm against my forearm and gazed out.Beneath us, Constantinople burned.The sky was choked with a haze of smoke and ash. The mid-morning sun appeared dark, hanging there like a disk of smudged bronze. The fog was noxious, cloying; it blocked the sun’s light though it did nothing to shield us from the summer heat. Rather, it seemed to trap it like some great oven; magnifying it so that the already thick air turned positively suffocating.“So much destruction,” she said. Her palm flexed on my forearm. “The labor of decades and centuries gone, just like that.”“Augusta." Then, after a moment’s hesitation, I added. "I caught a few glimpses through the smoke. It looks like there’s a lot less damage further out.”She squeezed my arm, smiling without feeling. “I suppose that makes sense. It’s not their own homes they wish to burn, after all.”I followed the Empress’ gaze as she took in the shattered villas, pavilions, and monuments that now surrounded the Imperial Palace. Many of the ruins still smoldered, adding the stench of their own unique blend of char to the air.The Praetorium, the military headquarters of the Empire, had been gutted. A centuries-old courthouse had been torn down; its statues shattered. And in the distance, where great Hagia Sofia had once stood, there was nothing more than an empty patch of sky.Theodora stared at that empty place for several long moments, eventually pulling the heavy golden cross out from between her breasts to press it against her lips.Last was the Hippodrome. We could see the edge of it from the Empress’ window. And though its venerable stones were scarred by fire and rage, it still rose high above the city. It was at once a reassuring reminder of the Empire’s might and the cradle from which its destruction might have been birthed.“You never answered my question,” the Empress said.“Augusta?”Theodora smiled. “Have you ever been besieged?”“Your pardon, Augusta,” I said, flushing. “No, I was never garrisoned along the border. I’ve only ever been on the attacking side.”“Hmm,” she said. “And what do you think our chances are here?”“They’re good, Augusta. In a lot of ways, it’s harder to sit around outside the walls than within. It takes a lot of will, discipline, and organization to properly besiege a fortress.”“Things that you don’t believe our citizens have?”I shrugged. “They’re focused now, Augusta. But that becomes more difficult as days become weeks.”“Hmm,” she said. “Perhaps.”We could see them from up here; the mob. They swirled through the streets below, stained with soot and fueled by wine and victory. They were not so much an organized force as a writhing mass of blue and green with iron in their hands and cries of war on their lips.Nika! Nika! Nika!I could hear them now, the crowd pulsing with their chant of conquest and fury. They were swirling about the Hippodrome’s entrance, keeping clear, as of yet, of the palace’s walls. They seemed to be going into the arena, funneling into the still-smoking interior.“It’s hard to believe,” the Empress said. “That so few of my husband’s guards can keep out so many.”“Three hundred Excubitors is not so small a number, Augusta, when put behind strong walls.”“Neither are those extra few hundred that Belisarius called in, I suppose.” She squeezed my arm one more time before letting go. “I shall defer to your judgment then, my Leontius. Now, trapped nobles and dignitaries will soon begin to pester my husband. Before I go to help him, however, I wish to see what the

Dissension in the capitolBased on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.“My guards were out in the city last night,” the Empress said. “They can confirm some of the captain’s reports. There is real wealth, real organization behind some of these dissenters.”“Traitors,” Belisarius growled. The dark-haired general’s cheeks were red with anger. “Augustus, let me bring my legions into the city. I can have the worst of the factions hanged by sunset.”The Emperor, Justinian, massaged the bridge of his nose. “I’m not going to let stratiotai loose in my own capital, Bel. The people aren’t our enemy.”“They’re burning the city down around us!”“Captain,” Theodora said before her husband could speak. She addressed the nervous-looking commander of the city guard. “We’ve had riots before. Why haven’t you been able to keep the peace these past few days?”The guardsman bowed low. “Your pardon, Augusta. I have few men under my command, and the Blues and Greens are well entrenched in most parts of the city. In the past, they’ve done a lot of the work in keeping their own neighborhoods orderly. Now, however,” He trailed off into a grimace."Now, they’re the bastards doing all the damage,” Antonina said from where she sat beside her husband.Belisarius’ wife had swept her blonde hair back from her face, sifting through a stack of reports on the table in front of her. Antonina accompanied the general nearly every time he went out on campaign. She was well used to helping him untangle the mess of paperwork that taking any sort of decision inevitably produced.“You cannot control the city, then?” The Empress said.“Forgive me, Augusta, but I cannot. Not on my own. I’ve lost dozens already in the attempt.”“Then let me bring in the legions,” Belisarius said, his fist slamming against the table. “We’re letting the mob run us over!”“Enough!” The Emperor snapped. “I am not slaughtering hundreds because a few nobles are stirring up discontent! We are an Empire of laws, and I will not taint our efforts with the senseless spilling of blood.”The two men glared at each other. They were men of power, both used to getting their own way. But of course, only one was Emperor.Belisarius looked away. “Of course, Augustus.”The Empress let out a breath. She dismissed the captain with a few words of thanks, before going to her husband. She leaned into him from behind his chair, wrapping her arms around his chest.Justinian slumped back. “The Blues and the Greens; why did my damned predecessors have to cede so much to them?”Theodora kissed him on the cheek. “We always knew that curtailing them would be difficult, love. Don’t lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish.”The Emperor breathed deeply of his wife’s scent, leaning into her touch. He let out a long sigh and straightened.“Okay. They want me to pardon the escaped prisoners, right? Will satisfy them?”“Seems like the minimum,” Antonina said, fanning her summer-reddened face. “They’ve already escaped, so what’s the harm?”“The harm,” Belisarius said. “Is that they were condemned to die.”“Bel is right, my love,” the Empress said. “You spoke of upholding our laws; what message does it send to those watching us for weakness if we capitulate on this now?”I shifted in my place against one of the walls. Helena and I were the only other ones in the room now, our post only a protective lunge from the Empress’ seat.They had been at this for an hour and more, a series of officials, titled aristocrats and soldiers streaming in and out of the Emperor’s office. They’d been summoned to give their official opinions, testimonies, and reports; the mass of information intended to aid the Emperor in handling the developing crisis.Or not handling it, as seemed to be the case.I turned away, looking towards the open window. Outside, the sun was high in the sky. I could see the sloping roofs of the Hagia Sofia and the Patriarch’s residence. The city stretched beyond, baking in the afternoon heat.The scorching summer temperature, not at all helped by the pall of smoke that hung over the capital’s streets.The planned chariot races were due to begin soon, when there was a loud knock at the door. One of the Excubitors on duty poked his head in.“Senator Hypatius is here, Augustus,” the man said.“What?” The Emperor responded. “This is a closed meeting. Send him away.”The guard hesitated. “Of course, sire. He says that he’s come from the city, however. And that he holds a list of the people’s demands.Justinian and his wife exchanged a glance. "Very well. Send him in.”“You Imperial Majesties,” the senator said, sweeping his robes out in a deep bow. “Thank you for seeing me.”“Out with it, Hypatius,” Belisarius growled. “We don’t have time for your pretty words.”“Of course, general,” the senator said. He approached after a nod from the Emperor, pulling a roll of parchment from somewhere on his person. “I’ll speak plainly. Representatives from the Blues and Greens approached me earlier today. We sat down together to speak of their grievances. This is the result of that meeting.”He set the parchment down. The Emperor, Belisarius, and Antonina set upon it like wolves; ripping it open and devouring its content. The Empress, however, watched the senator.“You’re uninterested in the people’s demands, Augusta?” Hypatius asked.“I have a good idea as to what they are already, senator,” she said. “I’m more interested in what role you play in all this.”The man smoothed his robes. “That of simple messenger, Augusta.”“But why you?” She said. “And who were these ‘representatives’ you met with.”Hypatius shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I’ve worked hard to cultivate a reputation as a fair man who is much agreeable to reason. So, perhaps it is for that.”“Indeed,” the Empress said. “It must be your, reputation.”The senator bristled, but the Emperor chose that moment to speak. “This is absurd! The dismissal of my prefect, John, and of my quaestor? The full pardon of the prisoners and the repeal of my new laws?”“Not every single one of your new laws, Augustus,” Hypatius said, smoothly. “I believe those changes most desired are spelled out.”“No,” the Emperor said. “Not all. Mainly those towards women and the change in the aristocracy’s share of tax.”“The people are aggrieved, your Majesty,” Hypatius said. “You’ve stripped the Blues and Greens of power and have changed many of the basic tenants of our laws. Add to this, the ruinous cost of our campaigns in the east; surely you must understand some of the people’s plight?”“I’m not agreeing to any of this,” the Emperor growled.“Augustus, please. There is wisdom in giving a little to gain a lot.”Theodora snorted. “Explain to me the wisdom of completely folding over?”They continued in this vein for the rest of the time they had, arguing back and forth until we left for the Hippodrome. Hypatius accompanied us through the halls of the Imperial Palace, one of several that had been invited to watch that afternoon’s races in the presence of the Emperor.The stadium was full when we arrived, the crowd a roiling mass of anger. They roared when Justinian stepped into view, drunk on wine and the victories they’d already had against the city.The Emperor called for quiet, biding them to let him answer their resentments. It was several long minutes before the mob was still enough for his voice to be heard. He began his speech, and on the sands, the first of the charioteers emerged.Theodora had not yet taken her seat, remaining back by Helena and me while her husband spoke. There were a dozen or so Excubitors in the box as well, there to make sure no harm came to the Imperial family and their guests.Hypatius approached while Justinian was halfway through his prepared words.“The Emperor is wise to give into these demands.”The Empress didn’t let any of her anger show. She’d argued hard against any sort of concession. “There are some things that he will not bend on. No matter how much of your wisdom that you share.”The senator’s eyes moved about, making sure that none but we were within earshot. Disdain flooded his tone.“You mean the repeal of your laws?” He smirked. “I fear that it is only a matter of time, Empress.”“Victory is an ugly color on you, Hypatius. But it is a bit premature, is it not?”“Premature?” The senator swept his arm out. “Look at this. The people cry for change! Will you really try to keep forcing your unwanted beliefs onto so many who want nothing of them?”“Unwanted?” The Empress said. “The elevation of women is good for the Empire as a whole, senator. Are we too, not God’s creatures.”“Of course, though none other possess such delusions of grandeur.”The Empress snorted. “Only those born to privilege see equality as a loss.”“A privilege,” Hypatius said, “that was granted to us by God. And how wise a decision it was. Did a woman’s choice not already cost us the paradise of Eden?”“Ah, of course,” Theodora said. “That old tale. What a stupid girl she was, to listen to the serpent and hide her naked perfection. As if clothing herself against a man’s crawling eyes could ever bring some sort of comfort.”“A wholly false interpretation.” The senator sneered. “But I suppose that we should trust a whore’s mind to see lust as the root of all things.”I tensed, my anger flaring. I made to step forward, but the Empress flicked her open palm towards me.“I was a whore, senator,” she said. “And so, you may trust me when I say that it wasn’t women that came to me with minds full of lust.”“As you well know,” Hypatius said, face reddening. “Eve’s sin was disobedience; her refusal to submit herself to man and God. A sin which you seek to drive us back into.”“Was it not God who made me Empress?” Theodora said. “It is by His divine authority I rule.”“Your authority,” he spat, “comes from trapping a powerful enough man between your legs. You would determine the course of our Empire through the ungodly use of your sex!”“Does my husband’s love and respect for me somehow cloud his mind?”“Love,” he said. “Or is it your flesh that you use to steer him towards your ends?”“My husband is no slave to his desires, Hypatius. Great men do not possess the flaws of the majority.”Hypatius’ eyes flashed, but the Empress wasn’t finished.“And surely, senator, a man like you can come up with something other than the same fearful lamentations? God has granted gifts to all his creations. Is it not the most pathetic sort of weakness; that the man who lords over his family with the strength of his arm, suddenly cries sin when his own base lust is used against him?”“Our laws are clear,” Hypatius said through gritted teeth. “Do not expect us to sit quietly by as you trample over nature and tradition.”“Ah, so it is 'us’ now?” Theodora said. “How easy you speak of disobedience when it is the sin of another. Your Emperor, the one who you have sworn to obey as your master, has commanded that you cease this insurrection.”The Empress’ expression was hard, looking down towards the senator from an eagle’s height. “Do you too, as Eve once did, refuse to submit yourself?”Hypatius didn’t respond, glaring at the Empress with barely-held fury. But she wasn’t finished speaking, leaning forward.“You cannot see past your own failings. You’re weak, and your insecurities disgust me. Men like you make us out to be frail, simple creatures that are good for nothing more than venting your lust and bearing your children. Your fragile egos cannot bear the thought that a woman might, in truth, be a stronger, more intelligent, more capable being than you will ever be.”The Empress moved towards him; the deadly grace of the raptor’s dive. Her words, filled with the eagle’s unshakable pride, pinned him like talons.“But I will liberate us. I will show all of you what a woman can really be.”She reached out to run a finger along Hypatius’ jaw. He flinched back at the sudden contact, looking away from the Empress’ languid smile.“And be sure,” she purred, her silken chest so near to his. “That I will use every weapon in my arsenal.”“Vile woman,” he hissed. His face blazed. “You don’t know what’s coming, you stupid whore. I’ll,”The mob’s rising roar swallowed his next words. I turned in time to see the crowd flooding onto the sands of the Hippodrome.”Nika! Nika! “They crashed against the palace walls; swords and axes and pitchforks flashing in the summer sun. The Emperor shouted, but the mob didn’t hear. They pounded against the walls, flames rising from where men held torches to the stadium’s wooden stands.The Hippodrome was burning, smoke rising with the thunder of the crowd’s battle cry.”Nika! Nika! Nika! Nika! “We were under siege. And when I looked back towards the Empress, Hypatius was gone.Act 3An Empress besieged."Have you ever been under siege, my Leontius?”I turned at the sound of the Empress’ voice, stiffening into a salute. “Augusta! ”She rolled her eyes. “And a good morning to you too. Has three days of confinement truly done nothing to ease your sense of property?”“That’s like asking whether the sight of the sun makes the fish want to fly,” Helena called from where she stood by the door.“Oh?” Theodora said. “And what does this fish have in common with our Leontius?”Helena grinned. “Neither of them can actually comprehend the question.”The Empress laughed, and I leveled my best glare toward my shield mate. This, of course, had the unfortunate result of drawing laughter from her as well.“We’re under siege,” I reminded both women.The Empress came to stand beside me at the window. She lay a warm palm against my forearm and gazed out.Beneath us, Constantinople burned.The sky was choked with a haze of smoke and ash. The mid-morning sun appeared dark, hanging there like a disk of smudged bronze. The fog was noxious, cloying; it blocked the sun’s light though it did nothing to shield us from the summer heat. Rather, it seemed to trap it like some great oven; magnifying it so that the already thick air turned positively suffocating.“So much destruction,” she said. Her palm flexed on my forearm. “The labor of decades and centuries gone, just like that.”“Augusta." Then, after a moment’s hesitation, I added. "I caught a few glimpses through the smoke. It looks like there’s a lot less damage further out.”She squeezed my arm, smiling without feeling. “I suppose that makes sense. It’s not their own homes they wish to burn, after all.”I followed the Empress’ gaze as she took in the shattered villas, pavilions, and monuments that now surrounded the Imperial Palace. Many of the ruins still smoldered, adding the stench of their own unique blend of char to the air.The Praetorium, the military headquarters of the Empire, had been gutted. A centuries-old courthouse had been torn down; its statues shattered. And in the distance, where great Hagia Sofia had once stood, there was nothing more than an empty patch of sky.Theodora stared at that empty place for several long moments, eventually pulling the heavy golden cross out from between her breasts to press it against her lips.Last was the Hippodrome. We could see the edge of it from the Empress’ window. And though its venerable stones were scarred by fire and rage, it still rose high above the city. It was at once a reassuring reminder of the Empire’s might and the cradle from which its destruction might have been birthed.“You never answered my question,” the Empress said.“Augusta?”Theodora smiled. “Have you ever been besieged?”“Your pardon, Augusta,” I said, flushing. “No, I was never garrisoned along the border. I’ve only ever been on the attacking side.”“Hmm,” she said. “And what do you think our chances are here?”“They’re good, Augusta. In a lot of ways, it’s harder to sit around outside the walls than within. It takes a lot of will, discipline, and organization to properly besiege a fortress.”“Things that you don’t believe our citizens have?”I shrugged. “They’re focused now, Augusta. But that becomes more difficult as days become weeks.”“Hmm,” she said. “Perhaps.”We could see them from up here; the mob. They swirled through the streets below, stained with soot and fueled by wine and victory. They were not so much an organized force as a writhing mass of blue and green with iron in their hands and cries of war on their lips.Nika! Nika! Nika!I could hear them now, the crowd pulsing with their chant of conquest and fury. They were swirling about the Hippodrome’s entrance, keeping clear, as of yet, of the palace’s walls. They seemed to be going into the arena, funneling into the still-smoking interior.“It’s hard to believe,” the Empress said. “That so few of my husband’s guards can keep out so many.”“Three hundred Excubitors is not so small a number, Augusta, when put behind strong walls.”“Neither are those extra few hundred that Belisarius called in, I suppose.” She squeezed my arm one more time before letting go. “I shall defer to your judgment then, my Leontius. Now, trapped nobles and dignitaries will soon begin to pester my husband. Before I go to help him, however, I wish to see what the

