The Ancients

Decoding the Roman Dead

25 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Often known as ‘Britain’s first town’, Colchester is a city rich in ancient history and on 24 July 2021, a new exhibition will open at the Colch...

Life in Sparta

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A legendary city-state in Ancient Greece, we associate Sparta with fierce warriors in battle. But what about the everyday? In this second episode with...

The Oldest Known Shark Attack

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a crossover with Jaws and Open Water that we never expected, but a 3,000 year old corpse has thrown a surprising topic into the mix: shark bite...

The Romans in Brittany

17 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was one of the most powerful empires in history, leaving marks and remnants across the globe, but in this episode we are looking specifically at th...

Scythed Chariots

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What could be more terrifying than an army racing towards you? An army on chariots? What if those chariots had blades mounted on either side? In this ...

Carthage vs Greeks? The First Sicilian War

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

480 BC is a year widely-celebrated in Greek history. When Leonidas' Spartan core and their Hellenic allies fought a powerful Persian army at Thermopyl...

Julius Caesar’s Invasions of Britain

11 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the day of the Euro 2020 final, we’re talking England versus Italy…Ancients style (well, sort of). Historian and archaeologist Dr Simon Elliott...

Begram: Crossroads of the Ancient World

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bagram, also known as Begram, has been in the news a lot recently. Over the past couple of days, the last US and NATO troops have withdrawn from Bagra...

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Strait of Messina

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dividing Sicily from Italy, the Strait of Messina is a small stretch of water with an incredible history that stretches back to ancient times. It was ...

Persepolis: Jewel of Persia

04 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It is one of the most remarkable ancient sites in the World. Situated east of the Zagros Mountains in modern day Iran, Persepolis was an important urb...

Divorced, Murdered, Survived: Nero's Wives

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the long tradition of categorising famous wives as the good or the bad, Nero’s partners are no exception. These women are regularly reduced to si...

The Truth About Spartan Society

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sparta. Situated in the southern Peloponnese, this ancient Hellenic city-state has become ingrained in popular imagination as the home of unmatched Gr...

Vindolanda: Jewel of Roman Britain

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Situated roughly two miles south of Hadrian's Wall in the heart of the Northumberland countryside, Vindolanda is home to some of the most remarkable a...

Artemis of Ephesus: The Great Mother Goddess

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An incredibly popular goddess, characterised in statues of her by a vest of bee hives, or are they breasts … bull scrotums? In this episode Tristan ...

Dirty Love: The Ancient Greek Novel

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The novel, and in particular the romance genre, is at the heart of a billion dollar industry, but when did they originate? In this episode, Professor ...

Ancient Brittany with Sir Barry Cunliffe

20 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stretching out from the north west of France, Brittany has long been as identifiable with the Atlantic Ocean as with its continental neighbours in Eur...

Scotland's Earliest Animal Carvings: An Incredible New Discovery

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Prehistoric animal carvings, thought to be up to 5,000 years old, have been discovered in Scotland for the very first time. The images, which include ...

Berenike and the Red Sea Spice Route

13 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Situated on the western coast of the Red Sea in antiquity were a series of thriving seaports, bringing in trade from as far as way as Sir Lanka. Key m...

Nero: Taking to the Stage

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In popular culture, Nero is thought of as the Emperor who played the fiddle as Rome burned to the ground. Whilst this might not be strictly factual, i...

Iron Age British and Roman Racing Chariots

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How truthful are modern depictions of ancient chariots? In this second episode, Mike Loades explores the reality behind the scythed chariot shown in B...

Polynesian Mythology

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From creation stories to voyager journeys, mythology and oral history are often key to our identities. In this episode Christina Thompson shines a lig...

The Golden Age of Chariots

30 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Taxis to the front line or ancient tanks? Through archaeological remains and ancient depictions, we have some idea of what the ancient military vehicl...

Alexander the Great's First Persian Victory

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If there had been a different outcome to the Battle of Granicus, we might never have heard about Alexander the Great. Taking place in 334 BC, this was...

Ancient Polynesia: Pioneers of the Pacific

22 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Despite sporadic food sources and the dangers of the deep sea, the remote islands of the Pacific Ocean have been home to Polynesians for more than a m...

The Truth About King Arthur

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The legend of King Arthur has been reworked many times, but is there any historical truth behind the tales? Dr Miles Russell believes there is and in ...

