If you do not have at least a small understanding of the ancient world, the fall of Rome, and the Byzantine empire, you have little chance of making sense of the modern geo political world...this is riveting, incredibly well done, and should be in middle and high schools everywhere! Absolutely amazing.
Unfortunately, very few understand how the effects of historical events can "echo" for centuries, or even millennia. Every midwit and their granny will regurgitate some version of the old "Those who... ...are doomed to repeat it" chestnut, but the great majority who repeat it are often among the most guilty themselves...just watching the boobtube, like empty headed parrots burping out platitudes.
@@batmanwgd “this is some of the best history content on RUclips, probably even the world”. You reply “America is not the world, watch more videos” right!...🤔🤔🤔
I am an olderly woman nearly 80....from RSA🇿🇦. My grandson told me of this podcast. And show me how to listen.....what a great opening from History through all the centuries. I just love it. This series. As I love every thing about history......Thank you for this series it is just super......
When a podcast about the fall of Byzantine Empire begins with water from Atlantic pouring through Gibraltar into Mediterranean basin... you know its gonna be fun
This is only the second FoC I've watched. The other was the fall of the Han Dynasty, and it begins with India breaking off from Gondwanaland. I appreciate the implicit recognition of how geography affects human history. I also like how he gets to a certain person or thing, and suddenly it's like, Let's back up and talk about this.
fun but not historical ...more like a fictional account of a grab bag of loose events ...some of which are just wrong historically ..fiction dressed up as history
The byzantine music used in the beginning, although indeed byzantine music, is actually written by Saint Nectarius of Aegina (1846-1920). As a famous traditional song says. H Ρωμανία κι αν πέρασεν, ανθεί και φέρει κι άλλο. The Roman Kingdom, even if in the past, flourishes and brings more. Even though now long gone, its legacy will last forever. Excellent documentary.
@@Zoro-fl2mn yes I am aware of that, but they are often referred to as “Byzantine music”. Chants are music after all. they are not songs (I never said they are) but they certainly are music.
I am an archaeologist living in modern day Istanbul and I fell in love with this city and its late antique past once more and this is the best production ever, thanks for the upload, what about part 2 ?
Turkey is an archaeologists dream. Shame that the Near and Middle East don't have thousands more excavations continuously ongoing. Just too many other concerns in recent times.
I love this kind of history podcast where, in order to give us the proper context to understand the Eastern Roman Empire, we have to start with the geological formation of the Mediterranean Sea. Great work!
Retreating into the past helps your mind- you're free to think, free from modern worries & problems & your everyday life. Putting yourself in the middle of the ancient world forces you to fill your head with the necessities of what was needed to survive- gone are the worries of now. It's very cathartic. Puts life into perspective - learning about life in the long, long ago.
Mr. Cooper, your entire geographical introduction to this episode has not left my mind since I first watched it a few months ago and it is with enduring awe that I have re-watched this segment. In fact, the groundwork geographical explanations that commence most, if not all, of your documentaries leave me spellbound since they lay a solid cornerstone that explain several events and outcomes that were to challenge various past civilizations. You are one of the great master historians who, with an absolutely magical voice, can explain complex historical concepts that even a child could willingly understand with enthusiasm. Truly the hallmark of a top-tier academic.
Your voice is perfect for this kind of documentary. Listening to your podcast really takes me to that time and lets me imagine the scene. Awesome and epic work!
Ah The Voice! As a devoted Fallhead, I echo all the compliments but the Voice is causing me to reject audiobooks or podcasts solely because the voice is not “right”, ie, not Paul Cooper. Unexpected consequences!
This documentary is a rare gem. It's sometimes easy for many, myself included, to just come to RUclips take content this level for granted. Unfortunately all I can do is subscribe. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us.
In the cemetery of a church in Barbados I stumbled up this tombstone : Here lyeth ye body of Ferdinando Paleologus Descended from ye imperial lyne Of ye last Christian Emperors of Greece Churchwarden of this Parish 1655-1656 Vestryman, Twentye years Died Oct. 3 1678 A direct descendant of the last Imperial family found his way to the new world,I was amazed.
What remained of the Palaiologus dynasty fled to spain and even sold the title of roman emperor to the castillian crown i believe. Although the last emperor died with Constantinople, so i choose to believe he took that title with him.
I have learned so much, so very much, from these podcasts. Paul Cooper is a savant teacher of history. The narrative is so generously sprinkled with anecdotes and details that you feel as if you were there in person. Love these so much. Thank you Paul Cooper.❤️
Right?! I love how he does that, starting with full, even geographical, context, and follows the meandering course of history. In effect, despite the name Fall of Civilizations, the focus is really on the Civilization itself.
Always loved history but recently started taking free online geology classes, so love how he in so many shows adds in some geology and shows how the terrain was developed, shaped by ice ages, earthquakes or even volcanoes to become what it was or even destroyed by such.
There’s something so hilariously human about a city being saved from disaster not by the fear of disaster, but teams of sports fans wanting to one up each other. Genuinely touching to see that sports fans almost a thousand and a half years ago were just as insane as they are today.
One can`t help, but to be overwhelmed with sadness for the tragic demise of Eastern Roman Empire and the fall of once great Christian Orthodox city of Constantinople
Unfortunately Turkey is regressing in a few important aspects. The Hagia Sophia was converted in 2020 from a world museum with some of the oldest religious art of the world into a mosque in which much of the Christian-representing art and architecture is hidden. Also, barely related but noteworthy: it’s where Jamal Khashoggi (Saudi journalist) was murdered and dismembered in an embassy
@@FutureBoyWonder greatest cities? Used to be a world metropolis. These days, just the largest city in Turkey. Lost its world renowned status a long time ago.
