What Lars Brownworth has said about 12 Byzantine Rulers
2 quotes · 1 episode · Apr 9, 2026
Lars Brownworth, American historian, author of The Sea Wolves and The Normans, and creator of the 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast, has been quoted on 12 Byzantine Rulers 2 times in 1 episode of Lex Fridman Podcast, most recently on April 9, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.
In their words
Brownworth attributes the early success of his Byzantine podcast largely to being first in the medium.
“So just by virtue of being first, you know, it attracted attention. Whatever its merits, being first was the strongest one”
Lex Fridman Podcast: #495 – Vikings, Ragnar, Berserkers, Valhalla & the Warriors of the Viking Age (Apr 9, 2026) · Listen from 1:44:48
Brownworth argues podcasting democratizes learning by empowering amateur historians.
“But I think podcasting, in a way, democratizes learning. It unlocked the potential of all these armchair historians”
Lex Fridman Podcast: #495 – Vikings, Ragnar, Berserkers, Valhalla & the Warriors of the Viking Age (Apr 9, 2026) · Listen from 1:45:11
Episodes
#495 – Vikings, Ragnar, Berserkers, Valhalla & the Warriors of the Viking AgeLex Fridman Podcast · Apr 9, 2026 · 2 h 10 min
Historian Lars Brownworth tells Lex Fridman about the Viking Age, from Lindisfarne and Ragnar Lothbrok to Normandy, Vinland, the Varangian Guard and the Byzantine Empire.
Lars Brownworth on other topics
- Viking Age · 5 quotes
- Byzantine Empire · 3 quotes
- Ragnar Lothbrok · 2 quotes
- Great man theory · 1 quote
- Cnut the Great · 1 quote
- Varangian Guard · 1 quote
- Norse colonization of North America · 1 quote
- Norse settlement of Greenland · 1 quote