Podcasts about Ostrogoths

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Best podcasts about Ostrogoths

Latest podcast episodes about Ostrogoths

Ancient History Fangirl
How an Empire Ends: 75 Years Under Hunnic Dominion

Ancient History Fangirl

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 70:12


Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! In our last episode, we talked about how the Visigoths came to be: forged in the fire of the Gothic War of 376-382 and the immigration crisis that went along with it. Now, we'll take a look at what happened to their kin who stayed on the northern side of the Danube—the Greuthungi who were not allowed to cross. What happened to them was 75 years under Hunnic dominion.   This time changed them. Some were brutally exploited. Still others were enriched beyond their wildest imaginings, riding at the head of a Wild Hunt that devoured all in its path—utnil, when next they met their kin who crossed the Danube, it was on opposite sides of a battlefield.   Join us as we map the rise of the Ostrogoths. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ExplicitNovels
Cáel Defeats The Illuminati: Part 2

ExplicitNovels

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025


No Longer An Enemy.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels."My Sister wished to know if you speak Mandarin," the brother translated for me."Hi, I'm Cáel," I greeted him. "Who are you guys?" He looked to one of the two goons holding on to me. I received a painful kidney punch. I discovered a whole new super-power. It hurt for about two seconds then nothing."I asked you a question," he repeated."No, I don't speak Mandarin," I lied so well it came across as a dour confession."Yet you know the secretive language of the Earth & Sky," he stated."Yes, I do. I have a thing for dead languages. Maybe in a few more years, I'll pick up your Mother Tongue as well," I bantered.No punishment was immediately meted out, so I suspected no one close to me, besides him, spoke much if any English. Jian Bob (my new name for him) didn't relay my insult. I wasn't worth it. He went straight for the reason for our get-together."You are going to die, Mr. Nyilas. That is a given," J B began."We both know you have done enough damage to our cause to be worthy of elimination a hundred times over. I'm going to show you respect by not lying to you about your possible fate. What you can do is save your young companion. We understand you two are close," he appealed in a very polite manner. Aya snickered."Cáel, these people are mentally challenged," she giggled to me, "or hideously misinformed.""I know, I know," I smiled down at Aya. "Still, they have gone through a great deal of effort to insult our intellect today, so let's humor them a little longer." Jian Bob issued several casual orders.In short order, a third man had hold of me by the jaw with one hand while trying to hold my eyelids open with the other. One guard held her by the shoulders. A second held her right hand, extending her ring finger. A third man held a knife to her top knuckle. A forth stood close with a small blowtorch."She may be a small person, Mr. Nyilas, but she can still die by the Death of a Thousand cuts," he explained."I love you, Aya," I told her softly."I love you too, Fehér mén," she succeeding in keeping most of the fear from her voice.Neither one of us could stop this. Aya certainly didn't expect me to compromise the Host for her benefit. She was as much an Amazon as the first Epona."First, I wish to know what alerted you to the attack at the Summer Camp," Bob began the interrogation."We know you were responsible. We want to know what happened." I looked into his eyes and waited patiently. He nodded to the guard, who shoved my face toward Aya's extended finger until I was less than a foot away."Do it." The Order came in Mandarin.The guard cut the top part of the digit off, one knuckle. I looked at the flesh and bone being cut away. In a clinical manner, I noted how sharp the blade was. I saw the blood shoot forth and heard Aya's little voice cry out in pain. I was pulled back and pointed at Jian Bob again."Do I need to repeat the question for you?" he said."No, I caught it the first time," I grimaced. "It tells me that you haven't the slightest idea who you are fucking with." Bob made a slight hand gesture and the blowtorch cauterized Aya's stump. Her little lungs belted out a terrible screech that wound down as her feet gave out and she hung limply in the guard's grip."Revive her." The blowtorch guy, clearly not his first day on the job, snapped some smelling salts under her noise. Aya revived, sobbing and in a great deal of pain."Cáel," she whimpered. "I have found my stillness. I'll be okay now." Her sobs subsided."Shall we try this again?" J B remained coolly polite, almost urbane."Nah," I joked, "we are both pretty good over here.""Again." The Mandarin order came. Off went another digit of her ring finger. This time her scream was much more exuberant and forceful. We all know it hurt like Hell, but the world had turned."He's going to kill all of you," Aya snickered while she sobbed. "You are all going to die.""Mu, what is the little girl saying?" she asked Jian Bob, real name Mu."She is stating her belief that Cáel will somehow kill us all," he and his sister shared the joke. "Let us see what her tune is when they start in on her left hand," the woman smiled at her sibling.That implied they'd cut off her right thumb and fingers, digit by digit, until one, or both of us cracked. The man nodded and Aya's nub was burned again. Her scream was more of a cleansing shout."Cáel, do you think I will have a nice horse to ride when I join Epona's herds, or will I get a pony?" Aya whimpered."Not a clue," I began before Mu had the face-hugging guard apply a finger strike to my solar plexus. Alal's gift had allowed me to partially organize my brain functions. Coping with pain was a whole lot easier now, but I had to be careful to monitor it because pain was Nature's way of letting you know that there was something wrong with your body."What color would you like me to pick up and have waiting for you," punch, "when you finally take yourself to the cliffs?""Again.""This is accomplishing nothing," the senior bald Mo Fo grumbled. "He clearly cares nothing for the child and has been trained in counter-interrogation techniques.""There is nothing to indicate that," Mu bristled."Xiàsh, burn the tip of his left forefinger," senior necromancer commanded. The guy holding my face coordinated with the men holding my arms to free me of my bonds and wrestle my left arm forward. I didn't bother resisting.It didn't take the commandoes long to figure I had stopped caring. On came the flame and the pain. Oh, I screamed. The pain was real. What had changed was my ability to shuffle it off to an isolated memory file to be tackled later. The bald creep stepped into my field of vision. His eyes were windows to the abyss. My "spirit" sight opened my eyes to the truly inhuman sections of his mind and soul."See, normal techniques will not be affective. We will do it, " and they realized the enormity of their mistake by assuming I was paralyzed by the pain. I broke free of the guy on my left and began twisting around the guy on my right. I wasn't getting away, I was going for his QCW O5. I knew their favorite martial arts styles and their weaponry now.The guy I was rolling behind realized what I was doing (going for his gun), but mistook my intentions. I wasn't trying to get away, or steal the gun (still strapped to his body). That cockhead even helped me out by lurching ground-ward. I swung the gun up, hit the selector and fired two quick bursts.The first three rounds hit Mr. Blowtorch in his right thigh, shredding it. The second burst caught Mr. Knife guy in the crotch, a triple 21mm castration. Had Blowtorch Guy not been busy trying to keep the strands of his right hip connected to his right leg, he could have stopped the blood fountaining from his buddies shattered groin. That was the end of my joy.I was born to the ground and the guy whose gun I'd borrowed pulled away. I hit the concrete surface hard. That was only the beginning of my issues. Radiating from the floor was cold beyond cold. I had the sensation of falling into the heart of a cold, dead star. How I even knew what the felt like was an impossibility."He feels very cold," protested one of the two guards, in Mandarin; pulling me back to my feet groused."If your incompetence has led to his terminal condition," the male twin threatened. I felt the approach of the female twin, her reaching for me. A new intense pain seared me to the cores of my bones. Before she yanked my hair up, my body reignited.I found myself stared into her pitiless eyes that regarded me with the casual callousness of a veterinarian preparing to put down some rabid stray dog. She ran three fingers over my cheek."What are you babbling about?" she snapped at the two commandoes. "If anything, he is feverish.""Zhen, have him sedated," Chief Necromancer demanded. "Mu, now we will do this my way." Once more I was bound. Someone stabbed a needle into my right triceps. That was a mere discomfort. If I had any consolation, it was hearing Mu ordering the execution of the two men I'd shot.They didn't have the time and facilities to tend to their immediate emergency needs and taking them to a trauma center wasn't going to happen. Those two went into body bags. I had to assume they would be joining us on the plane, though they'd be in the cargo compartment."What are you smiling at?" I heard Zhen snapping before my world collapsed down to a pinhole of light."Lady, I don't know what you said," Aya declared happily. "You are probably angry that Cáel has already killed two of you and we haven't even got off the ground yet." I heard a sound I couldn't make out followed by another and finally a third. That resulted in an Aya-squeak. Ah, she'd tried to hit Aya and Aya had dodged the first two blows. Good girl."Cáel isn't going to like you doing that," Aya chirped."Aya's a winner," I mumbled. I wasn't in control of my senses when they dragged me onto a waiting jet. I wasn't worried. With Aya at my side, I was invincible.DreamingI looked at her face, so youthful, beautiful in her own way, yet far from innocent. She bore a terrible weight. The armor she was wearing, that of a heavy horseman of the steppe, was a leather coat, chain links over her vulnerable regions (throat, underarms and skirt), with the rest being covered by darkened bronze plates.Her iron helmet was open-faced with mobile plates covering her cheeks as well as the sides and the back of her neck; it bore a white horse-hair plume, it was the only feature of her panoply that would draw any special attention her way. She carried no shield. Instead, she wielded a powerful horn & sinew composite recurve bow. She used her knees to rise up on her mount and fire over the mare's head.Similarly attired women rode close to either side of this young woman. Both were older; one in her early forties and the other ~ late thirties. The one to the left bore a lance, not in the couched fashion most people today are familiar with, but used in a double-handed over-head fighting style.The woman to the right fought with a strange blade. It wasn't saber ~ an ancestor of that blade perhaps. It was about a meter long, no hand guard, single-edged except for the top 4 cm on the back side which was equally sharp. Her left hand remained free. I think I saw her purpose. If the young woman got into difficulty, her guardian on the right could pull her horse away and lead the woman to safety.Behind and beside those three rode perhaps three hundred of their sisters. Those in the center were as heavily armored as those three. On each flank were the lighter, faster bow-women, on smaller steeds. The women in the center rode larger mounts that were good for carrying weight and pushing home a charge, while the flanking steppe ponies were virtually tireless.In the center, identified only by her long golden-mane helm, was the Golden Mare ~ War Leader of the Host. The Amazons didn't fly pennants or carry banners. They judged the course of battle by that woman's head movements (the mane was quite long) and the shrill horn blasts unique to the Amazons.Let the barbarians have the all too common deep booming horns calls and their totems raised high for the world to see. Let the Romans keep their trumpets and Legion standards. Amazons had been putting those fools in their graves from time immemorial. Right now, those horns had summoned the Host to a trot.The Hun, Attila, had tasked the Sarmatian Chieftain, under whose banner they rode, to deal with another crisis, the third this short day. Once more, they directed their horses over Catalaunian Fields. The Ostrogoth had gotten themselves into a world of trouble, those filthy, stinking Germans (why was I even thinking that way?)First the Amazons had ridden forth on Attila's right, reinforcing the allied Germanic tribes on the Right Wing in their attempt to force a wedge between Aetius' Romans and King Sangiban's Alans. They'd shown the fools the way, but the supporting Gepids cavalry was too timid and by the time they began to approach, the Golden Mare had been forced to sound 'retire'.The Roman auxiliary cavalry, though of poor quality, had plugged the gap. The Host were too few and too valuable (in their estimation) to die holding a position that their 'allies' might not rescue them from. Next, they had been directed to attack the center of the Alan cavalry line in support of the Huns.Despite the cowardice of their king, the Alans were hardy fighters and too accustomed to the style of steppe warfare that the Host practiced to be lured away from their position. Arrows were exchanged and brief, brutal skirmishes developed, but no advantage was gained. With their mounts exhausted, the Golden Mare had ordered the Host to retired to their camp to water their horses and refill their quivers.That bit of common sense and tactical wisdom placed them in their present crisis. Their Ostrogoth allies had been beating themselves against their Visigoth cousins all afternoon, charging up the same cursed slope that any sane commander would have found a way to flank. No, the Germans had failed seven times using the same plan, so they tried an eighth.Miraculously, they had gained a toehold on the ridgeline and killed the Visigothic King. Like a mob of mindless farmers, the Ostrogoths stopped to celebrate their 'victory' and taunt the Visigoths with the mutilated body of their fallen leader. The Visigoths had been properly incensed and counter-attacked. That's what Princes were for, to avenge their fallen Sires.As the Host exited the Hunnic laager, they'd seen the calamity unfold. The wavering Visigoth infantry had stiffened their line. Believing the Ostrogoths would press forward, the Horse-tail banner of Attila himself broke away from the central Hunnic body, pivoted to his left and thundered into the Visigoth's exposed flank.In the din of battle, it may have looked to the Great Warlord that he had a vanishing opportunity for victory. From the valley below, it was much clearer to the Amazons that the moment to break the Visigothic infantry had passed. The Huns were too tired; their mounts frothing from a long, hot afternoon of battle. Without a swift follow-through, the attack was doomed.At that point, headlong flight for the Amazons wasn't possible. Their long term survival hung on the Hunnic King keeping his Germanic 'allies' in line. They were still somewhere in eastern Roman Gaul, with the Rhine to ford and a land thick with perpetually vicious, blood-thirsty, crotch-scratching, flea-bitten Germanic barbarians to cross before they saw the green rolling hills of home again.No, the Golden Mare, and that young lady knew they had to do something to stem the tide of this disaster for another hour, then darkness would force the combatants to separate so they could try their hand at battle the next day. As the Golden Mare rode to the Sarmatian Chieftain, a rider came through the dust from Attila. The Visigothic cavalry had returned with a vengeance and the Ostrogoths were folding up.The Sarmatians (with their attached Amazons) were to 'somehow' repair the situation. As the Chieftain, the Golden Mare and three Sarmatian tribal leaders hastily discussed the actions. They saw the Hunnic Right, under hard pressure from the Roman attack, beginning to disintegrate. Of immediate concern was the rift opening up between the retreating Hunnic Gepids and the Hunnic horsemen holding the center.King Sangiban had finally discovered his manhood. The Alans attacked through that gap in the Hunnic lines and a rout was in the offing. The Sarmatian Leader decided he had to answer Attila's call. The Golden Mare offered to take her Amazons and whichever tribal leader volunteered first to ride with her against the Alans.She drew her sword and held it aloft then motioned the Sarmatians to look at her shadow."We will hold them off until the length of our swords double (the shadow). Then we are all on our own," she offered. There was no further discussion necessary. There was nothing else to say. The Host and their allies had the fresher horses and full quivers.The Alans had numbers but no heavy horse present, yet. The Host had answered Attila's call to war and now, nearly a year away from their homes in the forested steppe lands of modern-day Bukovina. At that moment they were wondering how few of them would ever see their horse herds roaming free this side of life.That was where my vision came in ~ that woman was 'Ishara', the last of my major bloodline of the first Ishara and this was the last hour of her life. The other two women were the only other two members of that vanishing bloodline. One was her aunt and the other a cousin. Despite the dire peril to their lineage, they joined their sisters in battle.Even though they were outnumber 2 to 1, the Amazons swept aside the first burst of Alans, scattering their bands and hunting the slowest of them down. Rushing alone to fill the gaping hole in the main battle lines was to abandon all tactical sense. Eighty Amazon heavy horse and perhaps twenty more Sarmatians ~ they were integrated now ~ alone simply weren't enough.For the roughly 300 lightly armored horse-archers, it would be a pointless suicide and that was not the Amazon way. Instead, they scattered the initial Alan rush then gently trotted back down the slope. Of course, the Alans regrouped and followed. It was the battle pulse of steppe skirmishing.By simply existing, they turned the rushing wave of that first Alan charge into a slowly strengthening tide. The Alans' mounts were tired and in need of water. Their quivers were nearly empty and some were seen at the top of the slope looting the quivers of the fallen. Whenever they could, the Amazons killed those clever souls.Killing an archer closer to you who only had two arrows left wasn't as economical as killing the one who was both dismounted, thus an easier shot, and about to have fifteen bolts to use against you. Without the constant harassment, the Gepids were able to keep their retreat orderly. In turn, the other Germanics farther to the right kept their mobs relatively intact as well.Their success earned them the inevitable enemy reaction. From his vantage point, the Roman Aetius saw the vulnerable and unsupported position the Amazons held. If he could push past the Amazon screen, he could still achieve a route instead of accepting a mere victory for his side. The solution was a force of

Choses à Savoir HISTOIRE
Quelle est la différence entre les Wisigoths et les Ostrogoths ?

Choses à Savoir HISTOIRE

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 2:45


Les Wisigoths et les Ostrogoths étaient deux branches principales du peuple goth, un groupe germanique qui joua un rôle important dans l'histoire de l'Europe pendant la période de la fin de l'Empire romain. Bien qu'ils partageaient des origines communes, ils se sont séparés et ont développé des histoires et des cultures distinctes. Origines et séparationLes Goths étaient originaires d'Europe de l'Est, et au IIIe siècle, ils se sont divisés en deux groupes principaux : les Wisigoths (« Goths de l'Ouest ») et les Ostrogoths (« Goths de l'Est »). Cette séparation géographique a conduit à des différences dans leur histoire et leur mode de vie. Les Wisigoths se sont installés plus à l'ouest, principalement dans la région de la mer Noire, tandis que les Ostrogoths sont restés plus à l'est, dans ce qui est aujourd'hui l'Ukraine et la Russie occidentale. Les WisigothsLes Wisigoths ont été parmi les premiers groupes barbares à entrer en contact avec l'Empire romain. Après avoir été poussés vers l'ouest par les invasions des Huns au IVe siècle, ils ont traversé le Danube et pénétré en territoire romain. En 378, ils ont infligé une défaite majeure aux Romains lors de la bataille d'Andrinople. En 410, sous la direction de leur roi Alaric, les Wisigoths ont même pris Rome, un événement marquant dans la chute de l'Empire romain d'Occident. Après avoir erré dans diverses régions, les Wisigoths ont fondé un royaume dans le sud de la Gaule (France actuelle) et en Hispanie (Espagne actuelle). Leur royaume, avec Toulouse comme première capitale, est devenu l'un des royaumes barbares les plus influents d'Europe occidentale après la chute de Rome en 476. Cependant, en 711, il fut conquis par les Arabes. Les OstrogothsLes Ostrogoths, quant à eux, sont restés sous la domination des Huns jusqu'à la mort d'Attila en 453, après quoi ils ont pu retrouver leur indépendance. Sous le leadership de leur roi Théodoric le Grand, ils se sont installés en Italie et ont fondé un puissant royaume en 493, prenant le contrôle de Rome et de la majeure partie de la péninsule italienne. Théodoric a cherché à maintenir une coexistence pacifique entre les Goths et les Romains, respectant les traditions romaines tout en assurant le pouvoir gothique. Cependant, leur royaume ne dura pas longtemps. Après la mort de Théodoric, l'Empire byzantin a lancé une série de campagnes pour reprendre l'Italie, et en 553, les Ostrogoths furent vaincus. ConclusionEn résumé, les Wisigoths et les Ostrogoths étaient deux branches distinctes des Goths qui ont évolué séparément après leur séparation au IIIe siècle. Les Wisigoths ont fondé un royaume en Gaule et en Espagne, tandis que les Ostrogoths ont établi un royaume en Italie. Bien qu'ils aient partagé des origines communes, leurs destins ont été influencés par leur localisation géographique et les contextes historiques dans lesquels ils ont évolué. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