@@FutureBoyWonder it is no longer roman , and it is no longer christian , who knows what else was lost along with the romans , their art , literature , forgoten ancient technology and historical scriptures it is an absolute tragedy it is in the hands of the turks , no matter what perspective you look at it
Im so happy about this channel. I watched the history channel throughout my youth and was so disappointed as they pivoted to aliens and reality tv. Thanks for the content!!!!
This was absolutely WONDERFUL. Diocletian's Tetrarchy, precisely 100 years before the Roman Empire's permanent split, set the stage and formed the boundaries for what would become the Byzantine Empire's borders in the east. Thank you for the geological backstory..
I tried studying world history but just became overwhelmed by the enormity of it and gave up early in my endeavor. I accidentally stumbled upon this video and was in amazement at the way the narrator tells these stories. Thank you so much!
I’ve just discovered this channel. I’m only 11 minutes in and I’m staggered by the quality of this documentary. It’s like something you’d find on curiosity stream, but it’s free.
I’m an A level student who wants to take history to a university level. Not only has this podcast inspired me to strive for such heights but it also teaches me valuable information as well as, incredible story telling technique. You remind me of why I love this subject. So when I finish my last analytical essay, telling a story just like you do, I can remember these episodes fondly as the land on which I grew. Until I too become a name in the past, just like the countless before me.
Mr Cooper, in advance of my comment, I'd like to give you my thanks for making this 2 part series. As a Greek, I deeply appreciate it. Came late to the documentary, but in case anyone wonders why Greeks claim the Byzantine Empire: It's because we indeed made it. The Byzantine Empire was Roman only in name. The administration and law were Roman. And based on that, we identified ourselves as "Romans" (Ρωμαίοι). But it was a *_political,_* not an ethnic identity. Because the inhabitants of the Empire were anything but Roman. They spoke Greek in their entirety, in everyday life, and was thr official language. They developed a different dogma of Christianity than Western Rome did, if we are to say that Western Rome did stop being pagan. The Byzantine Greeks developed an entirely different architecture. A completely different culture. They preserved mostly ancient Greek literature, making sense as the East was always Hellenic-dominated. The Byzantine Empire however was both Greek and Roman. Roman because it retained the name, the political entity. But it was also Greek because it retained Hellenic culture, and was made up by the Greeks in essentia. Plus: on a funny note, the choice of Byzantium, a Greek city founded in 660 BC, as the new capital, is also the embodiment of Horace's quote: "Captive Greece captured its rude conqueror".
In fact the name, Istanbul, is Greek in origin. It comes from 'εις την πολις', meaning 'to the city'. Eis > Is-, thn > -tan-, polis > -bul (ending was dropped).
If it had not been for the plagues, expensive wars to reclaim the West, and the natural disasters that nobody can foresee or prepare for adequately, Byzantium may have persisted for centuries longer than it did. Of all of the stories on this podcast, the story of Byzantium may be the one that pulls at me the most.
Not only that. Byzantium didn't support the Sassanid Empire in their battle against muslim hordes coming from the southeast, and thus by proxy helped in destruction of the force that kept away the nomadic tribes from moving to the west. Eight centuries later Byzantium itself crumbled to the conquest of Arabized Turks.
As an avid history lover and someone who has constantly sought out new interesting topics and historical content, This is such a treasure for me to have found this exceptionally well made series. I’ve only listened to 2 episodes and I am a huge fan of this now, and it’s a rare treat for me to find something new that’s this interesting and so well done. Truly impressive 😊 thank you friend.
on all the previous episodes local people from mayan and aztec lands, from scandinavia, from mesopotamia, from china and so on have written about their feelings towards this podcast and now it's my turn since i'm from turkey, istanbul. each and every episodes i am amazed by the storytelling and the deep and realistic takes on the subject. we started the history of aztec from the dinosaurs and started this episode from the creation of gibraltar strait. i'm in love with the fact that you tell the side stories, the important things that touched the main story, like starting from the rise of islam to tell the sieges of constantinople, the plague, formation of constantinople and even the formation of the straits. i was always into the history, i always wanted to learn much more than they taught us in schools etc. so i know a couple of things from here and there but most of the other sources lack the deep and melancholic storytelling of this channel has. fall of civilizations is by far the best channel and my favorite on youtube. thanks for all the work. only work close to this i can think of is extra credits' history videos, and i love their justinian series.
Yes! This series on Istanbul, Extra Credits Justinian series, and Overly Sarcastic Productions Byzantine series have made me a bit obsessed with this time/ place. I knew next to nothing about it before watching all of these and now i know enough to understand books about the period.
Paul I can't really say how much I appreciate and enjoy your work. I binged the 3hr, podcast version of this episode and all I can say is that I've never heard such an objective, in-depth historical view on the topic. It is even more remarkable, considering that many modern day greek historians, experts in this period, have barely reached that deep an insight. Anyways, the thing is that I consider your take on Byzantium a benchmark and if it interests you, I'd be happy to provide with greek subtitles. You and your team have my most sincere compliments, Cheers Stelios
An ancient soul walks among us, giving perspective. The breath of vision, is beyond words. The detail and depth. Listen carefully my children. To a story worth knowing. Knowledge worth having. All is fleeting. Learn...
What the History Channel used to be and still should be. Thanks for posting. This is a gift to all History buffs. Well done. On second thoughts and viewing; congratulations. This documentary is of a high order.
Can't believe I found this. My work days are filled with FOC, listening over and over. Now I get to watch on my day off. Excellent work! Thank you for bringing your art to the world.
Beautifully produced epic about the first 500 years of the Byzantine Empire. Special treat is the opening story about the geologic formation of the Mediterranean Sea and the rise of human civilization around its perimeter. Drone landscape footage and animation create a consistent texture against which this drama takes place.
I remember the first episode I watched from this channel of yours, on the sumerians. It was so well made that I was moved to tears and couldn´t stop watching and listening. This is again great work, looking forward to episode 2!
