Echoes of History
Episodes
The Ancient Open-Air Library of Jabal Ikmah
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory transports players to the medieval Abbasid caliphate. One place in particular that is recreated in the game ...
Ancient Civilisations of Arabia in Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory recreates life in the AlUla oasis as it was over a millennium ago. Players can climb the battlements ...
The Real Motives Behind The Boston Tea Party
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed III recreates many key events from the American Revolution, including the Boston Tea Party, when colonists resisted British taxes b...
Life as a Greek Philosopher
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most profoundly influential periods in history is the 5th century BCE, when when a collection of great minds in Ancient Greece formed the f...
The Incense Route Through Arabia
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory takes our hero Basim ibn Ishaq from the glory of Baghdad in the Abbasid era to the remote oasis at Al-Ula....
The Nabataeans
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory takes players to the haunting tomb city of Hegra, a remarkable memento of the Nabataeans. Hewn from the hard...
The Roman Empire in Anno 117: Pax Romana
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anno 117: Pax Romana puts you in the place of a new Roman Governor at a crucial point in the history of the Roman Empire. Rome has never been more pow...
Daily Life in the Roman Empire
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anno 117: Pax Romana presents a different side of the Roman Empire - a multicultural world where people from diverse backgrounds lived side by side, a...
Isaac Newton vs Counterfeiters at the Royal Mint
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows the great achievements of Sir Isaac Newton. Or do they? Assassin's Creed Gold focuses not on the first half of Newton's career, describ...
Revolutionary Paris In Assassin's Creed Unity
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Unity offers a stunning recreation of 18th century Paris, which in modern times is the home of Ubisoft. How did this setting affect...
Vinland: Did Vikings "Discover" America?
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vinland, the mysterious place that may be somewhere in North America, and that players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can explore in The Last Chapter,...
The Russian Revolution: What Really Happened?
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia transports us to the tense atmosphere of World War One as Russia made the difficult transition from an imperial st...
Life as a Samurai
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Shadows recreates everyday life in Japan during the Sengoku jidai - the Warring States period - and highlights how reality doesn’...
Ancient Egyptian Architecture In Assassin's Creed Origins
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Historians Review & Ubisoft Developer Interview with Maxime DurandIn Assassin’s Creed Origins players can do what no tour group today can do: cl...
The Ottoman-Venetian Wars
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ezio Auditore, the hero of Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed Revelations, travels from Venice to the Ottoma...
Herodotus
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve probably heard of Herodotus, and in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey you’ll have met the man himself. Variously called the Father of History and ...
Alexander Graham Bell
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate transports us to the action-packed streets of London in 1868. Players set out on a quest to liberate the city from the gr...
Life in the Roman Army
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anno 117: Pax Romana is set in the year when the Roman Empire expanded to its greatest extent in all its history; and saw the death of Trajan, who is ...
How Rome Built An Empire
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the new game Anno 117: Pax Romana, the Emperor has appointed you as governor, tasked with developing new provinces in the Empire.It’s tempting to...
Trajan's Projects In The Provinces
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the new game Anno 117: Pax Romana, the Emperor has appointed you as governor, tasked with developing new provinces in the Empire. The game is set i...
What Is Pax Romana?
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the new game Anno 117: Pax Romana, the Emperor has appointed you as governor, tasked with developing provinces in the Roman-based Latium region and...
The Medieval Holy Land In Assassin's Creed
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ubisoft Developer Interview with Raphael LacosteFor nearly two decades, the Assassin’s Creed video games have transported players to worlds of the p...
Assassins and Templars in the Crusades
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The heart of the Assassin’s Creed franchise is the deadly rivalry between the brotherhoods of Assassins and Templars. These were real groups in hist...
Crusaders And Castles: The Siege Of Acre
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The first Assassin's Creed game puts players in the thick of the Siege of Acre during the Third Crusade. We can climb its battlements and fight in the...
Crusader Queens of Jerusalem
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The very first Assassin's Creed video game takes us back to the Third Crusade, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. As Saladin's Islamic armies tried to reco...
