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

Mar 3, 2022 · 1 hr 5 min
The Origins of Ukraine
It's not often we cover current affairs on The Ancients (the clue is in the name), but in light of Putin’s claims that Ukraine was “entirely created by Russia”, we wanted to highlight Ukraine’s extraordinary ancient history. From the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age. To provide an overview of the country’s ancient history, Grand Valley State University’s Dr Alexey Nikitin joins us on the podcast and explains why he believes that the origins of Ukraine can be traced back to the Bronze Age. 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.
Feb 27, 2022 · 32 min
Sappho: The Poet from Lesbos
Famous throughout antiquity, yet retold only in fragments today - who is Sappho? Her poetry inspired generations, from Catullus to Byron, so how come we know so little about her life? This week Tristan is joined by Professor Margaret Reynolds from Queen Mary University in London to piece together what we know about Sappho. What can we learn from her fragmented history and how do her depictions in art further our understanding of who she was? 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.
Feb 24, 2022 · 49 min
The Terracotta Army
Discovered by local farmers in 1974, the Terracotta Army is one of the most astounding archaeological finds on record. A piece of funerary art, dedicated to the First Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang, it contains over 8,000 figures of soldiers, chariots, and horses. This week Tristan is joined by Dr Xiuzhen Li, Honorary Senior Research Fellow at UCL, to discuss its origins, its possible Hellenistic influences, and what else we can learn from this incredible ancient wonder. If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit https://access.historyhit.com/?utm_source=audio&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Podcast+Campaign&utm_id=Podcast To download, go to Android or Apple store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.historyhit&hl=en_GB&gl=US https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/history-hit/id1303668247 If you’re enjoying this podcast and looking for more fascinating Ancients content then subscribe to our Ancients newsletter. Follow the link here: https://www.historyhit.com/sign-up-to-history-hit/?utm_source=timelinenewsletter&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Timeline+Podcast+Campaign Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 20, 2022 · 44 min
Eureka! Innovation in Ancient Greece
It's often thought that the ancient Greeks were devout in tradition, strict in their ways and beliefs. But how true is this? When it comes to creative thinking and innovation, the ancient Greeks excelled! In this episode, Tristan is joined by prof...
Feb 17, 2022 · 1 hr
The First Australians
Indigenous Australians have lived on the vast continent of Australia for thousands of years - but how have they survived isolation, extreme conditions, and caring for the land which serves them? This week Tristan is joined by Dave Johnston, Director of...
Feb 13, 2022 · 31 min
The Truth About Saint Valentine
St. Valentine of Rome, patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy, among many other things. But who exactly is the real St Valentine, and how has the story been kept alive? In this episode, Tristan is joined by historian and licensed tour guide Agnes Craw...
Feb 10, 2022 · 41 min
The Largest Roman Palace North of the Alps
Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex was first constructed just three decades after the empire’s legions conquered Britain in the first century AD. Rediscovered in 1960, Fishbourne is the largest known Roman residence north of the Alps, and much of i...
Feb 6, 2022 · 1 hr
The Origins of London
London is today one of the greatest cities in the world, and the story of its origins is fittingly spectacular. Founded by the Romans as Londinium in around 47-50 AD, the metropolis served as a major commercial hub and indeed military target until its ...
Feb 3, 2022 · 1 hr 2 min
The Phoenician World
Imagine you are a traveller sailing to the major cities around the Mediterranean in 750 BC. You would notice a remarkable similarity in the dress, alphabet, consumer goods, and gods from Gibraltar to Tyre. This was not the Greek world—it was the Phoeni...
Jan 30, 2022 · 1 hr
Alexander's Successors at War: The Spartan Adventurer
It’s here! Today is the publication date of Tristan’s first book, Alexander’s Successors at War: The Perdiccas Years. Focussing in on 323 – 320 BC, the book tells the story of the tumultuous events that seized Alexander the Great’s empire imme...
Jan 27, 2022 · 44 min
The Scholars of Assyria
Tens of thousands of clay tablets containing texts written in the ancient Cuneiform script of the Assyrian Empire have been discovered, giving us invaluable insights into the inner workings of the Mesopotamian kingdom on the eve of its collapse in the ...
Jan 23, 2022 · 39 min
Alexander the Great & The Persian Thermopylae (Part Two)
In this second part of Tristan’s explainer, he takes us right into the heart of the battle dubbed the Persian Thermopylae. Listen as Alexander begins a full-blooded assault on the Persian Gates, and find out how this battle for the Persian heartlands e...
Jan 20, 2022 · 38 min
Alexander the Great & The Persian Thermopylae (Part One)
In January 330 BC, Alexander the Great faced one of his most difficult challenges to date. A small Persian force, entrenched in a formidable defensive position that blockaded Alexander’s route to the Persian heartlands. A narrow pass through the Zagros...
Jan 16, 2022 · 50 min
The Birth of the Roman Empire
16 January 27 BC is a date sometimes associated with the beginning of the Roman Empire. It was on that day that Octavian received the name Augustus, effectively becoming the first emperor of Rome. Augustus ordered the gates of Janus to be closed, marki...
Jan 13, 2022 · 1 hr 3 min
The Seleucid Empire: In the Shadow of Rome
At its height, the Seleucid Empire stretched from Thrace (modern day Bulgaria) to the Indus River Valley. Emerging from the tumultuous ‘Successor Wars’ that followed Alexander the Great’s passing, for over a century it was a superpower of the eastern M...
Jan 9, 2022 · 1 hr 7 min
Spinning in the Roman World
Spinning held an important place in ancient society, and no, we're not talking about ancient exercise classes. A task for women and slaves, it was used to create clothes, ships sails, and ropes, and its products were integral to all parts of socie...
Jan 6, 2022 · 49 min
Cannibalism
It’s a macabre topic to discuss, but also one that has fascinated people for generations. So what has archaeology revealed about cannibalism among prehistoric societies? And if cannibalism does seem to have been practised among certain groups, then why...
Jan 2, 2022 · 45 min
Alexander The Great vs Julius Caesar
They’ve both been described as the greatest military commander in the ancient world, but who really takes the title (if either of them)? Alexander, the undefeated conqueror of one of the largest empires the world had yet seen, or Caesar, a leader who w...
Dec 30, 2021 · 46 min
How Julius Caesar Changed Time
We’re finishing off 2021 with what is perhaps Julius Caesar’s greatest legacy. It’s not a military victory or battle, but one of the many political reforms that truly has stood the test of time: the Julian calendar. Before, calendars were largely based...
Dec 26, 2021 · 1 hr
Race & Identity in the Ancient Greek Novel
For the first 4 centuries AD/CE, the ancient Greek novel was the most popular literary form in the Roman Empire and at the heart of these popular texts is discussion over race and identity. Could a Phoenician living within the Empire also identify as R...