El Scriptorium
Los ostrogodos y Teodorico el Grande

El Scriptorium

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2024 72:59


¡Vótame en los Premios iVoox 2024! Desde Escandinavia a la antigua Escitia, el pueblo gótico se lanzó en una migración que le llevó a convertirse en uno de los principales actores en la política de un Imperio Romano que cada día tenía mayores problemas. Aliándose con unos, derrotando y asimilando a otros, los godos alcanzaron el limes danubiano divididos en multitud de confederaciones tribales, de las que destacaron Tervingios y Greutungos. Presionados los segundos por el continuo empuje de los jinetes hunos, su confederación se vio disuelta; algunos entraron al servicio de los nuevos señores de la estepa y prosperaron siguiendo las órdenes de Atila; otros desbordaron la frontera romana en busca de una seguridad que cada día le costaba más proporcionar al Imperio. Ya en el siglo V, los restos de la confederación greutunga que se había mantenido a la sombra de los hunos, lograron recuperar su independencia bajo la dirección la dinastía Amala para instalarse en las tierras de Panonia como federados. Enfrentados a otros grupos góticos y germanos, así como a los propios emperadores de Constantinopla, entre esos godos surgirá la figura de Teodorico I el Grande. Fue con él y con las acciones militares que llevaron a su confederación a la conquista de Italia que se pueda dar por concluido el proceso de etnogénesis que engendró a los ostrogodos que dominaron el corazón mismo del desaparecido Imperio Romano de Occidente desde su conquista en el 488 hasta su derrota a manos de los bizantinos de Justiniano I en el 561. Si te gusta el contenido puedes dejar un me gusta y un comentario, así ayudáis al crecimiento del programa. Apoya a El Scriptorium haciéndote fan en iVoox: https://www.ivoox.com/support/1261356 O través de BIZUM: +34 614 23 58 90 Puedes ayudar a mejorar el programa rellenando esta breve encuesta que no te llevará más de cinco minutos: https://forms.gle/ejxSKwyVzcTToEqW6 Sigue a El Scriptorium en: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElScriptorium - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elscriptorium - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scriptoriumpodcast - Telegram: https://t.me/ElScriptorium - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elscriptorium/ Contacto: scriptoriumpodcast@protonmail.com Bibliografía: - Wiemer, H.U. (2023). Theodoric the Great. King of the Goths, Ruler of Romans. Yale University Press. - Heather, P. (2003). «Gens and Regnum Among the Ostrogoths». En Regna and Gentes. Brill. - Pohl, W. (2014). «Goths and Huns». In A Companion to Ethnicity in the Ancient Mediterranean. Wiley. - Soto Chica, J. (2020). Los Visigodos: hijos de un dios furioso. Desperta Ferro. - Burns, T. (1984). A History of the Ostrogoths. Indiana University Press. - Halsall, G. (2012). Las migraciones bárbaras y el occidente romano, 376-568. Publicacions de la Universitat de València. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Instant Trivia
Episode 1257 - Silent letter words - Bright "light"s - Cosmetic procedure - Wil(l), willem or william - "o" and "os"

Instant Trivia

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2024 6:39


Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1257, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Silent Letter Words 1: If you're "in the red", you're in this, not where you want to be financially. debt. 2: It's just a pterm for a ptremendous pterosaur. pterodactyl. 3: Lambeth or Staten Island, for example. a borough. 4: Ships usually "drop" this when they want to stay in place. an anchor. 5: Beating "Shoplifters" and "Cold War", "Roma" won the 2018 award in this Oscar category. Foreign Film. Round 2. Category: Bright LightS. With Light in quotation marks 1: An Alexandrian might know the word minaret comes from an Arabic word meaning this structure. Lighthouse. 2: It burned up the Billboard charts as the Doors' first Top 40 hit. "Light My Fire". 3: The technical term for this phenomenon is the Aurora Borealis. Northern Lights. 4: It's another name for Hanukkah. Festival/Feast of Lights. 5: It's approximately 300,000 kilometers per second. Speed of light. Round 3. Category: Cosmetic Procedure 1: This euphemism for a lift inspired the name of a TV series on which plastic surgery fan Joan Rivers played herself. Nip/Tuck. 2: What, no Rogaine? Cleopatra made a concoction of honey, burnt mice and bear grease as a cure for this. baldness. 3: At Shizuka NY Day Spa, nightingdale droppings go into a trendy facial named for these lovely Japanese entertainers. geishas. 4: We don't mean to be "arch", but Damone Roberts is the king of these facial features, which he's famous for shaping. eyebrows. 5: USA Today once dubbed it the "little neurotoxin that could"; if its name makes you frown, we bet you don't use it. botox. Round 4. Category: Wil(L), Willem Or William 1: Playing Alex Trebek hosting "Celebrity Jeopardy!", he noted, "Mr. Reynolds has apparently changed his name to Turd Ferguson". Will Ferrell. 2: After landing in a cloaked Klingon ship in Golden Gate Park in "Star Trek IV", this actor says, "Everybody remember where we parked". William Shatner. 3: In 2018 Willem Dafoe was all wet as Vulko, the trident-wielding trainer of this title superhero. Aquaman. 4: In 2020 Wil Lutz scored the first points in an NFL regular season game in this city for the visiting Saints against the Raiders. Las Vegas. 5: We got a kick out of watching William Zabka return to the dojo in the role of Johnny Lawrence on this Netflix show. Cobra Kai. Round 5. Category: O And Os. With O" And "Os in quotes 1: Synonym for antonym. Opposite. 2: Dog school. obedience. 3: This Egyptian god's many burial places were considered sacred ground. Osiris. 4: In 451 these Teutonic tribesmen joined with Attila in his expedition against Gaul. Ostrogoths. 5: The two Greek letters that fit this category. Omega and Omicron. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

Ba'al Busters Broadcast
Origins 4 Priestcraft and the Age of Deception

Ba'al Busters Broadcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 117:26


Base of Operations https://ftjmedia.com/channel/BaalBustersPRIESTS of LIES and Practitioners of Atrocity..."From Holy Men to Dark Magicians" Ep 6 of Asha Logos' "Our Subverted History" continues and we will Also go further into our investigation of these dark practitioners that have mankind on bent knee in worship and subjugation.AWESOME Hot Sauce: https://SemperFryLLC.com Use Code at site for 5% Off qualified purchases (over $22) I handcraft over 30 varieties of Award Winning Artisan, fresh, micro-batch hot sauces. Veteran Owned!Ba'al Busters channel: https://rumble.com/c/BaalBustersTwitter: https://twitter.com/DisguiseLimitsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/baalbusters/Telegram: https://t.me/BaalBustersStudiosPlease Read Click this GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/7vvgt-journey-homeGET COMMERCIAL FREE VIDEOS/PODCASTS and Exclusive Content: Become a Patron. https://Patreon.com/DisguisetheLimitsMyClean Source Creatine-HCL Use Coupon Code FANFAVORITE for 5% Offhttps://www.semperfryllc.com/store/p126/CreatineHCL.htmlSigned Copies of my book:https://www.semperfryllc.com/store/p93/Priestcraft%3A_Beyond_Babylon_%28Signed_Copy%29.htmlAmazon version of Priestcraft: Beyond Babylon 8.5x11 Paperback, Hardcover, & Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNGX53L7/Barnes & Noble: Priestcraft: Beyond Babylon 416 pages, and ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144402176KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/priestcraft-beyond-babylonBrighteon Store DISCOUNT Link: https://brighteonstore.com/BaalBustersTake Back Your Health NOW! DR PETER GLIDDEN, ND All-Access https://leavebigpharmabehind.com/?via=pgndhealthAdd to the Kristos Family Apocalypse Fund: https://GiveSendGo.com/BaalBustersDR MONZO Products: https://drmonzo.kartra.com/page/shopDR MONZO ATB BOOK: https://drmonzo.kartra.com/page/ATBBookUSE CODE: BaalBusters15 for 15% OFF Dr. MONZO's store itemsDr MONZO AzureWell https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/brand/azurewell/2326 and use code BB5 for 5% Off for Life!Get KRATOM HERE: https://klaritykratom.com/?ref=BaalBustersSupport the show and submit questions: https://buymeacoffee.com/BaalBustersHave you tired TRY BLUE? https://tryblue.refr.cc/baalbusters for 17% Off!SHIRTS & MERCH https://my-store-c960b1.creator-spring.com/THIS CHANNEL IS INDEPENDENT and has no sponsors but YOUBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ba-al-busters-broadcast--5100262/support.

Ba'al Busters Broadcast
Betrayal: The End of the Noble Goths & The Tale of Totila

Ba'al Busters Broadcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 125:18


We continue with the Asha Logos series, Our Subverted History with the betrayal of the Visigoths by the Yaoists/Jews who they took into their kingdom. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. The Parasite will Kill the Host.Please Read Click this GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/7vvgt-journey-homeAWESOME Hot Sauce: https://SemperFryLLC.com Use Code at site for 5% Off qualified purchases (over $22) I handcraft over 30 varieties of Award Winning Artisan, fresh, micro-batch hot sauces. Veteran Owned!Ba'al Busters channel: https://rumble.com/c/BaalBustersTwitter: https://twitter.com/DisguiseLimitsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/baalbusters/Telegram: https://t.me/BaalBustersStudiosPlease Read Click this GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/7vvgt-journey-homeGET COMMERCIAL FREE VIDEOS/PODCASTS and Exclusive Content: Become a Patron. https://Patreon.com/DisguisetheLimitsMy Clean Source Creatine-HCL Use Coupon Code FANFAVORITE for 5% Offhttps://www.semperfryllc.com/store/p126/CreatineHCL.htmlSigned Copies of my book:https://www.semperfryllc.com/store/p93/Priestcraft%3A_Beyond_Babylon_%28Signed_Copy%29.htmlAmazon version of Priestcraft: Beyond Babylon 8.5x11 Paperback, Hardcover, & Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNGX53L7/Barnes & Noble: Priestcraft: Beyond Babylon 416 pages, and ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144402176KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/priestcraft-beyond-babylonKristos Family Apocalypse Fund: https://GiveSendGo.com/BaalBustersBrighteon Store DISCOUNT Link: https://brighteonstore.com/BaalBustersTake Back Your Health NOW! DR PETER GLIDDEN, ND All-Access https://leavebigpharmabehind.com/?via=pgndhealthAdd to the Kristos Family Apocalypse Fund: https://GiveSendGo.com/BaalBustersDR MONZO Products: https://drmonzo.kartra.com/page/shopDR MONZO ATB BOOK: https://drmonzo.kartra.com/page/ATBBookUSE CODE: BaalBusters15 for 15% OFF Dr. MONZO's store itemsDr MONZO AzureWell https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/brand/azurewell/2326 and use code BB5 for 5% Off for Life!Get KRATOM HERE: https://klaritykratom.com/?ref=BaalBustersSupport the show and submit questions: https://buymeacoffee.com/BaalBustersHave you tired TRY BLUE? https://tryblue.refr.cc/baalbusters for 17% Off!SHIRTS & MERCH https://my-store-c960b1.creator-spring.com/THIS CHANNEL IS INDEPENDENT and has no sponsors but YOUBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ba-al-busters-broadcast--5100262/support.

Politiquement incorrect
Épisode jeudi 6 juin | «Message aux Ostrogoths!»

Politiquement incorrect

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024 135:35


Le projet X de Justin Trudeau | Voulons-nous d'un système d'éducation à deux vitesses? | Aujourd'hui marque le 80e anniversaire du Débarquement en Normandie : un devoir de leur rendre hommage | Denis Coderre, fin renard manipulateur   Dans cet épisode intégral du 6 juin, en entrevue :    David Bowles, président de la Fédération des établissements d'enseignement privés (FEEP). Frédéric Smith, historien et auteur. Fannie Perras, agente pivot au SPAL et Ghyslain Vallières.   Une production QUB Juin 2024Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

The Fall Of The Roman Empire
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 91 "Those Doomed to Suffer"

The Fall Of The Roman Empire

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2024 27:33


In the early 550s, with its economy and population recovering from the effects of the Justinianic Plague, Justinian launched a new offensive to subdue the Ostrogoths in Italy. This time the Roman army was well resourced and success looked likely. But would the cost of victory be worth it?For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Rome and Attila, on Amazon

The Fall Of The Roman Empire
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 83 "The Siege of Rome"

The Fall Of The Roman Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2024 28:00


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.

The Fall Of The Roman Empire
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 82 "The Kingdom of the Ostrogoths"

The Fall Of The Roman Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2024 22:01


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.

Noble Blood
Odoacer and Theodoric, the Barbarian Kings of the Roman Empire

Noble Blood

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2024 41:48 Transcription Available


The Western Roman Empire was conquered by Odoacer, who styled himself as the "King of Italy." But the leader of the Ostrogoths, a warrior named Theodoric, would challenge Odoacer for supremacy. But were both men just playing into the hands of the Eastern Roman Emperor? Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Survive the Jive Podcast
The Origin and Spread of Germanic Folk: NEW DNA evidence

Survive the Jive Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2024 68:59


In this Jive Talk I shall discuss the findings presented in the preprint of the new paper from McColl and colleagues entitled ‘Steppe Ancestry in western Eurasia and the spread of the Germanic Languages'. What does it tell us about where Germanic has its roots, how it spread in the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Migration era? How Germanic were the Lombards and Ostrogoths? Lots of new information is revealed. A huge breakthrough in Germanic studies!End music: Ansuz Society - Fuþorc Please support me: https://linktr.ee/SurvivetheJive

HistoryPod
2nd March 537: First Siege of Rome begins as the Ostrogoth army encircle the Byzantine forces of the general Belisarius

HistoryPod

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2024


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

The Madaxeman.com Podcast
Episode 100 - The Alicante Lists Podcast

The Madaxeman.com Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2024 118:09


Disproving the old adage that the best things in life are worth waiting for, the 100th episode of the Madaxeman Podcast thunders onto the airwaves with an epic, 6-handed special all the way from Spain, as myself, Dave From The Podcast & Aussie Simon are joined by Gordon, Revolutionary Dave and Mark to discuss and digest the lists we all used at the recent Alicante competition.   That means there is some sort of analysis of the Ancient Britons, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Mithradatics, Warring States Chinese and the countless  hordes of Aztecs shoehorned in among some tourism discussions, culinary observations, and insightful exposition about the contents of Spanish motorway service station vending machines - plus the first ever advert break to ever feature on a Madaxeman Podcast! This whole podcast is also available on the Madaxman YouTube channel where you can see pictures of the lists, some of the games and troops, as well as our tourism and eating exploits too. The army lists can all be found in the ADLG Wiki on the Madaxeman Website 

Sleepy Time Tales Podcast – Creating a restful mindset through relaxing bedtime stories
Retelling History for Bedtime - The Dark Ages, 476-918 by Charles Oman

Sleepy Time Tales Podcast – Creating a restful mindset through relaxing bedtime stories

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2023 36:47


Retelling History for Bedtime - The Dark Ages, 476-918 by Charles Oman While the history of the Western Roman Empire after the fall may be fascinating to many, to most it's probably so boring that tales of Theodoric, possibly the greatest Germanic king of Italy will be guaranteed to help you get a good night's sleep. Settle down, relax and drift away as tales of Franks, Visigoths and Ostrogoths wash over you in waves of soporific voice over. Story (03:09)  SleepPhones, our perfect partnership In our experience the best way to experience the bedtime stories of Sleepy Time Tales is with some type of headphone or earbud, but they can be cumbersome and uncomfortable. So we've partnered SleepPhones, manufacturers of headphones designed specifically to sleep in! They use a thin speaker fitted to a comfortable headband and have options from the cost effective wired headphones to the convenient Bluetooth model and will work with Sleepy Time Tales to improve your night's sleep. Use the below link to shop, and support Sleepy Time Tales https://sleepytimetales.net/sleepphones Sleepy Time Tales Merch and Stuff I've been putting up a lot of new designs on Teepublic Not all of the designs are Sleepy Time Tales branded, actually most aren't, so you can support the podcast without needing to emblazon the logo on yourself.

The Fall Of The Roman Empire
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 68 "The Rise of the Ostrogoths"

The Fall Of The Roman Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2023 23:27


The Western Empire has fallen. In the East, Rome stands firm despite the failure of its  expedition to recover North Africa. But a new power is emerging: the Ostrogoths.

Tout savoir en 24 minutes
Arrestation spectaculaire : ils violent et séquestrent un homme de 30 ans et tentent de s'enfuir

Tout savoir en 24 minutes

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2023 22:29


Des allures de fin du monde à Hawaii. Les hôpitaux sont toujours en crise au Québec. Michael Sabia et le nucléaire. Arrestation spectaculaire du SPVM. Les jeunes se foutent des finances ! Les premiers touristes spatiaux ont atteint l'espace. James Awad, notre tête d'affiche des Ostrogoths de retour dans l'actualité… à cause de concours illégaux sur Instagram.  Tout savoir en 24 minutes avec Charlotte Duquette, journaliste à la recherche chez QUB radio.Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

Restitutio
504 Early Church History 22: Byzantine Empire from Constantine to Justinian

Restitutio

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 59:32


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.

Restitutio
501 Early Church History 19: Arian Kingdoms from Ulfilas to Clovis

Restitutio

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023 42:54


This is part 19 of the Early Church History class. Even though the Roman Empire chose Nicene Christianity as it's "orthodoxy," subordinationist Christianity continued to exist, especially outside among the Germanic tribes. In this episode, you'll learn about Ulfilas the Missionary to the Goths who not only brought Christianity to these "barbarians," but also made them an alphabet and translated most of the bible into Gothic. Next, we'll briefly survey the major Germanic tribes, including the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Burgundians, Lombards, and finally the Franks. This little known chapter of history when the Arian kingdoms took over the Roman Empire had a massive effects on Europe and North Africa for centuries to come. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP9T3V1AWIs&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=19&t=27s&pp=iAQB —— Links —— See also 494 Early Church History 12: Arius and Alexander of Alexandria and 423 One God 13: The Fourth Century 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 —— Ulfilas, Missionary to the Goths 340 Subordinationist bishops ordained Ulfilas bishop to the Visigoths 341-347 lived with the Goths and preached to them Ulfilas translated the Bible into Gothic. Rule of Faith: “I believe in one God the Father, alone ingenerate and invisible, and in his only-begotten Son, our Lord and God, artificer and maker of the whole creation, who has nobody like him–therefore there is one God the Father of all who is also God of our God–and in one Holy Spirit, the power which illuminates and sanctifies, as Christ said after the resurrection to his apostles, and he (i.e. the Spirit) is not God nor our God, but the minister of Christ ... subordinate and obedient in all things to the Son, and the Son subordinate and obedient in all things to his God and Father…”[1] Huns The Huns were a nomadic confederation of Mongolian tribes who began entering Europe in the fourth century. Ammianus Marcellinus described them as utter savages who never bathed or changed their clothes and lived on their horses. Atilla the Hun (r. 434-453) attacked Persia, the Balkans, Constantinople, Gaul, and Italy, terrifying many within the Roman Empire (both East and West). Visigoths Eudoxius, Bishop of Constantinople (r. 360-370) succeeding in establishing communion with Visigoths Eudoxius was an Anomean (Heteroousian) like Eunomius 376 Visigoths petitioned the emperor to enter the Roman Empire. Permission was granted, but local Roman leaders badly mistreated the Visigoths. 377 Visigoths rebelled. 378 Visigoths defeated and killed Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianople. 410 Alaric sacked and looted Rome. 418 Visigoths settled in Gaul, then Spain 589 Visigoths converted to Catholicism at the Council of Toledo. Ostrogoths 453 Atilla the Hun died, resulting in rebellion against the Huns. 476 Odoacer removed the last western Roman Augustus from power (Romulus Augustulus). 488-493 Byzantine Emperor Zeno asked Theodoric and Ostrogoths to conquer Italy and rule as his client. 493 Theodoric and Ostrogoths began ruling Italy as Arians over Roman Catholics. 535 Byzantine Emperor Justinian conquered Ostrogoths and retook Italy. Vandals 406 The Vandals crossed into Gaul, then into Spain in 409. Rome instigated the Visigoths (also in Spain) to attack the Vandals. 419 More Vandals came into Spain. 426 Vandals began raiding North Africa. 428 Under Gaiseric, 80,000 Vandals crossed the Strait of Gibraltar. 430 They conquered most of North Africa (Mauretania). Gaiseric was a devoted Arian who pillaged Catholic churches. The Vandals ruled North Africa for a century over the Roman Catholics. 455 They reinvaded Spain and Italy, sacking Rome. 533 Byzantine Emperor Justinian conquered the Vandals and retook North Africa. Burgundians 451 Arian Burgundians fought Atilla the Hun on behalf of Rome. 470 Migrated to Gaul and took Lyons 532 Franks defeated Burgundians, absorbing them. Lombards 568 Audoin the Lombard recruited a massive army made up of several barbarian tribes and invaded Italy. 574 Lombards split Italy into 30+ regions under the command of dukes (duces). Lombard kings were Arian from 6th century until Adaloald in 615 By late 7th century, the Lombards became Roman Catholics. Franks Childeric I (r. 457-481) began uniting Frankish tribes. Clovis I (r. 481-511) killed his rivals and became sole king of the Franks, establishing the Merovingian dynasty, which lasted until 751. Chlotild, the wife of Clovis I, was a Roman Catholic who tried to convince Clovis to become a Christian. 496 In a war with the Alamanni, he was losing and prayed to Christ for military victory. After he won, he and 3,000 from his army converted. Joseph Lynch: “The Franks turned out to be the toughest barbarians.”[2] The Franks flourished until the eighth century and were the ancestors of modern France, Germany, Italy, Holland, and Belgium. Review Subordinationist Bishop Ulfilas went on a mission to preach Christ to the Goths in the middle of the fourth century. Ulfilas invented a Gothic alphabet and translated the Bible into their language, sparking a movement that eventually led to the conversion of most of the Germanic tribes to Arian Christianity. When hordes of fierce Huns migrated West into Europe, Gothic tribes began migrating into the Roman Empire. Under Alaric, the Arian Visigoths conquered much of the Italian peninsula and even sacked Rome in 410 before migrating to Gaul and Spain. In the fifth century, Arian Ostrogoths under Theodoric conquered Italy and established themselves as a ruling class over the Trinitarian Romans there. In the fifth century, Arian Vandals conquered Spain then migrated to North Africa where they ruled for a century until the time of Justinian. In the fifth century, Arian Burgundians conquered and occupied Gaul until the Franks absorbed them in the sixth century. In the sixth century, Arian and Pagan Lombards conquered much of Italy, but converted to Trinitarian Catholicism in the seventh century. In the late fifth century, Clovis I, king of the Franks, converted from paganism to Trinitarian Christianity, eventually extending influence over surrounding Germanic tribes. From the fourth to the seventh centuries, Germanic tribes who held to Arian Christianity invaded and conquered much of the western Roman Empire, but either faced defeat by Justinian or else converted to Roman Catholicism. [1] Auxentius, Letter of Auxentius in R. P. C. Hanson, The Search for a Christian Doctrine of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic 2007), 105. [2] Joseph Lynch, Early Christianity (New York: Oxford, 2010), 234.