I had always felt the same about the fall of civilizations, how many lived there, who fell in love, who and how many died in battles etc. Thank goodness I found others who dream of this, our human past.
Your intro is so immense and alluring to the ears. Indulging in the middle affair of the story and then narrating meticiliouslly written beginning story. Mastery
This is wonderful. I was in Istanbul for the second time eight months ago and my wife and I hired an excellent guide to give us a walking tour of the city. The tour lasted three hours, but you could easily spend 30 walking around and still not feel like you've seen enough!
@@history_repeats8201 I have given walking tours before so I tend to judge them harshly. I've had some bad or lackluster ones over the years, but we got really lucky with this guy.
We all have Paul Cooper to thank for his incredible productions of History come alive for those of us who love the stories of the past. Thank You Paul so very much.
I've seen a lot of documentaries about the Byzantine Empire particularly about Konstantinupoli. I've got to say out of all that I've seen this is the best documentary out there.
1:13:22 The silk industry was so successful and profitable in medieval Greece, that led to the renaming of the whole Peloponnese peninsula to Moreas, after Morea, the name of the Mulberry tree in Greek, the leaves of which are the silkworm's preferred food. Everyone living in the Peloponnese was into silk business!
Byzantium was the last of Romans that is true. But I do not understand why Greeks claim it to be theirs. Greeks were slaves in Roman Empire and it is amazing when former slaves are claiming for the heritage of their masters. Greeks were also slaves in Cyprus up until the islan was taken over by Ottoman. They used to cultivate sugar canes. So this is also a fact that the first slaves involved in sugar canes plantations were Greeks. Why do Greeks complain about Turks ?
@@VusalMusayev-s9w slaves? The Romans revered and simply emulated Greek culture and civilization in any way they could (and it showed). So respected were the Greeks, that the Romans, even though having “conquered” the Hellenic east, basically gave everyone there full Roman citizenship in short order. Also, the eastern Roman Empire was always Hellenic influenced since the times of Alexander whose heavy influence even Roman chains could not impose upon. The Greeks were not the Iberians, or Gauls, they were older and deeply civilized and their culture was powerful. This is why the east does not speak a Romance language today. Greek culture was too powerful. So powerful, that when Rome fell, the Greeks took the standard that was Rome and carried it for 1000 MORE years after Rome fell.
I remember being captivated by the story of Byzantium when John Romer's "Byzantium: The Lost Empire" was released years ago. Like you, he told a story of a civilization in such a way that was captivating and engrossing. The sound track to his presentation was hauntingly beautiful. Nevertheless, John's story was disjointed and I had to read an overview of the history before I could make sense of it. You overcame that by presenting the story in a way that flowed. Congratulations! Really well done!
What a remarkable effort by the producers of this video to "romanize" Byzantium and "de-hellenize" it at any cost! Even us modern Greeks sometimes use to call ourselves "ROMIOI" (for the shake of simplicity "ROMANS"). Does this mean that the modern Greeks are Latin Romans or Italians?
The best video I've ever seen about the history of Byzantium. The flyovers are amazing, the pictures and paintings used to supplement the narrative bring it all alive in a fascinating way. So well done, congratulations on a great video. It's something I can watch over and over. The narrator paints a sad and yet magnificent story of the desolation and destruction of a once great civilisation and city. PS. The Ken Burns is brilliant!
In,this,age and a greedy age, especially on social media, these podcasts of yours, unselfish and giving to others gives one hope in humanity. Thanking you
My grandfather was born in Constantinople. He remembers leaving the City with his parents during the Greek expulsion. They then arrived on the Greek island of Xios. I remember him telling me stories of the City.
Greek language has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning at least 3,400 years of written records. It is the Ancient Greek civilization kept alive with the Byzantine Empire in the Middle Ages, that shaped more than any other the European identity. Standing in these lands for millenniums, always fighting against the odds. Eternal glory to our formidable ancestors 🔥🇬🇷
I kinda know that I'll never get to these wonderful and historic places of earth but watching this video and listening to your podcasts I know that I can astro travel there in my dreams. Thankyou from New Zealand.
Cooper by name, but amazing storyteller by heart! Like others, I have watched and listened to all these episodes on repeat! It isn't just your amazing storytelling, it is how you give context, nuance and accuracy many others miss.
I'm so ecstatic to have somehow found this channel today. Finally, lockdown is about to get educational and wholesome. I know a couple of people who will positively drool when I direct them here! Thanks so very much!
There is just something magical about Constantinople and Venice. I can't explain it but I feel so attached to both of them despite never visiting either.
This is the most objective documentation about the "heart of the world" I've ever seen before. All my history teachers failed to achieve such a great goal. It's a shame what we've become. It seems as if the past repeats itself, but more barbaric and cruel than ever.
I was literally just watching this two days ago and thinking about how excited I am, and how awesome it would be, to see the 'Remastered' version of this video. SO excited, and glad you split it into two parts, so you don't have to work on a huge video for so long (or take eons to render :P). Excited for Part 2!
I love how this channel doesn’t sugarcoat history, they can wax poetically about how vast and impressive the Roman Empire was but in the next breath say how it reached that level through brutality, and in the next breath explain how it fell. This is about as unbiased look at history that you’ll get online.
I admire and respect the amount of work put in to make these documentaries as well as the creator’s ability to tie everything together. I went to some of these places and heard the stories but often it didn’t stick because of the lack of connection between the events. Watching these series helped me put the two together and enabled me to remember them better, haha at least that’s the hope. Ask me again in 3 years...
The best history podcast out right now, thank you! I ordered a signed copy of the book and am waiting for it to arrive. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Thank you. This was absolutely gripping and vividly brought the splendor of Byzantium to life. I knew some of this, but the story of Justin was new to me, and I find it quite remarkable. I'm surprised this "rags to riches" story isn't better known and held up as an example by modern societies.
