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PODCAST

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story

Jonathon LaRosa

The Middle Ages—a time often dismissed, yet it is the crucible where the foundations of our modern world were forged. This era, full of brutal power struggles, explosive change, and unexpected alliances, laid the borders, cultures, and traditions we live by today. Through relentless research and gripping storytelling, this podcast resurrects the forgotten world of our medieval ancestors, unraveling the tangled web spanning innumerable stories. The modern world was never born in isolation—it was

history

All Episodes

00:43:45

198: Poor People's Crusade

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/12/01

SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 198: Poor People’s CrusadeA tidal wave of zealots, doomsday preachers, and broke knights surges across Europe in the so-called Poor People’s Crusade—burning bright, burning fast, and mostly burning down. From Emicho’s disastrous rampage along the Rhine to the ragged march of Walter Sans Avoir straight into the jaws of Kilij Arslan at Civetot, this is the First Crusade’s explosive prologue. A movement born in frenzy ends in annihilation, leaving a smoking warning

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00:27:37

197: The Fez Massacre

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/11/29

SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 197: The Fez MassacreThis is an older Patreon episode about another Jewish pogrom taking place in Fez in modern Morocco decades before the Rhineland massacres during the Poor People's Crusade. This serves as a bonus episode and not a direct part of my research into the First Crusade.A new episode will be released in a couple days getting us back on track!No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts

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00:46:50

196: Blood on the Rhine

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/11/24

SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 196: Blood on the RhineThe First Crusade hadn’t even started yet, so why was the Rhine flowing red? No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can

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00:40:50

195: Did God Will It?

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/11/17

SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 195: Did God Will It?Where does a pope get off telling thousands of armed men to march across the known world with a promise of eternal salvation? This wasn’t a whim. It was centuries in the making. Welcome to the origin story of Christian holy war.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my

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00:46:45

194: Deus Vult!

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/11/03

SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 194: Deus Vult!Clermont., France.November 27, 1095.Pope Urban II lit the match that set Europe ablaze. This episode dives into the conflicting accounts of that speech—where “Deus Vult” became both a prayer and a war cry.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing

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00:53:10

193: Eastern Rome on the Eve of Crusade

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/10/27

SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 193: Eastern Rome on the Eve of CrusadeOn this episode, we hear from Dr. Warren Treadgold -- retired professor, historian, and author -- who has spent a decades-long career studying Byzantine history. In the show's first interview, we discuss Alexios Komnenos, differences between the Christian East and the Latin West, and whether the Crusades themselves were a net positive or net negative. Be sure to Share, Subscribe, and Leave A Comment!No More Paywalls

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00:30:59

192: The World of the First Crusade

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/10/24

SEASON 8: The First CrusadeEPISODE 192: The World(view) Behind the First CrusadeLet’s take a moment to survey Europe by 1095. What was the world like on the Eve of the First Crusade? What were the various political and economic ideas that flooded out of Western Europe and into the Holy Land? What kinds of technology were these westerners skilled in using, both militarily and in other parts of life? What was trade like? There are endless avenues to go down, and it would behoove us all to do a

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00:44:55

191: Chapter 9: The Pecheneg Problem

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/10/20

Patreon Series: Book of AlexiosEpisode 191: The Pecheneg ProblemNOTE: This is the last episode in our Patreon episodes covering the rise and early reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos! But his story continues well into the First Crusade...and beyond, so stay tuned, my friends! Alexios Komnenos' story is only beginning!Guiscard is dead, and the Byzantine Empire breathes a short-lived sigh of relief. But from the north, a new storm brews. The Pechenegs, nomadic raiders of the steppes, have pierced

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00:43:50

190: Chapter 8: The Wolf's Mouth

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/10/17

Patreon Series: Book of AlexiosEpisode 190: Chapter 8: The Wolf's MouthToday, two future legends meet. Bohemond of Taranto meets the Byzantine living legend Emperor Alexios I—a moment that will ignite a complicated and world-shaping rivalry. It’s a tense encounter, but not all is war and scheming: somewhere nearby, a child is born. A girl who is destined to leave her own mark on history.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and

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00:37:46

189: Chapter 7: Appointments, Penance, Delegation &...