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.“Quit torturing the girl, ‘Nina,” the Empress finally cut in. “Put those away.”Theodora considered the young noblewoman for a time, weighing what she saw in her before speaking again.“Although, Antonina is right, my dear. You need to make sex a greater priority.” The young woman opened her mouth to speak, but shut it when the Empress held up a hand.“Hush now, love. Listen for a moment. The world out there might belong to men; but the bedchamber is ours. Take charge of it. You lead him to your bed, instead of following him in. Make a fortress of your sheets, Irene; a place where you are queen.”The young woman’s breath was still quick, and her face still burned. But she listened to the Empress with a focused intensity.“Find what makes your body shiver,” Theodora continued. “What drenches your lips and what makes you want to scream in pleasure. Making love is sport of two. Insist on your pleasure as much as his own and make your bodies sing. Then, when he is drained and warm and contentedly nestled in the pillow of your chest; that is when you start making suggestions.”“It's almost too easy,” Antonina said, pulling the neckline of her dress back up to cover herself. “Once you know the trick of it. Get him used to following you between the sheets, and pretty soon he’ll follow you in everything else.”Theodora’s eyes sparkled, leaning towards the young woman.“Be gentle at first; as if whatever you say is just a passing thought. Don’t press, but bring up the next time you lay together; and then do it again. If he’s content, he’ll start to listen despite himself. Your conversations will become longer, deeper; and that’s when you’ll know you have him.”Lady Irene’s eyes were still a bit wild along the edges, though the flush had started to leech from her face.“I don’t,” She let out a ragged breath, shaking her head and pulling herself together. After another exhalation, she spoke again. "I’m not like you. I don’t know how.”The Empress’ smile was gentle. She nodded towards the woman’s buttoned up frame. “With that, my dear. Your mind is sharp, but it is your body that you must use. That will change in time, if you use it well. But for now, while you are young, it is your greatest weapon.”The young noblewoman nodded uncertainly, gazing down at the many layered dress she wore.“It is God’s gift to you,” the Empress continued. “Use it, take pride and revel in it. For it is yours, sweet Irene, and it is as beautiful as the soul it shelters.”“And remember what I said about your tits,” Antonina added.Theodora laughed softly, leaning back into her divan. I saw her gaze drift to the tightly bound swell of the other woman’s chest. She sighed. “They really are spectacular, aren’t they?”Irene was gazing down at herself, her fingers bunched in her lap. She was silent for a moment, then I saw her loosen.“I always have been rather proud of them,” she said, hesitantly. “They’re heavy but, are they really that nice?”“That’s right” Antonina said. “Be proud of what you’ve got. Now, loosen up that dress and push them out a bit. I want take a better look at them.”And then, slowly, as if she couldn’t really believe what she was doing, Irene reached for the collar of her dress.I shook my head, turning my back to them to face the door. This place, there was always something new. I smiled, hearing footsteps. It was Helena coming to stand beside me. She leaned against the wall.“She’s got them out now,” Helena said. “Are you sure that you don’t want to look?”“Are they as nice as we thought?”Helena laughed. “They’re even better.”I let out a long, regretful sigh, but did not turn around.“Ever the proper soldier,” she teased. “Although, I can’t help but remember how you didn’t hesitate to stare at me this morning.”I winced. “Yeah, well, that was different.”“Oh, was it now?” Her cypress eyes alight. “I’m excited for this explanation.”I reddened. “You’re going to do so many push-ups tomorrow morning.”I expected her to laugh again, but she didn’t. I glanced over, and found a strange expression on her face.“Tell me something,” she said. “If you were the Lady Irene’s husband, would you listen to her?”I considered her question, answering after a few moments. “I would.”“Why?”I blinked, resisting the urge to look back towards the young-woman. “Because she looks smart and serious. I’m sure that her suggestions are at least worth considering.”“But look at her,” Helena said. “She’s got her tits out in a room full of strangers.”I bristled, strangely defensive. “Yes, but that doesn’t change anything.”“Of course, it does. It's not proper. It's not her place.”“What?” I said, leaning back. “Helena, what the hell is going on?”“It's not her place,” she repeated.“You sound like my mother.”“I’m sure you’ve had the same thought.”I was angry now. “What the fuck is this? The girl isn’t stupid just because she’s got her breasts out. It doesn’t make her worse or somehow unworthy. Why the hell are you saying this horseshit?”“Because it's what you believe.”“Not anymore,” I growled.She smiled, and I was suddenly taken a back. I was still angry, but Helena had neatly slipped out from its focus. It whirled about me instead; directionless.“Really?” She asked.“Yes!” And as I said the word, I realized that it was completely and utterly true.“Good,” she said, her smile satisfied. “I’m happy to hear that.”“Why?” I demanded. “What the hell was this all about, Helena?”“Nothing,” she said, grinning into my narrow-eyed stare. “But how about I buy you a flagon of wine to make up for it?”I stared at her for a few more moments, trying to hold on to some piece of my rightfully felt indignation. I was, however, powerless beneath that smile.“Fine,” I said. My own lips quirked upward. “But its two flagons.”“Deal,” she said. “Then, it's a date.”Helena’s smile didn’t fade. She shifted towards me, a little pink staining her cheeks. My stomach burst into a thousand little embers. Here she was, beside me, closer than we’ve been all day.Then, like the sky seen through a leafy canopy, I saw the light dance in her cypress eyes. She leaned even closer; close enough that I was filled with the scent of her hair.“And Leo,” she breathed; the sound deep and full of hidden promise. “When I pull my tits out, you’d better not look away.”I shivered; staring at her, my eyes wide and mouth agape. I was unable to hear anything, save the thundering of my heart.She laughed, that full, toe-tingling sound. She slid away, but not far; her eyes so merry. I let out my own breath, smiling and shaking my head at the wonder of this place. Because in that moment, Helena was beside me. And with the sound of these four laughing, gasping, joyful women all around me; I couldn’t hear my mother’s voice at all.The Empress makes a demand.“This was a disaster,” the Emperor said. “This entire week; ever since those fools killed themselves on the track.”He sunk down into a thickly padded divan, rubbing at his eyes. The Empress lowered herself beside her husband, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.“It’s not been that bad, love,” she said. “The race was only two days ago.”“Christ,” Justinian groaned. “It’s felt like a lifetime.”We were in the Empress’ sumptuously decorated sitting room; the imperial couple having retreated here after a midday session within the senate hall. I was at my post by the door, fighting to keep myself straight.It had been a long day.“And Hypatius,” the Emperor said. “You heard him today; like a wolf smelling blood. He spoke well, the bastard. I saw too many of those other old fools nodding their heads along with him.”“All he’s got is fear,” Theodora said, still stroking her husband’s hair. “That will pass in time.”“Perhaps, but we may not have that time.” The Emperor let out a long breath. “Maybe we are pushing things too hard, Theodora. Or going too fast. We’ve changed much in our five years on the throne.”“Change that has been for the better,” the Empress said. “You remember how it was.”“Aye, well, traditions die hard.”Theodora snorted. “'Tradition’ is just another word for fear. Our predecessors were weak. The Blues, the Greens, and those fools on the senate have long held the wealth and power. Of course, they don’t want anything to change.”“Don’t forget the men of the Empire,” Justinian said, bitterly. “Whom we are apparently oppressing more than our slaves.”“I refuse to believe a law against a father selling his daughter into bondage qualifies as oppression,” the Empress snapped. “Neither is the condemnation of rapists.”“How is it that Hypatius said it? 'Men are being run over roughshod by their wives, in full defiance of our traditions and those of Christ himself?”“And those of 'God’ Himself,” Theodora corrected. She pressed her lips together. “As if women aren’t themselves creatures of God. How is the greater sin not keeping womankind in this soft sort of slavery?”Justinian let out another long breath, sagging against the divan. “I know that we’re right in this, Theodora. I’m just tired. And with yesterday’s botched executions,”"I know,” the Empress said.She relaxed her body. She pulled her husband down into her lap, trailing her fingers over his jaw. “We don’t meet the Sassanid delegates for another hour. Rest, my love.”Justinian protested, but had soon loosened into relaxation beneath his wife’s gentle hands and murmuring voice.I turned my attention from them, staring out through a nearby open balcony. The sky was bright, the sun just beginning to descend from its zenith. I couldn’t hear any noise from the city. That was strange, as things had not exactly been quiet.It had taken them a day to finish setting up the gallows. And since then, the Emperor had put them to work. A dozen and more men; both Blues and Greens had been hanged without much ceremony or fanfare. That had been yesterday, the day having proceeded smoothly from the morning onward.This morning, however, Helena and I had returned from our training to find the Empress already waiting to leave. Two men had escaped justice, she’d told us on the way to the senate chambers. A Blue and Green. They were holed up in a church, surrounded by some of Belisarius’ men.And therein lay the problem.As long as they stayed within the church’s walls, they were safe from any sort of secular interference. And the longer they stayed there, an obvious spectacle of the Emperor’s oppressive might; the more a people already on edge would seethe.The Empress’ voice pulled me from my reverie. She motioned me over to where Helena had already joined her by her divan.Both women smiled when I approached; the Empress, bare-footed in a thin dress, and my shield mate in her stratiotai kit.“Leontius,” the Empress spoke softly. Her fingers still stroked her husband’s hair and face; the man’s breathing having deepened into sleep. “You look tired.”I forced a little stiffness into my spine, matching her tone of voice. “I am fit for duty, Augusta. ”She smiled. “As you always are, my soldier. Though, neither of you have had much rest, have you?”I exchanged a glance with Helena. The Empress continued. “You train every morning, and attend me all day until I go to sleep. Even then, there are nights when one of you guards my door. You need rest.”Neither of us spoke, sensing that the Empress had more to say. She was looking down at her husband now, her smile, a little sad.“Like my husband. He works so hard. There is always something that needs his attention. I’m happy he has these moments, but it is not enough. And so, I am imposing a night of relaxation. On all of us.”“Highness?” Helena said.“Once the day’s duties are done, I will retire to my husband’s chambers. There, I will spend the hours making love to him and ensure that, for this night at least, he thinks no more of our Empire.”My face reddened. I averted my eyes, but not before I saw her smile tick a notch higher. “Perhaps I’ll even invite 'Nina and Beli; and one or two others.”I squirmed. Luckily, Helena was there to speak. “They are trustworthy, but even so, highness. We should,”"Not concern yourself with it,” Theodora interrupted firmly. “The Excubitors are fully capable of guarding us on their own. Go down into the city, spend some of your wages. With the way things are going, it may be a while before you have another chance.”“Augusta,” I started.“No, Leontius, enough. I will hear none of it.”I shut my mouth and bowed. She was my Empress, and it was my place to obey; even if I didn’t agree with the command.Helena and I returned to our posts; she at her desk and I by the door. A night off, the thought electrified me. And as the Emperor woke up, and we started moving through the palace, I thought about all that I could do. Where might I go? Who might I see? I had a few friends in the city, a few places I’d found to relax.We went first to his chambers; allowing him to change into something more regal before his meeting with the Persians. Theodora went with him, Helena and I, stationed outside the door.As I pulled the door shut, I became sure of one thing; no matter how I spent these next few, precious hours of freedom, I wanted to spend them with Helena.She was beside me in the suddenly quiet hallway, already looking up towards my face. I met her gaze, my heart starting to pound.“Tonight, would you,” I coughed. Why in God’s name was my throat so dry? I tried again. "Would you like to go down into the city? With me, I mean,” I added hurriedly. “Together.”Heat crawled up my neck. Why the hell had I said it like that? What was wrong with me? I’d ruined it. No way she would ever,”“Sure,” she said.A faint pink rose to color her cheeks. She smiled, reaching one hand up to brush at a lock of hair. I saw the warmth in her eyes, and I suddenly felt like I would float away.“Let’s go into the city,” Helena said. “Together.”She said I stink.Evening came, and I was in my room.I’d stripped out of my armor, and the tunica beneath. I stood bare chested, in nothing but my loincloth in sandals; trying to decide which of my two remaining tunica’s was the cleanest.Knuckles rapped on my door, and my stomach lurched.“One second,” I called. “I’m not ready.”I threw on my darker tunica, deciding that the small wine stain on it couldn't really be seen, and pulled open the door.Helena was there, her lip quirked into a small smile. She was naked, save for the training wraps she’d worn that morning.“I, ahem, guess you’re not ready either,” I said.The scent of her filled the hallway, making my heart quicken. Helena shook her head, a smile still pulling at the corners of her mouth.“I suspected as much,” she said. “We sweated together this morning. Were you really not planning on taking a bath first?”I blinked. “I, uh, wanted to get there fast.”“Why? We have all night.”I didn’t have an answer to that, staring at her stupidly until she laughed. She hooked an arm around mine, pulling me into the hallway.“Come on,” she said. “You stink.”She looked me up and down, peering back into my room. “And bring the white tunica instead. It looks better on you.”We were stepping through into the Empress’ bath chamber before I could really wrap my head around what was happening.The room was empty; though the tiled pool had already been filled with steaming water. Great clouds of humidity billowed through the room, moisture quickly beading onto our skin.Helena and I had carried our clothes bundled within our arms, we left them and our sandals in a sheltered wooden cubby. We were in nothing but our training wraps now, and I hesitated to follow Helena as she drifted towards the water.What the hell was I supposed to do? Bathe with her?My heart was pounding now, heat rising through me. Is that why she had brought me here? No. Surely not. That wasn’t possible. There had to be some other reason why,“Leo,” Helena said.My gaze snapped back to her. She was standing within the clouds of steam, facing me from only a handful of paces away.“Don’t look away.”She reached a hand up to the cloth that bound her chest. Her fingers pulled on a single loop, slipping it free from the rest of the cloth. My heart beat against my chest, like a smith at his anvil, sending sparks of heat flashing through me.I watched her, following the slow unraveling of the cloth around her chest.Helena’s eyes, deeper than ever before, never left my face. She shifted her body beneath the unwinding loops of cloth; drawing me further in. I glimpsed her nakedness through the tumbling lengths of fabric. And with every heartbeat, with every one of her breaths, more of her was revealed to me.I saw the plunging valley between her breasts; deep enough lose myself in. The flesh rising above it was smooth, stained pink by heat and moisture. It curved gently outward, blooming into the full shape of her chest.A nipple peeked out at me through the still falling curtain; shockingly pink next to the warm bronze of her flesh.“Well?” Helena asked. She flexed the naked muscles of her stomach, shifting to let the last of the cloth tumble away.The motion swung her naked breasts from side to side. Air was lodged in my throat, stopping whatever answer I might e