Olympia: The Golden Age

16 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For hundreds of years in antiquity, the sanctuary at Olympia was one of the most important religious sites in the Greek World, home to stunning art an...

Ancient Afghanistan: The Land of a Thousand Cities

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Situated north of the Hindu Kush and south of the Oxus (Amu Darya) River, the history of the ancient region of Bactria is rich and diverse. From the O...

The Rise of Olympia

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Forget the Games, ancient Olympia’s importance stretched much further than simply being the birthplace of its namesake sporting festival. Boasting h...

How the Romans Treated Eye Infections

09 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Traditionally believed to be ‘windows to the soul’, the health of eyes in the Roman Empire could be compromised by lamentable hygiene practices, u...

How Corinth Became Christian

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Occupied since around 3000 BC, the Ancient city of Corinth is not unique in its transition from a Pagan, Greco-Roman state to a Christian one. What ma...

The Truth About The Huns

02 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Huns! The name of this ancient people triggers a multiplicity of responses and evokes a number of images (nearly all of them negative). They have ...

The Olympic Games

02 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The most famous sporting event in the world is upon us, so it's only right that we consider what do we know about the ancient origins of the games in ...

Cicero’s Fight for the Roman Republic

25 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Caesar Octavian, Mark Antony, Decimus Brutus and Cicero: the Battle of Mutina, April 43 BC, was a clash of giants. It also became the beginning of the...

Roman Prisoners of War

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We know all about the battles of the Roman Empire: the opposing sides, their weapons and incentives. But if history is written by the winners, what ha...

Introducing 'Leonardo: The Official Podcast'

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here on The Ancients, we think that you will love Leonardo, the official podcast accompanying the murder-mystery period drama starring Aidan Turner. L...

The Legacy of Thermopylae

18 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ever since its occurence in 480 BC, the Battle of Thermopylae has been the stuff of legend. Echoes of this battle, reportedly fought between a seven t...

Edges of Empire: Chesters Roman Fort

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Described as one of the most complete cavalry forts that survives in Britain, Chesters Roman Fort is also home to the best preserved military baths on...

Lessons from the Antonine Plague

11 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A plague which affects people from across society, mass exodus from city centres and numerous opinions on how best to stay well ... all familiar to pe...

Persia's Untapped Source: The Persepolis Fortification Texts

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Persepolis Fortification Tablets / Texts are the who’s who of the Ancient Achaemenid Empire, a unique insight into the administrative workings o...

Jewish Burial at the Time of Jesus

04 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Gospels, Jesus died and was removed from the cross on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath (Friday afternoon), before his body was placed in...

The Xiongnu: History's First Nomadic Empire?

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD, the Xiongnu inhabited the area surrounding Mongolia. They influenced the later Hun Empire, and had ...

Music in Ancient Greece

28 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Without recordings, and with notation and instruments long forgotten, how can we possibly know what music soundtracked Ancient Greek life? James Lloyd...

The Rise of Cicero

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cicero is often considered to be one of the greatest orators of Ancient Rome. But how did he reach prominence in Roman politics? Why are his speeches ...

Boudica: Through Roman Eyes

21 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Iceni warrior who led a revolt against the Roman Empire around 60 AD often stands alone in our memory of ancient queens in Britain, but in this ep...

Petra: The Rose City

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A city of caves, temples and tombs, Petra gains its nickname from the pink sandstone from which it was carved. In this second part of his conversation...

The Ides of March

14 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 44 BC, the Ides of March took on a new significance. Previously observed as the first full moon of the new year, the 15 March is today remembered a...

Women and Power in Ancient Egypt

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kara Cooney has been studying 6 of the remarkable female pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. In this episode she explains why many of them have been forgotten,...

Boudica: Britain's Warrior Queen

07 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Boudica has become a hero of British folklore. Her leadership of the Iceni in an uprising against the forces of the Roman Empire in around 60 AD is ec...

The Origins of Warfare

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Popular discussions of human history are punctuated with conflict, but when did warfare begin? To discuss this massive question, Professor Nam Kim has...

Cheddar Man: Science and the Skeleton

28 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cheddar Man is the oldest almost complete skeleton of a Homo sapien ever found in Britain and, for this fantastic episode, Tristan spoke to the scient...

Petra: Rise of the Nabataeans

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The assumption had once been that they were nomads until the Romans came. But more recent archaeological work in modern day Jordan is dispelling this ...

