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In this introductory episode, we set the stage for the incredible journey through the millennia of Constantinople's rich history. Listeners will be introduced to the unique geographical and strategic significance of the city's location, nestled between Europe and Asia, at the crossroads of civilizations. We dive into prehistory, uncovering archaeological findings that reveal the earliest traces of human activity in the area, dating back to the 7th millennium BC. This episode serves as the foundation, offering listeners a compelling start to the epic tale of Constantinople, where the echoes of the distant past resonate with the grandeur of the city yet to come.
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A biography of the Queen of Cities in its many incarnations. Today, it is Istanbul, which is a Turkish rendering of the Greek phrase εἰς τὴν πόλιν (eis ten polin), meaning "in or to the city." That simply saying, "The City," was enough for the hearer to understand Constantinople, speaks volumes. Its history stretches back well before the Greeks arrived, and founded Byzantion. In 330 AD, Constantine the Great proclaimed it the new Roman capital, or Nova Roma. It remained the Imperial capital of the Roman Empire for over a millennium until the Ottoman conquest of 1453 AD.
Constantinople's key advantages could be summarized as follows: "Walls, Water & Warriors." Constantinople's imposing triple-layered Theodosian Walls protected The City and its residents for many centuries. And the city was surrounded by waters on three sides, with dangerous currents in the Sea of Marmara and Bosphorus Strait; in contrast with the calm, safe waters of the Golden Horn, entrance to which could be blocked by a great chain. Constantinople's military apparatus, while not always dominant offensively-speaking, did (with only a few exceptions) successfully defend the core of Byzantine territory and the capital for 1,000 years.
There has never been a podcast dedicated solely to this most majestic of cities. We will cover Constantinople's vast history from its Greek founding as Byzantion at least up until 1453 AD. While there have been many great cities throughout human civilization, Constantinople alone has earned the title: Primus Inter Pares or "first among equals."
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