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.“Quit torturing the girl, ‘Nina,” the Empress finally cut in. “Put those away.”Theodora considered the young noblewoman for a time, weighing what she saw in her before speaking again.“Although, Antonina is right, my dear. You need to make sex a greater priority.” The young woman opened her mouth to speak, but shut it when the Empress held up a hand.“Hush now, love. Listen for a moment. The world out there might belong to men; but the bedchamber is ours. Take charge of it. You lead him to your bed, instead of following him in. Make a fortress of your sheets, Irene; a place where you are queen.”The young woman’s breath was still quick, and her face still burned. But she listened to the Empress with a focused intensity.“Find what makes your body shiver,” Theodora continued. “What drenches your lips and what makes you want to scream in pleasure. Making love is sport of two. Insist on your pleasure as much as his own and make your bodies sing. Then, when he is drained and warm and contentedly nestled in the pillow of your chest; that is when you start making suggestions.”“It's almost too easy,” Antonina said, pulling the neckline of her dress back up to cover herself. “Once you know the trick of it. Get him used to following you between the sheets, and pretty soon he’ll follow you in everything else.”Theodora’s eyes sparkled, leaning towards the young woman.“Be gentle at first; as if whatever you say is just a passing thought. Don’t press, but bring up the next time you lay together; and then do it again. If he’s content, he’ll start to listen despite himself. Your conversations will become longer, deeper; and that’s when you’ll know you have him.”Lady Irene’s eyes were still a bit wild along the edges, though the flush had started to leech from her face.“I don’t,” She let out a ragged breath, shaking her head and pulling herself together. After another exhalation, she spoke again. "I’m not like you. I don’t know how.”The Empress’ smile was gentle. She nodded towards the woman’s buttoned up frame. “With that, my dear. Your mind is sharp, but it is your body that you must use. That will change in time, if you use it well. But for now, while you are young, it is your greatest weapon.”The young noblewoman nodded uncertainly, gazing down at the many layered dress she wore.“It is God’s gift to you,” the Empress continued. “Use it, take pride and revel in it. For it is yours, sweet Irene, and it is as beautiful as the soul it shelters.”“And remember what I said about your tits,” Antonina added.Theodora laughed softly, leaning back into her divan. I saw her gaze drift to the tightly bound swell of the other woman’s chest. She sighed. “They really are spectacular, aren’t they?”Irene was gazing down at herself, her fingers bunched in her lap. She was silent for a moment, then I saw her loosen.“I always have been rather proud of them,” she said, hesitantly. “They’re heavy but, are they really that nice?”“That’s right” Antonina said. “Be proud of what you’ve got. Now, loosen up that dress and push them out a bit. I want take a better look at them.”And then, slowly, as if she couldn’t really believe what she was doing, Irene reached for the collar of her dress.I shook my head, turning my back to them to face the door. This place, there was always something new. I smiled, hearing footsteps. It was Helena coming to stand beside me. She leaned against the wall.“She’s got them out now,” Helena said. “Are you sure that you don’t want to look?”“Are they as nice as we thought?”Helena laughed. “They’re even better.”I let out a long, regretful sigh, but did not turn around.“Ever the proper soldier,” she teased. “Although, I can’t help but remember how you didn’t hesitate to stare at me this morning.”I winced. “Yeah, well, that was different.”“Oh, was it now?” Her cypress eyes alight. “I’m excited for this explanation.”I reddened. “You’re going to do so many push-ups tomorrow morning.”I expected her to laugh again, but she didn’t. I glanced over, and found a strange expression on her face.“Tell me something,” she said. “If you were the Lady Irene’s husband, would you listen to her?”I considered her question, answering after a few moments. “I would.”“Why?”I blinked, resisting the urge to look back towards the young-woman. “Because she looks smart and serious. I’m sure that her suggestions are at least worth considering.”“But look at her,” Helena said. “She’s got her tits out in a room full of strangers.”I bristled, strangely defensive. “Yes, but that doesn’t change anything.”“Of course, it does. It's not proper. It's not her place.”“What?” I said, leaning back. “Helena, what the hell is going on?”“It's not her place,” she repeated.“You sound like my mother.”“I’m sure you’ve had the same thought.”I was angry now. “What the fuck is this? The girl isn’t stupid just because she’s got her breasts out. It doesn’t make her worse or somehow unworthy. Why the hell are you saying this horseshit?”“Because it's what you believe.”“Not anymore,” I growled.She smiled, and I was suddenly taken a back. I was still angry, but Helena had neatly slipped out from its focus. It whirled about me instead; directionless.“Really?” She asked.“Yes!” And as I said the word, I realized that it was completely and utterly true.“Good,” she said, her smile satisfied. “I’m happy to hear that.”“Why?” I demanded. “What the hell was this all about, Helena?”“Nothing,” she said, grinning into my narrow-eyed stare. “But how about I buy you a flagon of wine to make up for it?”I stared at her for a few more moments, trying to hold on to some piece of my rightfully felt indignation. I was, however, powerless beneath that smile.“Fine,” I said. My own lips quirked upward. “But its two flagons.”“Deal,” she said. “Then, it's a date.”Helena’s smile didn’t fade. She shifted towards me, a little pink staining her cheeks. My stomach burst into a thousand little embers. Here she was, beside me, closer than we’ve been all day.Then, like the sky seen through a leafy canopy, I saw the light dance in her cypress eyes. She leaned even closer; close enough that I was filled with the scent of her hair.“And Leo,” she breathed; the sound deep and full of hidden promise. “When I pull my tits out, you’d better not look away.”I shivered; staring at her, my eyes wide and mouth agape. I was unable to hear anything, save the thundering of my heart.She laughed, that full, toe-tingling sound. She slid away, but not far; her eyes so merry. I let out my own breath, smiling and shaking my head at the wonder of this place. Because in that moment, Helena was beside me. And with the sound of these four laughing, gasping, joyful women all around me; I couldn’t hear my mother’s voice at all.The Empress makes a demand.“This was a disaster,” the Emperor said. “This entire week; ever since those fools killed themselves on the track.”He sunk down into a thickly padded divan, rubbing at his eyes. The Empress lowered herself beside her husband, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.“It’s not been that bad, love,” she said. “The race was only two days ago.”“Christ,” Justinian groaned. “It’s felt like a lifetime.”We were in the Empress’ sumptuously decorated sitting room; the imperial couple having retreated here after a midday session within the senate hall. I was at my post by the door, fighting to keep myself straight.It had been a long day.“And Hypatius,” the Emperor said. “You heard him today; like a wolf smelling blood. He spoke well, the bastard. I saw too many of those other old fools nodding their heads along with him.”“All he’s got is fear,” Theodora said, still stroking her husband’s hair. “That will pass in time.”“Perhaps, but we may not have that time.” The Emperor let out a long breath. “Maybe we are pushing things too hard, Theodora. Or going too fast. We’ve changed much in our five years on the throne.”“Change that has been for the better,” the Empress said. “You remember how it was.”“Aye, well, traditions die hard.”Theodora snorted. “'Tradition’ is just another word for fear. Our predecessors were weak. The Blues, the Greens, and those fools on the senate have long held the wealth and power. Of course, they don’t want anything to change.”“Don’t forget the men of the Empire,” Justinian said, bitterly. “Whom we are apparently oppressing more than our slaves.”“I refuse to believe a law against a father selling his daughter into bondage qualifies as oppression,” the Empress snapped. “Neither is the condemnation of rapists.”“How is it that Hypatius said it? 'Men are being run over roughshod by their wives, in full defiance of our traditions and those of Christ himself?”“And those of 'God’ Himself,” Theodora corrected. She pressed her lips together. “As if women aren’t themselves creatures of God. How is the greater sin not keeping womankind in this soft sort of slavery?”Justinian let out another long breath, sagging against the divan. “I know that we’re right in this, Theodora. I’m just tired. And with yesterday’s botched executions,”"I know,” the Empress said.She relaxed her body. She pulled her husband down into her lap, trailing her fingers over his jaw. “We don’t meet the Sassanid delegates for another hour. Rest, my love.”Justinian protested, but had soon loosened into relaxation beneath his wife’s gentle hands and murmuring voice.I turned my attention from them, staring out through a nearby open balcony. The sky was bright, the sun just beginning to descend from its zenith. I couldn’t hear any noise from the city. That was strange, as things had not exactly been quiet.It had taken them a day to finish setting up the gallows. And since then, the Emperor had put them to work. A dozen and more men; both Blues and Greens had been hanged without much ceremony or fanfare. That had been yesterday, the day having proceeded smoothly from the morning onward.This morning, however, Helena and I had returned from our training to find the Empress already waiting to leave. Two men had escaped justice, she’d told us on the way to the senate chambers. A Blue and Green. They were holed up in a church, surrounded by some of Belisarius’ men.And therein lay the problem.As long as they stayed within the church’s walls, they were safe from any sort of secular interference. And the longer they stayed there, an obvious spectacle of the Emperor’s oppressive might; the more a people already on edge would seethe.The Empress’ voice pulled me from my reverie. She motioned me over to where Helena had already joined her by her divan.Both women smiled when I approached; the Empress, bare-footed in a thin dress, and my shield mate in her stratiotai kit.“Leontius,” the Empress spoke softly. Her fingers still stroked her husband’s hair and face; the man’s breathing having deepened into sleep. “You look tired.”I forced a little stiffness into my spine, matching her tone of voice. “I am fit for duty, Augusta. ”She smiled. “As you always are, my soldier. Though, neither of you have had much rest, have you?”I exchanged a glance with Helena. The Empress continued. “You train every morning, and attend me all day until I go to sleep. Even then, there are nights when one of you guards my door. You need rest.”Neither of us spoke, sensing that the Empress had more to say. She was looking down at her husband now, her smile, a little sad.“Like my husband. He works so hard. There is always something that needs his attention. I’m happy he has these moments, but it is not enough. And so, I am imposing a night of relaxation. On all of us.”“Highness?” Helena said.“Once the day’s duties are done, I will retire to my husband’s chambers. There, I will spend the hours making love to him and ensure that, for this night at least, he thinks no more of our Empire.”My face reddened. I averted my eyes, but not before I saw her smile tick a notch higher. “Perhaps I’ll even invite 'Nina and Beli; and one or two others.”I squirmed. Luckily, Helena was there to speak. “They are trustworthy, but even so, highness. We should,”"Not concern yourself with it,” Theodora interrupted firmly. “The Excubitors are fully capable of guarding us on their own. Go down into the city, spend some of your wages. With the way things are going, it may be a while before you have another chance.”“Augusta,” I started.“No, Leontius, enough. I will hear none of it.”I shut my mouth and bowed. She was my Empress, and it was my place to obey; even if I didn’t agree with the command.Helena and I returned to our posts; she at her desk and I by the door. A night off, the thought electrified me. And as the Emperor woke up, and we started moving through the palace, I thought about all that I could do. Where might I go? Who might I see? I had a few friends in the city, a few places I’d found to relax.We went first to his chambers; allowing him to change into something more regal before his meeting with the Persians. Theodora went with him, Helena and I, stationed outside the door.As I pulled the door shut, I became sure of one thing; no matter how I spent these next few, precious hours of freedom, I wanted to spend them with Helena.She was beside me in the suddenly quiet hallway, already looking up towards my face. I met her gaze, my heart starting to pound.“Tonight, would you,” I coughed. Why in God’s name was my throat so dry? I tried again. "Would you like to go down into the city? With me, I mean,” I added hurriedly. “Together.”Heat crawled up my neck. Why the hell had I said it like that? What was wrong with me? I’d ruined it. No way she would ever,”“Sure,” she said.A faint pink rose to color her cheeks. She smiled, reaching one hand up to brush at a lock of hair. I saw the warmth in her eyes, and I suddenly felt like I would float away.“Let’s go into the city,” Helena said. “Together.”She said I stink.Evening came, and I was in my room.I’d stripped out of my armor, and the tunica beneath. I stood bare chested, in nothing but my loincloth in sandals; trying to decide which of my two remaining tunica’s was the cleanest.Knuckles rapped on my door, and my stomach lurched.“One second,” I called. “I’m not ready.”I threw on my darker tunica, deciding that the small wine stain on it couldn't really be seen, and pulled open the door.Helena was there, her lip quirked into a small smile. She was naked, save for the training wraps she’d worn that morning.“I, ahem, guess you’re not ready either,” I said.The scent of her filled the hallway, making my heart quicken. Helena shook her head, a smile still pulling at the corners of her mouth.“I suspected as much,” she said. “We sweated together this morning. Were you really not planning on taking a bath first?”I blinked. “I, uh, wanted to get there fast.”“Why? We have all night.”I didn’t have an answer to that, staring at her stupidly until she laughed. She hooked an arm around mine, pulling me into the hallway.“Come on,” she said. “You stink.”She looked me up and down, peering back into my room. “And bring the white tunica instead. It looks better on you.”We were stepping through into the Empress’ bath chamber before I could really wrap my head around what was happening.The room was empty; though the tiled pool had already been filled with steaming water. Great clouds of humidity billowed through the room, moisture quickly beading onto our skin.Helena and I had carried our clothes bundled within our arms, we left them and our sandals in a sheltered wooden cubby. We were in nothing but our training wraps now, and I hesitated to follow Helena as she drifted towards the water.What the hell was I supposed to do? Bathe with her?My heart was pounding now, heat rising through me. Is that why she had brought me here? No. Surely not. That wasn’t possible. There had to be some other reason why,“Leo,” Helena said.My gaze snapped back to her. She was standing within the clouds of steam, facing me from only a handful of paces away.“Don’t look away.”She reached a hand up to the cloth that bound her chest. Her fingers pulled on a single loop, slipping it free from the rest of the cloth. My heart beat against my chest, like a smith at his anvil, sending sparks of heat flashing through me.I watched her, following the slow unraveling of the cloth around her chest.Helena’s eyes, deeper than ever before, never left my face. She shifted her body beneath the unwinding loops of cloth; drawing me further in. I glimpsed her nakedness through the tumbling lengths of fabric. And with every heartbeat, with every one of her breaths, more of her was revealed to me.I saw the plunging valley between her breasts; deep enough lose myself in. The flesh rising above it was smooth, stained pink by heat and moisture. It curved gently outward, blooming into the full shape of her chest.A nipple peeked out at me through the still falling curtain; shockingly pink next to the warm bronze of her flesh.“Well?” Helena asked. She flexed the naked muscles of her stomach, shifting to let the last of the cloth tumble away.The motion swung her naked breasts from side to side. Air was lodged in my throat, stopping whatever answer I might e