Archways: Western Civilization History Podcast for Families
Italian City States: Florence's flourishing Part 1

Archways: Western Civilization History Podcast for Families

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 16:45


In this episode you will learn about a Roman fort that turned into a retirement community for veterans of the legions. They moved out of the mountains and into the valley, establishing a key trading hub that became the gateway to northern Italy. For this reason, the city was quarreled over by the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines. Eventually, their fighting reduced the city to rubble. Fortunately, visionary and faithful leaders like Charlemagne, Hugh the Great, and Contessa Matilda would see to it that Florence rise again. It would become the capital of Tuscany, and it would become the Pope's choice city to oversee his banks. Florence would then become the mint for the world's monetary standard: the gold florin. In this time of prosperity, Florence decided to give power to its people and guilds. They established a unique democracy with incredibly short terms of service for government officers. Immediately, the nobles and external powers such as the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire sought to take advantage of the little democracy. Yet, the people of Florence continually succeeded in fighting to preserve the fledgling institution. The one thing their democracy could not survive, however, was internal division. In this episode we will discuss the sorry state of their democracy when they exiled Dante Alighieri, one of their greatest citizens. In spite of the wickedness of this act, it actually galvanized Dante to process how this could happen to him, inspiring him to write one of the greatest poems ever created: the Divine Comedy. The success of this poem gave rise to the Florentine dialect, resulting in all of Italy speaking in the Florentine way. Even today, modern Italian is derived from Florentine. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/douglas-archibald6/support

Catholic Saints & Feasts
May 18: Saint John I, Pope and Martyr

Catholic Saints & Feasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2023 6:51


May 18: Saint John I, Pope and Martyr c. Late Fifth Century–526 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red The pope is crushed in a secular vice by two worldly masters The early Popes were Roman citizens who retained their birth or baptismal names upon being elected to the See of Peter. Their names perfectly reflect a flourishing Roman culture rather than the Christian subculture which was gradually budding and flowering in its midst. So there are Popes Clement, Linus, Anacletus, Sixtus, Victor, Callixtus, Urban, and Fabian. It sounds like a roll call of Roman senators in white togas seated on the marble benches of the Forum. It is not until 254 that Pope Stephen bears a name from the New Testament and not until 336 does Pope Mark honor an Evangelist. Considering the centrality of Saints John the Evangelist and John the Baptist to the Christian story, it is surprising that five hundred years transpired before today's saint, Pope John I, so honored their memory. A pope is only called the “First” once there's a “Second.” In 533 a man named Mercurius succeeded today's John as Bishop of Rome. Mercurius' birth name was so overtly pagan—honoring the Roman God Mercury—that he chose to honor his martyred predecessor John by adopting his same name. Mercurius thus initiated the venerable tradition of a pope adopting a new name upon his election. At the same time he also retroactively turned Pope John into Pope John I. The flow of the early martyrs' blood had long since ceased by John I's election in 523. There was no emperor or court even left in Rome by 523 for barbarians to attack. The traditional date of the fall of the Western Roman Empire is 476. John I was, then, the pope of a declining, far western outpost of an empire whose central government had been in Constantinople for almost two hundred years by John I's election. Rome was fading. The Empire's long, slow decline in Italy had created a vacuum. Rugged tribes of the North, including the Ostrogoths (Eastern Goths), poured south into the warm valleys and cultured towns of the Italian countryside and saturated Rome itself. The Ostrogoths had called the Italian peninsula home for so long that, by the sixth century, they were part Roman, part barbarian, and part Christian. Borderlands are always a mix. For complex historical reasons, the Ostrogoths and their Italian ruler, Theodoric, were Arians. Their prior isolation in Northern Europe had prohibited them from absorbing the teachings of the fourth-century Councils of Nicea and Constantinople. So the Ostrogoths were unaware that the Church had decisively rejected the Arian heresy, which held that Christ was a god, but not the God. It was amidst these tense political and religious circumstances that poor Pope John I was placed in an impossible situation. John was caught between the Emperor Justin in remote Constantinople, who exercised significant control over Church discipline, and Theodoric, who was standing right at his side, breathing down his neck. Justin had issued an edict ordering the Arians, including the Ostrogoths in Italy, to surrender their churches to the Catholics. Theodoric would have none of it. He was as angry as a hornet. To him, it was the first step toward Constantinople reasserting its control over Italy, something the Ostrogoths would resist to the death. So Theodoric sent Pope John at the head of a large embassy of Roman dignitaries to Constantinople to demand that Justin withdraw the edict. Pope John obediently went. He was greeted in the capital with elaborate ceremony and honored as head of the Church. But he could not, and did not, secure what Theodoric so desired. It was impossible. The edict was binding. When Pope John and his party crossed the Adriatic Sea to return to Rome, they landed at Ravenna. Theodoric, who had heard of Pope John's failure to have the edict rescinded, imprisoned him. And there the Pope died, in Ravenna, perhaps of shock, perhaps of mistreatment. His blood did not run red like the martyrs of old, but he died a victim for Christ nonetheless, unable to simultaneously satisfy two powerful secular masters. John I's mortal remains were returned to Rome. In keeping with the custom for all popes since Pope Leo the Great (440–461), Pope John I was interred in the nave of the Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter. When the new St. Peter's was built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, John's tomb did not surface nor did any epitaph. But Pope Saint John I is still there, somewhere, under the floor of St. Peter's, arms crossed, facing up, ring on his bony finger, vested in gold, miter crowning his head, as waves of tourists walk on the marble floor above him. He rests in peace, forgotten to but a few. Pope Saint John I, your fidelity to your vocation as Pope led to your death. You were faithful in the face of threats from civil power but did not bend to its will. May all popes look to your example for inspiration in leading the Church.

History Extra podcast
Goths: everything you wanted to know

History Extra podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2023 61:16


What's the difference between the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths? Why did the Goths have whole settlements devoted to the production of combs? And were these Germanic tribes really responsible for the fall of the Western Roman empire? Speaking with Emily Briffett, Professor Peter Heather answers listener questions on the uncertain and complex history of the Goths, from debates around their origins to their later interactions with the Huns and the Franks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dark Ages Podcast
Friends & Neighbors

The Dark Ages Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2023 30:32


500 - 511 CE Theodoric and Cassiodorus work to prevent war in Western Europe, while crafting an image of imperial majesty. In the end, it works out pretty well for the Ostrogoths. Episode Website 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

Why Did Peter Sink?
Why I am Catholic (part 1): Guilt is Not a Doctrine

Why Did Peter Sink?

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 24:21


I bought into a kind of mentality for a few decades where I would shake my head at the portrait of the faithful Christians as a bunch of superstitious, inbred fools. For quite some time, I could not revert to belief, because it meant letting go of many of my assumptions and biases. I wanted certainty. I had ingested from years of education, television, and gobs of self-help new-age fluff. Having lived some forty years, it became increasingly clear that a long campaign to bash and re-write Christian history has been the motive of many of my educators and most of the media that I've consumed. There was a clear villain, especially in public school and (oddly enough) the Catholic university I attended for one year before transferring to a public university. I lost my faith at a Catholic university. Today I feel like I paid $14,000 in my freshman year to have my soul amputated, which was an unexpected surgery. The enemy in classrooms was the Church. It wasn't always said directly, and was often more like a flank attack on every single teaching of the Church. But behind the “teachings” was always the Catholic Church. I put “teachings” in quotes because most of what I was taught turned out to be very loose on details and often directly dishonest. The accusation was not always made directly at the Church, but when the direct inverse of faith and morals was being taught, the wind from my professors, which I was paying for, was set on full sail toward anti-religion. Honestly, I have to wonder for a few if it wasn't kind of a thrill to teach history or philosophy at a Catholic university and actively try to kill a student's faith. Everything that the Church held sacred was discarded, and seemed almost a part of the core curriculum, literally, on nearly every doctrine of faith and morals. This may sound like exaggeration, but if I have enough time I will go into it further, and I have covered it in some degree in prior posts. Obviously it wasn't only the college experience, but television and the internet as well, and my own need to rebel and get buck-wild as much as possible, from Thursday to Sunday night if I could swing it. Four dollars bought a plastic cup at “all you can drink” house-parties, and with a fake ID, three beers for a buck at the bars. I could get hammered on the cheap. I took school seriously, but the extra-curricular of drinking was a close second. I often wonder why I even went to college because I could have learned to program and code myself, but instead I paid a lot of money to read books (that I could have read at home) and lost my faith and meaning in life. But I do love learning and reading, so I lapped it up, but the fruit of my education was full of worms for a long, long time, until I finally slipped on my own rotten banana peel and hit bottom.Somehow I was seeking answers and oblivion at the same time, and by the end of my freshman year, I had all the answers I needed. There was no God. Jesus was just a human teacher, like Buddha, or Bill Nye. The divine never broke through into our world. Miracles were ludicrous. The universe has always existed, and evolution explains it all. Now it was time for Metallica and shots of Blue 100 and Aftershock, Jag-bombs, straight whiskey. Eat, drink, and get wrecked, for tomorrow we die! Oh - and make money. Everyone assured me that money was very important, and that my American pursuit of happiness really, really needed money. So I really only saw oblivion and self-determination as the road ahead to any kind of meaning. And that is how I purchased the product that the culture and college were selling. There was a sales pitch happening with much fanfare and intellectualizing and it felt a lot like how I came to take my first drink, which was by peer pressure and wanting to be cool and counter-cultural. While the cheerleaders of the modern world assured me that “justification by STEM alone” and the unending song of “Believe in yourself” promised a glorious future kingdom on earth, the progress toward the utopia, whether by science, humanism, capitalism or socialism, didn't match the sales pitch. In the end, the shiny product I bought to be cool turned out to be Ford Pinto that exploded when life rear-ended it. When you are selling a product, you craft a story. This is critical in sales, and academics and business people have gone to great lengths to craft and hone their tales, and if you don't think so, if you turn on a radio, TV, or open your phone, within seconds you will be ingesting a crafted story, professionally made just for your eyes, ears, tongue, and stomach to desire. However, the crafted sales pitch is only one-third of making a sale. The second part is the demonstration, and the third part is proving it. Now, a “demo” can be every bit of smoke and mirrors as the pitch, and often is. For a company I once worked for, I was tasked with creating a “demonstration” for a keynote speaker for our companies largest annual event. To show how great our software was, we created an app that showed meters and gauges wobbling and measuring temperature and wind speed. It looked amazing, useful, cutting-edge. And it was all fake. We used fake data and the app was connected to no real world hardware, no wires, no live data. For another demo, I had to create a long series of click-through screens to show how well our product worked, with transitions to mimic a mouse click, so that the presenter could appear to be using the actual app. But there was no app. It was all just images appearing to look like the application. The demo was a magic trick. But it looked good. When a keynote speech is delivered, nothing can go wrong in the slides or demonstration. That was made clear to me, hence the need for the fake app and the click-through images. Nothing could go wrong. Even with the fake data, I was assured that if the demo errored or failed somehow, I would be looking for a new job. When I left that company, I joined one that didn't play the same games and it felt much more authentic, because we were showing and selling the actual product, without smoke and mirrors, or as little smoke and mirrors as possible. Customers appreciated this. Employees appreciated this. Being a “demo-dawg” means having to dance in front of the customer, but it's far more enjoyable when what you are showing actually exists and if it fails, you speak honestly about the problem. Authenticity: that is what people really want today, but the smoke-and-mirrors of the screens attract us like moths to the bug zapper. The third part of selling is the proof that it works. This is of course the most important part of all, because repeat sales do not happen with this piece, because in the end it's the only thing that really matters. A good salesperson can sell a piece a junk one time, but then he had better move on to the next town, because the jig is up when the product fails. Charlatans get caught, because reality always test and proves out the claims of both the story pitch and the demonstration. Remember the old Castrol GTX oil commercials? They showed engines running at high RPMs with a low quality oil. Of course, the engine with the lesser oil seized up in a dramatic clunk (while an engine with Castrol oil clearly would have kept hammering the piston like a sewing machine). The story was that Castrol protected your engine “from viscosity and thermal breakdown", which turned on every car guy and armchair engineer, and presumably even men who had no idea what those terms meant. (These were shown during NFL football games, as the target audience was men and boys who liked gladiator games and powerful engines as a substitute for their own insecurities and feelings of powerlessness…but I digress.) The demonstration in the commercial recorded engine breakdown at high RPMs, which made for a compelling story for the Castrol claim, which was: “Our oil is high quality and performs under pressure.” But the real test was always in the real world, not the advertisement or the demo. No one knows what engine was used, or if the gauges were even real. In other words, to keep selling a product, there has to be something more than words, more than just the demo. It must actually do what is promised. Marketing acts as the prophet, demonstrators (a.k.a. “demo-dawgs”) perform the sign, and the usage is the proof, the fulfillment of the prophecy. If the ball is dropped anywhere along the way through this gauntlet of sales, you don't make the second sale. Sure, for a while you can fool people, because companies can and do step up their marketing and sales games, but it cannot last forever. The cracks eventually show. We consumers may be stupid, but we are not completely stupid. Sometimes a failed idea that sold well can even take a few centuries to play out, as the marketing story sounds so good you just can't believe your eyes that it failed. (Here I am alluding directly to the stories and pitches of Karl Marx, the absurd demonstrations of Potemkin Villages, and the proof of the utter and complete failures of organizing a society around anything that even touches his ideas. Yet, we want to try it again…but I digress.) We are seeing the cracks today in four ideas that have dominated the past two centuries: socialism, capitalism, humanism, and scientism. All four of these, in their actual testing, have proven flawed beyond repair. The reason is simple. They all push God off the stage so that the sacred Self can be the center of all things. That alone is the flaw. These ideas in these ideologies alone are not bad, but anything that fails to include God as the highest good will fall into disorder. There is no other way. Order and disorder come from a cosmic, theological law of spirituality. There are laws of physics, yes. Then there are the higher laws: the laws of spirits. God is the author of life, of this book, so he chooses the ending, and any mere mortal that fails to follow the Greeks advice to “Know thyself” is writing himself clear out of the book. Knowing thyself means knowing humility before God, and as I've said before, most people don't seem to have a problem with that idea. Humility before God and thanksgiving to God is the point of religion, the purpose of all prayer, but we so easily forget that. Most people today would say I'm wrong. They would say that the one thing that has proven flawed is Catholicism. It's backwards, they say, forgetting that universities and hospitals came to be without it. It's sexist, they say, ignoring that women make up more of the Church and had more to do with starting the Church than any other religion in history. It's racist, they say, while it is in every country with every type of person imaginable who join together daily worldwide for Mass. They accuse it of many things. Its enemies are everywhere. But what I've come to learn is that few people, not even most Catholics, understand Catholicism very well. Much of what is known covers only the scandals of the church itself, which it certainly has its share of. Most people think it's just a list of rules, for a bunch of guilt-ridden fools. But by far the most divisive and false beliefs about the Church come from active campaigns of misinformation, libel, and slander. And lastly, millions of fallen away Catholics had a bad example as their icon of faith, who screamed and hollered and obviously misunderstood the whole thing, too. The common chorus is “I am a victim of Catholic Guilt.” Dear readers: Catholic guilt is not a doctrine of the Church. Joy, however, is. What a shame that no one knows this. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the word guilt appears four times. The word joy appears forty-six times. Something has been lost, or misinterpreted, in the translation and delivery of the Church teaching. Here's my point: no one ever built a cathedral out of guilt. No one ever did the unnecessary toil of lugging massive amounts of stone across the ground in order to hang up a set of rules on the wall. No one built statues or made sacred art or wrote hymns because of their guilt. All of these things were done for the joy that Christ gives to his followers. This association of guilt with the Church is the greatest tragedy of modern times, because it's so utterly incorrect, and it is largely a manufactured fib that has now been passed down generations. People who treat the faith like just another Elk's Club or Costco membership have completely missed the point. Costco followers have not yet built a Notre Dame or Salamanca Cathedral. It's far more than an identity, it's salvation, rest, peace, joy. (And by the way, feeling guilty is the correct emotion if you did do something wrong. It's appropriate. But if that's all you learned about Catholicism, you know nothing, just as I did not.)Now what floors me, over and over, as you comb through the history of the Church, is that through all of the persecutions and attempts to stifle it, it does not die. It returns. This is maddening to its enemies. Every earthly kingdom that has put resources into destroying it, whether by sword or tongue (which are often used as synonyms) have failed to complete the job. Why? How can the nearly unlimited resources of emperors and kings, with their armies of soldiers and intellectuals, fail to destroy the Body of Christ? I can tell you why. It's because they already tried it once on the Cross, and the same resurrection that happened with Jesus happens with those that he calls. It cannot be killed. But why? The reason is joy. The reason is that once you are lost and found again, the joy cannot be replaced by anything else in this world. For those who God calls, there is no replacement, no backup plan, no second option. All of what was desired before becomes absurd once Jesus finds his chosen followers. The question of “why?” doesn't have an answer beyond “joy.” The rest is the mystery, and the mystery is glorious.So the reason that it has lasted is because orthodox Christianity is the one thing that has worked for bringing joy to the world. It has worked for 2,000 years. It will work for as long as God keeps our story in the Messianic Age that we are now in, the third act, as we await the return. It has been proven to work. This is the product that has reviews from every generation, shouting that “This Jesus really does what he promises!” Tested repeatedly through the centuries, the results show through clearly. For those announcing its demise today, they will be disappointed just as every other group or king that tried to kill it by violence, propaganda, mockery, and indifference, and there have been many: Napoleon, Nero, Diocletian, Julian the Apostate, Suleyman, the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Visigoths, the Vikings, Henry VIII, Marx, Stalin, Lenin, Pol Pot, Hitler, Mao, Robespierre, and even Thomas Jefferson. That's just a short list of names. Christianity has been pronounced dead before. During the siege of Constantinople (A.D. 674–678), some were crying that the last days of Christian Rome had come, and that the armies of the Prophet would soon wipe out Christendom, as they had already destroyed Sasanian Persia and its ancient religion. In the thirteenth century, as Machiavelli observed, trust in the Catholic Church, mired as it then was in corruption and infested with heretics, only survived thanks to the holiness of Sts. Francis and Dominic. Prognosticators foresaw the collapse of Christian Europe after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, but two centuries later, following the Battle of Vienna in 1683, it was the Turks who were driven out of Europe. The French Revolution tried to de-Christianize France, but that campaign lasted less than a dozen years. (First Things)Nothing lasts like faith in Jesus. We know this God can't be killed. From history alone we know this is a fact. From the Cross to the tomb, we know this. It is a repeated and ever-present truth of The Way, with the uncomfortable reality being that Jesus isn't dead. God is a living God. So even though many today like to point to the flaws alone, the scandals, and call that the totality of Catholicism, there is something far more going on. At some point it doesn't even make sense that this thing would continue given all of the energy put forth to snuff it out. If that seems like I'm generalizing, read about the martyrs and the saints. Read about how the Church nearly died, time and again, only to re-emerge again. In real time today, I'm witnessing the onslaught of the world against the Church, from professors to internet atheists to national governments, all who go out of their way to attack and blame Christianity for all the world's ills. It almost feels like a game, or a joke, as the blame and accusations pile up. At some point, when considering it all, I even laugh, because the dogpile is so uneven and absurd. And that absurd imbalance leads to questions, as the resilience of this Church surpasses any other institution in human history. The big question that began to stick out like a sore thumb had less to do with the Church than with its enemies. The more you see a someone or something being attacked, the more you start to wonder about the attackers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.whydidpetersink.com

