T&J

Mar 11 2025 11 ep. 53 mins 27

T&J Podcast artwork

A limited series podcast devoted to sixth century Byzantium and the greatest recorded love story on earth – that between Empress Theodora and her husband, the Emperor Justinian.

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The Plague Pt. 1

Mar 11 2025 62 mins

A huge swath of the world goes dim for a year and a half after a mysterious haze covers Eurasia's skies. The abrupt dip in climate creates some pretty ideal conditions for the bubonic plague. Meanwhile, T&J set out to restore the Roman Empire with less-than-desirable results.

Solomon, I Have Outdone Thee

Dec 19 2024 66 mins

The Nika Riots leave Constantinople a tabula rasa for Justinian's masterpiece cathedral, the Hagia Sophia. Although, not without petty rivalries, starchitects and a shrewd, Hebrew king's influence along the way.

Purple is the Noblest Shroud

Nov 28 2024 63 mins

To move forward, we must first look back ... to the early days of T&J's being crowned empress and emperor, where a confluence of unfortunate policies — plus, a flawed hanging — cause the couple to come scarily close to losing everything. Thankfully, generally speaking, they have just the crew on-hand to turn things around.

Textiles and Jewelry with Betsy Williams

Apr 09 2024 47 mins

Bonus episode courtesy of my new South African and Articles of Interest fans! What was the Birkin bag of the T&J era? Could someone tell the difference between a Roman and a Persian based on dress alone? Were couches and bedding like what we have today? This episode we go deep into the color purple, marriage belts and baby tunics in a conversation all about sixth century Byzant

Enslavement

Nov 21 2023 68 mins

T&J themselves owned enslaved human beings, and they were far from alone. Enslavement in the Roman Empire was the practice of both prostitutes and priests, even rabbis. Justinian hires some VIP jurists to Marie Kondo centuries of Roman law.

Gothic as a Modifier

Oct 12 2023 53 mins

One thing we can definitively say is that the Goths weren’t dressing in all-black and ornamenting their buildings with gargoyles. So how did the name of a single barbarian people make it to the 21st century and still mean so much?

Barbarian Makeover Pt. 2

Aug 25 2023 61 mins

Justinian, now emperor, decides he wants to restore the Roman Empire to its full territorial glory. Piece of cake, right? Good thing T&J have their favorite couple on-hand to help make it all happen.

Barbarian Makeover Pt. 1

Jul 28 2023 47 mins

We cross over the Danube River to uncover the many dichotomies between the Romans and their scruffier neighbors to the north. Justinian’s Uncle Justin leaves Thrace for Constantinople and sets off a chain of events that will lead T&J onto the throne.

One Iota

Jul 14 2023 60 mins

The smallest of the Greek letters — or what we'd think of as the letter 'i' — blows early Christian doctrine wide open. T&J link up and find themselves on opposite sides of the bitter theological divide.

Bread and Circuses

Jun 29 2023 55 mins

Byzantium enjoyed many of the imperial realities of Rome, above all, in 'bread and circuses.' That is, free bread and entertainment. We meet Theodora as a sexy, young star of the Constantinople stage and explore what made entertainment throughout the empire possible — factions.