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.The Empress knows.This place. Just when I thought that I was getting a handle on it; something would happen to knock me free of the base I’d anchored myself too.Antonina, wife of the Empire’s greatest general, had taken me with her mouth. She’d spit on her marriage vows; risking her future, happiness and respectability. And for what? A whim? A silly streak of competitiveness with her best friend?She was perverse. She should be ashamed, not strutting away with bared breasts and lips curled into a languid smile.I let out a breath. I shifted within the empty corridor; Antonina’s door still at my back. If she was wicked; who was I then, who felt no shame at my own part in the act we’d just committed? My mother’s voice, loud in the back of my head, certainly believed I should.Where was her little lion, she asked me, who’d once so diligently walked the path she’d laid out for him?I didn’t know. I looked down at my hands; the very same ones that had pushed a woman’s head down until she’d choked on my phallus. I thought they looked clean. Well, not clean, but cleaner. The old blood beneath my fingernails, the stuff that I could never seem to ever scrub off, was starting to flake away.They’d been getting cleaner since the day I’d first knelt before the Empress.The sound of footsteps made me raise my head. I felt my stomach clench. I stiffened to attention, flicking my eyes about the space to make sure that everything was in order. It wouldn’t do, for Belisarius to arrive to find me with my manhood out; my flesh still gleaming with his wife’s saliva.To my great relief; it wasn’t the general that appeared down the hallway, but the Empress and Helena. Theodora glided towards me, graceful as the dancer she’d never ceased to be. She smiled, the corners of her dark eyes wrinkling in the way they did.“Vigilant as always, my Leontius?”“Empress,” I answered, keeping my back straight.Without conscious thought, my eyes slid past the Empress’ shoulder. Helena was there. My eyes found hers, and I realized that I might not like what found there. It felt like there was a fist around my heart. Did she know? Did she know what I’d just done? I wondered, searching her smile.She did. And for a moment, I thought I might shatter.Helena knew, and the shifting green of her cypress eyes begged my forgiveness. She’d known what Antonina had wanted. She had failed to put herself between us. I saw relief in the folds of her face; a careful uncertainty in the shape of her smile.Something broke within me.She knew, and she was still here. She was glad to see me. I felt my throat squeeze itself shut. Of course, there was nothing to forgive, nothing worth dwelling on. My shield mate was here, and that was what mattered.“You’ve cared well for my dear Antonina, I trust?” The Empress said, pulling my attention back. Her smile had changed. There was an extra curve to it; a hint of knowing in her eyes that made me flush. Of course, I’d never have been able to hide this from her.“Yes, Empress.” The words came out hoarse. I cleared my throat. “She is safe within her chambers.”“Indeed,” Theodora answered. “Well, my Leontius, you had better let me in. ‘Nina tends to lose track of time when fabric is involved.”I nodded, reaching back to open the door. The Empress brushed past me, trailing her fingers along my outstretched arm. Helena moved to follow, but Theodora looked back as she stepped past the doorway.“Stay here, Helena. I won’t be long.”Helena hesitated a moment. Something seemed to flash between them, and she nodded, stepping back and letting me shut the door. She placed herself on the door’s other side, stiffening to attention, a mirror of the way I stood. She was beside me.I let out a breath, feeling the knot within me loosen.“You stink worse than before.”I choked on my exhalation. Helena’s laughed, the sound deepening as I started to splutter. I’d sucked a bunch of spit back into my throat. I hacked and coughed, my eyes watering. Beside me, Helena’s laugh deepened into that thrumming, full-bellied sound that made my stomach tingle.She was bent over, leaning her behind against the stone wall for support. She laughed, and even through a veil of my tears, I could see the way her eyes danced.“Not funny,” I croaked.She howled, tears starting to stream from her own eyes. “Stop,” she gasped between fits of laughter. “Stop.” I glared at her, and she wasn’t able to speak again for another minute.“Turn around,” she managed. “Please. Don’t look at me.”I grumbled, and spent another minute staring at nothing while she composed herself. “Are you done?” I asked, when I finally turned back around.“Yes,” she said, though another fit of laughter bubbled out of her. She cleared her throat. “Yes. I’m sorry.”I nodded, although I felt my own lip quirk into a small smile. “Why did you leave the box? Did we miss the race?”Helena shook her head. “It hasn’t started yet. You were gone a long time, and the Empress started to wonder. I think she wanted to catch you doing something,”She trailed off, and heat rushed back to my face. I looked away from Helena. There it was, I thought, the shame."Leo,” she said. “I’m sorry. I knew what she wanted. I tried, but I,”I shook my head. "Stop. Helena, please. You did what you could, and then, you fell back and did your duty. Just as any soldier should.”“Yes, but,” She bit off her own words. My eyes flicked back to her. She was chewing on her lip, concern still written large across her features. I couldn’t help but smile; feeling the final pieces of what had broken being washed away."It’s ok, Helena. It's not like I was fighting a battle, or anything.”She snorted. “With Antonina, it might as well be. She’s not known for being gentle.”I sighed. “Yeah, well, I hope that her husband is when he eventually rips my balls off. I have this theory that I might soon be the first man crucified in centuries.”She didn’t laugh, like I thought she would. Beneath her coppery curls, her expression remained worried.“Are you ok, Leo?”I looked back down to my hands for a moment; still a little cleaner than before. “I’m alright, Helena”“Was she that good, then?” She could tell I was telling the truth, and the words had emerged with an edge to them.“It's not that,” I said. “Although, yes, she was definitely good.”I met her eyes. Her face had hardened, and her cheeks were flushed. This time, she was the one to look away.“Well, don’t worry. You can go see her whenever you want.”“I don’t want to.” My eyes unfocused, looking into me while I tried to order my thoughts. “I don’t like that kind of, experience. There was nothing behind it. I don’t really know how to explain it.” I hesitated a moment before I continued. “It was like eating just because you’re hungry; taking no joy from the food. Sure, it fills you up, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. But I don’t know. There can be so much more to something like that. And that’s what I want.”My eyes focused back on Helena. I smiled ruefully. “I don’t even know if I’m making any sense. Are you following this?”She nodded. Her cheeks were still red, but here was something else shifting in the swaying cypress of her eyes. My heart started to beat faster. A warmth rose through me; a much softer heat than from Antonina’s burning, draconic hunger.“It wasn’t that. It's that; I like it here.” I stood up straighter once the words had been said, as if they’d been a weight on my shoulders. “My life isn’t where it’s supposed to be, and I’m becoming something other than who I was. But I think that it's good. At least, some of it is. Being here with you, with the Empress; it's so different than anything I was ever supposed to know. But I think; I think that I’m actually starting to be happy; even though I maybe shouldn’t.”I hesitated, unable to gaze away from her. Her eyes were so soft. There was no hatred there, no disdain. Neither was there any of the cringing disgust that my mother’s voice assured me would be there. I saw none of that; only understanding.“Is that ok?” I asked.A breeze within her shifted the green of her eyes. It showed me something else; the edge of something vast that was growing within the depths of her. I didn’t know what it was, but it took my breath away.“Yes” she said. “I think it's alright.”She smiled, and that warmth spread all the way down to my toes. I opened my mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.We both started, as Antonina’s voice called from within. “Open the door! We’re ready.”I grumbled, and turned to push the door open. Helena turned away as well, hiding what remained of her smile.Antonina swayed out of the room. She’d changed into a short, ivory colored dress that ended right below the knees. It was looser than the other one had been, though her chest still threatened to erupt from her neckline. My eyes briefly touched on that golden chain; resisting the urge to follow the links down to where they disappeared within the shape of her.“Thank you, solider,” Antonina said.Her lips curled at the sight of me. She’d re-arranged her hair, had wiped her face and breasts clean. She’d washed away all evidence of our, encounter; save for the slight redness that still glowed beneath her milky flesh.She caught sight of Helena a heartbeat later, and her expression soured.“Antonina,” Helena said, inclining her head.“I see that you’ve managed to keep from disemboweling yourself with that sword of yours,” she said. “I’m impressed, I admit.”“There’s a long history of women skilled in the use of weapons,” Helena said. “Your talent with the; spear, for example.”The blonde woman’s eyes flashed. “Indeed, it is a worthy weapon. I enjoy the use of it. You would be better with that, I think.”“Perhaps. Though, is it not dangerous? I hear that you are often, ahem, skewered while you spar.”Antonina surprised me by barking out a laugh. “You seem to have found your teeth again, little 'Lena. Come, you can escort me back.”Helena nodded, flashing me a quick look before she followed behind Antonina. I didn’t move, staring after them in shock. I didn’t know what the hell had just happened.“Those two have known each other a long time,” I heard the Empress say. “Their friendship has always been a little, contentious.”I turned to find the Empress standing within the doorway that I still held open. She smiled when my eyes found hers. She lay a hand on my outstretched arm.“Would you escort me back, my Leontius?”“Of course, Empress,” I answered.I let the door close behind her, raising my arm slightly so she could hold onto it as we walked. She raised an eyebrow.“A week ago, you would have frozen at my touch.”“Yes, Empress.”“I like this change in you.”We started walking, trailing a ways behind where Antonina and Helena still exchanged cutting remarks. Something seemed to have come over Helena, some new confidence that didn’t let her simply fade into the background.The Empress’ arm shifted to loop around mine, gripping my bicep. Her skin was warm on my own.“I worry about her sometimes,” Theodora said.“Empress?”“Helena. I believe that she enjoys this life, at least, some aspects of it. Though, it has never been what she’s really wanted. It was hard for her, before.”Her eyes were on the pair a head of us. She didn’t speak again, however, until they had rounded a corner, out of sight. “In a way, of the three of us, Helena was the strongest. Though, her strength could be almost brittle. She’s stubborn. And there were times when that rigidity cost her. Although, perhaps that is changing as well.”“Empress?” I asked again, confused.She laughed softly. “Don’t mind me, Leontius. I like to let my thoughts air from time to time.” We walked in silence for a few more steps before she added. “She likes honeyed figs, you know. And honeyed olives. Anything with honey really, but the figs are her favorite.”I was running out of ways to express my confusion. So, I just remained silent. I was surprised further, when the Empress pulled me into a stop. I glanced down at her, in time to watch her lean into me.She pressed her breasts into my arm. I felt the cool smoothness of her dress, tight as my limb slipped into the space of her chest. My eyes widened; frozen as I hadn’t been in the hours before. Her lips parted, and she used me to pull herself up until her breath tickled my ear. Gooseflesh erupted over my neck.“Don’t you forget, my soldier,” Theodora murmured. “I will have my taste. 'Nina has told me too much of it for me to give it up now.”I shivered.She made a small, pleased sound in her throat. She pressed her lips against my cheek, and for a moment, I breathed in the sweetness of her breath.The smile didn’t leave her lips until we reached the Imperial Box.Chariots race for the Empress.The race begins! Our Leontius returns to the Hippodrome in time for the hotly anticipated chariot race.The Grand Hippodrome; a monument of pale stone, adorned with golden statues. It was at the center of Constantinople. At the heart of an Empire whose borders had once stretched to the very end of the world.The Empress and I emerged from the palace and into the Imperial Box. We stopped, her grip loose on my arm. Together, we watched as four charioteers come out onto the sands below us.Byzantine chariots were small, just large enough for a single man to stand within. They were light; an open basket of wood that was designed for speed rather than war. And pulled as it was by four, well-fed young horses, that speed could be terrifying.The charioteers began a slow lap of the track; holding their arms out to the crowd and the summer sun. The mob roared; the sound hitting me like a spear to the guts.There would be near a dozen races today. The Blues, Greens and various other factions of wealthy men and women had sponsored dozens of charioteers and their teams. It would be a day of food, drink and excitement. Though, it was this first race that was the most anticipated.The mob was screaming, pounding on drums and waving strips of blue or green cloth into the air. They made a field and sky; the line where they met, as sharp as any horizon.Their champions had taken to the sands.Maleinos and Velanis; elite charioteers and the veterans of a hundred races. Maleinos, his hair streaked with gray, waved towards where the Blue supporters chanted his name. Velanis, a younger man with an easy smile, did the same for the Greens. Both of their chariots were painted in the colors of their factions. Meleinos even led a team of horses so dark they appeared almost blue in the light of the summer sun.I didn’t recognize the other two men; their chariots painted in colors who’s meaning I did not know. They did not appear intimidated by the Hippodrome’s crowds; experienced racers, then.“Nika!" I heard voices bellow. "Nika!”The word was on the edge of my hearing, nearly lost amidst the rest of the cacophony. But as the charioteers’ lap came to its halfway point, I heard it again. And then, again, growing louder and louder as more of the mob joined their voices to it.“Nika! Nika! Nika!”It was an old word; a call to unify. It meant victory; it meant winning before your rivals. But its meaning was older. It had been used by armies once; a word hammered on by generals in their speeches. The legions had loved that word; had once chanted it to the rhythm of their crashing feet.For nika, was to conquer.The Empress’ grip shifted. She pulled herself up my arm, shouting into my ear. I was to bring her to her seat. We moved down towards the front of the box; senators, bishops and merchant lords scattering from our path. She smiled her thanks, lowering herself down between her husband and Antonina.I returned to my post beside Helena. The charioteers were coming to the end of their slow lap. The crowd’s thunder intensified.“Nika!" They chanted, ripping the air with their flags. "Nika! Nika!”It was like the rhythmic hammer of the surf. Wave after wave; a rolling storm of frenzied excitement. I felt myself caught up in the roar of that human ocean; a rip-tide dragging me inexorably into its depths. There was a current there; down beneath that roiling sea.I could see its might; watched how it pulled and shaped. Waves gathered; crashing and swirling into each other. The ocean ebbed and flowed. It seethed and boiled; raged and calm. It was chaos, unless one saw the tide that ran beneath it all.And like the sea that surrounded my island home; I wondered what would happen here, if that tide ever rose. Would we float away? Or would it drown us all.I shook myself, pulling my thoughts back from where they’d wandered. I forced some steel into my spine. I’d been to the races before; I knew what the crowds of the Grand Hippodrome were. Though, admittedly, before I’d been just another drop in that ocean. Now,I snuck a glance towards Helena. She stood to attention; alert, though comfortable beneath the shade of the sheltering awning. I remembered our conversation; the flicker of that vastness I’d seen at the center of her.Honeyed figs? I thought, feeling a curl of that earlier warmth within me.Below us, the charioteers were lining up to begin the race. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Maleinos of the Blues wrapping the reins of his horses around both forearms, his body taut. Velanis of the Greens did the same, though he was loose enough to keep bobbing his head towards the crowd.Sensing my gaze, Helena tilted her head towards me. She arched an eyebrow. I smiled suddenly, the crowd still roared too loudly to speak, so I mouthed the words.'Seven nummi on the Green.’Helena’s eyes glittered, and I arched my eyebrow in a silent question. Seven nummi was the daily wage of a soldier in the Empire’s legions. Those small bronze coins used to buy what comforts could be found