I finally completed reading *Count Belisarius.* I used to take on too many books at one time and finish none. I don't now, b/c I'm not likely to remember as much doing it that way. I already have a below average recall of written material. Videos such as these, help restore and shore up things learned.
Brilliant episode I really hope you continue putting stuff on RUclips I love how you give us the obscure like songhai or the Greenland settlers as well as the big names aztec, Rome, byzantium, there's so many civilisations to cover achaemenid,seleucid sassanid,mongal, mughal, to name a few obvious ones but even more obscure ones like the angevin empire or cnuts Atlantic empire, hope to keep watching your fantastic content, thanks 😁
The piano music gets me every time. Such an absolutely perfect choice. Such melancholy. I have been sharing your channel to whoever is into history. And quite a few of those that aren't. Please continue!
I love to go to sleep to your stuff. I often wake up later in a new bit and just listen, eyes closed, and drift off again interested. Eventually my subconscious will know everything. Thanks.
I've found your channel randomly, and the first episode I watched was about the Sumerians. It was so well made that I couldn't stop watching! This episode, again, is a great work and the quality of your video productions along with your podcasts are among the finest I've ever watched and listened to! Your storytelling is absolutely brilliant, Paul! Looking forward to the 2nd episode...!! However, I want to mention a misconception about the name of the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia (at 1:10:45), a statement that many recent historians make by mistake or ignorance, over and over again! The cathedral is not named after the martyr Saint Sophia, as many tent to believe in error. It is dedicated to the "God's Holy Wisdom" or "εις την Αγία του Θεού Σοφία" as it is written in Greek in the textures of that period. But throughout the centuries, the Greek speakers together with the Latin speakers of the Empire, and later the Ottomans, kept referring to this church in their everyday talks simply as "Αγιά Σοφιά" or "Αγια-Σοφιά" (romanized: Hagiá Sophiá, Turkish: Ayasofyá).
If you do not have at least a small understanding of the ancient world, the fall of Rome, and the Byzantine empire, you have little chance of making sense of the modern geo political world...this is riveting, incredibly well done, and should be in middle and high schools everywhere! Absolutely amazing.
Absolutely !
Unfortunately, very few understand how the effects of historical events can "echo" for centuries, or even millennia. Every midwit and their granny will regurgitate some version of the old "Those who... ...are doomed to repeat it" chestnut, but the great majority who repeat it are often among the most guilty themselves...just watching the boobtube, like empty headed parrots burping out platitudes.
Tripe is tasty to starving man.
This is some of the best history content on RUclips, probably even the internet.
Probably even the world!
@@batmanwgd “this is some of the best history content on RUclips, probably even the world”. You reply “America is not the world, watch more videos” right!...🤔🤔🤔
we don't have english accents either
Check out historia civilis channel
@@OMA_MetalDetecting idiot #2
I am an olderly woman nearly 80....from RSA🇿🇦. My grandson told me of this podcast. And show me how to listen.....what a great opening from History through all the centuries. I just love it. This series. As I love every thing about history......Thank you for this series it is just super......
I have a problem, after binging this series, other documentaries just don't measure up. Bravo man
I’m an old lady and these are the best documentaries I’ve found.
Yea, unfortunately, we all have that problem.
The Fall of Civilizations is one of the most wonderful content I have found on RUclips. Thank you! I am grateful.
When a podcast about the fall of Byzantine Empire begins with water from Atlantic pouring through Gibraltar into Mediterranean basin... you know its gonna be fun
This is only the second FoC I've watched. The other was the fall of the Han Dynasty, and it begins with India breaking off from Gondwanaland. I appreciate the implicit recognition of how geography affects human history.
I also like how he gets to a certain person or thing, and suddenly it's like, Let's back up and talk about this.
fun but not historical ...more like a fictional account of a grab bag of loose events ...some of which are just wrong historically ..fiction dressed up as history
@@glenolsen7888no that’s exactly what happened
Is this made by Americans?
@@peterconway6584I
The byzantine music used in the beginning, although indeed byzantine music, is actually written by Saint Nectarius of Aegina (1846-1920). As a famous traditional song says. H Ρωμανία κι αν πέρασεν, ανθεί και φέρει κι άλλο. The Roman Kingdom, even if in the past, flourishes and brings more. Even though now long gone, its legacy will last forever. Excellent documentary.
Thank you, its a wonderfull piece of chant. Happy to know something more about It.
It’s not a music as much as it is a non-liturgical hymn chanted usually after the Divine Liturgy in an Orthodox Church
Anyone know the song that plays when hes talking about the fall of constantanople in the second part
@@Zoro-fl2mn yes I am aware of that, but they are often referred to as “Byzantine music”. Chants are music after all. they are not songs (I never said they are) but they certainly are music.
@@dewlittle1211 yes, it is
I am an archaeologist living in modern day Istanbul and I fell in love with this city and its late antique past once more and this is the best production ever, thanks for the upload, what about part 2 ?
Thank you my friend! It's coming soon!
It will be worth waiting for sure!
What about part 3????
Turkey is an archaeologists dream. Shame that the Near and Middle East don't have thousands more excavations continuously ongoing. Just too many other concerns in recent times.
@@simonsays6557 :D :D :D Must be great to live in a dream
I love this kind of history podcast where, in order to give us the proper context to understand the Eastern Roman Empire, we have to start with the geological formation of the Mediterranean Sea. Great work!
I watch these when I am in extreme depression or anxiety thank you for this comfort
Retreating into the past helps your mind- you're free to think, free from modern worries & problems & your everyday life. Putting yourself in the middle of the ancient world forces you to fill your head with the necessities of what was needed to survive- gone are the worries of now. It's very cathartic. Puts life into perspective - learning about life in the long, long ago.
@@isamcc1831beautifully said
Such widom! Thanks to you!@@isamcc1831
Looks like history is back on the menu boys!