Lugdunum: The Biggest Battle in Roman History?

21 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 197 AD, the armies of Septimius Severus and Clodius Albinus met at Lugdunum, on the site of present day Lyon. If we believe the numbers given in Ca...

Palmyra: Pearl of the Desert

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Palmyra features in headlines today as a casualty of IS destruction, but during its heyday it was a monumental city set on an oasis in the Syrian dese...

Myths of Masada

14 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 73 AD, 967 Jewish rebels against the Romans committed mass suicide atop the Masada Fortress. Or did they? In this second part of Tristan’s interv...

Rome: 'The Eternal City'

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rome. The Eternal City. One of the most recognisable names that many associate with the Ancient Mediterranean World. To provide a detailed run down of...

Besieging Masada

07 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dramatically placed on a plateau with drops of 400m to the east and 90m to the west, Masada translates from Hebrew as fortress. It became just that wh...

Beasts of Battle: Indian War Elephants

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The four components of the Ancient Indian battlefield: infantry, cavalry, chariots … and elephants. These magnificent creatures were dominant in con...

Edges of Empire: Rome's Northernmost Town

31 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Roughly two miles south of Hadrian’s Wall lie the remains of Roman Corbridge, the northernmost town of the Roman Empire. The site’s archaeology is...

Roman Military Tombstones: Uncovering the Unknown Warriors

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From Northern Britain to the Near East, Roman tombstones have been uncovered on various far flung frontiers of the Roman Empire. Dedicated to those au...

The Mystery of the Ninth Legion

24 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The legions of Rome were the nucleus of Rome’s military might for centuries. From campaigning in northern Scotland to the Persian Gulf, these devast...

Edges of Empire: The Sasanian Frontiers

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, arguably the greatest external threat the Roman Empire faced came from the East. From the Sasanian Persian Empire. With its nucleus sit...

Indonesian Cave Art: A Dramatic New Discovery

17 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a paradox for the ages, breaking news about people who lived and died thousands of years ago. This discovery is no different, because Adam Brum...

Tomyris: A Warrior Queen's Revenge

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Her legend afforded her a place alongside Eve, Cleopatra and Venus, to name just a few of the famous women whose biographies were collected by Giovann...

Oppian’s Halieutica: Creatures of the Ancient Deep

10 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The deep blue sea is the subject of speculation to this day but, in this episode, we have access to the mysteries, myths and misgivings that were asso...

Hannibal: Battle by the Trebia

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 218 BC, and Hannibal has made the mammoth journey across the Alps en route to Italy, accompanied by his army, their horses, and their elephants...

How Ancient Egypt Stayed Egyptian

03 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The length of time between the rule of Cleopatra and the erection of the Pyramids is the same as that between now and the birth of Jesus Christ. With ...

El Kurru: Egypt's Nubian Pharaohs

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the 8th and 7th centuries BC, Ancient Egypt was ruled by an extraordinary dynasty. This was the 25th Dynasty, also known as the Nubi...

Hatshepsut: Egypt's Hidden Pharaoh

27 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hatshepsut – whose name means “foremost of noblewomen” – was an exceptional figure in the history of Ancient Egypt. Only the second woman in h...

The Mystery of Mithras: A Pagan Christmas?

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The clichéd Christmas: white snow, hot fires, mulled wine and a feast. This might not be the case were the holiday not to fall on 25 December and, al...

Saturnalia: Bonus Episode!

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode from the History Hit archive, Dan talks to Kevin Butcher about the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Held between the 17 and 23 December, ...

Hannibal: Crossing the Alps

20 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 218 BCE, Hannibal Barca's Carthaginian army, accompanied by horses and elephants, completed one of the most audacious military marches of ancient M...

Thucydides: Thoughts on the Athenian Empire

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From 478 BCE until 404 BCE, a collection of Greek city-states were united under the leadership of Athens. Beyond inscriptions and a few minor sources,...

The Garamantes: Farming the Sahara

13 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Greco-Roman historians including Herodotus, Tacitus and Pliny the Elder would have us believe that the Garamantes were simple uncivilized cattle herde...

Scotland's Enigmatic Ancient Structures

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brochs. Early archaeologists believed that they must have been built by the Danish, that the indigenous population could never have managed it. More r...

