The Ancients

Ancient Syria: The Forgotten Superpower of the Bronze Age

35K views · 5d ago · 1:05:48

Guests: Ancient Syria, Dr Amanda Podany

Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Hittites usually dominate the story of the Bronze Age. But Syria was home to some of the region's most powerful cities and kingdoms and helped forge the ancient Mediterranean world. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Amanda Podany to uncover this lost cradle of cities, from the wealthy trading hub of Ebla to the royal intrigues of Mari and the rise of the mysterious Mitanni.

Topics: Why Bronze Age Syria Was the Heart of the Ancient World · Languages, Peoples and Life in Bronze Age Syria · Ebla, Mari and the Rise of the First Syrian Kingdoms · Trade, Wealth and the Power of Ancient Ebla · Ancient Damascus, Aleppo and the Earliest Diplomacy · The World's Oldest Known Peace Treaty

Investigating The Disappearance Of A Roman Legion

65K views · 1w ago · 1:08:59

It is one of history’s most compelling cold cases. What happened to the Ninth Legion, a crack unit of 5,000 Roman soldiers who vanished from the historical record without a trace? Tristan Hughes is joined by Roman historian Dr Simon Elliott to investigate the fate of the legion that helped conquer Britain. Was the Ninth wiped out in a bloody defeat on Rome’s northern frontier, or did it meet its end thousands of miles away in the East?

Topics: Welcoming Dr Simon Elliott to the new studio · The enduring mystery of Rome's Ninth Legion · The Ninth Legion in popular culture and cinema · Historical source material and epigraphy · Standard bearer Refinus and the tombstone at York · Origins of Legio IX Hispana: From Sulla to Augustus

Caratacus: The King Who Fiercely Resisted The Romans

42K views · 2w ago · 1:05:44

Guest: Dr. Miles Russell

Before Boudicca, another British leader brought the Roman war machine to a grinding halt. Meet Caratacus; the cunning King of the Britons who spent seven years outmaneuvering the empire. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Miles Russell to uncover the forgotten story of this charismatic guerrilla fighter. From leading fierce resistance in Wales to his betrayal, capture, and a life-saving speech in Rome, Caratacus was Britain’s ultimate escape artist.

Topics: Introducing Dr Miles Russell · Pronouncing and spelling Caratacus · What does Caratacus mean? · King of the Britons and archaeological evidence · Evaluating the ancient Roman sources · Caratacus's family background and ancestry

When Colossal Penguins Topped The Prehistoric Food Chain

21K views · 3w ago · 40:07

When the asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, one remarkable avian survivor traded the skies for the sea. Tristan Hughes and paleontologist Dr. Steve Brusatte explore how prehistoric penguins emerged on ancient Zealandia, lost their flight and grew into colossal apex predators. How did these giant ocean rulers eventually shrank to conquer the frozen continent of Antarctica?

The Gospels: Are They Historical?

62K views · 1mo ago · 59:33

Guest: Professor Helen Bond

How much can we really know about the historical Jesus? The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have shaped Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, but they were written decades after the events they describe. So how should we treat them as historical sources?

Topics: Are the Gospels historical? · What is a Gospel? · Evidence for the historical Jesus · Introducing the four canonical Gospels · Who were the Gospel authors? · Which Gospel was written first?

Human Sacrifice Rituals in Ancient Britain

32K views · 1mo ago · 1:00:17

When we picture human sacrifice in ancient Britain, the iconic, flaming Wicker Man often comes to mind. But how much of this is Roman propaganda, and what does the actual archaeology reveal? Tristan Hughes is joined by archaeologist Dr. Miles Russell to separate popular myth from gruesome reality. From perfectly preserved bog bodies in the north to mysterious grain pit burials down south, who were these victims and why did they die?

Topics: Roman sources on Celtic human sacrifice · The myth and origin of the wicker man · Human sacrifice vs Roman public execution · Finding archaeological evidence of sacrifice · Bog bodies of ancient Britain and Scandinavia · Why watery spaces and bogs were sacred

Epic Sea Battles: The First Punic War

66K views · 1mo ago · 1:00:34

Guest: Epic Sea Battles

How did the Romans ambush a massive Carthaginian fleet from behind a Sicilian island to win one of history's fiercest sea battles? For over 20 years, Rome and Carthage fought a brutal war for supremacy over Sicily. Tristan Hughes is joined by Carthage expert Dr. Eve MacDonald to explore the epic First Punic War; a conflict defined by titanic naval clashes, lethal boarding bridges, war elephants...sacred chickens!