Awesome reply!! 😅
No empire lasts forever.
🤘🤠👍🍻
*excited orc howl*
Grond!!! Grond!!! Grond!!!
Mr. Cooper, your entire geographical introduction to this episode has not left my mind since I first watched it a few months ago and it is with enduring awe that I have re-watched this segment. In fact, the groundwork geographical explanations that commence most, if not all, of your documentaries leave me spellbound since they lay a solid cornerstone that explain several events and outcomes that were to challenge various past civilizations. You are one of the great master historians who, with an absolutely magical voice, can explain complex historical concepts that even a child could willingly understand with enthusiasm. Truly the hallmark of a top-tier academic.
Your voice is perfect for this kind of documentary. Listening to your podcast really takes me to that time and lets me imagine the scene. Awesome and epic work!
Thank you, so glad you think so!
@@FallofCivilizations Is the Idus Vally Civilazation an idea for an episode?
More I want more!! Subscribed!
I love the visuls put with these works of art but my imagination runs wild while listening to the original podcast.
Ah The Voice! As a devoted Fallhead, I echo all the compliments but the Voice is causing me to reject audiobooks or podcasts solely because the voice is not “right”, ie, not Paul Cooper. Unexpected consequences!
This documentary is a rare gem. It's sometimes easy for many, myself included, to just come to RUclips take content this level for granted.
Unfortunately all I can do is subscribe. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us.
Glad you enjoyed it!
In the cemetery of a church in Barbados I stumbled up this tombstone : Here lyeth ye body of
Ferdinando Paleologus
Descended from ye imperial lyne
Of ye last Christian
Emperors of Greece
Churchwarden of this Parish
1655-1656
Vestryman, Twentye years
Died Oct. 3 1678
A direct descendant of the last Imperial family found his way to the new world,I was amazed.
What remained of the Palaiologus dynasty fled to spain and even sold the title of roman emperor to the castillian crown i believe. Although the last emperor died with Constantinople, so i choose to believe he took that title with him.
i would like to know more pls
@@DarkLordFromTheSecondAge I have have never knew this wow
Can you send me some more information about this, please? I want learn more and search about it
Wow! I would love to see that!
Hands down the finest History Channel anywhere on RUclips.
Really such an underrated channel in my opinion. Paul's take on history is so refreshingly novel.
I have learned so much, so very much, from these podcasts. Paul Cooper is a savant teacher of history. The narrative is so generously sprinkled with anecdotes and details that you feel as if you were there in person. Love these so much. Thank you Paul Cooper.❤️
Amen
I love how you go right back in time, to the very beginning. “Six million years ago...” Thank you so much for this amazing content
Right?! I love how he does that, starting with full, even geographical, context, and follows the meandering course of history. In effect, despite the name Fall of Civilizations, the focus is really on the Civilization itself.
reminds me of that Incredibles scene "We get there when we get there!"
Always loved history but recently started taking free online geology classes, so love how he in so many shows adds in some geology and shows how the terrain was developed, shaped by ice ages, earthquakes or even volcanoes to become what it was or even destroyed by such.
@thenaiam it was pretty cool. I had never known about the Mediterranean's creation
Oh yeah, because it's so clear to us today exactly "what happened" six million years ago, right.
There’s something so hilariously human about a city being saved from disaster not by the fear of disaster, but teams of sports fans wanting to one up each other.
Genuinely touching to see that sports fans almost a thousand and a half years ago were just as insane as they are today.
Yes. I loved that.😆👍
I am in Istanbul and told my lady this story
@@normanshaw1970 did she like it?
she laughed but her eyes slighty glazed over as they typically when i start talking history
@@normanshaw1970 same here
One can`t help, but to be overwhelmed with sadness for the tragic demise of Eastern Roman Empire and the fall of once great Christian Orthodox city of Constantinople
Unfortunately Turkey is regressing in a few important aspects. The Hagia Sophia was converted in 2020 from a world museum with some of the oldest religious art of the world into a mosque in which much of the Christian-representing art and architecture is hidden. Also, barely related but noteworthy: it’s where Jamal Khashoggi (Saudi journalist) was murdered and dismembered in an embassy
@@FutureBoyWonder greatest cities? Used to be a world metropolis. These days, just the largest city in Turkey. Lost its world renowned status a long time ago.
@@obabas80 mostly because of the discovery of the new world
@@FutureBoyWonder it is no longer roman , and it is no longer christian , who knows what else was lost along with the romans , their art , literature , forgoten ancient technology and historical scriptures
it is an absolute tragedy it is in the hands of the turks , no matter what perspective you look at it
@@FutureBoyWonder Turkey is not what is used to be sadly, its having its own troubles and it has resulted in the further degradation of the city.
Im still floored that a youtube channel consistently puts out more interesting and better produced documentaries than major networks like BBC.
I love that you speak slowly and calmly, rather than some documentaries where they speak so quickly that I can’t follow it ❤
Im so happy about this channel. I watched the history channel throughout my youth and was so disappointed as they pivoted to aliens and reality tv. Thanks for the content!!!!
Haha "aliens and reality tv", I laugh yet I cry 😢
I call it the alien channel!!
This was absolutely WONDERFUL. Diocletian's Tetrarchy, precisely 100 years before the Roman Empire's permanent split, set the stage and formed the boundaries for what would become the Byzantine Empire's borders in the east. Thank you for the geological backstory..
I tried studying world history but just became overwhelmed by the enormity of it and gave up early in my endeavor. I accidentally stumbled upon this video and was in amazement at the way the narrator tells these stories. Thank you so much!
I’ve just discovered this channel. I’m only 11 minutes in and I’m staggered by the quality of this documentary. It’s like something you’d find on curiosity stream, but it’s free.