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.The Empress knows.This place. Just when I thought that I was getting a handle on it; something would happen to knock me free of the base I’d anchored myself too.Antonina, wife of the Empire’s greatest general, had taken me with her mouth. She’d spit on her marriage vows; risking her future, happiness and respectability. And for what? A whim? A silly streak of competitiveness with her best friend?She was perverse. She should be ashamed, not strutting away with bared breasts and lips curled into a languid smile.I let out a breath. I shifted within the empty corridor; Antonina’s door still at my back. If she was wicked; who was I then, who felt no shame at my own part in the act we’d just committed? My mother’s voice, loud in the back of my head, certainly believed I should.Where was her little lion, she asked me, who’d once so diligently walked the path she’d laid out for him?I didn’t know. I looked down at my hands; the very same ones that had pushed a woman’s head down until she’d choked on my phallus. I thought they looked clean. Well, not clean, but cleaner. The old blood beneath my fingernails, the stuff that I could never seem to ever scrub off, was starting to flake away.They’d been getting cleaner since the day I’d first knelt before the Empress.The sound of footsteps made me raise my head. I felt my stomach clench. I stiffened to attention, flicking my eyes about the space to make sure that everything was in order. It wouldn’t do, for Belisarius to arrive to find me with my manhood out; my flesh still gleaming with his wife’s saliva.To my great relief; it wasn’t the general that appeared down the hallway, but the Empress and Helena. Theodora glided towards me, graceful as the dancer she’d never ceased to be. She smiled, the corners of her dark eyes wrinkling in the way they did.“Vigilant as always, my Leontius?”“Empress,” I answered, keeping my back straight.Without conscious thought, my eyes slid past the Empress’ shoulder. Helena was there. My eyes found hers, and I realized that I might not like what found there. It felt like there was a fist around my heart. Did she know? Did she know what I’d just done? I wondered, searching her smile.She did. And for a moment, I thought I might shatter.Helena knew, and the shifting green of her cypress eyes begged my forgiveness. She’d known what Antonina had wanted. She had failed to put herself between us. I saw relief in the folds of her face; a careful uncertainty in the shape of her smile.Something broke within me.She knew, and she was still here. She was glad to see me. I felt my throat squeeze itself shut. Of course, there was nothing to forgive, nothing worth dwelling on. My shield mate was here, and that was what mattered.“You’ve cared well for my dear Antonina, I trust?” The Empress said, pulling my attention back. Her smile had changed. There was an extra curve to it; a hint of knowing in her eyes that made me flush. Of course, I’d never have been able to hide this from her.“Yes, Empress.” The words came out hoarse. I cleared my throat. “She is safe within her chambers.”“Indeed,” Theodora answered. “Well, my Leontius, you had better let me in. ‘Nina tends to lose track of time when fabric is involved.”I nodded, reaching back to open the door. The Empress brushed past me, trailing her fingers along my outstretched arm. Helena moved to follow, but Theodora looked back as she stepped past the doorway.“Stay here, Helena. I won’t be long.”Helena hesitated a moment. Something seemed to flash between them, and she nodded, stepping back and letting me shut the door. She placed herself on the door’s other side, stiffening to attention, a mirror of the way I stood. She was beside me.I let out a breath, feeling the knot within me loosen.“You stink worse than before.”I choked on my exhalation. Helena’s laughed, the sound deepening as I started to splutter. I’d sucked a bunch of spit back into my throat. I hacked and coughed, my eyes watering. Beside me, Helena’s laugh deepened into that thrumming, full-bellied sound that made my stomach tingle.She was bent over, leaning her behind against the stone wall for support. She laughed, and even through a veil of my tears, I could see the way her eyes danced.“Not funny,” I croaked.She howled, tears starting to stream from her own eyes. “Stop,” she gasped between fits of laughter. “Stop.” I glared at her, and she wasn’t able to speak again for another minute.“Turn around,” she managed. “Please. Don’t look at me.”I grumbled, and spent another minute staring at nothing while she composed herself. “Are you done?” I asked, when I finally turned back around.“Yes,” she said, though another fit of laughter bubbled out of her. She cleared her throat. “Yes. I’m sorry.”I nodded, although I felt my own lip quirk into a small smile. “Why did you leave the box? Did we miss the race?”Helena shook her head. “It hasn’t started yet. You were gone a long time, and the Empress started to wonder. I think she wanted to catch you doing something,”She trailed off, and heat rushed back to my face. I looked away from Helena. There it was, I thought, the shame."Leo,” she said. “I’m sorry. I knew what she wanted. I tried, but I,”I shook my head. "Stop. Helena, please. You did what you could, and then, you fell back and did your duty. Just as any soldier should.”“Yes, but,” She bit off her own words. My eyes flicked back to her. She was chewing on her lip, concern still written large across her features. I couldn’t help but smile; feeling the final pieces of what had broken being washed away."It’s ok, Helena. It's not like I was fighting a battle, or anything.”She snorted. “With Antonina, it might as well be. She’s not known for being gentle.”I sighed. “Yeah, well, I hope that her husband is when he eventually rips my balls off. I have this theory that I might soon be the first man crucified in centuries.”She didn’t laugh, like I thought she would. Beneath her coppery curls, her expression remained worried.“Are you ok, Leo?”I looked back down to my hands for a moment; still a little cleaner than before. “I’m alright, Helena”“Was she that good, then?” She could tell I was telling the truth, and the words had emerged with an edge to them.“It's not that,” I said. “Although, yes, she was definitely good.”I met her eyes. Her face had hardened, and her cheeks were flushed. This time, she was the one to look away.“Well, don’t worry. You can go see her whenever you want.”“I don’t want to.” My eyes unfocused, looking into me while I tried to order my thoughts. “I don’t like that kind of, experience. There was nothing behind it. I don’t really know how to explain it.” I hesitated a moment before I continued. “It was like eating just because you’re hungry; taking no joy from the food. Sure, it fills you up, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. But I don’t know. There can be so much more to something like that. And that’s what I want.”My eyes focused back on Helena. I smiled ruefully. “I don’t even know if I’m making any sense. Are you following this?”She nodded. Her cheeks were still red, but here was something else shifting in the swaying cypress of her eyes. My heart started to beat faster. A warmth rose through me; a much softer heat than from Antonina’s burning, draconic hunger.“It wasn’t that. It's that; I like it here.” I stood up straighter once the words had been said, as if they’d been a weight on my shoulders. “My life isn’t where it’s supposed to be, and I’m becoming something other than who I was. But I think that it's good. At least, some of it is. Being here with you, with the Empress; it's so different than anything I was ever supposed to know. But I think; I think that I’m actually starting to be happy; even though I maybe shouldn’t.”I hesitated, unable to gaze away from her. Her eyes were so soft. There was no hatred there, no disdain. Neither was there any of the cringing disgust that my mother’s voice assured me would be there. I saw none of that; only understanding.“Is that ok?” I asked.A breeze within her shifted the green of her eyes. It showed me something else; the edge of something vast that was growing within the depths of her. I didn’t know what it was, but it took my breath away.“Yes” she said. “I think it's alright.”She smiled, and that warmth spread all the way down to my toes. I opened my mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.We both started, as Antonina’s voice called from within. “Open the door! We’re ready.”I grumbled, and turned to push the door open. Helena turned away as well, hiding what remained of her smile.Antonina swayed out of the room. She’d changed into a short, ivory colored dress that ended right below the knees. It was looser than the other one had been, though her chest still threatened to erupt from her neckline. My eyes briefly touched on that golden chain; resisting the urge to follow the links down to where they disappeared within the shape of her.“Thank you, solider,” Antonina said.Her lips curled at the sight of me. She’d re-arranged her hair, had wiped her face and breasts clean. She’d washed away all evidence of our, encounter; save for the slight redness that still glowed beneath her milky flesh.She caught sight of Helena a heartbeat later, and her expression soured.“Antonina,” Helena said, inclining her head.“I see that you’ve managed to keep from disemboweling yourself with that sword of yours,” she said. “I’m impressed, I admit.”“There’s a long history of women skilled in the use of weapons,” Helena said. “Your talent with the; spear, for example.”The blonde woman’s eyes flashed. “Indeed, it is a worthy weapon. I enjoy the use of it. You would be better with that, I think.”“Perhaps. Though, is it not dangerous? I hear that you are often, ahem, skewered while you spar.”Antonina surprised me by barking out a laugh. “You seem to have found your teeth again, little 'Lena. Come, you can escort me back.”Helena nodded, flashing me a quick look before she followed behind Antonina. I didn’t move, staring after them in shock. I didn’t know what the hell had just happened.“Those two have known each other a long time,” I heard the Empress say. “Their friendship has always been a little, contentious.”I turned to find the Empress standing within the doorway that I still held open. She smiled when my eyes found hers. She lay a hand on my outstretched arm.“Would you escort me back, my Leontius?”“Of course, Empress,” I answered.I let the door close behind her, raising my arm slightly so she could hold onto it as we walked. She raised an eyebrow.“A week ago, you would have frozen at my touch.”“Yes, Empress.”“I like this change in you.”We started walking, trailing a ways behind where Antonina and Helena still exchanged cutting remarks. Something seemed to have come over Helena, some new confidence that didn’t let her simply fade into the background.The Empress’ arm shifted to loop around mine, gripping my bicep. Her skin was warm on my own.“I worry about her sometimes,” Theodora said.“Empress?”“Helena. I believe that she enjoys this life, at least, some aspects of it. Though, it has never been what she’s really wanted. It was hard for her, before.”Her eyes were on the pair a head of us. She didn’t speak again, however, until they had rounded a corner, out of sight. “In a way, of the three of us, Helena was the strongest. Though, her strength could be almost brittle. She’s stubborn. And there were times when that rigidity cost her. Although, perhaps that is changing as well.”“Empress?” I asked again, confused.She laughed softly. “Don’t mind me, Leontius. I like to let my thoughts air from time to time.” We walked in silence for a few more steps before she added. “She likes honeyed figs, you know. And honeyed olives. Anything with honey really, but the figs are her favorite.”I was running out of ways to express my confusion. So, I just remained silent. I was surprised further, when the Empress pulled me into a stop. I glanced down at her, in time to watch her lean into me.She pressed her breasts into my arm. I felt the cool smoothness of her dress, tight as my limb slipped into the space of her chest. My eyes widened; frozen as I hadn’t been in the hours before. Her lips parted, and she used me to pull herself up until her breath tickled my ear. Gooseflesh erupted over my neck.“Don’t you forget, my soldier,” Theodora murmured. “I will have my taste. 'Nina has told me too much of it for me to give it up now.”I shivered.She made a small, pleased sound in her throat. She pressed her lips against my cheek, and for a moment, I breathed in the sweetness of her breath.The smile didn’t leave her lips until we reached the Imperial Box.Chariots race for the Empress.The race begins! Our Leontius returns to the Hippodrome in time for the hotly anticipated chariot race.The Grand Hippodrome; a monument of pale stone, adorned with golden statues. It was at the center of Constantinople. At the heart of an Empire whose borders had once stretched to the very end of the world.The Empress and I emerged from the palace and into the Imperial Box. We stopped, her grip loose on my arm. Together, we watched as four charioteers come out onto the sands below us.Byzantine chariots were small, just large enough for a single man to stand within. They were light; an open basket of wood that was designed for speed rather than war. And pulled as it was by four, well-fed young horses, that speed could be terrifying.The charioteers began a slow lap of the track; holding their arms out to the crowd and the summer sun. The mob roared; the sound hitting me like a spear to the guts.There would be near a dozen races today. The Blues, Greens and various other factions of wealthy men and women had sponsored dozens of charioteers and their teams. It would be a day of food, drink and excitement. Though, it was this first race that was the most anticipated.The mob was screaming, pounding on drums and waving strips of blue or green cloth into the air. They made a field and sky; the line where they met, as sharp as any horizon.Their champions had taken to the sands.Maleinos and Velanis; elite charioteers and the veterans of a hundred races. Maleinos, his hair streaked with gray, waved towards where the Blue supporters chanted his name. Velanis, a younger man with an easy smile, did the same for the Greens. Both of their chariots were painted in the colors of their factions. Meleinos even led a team of horses so dark they appeared almost blue in the light of the summer sun.I didn’t recognize the other two men; their chariots painted in colors who’s meaning I did not know. They did not appear intimidated by the Hippodrome’s crowds; experienced racers, then.“Nika!" I heard voices bellow. "Nika!”The word was on the edge of my hearing, nearly lost amidst the rest of the cacophony. But as the charioteers’ lap came to its halfway point, I heard it again. And then, again, growing louder and louder as more of the mob joined their voices to it.“Nika! Nika! Nika!”It was an old word; a call to unify. It meant victory; it meant winning before your rivals. But its meaning was older. It had been used by armies once; a word hammered on by generals in their speeches. The legions had loved that word; had once chanted it to the rhythm of their crashing feet.For nika, was to conquer.The Empress’ grip shifted. She pulled herself up my arm, shouting into my ear. I was to bring her to her seat. We moved down towards the front of the box; senators, bishops and merchant lords scattering from our path. She smiled her thanks, lowering herself down between her husband and Antonina.I returned to my post beside Helena. The charioteers were coming to the end of their slow lap. The crowd’s thunder intensified.“Nika!" They chanted, ripping the air with their flags. "Nika! Nika!”It was like the rhythmic hammer of the surf. Wave after wave; a rolling storm of frenzied excitement. I felt myself caught up in the roar of that human ocean; a rip-tide dragging me inexorably into its depths. There was a current there; down beneath that roiling sea.I could see its might; watched how it pulled and shaped. Waves gathered; crashing and swirling into each other. The ocean ebbed and flowed. It seethed and boiled; raged and calm. It was chaos, unless one saw the tide that ran beneath it all.And like the sea that surrounded my island home; I wondered what would happen here, if that tide ever rose. Would we float away? Or would it drown us all.I shook myself, pulling my thoughts back from where they’d wandered. I forced some steel into my spine. I’d been to the races before; I knew what the crowds of the Grand Hippodrome were. Though, admittedly, before I’d been just another drop in that ocean. Now,I snuck a glance towards Helena. She stood to attention; alert, though comfortable beneath the shade of the sheltering awning. I remembered our conversation; the flicker of that vastness I’d seen at the center of her.Honeyed figs? I thought, feeling a curl of that earlier warmth within me.Below us, the charioteers were lining up to begin the race. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Maleinos of the Blues wrapping the reins of his horses around both forearms, his body taut. Velanis of the Greens did the same, though he was loose enough to keep bobbing his head towards the crowd.Sensing my gaze, Helena tilted her head towards me. She arched an eyebrow. I smiled suddenly, the crowd still roared too loudly to speak, so I mouthed the words.'Seven nummi on the Green.’Helena’s eyes glittered, and I arched my eyebrow in a silent question. Seven nummi was the daily wage of a soldier in the Empire’s legions. Those small bronze coins used to buy what comforts could be found