Topics: The scale of the First Punic War · Carthage’s territory and presence in Sicily · The rise of Rome in central Italy · The Pyrrhic War · The Mamertines and the dispute over Messina · Rome invades Sicily

Shocking New DNA Study: How Humans Really Evolved From Africa

193K views · 1mo ago · 58:08

Professor Chris Stringer is on the Ancients podcast to talk about recent discoveries, DNA, and migration patterns of early humans. The story of human origins is often imagined as a simple journey from Africa, but is the truth actually much messier? Tristan Hughes and leading palaeoanthropologist Prof.

Topics: China and the 'Out of Africa' theory · History of the recent African origin theory · Timeline of human migration from Africa · Defining modern and archaic humans · Basil and derived human species · Testing Neanderthal evolution theories

Robert Harris on Roman Rivalry: Augustus VS Agrippa

82K views · 2mo ago · 56:52

Augustus was Rome's first Emperor. But who made his empire possible? Behind the throne stood Marcus Agrippa, the brilliant general whose victories secured the Roman world yet whose name was consciously erased from the record by his erstwhile great friend.

Topics: Robert Harris on why Marcus Agrippa drew his interest · Erased from history by Augustus · The contrast between Augustus and Agrippa · Portraying the story as a historical novel · What we know about Agrippa's early background · Joining Julius Caesar's inner circle

Prehistoric Predators: The Bizarre Biology of Terror Birds

72K views · 2mo ago · 44:43

Guest: Prehistoric Predators

What kind of predator needs no teeth to terrify its prey? The terror birds were enormous flightless hunters that ruled South America for millions of years, standing metres tall and built for a life of pursuit and slaughter.

Topics: The host and Dr Steve Brusatte · What were terror birds? · The origin of terror birds · South America as an island continent · The asteroid impact and dinosaur extinction · The mass extinction survivors

How Slavery Built the Roman Empire

27K views · 2mo ago · 1:06:25

Guest: Dr Emma Southon

Was the Roman Empire really made by conquest? Or was it powered by something much darker? For centuries, millions of enslaved people sacrificed their lives and their labour on the altar of Roman progress, an integral cog in the grinding imperial machine. And so today on The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Emma Southon, author of Servus: How Slavery Made The Roman World to bring their overlooked stories back into the limelight.

Topics: Was the Roman Empire built on slavery? · The diversity of the enslaved experience · Mythical origins of slavery in Rome · Manumission and the freedmen class · Humanising the language of ancient slavery · Republican expansion and the shift to a slave economy

Shapur: The Persian King That Captured A Roman Emperor

46K views · 2mo ago · 58:16

Guest: Eve MacDonald

Few rulers humbled Rome quite like Shapur I. A King of Kings, he rebuilt the Sasanian Persian Empire, defeated Roman armies and captured Emperor Valerian in one of antiquity's most remarkable military triumphs. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Eve MacDonald to explore the rise of Shapur the Great. Why did he find so much success against the ancient Roman behemoth? How did he help forge a new Persian superpower on the Empire’s eastern frontier?

The Catiline Conspiracy: Overthrowing The Roman Republic

20K views · 2mo ago · 1:04:21

Guest: Professor Catharine Edwards

In 63 BC, Rome faced a conspiracy that threatened to tear the Roman Republic apart. At its centre stood two figures: Marcus Tullius Cicero, the grand old orator of Rome and Lucius Sergius Catilina, accused of plotting violence, rebellion and the overthrow of Rome’s political order. But was the danger as great as Cicero claimed?

Topics: Cicero's legacy and the Catiline conspiracy · The survival of Cicero's letters and writings · Cicero's rise through the Roman cursus honorum · Who was Catiline? · The consulship election of 64 BC · Tensions rise in 63 BC

Hollywood's Odyssey: The Historians' Verdict

177K views · 3mo ago · 1:07:31

Guest: Hollywood's Odyssey

Christopher Nolan’s new Odyssey brings Homer’s epic roaring back to life and Tristan Hughes and Dr. Emily Hauser are here to unpack every storm, monster and star-making turn. From the brilliance of the adaptation to the ancient story beneath it, Tristan and Emily bring their expert historical knowledge to challenge what Nolan keeps, what he changes, and why Odysseus still captivates us after 2,500 years.

Topics: Going to the 'The Odyssey' premiere · Comparing Nolan’s narrative structure to Homer’s Odyssey · Depicting the Greek gods and Zendaya as Athena · Analysing the Cyclops scene and Matt Damon’s Odysseus · Encountering the Laestrygonians · Mutiny and magic with Samantha Morton as Circe

Slaughter of The Suitors: Odyssey Explained Part 2

38K views · 3mo ago · 1:06:14

When Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, his homecoming turns into a ruthless reckoning. Tristan Hughes and Dr Emily Hauser dive into the shocking climax of Homer’s Odyssey, where hospitality, vengeance and survival collide in a blood-soaked finale.