Old Testament Warriors

06 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s probably the most famous book in the world, and it’s also essentially the only literary source which covers the genesis of warfare and the na...

Spartacus: Life or Legend?

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

‘I’m Spartacus!’ In the field of epic film making, the 1960 historical drama ‘Spartacus’, is legendary. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, adapted...

Dura-Europos: The Syrian Pompeii

29 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When we think of Pompeii, we remember the city which became frozen in time after a natural catastrophe. Well, in 1920, exactly 100 years ago, another ...

Pompeii and the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pompeii is back in the news. An extraordinary new, touching discovery, found during the Great Pompeii Project of Professor Massimo Osanna and his team...

Linothorax: Kevlar of the Ancients

22 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The House of the Faun in Pompeii is known for being one of the largest and most impressive private residences in the ancient city. Among its many work...

Volcanic Vineyards of Pompeii

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An ancient town, buried and preserved beneath volcanic ash, Pompeii is a gift to archaeologists and historians seeking to find out more about the live...

Terror in the Teutoburg Forest

15 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Its been used for nationalist propaganda across the ages and its just been dramatised for Netflix, but what do we actually know about the Battle of Te...

Agrippa and Augustus: The Golden Age

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Romans, an ancient conquering civilisation with an empire that spread from Europe across the Balkans to the Middle East and North Africa. For this...

The Other Alexander

08 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alexander, an Ancient Greek king and a victorious conqueror. No, not that one, not Alexander the Great. This time, we’re talking about his uncle, Al...

Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alexander the Great. One of the most recognisable names in history. In his short lifetime he conquered the mighty Persian Empire and marched his army ...

Catullus: Rome's Most Erotic Poet

01 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you're looking for a raunchy Roman poet, look no further than Catullus. Born into one of the most exciting periods in Roman history, in the early 1...

Ancient Ethiopia: The Kingdom of Aksum

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At its height the Kingdom of Aksum was considered one of the four great powers of the Ancient World. Situated primarily in what is now northern Ethiop...

The Origins of Ancient Vietnam

25 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It is one of the most extraordinary ancient archaeological sites in Southeast Asia, albeit one that is relatively unheard of outside of Vietnam. Cổ ...

The Battle of Philippi: Death of the Roman Republic

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In October 42 BC the Roman Republic committed suicide. Near the town of Philippi in northern Greece the forces of Brutus and Cassius, the famous assas...

Sophocles' Lost Plays

18 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Big Three. In antiquity it could mean a whole host of different things, the triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus for instance. But for many, ...

69 AD: Rise of Vespasian

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

69 AD was a tumultuous year in Roman history. 4 Romans assumed the title of emperor; only one remained standing by the year’s end. His name was Vesp...

Crassus and the Battle of Carrhae: The Defeat of Rome

11 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gareth Sampson, author of Defeat of Rome in the East: Crassus, the Parthians, and the Disastrous Battle of Carrhae, 53 BC came on the podcast to ...

Septimius Severus in Scotland

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Snow talks to Simon Elliott about Septimius Severus, the first Hammer of the Scots, about his Northern Campaigns, and the true story of this savag...

Nero the Antichrist?

04 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Emperor Nero is one of antiquity's most infamous figures, having a particularly hostile relationship with the Christians. But did the early Christ...

Agrippa: Rome's Forgotten Hero

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There are few men in Roman history that can claim to have been as influential as Marcus Agrippa. The right-hand man of Octavian / Augustus, his career...

The Polynesians: Ancient Mariners of the Pacific

27 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The ancient Polynesians remain the greatest seafarers in history. Already by the time of the legendary founding of Rome on 21 April 753 BC, Polynesian...

The Battle of Salamis

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We've had the Battle of Thermopylae with the brilliant Paul Cartledge; we've had the Battle of Artemisium with the great Owen Rees. And I'm delighted ...

The Rise of Constantine

20 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Emperor Constantine I, better known as Constantine the Great, is one of the most significant emperors in Roman history. His later Christian biogra...

Jason and the Golden Fleece

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode from the History Hit archive features the brilliant Tom Holland telling the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, an epic story of hono...

Alexander the Great: Through Persian Eyes

13 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Conqueror. Destroyer. Convert. Legendary king. It's fair to say that Alexander the Great's relationship with ancient Persia was complicated. Despite c...

The Roman Forum

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Another one from the History Hit archive! The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum (Italian: Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (...