Audio-only. Video is available on YouTube.

Sources:

Arendt, Hannah. On Revolution (1963)

Gay, Peter. The Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Paganism (1995)

Hamilton, Alexander; Madison, James; Jay, John. The Federalist Papers (1788)

Polybius. The Histories (c. 2nd century BC)

Ricks, Thomas. First Principles: What America's Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country (2020)

Tacitus. Agricola and Germania (Penguin Classics, 2010)

Founders Online (Correspondence and Other Writings of Seven Major Shapers of the United States

Audio-only. Video is available on YouTube.

Sources:

Beard, Mary & Hopkins, Keith. The Colosseum (2011)

Futrell, Alison. The Roman Games: Historical Sources in Translation (2008)

Futrell, Alison & Scanlon, Thomas. The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World (2021)

Jacobelli, Luciana. Gladiators at Pompeii (2003)

Mellor, Ronald. The Historians of Ancient Rome (1997)

Wiedemann, Thomas. Emperors and Gladiators (1992)

When I have issues with historians, I ask: "Excuse me, mate, were you there? No? Well, shut the fuck up then."

Sources:

Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome (2016)

Brauer, George C. The Young Emperors, Rome, A.D. 193-244 (1967)

Dio, Cassius. Roman History, Book 79 (3rd century)

Dunstan, William E. Ancient Rome (2010)

Gibbon, Edward. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume I (1776)

Goldsworthy, Adrian. How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower (2010)

Hekster, Olivier. Rome and its Empire, AD 193-284 (Debates and Documents in Ancient History) (2008)

Herodian. History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus (3rd century)

Spartianus, Aelius, et al. Historia Augusta (3rd century)

Swan, Peter Michael. The Augustan Succession: An Historical Commentary on Cassius Dio's Roman History, Books 55-56 (9 B.C.-A.D. 14) (2004)

MUSIC:

'Shadows and Dust' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

'The Distant Sun' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Remaining tracks sourced from Epidemic Sound & Motion Array. SOURCES:

Brownworth, Lars. Lost to the West: The Forgotten

Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization (2009)

Heather, Peter. The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New

History of Rome and the Barbarians (2005) Kaldellis, Anthony. The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium (2023)

Kaldellis, Anthony. Siniossoglou, Niketas. The Cambridge Intellectual History of Byzantium (2017)

Mango, Cyril. The Oxford History of Byzantium (2002)

Runciman, Steven. Gibbon and Byzantium (1976)

Shepard, Jonathan. The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire (2009) HUGE thanks to my first patrons: Rho Chi, Karla Mainayara, Keinkrieg, Quinton Harris, Thomas McKeane, travis sutherland, Johan Gumesson, Colin Williams, Samwise Gamgee, Oliver Holtz, and Uldis. Your support means the world!

GUEST STARRING (go check out their youtube channels!):

-The Histories

-Know History

-Romaboo Ramblings

The second part in a trilogy about the life & times of Frederick II, the Hohenstaufen Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Sources:

Alighieri, Dante. Divine Comedy: Inferno & Paradiso (1321) Casady, Richard. The Emperor and the Saint: Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Francis of Assisi, and Journeys to Medieval Places (2011)

Haskins, Charles H. "Science at the Court of the Emperor Frederick II" (1922)

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future (1886)

Paris, Matthew. Translated by Richard Vaughan. The Illustrated Chronicles of Matthew Paris: Observations of Thirteenth-Century Life (1993)

Radke, Gary M. "The Palaces of Frederick II" (1994) Salimbene. Translated by G. Coulton. Chronicle of Sambiene, thirteenth-century Italian Franciscan

Van Cleve, Thomas Curtis. The Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Immutator Mundi (1972)

Walsh, James J. "The Earliest Modern Law for the Regulation of the Practice of Medicine" (1935)

Wilson, Peter H. Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire (2016)

Frederick II of Hohenstaufen : a life (Masson Georgina) Music:

'Age of Wonder' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Remaining tracks sourced from Storyblocks & Epidemic Sound

HUGE thanks to my patrons: Rho Chi, Karla Mainayara, Keinkrieg, Quinton Harris, Thomas McKeane, travis sutherland, Johan Gumesson, Colin Williams, Samwise Gamgee, Oliver Holtz, and Uldis. Your support means the world!

Sources & further reading:

Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire (Peter H. Wilson)

The Medieval Empire in Central Europe: Dynastic Continuity in the Post-Carolingian Frankish Realm, 900–1300 (Herbert Schutz)

Weinfurter, Stefan (1999) [1992]. The Salian Century: Main Currents in an Age of Transition. Translated by Kaiser, Denise A.

Wolfram, Herwig (2006) [2000]. Conrad II, 990–1039: Emperor of Three Kingdoms. Translated by Bowlus, Barbara M.

I. S. Robinson, Henry IV of Germany, 1056–1106 (Cambridge, 1999)

Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/place/Germ...

Wipo of Burgundy: Gesta Chuonradi II imperatoris

The Annals of Lampert of Hersfeld

Account by Hermann of Reichenau

Account by Bishop Erlund of Wurzburg

Otto III (Gerd Althoff)

Death and Life in the Tenth Century (Eleanor Duckett)

Warfare in Medieval Europe c.400-c.1453 (Bernard S. Bachrach, David S. Bachrach)

Warfare in Tenth-Century Germany (David S. Bachrach)

Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800-1056 (Timothy Reuter)

"Kaiserin Theophano: The political, economic and cultural deeds of a Byzantine princess who became empress of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" (Emmanouel Economou)

The Complete Works of Liudprand of Cremona (translated by Paolo Squatriti)

Hrotsvit of Gandersheim: Contexts, Identities, Affinities, and Performances (Brown, McMillin, Wilson)

A 10th-century Monk in the Caliph's Court (Nancy Marie Brown)

The Abacus and the Cross (Nancy Marie Brown)

Charting the “Rise of the West”: Manuscripts and Printed Books in Europe, A Long-Term Perspective from the Sixth through Eighteenth Centuries (Eltjo Buringh & Jan Luiten Van Zanden)

The Age of Faith: A History of Medieval Civilization-Christian, Islamic, and Judaic-From Constantine to Dante: A.D. 325-1300, The Story of Civilization, 4 (Will Durant)

The Wandering Scholars (Helen Waddell)

The Costs of Fortress Construction in Tenth-Century Germany: The Case of Hildagsburg

Medieval Germany, 500–1300: A Political Interpretation (Benjamin Arnold)

Early Medieval Europe 300-1000 (Roger Collins)

The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders (Peter Heather)

The Civilization of the Middle Ages (Norman Cantor)

The first part in a trilogy about the life & times of Frederick II, the Hohenstaufen ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.

--

Sources: Alighieri, Dante. Divine Comedy: Inferno & Paradiso (1321) Casady, Richard. The Emperor and the Saint: Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Francis of Assisi, and Journeys to Medieval Places (2011) Haskins, Charles H. "Science at the Court of the Emperor Frederick II" (1922) Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future (1886) Paris, Matthew. Translated by Richard Vaughan. The Illustrated Chronicles of Matthew Paris: Observations of Thirteenth-Century Life (1993) Radke, Gary M. "The Palaces of Frederick II" (1994) Salimbene. Translated by G. Coulton. Chronicle of Sambiene, thirteenth-century Italian Franciscan Van Cleve, Thomas Curtis. The Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Immutator Mundi (1972) Walsh, James J. "The Earliest Modern Law for the Regulation of the Practice of Medicine" (1935) Wilson, Peter H. Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire (2016) Frederick II of Hohenstaufen : a life (Masson Georgina)

Sources & further reading:

1. Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire (Peter H. Wilson)

2. The Medieval Empire in Central Europe: Dynastic Continuity in the Post-Carolingian Frankish Realm, 900–1300 (Herbert Schutz)

3. Weinfurter, Stefan (1999) [1992]. The Salian Century: Main Currents in an Age of Transition. Translated by Kaiser, Denise A.

4. Wolfram, Herwig (2006) [2000]. Conrad II, 990–1039: Emperor of Three Kingdoms. Translated by Bowlus, Barbara M.

5. I. S. Robinson, Henry IV of Germany, 1056–1106 (Cambridge, 1999)

6. Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/The-Salians-the-papacy-and-the-princes-1024-1125

7. Wipo of Burgundy: Gesta Chuonradi II imperatoris

8. The Annals of Lampert of Hersfeld

9. Account by Hermann of Reichenau

10. Account by Bishop Erlund of Wurzburg

--

Music:

Skyrim OST - Silence Unbroken

Antonio Vivaldi - Allegro Non Molto, Winter, The Four Seasons

Johann Strauss - Kaiser-Waltz

Crusader Kings III OST - Veni Vidi Vici

Mozart - Lacrimosa

Witcher III OST - Geralt of Rivia

Salve Regina - Templar Chant

Ottone HWV 15, Act 1

Crusader Kings III - The Byzantine Empire

Crusader Kings III - The Crusade Starts

Crusader Kings III - Dusking Sky Pt. 1

--

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Thank you World of Warships for sponsoring this video. During registration use the code DDAY80TH to get for free: 200 doubloons, 1 million credits, 7 Days of Premium Account time, a free ship after you complete 15 battles and 3x special D-day missions after 9 battles (only available for a limited time). Applicable to new users only.

-- Patreon/Discord: https://www.patreon.com/empirebuilders https://discord.com/invite/jQukvV5R8U HUGE thanks to my first patrons: Karla, Rho Chi, KeinKrieg, Quinton Harris!

This is the story of Pope Sylvester II, born Gerbert d'Aurillac: wandering monk, imperial tutor, cathedral canon, one-time abbot, Ottonian spy, siege engineer, archbishop, and pope. His remarkable rise was attributed to a pact with the Devil.

Sources & further reading:

- The Letters of Gerbert, With His Papal Privileges as Sylvester II

- The Abacus and the Cross (Nancy Marie Brown)

- A 10th-century Monk in the Caliph's Court (Nancy Marie Brown)

- Otto III (Gerd Althoff)

- Chronicles of the Kings of England (William of Malmesbury)

- The Wandering Scholars (Helen Waddell)

- The Age of Faith: A History of Medieval Civilization-Christian, Islamic, and Judaic-From Constantine to Dante: A.D. 325-1300, The Story of Civilization, 4 (Will Durant)

Sign up for a 14-day free trial and enjoy all the amazing features MyHeritage has to offer. If you decide to continue your subscription, you’ll get a 50% discount! https://bit.ly/EmpireBuilders_MH

This is the story of the Ottonians, the descendants of Otto the Great, who steered Germany and Italy through the dawn of a new millennium.

Sources & further reading: - Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire (Peter H. Wilson) - Otto III (Gerd Althoff) - Death and Life in the Tenth Century (Eleanor Duckett) - Warfare in Medieval Europe c.400-c.1453 (Bernard S. Bachrach, David S. Bachrach) - Warfare in Tenth-Century Germany (David S. Bachrach) - Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800-1056 (Timothy Reuter) - "Kaiserin Theophano: The political, economic and cultural deeds of a Byzantine princess who became empress of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" (Emmanouel Economou) - The Complete Works of Liudprand of Cremona (translated by Paolo Squatriti) - Hrotsvit of Gandersheim: Contexts, Identities, Affinities, and Performances (Brown, McMillin, Wilson) - A 10th-century Monk in the Caliph's Court (Nancy Marie Brown) - The Abacus and the Cross (Nancy Marie Brown) - Charting the “Rise of the West”: Manuscripts and Printed Books in Europe, A Long-Term Perspective from the Sixth through Eighteenth Centuries (Eltjo Buringh & Jan Luiten Van Zanden) - Age of Faith (Will Durant) - The Wandering Scholars (Helen Waddell)

--

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The Saxons were Charlemagne's greatest foe, yet it was a Saxon family that restored his empire. This is the story of the first Ottonians: Henry the Fowler & Otto the Great.

Sources & further reading:

- Warfare in Medieval Europe c.400-c.1453 (Bernard S. Bachrach, David S. Bachrach)

- Warfare in Tenth-Century Germany (David S. Bachrach)

- The Costs of Fortress Construction in Tenth-Century Germany: The Case of Hildagsburg

- Medieval Germany, 500–1300: A Political Interpretation (Benjamin Arnold)

- Early Medieval Europe 300-1000 (Roger Collins)

- Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800-1056 (Timothy Reuter)

- The Medieval Empire in Central Europe: Dynastic Continuity in the Post-Carolingian Frankish Realm, 900-1300 (Herbert Schutz)

- The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders (Peter Heather)

- The Civilization of the Middle Ages (Norman Cantor)