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The Ancients

History Hit

A podcast for all ancient history fans! The Ancients is dedicated to discussing our distant past. Featuring interviews with historians and archaeologists, each episode covers a specific theme from antiquity. From Neolithic Britain to the Fall of Rome. Hosted by Tristan Hughes. 


New episodes every Sunday and Thursday.


From History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  

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  • 645 episodes
  • Updated Sunday

Episodes645

Newest first
  • May 12, 2022 · 41 min

    The Birth of Physiology

    The treatment of mental health has been rapidly growing and improving over the past few decades, but it actually goes back thousands of years. Whether it was the Ancient Greek physician Galen’s humoral theory - in which people’s mental health was determined by imbalances in the levels of four different substances in the body - or Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ meditations for guidance and self-improvement, ideas of mental health and its treatment have ranged from the intriguing to the totally bizarre, but many of them still have uses to this day. Tristan is joined once again by Dr Nick Summerton practicing doctor and author of ‘Greco-Roman Medicine and What it Can Teach Us Today’, published by Pen & Sword. The OSPP Four Temperaments Test For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • May 8, 2022 · 32 min

    Pandora

    The truth about one of the most misunderstood mythological figures.

  • May 5, 2022 · 25 min

    The World of Stonehenge

    Described as the "most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years", an elaborately decorated 5000 year-old chalk cylinder, discovered buried with 3 child skeletons in Yorkshire and as old as the first phase of Stonehenge, is going on display at the British Museum for the first time ever. To find out what the drum is, how it was found and what it tells us about Britain at the time Stonehenge was constructed, Tristan got special access to the World of Stonehenge exhibition. He spoke to Project Archaeologist Alice Beasley and Project Curator Dr Jennifer Wexler, who make up part of the team responsible for the drum's discovery, investigation and display. Find the full programme here: https://access.historyhit.com/ancient-and-classical/videos/the-world-of-stonehenge-revealed Why This 'Chalk Drum' Is The Prehistoric Find Of The Century YouTube video. For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Apr 24, 2022 · 1 hr 13 min

    Saint George

    The 23rd of April marks St Georges day - but who are we actually celebrating? Is there any truth behind the myth of the man who slain the dragon and rescued the princess - and where does the Patron Saint of England actually come from?

  • Apr 21, 2022 · 36 min

    Food in the Greco-Roman World

    When we think of the modern Mediterranean, delicious and vibrant food is one of the first things that come to mind. But how much has the regional food changed over the last two millennia?

  • Apr 17, 2022 · 39 min

    Mary Magdalene

    Who was Mary Magdalene? Jesus' confidant, a devout follower, or a sex worker?

  • Apr 14, 2022 · 42 min

    Weapons of the Terracotta Army

    When someone says the Terracotta Army, you’d be forgiven for instantly thinking of rows upon rows of life size warriors, arranged in three pits as part of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s huge mausoleum complex.

  • Apr 10, 2022 · 44 min

    The Rise of Marius: Third Founder of Rome

    Gaius Marius (157 BC – 86 BC) was one of the first warlords of the late Roman Republic, a general and statesman who held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his life. In this episode Tristan is joined by Dr Federico Santangelo, Professor of Ancient History at the University of Newcastle, to find out more about the man whose career changed the course of Rome's future. Federico's book Marius is available here. For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Apr 7, 2022 · 43 min

    Before Rome: The Truth About Late Iron Age Britain

    Roman connections with Britain stretch back to (at least) the mid 1st century BC. But what has archaeology revealed about the Late Iron Age British societies they interacted with? Do we have any concrete evidence for the druids? Was human sacrifice a thing? Sit back and enjoy in this very special Ancients episode, as experts provide a detailed run down of life and death in Late Iron Age Britain. The episode covers several topics: urbanisation, ritual and religion, trade, slavery and warfare. Featuring Durham University's Professor Tom Moore, alongside Colchester and Ipswich Museums' Dr Frank Hargrave and Dr Carolina Lima. The Lexden Tumulus History Hit YouTube video For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Apr 3, 2022 · 41 min

    The Symposium: How To Party Like An Ancient Greek

    In Ancient Greece, the symposium was no ordinary after-dinner drinking party, but one in which the Hellenic men of society got together to wine, recline and philosophise. They took various forms depending on the whim of the leader of the symposium - the symposiarch - but were exclusively male affairs (aside from the occasional courtesan or two). In this episode Tristan is joined by Michael Scott, Professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick, to find out more about the soirée of booze, babes and slaves that was the Ancient Greek symposium. We mention a few different vessel types. Here are some visuals of the different vessels we mention: The kylix / kylikes The krater The oinochoe The psykter The plate You might also like: How to Party Like a Roman Warning: a couple of cases of mild language. For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 31, 2022 · 54 min

    Dogs in Ancient Greece

    Man's best friend has been at our side for thousands of years. Ancient Greece was no exception, and although some of the types of dog that were popular back then might seem unfamiliar to us today, tales of their loyalty, dependability and downright cuteness certainly are not. From dog names, to their function in Greek religion, to their usefulness–including their possible deployment on the battlefield–what do we know about dogs in Ancient Greece? In this episode Tristan is joined by Dr Owen Rees of Manchester Metropolitan University to find out just that. For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 27, 2022 · 55 min

    The Legacy of Julius Caesar's Assassination

    The legacies of the Ides of March stretch from that very afternoon on March 14th 44BC to the modern day. From Roman times to the Medieval period, from Dante to Shakespeare, and from Brutus to the other infamous assassin he inspired in John Wilkes Booth, the echoes of Julius Caesar's assassination have continued to reverberate through time over the last two thousand years. In this episode, the last of our special four-part miniseries on the Ides of March, Tristan sits down with Professor Maria Wyke of University College London to find out more about the political, social and cultural legacies of the fateful day that led to the birth of the Roman Empire and so much more. For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 24, 2022 · 45 min

    The Rise of the Dinosaurs

    Dinosaurs! Spectacular resilient beings who were able to adapt and survive the most terrifying of events. Evolving from a group of mostly humble-sized creatures, into the most enormous beasts that ever existed on land. But how did the first true dinosaurs emerge? In this episode, Tristan is joined by Professor Stephen L. Brusatte. Stephen is a Palaeontologist and evolutionary biologist who specialises in the anatomy and evolution of dinosaurs. He takes us through not just the evolution of dinosaurs, but the development of the new world and ecosystems that allowed them to thrive. What can we learn from the magnificent creatures who ruled the earth before us? Stephen L. Brusatte is the author of 'The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World', published by Picador. For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 20, 2022 · 49 min

    Young Caesar vs Marc Antony

    What happened after the Ides of March? How did the Romans go from co-ordinated assassinations to the Pax Romana?

  • Mar 17, 2022 · 38 min

    Saint Patrick

    What do we really know about the man celebrated on St Paddy's Day?

  • Mar 10, 2022 · 44 min

    Helen of Troy

    Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships - but is there more to her than a beautiful face?