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/10/13

Patreon Series: Book of AlexiosEpisode 189: Chapter 7: Appointments, Penance, Delegation & ThreatsThe purple robes are his, but the work has only begun. In his first month on the throne, Emperor Alexios I Komnenos must navigate a Byzantine Empire under siege—externally and internally. A divided capital, looming threats across the Bosporus, and guilt that whispers louder than any enemy… Welcome to the real beginning of his reign.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s happening here –

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00:54:20

188: Chapter 6: April 4, 1081

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/10/10

Patreon Series: Book of AlexiosEpisode 188: Chapter 6: April 4, 1081NOTE: This is a repeat of Episode 132, but in the interest of the flow of this series, I've decided to include it for continuity.The empire is on fire—figuratively and nearly literally—as Alexios Komnenos makes his bold play for the throne. With the capital in chaos, loyalties split, and Eastern Rome teetering, one man dares to seize it all. Welcome to the storming of Constantinople.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s

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00:50:30

187: Chapter 5: Cheese Week

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/10/06

Patreon Series: Book of AlexiosEpisode 187: Chapter 5: Cheese WeekNOTE: This is a repeat of Episode 131, but in the interest of the flow of this series, I've decided to include it for continuity.In this episode, we explore the dangerously creamy days leading up to the rise of Alexios Komnenos—because nothing says imperial coup like dairy. Before he seizes the throne of Eastern Rome, the empire simmers in chaos, conspiracy... and cheese. But not just any cheese—this is Cheese Week, the final

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01:03:05

186: Chapter 4: The Writing on the Wall

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/10/03

Patreon Series: Book of AlexiosEpisode 186: Chapter 4: The Writing on the WallNOTE: This is a repeat of Episode 130, but in the interest of the flow of this series, I've decided to include it for continuity.Emperor Nikephoros III watches his empire crumble like dry parchment. With rebellion brewing and a once-loyal general rising in fame, the old emperor can’t ignore the writing on the wall—literally and figuratively. In this episode, we explore the origins of that ominous phrase…before the pace

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00:31:32

185: Chapter 3: Alexios & the Erymanthian Boar

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/09/29

Patreon Series: Book of AlexiosEpisode 185: Chapter 3: Alexios & the Erymanthian BoarOn this episode, we employ a comparison used by Alexios Komnenos’s daughter when describing her father. There is absolutely no doubt that Anna Komnene revered her legendary father, but the comparison she makes in this episode some would say is a bit over the top. That said, I encourage everyone to consider it. More than that, I encourage everyone to try to find a way to disprove Anna Komnene’s mythical

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00:43:06

184: Chapter 2: Bryennios's Rebellion

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/09/26

Patreon Series: The Book of AlexiosEpisode 184: Chapter 2: Bryennios's RebellionNOTE: This is a repeat of Episode 129, but in the interest of the flow of this series, I've decided to include it for continuity.Today, we watch Emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates take the reins of a smoldering empire still reeling from the Bread Riots of 1078. But no sooner does he don the purple than the first coup slams into his rule like a battering ram. Who does he turn to? His golden boy, Alexios Komnenos

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00:47:49

183: Chapter 1: Roussel de Balliol

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/09/22

Patreon Series: The Book of AlexiosEpisode 183: Chapter 1: Roussel de BalliolToday, we watch a young Alexios Komnenos do what Alexios Komnenos does best: survive and outmaneuver. The foe? A rogue Norman warlord named Roussel de Balliol, who decided to carve out his own little empire from Byzantine soil. It's the Komnenos kid versus the Norman upstart—and spoiler alert: the empire might just have found its next champion.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our

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00:37:53

182: Book of Alexios: Prologue

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/09/19

Patreon Series: Book of AlexiosEpisode 182: PrologueToday, we crack open The Book of Alexios, a new mini-series chronicling the rise of one of Byzantium’s greatest emperors. But before we launch into the heart of his reign, we need to sweep up a few imperial messes. The chessboard is rearranged: emperors fall, others rise, and somewhere far to the east…a new threat stirs. No, not the Seljuks—someone else. Buckle up, it's going to get imperial.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s

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00:28:33

181: The Papacy of Pope Alexander II

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/09/15

Patreon Series: Rise of the Crusading SpiritEpisode 181: The Papacy of Pope Alexander IIToday, we pause our sprint through imperial chaos to turn toward Rome—because while emperors rise and fall in the East, a powerhouse is at work in the West. We revisit the reign of Pope Alexander II, a quiet juggernaut of the 11th century, whose influence reverberated from papal chambers to battlefields. It’s time to connect a few dots—and maybe fill in some of the glaring gaps we’ve been skipping over.No More

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00:33:40

180: Poland Remains

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/09/12

Patreon Series: Rise of PolandEpisode 180: Poland RemainsWhile kingdoms rose and crumbled all across Europe, Poland—battered, bruised, and often overlooked—managed to hold itself together through the chaos of the 11th century. How did this patchwork realm survive where others fell apart? It's a testament to the thousand-year-old Polish spirit.No More Paywalls! How?If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no

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00:26:12

179: The Worthy Brother

Fortune"s Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story ·

2025/09/08

Patreon Series: Rise of PolandEpisode 179: The Worthy BrotherToday, we dive into the wild, ruthless, and often misunderstood reign of Bolesław II—better known as Bolesław the Bold. He wasn’t just another medieval ruler jockeying for land and power. No, Bolesław was a king with ambition carved in steel and sealed in blood. He fought wars, crowned himself, and clashed with the Church… and let’s just say things didn’t end with a retirement party. This is the story of a man who burned hot, fast, and

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