The Dark Ages Podcast
Boldness Be My Friend

The Dark Ages Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2022 29:13


479 to 488 Rocky relations between Theodoric and Zeno lead to ups and downs for the Ostrogoths, along with many diversions and detours in their search for a stable home. Finally, an opportunity arises in Italy, and Theodoric moves boldly in the direction of one last gamble. Maps for this episode. 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

The Dark Ages Podcast
A Balkan Bust-Up

The Dark Ages Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2022 40:20


c. 460 to 479 CE We welcome to the stage Theodoric, soon to be Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. In the process we catch up on the overwritten soap opera that was politics in Constantinople in the 470s. It's a wild ride.   Title Music: "The Britons" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Unscripted History Podcast
Episode 26 Post Roman North Africa Part 3 - Ostrogoths

Unscripted History Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2022 54:53


Another installment on our season 3 topic. This one focusing on the Ostrogothic conquest of roman lands leading to one of the greatest catastrophe's in the history of the empire.

Catholic Saints & Feasts
May 18: Saint John I, Pope and Martyr

Catholic Saints & Feasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2022 6:50


May 18: Saint John I, Pope and Martyrc. Late Fifth Century–526Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: RedThe pope is crushed in a secular vice by two worldly mastersThe early Popes were Roman citizens who retained their birth or baptismal names upon being elected to the See of Peter. Their names perfectly reflect a flourishing Roman culture rather than the Christian subculture which was gradually budding and flowering in its midst. So there are Popes Clement, Linus, Anacletus, Sixtus, Victor, Callixtus, Urban, and Fabian. It sounds like a roll call of Roman senators in white togas seated on the marble benches of the Forum. It is not until 254 that Pope Stephen bears a name from the New Testament and not until 336 does Pope Mark honor an Evangelist.Considering the centrality of Saints John the Evangelist and John the Baptist to the Christian story, it is surprising that five hundred years transpired before today's saint, Pope John I, so honored their memory. A pope is only called the “First” once there's a “Second.” In 533 a man named Mercurius succeeded today's John as Bishop of Rome. Mercurius' birth name was so overtly pagan—honoring the Roman God Mercury—that he chose to honor his martyred predecessor John by adopting his same name. Mercurius thus initiated the venerable tradition of a pope adopting a new name upon his election. At the same time he also retroactively turned Pope John into Pope John I.The flow of the early martyrs' blood had long since ceased by John I's election in 523. There was no emperor or court even left in Rome by 523 for barbarians to attack. The traditional date of the fall of the Western Roman Empire is 476. John I was, then, the pope of a declining, far western outpost of an empire whose central government had been in Constantinople for almost two hundred years by John I's election. Rome was fading.The Empire's long, slow decline in Italy had created a vacuum. Rugged tribes of the North, including the Ostrogoths (Eastern Goths), poured south into the warm valleys and cultured towns of the Italian countryside and saturated Rome itself. The Ostrogoths had called the Italian peninsula home for so long that, by the sixth century, they were part Roman, part barbarian, and part Christian. Borderlands are always a mix. For complex historical reasons, the Ostrogoths and their Italian ruler, Theodoric, were Arians. Their prior isolation in Northern Europe had prohibited them from absorbing the teachings of the fourth-century Councils of Nicea and Constantinople. So the Ostrogoths were unaware that the Church had decisively rejected the Arian heresy, which held that Christ was a god, but not the God.It was amidst these tense political and religious circumstances that poor Pope John I was placed in an impossible situation. John was caught between the Emperor Justin in remote Constantinople, who exercised significant control over Church discipline, and Theodoric, who was standing right at his side, breathing down his neck. Justin had issued an edict ordering the Arians, including the Ostrogoths in Italy, to surrender their churches to the Catholics. Theodoric would have none of it. He was as angry as a hornet. To him, it was the first step toward Constantinople reasserting its control over Italy, something the Ostrogoths would resist to the death. So Theodoric sent Pope John at the head of a large embassy of Roman dignitaries to Constantinople to demand that Justin withdraw the edict. Pope John obediently went. He was greeted in the capital with elaborate ceremony and honored as head of the Church. But he could not, and did not, secure what Theodoric so desired. It was impossible. The edict was binding.When Pope John and his party crossed the Adriatic Sea to return to Rome, they landed at Ravenna. Theodoric, who had heard of Pope John's failure to have the edict rescinded, imprisoned him. And there the Pope died, in Ravenna, perhaps of shock, perhaps of mistreatment. His blood did not run red like the martyrs of old, but he died a victim for Christ nonetheless, unable to simultaneously satisfy two powerful secular masters. John I's mortal remains were returned to Rome. In keeping with the custom for all popes since Pope Leo the Great (440–461), Pope John I was interred in the nave of the Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter. When the new St. Peter's was built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, John's tomb did not surface nor did any epitaph. But Pope Saint John I is still there, somewhere, under the floor of St. Peter's, arms crossed, facing up, ring on his bony finger, vested in gold, miter crowning his head, as waves of tourists walk on the marble floor above him. He rests in peace, forgotten to but a few.Pope Saint John I, your fidelity to your vocation as Pope led to your death. You were faithful in the face of threats from civil power but did not bend to its will. May all popes look to your example for inspiration in leading the Church.

History of the World podcast
Vol 4 Ep 14 - Romano-Barbaric Italy ( Ostrogoths / Lombards )

History of the World podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2022 74:18


476 - 774 - The fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 did not signal the end of romanitas in the Italian peninsula, but it does signal the injection of Germanic culture there. It should have added depth to the peninsula, but instead it brought bloodshed and poverty.

Timesuck with Dan Cummins
282 - Attila the Hun: Evil or Slandered?

Timesuck with Dan Cummins

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022 133:33


Attila the Hun! Does his name conjure up images of savagery in your mind? Of a bloodthirsty warrior-king who ruthlessly tortured and killed his enemies as he sacked city after city?  An especially barbaric man who stood out for violence in a time known for so much violence? OR - was he a man of his times? Was he no more or less violent than the Romans, whose historians wrote his story? And when they wrote his story, how much was truth and how much was hyperbole and slander? Today we look into 5th century CE Europe, when the Western Roman Empire is falling, when Attila and his Huns are sacking city after city. We try to separate fact from fiction, and get to know the real Attila, not the evil cartoon presented in clickbait articles and videos. The Bad Magic Charity of the month is SEO: Sponsors for Educational Opportunity. SEO's mission is to create a more equitable society by closing the opportunity gap for young people from historically excluded communities. To find out more, go to seo-use.orgWatch the Suck on YouTube: https://youtu.be/95AGdmpbw88Merch - https://badmagicmerch.com/  Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious private Facebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" in order to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard?  Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcastSign up through Patreon and for $5 a month you get to listen to the Secret Suck, which will drop Thursdays at Noon, PST. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch. You get to vote on two Monday topics each month via the app. And you get the download link for my new comedy album, Feel the Heat. Check the Patreon posts to find out how to download the new album and take advantage of other benefits.

Big Blue Bent
Season 2, Episode 1: Les Ostrogoths!

Big Blue Bent

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2022 82:01


Full panel of Montreal-based Conservatives (host Jeff Joseph and panelists Matthew Conway, Christine Maydossian, Dr. Roy Eappen, Robert Presser and Dino Mazzone) kick off their first podcast of 2022 with assorted analysis of where Canada has evolved during the pandemic and where it might be going from economic, medical, and social standpoints. Discussions ensue over the latest rounds of curfews, lockdowns and other restrictions, the state of the Canadian healthcare system (because somebody needs to already), and those evil non-vaccinated and, especially, those Sunwing private charter travellers. We also look at Canada's fascinating experiment with a nationalized rapid home test distribution plan. Finally, there's a little bit of Russia and, wait for it, Dino's fearless Super Bowl Prediction (?!?!) Overall, a lightening fast 75 minutes of time well wasted. 

History of the World podcast
Vol 4 Ep 6 - The Byzantine Empire, Part One

History of the World podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 52:11


395 - 628 - How did Eastern Rome and Western Rome drift apart, and how did the fall of Western Rome impact Eastern Rome? We meet Justinian, Belisarius and Heraclius and explore the Byzantine relationship with the Sasanian Persians, the Avars, the Ostrogoths and the Lombards.

Thugs and Miracles: A History of France
A Different World (S2: E22)

Thugs and Miracles: A History of France

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2021 24:14


This week, we're going to take a look at the end of Charles Martel, the naming of his two legitimate sons as heirs, and consider just how different the world is now from the world we started with in 451. I mean, think of how much has changed: the Franks adopted Nicene Christianity and converted most of their people and the surrounding groups to that faith, breaking them from either the Roman- or Germanic-style paganism that most had practiced when we began this show. Those who were not yet converted were faced with missionaries such as Boniface, who operated in the name of the Pope and under the protection of the Franks. On top of that, the Franks had become such a force in the world that they now had the Pope sending envoys asking for help and protection of himself and Rome in addition to the Church's missionaries in Germania. Staying along these lines, we've seen the people pressuring Rome transition from the Ostrogoths to the Lombards; while they're a different group, they present the same general problems for the Catholic institutions of Italy. And we've also seen a dramatic weakening of the power structures of the Eastern Roman Empire; compare where we're at now, with the Pope asking Charles Martel for assistance in the face of the threats from both the Lombards and Constantinople, to where we were in 507 when Clovis I won the Battle of Vouillé and was invited to be a consul of Rome by the East. In that earlier case, the recognition from Constantinople was a sign of respect; now, over 230 years later, the Franks are on a more even footing with the Emperor. Finally, moving past all of the groups we've traditionally seen the Merovingians and Franks have to deal with, we have seen a new group of people sally forth with a religion that is, at first glance, far different than anything Christianity has to offer. The Umayyad Caliphate successfully ran through every part of what had once been a part of Rome in North Africa and destroyed or appropriated entire groups - and for the Franks, this was encapsulated most notably in the Visigoths. The Ummayads had to have looked unlike anything the Franks had ever known, and when they started coming into Francia around 720, they would have changed the way the Franks viewed their southern border. One can only imagine if this interaction made Charles Martel and his subordinates wonder about any other groups out there that they hadn't yet met. It's possible that the knowledge of that first Danish raid in 516 into Francia was remembered within the realm, as Gregory of Tours had written about it in his _History of the Franks_, but how much a story from over 200 years earlier would have concerned the current Franks about the possibility of an invasion by the Northmen is questionable. So this is the world of 741 that Carloman and Pépin are about to inherit. Christianity is growing exponentially and Frankish power is aligning with that growth; the Byzantines are weakening, but new groups are still available in the world to surprise and destabilize the known order. Charles Martel fought one of these back in 732 in the form of the Caliphate, but that doesn't mean other groups wouldn't come along looking for a soft underbelly to strike. And with all of this going on, the matter of leadership - king-wise - is still an issue. Since 737, we've not had a Merovingian king, and while no one seems any worse for the wear for this being the case in the past four years, that was all under the firm hand of Charles. It was all but an inevitability that someone would come along and challenge the brothers, on this issue if on no other. * * * Links to social media and the website: Academia.edu: Life After Rome Site: https://www.thugsandmiracles.com/ Email: thugsandmiracles@gmail.com Twitter: @thugsandmiracle (with no “s” on the end) Facebook: @ThugsAndMiracles Instagram: @ThugsAndMiracles YouTube: Thugs and Miracles Listenable: History of the Merovingians, 451-613

History Extra podcast
Ravenna: from Roman powerhouse to artistic hub

History Extra podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2021 46:40


Once the capital of the western Roman Empire, the Italian city of Ravenna was claimed in turn by Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Lombards and Franks, turning into both a hub of early Christian art and a prototypical European city. Professor Judith Herrin discusses its long and storied history.(Ad) Judith Herrin is the author of Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe (Allen Lane, 2021). Buy it now at Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fravenna%2Fjudith-herrin%2F9781846144660 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The History of Cologne
#24 Clovis and Sigibert - Two Frankish Kings in the Empire of the Franks

The History of Cologne

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2021 34:06


After the collapse of the (Western) Roman Empire, the whole of Europe is in upheaval. Peoples once disparagingly called barbarians by the Romans are founding their empires on the former territory of the Imperium Romanum. On the Rhine and in northeastern Gaul, it is the Franks who once, as neighbors of the Romans on the right bank of the Rhine, only made the step across the Rhine and thus extended their dominion. Unlike other peoples of the so-called migration of peoples, they did not have to move far to find a new homeland like, for example, the Ostrogoths and Visigoths. But even if a map at that time suggests this. The rule of the Franks in the region is not completely uniform. Countless small princes rule their small area of influence as quasi warlords. In Cologne, a Frankish petty king named Sigibert resides in the Praetorium, Cologne's former governor's palace. He is worried about his small kingdom. For south of Cologne down the Rhine, the Alemanni have also extended their dominion and are expanding northward. To prevent Cologne from falling into the hands of the Alemanni, he asks his friend Clovis, who rules in northeastern Gaul, for help. Clovis agrees. What Sigibert does not know. Clovis himself not only wants to be ruler of his Frankish sub-kingdom. Clovis wants to be king of all Franks. And Sigibert stands in the way. The decision as to whether the Franks will live in a united empire in the future is made in Cologne around the year 500. Where else ;) For SEO: Battle of Zülpich, Battle of Tolbiacum, St. Gereon, Köln, Germany

Instant Trivia
Episode 64 - "O" And "Os" - "Ex"Odus - What's Cooking? - I Want My "M" Tv - I'm Not A Doctor, But I Play One On Tv

Instant Trivia

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2021 6:32


Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 64, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: "O" And "Os" 1: The two Greek letters that fit this category. Omega and Omicron. 2: In 451 these Teutonic tribesmen joined with Attila in his expedition against Gaul. Ostrogoths. 3: This Egyptian god's many burial places were considered sacred ground. Osiris. 4: Synonym for antonym. Opposite. 5: Dog school. obedience. Round 2. Category: "Ex"Odus 1: The unfortunate condition of some animal species, or the fortunate condition of some volcanoes. extinct. 2: As you'd expect, King Arthur wields this magical weapon in "Spamalot". Excalibur. 3: Jungian type characterized by an outgoing personality. an extrovert. 4: To magnify facts beyond the limits of truth. to exaggerate. 5: Adjective for school activities held after clases are finished. extracurricular. Round 3. Category: What's Cooking? 1: In the Persian dish Dolmeh Sib, this fruit is stuffed with a mix of peas, onions and meat -- a little too much to give to a teacher. apple. 2: An Austrian fingerling is a light-skinned, yellow-fleshed one of these. potato. 3: Chicken and this spicy Mexican sauce made with several kinds of chiles &, of course, Mexican chocolate. mole. 4: Chicken and this spicy Mexican sauce made with several kinds of chiles &, of course, Mexican chocolate. mole. 5: This comfort food--ground beef, seasonings, bread crumbs and a ketchup glaze baked in a rectangular pan. meat loaf. Round 4. Category: I Want My "M" Tv 1: This widely popular variety show was hosted by a frog. The Muppets. 2: Ken Berry played a widower raising a young son on this "Andy Griffith Show" spinoff. Mayberry R.F.D.. 3: Rock Hudson was paired with Susan St. James on this San Francisco-set police series. McMillan and Wife. 4: An alien was sent to Earth to study humans in Boulder, Colorado on this sitcom. Mork and Mindy. 5: Before he was Rockford, James Garner was this wisecracking Western card shark. Maverick. Round 5. Category: I'm Not A Doctor, But I Play One On Tv 1: Dr. Joe Gannon. Chad Everett. 2: Dr. Doogie Howser. Neil Patrick Harris. 3: Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. DeForest Kelley. 4: Dr. Benjamin Franklin Pierce. Alan Alda. 5: Dr. Michaela Quinn. Jane Seymour. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!

