The story of Troy has resounded across millennia: the beauty of Helen, the nobility of Hector, and the feats of Achilles have become legend. One man set out to prove that this story was not just legend, it was history. His name was Heinrich Schliemann, and he is an incredibly controversial and deeply eccentric character….

Rumi was a 13th century poet and mystic often quoted today.  He was born into a world shattered by the Mongol invasions that sent his family fleeing the only home they had known.  Along the road we meet Francis of Assisi, the army of the Fifth Crusade, a couple of sultans, and cave dwelling Christians. …

The story of how Constantinople was assaulted and sacked by the army of the Fourth Crusade is horrifying.  Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and it was full of Eastern Christians.  So how did the army of the Fourth Crusade, who thought they were going to fight Muslims and reconquer Jerusalem, end…

Of all the Crusades, this one may be the worst.  It is the story of how an army of Crusaders end up fighting only other Christians, and it ends with the sacking of Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and the heart of the eastern Christian world.  It is a tale of mistakes,…

The Third Crusade is over and King Richard the Lionheart is making his way home, escorted by the Knights Templar. After a daring journey in disguise, he will end up becoming a prisoner, as enemies he has made settle scores. When he is ransomed and returns to his kingdom, he has a few scores of…

The Third Crusade involves two of the most well known figures of any crusade: Richard I, the Lionheart, King of England, and Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, Sultan of Egypt and Syria. These two men each command an army, and the fate of the Near East hangs in the balance.  After the Siege of Acre,…

The siege of Acre, from 1189-1191 was one of the most brutal battles of the Third Crusade.  The armies of the King of Jerusalem surrounded the city of Acre, but were themselves under attack from the armies of Saladin.  Into this mess, the armies of the Third Crusade, led by King Richard the Lionheart of…

Richard the Lionheart is one of the most famous English kings and he made his reputation on the Third Crusade. In this episode we take a closer look at the man behind the legend. His mother was the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his father was the easily angered Henry II. Richard’s early career as…

Saladin and Richard the Lionheart are two of the most legendary figures in the history of the Crusades.  Saladin was both feared and admired by his friends and his enemies.  This episode explores the rise of this remarkable character.  We also meet the noble knight Balian of Ibelin, Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem, and the bellicose…

The Knights Templar are one of the most famous medieval orders.  They combined legendary discipline and bravery in battle with the ascetic habits of monks.  Then they were publicly disgraced in a show trial and soon after the Pope dissolved the Order.  But some Templars survived, and even thrived in other parts of Europe, particularly…