<p>Was Offa a tyrant whose reputation was forever tainted by the killing of his prospective son-in-law? Or a visionary ruler whose achievements have been overshadowed by legend?</p><p>Offa is largely known for murderous acts and building a dyke. But he was so much more: a great leader who reshaped Mercia into the dominant power in southern Britain, and pioneered new models of kingship that would influence generations.</p><p>Matt Lewis talks to Professor Rory Naismith, to rehabilitate Offa and challenge the way we understand power in early medieval England.</p><br><p><strong>MORE</strong></p><p><strong>Rise of Mercia</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rise-of-mercia/id1564113746?i=1000651878521&itscg=30200&ls=1&mttnsubad=6442463604&at=1000l3ctA&itsct=podfollow_podcasts&ct=gone-medieval-eplink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4lTbPvOA99FJ9TddTl5AJL" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p><strong>Rise of Wessex</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rise-of-wessex/id1564113746?i=1000652251685&itscg=30200&ls=1&mttnsubad=6442463604&at=1000l3ctA&itsct=podfollow_podcasts&ct=gone-medieval-eplink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ScozHAQEINUvrogBQNohA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p>Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producers are Rob Weinberg and Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.</p><p><em>Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</u></strong></a><strong>.</strong>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>