I’m an A level student who wants to take history to a university level. Not only has this podcast inspired me to strive for such heights but it also teaches me valuable information as well as, incredible story telling technique. You remind me of why I love this subject. So when I finish my last analytical essay, telling a story just like you do, I can remember these episodes fondly as the land on which I grew. Until I too become a name in the past, just like the countless before me.
That's really lovely to hear, best of luck with your applications!
@@FallofCivilizations Thank you! And I hope all remains well with you through these turbulent times.
May you also be written into History and your name continue long past your ascent
One of the things I love about these documentaries is the fact that you add subtitles unlike most youtube docs that only have autogenerated.
The music hits: literal chills. Thanks for all the research you do Paul.
I cannot have enough of the melancholy all your videos have.
Significantly better than 95% of the history videos on YT. Thanks for providing accurate & informative content.
Mr Cooper, in advance of my comment, I'd like to give you my thanks for making this 2 part series. As a Greek, I deeply appreciate it. Came late to the documentary, but in case anyone wonders why Greeks claim the Byzantine Empire:
It's because we indeed made it. The Byzantine Empire was Roman only in name. The administration and law were Roman. And based on that, we identified ourselves as "Romans" (Ρωμαίοι). But it was a *_political,_* not an ethnic identity.
Because the inhabitants of the Empire were anything but Roman. They spoke Greek in their entirety, in everyday life, and was thr official language. They developed a different dogma of Christianity than Western Rome did, if we are to say that Western Rome did stop being pagan. The Byzantine Greeks developed an entirely different architecture. A completely different culture. They preserved mostly ancient Greek literature, making sense as the East was always Hellenic-dominated.
The Byzantine Empire however was both Greek and Roman. Roman because it retained the name, the political entity. But it was also Greek because it retained Hellenic culture, and was made up by the Greeks in essentia.
Plus: on a funny note, the choice of Byzantium, a Greek city founded in 660 BC, as the new capital, is also the embodiment of Horace's quote: "Captive Greece captured its rude conqueror".
In fact the name, Istanbul, is Greek in origin. It comes from 'εις την πολις', meaning 'to the city'. Eis > Is-, thn > -tan-, polis > -bul (ending was dropped).
If it had not been for the plagues, expensive wars to reclaim the West, and the natural disasters that nobody can foresee or prepare for adequately, Byzantium may have persisted for centuries longer than it did. Of all of the stories on this podcast, the story of Byzantium may be the one that pulls at me the most.
Not only that. Byzantium didn't support the Sassanid Empire in their battle against muslim hordes coming from the southeast, and thus by proxy helped in destruction of the force that kept away the nomadic tribes from moving to the west. Eight centuries later Byzantium itself crumbled to the conquest of Arabized Turks.
As an avid history lover and someone who has constantly sought out new interesting topics and historical content, This is such a treasure for me to have found this exceptionally well made series.
I’ve only listened to 2 episodes and I am a huge fan of this now, and it’s a rare treat for me to find something new that’s this interesting and so well done.
Truly impressive 😊 thank you friend.
on all the previous episodes local people from mayan and aztec lands, from scandinavia, from mesopotamia, from china and so on have written about their feelings towards this podcast and now it's my turn since i'm from turkey, istanbul. each and every episodes i am amazed by the storytelling and the deep and realistic takes on the subject. we started the history of aztec from the dinosaurs and started this episode from the creation of gibraltar strait. i'm in love with the fact that you tell the side stories, the important things that touched the main story, like starting from the rise of islam to tell the sieges of constantinople, the plague, formation of constantinople and even the formation of the straits.
i was always into the history, i always wanted to learn much more than they taught us in schools etc. so i know a couple of things from here and there but most of the other sources lack the deep and melancholic storytelling of this channel has. fall of civilizations is by far the best channel and my favorite on youtube. thanks for all the work.
only work close to this i can think of is extra credits' history videos, and i love their justinian series.
Yes! This series on Istanbul, Extra Credits Justinian series, and Overly Sarcastic Productions Byzantine series have made me a bit obsessed with this time/ place. I knew next to nothing about it before watching all of these and now i know enough to understand books about the period.
Paul I can't really say how much I appreciate and enjoy your work. I binged the 3hr, podcast version of this episode and all I can say is that I've never heard such an objective, in-depth historical view on the topic. It is even more remarkable, considering that many modern day greek historians, experts in this period, have barely reached that deep an insight. Anyways, the thing is that I consider your take on Byzantium a benchmark and if it interests you, I'd be happy to provide with greek subtitles.
You and your team have my most sincere compliments,
Cheers Stelios
Inspiring! Detailed yet colorful... They don't make many documentaries like this today. Thanks!
An ancient soul walks among us, giving perspective. The breath of vision, is beyond words. The detail and depth. Listen carefully my children. To a story worth knowing. Knowledge worth having. All is fleeting. Learn...
I never subscribe or comment on RUclips I think this is my first time, but this is the best channel, from Ireland 🇮🇪
Never say never
Hey I just want to say I've probably watched this whole series like 3x in full. Thank you so much for the extremely detailed and expansive content!
Thanks for listening!
What the History Channel used to be and still should be.
Thanks for posting. This is a gift to all History buffs. Well done.
On second thoughts and viewing; congratulations. This documentary is of a high order.
just discovered these docs recently and they are top-notch!
They are insane. Biggest RUclips treasure
Cream of the crop
Absolute treasure
Ditto been through them all twice over already amazing content
Check out history time - Pete Kelly on RUclips too 👌
Can't believe I found this. My work days are filled with FOC, listening over and over. Now I get to watch on my day off. Excellent work! Thank you for bringing your art to the world.
it's really fascinating to listen. As a non English speaker, I also learned lots of words from your podcast.
Beautifully produced epic about the first 500 years of the Byzantine Empire. Special treat is the opening story about the geologic formation of the Mediterranean Sea and the rise of human civilization around its perimeter. Drone landscape footage and animation create a consistent texture against which this drama takes place.