The Seven Years War In Assassin's Creed Rogue
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ubisoft Developer Interview with James NadigerAssassin’s Creed Rogue lets players explore the frozen world of the Arctic coastline of North America....
The Northwest Passage: Doom of Arctic Explorers
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Rogue and Assassin's Creed III let us sail through the frozen waters of the Northwest Passage at the most dangerous time in history.F...
Captain Cook: The Ultimate Explorer?
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Rogue allows players to explore the icy landscapes and freezing oceans of the Arctic as it was during the Seven Years’ War. Appro...
What Caused The Seven Years' War?
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Rogue takes us back to a time when the troubles of royal houses in Europe violently affected the lives of people across the Atlantic ...
Ancient Greek Architecture In Assassin's Creed Odyssey
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Historians Review & Ubisoft Developer Interview with Benjamin HallFor the past few weeks, we have investigated the history behind Assassin’s ...
The Minoan Labyrinth: Myth or Reality?
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey immerses players in the mythology of Ancient Greece. In particular, they can walk in the footsteps of Theseus through the L...
Xanthippe: The Formidable Wife of Socrates
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Odyssey lets players spend time with renowned philosopher Sokrates - but it also lets us meet his surprisingly younger and outspoken ...
Sparta vs Athens: The Peloponnesian War
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Odyssey puts us at the heart of the expansive conflict that occurred when Athens went to war with Sparta: the Peloponnesian War. Gues...
Victorian London In Assassin's Creed Syndicate
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Historians Review & Ubisoft Developer Interview with Jeffrey YohalemFor the past few weeks, Matt Lewis has investigated the history behind Assassi...
The Origins of Scotland Yard
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Syndicate recreates Scotlland Yard, the famous home of the Metropolitan Police Force, and lets players explore its overcrowded nooks ...
Crystal Palace and the Great Exhibition
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes players to Victorian London. This was an age of massive social change through technological innovation and cultural...
The Age of Invention: The Beginning of the Modern World?
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Syndicate incorporates technology into its gameplay and story more than any other game in the series. Its setting in Victorian London...
The Heart of the Sikh Empire: Amritsar Summer Palace
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Chronicles India begins in the glorious Amritsar Summer Palace, and allows players to climb, jump and fight over its rooftops against...
The Anglo-Sikh Wars
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India puts players in the heart of the Sikh Empire in 1841, at a time when only the Sikh Empire remained unconquered by...
Ranjit Singh: India’s Sikh Warrior King
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Of the many empires that have risen and fallen throughout history, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India draws our attention to one of the mightiest an...
Samurai & Shinobi: Historians Review Assassin's Creed Shadows
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
5. Assassin's Creed Shadows ReviewAssassin's Creed Shadows is now available to play! Matt Lewis had advanced access to the new game and stepped into t...
Azuchi Castle: The Ultimate Fortress
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Shadows gives us the chance to explore the places where history occurred. One such place is recreated in remarkable detail: Azuchi Ca...
How Did Samurai And Shinobi Fight Battles In Medieval Japan?
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chasing Shadows 4. WarfareAssassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi ...
Lady Nene: Female Samurai?
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Shadows introduces us to some of Japan's mightiest historical leaders. Yet, "beside every great man is an ever greater woman". One of...
Swords And Throwing Stars: What Weapons Did Samurai and Shinobi Use?
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chasing Shadows 3. WeaponsAssassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi ...
Samurai vs Guns: The Battle of Nagashino
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Shadows transports players to a formative period in Japanese history - the Sengoku era, when warlords vied for control of Japan, and ...
Samurai or Shinobi: Who Really Ruled Medieval Japan?
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chasing Shadows 2. PoliticsAssassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi...
Mount Hiei: Home of Japan's Warrior Monks
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to visit the imperial capital of medieval Japan. But today, we're heading to a mountain lying just n...
What Was Life Like As A Samurai And Shinobi In Medieval Japan?
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chasing Shadows 1. Culture Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and sh...