Cleopatra would have blushed in this Empress' presence.Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.“I will die before I let them take the purple that robes me. For never will I see the day where those I meet do not call me Empress.”Leontius is stratiotai, a soldier of Rome's armies. He has lived a decade and more of war, staining his boots with the dirt of nations that have dared to raise their blades against the Empire. It's left him tired. So, when given a chance to step from the battlefield and into Constantinople's Imperial Palace, he takes it.Leontius enters the service of Empress Theodora, a woman unlike any other, who rose from the capital's meanest brothels to sit as co-ruler of the Mediterranean's mightiest Empire. But the city writhes in her grip. As embers of rebellion flare into conflagration, Leontius will find that there exists a life beyond what he has known. A path he sees reflected in the smile of a guardswoman with wild, cypress eyes.This is a story set in the Imperial court of the Byzantine Empire in the year 532 AD. It is the tale of a young soldier inducted into the guard of a very horny Empress.“Tell God that He made a mistake, dear father, when He only gave me three holes for pleasure.”I turned those words over in my head, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. I swear, those words had nearly killed my mother when she’d first heard them. She was a tough, tight-lipped seamstress that could heave a bolt of satin over one shoulder with one hand, while she slapped a lesson into me with the other.“What sort of woman would say that?” She’d rail, before clapping her hands over my ears. “Close yourself off to such things,” she’d warn me. “They are not for folks like us.”Those were for the people of the capital, where the streets teemed with prostitutes and silk covered actresses. Not for the goodly, simple folk of Rhodos and my mother’s shop.Despite myself, I felt my lip quirk into a small smile. Of course, the capital was exactly where I was. I stood and kept my eyes lowered until I’d made my way to the nearest window. I stared out into the afternoon sun, breathing deeply of the summer air that was heavy with the scent of nearly half a million people. Constantinople, golden capital of the Eastern Roman, Byzantine Empire and center of the world.I was looking out over the Hippodrome’s track and out into the thousands of domes and roofs of the city. There was no city quite like it in all the world, and even now, a month after having arrived, I still often got lost in its crooked streets.I heard a polite cough behind me, and I turned to find one of the armored guards nodding to the seat I had just vacated. Evidently, I was supposed to wait there.I gritted my teeth, but obeyed. They were just doing their jobs. It wasn’t their fault that I was nearly twitching with restless energy.I adjusted myself on the chair, shifting around in vain to try and find a comfortable position. In all fairness, my discomfort wasn’t the furniture’s fault either. This was, without a doubt, the finest chair I’d ever sat it. Its cushion was thick, held up by four intricately carved legs of scented wood.The rest of the small antechamber was just as luxurious. Everywhere I looked, I saw gold and marble and fine pottery. Even the large door, so diligently guarded by the two armored Excubitors, was carved and inlaid with gold.What in God’s name was I doing here? I was a soldier; my hands calloused by the sword. I was stratiotai, an infantry man. My place was in the shield wall, my sandals stained with the dirt of kingdoms that dared raise their blades against Rome.At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.I heard the muffled sound from behind the guarded door. It made me think back to my mother, to those words that she’d so hated to hear.“Three holes for pleasure,” I murmured to myself.I coughed, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. I shifted again on this damnable chair. What would my mother think if she could see me now? Her only son, her soldier, her little lion; invited to the Imperial Palace.I think that those words would be the first thing she thought of. I think that she would once again clap her hands to my ears so that I would hear no more from the woman that had so famously uttered them.This woman; she who’d been crowned Augusta. A woman who’d come from the flea ridden pallets of the city’s meanest brothel and had risen to command the wealth of half the world. A woman upon who’s words rested the fate of millions. The most powerful woman on earth; co-ruler of the Mediterranean’s mightiest empire and who’s beauty and ruthless intelligence were already being woven into legend.Theodora; Empress of Rome. The woman that I was to meet.The door guarded by the two Imperial Guards suddenly swung open. I leapt to my feet, my spine snapping into a salute.“Ouch,” I heard a woman laugh. “What do you think boys, is his back is straight enough?”The two Excubitors chuckled. I blinked, and found myself facing not the Empress, but a woman in the armor of a guard. The breastplate she wore was of plain, functional steel. She carried with her a heavy, iron-rimmed shield with a short-sword and dagger strapped to the belt at her waist.This was a stratiotai’s kit, standard issue amongst the Emperor’s legions. It was the twin of the one I’d worn nearly every day since my sixteenth birthday; right down to the helmet she held in the crook of her arm.She moved towards me, her hobnailed boots loud against the marble floor. My mind was blank and only a decade’s worth of military discipline kept my mouth from gaping open like the world’s largest fish.Woman weren’t soldiers. They couldn’t be soldiers.A woman’s place was married, tending to a home or shop or farm. From crib to hearth to crib to grave; my mother would say while pinching my cheek. A good woman could be happy nowhere else, she’d insisted.And yet, here one was, grinning at me with her emerald eyes.“Loosen up,” she said. “My back hurts just looking at you.”I obeyed the note of easy command in her voice, staring up and over her left shoulder as I would any Centurion.It was easier than trying to work through my confusion.I felt her eyes on me, taking note of the muscles beneath my light tunica. She swept her eyes down my arms and made an approved sound when she saw the callouses on my open palms. I felt her take note of my scars next, her eyes lingering on each one.My face flushed, my heart beating faster.I wasn’t used to being around women, at least not ones that I hadn’t paid for their company. They were hard to find in a legions camp. This guardswoman was strong, confident, and my awkwardness wasn’t helped by the fact that she was intensely beautiful.Her bright green eyes were the most striking, though it was far from the only thing that made her a rarity. Her hair was held back at her forehead by a band of cloth; a wave of copper-colored hair that curled down to her shoulders. And though her skin was bronzed by the summer sun, she had the sort of complexion that was rare to find in the capital since the loss of the Empire’s western provinces.“So, you’re the one who won the foot-race,” she said. “Leontius, right? I watched you come into the Hippodrome. You’ve got good form.”Was she a runner too? Judging from the lean muscles of her arms and legs, she very well could be. And why the hell not? Apparently, women could be soldiers here, why couldn’t they run naked with the rest of us in the athletic events?I heard the rising voice of my mother’s outrage in my head, but I pushed it and all my swirling confusion to the side. I was a soldier, and I knew how to deal with the dangers of the present before I worried about the future. And right now, the danger was that I’d been staring at this guard’s shapely thighs during a long moment of still stretching silence.“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, my face suddenly burning. “Thank you, sir!” I coughed again, “ma'am”She laughed; eyes sparkling. She had a deep, full-bellied laugh; one that thrummed through my chest and made my toes tingle.“Sir is fine,” she said. “For now. I know that you legion boys have a hard time with change.” She winked.“Ah, yes sir,” I swallowed. “Thank you, sir.”“Alright, then. Are you ready to meet your Empress?”“Yes, sir!” I said, snapping off another salute.She smirked, and led me through the open door and into the short hallway beyond. I followed her towards the door at the other end.“You won the Emperor’s foot-race,” she said. “And you’re a soldier; that means that the Emperor has granted you the chance to join the Empress’ Guard.”“Yes, sir.”I tried not to remember that race. I love to run, but that had been brutal. I’d run for almost an entire day, hammered by the summer sun, racing against the thousand others that had decided to sign up.But I’d won, and the Emperor, Justinian himself, had come down from the Imperial box to put the laurel upon my head. I don’t remember much of that day, though I’m sure that beneath the pain and intense dehydration I’d been proud. I had to have been.The guardswoman glanced over her shoulder at me. “It's just a chance; an interview. Remember that. The Empress has the final say.”My face must have flickered, because she spoke again. “You have a question, soldier?”“No, sir.”“Yes, you do,” she said. “Spit it out.”“Sorry, sir, it's just that I thought that it was the Emperor that chose his Excubitors.”Her lip quirked. “We’re not Excubitors. They guard the whole palace, and the Emperor, sure. Our duties are to the Empress, nobody else. That clear?”“Yes, sir!” I said, though of course, her answer had just raised a hundred more questions in me. “Clear as the giant’s foot.”I immediately cringed as the words slipped out. Now wasn’t the time for a damned joke! But to my relief, she laughed once again.“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”We were at hallway’s only other door now, the one that presumably opened into the Empress’ chambers. She turned to regard me with an expression that made the heat rise to behind my neck.“Sorry, sir!” I said. “It's an expression from my home. God as my witness, I meant no offense.”“Your home,” she said. “Rhodes, right?”“I,” I blinked. "Yes, sir.”She grinned. “I knew that there was a reason I liked you. I’m from Lindos, on the eastern side of the island.”“Yes, sir. I know it.”I shoved that information into the same corner of my mind as my now screaming mother. I had family in Lindos, had visited it as a boy. To find out that we may have crossed paths once before was just too much.“I’m from Rhodos,” I said instead. “The city. Though I haven’t been back since I joined the legions.”“It’s been a long time for me as well,” she said.She reached for the ornate handle, pausing to look back at me.“A word of advice,” she said. “The Empress will not be what you expect. Obey her, and remember that while you’re in that room, you’re as responsible for her life as I am.”Without giving me a chance to respond, the armored woman threw open the door and marched me into Empress Theodora’s private chambers.Her sitting room was large, airy, kept cool by an open balcony and several wide windows. The walls were of stone, festooned with tapestry, art and the many other sort of golden things that the rich liked to collect. Beautifully carved wooden chairs, couches and divans were spread throughout the space.And lounging on one, a book held delicately in one hand; was the Empress Theodora.“Highness,” the guardswoman said. “Here’s the man that won the Emperor’s Race.”“Your Majesty,” I said. I dropped to my knees, keeping my eyes on the stone floor. “It would be an honor to serve you.”“Would it, now?” I heard her say in a voice that was tinged with a smile. “Stand up, solider. Let me get a good look at you.”I obeyed, keeping my eyes downcast. I heard the rustle of fabric.“How do you expect to guard me if you’re always looking at the floor?”I flushed, feeling the heat crawl up my neck. I hurriedly looked up, and I swear that for several long heartbeats, I couldn’t breathe.The beauty of the Emperor’s wife was spoken of everywhere her name was known. I had heard her described a thousand different ways; heard a hundred different versions of how she’d come to be named Augusta.Born on faraway Cyprus, she’d come to Constantinople as a child. Her father had trained bears for the circus, and when he’d died, her family had been doomed to the worst sort of poverty. She’d survived as many a young woman had; by trading her body for a roof and something to eat.She’d worked at a brothel, and later as an actress, which many said were the same sort of profession. Constantinople’s taverns were full of men who’d claim to have known her then. They’d wax about the times they’d had her, for one night or many. Others would reminisce about her time on stage, their eyes faraway as they’d recount the day they’d seen her dance clothed in nothing but a long, red-ribbon.I’d heard every story, though none could prepare me for the sight of her. She’d set her book down, her body still draped over the divan. She was young, I realized, barely past her third decade. She wore a thin, silky sort of dress, the material clinging to a figure that had retained its dancer’s strength.Her feet were bare, and she stood in one smooth motion. Her smile was pleased as she glided towards me, her curves tight against the cloth of her dress.Dark, intelligent eyes watched me from above a long neck. It swept of gracefully from her tight chest, a golden chain disappearing into the space that divided it. I wondered what was hidden there, safe and out of sight. How warm the gold must be, cradled against the smoothness of her skin.The Empress smirked. I wrenched my eyes back to the floor, mortified. What in God’s name was I doing? My face burned, and I was opening my mouth to stammer an apology when the Empress spoke.“I did not say that you could look away, soldier.”“A thousand apologies, my Empress,” I said.I lifted my gaze back up to hers with some difficulty. Her eyes were wrinkled in a smile. The rest of her skin was smooth, a warm brown that was a only a few shades lighter than the thick, wavy tresses of hair that cascaded down past her shoulders.She’d stopped an arms-length from me, examining me in the same manner as her guard had a few minutes before. My flush deepened.“Am I making you uncomfortable?”“N, No, your Majesty,” I managed to say.“Good,” her smile widened. “Because I am impressed with you, stratiotai Leontius. And that is without taking into account your victory in my husband’s race. You fought in Persia, did you not?”“Ah, yes, your Majesty. I fought in general Belisarius’ army.”“Indeed,” she said. “You shared in his great victory at Dara, and in his defeat at Callinicum a bare few months ago.”I did not want to remember those battles, that campaign against the Sassanid Persians; neither the baking sun and trenches of Dara or how their cavalry had swept through us at Callinicum.“Yes, your Majesty,” was all I said.“I’ve spoken to many of your fellow soldiers, since Belisarius and his army have trickled back to the capital. You are well regarded by your comrades.”I ducked my head, “thank you, your Majesty.”“A thoughtful man, they all say. One serious about his duty. You had few friends amongst your cohort, yet all respected you.” The Empress continued. “You enlisted at sixteen years of age. You’ve served a decade already, and I believe that you would have served another one if you’d not caught my husband’s attention.”I nodded, ignoring the twist in my stomach.“An exemplary man,” she said. “In most things.”The Empress started to move, circling me. She made a little sound with her throat. “He’s quite handsome as well, is he not?”“I thought so too, Highness,” the emerald-eyed guardswoman said.“Lean,” the Empress continued. “A runner, obviously. Well-muscled, though his shoulders are a little too small. I’m not sure about the beard either, though the jaw beneath looks strong.”“I rather like it, Highness. It's just a dusting of whiskers, but it suits him nicely.”“Yes, well, you’ve always liked them rather savage, Helena. Your Rhodian blood, no doubt.”The other woman, Helena, grinned. “He’s Rhodian too, Highness.”The Empress sniffed. “Figures. I suspect that he will be as uncivilized as you are, then.”Her smile made light of her words, though I was still incredibly uncomfortable. I sweated beneath the attention of the two beautiful women. I kept my back ramrod straight, knowing that I’d be squirming like a virgin at a brothel if I let myself relax.“Now,” the Empress said. “Lie down. On your back.”The order confused me. But she was my Empress, and so I obeyed; lowering myself onto my back, the stone cool through the linen of my tunica.She smiled down at me. “Your obedience is commendable, soldier. And fear not, you’re down there for a reason.”Cloth rustled and sighed, her bare feet making no sound at all as she stepped around me. She was beside my chest now, her large, dark eyes twinkling as she kept her gaze on my face. Inexplicably, I felt my cheeks redden. I averted my gaze.“Look at me,” I heard her snap.My eyes, wide with sudden panic, flew back to her face. Her smile was gone, replaced by a downward twist of her lips.“Your, Your Majesty.” I stammered, frozen, like a rabbit beneath the eagle’s shadow. “Forgive me. Please, I didn’t,”Her smile returned, softening her features and a better companion to the sparkle that had never left her eyes."Shush,” she said. “There’s nothing to forgive.

