End Of The Roman Empire | Part 1: The Beggar Kings
Emperor John VI struggles to reform the faltering Roman Empire during its final century.
In this episode, we dive into the turbulent final century of the Byzantine Empire through the eyes of one of its most fascinating figures: John VI Kantakouzenos.
A reluctant emperor, John inherited a crumbling empire beset by internal strife and foreign threats. While others dreamed of restoring Rome’s former glory, John envisioned a smaller, reformed state that could survive by diplomacy and pragmatism. His alliances with the rising Ottoman Turks, the Italian merchant republics, and the Serbian kingdom reveal the precarious balancing act required to hold the empire together.
We also explore the destructive civil wars that fractured the ruling Palaiologos dynasty, the growing dominance of Venice and Genoa in Byzantine politics, and the meteoric rise of the Ottoman Turks—an alliance that would later become the empire’s greatest enemy.
By the end of this episode, you’ll understand why the Byzantine Empire fell—and marvel at how it managed to survive as long as it did.
Sources:
- The Reluctant Emperor: A Biography of John Cantacuzene, Byzantine Emperor and Monk, C.1295-1383 by Donald Nicol
- The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453 Book by Donald Nicol
- Translation of John Cantacuzene's biography by BS Mclaughlin
- Decline and fall of Byzantium to the Ottoman Turks - Doukas
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