The Sixth Age: A Medieval History Podcast
The Sixth Age: A Medieval History Podcast is a deep dive into medieval history that strips away modern myths to reveal the world as it was actually lived. It explores why people in the Middle Ages saw the world the way they did, from the fall of Rome to the dawn of the Renaissance. The podcast reconstructs the medieval worldview, challenging common misconceptions about the so-called 'Dark Ages.'
Episodes
The Origins of Medieval Serfdom
This week we're covering the origins of Medieval European Serfdom, through the eyes of an Italian couple. As always, you can leave comments, view bibliographies, and support the show on the podcast website.
Goodbye Jin Dynasty, We Hardly Knew You
In this episode we trace the Jin Empire’s collapse in the 4th–5th centuries: pressure from nomadic invasions and disastrous internal politics and taxation under the Sima family.
Read the podcast substack at https://6thagepod.substack.com/
From Empire to Fragmentation: Gupta India’s Collapse and the Dawn of the Medieval Era
In the 4th–5th centuries AD the Gupta Empire’s golden age—shaped by rulers like Samudragupta and Chandragupta II, thriving trade with Rome, and rich religious and urban life—was shattered by repeated invasions by the Huns. Reliant on Roman gold and international trade, the Guptas could not withstand the sustained pressure.
The episode traces the Guptas’ rise, their ties to Roman commerce, the Hunn
The Sons of the Sea-Monster: The Merovingians and the Making of France
This episode explores the legendary and historical origins of the Merovingian dynasty, from the myth of Merovich’s sea-monster conception to Clovis’s military conquests and conversion to Christianity.
It examines Frankish identity, Roman influence, the synthesis of Roman and Germanic cultures, and how Clovis’s actions set the foundation for the medieval kingdom of France.
Christian Creeds: Formalizing Ancient and Early Medieval Christianity, from Nicea to Chalcedon
This episode traces early Christianity’s theological diversity and the struggle to define orthodoxy from grassroots movements to imperial councils.
It explains how emperors like Constantine and Theodosius used councils (Nicaea, Ephesus, Chalcedon) to settle disputes over Jesus’ nature, label heresies, and enforce creeds—reshaping the Christian world and provoking enduring schisms.
Saint Brigid: Breaking Boundaries in Medieval Ireland
How do you turn a pagan goddess into a Christian saint? That's what we're asking in this week's episode on Saint Brigid, the boundary-breaking Irish woman who was venerated across Medieval Europe. We'll be talking about Brigid's pagan origins, as well as examining her relationship with some modern-day Irish social movements.
Learn more at our website!
Theodoric the Great, and the Foundation of Medieval Italy
This week we're diving into the life of Theodoric the Great, the Ostrogothic King who conquered Italy and ruled Barbarian and Roman alike. We'll be focusing on the way Theodoric blended Roman and Gothic culture to rule effectively, and talk about how his rule paved the way for an Italian Kingdom, independent of Constantinople's oversight.
Comments, questions, or concerns can be left at 6thagepod.
The First Pilgrim: Saint Helena of Constantinople
Join us this week as we do a deep dive on the first Christian pilgrim, Saint Helena of Constantinople. Her story provides us an insight into women's role in the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman world, and she set the stage for the centuries long tradition of Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem that persists today.
Saint Augustine
Learn about the quintessential Medieval saint and theologian, Augustine of Hippo.
Please ignore the dog eating his lunch in the background.
The podcast website is now up! Visit 6thagepod.com today.
Meet the Barbarians
It's time for a whirlwind tour of the Barbarian peoples settling along the Roman Empire's fringes. These guys will undermine the Empire from the inside, and ultimately lay the foundations for the Medieval Kingdoms we know and love.
New Rome Who Dis
Rome fell in 476 AD. Or did it? This episode dives into the transition from the Roman world to the Medieval one, and tackles some of the biggest misconceptions we have about the Fall of the Roman Empire.
Clovis and Hannah
The story of a Jewish Builder, sharing his visions of the end of the world.
Introduction
Welcome to the Sixth Age: A Medieval History Podcast. Learn about our approach to Medieval History here!
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