Cleopatra would have blushed in this Empress' presence.Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.“I will die before I let them take the purple that robes me. For never will I see the day where those I meet do not call me Empress.”Leontius is stratiotai, a soldier of Rome's armies. He has lived a decade and more of war, staining his boots with the dirt of nations that have dared to raise their blades against the Empire. It's left him tired. So, when given a chance to step from the battlefield and into Constantinople's Imperial Palace, he takes it.Leontius enters the service of Empress Theodora, a woman unlike any other, who rose from the capital's meanest brothels to sit as co-ruler of the Mediterranean's mightiest Empire. But the city writhes in her grip. As embers of rebellion flare into conflagration, Leontius will find that there exists a life beyond what he has known. A path he sees reflected in the smile of a guardswoman with wild, cypress eyes.This is a story set in the Imperial court of the Byzantine Empire in the year 532 AD. It is the tale of a young soldier inducted into the guard of a very horny Empress.“Tell God that He made a mistake, dear father, when He only gave me three holes for pleasure.”I turned those words over in my head, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. I swear, those words had nearly killed my mother when she’d first heard them. She was a tough, tight-lipped seamstress that could heave a bolt of satin over one shoulder with one hand, while she slapped a lesson into me with the other.“What sort of woman would say that?” She’d rail, before clapping her hands over my ears. “Close yourself off to such things,” she’d warn me. “They are not for folks like us.”Those were for the people of the capital, where the streets teemed with prostitutes and silk covered actresses. Not for the goodly, simple folk of Rhodos and my mother’s shop.Despite myself, I felt my lip quirk into a small smile. Of course, the capital was exactly where I was. I stood and kept my eyes lowered until I’d made my way to the nearest window. I stared out into the afternoon sun, breathing deeply of the summer air that was heavy with the scent of nearly half a million people. Constantinople, golden capital of the Eastern Roman, Byzantine Empire and center of the world.I was looking out over the Hippodrome’s track and out into the thousands of domes and roofs of the city. There was no city quite like it in all the world, and even now, a month after having arrived, I still often got lost in its crooked streets.I heard a polite cough behind me, and I turned to find one of the armored guards nodding to the seat I had just vacated. Evidently, I was supposed to wait there.I gritted my teeth, but obeyed. They were just doing their jobs. It wasn’t their fault that I was nearly twitching with restless energy.I adjusted myself on the chair, shifting around in vain to try and find a comfortable position. In all fairness, my discomfort wasn’t the furniture’s fault either. This was, without a doubt, the finest chair I’d ever sat it. Its cushion was thick, held up by four intricately carved legs of scented wood.The rest of the small antechamber was just as luxurious. Everywhere I looked, I saw gold and marble and fine pottery. Even the large door, so diligently guarded by the two armored Excubitors, was carved and inlaid with gold.What in God’s name was I doing here? I was a soldier; my hands calloused by the sword. I was stratiotai, an infantry man. My place was in the shield wall, my sandals stained with the dirt of kingdoms that dared raise their blades against Rome.At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.I heard the muffled sound from behind the guarded door. It made me think back to my mother, to those words that she’d so hated to hear.“Three holes for pleasure,” I murmured to myself.I coughed, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. I shifted again on this damnable chair. What would my mother think if she could see me now? Her only son, her soldier, her little lion; invited to the Imperial Palace.I think that those words would be the first thing she thought of. I think that she would once again clap her hands to my ears so that I would hear no more from the woman that had so famously uttered them.This woman; she who’d been crowned Augusta. A woman who’d come from the flea ridden pallets of the city’s meanest brothel and had risen to command the wealth of half the world. A woman upon who’s words rested the fate of millions. The most powerful woman on earth; co-ruler of the Mediterranean’s mightiest empire and who’s beauty and ruthless intelligence were already being woven into legend.Theodora; Empress of Rome. The woman that I was to meet.The door guarded by the two Imperial Guards suddenly swung open. I leapt to my feet, my spine snapping into a salute.“Ouch,” I heard a woman laugh. “What do you think boys, is his back is straight enough?”The two Excubitors chuckled. I blinked, and found myself facing not the Empress, but a woman in the armor of a guard. The breastplate she wore was of plain, functional steel. She carried with her a heavy, iron-rimmed shield with a short-sword and dagger strapped to the belt at her waist.This was a stratiotai’s kit, standard issue amongst the Emperor’s legions. It was the twin of the one I’d worn nearly every day since my sixteenth birthday; right down to the helmet she held in the crook of her arm.She moved towards me, her hobnailed boots loud against the marble floor. My mind was blank and only a decade’s worth of military discipline kept my mouth from gaping open like the world’s largest fish.Woman weren’t soldiers. They couldn’t be soldiers.A woman’s place was married, tending to a home or shop or farm. From crib to hearth to crib to grave; my mother would say while pinching my cheek. A good woman could be happy nowhere else, she’d insisted.And yet, here one was, grinning at me with her emerald eyes.“Loosen up,” she said. “My back hurts just looking at you.”I obeyed the note of easy command in her voice, staring up and over her left shoulder as I would any Centurion.It was easier than trying to work through my confusion.I felt her eyes on me, taking note of the muscles beneath my light tunica. She swept her eyes down my arms and made an approved sound when she saw the callouses on my open palms. I felt her take note of my scars next, her eyes lingering on each one.My face flushed, my heart beating faster.I wasn’t used to being around women, at least not ones that I hadn’t paid for their company. They were hard to find in a legions camp. This guardswoman was strong, confident, and my awkwardness wasn’t helped by the fact that she was intensely beautiful.Her bright green eyes were the most striking, though it was far from the only thing that made her a rarity. Her hair was held back at her forehead by a band of cloth; a wave of copper-colored hair that curled down to her shoulders. And though her skin was bronzed by the summer sun, she had the sort of complexion that was rare to find in the capital since the loss of the Empire’s western provinces.“So, you’re the one who won the foot-race,” she said. “Leontius, right? I watched you come into the Hippodrome. You’ve got good form.”Was she a runner too? Judging from the lean muscles of her arms and legs, she very well could be. And why the hell not? Apparently, women could be soldiers here, why couldn’t they run naked with the rest of us in the athletic events?I heard the rising voice of my mother’s outrage in my head, but I pushed it and all my swirling confusion to the side. I was a soldier, and I knew how to deal with the dangers of the present before I worried about the future. And right now, the danger was that I’d been staring at this guard’s shapely thighs during a long moment of still stretching silence.“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, my face suddenly burning. “Thank you, sir!” I coughed again, “ma'am”She laughed; eyes sparkling. She had a deep, full-bellied laugh; one that thrummed through my chest and made my toes tingle.“Sir is fine,” she said. “For now. I know that you legion boys have a hard time with change.” She winked.“Ah, yes sir,” I swallowed. “Thank you, sir.”“Alright, then. Are you ready to meet your Empress?”“Yes, sir!” I said, snapping off another salute.She smirked, and led me through the open door and into the short hallway beyond. I followed her towards the door at the other end.“You won the Emperor’s foot-race,” she said. “And you’re a soldier; that means that the Emperor has granted you the chance to join the Empress’ Guard.”“Yes, sir.”I tried not to remember that race. I love to run, but that had been brutal. I’d run for almost an entire day, hammered by the summer sun, racing against the thousand others that had decided to sign up.But I’d won, and the Emperor, Justinian himself, had come down from the Imperial box to put the laurel upon my head. I don’t remember much of that day, though I’m sure that beneath the pain and intense dehydration I’d been proud. I had to have been.The guardswoman glanced over her shoulder at me. “It's just a chance; an interview. Remember that. The Empress has the final say.”My face must have flickered, because she spoke again. “You have a question, soldier?”“No, sir.”“Yes, you do,” she said. “Spit it out.”“Sorry, sir, it's just that I thought that it was the Emperor that chose his Excubitors.”Her lip quirked. “We’re not Excubitors. They guard the whole palace, and the Emperor, sure. Our duties are to the Empress, nobody else. That clear?”“Yes, sir!” I said, though of course, her answer had just raised a hundred more questions in me. “Clear as the giant’s foot.”I immediately cringed as the words slipped out. Now wasn’t the time for a damned joke! But to my relief, she laughed once again.“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”We were at hallway’s only other door now, the one that presumably opened into the Empress’ chambers. She turned to regard me with an expression that made the heat rise to behind my neck.“Sorry, sir!” I said. “It's an expression from my home. God as my witness, I meant no offense.”“Your home,” she said. “Rhodes, right?”“I,” I blinked. "Yes, sir.”She grinned. “I knew that there was a reason I liked you. I’m from Lindos, on the eastern side of the island.”“Yes, sir. I know it.”I shoved that information into the same corner of my mind as my now screaming mother. I had family in Lindos, had visited it as a boy. To find out that we may have crossed paths once before was just too much.“I’m from Rhodos,” I said instead. “The city. Though I haven’t been back since I joined the legions.”“It’s been a long time for me as well,” she said.She reached for the ornate handle, pausing to look back at me.“A word of advice,” she said. “The Empress will not be what you expect. Obey her, and remember that while you’re in that room, you’re as responsible for her life as I am.”Without giving me a chance to respond, the armored woman threw open the door and marched me into Empress Theodora’s private chambers.Her sitting room was large, airy, kept cool by an open balcony and several wide windows. The walls were of stone, festooned with tapestry, art and the many other sort of golden things that the rich liked to collect. Beautifully carved wooden chairs, couches and divans were spread throughout the space.And lounging on one, a book held delicately in one hand; was the Empress Theodora.“Highness,” the guardswoman said. “Here’s the man that won the Emperor’s Race.”“Your Majesty,” I said. I dropped to my knees, keeping my eyes on the stone floor. “It would be an honor to serve you.”“Would it, now?” I heard her say in a voice that was tinged with a smile. “Stand up, solider. Let me get a good look at you.”I obeyed, keeping my eyes downcast. I heard the rustle of fabric.“How do you expect to guard me if you’re always looking at the floor?”I flushed, feeling the heat crawl up my neck. I hurriedly looked up, and I swear that for several long heartbeats, I couldn’t breathe.The beauty of the Emperor’s wife was spoken of everywhere her name was known. I had heard her described a thousand different ways; heard a hundred different versions of how she’d come to be named Augusta.Born on faraway Cyprus, she’d come to Constantinople as a child. Her father had trained bears for the circus, and when he’d died, her family had been doomed to the worst sort of poverty. She’d survived as many a young woman had; by trading her body for a roof and something to eat.She’d worked at a brothel, and later as an actress, which many said were the same sort of profession. Constantinople’s taverns were full of men who’d claim to have known her then. They’d wax about the times they’d had her, for one night or many. Others would reminisce about her time on stage, their eyes faraway as they’d recount the day they’d seen her dance clothed in nothing but a long, red-ribbon.I’d heard every story, though none could prepare me for the sight of her. She’d set her book down, her body still draped over the divan. She was young, I realized, barely past her third decade. She wore a thin, silky sort of dress, the material clinging to a figure that had retained its dancer’s strength.Her feet were bare, and she stood in one smooth motion. Her smile was pleased as she glided towards me, her curves tight against the cloth of her dress.Dark, intelligent eyes watched me from above a long neck. It swept of gracefully from her tight chest, a golden chain disappearing into the space that divided it. I wondered what was hidden there, safe and out of sight. How warm the gold must be, cradled against the smoothness of her skin.The Empress smirked. I wrenched my eyes back to the floor, mortified. What in God’s name was I doing? My face burned, and I was opening my mouth to stammer an apology when the Empress spoke.“I did not say that you could look away, soldier.”“A thousand apologies, my Empress,” I said.I lifted my gaze back up to hers with some difficulty. Her eyes were wrinkled in a smile. The rest of her skin was smooth, a warm brown that was a only a few shades lighter than the thick, wavy tresses of hair that cascaded down past her shoulders.She’d stopped an arms-length from me, examining me in the same manner as her guard had a few minutes before. My flush deepened.“Am I making you uncomfortable?”“N, No, your Majesty,” I managed to say.“Good,” her smile widened. “Because I am impressed with you, stratiotai Leontius. And that is without taking into account your victory in my husband’s race. You fought in Persia, did you not?”“Ah, yes, your Majesty. I fought in general Belisarius’ army.”“Indeed,” she said. “You shared in his great victory at Dara, and in his defeat at Callinicum a bare few months ago.”I did not want to remember those battles, that campaign against the Sassanid Persians; neither the baking sun and trenches of Dara or how their cavalry had swept through us at Callinicum.“Yes, your Majesty,” was all I said.“I’ve spoken to many of your fellow soldiers, since Belisarius and his army have trickled back to the capital. You are well regarded by your comrades.”I ducked my head, “thank you, your Majesty.”“A thoughtful man, they all say. One serious about his duty. You had few friends amongst your cohort, yet all respected you.” The Empress continued. “You enlisted at sixteen years of age. You’ve served a decade already, and I believe that you would have served another one if you’d not caught my husband’s attention.”I nodded, ignoring the twist in my stomach.“An exemplary man,” she said. “In most things.”The Empress started to move, circling me. She made a little sound with her throat. “He’s quite handsome as well, is he not?”“I thought so too, Highness,” the emerald-eyed guardswoman said.“Lean,” the Empress continued. “A runner, obviously. Well-muscled, though his shoulders are a little too small. I’m not sure about the beard either, though the jaw beneath looks strong.”“I rather like it, Highness. It's just a dusting of whiskers, but it suits him nicely.”“Yes, well, you’ve always liked them rather savage, Helena. Your Rhodian blood, no doubt.”The other woman, Helena, grinned. “He’s Rhodian too, Highness.”The Empress sniffed. “Figures. I suspect that he will be as uncivilized as you are, then.”Her smile made light of her words, though I was still incredibly uncomfortable. I sweated beneath the attention of the two beautiful women. I kept my back ramrod straight, knowing that I’d be squirming like a virgin at a brothel if I let myself relax.“Now,” the Empress said. “Lie down. On your back.”The order confused me. But she was my Empress, and so I obeyed; lowering myself onto my back, the stone cool through the linen of my tunica.She smiled down at me. “Your obedience is commendable, soldier. And fear not, you’re down there for a reason.”Cloth rustled and sighed, her bare feet making no sound at all as she stepped around me. She was beside my chest now, her large, dark eyes twinkling as she kept her gaze on my face. Inexplicably, I felt my cheeks redden. I averted my gaze.“Look at me,” I heard her snap.My eyes, wide with sudden panic, flew back to her face. Her smile was gone, replaced by a downward twist of her lips.“Your, Your Majesty.” I stammered, frozen, like a rabbit beneath the eagle’s shadow. “Forgive me. Please, I didn’t,”Her smile returned, softening her features and a better companion to the sparkle that had never left her eyes."Shush,” she said. “There’s nothing to forgive.

THIS WEEK! We take a look at the Roman General known as Belisarius, and his wife Antonina. We take a look at their early life to their campaign, and how Belisarius would rise to become a general, and reconquer the Roman Empire. and eventually fall from grace. All this, and more on "Well That Aged Well". With "Erlend Hedegart"Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/well-that-aged-well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a Text Message.https://www.patreon.com/AdeptusRidiculoushttps://www.adeptusridiculous.com/https://twitter.com/AdRidiculoushttps://orchideight.com/collections/adeptus-ridiculousBelisarius Cawl is an Archmagos Dominus of the Adeptus Mechanicus who has been involved in one of the Imperium's greatest secrets for many centuries. He first appeared openly during the Thirteenth Black Crusade of the late 41st Millennium. Cawl is known as the Dominatus Dominus, the Master of Masters, one of the highest ranks available in the Mechanicum. Unlike many Tech-Priests within the Mechanicum he does not seek to copy or discover lost technology, but to innovate.Support the Show.

In 544, Belisarius returned to Italy to fight the Goths. It was his last campaign and the end of his career. But many years later, he was asked by the emperor Justinian to don his armor one more time and save the empire from a new foe!For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon

In 540, the Persians sacked Antioch. It was one of the greatest disasters in Roman history. But in 541, Belisarius was back from Italy. Could he now reverse the situation on the eastern front?For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon

In May 540, the unthinkable happened. The Persian shah, Chosroes, burned the Roman Empire's second city, Antioch, to the ground and butchered or enslaved its inhabitants. How did this catastrophe happen? Find out here!For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon

In May 540, Belisarius captured Ravenna from the Goths and took prisoner the Gothic king Wittigis. But before he could destroy the Gothic kingdom completely, he was recalled to Constantinople to face the invading Persians. In the next few years, a new Gothic king - Totila - would retake most of Italy.For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon

After Belisarius' heroic defense of Rome in 537-538, it looked as if there might be a rapid end to the Gothic war. But no. The Roman high command was wracked by internal division that would prolong the war and lead to the tragic sack of Milan.Check out my website nickholmesauthor.com for a free ebook, maps and blogs.Find my latest book, 'Rome and Attila' on Amazon. 

In the summer of 536, Belisarius crossed the straits of Messina and marched on Rome. His army numbered 6,000 and he faced at least 30,000 Goths. It would be his greatest test.Check out my website nickholmesauthor.com for a free ebook, maps and blogs.Find my latest book, 'Rome and Attila', on Amazon.com here.

After Belisarius' triumph in North Africa, Justinian turned his gaze to Italy and the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths. But what was that Kingdom like? Find out here.For a free ebook, maps, blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.com.For my latest book, Rome and Attila, click here.

Belisarius conquered the Vandal kingdom in North Africa in just six months. But it would take 15 years to bring peace to this new province of the Roman Empire. Find you why in this episode. Also, find a free ebook, maps and blogs at my website nickholmesauthor.com. Link here for my exciting new book 'Rome and Attila' only just out!

On 15th September, 533, Belisarius captured Carthage from the Vandals. But the Vandal king Gelimer was mustering all the forces he could for a last desperate battle. Interested in finding out more about Roman history? Visit my website nickholmesauthor.com for maps, blogs and a free ebook!

The Fall of Italy March 538 - May 540 The Gothic War grew in intensity after the siege of Rome, and Belisarius had to deal with threats both from without and from within his own army as he fought to bring it to a successful conclusion. The war spread across northern Italy, with devastating consequences for the civilian populace. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com And https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Despite being driven north towards Ravenna by Emperor Justinian's forces, the Ostrogoths were determined to reclaim Rome and reassert their dominance over ...