I remember the first episode I watched from this channel of yours, on the sumerians. It was so well made that I was moved to tears and couldn´t stop watching and listening. This is again great work, looking forward to episode 2!
I watched/listened Sumerians at least 30 times.
Am deffo in double figures myself lol. Is my favourite one I think! Such a fascinating story of our early history.
By the time the theme music kicks in after the introduction I am totally mesmerised on every single episode.
Ditto 👍🏻
And the theme music is so exciting ang haunting at the same time!
you’re brainwashed
so u just admitted it?
This is my third time going through the whole playlist. 😍
Thank you, Paul and Team.
I had always felt the same about the fall of civilizations, how many lived there, who fell in love, who and how many died in battles etc. Thank goodness I found others who dream of this, our human past.
What sets this series is apart is a solid geographical base that historical events are built upon. Well done, I take my hat off!
Your intro is so immense and alluring to the ears. Indulging in the middle affair of the story and then narrating meticiliouslly written beginning story. Mastery
This channel is pure class lads. This video couldn’t hit any more on my interests!
This is wonderful. I was in Istanbul for the second time eight months ago and my wife and I hired an excellent guide to give us a walking tour of the city. The tour lasted three hours, but you could easily spend 30 walking around and still not feel like you've seen enough!
It's called Constantinople
The guides are useless and not really educated. The one we used could not tell the difference between Greek and Latin. Useless!!!
@@history_repeats8201 I have given walking tours before so I tend to judge them harshly. I've had some bad or lackluster ones over the years, but we got really lucky with this guy.
@@plden2442nope it's Istanbul now 🥰
We all have Paul Cooper to thank for his incredible productions of History come alive for those of us who love the stories of the past. Thank You Paul so very much.
I've seen a lot of documentaries about the Byzantine Empire particularly about Konstantinupoli.
I've got to say out of all that I've seen this is the best documentary out there.
Ah yes, this is why I still have faith in RUclips...
you shouldn't. and its a shame he doesnt upload his stuff to other places.
I'd change "u toob' to "humanity"
Misplaced, your faith may be...
True But one should have faith in Paul Cooper more than in You tube
1:13:22 The silk industry was so successful and profitable in medieval Greece, that led to the renaming of the whole Peloponnese peninsula to Moreas, after Morea, the name of the Mulberry tree in Greek, the leaves of which are the silkworm's preferred food. Everyone living in the Peloponnese was into silk business!
my family stole the silkworms from China....hehehe...
Byzantium was the last of Romans that is true. But I do not understand why Greeks claim it to be theirs. Greeks were slaves in Roman Empire and it is amazing when former slaves are claiming for the heritage of their masters. Greeks were also slaves in Cyprus up until the islan was taken over by Ottoman. They used to cultivate sugar canes. So this is also a fact that the first slaves involved in sugar canes plantations were Greeks. Why do Greeks complain about Turks ?
@@VusalMusayev-s9w slaves? The Romans revered and simply emulated Greek culture and civilization in any way they could (and it showed). So respected were the Greeks, that the Romans, even though having “conquered” the Hellenic east, basically gave everyone there full Roman citizenship in short order. Also, the eastern Roman Empire was always Hellenic influenced since the times of Alexander whose heavy influence even Roman chains could not impose upon.
The Greeks were not the Iberians, or Gauls, they were older and deeply civilized and their culture was powerful. This is why the east does not speak a Romance language today. Greek culture was too powerful. So powerful, that when Rome fell, the Greeks took the standard that was Rome and carried it for 1000 MORE years after Rome fell.
@@VusalMusayev-s9w they love their bubble. Dellusion is strong with them.
@@trkologia1628 bubble? Delusion? Anyway, ^^ gave the answer.
I remember being captivated by the story of Byzantium when John Romer's "Byzantium: The Lost Empire" was released years ago. Like you, he told a story of a civilization in such a way that was captivating and engrossing. The sound track to his presentation was hauntingly beautiful. Nevertheless, John's story was disjointed and I had to read an overview of the history before I could make sense of it. You overcame that by presenting the story in a way that flowed. Congratulations! Really well done!
What a remarkable effort by the producers of this video to "romanize" Byzantium and "de-hellenize" it at any cost! Even us modern Greeks sometimes use to call ourselves "ROMIOI" (for the shake of simplicity "ROMANS"). Does this mean that the modern Greeks are Latin Romans or Italians?
The best video I've ever seen about the history of Byzantium. The flyovers are amazing, the pictures and paintings used to supplement the narrative bring it all alive in a fascinating way. So well done, congratulations on a great video. It's something I can watch over and over. The narrator paints a sad and yet magnificent story of the desolation and destruction of a once great civilisation and city. PS. The Ken Burns is brilliant!
In,this,age and a greedy age, especially on social media, these podcasts of yours, unselfish and giving to others gives one hope in humanity. Thanking you
My wife - "The house is on fire!!!"
Me - "Hush woman! So is Byzantium!"
hahaha!
Σιωπηλή γυναίκα, το ίδιο και το Βυζάντιο!
@@MrIluvbutts Nope. It would be : 'Σώπασε γυναίκα. Το ίδιο και το Βυζάντιο'.
LOL
Are you playing here all week?
My grandfather was born in Constantinople. He remembers leaving the City with his parents during the Greek expulsion. They then arrived on the Greek island of Xios. I remember him telling me stories of the City.
Greek expulsion? Do you mean population exchange?
Greek language has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning at least 3,400 years of written records.
It is the Ancient Greek civilization kept alive with the Byzantine Empire in the Middle Ages, that shaped more than any other the European identity.
Standing in these lands for millenniums, always fighting against the odds. Eternal glory to our formidable ancestors 🔥🇬🇷
I kinda know that I'll never get to these wonderful and historic places of earth but watching this video and listening to your podcasts I know that I can astro travel there in my dreams. Thankyou from New Zealand.