Hattori Hanzo: The Demon Samurai
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the legendary Hattori Hanzo embodies both samurai and shinobi warriors, and earned himself the nickname "The...
The Reign of Terror: Not Just The Guillotine
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Unity puts players right into the Parisian streets where the bloody events of the Reign of Terror occurred, and gives us the chance...
Maximilien Robespierre: A Moral Terror
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Unity allows us to confront one of the most controversial men in history: Maximillien Robespierre. What made him such a successful ...
Notre Dame: Surviving the Fire of History
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Notre Dame is arguably the world’s most famous cathedral and has watched over the Parisian skyline since its construction in the Middle Ages. B...
Suleiman the Magnificent
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed Revelations lets us meet a young Suleiman before he became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and long before he became “the Magnifice...
Topkapi Palace: The Heart of the Ottoman Empire
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Associate Professor Nilay Özlü from Istanbul Technical University joins Matt Lewis to help him understand the Ottoman's most significant mark on the...
Hagia Sophia: Where Worlds Collide
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Hagia Sophia is a landmark that has stood for 1500 years, and that players can clamber all over in Assassin’s Creed Revelations. It is remarkabl...
The Fall of Constantinople
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Revelations transports us to Constantinople, only a couple of generations after its conquest by the Ottoman Empire. It is one of hist...
Vikings in Medieval Baghdad
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the ninth century, the Vikings earned a fearsome reputation along the coasts of western Europe. But they also travelled eastwards and reached Const...
The Mongol Invasions of Ming China
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Assassin's Creed Chronicles China, players foil a plot by Altan Khan to invade Ming China with his Mongol army. But who was Altan Khan, and how suc...
The Eight Tigers: Imperial Eunuchs
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The infamous eunuchs of the Ming imperial court are the primary villains of Assassin’s Creed Chronicles China. The Eight Tigers were a real threat t...
The Great Wall of China
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Wall of China is both older and newer than you might think, with mysteries and controversies buried in its foundations. To help shed a light...
The Pazzi Conspiracy
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At its height in the 15th century, Florence was ruled by the renowned Medici family renowned for their banking nous and towering intellect - the Medic...
The Duomo of Florence
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Renaissance was an age of sweeping transformation in politics, literature, science, art and architecture. Perhaps nothing better represents the la...
The Borgias: History's Most Villainous Family
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Borgias are a lynchpin in the history of the Italian Renaissance. Their tale of intrigue, corruption and cut-throat ambition still inspires storyt...
How The Vikings Shaped Ireland and Britain
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Viking Age saw the creation of new towns and new kingdoms in Britain and Ireland. What impact did Norse settlers have on politics, culture and the...
Samhain: The First Halloween
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Halloween is a tradition that only grows in popularity each year. Yet its origins are mysterious, shrouded by myth and misconception. Some of its...
The High King Of Ireland
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Viking Age Ireland was divided into many rival kingdoms. However, some men could rise to become High King of Ireland. Men like Flann Sinna. How d...
Marie Antoinette: The Cake-Loving Queen
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’ll study someone who was both a cause and a victim of the French Revolution: the cake-promoting queen, Marie Antoinette.In Assassin’s Cr...
The Storming Of The Bastille
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin's Creed Unity starts by putting players at the heart of the Storming of the Bastille. It is one of the key events of the French Revolution an...
Napoleon: The Dictator Of Democracy
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Napoleon Bonaparte is a household name; a rare example of someone who is as well remembered by his supporters as by his enemies. His life is rich with...
George Washington: The Man Who Could Be King
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
George Washington is perhaps the most consequential leader in the USA’s short history. Having demonstrated his leadership credentials as commander-i...
Lexington & Concord: History's Unlikeliest Battlefields
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The shot heard ‘round the world; the start of the American Revolution. An event that would have profound consequences for world history, especially ...
The Declaration of Independence: History’s Most Influential Document?
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Assassin’s Creed III offers players a glimpse into the room where it happened - the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But was the Declarat...