In Our Time
Arianism

In Our Time

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2021 50:06


Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the form of Christianity adopted by Ostrogoths in the 4th century AD, which they learned from Roman missionaries and from their own contact with the imperial court at Constantinople. This form spread to the Vandals and the Visigoths, who took it into Roman Spain and North Africa, and the Ostrogoths brought it deeper into Italy after the fall of the western Roman empire. Meanwhile, with the Roman empire in the east now firmly committed to the Nicene Creed not the Arian, the Goths and Vandals faced conflict or conversion, as Arianism moved from an orthodox view to being a heresy that would keep followers from heaven and delay the Second Coming for all. The image above is the ceiling mosaic of the Arian Baptistry in Ravenna, commissioned by Theodoric, ruler of the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy, around the end of the 5th century With Judith Herrin Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Emeritus, at King's College London Robin Whelan Lecturer in Mediterranean History at the University of Liverpool And Martin Palmer Visiting Professor in Religion, History and Nature at the University of Winchester Producer: Simon Tillotson

In Our Time: Religion

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the form of Christianity adopted by Ostrogoths in the 4th century AD, which they learned from Roman missionaries and from their own contact with the imperial court at Constantinople. This form spread to the Vandals and the Visigoths, who took it into Roman Spain and North Africa, and the Ostrogoths brought it deeper into Italy after the fall of the western Roman empire. Meanwhile, with the Roman empire in the east now firmly committed to the Nicene Creed not the Arian, the Goths and Vandals faced conflict or conversion, as Arianism moved from an orthodox view to being a heresy that would keep followers from heaven and delay the Second Coming for all. The image above is the ceiling mosaic of the Arian Baptistry in Ravenna, commissioned by Theodoric, ruler of the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy, around the end of the 5th century With Judith Herrin Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Emeritus, at King's College London Robin Whelan Lecturer in Mediterranean History at the University of Liverpool And Martin Palmer Visiting Professor in Religion, History and Nature at the University of Winchester Producer: Simon Tillotson

The David Alliance
The End of the End #6

The David Alliance

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2021 10:53


www.TheDavidAlliance.com    TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com    webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net     Code: wellbuilttda 15% off   Here's a sharable link: https://wellbuiltsupplements.com/discount/wellbuilttda   Daily Greens probiotic, vegan protein, whey protein, Digestive enzymes, Omega 3's, Performance energy, Performance BCCA's, Vitamins for men, Vitamins for women and a whole lot more.  Right now I am pumping the greens and Pre-workout and loving them both… Heres a secret “I'm on them right now as I do my podcast”.        Who is the anti Christ Scripture calls him a liar, a counterfeit he will try to be like Jesus.    Will he be a Muslim… There is a book right now out that says he will be a Muslim.   - First of all to think that Jews would regard a Muslim as the man with the answer let alone worship him is almost impossible to reconcile.   -  The world itself is not convinced it wants a Muslim leader from viewing past history   -  Muslims don't like other Muslims… they do not like being under another Muslims control    Where will he come from? He is called the Assyrian… this does not mean he will come from Assyria but rather means he will come from Babylon which came from out of Assyria and moved into Europe   A word from Amir Tsarfati    aniel, in chapter 7, lays the foundation 24:49 for what he's going to talk about later on, also. 24:52 Regarding that image, that person, that man of sin. 24:58 That is going to rise from an empire that had 10 horns, 25:03 out of which 3 were plucked out at their roots. 25:07   25:14 Now, there's only one part of the world where ancient tribes, 25:20 ... 10 ancient tribes existed and 3 of them don't exist anymore. 25:24 And that's Europe of today. 25:26 I want you to see the list of those 10 tribes. 25:29 The Visigoths, the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks, the Alemani, the Burgundians, 25:34 the Lombarder, the Suevi, Heruli, Ostrogoths and the Vandals. 25:39 All comprise Europe, at least Western Europe, of those days. 25:43 In an interesting way, Heruli, the Ostrogoths and the Vandals don't exist anymore. 25:50 They were routed out completely. 25:53 They're gone! 25:54 And the rest are all comprising Western Europe. 25:58 It's very interesting. 25:59 Because when you look at the flag, today, of the European Union? 26:05 You're looking actually, at something that is not that innocent. 26:08 I want you to remember that. 26:10 This is a flag of something that goes all the way back to the Queen of Heaven. 26:16 That is the crown of the Queen of Heaven, the title given by the Babylonians.     Many believe the anti X will come from Europe.   When will he come? You must first understand a few things:  Satan was cast down in scripture in 2 ways -    -  First from his position in The heaven with God   -  Cast down into the heavenliness where he is currently warring. Eph. 6   NOW in Revelation 12 it says he will war against the Archangel Gabriel and lose and be thrown down to earth. Chapters 13-18 he Tries to pull of the God thing.  The earth will receive this manifestation of satan in another man - and he will try to overthrow God.     But before this we see a few things: 50% of the church will turn its back on God… This is the great falling away.   (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4, commentary mine).  Once again Paul is reminding the Thessalonians that the Second Coming of Christ has not yet happened. He then tells them that Jesus will not return until there is a worldwide falling away from truth. This apostasy will be a widespread rejection of biblical Christianity, including both theology and morality.      2 These. 2:5-8 gives us the exact time he will come.  First we see the restrainer must leave the earth (the HS) and before the second coming of Christ.  THATS THE WINDOW. What will happen in that window…   How will he come… THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS… THE PERFECT STORM He will be Handsome, Beautiful to the world Articulate… I KNOW WHAT YOUR THINKING… “I Think our pastor is the anti Christ”.   - He will promote global warming and a one world economy… which is all global warming is about. *IT GETS US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. We must do this for earth   -  Again we are saying God's smart, but not smart enough to make sure we have enough natural resources for our time on earth.    - He will promote the one world economy for the sake of world peace and prosperity   - He will promote the banning of all religions, He will not only deny religious freedom but try to make it extinct… because religion is what causes war, rumors of wars and economic unrest   WE DURING THIS POINT ARE RAPTURED. WHY? Because scripture says we will be partying, marrying, going about business as usual and times will look good. THINGS ARE UNDER CONTROL.   And then the seals start to break. LETS LOOK AT THE SEALS… Next week

Jewishish!
January 16 Go Ostrogoths

Jewishish!

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2021 18:08


No episode tomorrow, folks, because of a funeral, but we'll be back and as irritating as ever for Murray Monday. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jewishish/message

UCG Raleigh
The Riddle of the Beast of Revelation and Daniels Dream

UCG Raleigh

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2021


The Riddle of the BeastThe book of Revelation is Jesus Christ's final written words to His church.These words foretell future events as they relate to the Church of God. The book is both a revealing and a riddle.A riddle is a word puzzle in which the answer is understandable based upon what is said, yet not understood by anyone but the riddler. Here's a classic riddle you may have heard; "what is black and white and read/red all over?" The person hearing the riddle is misdirected by the clever word play based on the word red/read. The meaning is concealed but yet fully spoken.Most people don't get good riddles until they are given the answer. Then when the answer is revealed it all seems quite obvious.  for this same reason:First, through a riddle He can speak about matters that have not yet happened without altering or affecting their outcome. [If God foretold you would be in an car accident in your 30th year which would badly cripple you but leave you spiritually stronger and better prepared for eternal life...you might hide in your basement from age 29 to 31 hoping to avoid the painful trial and derail the process].Second, once the event happens we can look back at the original riddle and see that God did indeed accurately speak about the future. [If God foretold your accident through a riddle, you wouldn't alter your actions between age 29-31. Then, when you figured out the riddle after the fact you would clearly see the hand of God at work. This would build your confidence and faith in the trial we were about to live through to prepare us for eternal life] John 14:18-31 Jesus death solved many OT riddles… but many riddle still remain… today we are going to review the riddle of the beast.Nebuchanezzar's DreamWhen Jerusalem finally fell to the invading armies of Babylon a young man named Daniel was taken as a captive back to Babylon where he was educated and prepared to serve as a civil servant in the Babylonian government. Through Daniel prophecies were recorded which provide a grand sweeping picture of the future of human governments stretching from the demise of Israel to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Daniel 12:4, 8-9 These writings were not understood [or intended to be understood] a the time written. But, would only be understood as the time for Christ's return drew closer… and knowledge increased. Daniel 2:1-3 Babylonian culture placed a high importance on dreams as messages from beyond. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know the significance of His dream. The dream had indeed been given to him from YHWH Himself, it was a riddle regarding the future of human self government from the fall of Israel up to the very end. The Babylonian wise men were unable to answer the king's questions and Nebuchadnezzar ordered them executed. Daniel heard about it and decided to try to save all their lives by offering to interpret the dream for the king. Before attempting to answer the king Daniel went home, talked about the situation with his companions, and asked them to pray together with him for God's help. Daniel's prayers were answered in a vision Daniel 2:19-23.Daniel takes the answer to the king but is very careful to ensure the king knows the answer is given by the God of Israel Daniel 2:27-28.The Content of the DreamFirst Daniel told the king the content of the dream Daniel 2:31-35Then what it meant Daniel 2:36-45· Part of the riddle could be understood then and there: Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was the head of gold.. but the rest could only be understood at a later time. · The chest and arms of them image would turn out to be the Medo-Persian empire. This transition actually happened in within Daniel's own lifetime [539 B.C.  when Babylon was conquered]. Persia now controlled the land that had been Israel.· The belly of bronze was the Greco-Macedonian empire of Alexander, which gobbled up the territory of the Persians [including Israel] and ruled for 300 years.· The legs of iron are the Romans who took over much of what had been held by the Greeks [including Israel].We can look back now and see how these empires fulfill the symbolism of the prophecy very well. Most people who know and read the bible agree on these fulfillment which are based on well known historical facts of history.Daniel's Has His Own DreamDaniel had his own personal dream about these same 4 sequential empires which add important details that will allow us to tie the prophecies back to the book of Revelation.Daniel 7:1-14 here we have a parallel sequence: 4 successive kingdoms that carry on until the coming of Christ to establish the rule of God over all people and nations. We sync them up with the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream  and see:  the lion is Babylon, the bear is Persia, the leopard is Greece, and Rome is the final terrible beast who cannot be compared to any animal known in creation.Daniel wonders especially about the horns of the 4th beast. And they are important, and they are part of the riddle that can point you in the wrong direction. Like the double meaning of the word red/read in our sample riddle. But Daniel does not know the full meaning of the riddle, God does not tell it to him, and it is sealed/hidden until the time of the end. John's Vision of Human Government.The book of Revelation was recorded about 90 A.D., when the 4th beast was in power. John too sees a beast which is similar to the vision given to Daniel... but different Revelation 13:1-4. John's vision is an updated version of the prophetic sequence we saw in Daniel. Updated because by 90 A.D. the first three phases were completed: Babylon, Persia, and Greece were matters of history centuries old. But Rome [the 4th beast] was in its heyday.The strange beast of Revelation is basically the same as the 4th beast of Daniel but with some modifications and additional details. It too rises up out of the sea, it combines all the features of he lion, bear,and leopard.However, it has a configuration of heads and horns that remind us of Daniel's vision... but they are different. This beast will be at war with Christ and actually rises up to fight Him when He comes. Where is Rome Today?The Roman empire is a thing of the past, its not in power today. So how can these prophecies be referring to Rome as the 4th beast, or the legs of iron that are in place when Christ returns? At this point there is a parting of the ways among people seeking to interpret prophecy. Many  teach that the prophecies ended with Christ. They say the victory of Christ recorded by Daniel over the 4th beast and the golden image was accomplished through His first coming. And that the kingdom of God He established is accomplished either spiritually within the hearts of humans or through the rule of the great universal Church... this is nature of Christ's victory over the beast.This is the basic explanation of the visions which was formulated long ago. Actually, it goes back to the days when the Roman empire was still standing.The Church of God does not agree with this take on the prophecies. We do not believe the KOG is realized in the hearts of humanity, or in the rule of a great and victorious church. Subsequent centuries have passed and significant elements of the original prophecy have come to pass which could not have been understood back then. Knowledge has increased… and the riddle has unfolded.  UCG Explanation: history has seen multiple revivals of the Roman empire over the centuries and the final revival will be the one in place when Christ returns in all His glory and power… which has not yet happened. These revivals are pictured by the 10 horns on the beast of Daniel, and the seven heads of the beast in Revelation.How does 7 equal 10: Remember that 3 of the 10 horns of Daniel's beast were "pulled out by the roots" leaving 7 horns. These 7 remaining horns equate to the 7 heads of the beast in Revelation. Similar, but not the same... a key ingredient in many good riddles. The Revivals of the Roman System in HistoryRevelation 13: 3,12 the beast received a deadly wound to the head but was brought back to life. In 476 A.D. the original empire of Rome was invaded, the city sacked, and the deadly head wound delivered. The emperor Romulus Augustus was deposed. What had been Rome was ruled over by 1) the Vandals 2) the Heruli 3) the Ostrogoths. These are the three horns "plucked up". They are different from the remaining 7. The remaining 7 all of which work in a partnership with the universal religious power based in Rome... 7 horns, 7 heads.1) Justinian - 554 A.D. sought to revive the western Roman empire as a Christian empire. He decreed that the bishops of Rome should appoint magistrates who would administer the "empire". This imperial revival worked for a while, then waned over time and broke up.2) Charlemagne 800 A.D. - crowned by pope Leo III with the title Holy Roman Emperor [Most Serene Augustus Crowned By God Great & Pacific Emperor governing the Roman Empire]. It was a marriage of church and state. After   His death the kingdom was divided among his sons and later dissolved. 3) Otto the Great 962 A.D. - crowned by pope John XII. He called himself "Ruler of the Roman Empire". Lasted about 300 years. The dream of a restored empire lived on. This iteration was widely recognized by Christians as the 4th empire. 4) Hapsburgs 1273 A.D. -- 1740 A.D. the greatest of these Hapsburg emperors was Charles V who owned most of central Europe, Germany, Spain, and vast portions of North and South America.5) Napoleon 1799 -- 1814 crowned emperor by Pope Pius. His was a short and frantic revival. Napoleon dreamed of rivaling Charlemagne in uniting all of western Europe. At his height of power he ruled most of Europe.6) The Reich 1871 - 1945 first Italy unified under Garibaldi, then Germany under Bismark. Next the two joined forces through Mussolini and Adolph Hitler and managed to gain control over most of Europe. They signed a peace treaty with the pope.It was around this time in the 1930's that the Church of God recognized the answer to another part of the riddle... 5 of the revivals of the beast pictured by the successive heads of the beast in Revelation, [or the horns of the Beast in Daniel] had now come to pass Revelation 17:6-10.The 6th revival of the beast was happening at that  And the Church of God began shouting the news using radio, printing press, and then TV. Over the next 50 years that understanding grabbed the attention of millions of people and many were brought to deeper understanding of God's truth. But now the message seems like old news... hundreds of self proclaimed teachers have taken up the message, many taking it in strange directions, looking for the next new thing. Where is the Church of God? We are back to pondering the portion of the riddle that is not yet solved... concerning events that have not yet taken place. There is One More Revival of The Beast To Go!6 of the 7 revivals of the beast have now come and gone. By reviewing history we can see how an empire can exist, disappear, then re-appear in a different form... what was, is not, and yet is ... the final reappearance of the Roman system is yet to come. It will arise quickly, and as if from nothing [ascending out of the bottomless pit].The riddle regarding the final revival has a feature not yet been solved. The image with the head of gold moves down the body and ends with its 10 toes of clay. The toes are smashed by the stone that is Christ at His glorious return. The final appearance of the beast is also pictured by the 7th head of the beast of Revelation. This final head has 10 horns which are leaders. We believe these are the same as the 10 toes. The final version of the beast will be a whole made up of 10 separate parts. Leaders who band together and give over their authority and sovereignty to a single power... which is the beast. The Church of God believes these 10 parts may be 10 European countries who band together to form a political, economic and military union. But its still a riddle... and its still unsolved... we won't know the full answer until it comes to pass. What's The Point of Pondering This Riddle?It would be good for you to know about the prophecies recorded in the bible. You can get a lot more detail concerning the beast of the end time in our booklet "The Final Super-Power". I recommend you get yourself a copy and go through the scriptures so you know, and know that you know. Some who are in Christ will be alive at this future time… possibly you. By knowing the terms, facts, features of the riddle you will be better equipped to recognize when is comes to pass. Those who are caught up in the terrible events surrounding the rise of the final beast will be able to more clearly see those terrible times as the obvious working of God… it will provide an important reassurance of faith.We cannot stop the beast, or avoid the beast... but we can be prepared to meet the future with faith and confidence in the God. Knowing He has brought these things to pass... knowing He is still in charge and has not lost control of the situation... knowing He will not let you slip through His fingers... and He can deliver you even from death Isaiah 44:6-8.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 30 - Daniel's Relationship to God

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2020 3:23


It has been an exciting journey as we have looked into both the past and the future. In exile, God was able to use him as a witness to a Godly life and in his retirement to receive messages from regarding world history, and particularly the end times.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 29 - Vision 3 Date Details

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2020 2:31


In today's broadcast, we drill deeper into some key dates that the late Daniel was shown in the last vision that was recorded in his writings. In the vision, Daniel was shown two periods, one equivalent to 1290 days, and the other, 1335 days.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 28 - Vision 3 North & South Overview

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2020 3:03


Daniel appeared to be stumped by the vision that we tackle today. He saw events occurring until Christ's second coming. At first, these were earthly battles, but as time went on, turned out to be more to do with truth and error within Christianity.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 27 - Continued Last Vision… Overview: N & S Conflict

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2020 2:08


Daniel saw the Son of God in his priestly garb and how Michael fights for His people. We learn about, “The King of the North” and “The King of the South” who fight each other in the future and adversely affect people aligned with Daniel's God.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 26 - Next Vision… Behind the Scenes

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2020 2:59


It appears his next revelatory episode included an image of “a man,” and an angel, who helped explain the vision concerning a series of wars and time-prophecies of the future. This is a preview of a behind-the-scenes spiritual struggle.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 25 - 70 Weeks

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2020 2:56


In writings discovered after his death, Daniel claimed to have been visited by an angel that gave him some clarity on very cryptic information about a 70-week period and how this fit into the 2300-day prophecy we discussed in our last broadcast.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 24 - Daniel's Prayer

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2020 3:35


We look more closely at our latest vision and how the little horn reduces the meaning of the Hebrew sanctuary service, which God's plan of salvation for humankind. Daniel was understandably distraught at this complex vision.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 23 - Cleansing of the Sanctuary

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2020 3:40


Today will zero in on a time-prophecy spanning 2300 years, and what happens in that time. Last broadcast, we talked about a goat. It loses a big horn which is replaced by four others. Out of one, a little horn grows with outsized influence.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 22 - Vision 2, Goat

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2020 2:39


In our last broadcast, we learned of a combative ram that takes center stage at the start of a vision the late statesman Daniel had. AWR's investigative team has discerned from Daniel's writings, that another animal, this time a goat, enters the vision.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 21 - Vision 2, Overview & Ram

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2020 3:23


We discover yet another vision that Daniel had and wrote about. This particular vision starts out with him finding himself in the city of Susa. A ram then appears with two long horns, one of which is slightly longer than the other.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 20 - Vision 1, Little Horn

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2020 3:03


In our most recent show, we identified the fourth beast of Daniel's dream as the Roman Empire, and its ten horns as tribes within the Empire. A mysterious little horn emerges and the power of the little horn seems disproportionate to its size.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 19 - Vision 1, Fourth Beast

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2020 2:29


We dig deeper into Daniel's writings that describe his dream involving four beasts that come out of an ocean. Today the AWR news-team will share details of a fourth terrifying beast with metal teeth that devoured the third kingdom, Greece.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 18 - Vision 1, Leopard

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2020 2:12


The deceased statesman Daniel's dream was dominated by four beasts, the first two of which were a lion and a bear. We bring you breaking news as researchers have tied the third beast, a leopard, to another great world empire.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 17 - Vision 1, Bear

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2020 2:38


Today we further unpack our previous episode. AWR confirmed that the first of four animals representing four political powers in Daniel's dream, was a lion that represented Babylon as a Mesopotamian superpower that eventually lost political power.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 16 - Vision 1, Lion

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2020 2:14


We take a closer look at Daniel's nightmare, where he dreamed of four animals representing four political powers, coming out of an ocean. The first, a powerful lion, shows deterioration on a humiliating scale for whatever power this beast represents.

Medieval!
"Flame of Revenge" - Lombard Kingdom Part 4

Medieval!

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2020 7:20


Buy our merch – http://www.medievalextras.com/merch Finding King Arthur: http://www.medievalextras.com/finding-king-arthur You can also get it on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/medievalpodcast It is 572. Italy, having emerged from a decades-long war between the Byzantines and Ostrogoths, has once again fallen under the hegemony of a new European superpower. Lombard military leaders sweep through the provinces, dividing their newly annexed territory into thirty-six duchies. Now they are consolidating their control to mitigate any chance of rebellion from the native Romano-Ostrogothic population. Research & Writing – Joshua Potts Voice: Bill Odman Music: Epidemic Sound, Alexander Nakarada, Kevin Macleod Artwork for several projects was contributed by @g.h.erring on Instagram! Contact me at admin@medievalextras.com

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 15 - Daniel's Visions from Here Onwards

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2020 3:09


Reports have indicated that certain prophetic writings of the late Daniel have been discovered. He interpreted the dreams of kings, but it appears he was also given some prophetic dreams by his own God. We wonder what they could reveal?

Medieval!
“Flame of Revenge” – Lombard Kingdom Part 4

Medieval!

Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2020


Buy our merch – http://www.medievalextras.com/merch Finding King Arthur: http://www.medievalextras.com/finding-king-arthur You can also get it on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/medievalpodcast It is 572. Italy, having emerged from a decades-long war between the Byzantines and Ostrogoths, has once again fallen under the hegemony of a new European superpower. Lombard military leaders sweep through the provinces, dividing their newly annexed […]

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 14 - Daniel Dies

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2020 2:34


Daniel, the highly-respected statesman, has died. The Medo-Persian empire, its leaders and the Jews mourn his passing. Tributes poured in from every corner of the empire and it's impossible to put into words how everyone feels this morning.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 13 - Daniel Survives the Lions

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2020 2:03


The widely-respected Hebrew statesman, Daniel, was thrown into a lions' den. King Darius appears to have been caught off guard by Daniel's arrest. Before Daniel was thrown into the pit, the monarch told him that he hoped Daniel's God would save him.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 12 - Daniel in the Lion's Den

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2020 2:00


The new law that required everyone to pray to only Darius for the next 30 days. Daniel prays in full view of the public, three times a day. Will he continue to do so, despite the law. Daniel does not keep us in suspense for long.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 11 - Plot Against Daniel

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020 2:05


A plot against Daniel's life was uncovered in the Medo-Persian courts of the city of Babylon. Much of the influence that he had in the Babylonian court of Nebuchadnezzar, the new king, Darius, also has given Daniel.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 10 - Exposé on Darius

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2020 2:35


Cyrus of Persia, who put Darius the Mede on the throne, seems to have a more respectful policy to refugees, foreigners, and exiles. He issued a decree that those who wish may return home and rebuild the temple, their place of worship to YAHWEH.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 9 - The Writing on the Wall

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2020 2:45


A hand has appeared and written, supernaturally, on a wall, “Mene, mene, tekel, parsin.” The queen has suggested that the king summon Daniel, the old interpreter of Nebuchadnezzar's dreams, to help make sense of things.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 8 - Belshazzar

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2020 2:23


Once a larger-than-life figure on the world stage, the late King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is now a fading memory. Belshazzar's style of government is very different and his subjects are being forced to adjust to a “new normal” under his reign.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 7 - Psychosis

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2020 2:55


“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” The Babylonian monarch has emerged from seven years of living like an animal in the wild, with other animals. The monarch was struck by a severe psychosis for the entire period.

World History with Professor Rohl
Early Medieval Worlds: Justinian's Military Campaigns

World History with Professor Rohl

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2020 35:24


A 35-minute lecture introducing the Byzantine emperor Justinian and his military campaigns against the Sassanid Empire and to reclaim lost Western Roman territory in North Africa (from the Vandals) and Italy (from the Ostrogoths). Produced for my Calvin University HIST 262: "Early Medieval Worlds" course.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 6 - Fiery Furnace

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2020 3:12


King Nebuchadnezzar commanded all seven classifications of Babylonian governmental officials to bow down and worship an enormous statue that was recently built in the image of his god, Nabu. Violators would be thrown in a furnace!

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 5 - Daniel Graduates

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2020 2:37


Three years after their hometown of Jerusalem was attacked and they were exiled to Babylon, D-Day came for an elite group of young Hebrew men. Graduated as top of the class, each trainee was interrogated by King Nebuchadnezzar himself.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 4 - Daniel Interprets Statue Dream

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2020 3:18


In an unprecedented turn of events, King Nebuchadnezzar reversed his decision to execute his advisors. Daniel claimed to have been shown King Nebuchadnezzar's dream by his God, YAHWEH.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 3 - King's Statue Dream

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2020 2:43


The often-unpredictable ruler made the decision in what eyewitnesses described as a fit of rage because his advisors were unable to tell him the details of a dream he had the night before.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Jerusalem's exiled young elite arrived in magnificent Babylon after a two-month-long march. The curriculum ensured a thorough indoctrination in Babylonian thought and culture.

That's all Ancient History now!
THE GOTHS - Ostrogoths

That's all Ancient History now!

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2020 33:36


WELCOME BACK to our dark little series on the Goths - in focus this week are the Ostrogoths. We explain who they are, where they were and what they were up to. All the need to knows to impress your mates with some pointless ancient(ISH) knowledge. You can get in touch with us via Twitter and Instagram @thatsallancient or our website thatsallancient.com Until next week!!!!

Storia d'Italia
Episodio 47, le avventure del giovane Teodorico (451-484)

Storia d'Italia

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2020 48:27


In questo episodio viaggeremo di nuovo oltredanubio per scoprire cosa accadde agli Ostrogoti dopo la caduta dell’impero degli Unni. Ma le loro vicende saranno narrate con un occhio soprattutto ad un giovane pargolo, nato nella illustre stirpe degli Amali. La sua è una storia incredibile che ci porterà dalle steppe della Pannonia alla grande città di pietra sul Bosforo, dai monti dei Balcani alla via che conduce all’Italia: è tempo di introdurre con tutti gli onori del caso un gigante della storia d’Italia. Il suo nome Goto è Thiudereiks, leader della tribù, i Romani lo chiamarono Flavius Teodericus, noi lo conosciamo con il nome di Teodorico il grande.---Grazie ai miei Patreon: Livello Dante Alighieri: Paolo, David l’apostataLivello Galileo Galilei: Davide, Francesco, Jacopo Toso, Riccardo, Stefano, Roger, Anna, Vitor, Pierangelo e LuigiLivello Marco Polo: Dominik, Giacomo, Jacopo, Marco, David, Fabio, Francesco, Roberto, Stefano, Sergio, Fabrizio, Gianmarco, John, Luca, Gianluca, Michel Andre, Marco, Federico, Tony, Mariette, Luca, Andrea, Gabriele, Bruno, Gabriele Mazzon, Ale, Maurizio e Enrico. Per sostenermi su Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/italiastoria. Altre modalità disponibili sul sito: www.italiastoria.comMusiche di Riccardo Santato

Thugs and Miracles: A History of France
The Sons of Clovis - Part V (S1: E13)

Thugs and Miracles: A History of France

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2020 34:03


Extra special thanks this week to Henry at the History of the British Isles podcast! Look for our interview together at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-the-british-isles/id1384286703 This week we are going to turn our focus on the last two sons of Clovis, Childebert and Chlothar. And to be honest, I'm going to give Childebert pretty small billing in this episode, mainly due to the fact that many of his other exploits – such as being the mastermind of the execution of his nephews, his “adoption” of Theudebert, and his constant maneuvering to take advantage of the weakened positions of his brothers and co-rulers – has been sprinkled in throughout the rest of the narrative. What's most important to remember about Childebert at this point is that a) he had no male heirs, and b) his enduring legacy to the Merovingian Dynasty was to build the church of St. Germain de Près, which still stands to this day in Paris's 6th arrondissement. So… Chlothar. This youngest son of Clovis lived a relatively long life, especially when compared with most of his brothers and his father. This is all the more impressive when one considers the sheer number of campaigns that Chlothar was involved in throughout his life. He came into his crown around the age of 14 in 511 and was engaged in wars in Burgundy alongside of his brothers on and off for the next 23 years, finally winning the territory when the Ostrogoths were unable to support the Burgundian king any longer due to the issues they were having in their territory. Chlothar fought alongside of his half-brother Theuderic in Thuringia, helping himself to a wife – Radegunda – while he campaigned. He also managed to evade assassination attempts by Theuderic while deployed into Germany. Chlothar fought in Hispania, modern-day Spain, alongside of Childebert in 542; however, according to historian Walter Perry, “The object of this invasion was simply predatory, the Franks soon after retired into Gaul with immense booty, and the Goths resumed possession of their devastated country.” With all of these conquests Chlothar expanded both his treasury and his borders, gaining holdings in various different areas, but much of these were scattered and disconnected. It was the childless death of Theudebald in 555 that brought Chlothar his greatest territorial advance. Anyway, what do we make of the legacy of Chlothar, Childebert, and the other sons of Clovis ? There's no doubt that they were every bit as ambitious as their father, and in most cases they were as successful as Clovis. However, with all of them, you can't look at the successes without also looking at the costs they paid for victory. Chlodomir paid for his ambition with his own life, and in a way, with the life of his sons. Theuderic and Theudebald seemed to be the stronger candidates for the title of King of the Franks, but they weren't able to overcome basically mortality to ever get to this prize, no matter their strength on the battlefield; ultimately, their line went down in history as quietly as Chlodomir's. Finally, Chlothar and Childebert both seemed to realize that there was a balance to be repaid for all they did in perpetuating the Merovingian Dynasty and its holdings and, especially in the later years of their lives, appear to have worked with the Catholic clergy in an attempt to expunge their mortal records. While it would ultimately be between them and their Creator to decide how well they had atoned – or if atonement was even an option for their actions – it's safe to say that their actions were certainly not forgotten by those left behind. As we'll see in the following episodes, their ambition, greed and general internal fractiousness became a staple of this period, an example to follow rather than a lesson to be learned from. The sons of Clovis set the standard and direction which the next generation would be all too willing to follow.

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel
News Bulletin 1 - Exiles

AWR in English - Ancient News – Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2020 2:33


In high-tension talks with Judah's King Jehoiakim, the Babylonian leader, intent on dominating Mesopotamia, insisted that Judah relinquish its alliance with Egypt.

Hello Sitka
HS-001-1209-Belisarius

Hello Sitka

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2019 4:37


The prophetic significance of General Belisarius along with words of encouragement.Hello Sitka! Episode number 1 broadcast on KQQS 89.3 Sitka on my first official day as interim pastor of the Sitka Seventh-day Adventist Church. On December 9, 536 A.D. Byzantine General Flavius Belisarius entered Rome. General Belisarius was influential in several events prophesied in Daniel chapter 7, namely, he helped conquer the Ostrogoths and Vandals, two of the "horns" that were to be removed. He also helped to establish Pope Vigilus on the papal throne in 538 A.D. beginning the 1260 years of papal rule predicted in bible prophecy.Here is the text of the anonymous quote:Prayer is the answer to every problem in life. It puts us in tune with divine wisdom, which knows how to adjust everything perfectly. Too often we do not pray in certain situations because from our standpoint the outlook is hopeless. But nothing is impossible with God. Nothing is so entangled that it cannot be remedied; No human relationship is too strained for God To bring about human reconciliation and understanding; No habit so deep-rooted that it cannot be overcome; No one is so weak that he cannot be strong. No one is so ill that he cannot be healed. No mind is so dull that it cannot be made brilliant. Whatever we need if we trust God, He will supply it. If anything is causing worry or anxiety, let us stop rehearsing the difficulty and trust God for healing, love, and power. Into the experience of all there comes times of Keen disappointment and utter discouragement--days when sorrow is the portion and it is hard to believe that God is still the Benefactor of His earthborn children; days when troubles harass the soul, till death seems preferable to life. It is then that many lose their hold on God and are brought into the slavery of doubt, the bondage of unbelief. Could we at such times discern with spiritual insight the meaning of God's providences, We should see angels seeking to save us from ourselves, striving to plant our feet upon a foundation more firm than the everlasting hills, And new faith would spring into being.

Medieval!
Justinian's Reconquest (535-554)

Medieval!

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2019 13:43


Get Bonus Episodes: http://www.patreon.com/medievalpodcast It was one of the greatest deeds in the history of the Roman Empire – the glorious but brief restoration of the Western Roman provinces, the capture of Rome, and the series of month-long sieges in order to take back major Italian cities. From 535 to 554 AD, the Byzantines and Ostrogoths fought furiously over the peninsula. By the last year of the war, the Byzantines are able to conquer the majority of Italy, but their territorial holdings will soon come under attack by the cruel Langobards later in the century.

Storiavoce
Du nouveau sur les barbares?

Storiavoce

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2019 19:15


Vandales, Francs, Burgondes, Alamans, Ostrogoths, Wisigoths... Qui sont ces hommes venus d'ailleurs dont le nom évoque beaucoup la terreur? Comment se son-ils installés en Europe. Les Romains fréquentent depuis longtemps ceux qu'ils appellent les barbares. Certains vivent même sur leur territoire. Au IIIe siècle, la confrontation devient plus problématique. Après deux cent ans de stabilité, de richesse et de conquêtes, il se trouve soudain sur la défensive... Partenaire de Storiavoce, la revue Codex #13 consacre son numéro trimestriel aux barbares. Priscille de Lassus est interrogée par Christophe Dickès Priscille de Lassus: Après des études littéraires et une école de journaliste, Priscille a commencé par travailler chez Radio Classique au service Actualités. Elle est aujourd’hui rédactrice en chef de Codex, un livre-magazine novateur qui raconte l’histoire du christianisme avec pédagogie et curiosité. Codex, partenaire de Storiavoce, assume sa fibre pédagogique et une grande honnêteté intellectuelle, sans avoir peur des controverses. Une trentaine d’universitaires composent le conseil scientifique. Priscille prête régulièrement sa plume à d’autres revues culturelles : L’Objet d’art, Archéologia, Art et métiers du livre, Les Vieilles maisons françaises…

Catholic:Under The Hood
#475 – A History of the Catholic Church – The Schism Continues

Catholic:Under The Hood

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2019


As the conflict between East and West over the Henotikon continues, Pope Felix III needs to deal with Nicenes in North Africa abandoning the faith and the Ostrogoths invading Italy. We also look at the theology of Philoxenus of Mabbug. Links: Photo of coin of Theodoric the Great Information on Philoxenus of Mabbug Check out […]

A History of Italy » Podcast
005 – The Gothic War continues

A History of Italy » Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2018


540-554 The war between the Ostrogoths in Italy and the imperial forces of Byzantium continues from 540 and reaches it's end in 552

History of the Papacy Podcast
Ep 69 The Church in the Dark Ages Pt 7 Further Schisms

History of the Papacy Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2017 23:41


Episode 69 The Church in the Dark Ages Pt 7 Further SchismsDescription: Today we will focus in on the conflict between two rival popes that went on for years, each getting a foothold in power and then having power taken away from them. All of this is in the shadow of the larger Acacian schism and difficult relations between the Ostrogoths and Eastern Roman Byzantine Empire. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/email: steve@atozhistorypage.comhttp://rss.acast.com/historyofthepapacyAgora: www.agorapodcastnetwork.comhttps://www.patreon.com/papacyThe Beyond the Big Screen Podcast will be available soon!https://www.facebook.com/Beyondthebigscreen/https://twitter.com/BigScreenBeyond Help out the show by ordering these books from Amazon!https://amzn.com/w/1MUPNYEU65NTFFeatured Podcast:Our Sponsor:Sudio Headphoneshttps://www.sudiosweden.comPromo Code: POPEMusic Provided by:"Greta Sting" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Procession of the King” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Danse Macabre" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Virtutes Instrumenti" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Virtutes Vocis" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

amazon history church kevin macleod dark ages procession papacy schisms funeral march ostrogoths string impromptu number virtutes instrumenti kevin macleod danse macabre kevin macleod big screen podcast virtutes vocis kevin macleod king kevin macleod brass kevin macleod
The Fall of Rome Podcast
17: Ostrogothic Kingdom or the Western Empire Reborn?

The Fall of Rome Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2017 47:40


Under the leadership of their great king Theoderic, the Ostrogoths built a kingdom for themselves in Italy. But was this a kingdom, and Theoderic a king, or was he an emperor and his new realm the Western Empire reborn? Watch a preview of Genius, the new show on National Geographic about Albert Einstein, starring academy award winner Geoffrey Rush: NatGeoTV.com/Genius Take the survey at wondery.com/survey.

Biblical Literacy Podcast
CH15 Augustine and Fall of Empire-Part 1

Biblical Literacy Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2015


Church History: Chapter 15– Augustine and the Fall of the Roman Empire This is a study of Augustine and the fall of the Roman Empire but it also serves as a reminder that the Kingdom of God is the only enduring kingdom. As the Empire fell the Christian church was affected tremendously. Augustine was born in 354 A.D. in Northern Africa. Most of his early years he claimed to be a Christian, but he was part of a cult. But after his conversion in 387 (by St. Ambrose, no less), he became one of the most influential Christians of that time. In that same time period the Roman Empire was crumbling and was sacked in 410 A.D. by the Goth’s who were invading from the North because Attila from the East was displacing them. Augustine wrote strongly in defense of the Christian influence on society and how the Church strengthened the Empire. Key Words Kingdom, basileia, philosophy, Saint Augustine, Confessions, Thagaste, Souk Ahras, Algeria, Carthage, Adeodatus, rhetoric, Constantine, Cicero, “Manichees”, Monica, Rome, Milan, St. Ambrose, Simplicianus, Ponticianus, Edward Gibbon, “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, earthquake, Germanic Lands, “Goths”, “Visigoths”, “Ostrogoths”, Attila, Adrianople, Edirne, Turkey, Theodosius, Arian,

The Medieval World
Medieval Europe 07 - Visigothic Spain (400-711)

The Medieval World

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2014 13:36


If you have heard my lectures on Rome or listened to my earlier lecture on the Gothic War, then you should be somewhat familiar with the Goths. The term “Goths” is a collective term to refer to many different people who, by the fifth century, largely coalesced into two distinct groups: the Visigoths who fled the Hunic invasions a century earlier and become heavily Romanized as foederati and the Ostrogoths who entered the Roman Empire a bit later. While the Ostrogoths would form a kingdom in Italy, the Visigoths would form a kingdom in modern-day Spain, or the Iberian Peninsula. In this lecture, we explore the Visigoths more closely during period of a Spanish history known as Visigothic Spain which lasts from roughly 400 up to 711. In this brief lecture, we will see the rise and fall of the Visigoths in the region. As I cannot do their history justice in a single lecture, I will be narrowing my discussion to the main themes of Visigothic history and the significant cultural elements of the Visigoths to explain their downfall in the early eighth century at the hands of the Umayyad invaders, whom we will meet in the next lecture.   Heavy Interlude by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100515 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

The History of Byzantium
Episode 8 - Italy and Africa

The History of Byzantium

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2012 27:45


We take a look at the former Roman Provinces of  Italy and Africa and see what Theodoric’s Ostrogoths and the Vandals, respectively, have been up to in the last century. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Timeline (5.000 ans d'Histoire)
Les Invasions Barbares

Timeline (5.000 ans d'Histoire)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2012 46:45


476, chute officielle de l'Empire Romain d'Occident ... "Officielle" mais effective depuis plus longtemps ! Que s'est-il passé ? Décadence romaine ou Antiquité tardive ? Fin du monde ou fin d'un monde ? De quel peuples parle t-on ? ... Ce sont en fait plus de deux siècles de bouleversements, tant politiques, religieux, ou géo-politiques. Alamans, Francs, Huns, Ostrogoths, Goths, Wisigoths, ... histoire d'un choc de cultures.

Early Middle Ages
09. The Reign of Justinian

Early Middle Ages

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2012 48:46


Professor Freedman opens by discussing why historians use the writings of Procopius and Gregory of Tours, a sixth century bishop whose history of the Merovingian kings is discussed the following week. Procopius’s three works – The Wars, the adulatory Buildings, and the invective Secret History – are the best sources on the reign of the Emperor Justinian. Under Justinian and his wife Theodora, the Roman Empire reached its height as it reclaimed territories in North Africa and Europe previously lost to the Vandals, Visigoths and Ostrogoths.. However, defeats in war accompanied by heavy taxation led to civil unrest. In addition to the wars, Justinian commissioned a number of large projects like the building of the Hagia Sophia and the organization of Roman law in the Corpus Iuris Civilis. Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://oyc.yale.edu This course was recorded in Fall 2011.