Cooper by name, but amazing storyteller by heart! Like others, I have watched and listened to all these episodes on repeat! It isn't just your amazing storytelling, it is how you give context, nuance and accuracy many others miss.
🙌 I've always been fascinated with Byzantium.....this channel is absolute platinum! 😍
Oh the medieval roman empire of the east. Bitter sweet as always.
I'm so ecstatic to have somehow found this channel today. Finally, lockdown is about to get educational and wholesome. I know a couple of people who will positively drool when I direct them here! Thanks so very much!
Hope you enjoy, my friend!
An excellent documentary. Kudos to the funders, producers, technicians, editors and presenters.
What a brilliant epic show this episode was. Watching part 2 tomorrow night. Thank you for this riveting lesson and entertainment.
This is the kind of history I'm confused that I never heard before. All these videos are so interesting and detailed
These podcasts are incredible.
There is just something magical about Constantinople and Venice. I can't explain it but I feel so attached to both of them despite never visiting either.
I gotta leave a comment just to tell my love & appreciation of these works. Please keep doing what you do
This is the most objective documentation about the "heart of the world" I've ever seen before. All my history teachers failed to achieve such a great goal. It's a shame what we've become. It seems as if the past repeats itself, but more barbaric and cruel than ever.
The most enjoyable, thought-provoking and evocative documentary on Byzantium I've ever seen. (And I've seen many!)
I was literally just watching this two days ago and thinking about how excited I am, and how awesome it would be, to see the 'Remastered' version of this video. SO excited, and glad you split it into two parts, so you don't have to work on a huge video for so long (or take eons to render :P). Excited for Part 2!
The only history channel that has episodes which give me literal goose bumps (in this case, 2:30 when monastic chant begins. Such brilliant editing).
I hated the monastic chant.
Wonderful, wonderful documentary. You and your team are an absolute treasure of the internet. Please, never stop.
I love how this channel doesn’t sugarcoat history, they can wax poetically about how vast and impressive the Roman Empire was but in the next breath say how it reached that level through brutality, and in the next breath explain how it fell. This is about as unbiased look at history that you’ll get online.
I admire and respect the amount of work put in to make these documentaries as well as the creator’s ability to tie everything together. I went to some of these places and heard the stories but often it didn’t stick because of the lack of connection between the events. Watching these series helped me put the two together and enabled me to remember them better, haha at least that’s the hope. Ask me again in 3 years...
It’s always like a present every time when these videos pop up on my notifications. Absolutely my favorite RUclips channel!!!
Beautiful images, insightful remarks and an all-encompassing vision of history. This is a great work.
The best history podcast out right now, thank you! I ordered a signed copy of the book and am waiting for it to arrive. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Thank you. This was absolutely gripping and vividly brought the splendor of Byzantium to life. I knew some of this, but the story of Justin was new to me, and I find it quite remarkable. I'm surprised this "rags to riches" story isn't better known and held up as an example by modern societies.
That quote from Belisarius is one of the most badass things I've ever heard
I finally completed reading *Count Belisarius.* I used to take on too many books at one time and finish none. I don't now, b/c I'm not likely to remember as much doing it that way. I already have a below average recall of written material. Videos such as these, help restore and shore up things learned.
I’m a prisoner
Brilliant episode I really hope you continue putting stuff on RUclips I love how you give us the obscure like songhai or the Greenland settlers as well as the big names aztec, Rome, byzantium, there's so many civilisations to cover achaemenid,seleucid sassanid,mongal, mughal, to name a few obvious ones but even more obscure ones like the angevin empire or cnuts Atlantic empire, hope to keep watching your fantastic content, thanks 😁
Congratulations. This series is terrific work. A landmark in historical documentary making.
I watched also Part 2
Until my tears.
Thank you so much for your work!
It is a masterpiece!
I think its really cool he remade all his original podcasts with visual aids and refrences.
The piano music gets me every time. Such an absolutely perfect choice. Such melancholy. I have been sharing your channel to whoever is into history. And quite a few of those that aren't. Please continue!
I'm amazed at the quality of these videos. One of the best history channels on youtube. Thank you and keep making them!
Absolutely love these documentaries. They're not only super interesting and informative, they ease my anxiety so much. Thank you so much x
Not sure why you aren't anxious about living in a civilization that's in the midst of the process of falling.
I love to go to sleep to your stuff.
I often wake up later in a new bit and just listen, eyes closed, and drift off again interested.
Eventually my subconscious will know everything.
Thanks.
I loved it. Also hearing the traditional Turkish instrument “ney “ being played in the background. I’ll watch the second episode immediately 🤩
This masterpiece is not simply remarkable; it is astonishing.
I've found your channel randomly, and the first episode I watched was about the Sumerians. It was so well made that I couldn't stop watching! This episode, again, is a great work and the quality of your video productions along with your podcasts are among the finest I've ever watched and listened to! Your storytelling is absolutely brilliant, Paul! Looking forward to the 2nd episode...!!
However, I want to mention a misconception about the name of the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia (at 1:10:45), a statement that many recent historians make by mistake or ignorance, over and over again! The cathedral is not named after the martyr Saint Sophia, as many tent to believe in error. It is dedicated to the "God's Holy Wisdom" or "εις την Αγία του Θεού Σοφία" as it is written in Greek in the textures of that period. But throughout the centuries, the Greek speakers together with the Latin speakers of the Empire, and later the Ottomans, kept referring to this church in their everyday talks simply as "Αγιά Σοφιά" or "Αγια-Σοφιά" (romanized: Hagiá Sophiá, Turkish: Ayasofyá).
Better than TV production value, superb body of work on this channel 🔥
So refreshing to see a real documentary again. Bravo. Grazie mille.
I joined RUclips premium and PAY for it…just to avoid adverts spoiling things. And it was entirely because of this channel