In episode two of our series on the First Crusade, we join the crusaders as they prepare to take their first steps into the unknown

By Emily Briffett

Published: Thursday, 12 October 2023 at 06:07 AM


The Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos had asked the pope for a small crack team of western knights to aid him with his struggles in Asia Minor – a plea for help which had set crusading wheels into motion. But, he was shocked when waves of unruly crusaders began arriving in waves outside the walls of his capital. In this second episode of our latest HistoryExtra podcast series, we’ll reconstruct the journey that saw the crusaders end up outside Constantinople, dealing with logistical challenges and fraught relationships along the way.

Want to hear more? Browse more episodes in our podcast series on the First Crusade