Early Middle Ages
07. Barbarian Kingdoms

Early Middle Ages

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2012 49:14


In this lecture, Professor Freedman considers the various barbarian kingdoms that replaced the Western Roman Empire. Oringinally the Roman reaction to these invaders had been to accommodate them, often recruiting them for the Roman army and settling them on Roman land. Now, however, they were the rulers of the previously Roman lands of the West. These tribes included the Ostrogoths and Visigoths in Italy, the Franks in Gaul, and the Vandals in North Africa. As most sources about these groups come from the Roman perspective, it’s unclear how coherent each group was. In general, the barbarian groups characterized by disorganization, internal fighting and internecine feuds, and lack of economic development. Professor Freedman closes with some remarks on the Burgundian Code as evidence of barbarian society and institutions. Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://oyc.yale.edu This course was recorded in Fall 2011.

In Our Time
The Roman Empire's Collapse in the 5th century

In Our Time

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2001 28:11


Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. Edward Gibbon wrote of its decline, "While that great body was invaded by open violence, or undermined by slow decay, a pure and humble religion gently insinuated itself into the minds of men, grew up in silence and obscurity, derived new vigour from opposition, and finally erected the triumphant banner of the cross on the ruins of the Capitol."But how far is the growth of Christianity implicated in the destruction of the great culture of Rome? How critical were the bawdy incursions of the Ostrogoths, the Visigoths and the Vandals to the fall of the Roman Empire? Should we even be talking in terms of blame and decline at all?St Augustine wrote about the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century AD, Edward Gibbon famously tackled it in the eighteenth and it is a question that preoccupies us today.With Charlotte Roueché, historian of late antiquity at Kings College London; David Womersley, Fellow and Tutor at Jesus College, Oxford and editor of Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; Richard Alston, Lecturer in Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London.

In Our Time: History
The Roman Empire's Collapse in the 5th century

In Our Time: History

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2001 28:11


Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. Edward Gibbon wrote of its decline, "While that great body was invaded by open violence, or undermined by slow decay, a pure and humble religion gently insinuated itself into the minds of men, grew up in silence and obscurity, derived new vigour from opposition, and finally erected the triumphant banner of the cross on the ruins of the Capitol."But how far is the growth of Christianity implicated in the destruction of the great culture of Rome? How critical were the bawdy incursions of the Ostrogoths, the Visigoths and the Vandals to the fall of the Roman Empire? Should we even be talking in terms of blame and decline at all?St Augustine wrote about the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century AD, Edward Gibbon famously tackled it in the eighteenth and it is a question that preoccupies us today.With Charlotte Roueché, historian of late antiquity at Kings College London; David Womersley, Fellow and Tutor at Jesus College, Oxford and editor of Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; Richard Alston, Lecturer in Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London.

The History of the Christian Church

Think I'm on safe ground when I say à Those listening to this are mostly likely students of history. Your knowledge of the past is probably more comprehensive than the average person. And of course, the range of knowledge among subscribers to CS spans the gamut from extensive to, well, not so much. Yet still, more than the average.If asked to make a list of the main thinkers of the past; philosophers, theologians, and such like, of Western tradition, we'd get the usual. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. Seneca, Cicero, Virgil. Clement, Origen, Augustine, Aquinas.A name far less likely to make that list is the subject of this episode.  Though he's not oft mentioned in modern treatments of church and philosophical history, his work was a major contributor to medieval thought, which was the seedbed form which the modern world rose.His full name was Anicius Manlius Torquatus Severinus. But he's known to us simply as Boethius.Born to a Roman senatorial family sometime between 475 & 80 in Italy, Boethius was left an orphan at an early age. He was adopted by another patrician, Memmius Symmachus, who instilled in the young man a love of literature and philosophy.Symmachus made sure Boethius learned the vanishing skill of literacy in Greek. With the split between the Eastern & Western Roman Empires now settled, and the Fall of the Western Empire to the Goths, it seems Greek, primary language of the East, fell to disuse in favor of Latin. In the West, Greek became increasingly the language of scholars and those suspected of lingering loyalty to the East.Nevertheless, Boethius' familiarity with the classics commended him to the new rulers of the West – the Ostrogoths. Their king, Theodoric the Great, appointed the 35 year old Boethius as consul. While the office of consul was technically linked to the ancient Roman Republican Consul, by the 6th C, it was an office far more of image than substance. Still an important position politically, but wielding none of the authority it once had. By Boethius' time, that is the early 6th C, being a senator meant little more than, “This is someone to keep your eye on as a potential future leader.” Being made a consul was like making the finals in the last round of the playoffs. But with an emperor seated on the throne, all rule and authority was concentrated in the royal court. A 5th & 6th C Roman Consul was more a political figurehead; a polite fiction; a nod to the glory of ancient Rome and her amazing feat of world conquest. From Augustus on, the Roman Senate and her consuls steadily lost place to the new imperial bureaucracy. After Augustus, who moved swiftly to relocate and consolidate all power within his executive office, Roman emperors turned to the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard as the new go to guy in executing Imperial policy. By the time of Boethius, that office had evolved into what was called the Magister Officiorum; head of all government and judicial services.When Boethius's term as consul was up, his two sons were appointed co-consuls in his place, one for the West, the other for the East. He was then promoted into the role of Magister Officiorum – the highest administrative position in King Theodoric's court.And that's where the fun begins. à Well, it wasn't so fun for Boethius. I probably ought to say; that's where the political shenanigans and devious machinations began. For it was there, serving Theodoric, that Boethius ran afoul of the ambitions of powerful men.They used Boethius' faith to bring him down.And here we're back to the old Arian-Nicaean Controversy. You see, while Arianism had been debunked and expelled from the Western Church long before all this, it found a home among the Goths of the East; the Ostrogoths, who now ruled what was left of the Western Roman Empire. King Theodoric was an Arian, as were his Ostrogoth pals, many of whom were jealous that an outsider like Boethius had the highest post they could aspire to. Oh, and don't forget that Boethius is fluent in Greek, the language they speak over in the Eastern Empire. Whose Emperor, Justinian I was openly known to aspire to reclaim Italy from Theodoric. Oh, and to add fuel to the fires of controversy & suspicion, those Easterners are also Orthodox, Nicaean Christians, people who've systematically wiped out Arians.Boethius' was doing a stellar job as Magister Officiorum, so they knew they couldn't attack him directly. They went instead after his less well-connected friends, accusing them of conspiring with Justinian in his designs on Italy. They knew Boethius would come to their defense, and that would be enough to cast a pall over his imperial favor. The ruse worked, and Boethius was arrested, hauled off to an estate in Pavia, where he spent a year in confinement, then quietly executed when the news cycle shifted to other more pressing matters. Ha! Today, the news cycle is down to about 5 days. Back then, it was several months.Now, you may be wondering, what does Boethius have to do with CHURCH history? I'm so glad you asked.Boethius' main contribution to history in general and to Church history in particular lies in his impact on the relationship between theology and philosophy. He's regarded by many as the last of the ancient philosophers.Boethius adored the ancient Greeks. It was his life's ambition, to translate the works of Plato and Aristotle into Latin. He died before he was able, but he made a good start. His singular contribution to history is his serving as a bridge between the classical and medieval ages for understanding Aristotelean thought, especially as it regards Aristotle's work in LOGIC. Boethius recast Aristotle's principles in terms that Medieval Europeans could grasp. His work then was foundational to many other theologians and philosophers for hundreds of years. One can argue that without Boethius, Roman Scholasticism, might not have happened, or at least it would have adopted a very different form. Boethius provided much of the vocabulary of medieval theology and philosophy. He's sometimes called “the first scholastic” because in his work titled Opuscula Sacra, written to defend orthodox theology, he applied Aristotelian logic, seeking to harmonize faith & reason – the great task of later Scholastics.But it was during his year of imprisonment in Pavia, as he awaited execution that Boethius wrote his most well-known volume, The Consolation of Philosophy, regarded as the single most influential work on Medieval and early Renaissance Christianity, & the last great Western work of the Classical Period.Written in 523, The Consolation of Philosophy presents a conversation between himself and Lady Philosophy, who's come to console him. It's essentially a theodicy; an examination of the age-old dilemma addressing the challenge posed by the dual proposition of the existence of evil & God's omnipotence and love. A theodicy seeks to answer the question: If the God of the Bible is real, why is there evil in the world; a potent question for a man like Boethius, an innocent man awaiting execution by the wicked.During Lady Philosophy's discourse, subjects like predestination and free will are examined. The Consolation isn't an overtly Gospel centered work. Jesus isn't even mentioned. A rather generic God is assumed; a deity who certainly aligns loosely with The God of Scripture; but a distinctive Christian Trinitarian God isn't defined. For this reason, some historian claim Boethius wasn't a Christian. But that assessment simply doesn't square with the rest of his life, his other writings, or why he was accused of treason. His enemies went after him precisely because his orthodoxy raised Arian suspicion.So, what are we to make of the Consolation's lack of Gospel content? Surely the answer is found in Boethius' intended audience. He wasn't writing to or for Christians, showing them how to link faith and reason. He wrote to convince pagans that real philosophy, the kind that led to a better life, the BEST life, doesn't flow in tandem with paganism. The best life is a moral life, where justice and moderation are virtues. It was no doubt Boethius' hope, once pagans realized pagan religion hindered a better life, they'd investigate Christianity, because at that time in Europe those were the only two options, the only available worldviews: Christianity & Paganism. Take down paganism, and people would move to the only thing left – The Gospel.

The History of the Christian Church

Let's get ready to rumble!Well--It's not exactly a rumble we're in for in this episode, so much as a tumble into the rabbit hole of theological wrangling that took place after the Council of Chalcedon that led to the 2nd & 3rd Councils at Constantinople in 553 & 680.And it all comes back to the debate fired up between Cyril & Nestorius over how to understand the natures and person of Christ.“Wait!” you say. “Didn't the last Council at Chalcedon clear all that up?”We thought so. But large groups weren't happy with the conclusions of Chalcedon. They said the wording of the Creed was too Nestorian. They claimed Cyril's formulations that had been accepted at the Council of Ephesus didn't figure strongly enough in the work done at Chalcedon and wanted the orthodox statement on the nature of Jesus amended along more Cyrillian lines.It must also be said that by the beginning of the 6th C, the Nestorian Church of the East & centered in Persia, had by this time gone well beyond the actual position of Nestorius into the idea that Jesus was indeed, not just of two natures, but He was two persons; one divine, the other human. We'll not broach the intricacies of that theology since it takes us on a tangent, and with my ineptitude, would only confuse us all anyway. The upshot is, the Orthodox Churches of East & West had already drawn a line over which they'd set the Nestorian Church of the East as heretics. It's no wonder then that the Nestorians rejected both the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon.But it wasn't just the Nestorians who rejected Chalcedon. A growing number of groups along the Mediterranean coast in Syria, Egypt, Palestine, then inland in Armenia also rejected Chalcedon. These groups were uniformly Monophysites, that is, they believed Jesus possessed single nature, as opposed to the dual-nature proscribed at Chalcedon. But there were different groups of monophysites. That is, they arrived at their monophysitism via different routes.Those following Cyril said that Jesus did indeed have two natures as God & Man, but that His deity utterly overwhelmed His humanity. Another group followed the ideas of the now officially declared heretic Eutyches and said Jesus did indeed TECHNICALLY have two natures, but that they'd fused together into a new, third nature that was a perfect union of human and divine. They preferred to refer to this not as mono-physitism, but as mia-physitism.So, the Church was thus split in 3 segments; the Nestorians in the East, outside the Empire,   and the Chalcedonians & Non-Chalcedonian Monophysite sharing the Empire. The Second Council at Constantinople was an attempt to reconcile the Chalcedonians and the Monophysites by once more condemning Nestorius and putting the language of Chalcedon in more palatable terms for the Monophysites.Before we get to the Council, we need to talk a bit about some writings that had been making the rounds called the Three Chapters. In 551, 2 years before he called the Second Council of Constantinople, the Emperor Justinian issued an edict condemning a collection of writings from 3 sources which collectively supported what Nestorius had really taught about the nature of Christ, rather than the misrepresentation of his critics, as well as a thorough examination of Cyril's Christology, revealing its tendency toward monophysitism. The Three Chapters was keeping the whole Christological controversy alive and calling into question the validity of both the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon, so Justinian decided to shut it down by passing an edict condemning the Three Chapters.But you know what happens when the man at the tope tells people not to read or heed something, right? Yep – it only makes more people curious. And the more that read The Three Chapters, the more were worried the Councils may have erred.So Justinian called a new ecumenical council for May of 553, hoping to reconcile the recalcitrant Monophysites with the Chalcedonians by making clear his dismissal of Nestorianism.The Council was presided over by the Patriarch of Constantinople, one Eutychius. Pope Vigilius was invited and as circumstance would have it, he was in the City at the time, due to having fled there for refuge from the rampage Ostrogoths in his native Italy. But Vigilius declined and issued a statement forbidding the Council proceeding without his authorization. The other bishops ignored him and went ahead. They condemned the Three Chapters, and in the 7th session, had Pope Vigilius' name stricken from the diptych, that is, the official list of names with whom the bishops recognized as in fellowship with them. BY this action, they excommunicated the Pope for his refusal to appear at the Council. Vigilius was then imprisoned in the Capital by Justinian, his advisors exiled. 6 Months later, Vigilius agreed to condemn the Three Chapters, claiming he'd been misled by those now exiled advisors. He then approved the Council's work.The Council had hammered out a compromise they thought would uphold Chalcedon while ameliorating Monophysite concerns Cyril's theology had been discarded. The Council showed great deference to Cyril's ideas and cited his arguments as definitive in their Christological concerns. In several places they deliberately mention Christ as a single person, condemning those who want to cast Christ's two natures in two persons, an obvious jab at the Nestorian Church.The Council's stated regard for Cyril's theology moves some historians to believe this Council was really a counter by Monophysites meaning to undo Chalcedon. That's probably not warranted since the creed this Council produced reinforced Chalcedon's ideas. None of its adopted Cyrillianisms interfere with the language of Chalcedon.And if this Council was an attempt at reconciliation, it failed. Monophysites rejected BOTH Chalcedon and this Second Counsel of Constantinople. To this day, the Syriac, Armenian, and Coptic Orthodox churches continue that tradition. The theological rift morphed into a political breach when these regions refused to honor the rule from the Eastern Capital. They were then subsumed under the Islamic Caliphate a century later.When news of the Council's treatment of the Pope, and its refined Creed reached the Western Churches, many dioceses rejected it and only came to a begrudged acceptance after a century or two.All that brings us to the 6th Ecumenical Council, which was also held in Constantinople a hundred and thirty yrs later.Because the Chalcedonians—Monophysites rift wasn't sealed, a new idea about the nature of Christ was proposed. This time it dealt with Jesus' will, or wills. The questions asked was, “If Jesus is One Person with two separate & distinct natures, as Chalcedon said and the last Council affirmed, then how many wills does He have; one or two?” One group came out with a resounding insistence Jesus had a single will. This was called Monothelitism.Monothelitism came from the Monophysite camp, saying it was only Christ's divine will that was active in the Incarnation. He still had a human will, but it was dormant, inactive; in a kind of spiritual hibernation. Adherents to this doctrine hoped it would prove an end to the long running controversy over the natures of Jesus. Christ retained two natures and two wills, but the human was subordinated to His divine. For Monotheliticists, there was no question about how Christ experienced his life in the Incarnation as a person. This doctrine was promoted by Sergius and a group of dedicated theologians. It had the enthusiastic backing of Emperor Heraclius, who hoped it was a way to mend the breach between Chalcedonians and Monophysites.This issue of how many wills Jesus had may be one of the most obscure debates in Church history. As we've seen in previous episodes, early church fathers were concerned that if Christ was not completely human, humanity couldn't be completely redeemed. Monothelitists said Christ was completely human, but that his divine will had taken over such human tasks as eating, drinking, and other activities that engaged the physical realm.Set over against the Monothelitists were the, ready for another tongue-twister? The Dyothelites, who said Jesus had two co-equal wills, one human the other divine. They aregued that it's pointless to say Jesus was fully human, but then to gut Him of one of the priome characteristics that makes a human, human, and not a mere animal – the will, the power to make real moral choices. The dyothelites were led by a theologian named Maximus. He said the divine and human wills of Jesus worked in concert; the human submitted to the divine, but not at all subsumed in some kind of dormant state. It was every bit as active as the divine will, but was in total submission to it, as the faithful & obedient believer ought to submit to the will of God.Maximus was concerned to address an issue the Monothelites had raised; that two wills would mean an internal conflict in Jesus that would be difficult to resolve. Maximus said there was no reason to assume Jesus' human will would be at odds with the divine, since He was without sin. Indeed, the Gospels repeatedly convey the idea of the human will of Jesus submitting to the divine. All this means that Jesus embraced the fullness of our humanity. He held nothing at bay in His experience of being human and taking our place. So when He died, it accomplished our complete salvation.20 years after Maximus was martyred by a pro-monothelite Emperor, the 3rd Council of Constantinople adopted his position and the cooperation of the Jesus' dual wills like this. The Creed says, “His human will was lifted up by the omnipotency of his divinity, and his divine will was revealed to men through his humanity.”One writer describes the important difference between the one and two will positions like this . . .Pyrrhus was a monothelite. Maximus, as we've seen was the leading dyothelite.Regarding Christ's suffering in Gethsemane, Pyrrhus said Jesus' asking the Father to take the cup from Him was really just giving expression that what a human nature that loves life and does not want to die would say. But Christ wasn't really asking the Father to spare him the cross, since that would mean He was willing something the Father didn't. Instead, he simply empathized with how one of us would feel in that situation.Maximus argued Christ genuinely wrestled with the question of dying, but redeemed our disobedience in Eden by making his human will obedient to the point of death.Pyrrhus's position may appear to resolve some difficulties with reconciling Christ's divinity & humanity, but only by making, the Incarnation a kind of sham, where The Eternal Son takes on an only pseudo-human experience, like He's acting out a part, rather than becoming it.We have one Council left to cover. The Seventh and final Ecumenical Council takes us back to where it started, Nicaea, but 450 years after the first.

