Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium, episode 334, State Builders from the Step, with Eric Halsey.

This is the second of four interviews I've recorded before we get back to the regular episodes.

And if you want to hear me interviewed about Christmas in Byzantium and a range of other topics,

then check out the Quillette podcast.

That's Q-U-I-L-E-T-T-E for their Christmas 2025 episode.

Also, intelligent speech is back in February.

That's the online history podcasting conference, which I'm usually a part of.

This year's theme is companions and rivals, and I'll be taking part in a couple of

roundtable discussions with fellow podcasters. There are also keynote speakers in the form of

the alternate historian, Totalis Rankium, and the history of Persia. Go to Intelligentspeechonline.com

to get your tickets and use the code by Zantium to get 10% off.

In today's episode, we are returning to the first Bulgarian empire, that perennial thorn

in the Byzantine side. As you know, the Bulgaras began to settle in the Balkans in the

7th century and were at war with the Romans on and off for the next

four centuries. Fellow history podcaster Eric Halsey has chronicled their rise and fall

in his Bulgarian history podcast and has now written a book. State Builders from the Step,

a history of the first Bulgarian empire Empire is out now and is thoroughly recommended by

yours truly. It's well researched and easy to read. And it was nice to read about a subject so

intimately entwined with Byzantine history from a different perspective. If you can find

the book on Amazon, or if you want to hear the podcast, then search for the Bulgarian History Podcast.

It's currently deep into the 20th century.

You can also go to BGhistorypodcast.com.

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