Topics: The problem of the suitors · What has Tiresias just revealed to Odysseus? · Choosing between Scylla and Charybdis · The song of the sirens · The cattle of Helios · Stranded on Calypso’s island

Why Odysseus Is The Worst Hero

112K views · 3mo ago · 1:03:02

What if the world’s most famous homecoming was really a nightmare of monsters, gods, and one very stubborn king trying to get back to Ithaca? In our new series Tristan Hughes and classicist Dr. Emily Hauser dive into Homer’s Odyssey, an epic of shipwrecks, sorcery, giants and divine meddling, where Odysseus is never quite sure whether the next shore will save him or destroy him.

Topics: What is the Odyssey? · Who was Homer? · The Bronze Age origins of the text · Why were hero stories so popular in ancient Greece? · What did a hero mean to the ancient Greeks? · The geopolitical landscape of the Odyssey

Eric Cline On The Bronze Age Myth Of The Trojan War

173K views · 3mo ago · 1:09:02

Guest: Eric Cline

The story of Achilles, Odysseus and the siege of Troy has captivated audiences for millennia, but behind the legends lies a deeper mystery. Was this epic war a myth, a memory of a real Bronze Age conflict, or something in between?

Topics: The Trojan War myth and story · The Homeric question and compilation timeline · Beyond the Iliad: The epic complete picture · The late Bronze Age world · Troy as a strategic trading hub · Heinrich Schliemann and amateur luck

Delphi: Centre of the Ancient World

26K views · 4mo ago · 55:20

Guest: Michael Scott

For more than a thousand years, Delphi was considered the centre of the ancient world. Every year a throng of pilgrims climbed the slopes of Mount Parnassus to seek the words of Apollo through the famous Oracle of Delphi.

Topics: Who was the Oracle of Delphi? · Professor Michael Scott's connection to Delphi · What exactly was the ancient oracle? · Live show announcement: The Ancients on tour · The spectacular mountain location of Delphi · Mythological origins: Why is Delphi the centre of the world?

The Barbarians: How Rome Lost Control

46K views · 4mo ago · 1:13:18

Guest: Professor Peter Heather

How did the Huns, Goths, and Vandals help bring down the Roman Empire - and sack the city of Rome itself, not once but twice? Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Peter Heather to explore the dramatic wave of invasions that shook Rome in the late 4th and early 5th centuries.

Topics: The Roman Empire Was Thriving · What Did Romans Mean By "Barbarians"? · The Goths, Franks, Saxons & Other Frontier Peoples · The Arrival of the Huns · Why Barbarian Groups Moved Towards Rome · Why Valens Let the Goths Into the Empire

Biology's Big Bang: The Cambrian Explosion

26K views · 4mo ago · 1:03:59

Guest: Biology's Big Bang

538 million years ago, life on Earth changed forever. In an evolutionary burst known as the Cambrian Explosion, complex animals rapidly appeared in the oceans, laying the foundations for almost every major animal group alive today.

Topics: Introducing Henry Gee: Palaeontologist and evolutionary biologist · Darwin's dilemma: The mysterious gap in the Victorian fossil record · Skeletons and armour: What can actually become a fossil · Dating the detonation: Pinpointing the start of the Cambrian period · The Ancients live tour announcement · Setting the scale: How much further back is the Cambrian than dinosaurs

How Great Was 'Darius The Great' REALLY?

50K views · 4mo ago · 55:14

One of the most famous and recognisable Persian kings of antiquity, Darius the Great was an Achaemenid superstar, ruling the Achaemenid Persian Empire some 2,500 years ago. His tale is preserved in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus; Darius’ story stretches from India to Ukraine and the Great Steppe.

Topics: Who was Darius the Great? · The Behistun Inscription as historical PR · Key sources for the life of Darius · Background and the gang of seven · Legitimising the throne through marriage and myth · Quelling rebellions across the Persian Empire

This Is Spartacus!

41K views · 5mo ago · 1:15:36

Guest: Ben Kane

In 73 BC, a gladiator escaped slavery and launched a rebellion that shook the Roman Republic to its core. His name was Spartacus, and his uprising became one of the greatest threats Rome had ever faced from within. Tristan Hughes is joined by Ben Kane to explore the dramatic story of Spartacus and his slave revolt that swept across Italy.