The History of the Christian Church

This episode is titled – The Great Recession.I usually leave house-keeping comments for CS to the end of each episode but wanted to begin this by saying thanks to all who subscribe, listen regularly, and have turned others on to the podcast.Website stats tell us we have a lot of visitors & subscribers. Far more than you faithful ones who've checked in on the Facebook page & hit the “like” button. Can I ask those of you who haven't yet to do so?Then, if you're one of the many who accesses the podcast via iTunes, you probably know how difficult it can be to find what you're looking for there. Millions use iTunes as their podcast portal yet the search feature is clunky. So tracking down what you want can be a challenge. What helps people find content on iTunes is reviews. So, if you're an iTunes user and like CS, you could be a great asset by writing a brief review for the podcast. Thanks ahead of time.Okay, enough shameless self-promotion . . .Christianity more than proved its vitality by enduring waves of persecution prior to Constantine the Great. When persecution was withdrawn & the Faith climbed out of the catacombs to become the darling of the State, the question was whether it would survive the corruption political power inevitably brings. While many thousands of pagans professed faith because it was the politically expedient thing to do, some sincere believers marked the moral corruption that took place in the church & forsook society to practice a purer faith in monasteries, as we saw in our last episode.The institutional Church, on the other hand, organized itself in a manner that resembled the old Roman Imperial system. When the Empire crumbled under the weight of its own corruption, that fall accelerated by barbarian invasions, the question was, would Christianity fall with it?The story of Christianity in the West is a remarkable tale of survival. So often in history, when a culture is swept away, so is its religion. Christianity has proven an exception. As often as not it endured when the culture changed. Such was the case in Europe and the events that followed the Fall of Rome at the end of the 5th Century.When the Gospel first came to those urban centers which were the cultural heart of the Roman Empire in the late 1st & early 2nd Centuries, it was regarded as a Jewish reform movement. Its first converts were Jews scattered around the Empire and those Gentiles who'd attached themselves to the Jewish synagogues. But once these God-fearing Gentiles came to faith, they evangelized their Gentile friends. Following Paul's example in speaking to the philosophers on Mars Hill, these Gentile Christians recast the Gospel in Greco-Roman terms, using ideas & values familiar to the pagan mind.When I say “pagan” don't think of it as the insult it is in our modern vernacular; someone void of moral virtue. By pagan, I mean those who practiced the religion of the Greeks & Romans with its pantheon of gods. In that sense, Plato & Aristotle were pagans. Zeno, the philosopher who developed Stoicism, was a pagan. These were all men who developed the philosophical framework that shaped the worldview of Greco-Roman culture & society. They asked some penetrating questions that provided the intellectual backdrop of the 1st & 2nd Centuries. Gentile Christians picked up these questions & used them to say they'd found their answers in Christ. Many other pagans found these arguments convincing & were won to faith. Some of the Early Church Fathers even appealed to the ancient philosophers in the formal letters they wrote to the Emperors on why persecution of Christians was bad policy. They argued for a promotion of the Faith as a boon to the health of culture, not a harm to it. Their defense of the Faith was couched in terms the Emperors were familiar with because they shared the same philosophical language.My point here is that Christianity made an appeal to the Greco-Roman worldview it was growing in the midst of. So, what would happen when that society fell?Also, the Church's organizational structure increasingly came to resemble the Imperial structure. What would happen when that was dismantled? Would the Faith survive? Had Christianity grown too close to the culture?The answer is à Yes & no. The Empire's demise did pose a set-back to the Church. But we might ask if maybe that was good. The institutional Church had in many ways deviated from its purpose & calling. Not a few bishops were far more concerned for their political power than for their role as spiritual shepherds. In many minds, spiritual & earthly power had merged into the same thing.Rome's fall allowed the Faith to break away from the political attachments that had corrupted it for a century & a half.  But there's little doubt that from the 6th through 9th Centuries, Christianity suffered a kind of spiritual declension. Over that 400 years, the total number of people who claimed be Christians dropped, fresh movements of renewal declined, & moral & spiritual vigor flagged.  While there were exceptions, overall, Christianity lost ground, giving this period of time in Church history the title, as Kenneth Scott Latourette calls it, the Great Recession.Following the timeline of Church history at this point becomes difficult because so much was going on in various places. So for the balance of this episode, I want to give a quick sketch of both the many reversals & few advances Christianity saw from the 6th thru 9th Centuries.When the Goths, Visigoths, & Ostrogoths moved in to pick clean the bones of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th Century, something remarkable happened. While they helped themselves to the wealth of the Empire, they also adopted some of the Roman customs they admired. But nothing was so surprising as their embrace of Christianity. In truth, these barbarians were already what we'd have to describe as nominally Christian. Their invasion of & settling into Roman lands greatly furthered their identification with the Faith.Remember that in the ancient world, war was more than just an attempt to take land & plunder; it was a contest of faiths. The ancients believed armed conflict was a kind of spiritual tug of war. The mightiest god gave his or her people victory. This is why when one people defeated another, the loser's religion was often wiped out.But the Germanic barbarians tended to embrace Christianity rather than destroy it. There was something different in the message of Christ from their ancient folk faiths that drew and converted them. So when they took down the Roman Imperial structure, they left the churches intact. Bishops continued to exercise oversight in their flocks.Unlike other religions, Christianity was super-cultural. It wasn't just the faith of one group; it potentially embraced all. Even those who rejected the Gospel recognized it wasn't merely the spirituality of a specific ethnic group. Its message transcended culture to encompass all humanity.That was the situation on the north & northeastern borders of the Empire. The situation in the south was very different.  In the 7th Century, Islam swept out of Arabia to conquer the Middle East & North Africa. The Muslims managed to get a foothold in Spain before the armies of Charles Martel stopped them pushing any further North in 732. Where Islam conquered, it replaced native religions. Enclaves of determined Jews & Christians eked out an existence but by & large, the Crescent replaced the Cross throughout the Middle East & North Africa.While there's no specific date or event that marked the onset of the Great Recession, we'll set the year 500 as the starting point.  Here's why …In 476 the last Roman Emperor was deposed by the Goth leader Odoacer. This marks the end of the Western Roman Empire. The capital then shifted undisputedly to Constantinople in the East.20 years later, in 496, the Frank king Clovis was baptized. This marked a new era in which Germanic rulers became the standard-bearers of the Faith instead of Romans.Then in 529, the Eastern Emperor Justinian closed the Schools of Athens. These academies were the last official symbols of Greco-Roman paganism. Justinian ordered them closed to signal the final triumph of Christianity over paganism.In that same year, 529, Benedict built his monastery on Monte Cassino as we saw in our last episode. The Benedictine Rule was to have a huge impact on the course of the Faith in the West.While Christianity seemed to stumble in many of the places where it had been installed 3 & 400 years before, it continued its relentless spread into new territory. It was during the early 6th Century that the Faith went up the Nile into Sudan. In the latter part of that century, Pope Gregory sent missionaries to Britain and in the early 7th Century the Gospel reached China.But the 7th Century was when the Arab conquests began. In less than 20 years after Mohammed's death, Islam had raised its banner over, Israel, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia, & Egypt. Before the end of the Century they'd conquered all North Africa, including the capital at Carthage and by 715 had taken Spain.If you've been listening from the earliest episodes, you know that these lands the Arabs conquered had a rich Christian history, especially in North Africa. Alexandria & Carthage were home to some of the most prominent Christian leaders & theologians – Athanasius & Arius, Alexander, Cyril, & Augustine, to name a few.At the same time, the Arabs were spreading Islam across Christian lands, up in the Balkan peninsula & Greece, pagan Slavs moved in. In 680, Asians called Bulgars crossed the Danube River & set up a kingdom in what had been the Eastern frontier of the Empire.Between these losses to the Arabs in the South & the Slavs & Bulgars in the East, about half the total land area that had been Christian territory was lost.The 8th Century saw large numbers of German tribes come to Faith. But the 9th & 10th Centuries were marked by repeated invasions of pagans from the distant north. These  Scandinavians raided the shores of northern Europe, Britain, and all the way to Russia. They delighted in looting the many defenseless churches & monasteries they included in their conquests.These Scandinavian raids helped shatter the fragile unity the Carolingians had pulled together in Europe. As society broke apart into minor political regions, the quality of spirituality in the churches declined.  Discipline in the monasteries grew lax. Bishops focused more on secular than spiritual matters. The clergy grew corrupt. The Roman Papacy became a political football.The Eastern church of the 8th & 9th Centuries was rent by a theological controversy over the use of images. In the 9th Century, Muslims conquered Sicily & Crete, & established a beachhead in southern Italy.In China of the mid 9th Century, Christianity experienced a wave of fierce persecution. This was due to the Faith having been too closely identified with the previous dynasty.As we come to the dawn of the 10th Century, there were several positive signs the Faith was growing again in the regions where it had declined. Churches were planted among the Slavs & Bulgars. The Faith extended its reach into Russia & there are indications the Church in India grew during this time.One sign of a positive spiritual turn took place in Eastern France in a place called Cluny. In 910, Duke William of Aquitania founded a monastery on the Rule of St. Benedict. The abbots selected to lead it were men of tremendous character & piety. They were determined to correct the lax moral attitudes that had become all too common in monastery life.The Clunaic reforms not only reinvigorated monastic life, they established a new hierarchy for monasteries. Prior to Cluny, monasteries were connected to & in a sense answerable to local bishops & nobility. Cluny and the monasteries that came from it were directly answerable to the Pope.  This became an important element of church life when during the 11th Century, the popes tried to un-tie the Church from secular powers.While the monastic life may seem strange & at the same time stereo-typical of the romanticized view of Medieval life we have today, monasteries acted as repositories of the wisdom & learning of previous generations. As wave after wave of invaders washed over Europe, and society was shattered into a thousand bits, monasteries remained cultural lighthouses.

The History of the Christian Church

This week's episode is titled, “Contra Munda”In our last episode we noted how the Emperor Constantine hoped Christianity would be a unifying influence in the far-flung & troubled Roman Empire. But as soon as he & his co-emperor Licinius passed the Edict of Milan granting religious tolerance to all the Empire's subject, the doctrinal & theological debates that had been in place for years began to surface.When the Church was being hammered by persecution prior to Constantine, Christians had a more imminent threat to deal with. But now that persecution was lifted, secondary issues moved to the foreground.As we saw at the conclusion of the last episode, the Donatists of North Africa asked the Emperor to mediate their dispute with their non-Donatist adversaries. At the Council at Arles, the Donatists lost the debate over whether or not lapsed church leaders could be reinstalled. When they refused to capitulate, Constantine sent troops to Carthage, the lead church in N Africa, to enforce his will. For the first time, the power of the State was used to enforce Church policy on other Christians.An interesting aside from the Council of Arles was the presence of 3 bishops from Britain. This gives us an idea how far the Gospel had penetrated by the beginning of the 4th C.But the Donatist Controversy wasn't the only or near the largest debate that would engulf the Church at that time. The biggest doctrinal challenge facing the Church was how to understand the person of Jesus Christ. A pastor of a church near Alexandria, Egypt named Arius became the champion for a position which said Jesus was human but not God.As we embark on this chapter in Church History, let me begin by saying it was in these early years, as church leaders wrestled with the identity of Christ and His relation to man & God, that the theological groundwork was laid for what we hold today as Orthodoxy. It took many years & several Councils before the Church Fathers worked out the right wording that captures the essence of what we now call orthodox doctrine. Getting there was no easy trip. The journey was fraught with great trouble, distress, and at times, bloodshed. It began with a debate over the nature of Christ; was He God, man, or both? If both, how are we to understand Him; did He have 2 natures or 1 hybrid nature that merged the 2? And if Jesus is God, then how do we describe God as one, yet being both Father & Son? Oh – and don't forget the Holy Spirit? How are we going to describe all this without saying something about God that's untrue?I warn you that as we carry all this into the 5th & 6th Cs, especially the discussions over how to understand the nature of Christ, we're going to see some church leaders acting in a decidedly non-Christian manner. One of the Church Councils called to settle this matter ended up in a bloody riot! So hang on because we have some fun stuff ahead.For now, realize what we're looking at in this era of our review is a big deal and will frame the course of Church life over the next nearly 300 years.How do I explain the debate as it emerged in the challenge Arius presented?Well, because of their pagan background, many people didn't believe God experienced emotions as humans experience them. Yet it's clear from the Gospels Jesus did experience such emotions. Therefore, logic seemed to dictate Jesus could not have been divine, because if He was, then God experienced human emotions. Arius' solution was that Jesus was God's first & greatest creation. Denying that Jesus was eternal, he said, “Once, the Son did not exist.” Arius wanted to get his ideas into the public mind quickly so he set his doctrine to catchy little tunes & soon, many were singing his songs.Arius' position was popular among the common people who found the Christian doctrines of the Incarnation & the Trinity difficult. How could there be 1 God eternally manifest as 3 persons? Arius' description of Jesus as a kind of divine hero beneath the 1 God fit more easily into their pagan background so they adopted his theology. While Arius' teaching spread rapidly among his pagan neighbors, those with a keener awareness of the Bible opposed his aberrant views. They composed their own chorus that today is known as the Gloria Patri – “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.”Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, so Arius' spiritual overseer, led the opposition to Arius and called together a group of Church leaders in 320. They reviewed Arius' theology and declared it heretical.  When Arius refused to back down, they excommunicated him. Arius then went to the Empire's Eastern capital at Nicomedia & asked for the support of his friend, the bishop of the church there, a guy named Eusebius.  Not the church historian Eusebius who lived at the same time.The 2 most influential churches of the East were set in opposition to each other, Nicomedia, the political headquarters & Alexandria, the intellectual center. Because Arius had Eusebius' backing he felt emboldened to return to Alexandria. When he did, there was rioting in the streets. But then, if you know anything about ancient Alexandria, rioting was a favored past-time. They rioted like we go to a ball game; it was public sport.As the Arian Controversy spread, Emperor Constantine realized if he didn't take action, instead of the Church providing much needed unity for the Empire, it would become one of the major sources of turmoil & unrest. In 325 he called Church leaders far & wide to attend a special council at the city of Nicea in modern Turkey, at his expense. Some 300 bishops managed to make it, enough to make the Council of Nicea a remarkable representation of the whole church.  Many of those who attended bore the scars & marks of the Diocletian persecution. When they met, they found a throne set for the Emperor in the midst of the hall. He sat arrayed in richly jeweled robes befitting more an Eastern monarch than an Emperor of Rome.Constantine assumed the Arian Controversy was merely a sematic debate; a petty brueha over words & that a meeting of the minds of Christians leaders was all that was needed to settle the dispute. Yeah, let's just get every together in one place and talk it out man to man, face to face. Surely they'll reach a compromise, right?  à So, he commenced the council with a little pep talk about the importance of their task, then turned it over to them. The depth of his naivete was quickly revealed.The account of the finding of the Council reveals that while the doctrinal issue raised by Arius was quickly resolved, it was how Arius was handled by Bishop Alexander that became the main point of debate.Arianism was declared heretical. The Council affirmed both the deity & humanity of Jesus as the Son of God. Constantine urged his friend, Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, the famous historian, to put forward his creed, his statement of faith as something the entire council could endorse as their united statement. But the Council didn't find Eusebius sufficiently clear on his belief in the deity of Jesus and went instead with a creed offered by the Bishop of the Spanish city of Cordova, a man named Hosius, another favorite of the Emperor's. Still, the Council dithered, & Constantine, with an empire to run, grew impatient & pressed the bishops to endorse what today we know as the Nicean Creed, the accepted standard of Roman & Eastern Churches.I quote the Nicean Creed in full …We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, …Then comes the lines the Council wrote to specifically deal with the Arian error –True God of True God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father (remember that phrase; it'll be important later) by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe in only one holy, universal and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.Only 2 of the 300 bishops present refused to sign the Creed. Along with Arius, they were exiled. Constantine assumed the Arian Controversy had been dealt with, so the Church would settle down and help him unite the realm. To mark the dawn of a new & glorious day of Church & State cooperation, Constantine held a huge banquet before the bishops headed home.What a sight, these men bearing the scars of the previous emperor's persecution, now the emperor's celebrated guests, eating at his sumptuous table, reclining on his own couch! Guarded by his bodyguard. One man, missing an eye put out by Diocletian, was given special honor; Constantine even kissed the eyeless cheek!But in the years that followed, some of those bishops were banished from their posts when they took umbrage at this or that imperial decision. A hierarchy grew up around Constantine, self-appointed advisors to the Emperor on the state of the Church. If they didn't like a certain fellow, they accused him of some offense, and the newly anointed enemy was exiled with his replacement being someone more amenable to the accuser. And just as often as a bishop ran afoul of Imperial favor & was banished, just that quick he could be called back when Constantine replaced one set of advisors with another. The role of Church leader became a kind of musical chairs. In today, out tomorrow, back the day after, but keep your bags packed at all times.An example of this is the career of Athanasius.Athanasius was a young advisor to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria who led the opposition to Arius. Athanasius was a short & dark-skinned deacon his enemies referred to as the Black Dwarf.  As a young man, he spent hours with his heroes, the monks in the wilderness outside Alexandria. The word monk means “alone” & they took their name from the isolation they pursued. Athanasius took it on himself to make sure they had food & supplies as they devoted themselves to God by literally fleeing the world.Athanasius had a keen mind & lived a highly-disciplined life. Even at a young age his brilliance was respected and when Alexander made the trip to Nicaea for the famous Council, he took Athanasius with him. Not long after returning from Nicaea, Alexander fell ill & asked Athanasius to replace him. But Athanasius wanted to serve, not lead. So he fled to his desert friends, the monks. They convinced him of his calling to lead the Church & he returned to Alexandrian as Bishop. He was 33.Constantine was loath to undo the findings of the Council of Nicaea, but he also knew the Arian position was still popular among many f the common folk. He thought it best that Arius be allowed to return to Alexandria as a member of the Church. Thinking that now that Alexander, the man who'd led the opposition was out of the way, Athanasius would knuckle under to Imperial authority and consent to Arius' return. He couldn't have been more wrong.Athanasius locked horns with the Emperor & refused to budge, even when Constantine threatened to banish him.  They battled for 5 yrs when finally the Emperor had enough & found Athanasius guilty of treason. In the 40 yrs Athanasius was bishop, he was banished & recalled 5 times as the winds of fortune & imperial favor shifted in the palace. At one point, he was so thoroughly out of political good will every one of his supporters deserted him.  It was during this period he wrote & spoke of his devotion & unwavering loyalty to Jesus as the King above all earthly kings, saying that nothing could weaken his resolve to love & serve God, even if it meant, “Athanasius contra munda” = Athanasius against the world.Remember just a moment ago when reading the Nicaean Creed, I mentioned to note the phrase that Jesus was of one substance with the Father. Not long after the Nicaean Council, a group of Church leaders decided to soften the Nicaean position & bring it a little toward the Arian view. They said Jesus wasn't the SAME substance as the Father but was a SIMILAR substance. In Greek, it's the difference of one letter' between homo-ousios – same substance & the new terminology they advocated – homoi-ousios – similar substance.As we'd expect, Athanasius led the classic Nicean interpretation of homo-ousios against the Quasi-Arians and their statement of homoi-ousios. While this may seem an insignificant difference to many of us, it proved to be of monumental importance. If the door was opened in even a small way to begin thinking of Jesus as somehow different in essence from the Father, it wouldn't be long before His deity would be jettisoned entirely. Then we wouldn't be following the Jesus of the Bible; the real Jesus of history. Athanasius' lonely & steadfast determination to hold fast to what the Bible said about God, rather than go along with the politically-minded doctrine-massagers of his day is one of the most important & heroic moments, not just in Church history, but in all history. This was one of those moments when it seems truth hung by a thread; a thread only as think as the letter “i”.We end this episode with this . . .One of Constantine's most important contributions to history was the relocation of his capital to Byzantium from the decayed husk of the once great but now worn-out & tired city of Rome. Byzantium was located at the geographical crossroads for the ancient world and it's a wonder no one had recognized its strategic brilliance before this.  It sits a the narrow neck of the Bosporus, linking E & W & controls the flow of maritime trade between the Black & Mediterranean Seas. Located not far from Diocletian's Eastern capital at Nicomedia it meant an easy relocation of the capital. Constantine decided to turn the hundreds year old village into a bright shining new center of civilization and made a good start on the project before his death in 337. Because it was the Eastern capital, it also became a major center & headquarters of the Church, which would eventually vie with Rome for bragging rights over which church ruled the Christian world.At Constantine's death it was as if a message was sent to the frontiers it was time for Rome's enemies to push her borders backwards.  In Central Asia, the Huns pressed westward on the Goths, who in turn pressed in on Rome's Eastern Frontier. Another group known as the Visigoths eventually made it all the way to Rome in 410 & sacked the city. Their leader was Alaric, who'd been influenced by Arianism.Over the next years, other Easterners made their way across Europe, bringing more ruin. Each successive wave was like another slap to the face of once great Rome which by that time was little more than a punch-drunk & washed up has-been. The Franks, Alans, Vandals & Ostrogoths all took a turn knocking the Romans about.The Vandals, who began their campaign of terror & pillage in the steppes of Asia, crossed the Rhine, plowed a deep furrow S into Spain, took ship to cross the Straits of Gibraltar & landed in N Africa where they heard fabulous wealth awaited. Furious that the riches they dreamed of weren't there, they went on a rampage of destruction that's bequeathed their name “Vandal” to later generations as meaning someone out to wreck wanton & pointless ruination.One of the cities they laid siege to in N Africa was Hippo, where a Bishop named Augustine served as pastor. Augustine became one of the most important theologians of church history. He died during the siege by the Vandals. When they finally conquered & destroyed the city, the Vandals so respected Augustine they took pains to preserve his church & the extensive library he'd accumulated.Augustine of Hippo is a towering influence in church history and one that we'll return to in a future episode.