The first history podcast - 12 Byzantine Rulers | Lars Brownworth and Lex Fridman

In this interview segment, Lars Brownworth explains the origins of his groundbreaking 2005 podcast series "12 Byzantine Rulers," which predated Dan Carlin and other well-known history podcasters. Brownworth was inspired by Bob Brier's Great Courses series on Egyptian history, particularly Brier's storytelling abilities. As someone who couldn't decide between loving the medieval or Roman periods, Brownworth discovered the Byzantine Empire through a book reference to the "medieval Roman Empire," which he describes as like finding extra seasons of a favorite TV show. The podcast accidentally began when Brownworth recorded himself explaining Byzantine history to provide framework for his brother, who was confused by Brownworth's constant enthusiastic discussions about figures like Justinian. His tech-savvy brother Anders then submitted this recording as a podcast while Brownworth was excavating at Petra. When people began asking for episode two, Brownworth realized he needed to continue the series. He reflects that the podcast succeeded because it told great stories about relatable people, benefited from being first in the medium, and helped democratize learning by allowing passionate "armchair historians" to share their knowledge with low barriers to entry.