The Alexandrian War: Caesar's Mistake
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 47 BCE, Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt as a victorious general, ready to make an easy alliance with the Pharaoh. Instead, he found himself besieged...
The Sphinx: Egypt's Greatest Mystery
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Sphinx of Giza is the most recognisable statue in the world - and one of the most mysterious. Even its Western name is misleading, since the...
Ptolemy XIII: The Forgotten Pharaoh
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Antony and Cleopatra. Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. These are household names thanks to Shakespeare’s plays, big budget TV shows and films, an...
Who Built The Parthenon?
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An enduring symbol of ancient Greek artistry and architecture. Arguably the most recognisable monument they left behind. The Parthenon. Built ato...
The Ancient Olympics: Games Of The Gods
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A tradition that endured millennia. The ancient Olympic Games began in 776 BC and took place every four years until at least 396 AD. It was a major re...
Hippocrates: The Father Of Medicine
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Around 460 BCE, a man was born in Ancient Greece who would change medicine forever. He invented a new scientific approach to medicine that recognised ...
The Greatest Crown Jewel: The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The literal jewel in the British crown, the Koh-i-Noor diamond has a history as rich as its caratage. Queen Victoria received it from the last maharaj...
The Industrial Revolution: The Birth Of Modern London
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 18th century, giving birth to an era that has changed world history. The period was characteris...
How The Metropolitan Police Shaped London
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scotland Yard: the home of London's Metropolitan Police Force. In this episode, Matt Lewis and Dr Jonah Miller put a magnifying lens to the history of...
Queen Victoria: The Woman Behind An Era
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Queen Victoria was the last English monarch of the House of Hanover and gave her name to an era in British history. Although small in stature, she was...
Shogun and Shinto: What Life Was Like In Feudal Japan
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What was life like in feudal Japan? If you were born into the chaos of the Warring States period, would you have been a farmer, a merchant or a samura...
Kyoto: Japan's Imperial City
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During the Onin Wars of the early Sengoku period, Kyoto was razed as civil war struck the Imperial capital. Only with unification did the city begin t...
Samurai vs Shinobi: The Tensho Iga War
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the sixth episode delving into the history behind the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Nathan Ledbetter f...
Japan's First Unifier: Oda Nobunaga
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Oda Nobunaga. He’s one of feudal Japan’s most infamous and consequential figures, known to many as Japan’s first ‘Great Unifier’. From humbl...
Yasuke: The First African Samurai
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yasuke is one of the most captivating and yet mysterious figures within Japanese history. In 1581, at the height of the civil war, he crossed paths wi...
Portuguese Missionaries in Japan
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Portuguese merchants ran aground on the Japanese isle of Tanegashima in 1543 two worlds collided - Europeans had encountered Japan for the first ...
The Unification of Japan
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the 16th century, Japan was embroiled in what is known as Sengoku jidai - ‘The Warring States’ period. It was a time of bloody battles, social ...
Civil War in Feudal Japan: The Sengoku Period
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social upheaval...
Echoes of History: A New Chapter
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Introducing a new chapter of Echoes of History, the podcast that explores the incredible real-life stories and events that inspire the locations, char...
The Wandering Pirate: Nathaniel North
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones".Bermuda was at the crossroads between Europe and the New World, b...
The Marooned Captain: Edward England
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones".Who said all pirates were cruel and bloodthirsty? Definitely not ...
Freedom Is The Greatest Treasure: Mathurin Desmarestz
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones.There are opportunistic pirates and those who have piracy in their...
The Pirate Admiral: Kanhoji Angre
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones.Is it possible to be a military man and outlaw at the same time...
The Reluctant Pirate: William Kidd
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones".You're not born a pirate, you become one. This motto shaped the e...
The Buzzard: Serial Looter
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones".Among pirates, a nickname creates the legend. A fearless sea band...
The King Of Pirates: Henry Every
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones".As the son of a Royal Navy officer, Henry Every was destined to a...
The Pioneer Of The East: Thomas Tew
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones".At the end of the 17th century, pirates scoured the warm seas of ...