Anthony Kaldellis
A historian of Byzantium and the Eastern Roman Empire known for arguing that Byzantium should be understood as a continuation of Rome.
Circuit updated July 21, 2026
- Anthony Kaldellis says Byzantine Greek fire came in hand grenade form
“Well, it's a state secret. They didn't want this getting out. So, they kept it pretty well. The fact that we're debating it will tell you that they were pretty good at keeping secrets.” 1:33
- Anthony Kaldellis says the Plague of Justinian probably did not kill half the Roman Empire
“some scholars argue for a kind of maximalist position of 50%. I think that would have brought this society to a halt. Just logistically speaking.” 1:33
- Anthony Kaldellis says Roman families voluntarily castrated their sons to place them at the emperor's court
“We are pretty sure that this happened within the empire because there were some families that like really wanted to place a eunuch at the court. So they would, it was almost like a family's strategy.” 3:51
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“Eunuchs were perfect for this reason because often their origin was from outside the empire or they were former slaves. They weren't connected to like networks of powerful families. So, you knew that they would generally be loyal to you because they depended entirely on you, the emperor, for their position and their power.”
Anthony Kaldellis · Lex Fridman Podcast -
“We are pretty sure that this happened within the empire because there were some families that like really wanted to place a eunuch at the court. So they would, it was almost like a family's strategy.”
Anthony Kaldellis · Lex Fridman Podcast -
“Well, it's a state secret. They didn't want this getting out. So, they kept it pretty well. The fact that we're debating it will tell you that they were pretty good at keeping secrets.”
Anthony Kaldellis · Lex Fridman Podcast -
“It still doesn't tell you, however, like mortality rates and historical impact. Like for that you still need standard old-fashioned non-laboratory historical work.”
Anthony Kaldellis · Lex Fridman Podcast -
“They can't have their own family so they can't be like looking out for their own offspring. They're kind of isolated individuals who depend entirely on your favor.”
Anthony Kaldellis · Lex Fridman Podcast -
“In fact, Justinian is at that time waging war on something like four or five different fronts. If you read the narratives of those wars, there's no pause.”
Anthony Kaldellis · Lex Fridman Podcast
Anthony Kaldellis says Byzantine Greek fire came in hand grenade form
The historian’s best detail on Lex Fridman was not just that Greek fire burned on water, but that the Romans apparently bottled the stuff and threw it at siege engines.
Anthony Kaldellis says the Plague of Justinian probably did not kill half the Roman Empire
The historian's case is brutally practical: if half the empire died, why did Justinian's wars, taxes, and courts keep running?
Anthony Kaldellis says Roman families voluntarily castrated their sons to place them at the emperor's court
The Byzantine historian explains how castration was sometimes a family's smartest power move, not just a cruelty imposed on slaves.