In June 533, Belisarius sailed for North Africa to reconquer Carthage. Most people thought he would fail...Please do visit my website nickholmesauthor.com for books, podcast episodes, maps, blogs and a free ebook!

The Nika riots ripped the heart out of Constantinople and nearly toppled Justinian. Desperate to restore his authority, Justinian looked west to the Vandal kingdom of Carthage which was experiencing its own problems.To find maps, blogs and a free ebook check out my website nickholmesauthor.com

Professor Kaldellis' new history of Byzantium is out now in the USA and on Kindle everywhere.In this episode he answers your questions. Including succession mechanisms, taxation, the Senate, usurpers, Belisarius, Maurice and many more topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lazic War has begun. The Lazi have revolted and asked for Persian assistance against their Byzantine overlords. Khosrow vs John Tzibus. Belisarius makes an appearance. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the GoFundMe⁠⁠⁠ Find us on: ⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Kofi⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Intro Music is Bindisperia Sopeli by Zedashe: ⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠Beka Baghashvili can be found here!⁠ Thanks to: ⁠⁠⁠Brendan for script editing⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Asha of Swords, Sorcery, and Socialism⁠⁠⁠ for audio editing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historysaqartvelogeorgia/support

My latest book, 'Rome and Attila', is now available on Amazon in ebook and paperback, links below. It's about one of the most infamous figures in history—Attila the Hun. He's a household name, but remarkably little is known about him and his popular legend as a brutal tyrant is not necessarily correct. I delve into the primary sources in search of the real Attila and find someone very different from the legend—a complex, captivating personality who despised ostentation, admired bravery and valued loyalty. I also develop a new theory about the military history of this period, suggesting it was Attila's ferocious onslaught against Constantinople that prompted the development of a new and more professional eastern Roman army which formed the basis for the army that Belisarius would later lead to victory when he reconquered much of the west in the sixth-century.Now, of course you've heard about this in the podcast episodes but I hope the book offers much more since it has maps, pictures and it's certainly more than just a transcript of the podcast since it goes into more detail in some areas and also contains more developed analysis and ideas than when I was recording the podcasts. So, think of the podcasts, if you like, as an introduction to the book.Thanks for your time and I hope you enjoy it!Link to buy the book Amazon.comLink to buy the book Amazon.co.uk

In January 532, the Nika riots in Constantinople shook the world and nearly overthrew the emperor Justinian. Find out what happened here. Link to my website for free resources - nickholmesauthor.com

What happens when I wander off topic into the wilds of Magical Practice in Byzantine Egypt? You get a bonus episode, that's what!  This one explores a story of one particular Egyptian saint, and the strange case of the woman transformed into a horse. It's just a bit of anthropological fun. We'll be back to Belisarius in the next episode. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Other Music: "Ritual" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   "Rites" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   "Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Sound effects from freesound.com And https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Despite Belisarius' victory at Dara in 530, dissatisfaction was growing with Justinian which would soon lead to rebellion.

In this episode, we meet one of Rome's greatest generals who will change the course of history. His name is Belisarius.

Procopius is our main source for Roman history in the sixth century. He praises Justinian, Theodora and above all, Belisarius. But he's also left us with an unpublished document called the Secret History which contradicts everything he said in his other works. What's going on? Find out in this episode. For my website click here.

Mark wants to hear Murray's thoughts on comparing the Roman wars against the Vandals vs the Punic Wars. Mark writes, 'both the Roman-Vandal and Roman-Carthage wars occurred roughly in the same geographic area and included naval and land-based fighting. However, within 26 years the Vandals had conquered North Africa, the major islands of the Western Med and sacked Rome.  In the 3rd/2nd centuries BCE the 1st/2nd Punic wars lasted over 60 years, and even then, neither side could capture each other's capitals. Granted, the Roman Empire was exhausted and fighting multiple enemies for much of the 5th century CE- but the Roman Republic also fought on multiple fronts during the 2nd Punic War.  Then, in the 6th century CE, Belisarius was able to conquer and annex the Vandal Kingdom in less than a year. Why did these later wars seem to happen at a much faster pace? Did smaller armies and a more depopulated Mediterranean in late antiquity shorten wars? Were logistics better with better ships or Roman roads? Did later armies and navies use different tactics or technologies so that wars were much shorter?' Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Theodahad's Thirty Pigs 535 to 536 The death of Amalasuintha triggered the Gothic Wars, wherein the Eastern Empire, under Justinian, attempted to claw back what it had lost in Italy. This episode follows the war up to  the siege of Naples by Belisarius in the autumn of 536. Transcript Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com    

Here are some historical events that happened on December 9:536 - The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city, returning the city to the Eastern Roman Empire.1851 - The first YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) in the United States is founded in Boston, Massachusetts.1905 - In France, the law separating church and state is passed.1935 - The Downtown Athletic Club Trophy, later renamed the Heisman Trophy, is awarded for the first time. The University of Chicago's Jay Berwanger is the recipient.1941 - China and the Republic of China officially declare war on Japan.1950 - Harry Gold is sentenced to 30 years in jail for helping Klaus Fuchs pass information about the Manhattan Project to the Soviet Union. His testimony is later instrumental in the prosecution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.1960 - The first episode of the popular animated sitcom "The Flintstones" airs on ABC.1987 - The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.1990 - Lech Wałęsa becomes the first directly elected president of Poland.2008 - The Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is arrested by federal officials for a number of alleged crimes, including attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.These are just a few examples, and many more events have occurred on December 9 throughout history.Podcast Website:https://atozenglishpodcast.com/a-to-z-this-day-in-world-history-december-9th/Social Media:WeChat account ID: atozenglishpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/671098974684413/Tik Tok:@atozenglish1Instagram:@atozenglish22Twitter:@atozenglish22A to Z Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/theatozenglishpodcastCheck out our You Tube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCds7JR-5dbarBfas4Ve4h8ADonate to the show: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/9472af5c-8580-45e1-b0dd-ff211db08a90/donationsRobin and Jack started a new You Tube channel called English Word Master. You can check it out here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2aXaXaMY4P2VhVaEre5w7ABecome a member of Podchaser and leave a positive review!https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-a-to-z-english-podcast-4779670Join our Whatsapp group: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Intro/Outro Music: Daybird by Broke for Freehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Directionless_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Directionless_EP_-_03_Day_Bird/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcodehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Joplin/Piano_Rolls_from_archiveorg/ScottJoplin-RagtimeDance1906/https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Belisarius and Antonina were titans in the Roman world some 1,500 years ago. Belisarius was the most well-known general of his age, victor over the Persians, conqueror of the Vandals and the Goths, and as if this were not enough, wealthy beyond imagination. His wife, Antonina, was an impressive person in her own right. She made a name for herself by traveling with Belisarius on his military campaigns, deposing a pope, and scheming to disgrace important Roman officials. Together, the pair were extremely influential, and arguably wielded more power in the late Roman world than anyone except the emperor Justinian and empress Theodora themselves. This unadulterated power and wealth did not mean that Belisarius and Antonina were universally successful in all that they undertook. They occasionally stumbled militarily, politically, and personally - in their marriage and with their children. These failures knock them from their lofty perch, humanize them, and make them even more relatable and intriguing to us today. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian (Oxford UP, 2023) is the first modern portrait of this unique partnership. They were not merely husband and wife but also partners in power. This is a paradigm which might seem strange to us, as we reflexively imagine that marriages in the ancient world were staunchly traditional, relegating wives to the domestic sphere only. But Antonina was not a reserved housewife, and Belisarius showed no desire for Antonina to remain in the home. Their private and public lives blended as they traveled together, sometimes bringing their children, and worked side-by-side. Theirs was without a doubt the most important nonroyal marriage of the late Roman world, and one of the very few from all of antiquity that speaks directly to contemporary readers. Dr. David Alan Parnell is an Associate Professor of History at Indiana University Northwest. He is the author of Justinian's Men (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) and has worked on numerous articles about the military and social life of the sixth-century Roman Empire. He is also a consultant, recently working on Epic History TV's documentary series on Belisarius. Evan Zarkadas (MA) is an independent scholar of European and Medieval history and an educator. He received his master's in history from the University of Maine focusing on Medieval Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, medieval identity, and ethnicity during the late Middle Ages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Belisarius and Antonina were titans in the Roman world some 1,500 years ago. Belisarius was the most well-known general of his age, victor over the Persians, conqueror of the Vandals and the Goths, and as if this were not enough, wealthy beyond imagination. His wife, Antonina, was an impressive person in her own right. She made a name for herself by traveling with Belisarius on his military campaigns, deposing a pope, and scheming to disgrace important Roman officials. Together, the pair were extremely influential, and arguably wielded more power in the late Roman world than anyone except the emperor Justinian and empress Theodora themselves. This unadulterated power and wealth did not mean that Belisarius and Antonina were universally successful in all that they undertook. They occasionally stumbled militarily, politically, and personally - in their marriage and with their children. These failures knock them from their lofty perch, humanize them, and make them even more relatable and intriguing to us today. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian (Oxford UP, 2023) is the first modern portrait of this unique partnership. They were not merely husband and wife but also partners in power. This is a paradigm which might seem strange to us, as we reflexively imagine that marriages in the ancient world were staunchly traditional, relegating wives to the domestic sphere only. But Antonina was not a reserved housewife, and Belisarius showed no desire for Antonina to remain in the home. Their private and public lives blended as they traveled together, sometimes bringing their children, and worked side-by-side. Theirs was without a doubt the most important nonroyal marriage of the late Roman world, and one of the very few from all of antiquity that speaks directly to contemporary readers. Dr. David Alan Parnell is an Associate Professor of History at Indiana University Northwest. He is the author of Justinian's Men (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) and has worked on numerous articles about the military and social life of the sixth-century Roman Empire. He is also a consultant, recently working on Epic History TV's documentary series on Belisarius. Evan Zarkadas (MA) is an independent scholar of European and Medieval history and an educator. He received his master's in history from the University of Maine focusing on Medieval Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, medieval identity, and ethnicity during the late Middle Ages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

In this author interview, I sit down with Peter Sarris and discuss his latest book: Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint. It is an excellent historical biography that covers the importance of one of the most influential figures of the Early Middle Ages. We talk about Rome, Persia, the plague, Belisarius, and, of course, Hagia Sophia. Links:Buy The BookWebsite Patreon Ad-Free ShowsWestern Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

533 The first of Justinian's wars in the West begins, as Belisarius leads an army to Africa. Early victory makes the war seem like a slam dunk, and Procopius is there to tell us all about it. Instagram Sources Support the Show Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sound effects from freesound.com

American author Robert Bruton takes us through his Master's thesis on the role of climate change and plague in the decline of Roman fortunes in the 6th century.He is also writing a trilogy of historical fiction novels about the life of Belisarius. Find out more about Robert and his work here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“History offers not simply a chronicle of events but, more importantly, opportunities to gain insights about the human condition from the experience of other times and places,” writes Thomas Sowell in his provocatively titled book Black Rednecks and White Liberals.  “That is, it offers not merely facts but explanations.”  Yet history's capacity to benefit us is naturally limited by our natural biases.  “History cannot be a reality check for visions when history is itself shaped by visions.”  To learn how to extract beneficial explanations from history, therefore, we must first learn how to recognize our biases, pre-conceptions, worldviews, and visions.   Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by the Conservative Historian Belisarius Aves to explore the various schools of historical thought and how conservatism might instruct us to approach history.   About Belisarius Aves Belisarius Aves (or Bel for short) is the founder and publisher of the Conservative Historian YouTube channel and podcast.  “History is too important to be left to the left,” writes Bel.  “The Conservative Historian provides content and opinions on conservative thinking through the prism of history.”  You can follow Bel on Twitter @BelAves  

This is part 22 of the Early Church History class. This episode aims to wrap up our early church history class. We'll cover relics and pilgrimage, emperors Zeno and Justinian, as well as the theological battles that continued to rage in the 5th and 6th centuries. Unsurprisingly the christological controversy of the 5th century did not come to an end when the emperor endorsed the Council of Chalcedon of 451 that declared Jesus to have two natures "unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, and inseparably." In addition to covering the Second Council of Constantinople of 553, we'll also briefly consider how the dual natures doctrine continued to foment division resulting in the Third Council of Constantinople in 681 and the Second Council of Nicea in 787. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59zyj9dMH4k&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=22 —— Links —— More Restitutio resources on Christian history See other classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Byzantine Beginnings 293 Diocletian initiated the division between east and west with his tetrarchy. 330 Constantine built a “New Rome” on the cite of old Byzantium, naming it Constantinople. Constantine's mother, Helena, initiated the pilgrimage movement. 381 Egeria wrote a travelogue to her friends that influenced later pilgrimages. Helena also sent Constantine relics of the true cross. 397 Martin of Tours died, leaving behind his cloak, which became a famous relic. Fifth Century Developments Theodosius I (r. 379-392) had outlawed pagan sacrifices and endorsed Trinitarian Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Arian Germanic tribes moved into the western Roman Empire and began taking territory. 378 Visigoths win at Adrianople. 410 Alaric sacked Rome. 455 Vandals sacked Rome. 476 Odoacer deposes the last Roman Augustus. 493 Theodoric and the Ostrogoths took Italy. Zeno's Henotikon 451 Chalcedon affirmed the dyophysite position (two natures in one person). 488 Byzantine Emperor Zeno attempted to reconcile monophysites and dyophysites by condemning Eutyches and Nestorius and approving Cyril's 12 anathemas (Henotikon). Chalcedon remained controversial with Christianity now split into several groups: Arian Germanic kingdoms, monophysites (Egypt and Ethiopia), Chalcedonian dyophysites (Rome & Constantinople), and Nestorian dyophysites (Syria and Persia). Justinian (482-565) 525 Justinian married Theodora and became co-emperor with Justin. 527 Justinian became the sole emperor. 528 He initiated legal reforms under John the Cappadocian and Tribonian. 532 Nika riots 537 He finished Hagia Sophia, whispering, “O Solomon, I have surpassed you!” 555 He had retaken much of the Roman Empire, including Italy, North Africa, and part of Spain. More Christology Councils 553 Justinian called for the Second Council of Constantinople. Condemned the 3 chapters Condemned Nestorius Condemned Origen of Alexandria 681 Third Council of Constantinople Condemned monotheletism, concluding that Jesus had 2 wills that never conflict. 787 Second Council of Nicaea Iconoclasts were fighting with iconodules. Some considered icons Nestorian while others called them Monophysite. Affirmed veneration of icons. 843 Iconaclasm controversy broke out. Empress Theodora upheld the ruling of Nicaea II. Review In 293, Diocletian split the administration of the Roman Empire into east and west, appointing an Augustus in each. In 330, Constantine founded Constantinople in the old town of Byzantium, making it his administrative capital. While the west fell to Germanic Arians and the Huns, the Roman Empire in the east continued until 1453. Byzantine emperors played barbarian warlords off each other in an attempt to keep them from taking Constantinople. From the fourth century onwards, Byzantines embraced relics and pilgrimages to holy places. Byzantine emperor Justinian made a lasting impact on law via the work of Tribonian to identify, harmonize, and codify Roman law. Justinian succeeded, mostly due to the military genius of Belisarius, to retake northern Africa, Italy, and part of Spain. Justinian built and improved several churches, the most notable of which was his renovation of the Hagia Sophia. In 553, the Second Council of Constantinople condemned three writings critical of Cyril of Alexandria to reunite with the Egyptian and Syrian churches, but ultimately failed. In 681, the Third Council of Constantinople condemned monothelitism, affirming that Christ had two wills. In 787, the Second Council of Nicaea affirmed the veneration of icons, denying icons either were too monophysite or Nestorian.