Topics: Sourcing the history of Spartacus · The origins of Spartacus · The political context of the Roman Republic · Enslavement and the gladiator schools · Slavery within the Roman Republic · Gladiators as Roman entertainment

What Archeology Tells Us About Iron Age Britain

59K views · 5mo ago · 58:30

Guest: Professor Tom Moore

What if Iron Age Britain was never a land of barbarians at all, but a world of skilled farmers, powerful women, trade, ritual, and spectacle? Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Tom Moore to reveal a far richer pre-Roman Britain, from roundhouses and hillforts to chariots, feasts, and buried offerings. Archaeology uncovers a society shaped by movement, identity, violence, and belief, where the Iron Age still echoes into Roman Britain and beyond.

Topics: What is the Melsonby Hoard? · Defining the British Iron Age period · Dismantling the myth of Barbarians · How modern archaeology transforms our understanding · The evolution of iron technology and the Celts myth · Farming life and symbolic roundhouses

Earliest Humans: We Were Not Alone

80K views · 5mo ago · 43:34

Guests: Earliest Humans, Ella Al-Shamahi

For most of human history, we were not alone. Human evolution was shaped by multiple human species living side by side, from Neanderthals in Europe to Denisovans in Asia, before all but one disappeared. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Ella Al-Shamahi to explore the story of the early humans who once shared our world. How did these different species evolve? Did they compete or coexist?

Topics: Why being the only human species is unusual · The golden age of paleoanthropology · Discovery of the Hobbit species on Flores · Specialists vs the new kid on the block · Debunking the linear march of progress · The difficulty of defining a species

Eric Cline on The REAL Armageddon

101K views · 5mo ago · 58:58

Armageddon is more than just a biblical prophecy hailing the end of days. It is a real place: Megiddo, an ancient city that for thousands of years stood at the crossroads of empires, trade routes and wars in the ancient Near East.

Topics: The true origins of the name Armageddon · Archaeology and excavations at Megiddo · Biblical Armageddon and the book of Revelation · Why Megiddo became the site of the end times · Geography and the strategic importance of the Jezrael Valley · The battle of Thutmose III: history's first recorded battle

Shocking DNA Study Reveals The Plague Is Prehistoric

259K views · 6mo ago · 50:41

Guest: Laura Spinney

In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Laura Spinney to explore the origins of prehistoric plague. How did this disease emerge in the Neolithic world? Where did it come from? And could it have triggered a Stone Age collapse which signalled the dawn of the Bronze Age in Europe? Discover how this deadly pathogen reshaped entire Stone Age societies, long before the advent of written history.

People of Pompeii: Life and Death Under The Volcano

20K views · 6mo ago · 1:06:16

Guest: Dr. Jessica Venner

In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Jessica Venner to uncover the final moments before and during the eruption. From the famous garum trade to the chaos of ash and fire, discover how ordinary Pompeians experienced one of history’s most devastating disasters, and what their stories reveal about life and death in the Roman world.

Topics: The Fertile Region of Campania · Fish Sauce, Cherries, and Cabbages · Population Debates and Urban Gardens · Eruption Date Controversy · 7 Real People: The Lost Voices of Pompeii · The Fish Sauce Magnate of the Ancient World

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Greece's Themistocles

27K views · 6mo ago · 53:21

Guest: Michael Scott

A legend of the great Greek city of Athens, Themistocles rose from obscurity to save ancient Greece and helped shape one of the greatest naval powers in history. Yet his story ends in exile, condemned as a traitor and serving the very empire he once defeated: Persia.

Topics: The Rises and Falls of a Life Lived · Building the Athenian Navy: The Silver Mines · The Battle of Salamis and Naval Strategy · Sources: Herodotus, Plutarch, and Archaeology · Growing Up in a Revolution: The Birth of Democracy · Climbing the Greasy Pole: From Water Commissioner to Archon

Are Neanderthals Better Than Us Homo Sapiens?

71K views · 6mo ago · 59:09

Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi joins Tristan Hughes to explore the relationship between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens. What interactions between early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals may have been like, from communication and cultural exchange to interbreeding and the possibility of hybrid children navigating belonging.

Topics: 40,000 years ago: The Last Human Standing · Introducing Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi · The "New York Subway" Test: Would you recognise one? · Debunking the "Knuckle-Dragger" Stereotype · Shifting Timelines: How old are Neanderthals? · Physiology: The Neanderthal Build vs. Homo Sapiens

The Real Story of Judas Iscariot

22K views · 6mo ago · 1:04:58

Guest: Professor Paul Middleton

Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence, including suicide What really happened to Judas Iscariot? From shifting accounts in the Gospels to the 30 pieces of silver, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Paul Middleton to trace the stories that made Judas Christianity’s most infamous villain.