"12 Byzantine Rulers"

Posted on March 13, 2007

If you’re looking for something to listen to during your commute, and you like history, I highly recommend Lars Brownworth’s excellent “12 Byzantine Rulers” series of podcasted lectures.

Mr. Brownworth is a history teacher in New York who developed “12 Byzantine Rulers” as a way to share his love for the history of the later Roman Empire. His lecture style is engaging and personal; it never devolves into boring recitations of dates and places, instead giving colorful descriptions of each of the emperors he looks at, as well as the times they lived in.

So far there are 13 lectures, covering 9 of the promised 12 Byzantine emperors; Mr. Brownworth does this project in his spare time, so it takes a month or two for each new lecture to be released. They are definitely worth the wait, though. “12 Byzantine Rulers” is a unique resource; I highly recommend it.