What a Classic!

How did the wisest man ever to rule Rome end up choosing its most disastrous successor? "You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength." Marcus Aurelius wrote those words to himself, in a private diary, in a war tent, during one of the hardest stretches any Roman emperor ever had to survive. In this episode of What a Classic!, we head into the reign of...

How did an emperor desperate to look like a conqueror end up handing his successor an open humiliation to fix? In this episode of What a Classic!, we head to Dacia, following the war that started as one insecure emperor's unfinished business and ended as another's defining triumph. It begins with Domitian: a man with no real military record, staging a hollow triumph over a tribe he barely...

How do you turn one grieving widow's revenge into the closest Rome ever came to losing a province? In this episode of What a Classic!, we head to Roman Britain for the revolt of Boudica - queen of the Iceni, and the woman behind one of the most serious crises the young province of Britannia ever faced. Most of us already have some idea of what Boudica looked like: red hair, chariot, warrior qu...

In this episode of What a Classic!, we pick up the story of the early Roman Empire at its absolute peak, exploring the three emperors who took Rome from its greatest territorial expansion to its most celebrated era of peace: Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius. Following the foundations laid by Augustus, Tiberius, and Claudius, Rome entered a period historians often call the High Empire - a stretc...

How do you avenge the worst defeat in your empire's history - and what does it cost the man sent to do it? In this bonus episode of What a Classic!, we take a detour from our regular chronology to tell one of the most dramatic stories of the early Roman Empire: the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, and the life of the man forever tied to it, Germanicus. In 9 CE, three Roman legions marched into...

How do you turn a collapsing Republic into an empire that lasts for centuries? In this episode of What a Classic! , we continue our journey through Roman history as we explore the early emperors who transformed Augustus’ fragile new system into a lasting imperial power. Following the fall of the Republic, Augustus faced the enormous challenge of rebuilding a Rome exhausted by decades of civil war....

In this episode of The Classical Companion , we continue our journey through Roman history by exploring one of the most significant turning points in the ancient world: the collapse of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. We'll examine how decades of political instability, social inequality and military ambition pushed the Republic to breaking point, paving the way for extraord...

In this episode of The Classical Companion , we explore one of the most remarkable political systems of the ancient world: the Roman Republic. How did a small city on the banks of the Tiber grow into the dominant power of the Mediterranean? What made the Republic so successful for almost five centuries? And why did a system built on checks and balances ultimately collapse? In this episode, we'...

What a Classic! is back! After a short break, I'm delighted to return with an episode exploring one of the greatest stories ever told: Homer's Odyssey . With Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation generating excitement around the world, there has never been a better time to revisit the epic journey of Odysseus and ask why this ancient poem continues to captivate audiences nearly 3,000...

This week on What a Classic! , we are going back to the very beginnings of Ancient Rome. From the fall of Troy and Aeneas’ fateful journey, to the legendary tale of Romulus and Remus, we trace how myth and history intertwine in Rome’s foundation story. How much of this is legend, and how much is rooted in archaeology? Why did the Romans tie their origins so closely to Greece? And what can these my...

Tune in to this listener-requested episode on Classical Symbolism, where we explore key symbols from ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. Grouping symbols together into broad themes, this episode covers:  The Golden Fleece  Poseidon’s Trident  Zeus’ Eagle and Lightning Bolt  The Ankh and the Was Sceptre  Anubis  Imagery of love: Eros and Cupid  Medusa  Nike  The River Styx  Egyptian Funerary Masks  Per...

In this episode, we explore the Athenian legal system, focusing on how justice was administered and the role of citizens in upholding the law. We start by looking at the Scythians as a historical comparison, before examining the courts (dikasteria), the jury (dikastai), and the trial process itself.  Join us as we break down how large juries of ordinary citizens were used to decide verdicts, the s...

In this episode of The Classical Companion , we explore the inner workings of Athenian democracy, focusing on how power was structured and balanced to prevent monopolisation. We start with the Ekklesia (Assembly), the largest democratic body made up of all eligible citizens, before examining the Boule (Council of 500), the Strategoi (Military Generals), the practice of ostracism, and the Archons (...

Book 11 plunges into relentless battle as dawn brings the goddess of Strife to rouse both armies. Agamemnon leads a fierce Greek assault, killing Trojan warriors –  including Priam’s sons – until he is wounded and forced from the fight. Zeus seizes the moment, empowering Hector’s counterattack.  One by one, Greek champions –  Agamemnon, Diomedes, Odysseus, Machaon and Eurypylos – are struck down....

In this episode of The Classical Companion , we explore the road to Athenian democracy.  Join us as we break down Athens’ transition from monarchy to aristocracy, the role of early kings and archons, and the social tensions caused by debt and inequality. Discover how Draco’s harsh laws and Solon’s reforms helped reshape Athenian society, laying the foundations for broader citizen participation and...

In this episode of What a Classic! , we explore Book 10 of Homer’s Iliad. The battlefield sleeps, but the war does not. In this thrilling nighttime episode of the Iliad , Odysseus and Diomedes set out on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. What drives Agamemnon to risk everything in the dark? Why is Odysseus the perfect partner for Diomedes? And what happens when heroism depends more on cunning t...

In this first episode of The Classical Companion , we explore the fascinating world of Ancient Greece.   Join us as we break down the geography, city-states, and historical periods that shaped Greek civilisation, from the Bronze Age Minoans and Mycenaeans through the Dark Age to the Archaic and Classical periods.   Discover how Athens and Sparta emerged as major powers, the origins of democracy, a...

In this episode of What a Classic! , we explore Book 9 of Homer’s Iliad , where the Greek war effort hangs in the balance. With the Trojans pressing hard, Agamemnon sends an important delegation – Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix – to persuade the mighty Achilles to set aside his anger and return to fight. But Achilles, deeply wounded by pride and insult, refuses their pleas, choosing personal honour o...

In this electrifying episode of What a Classic! , we dive into Book 8 of the Iliad , where the gods’ power takes centre stage and the fate of the war hangs in the balance. Zeus, the king of the gods, issues a divine decree that shifts the tide, unleashing the Trojan forces in a fierce advance against the Greeks. With mortal warriors pushed to their limits and the battlefield erupting into chaos, w...

In this episode, we dive into Book 7 of The Iliad , where the tension between the Greeks and Trojans reaches a new height. Following the gods’ influence over the battle, the two armies are set to face off once again, but this time, a challenge is issued that brings a hero from each side to the forefront.  Hector, the Trojan prince, steps forward to challenge any Greek to single combat. This brave...

In this emotionally charged episode of What a Classic! , we journey through Book 6 of Homer’s Iliad , where we witness the personal moments that punctuate the ongoing war. As the battle rages on, we take a deeper look into the heroic but tragic lives of key warriors like Hector, who faces both the heat of combat and the tender bonds of family. In this episode, Hector speaks to his wife Andromache,...

In this action-packed episode of What a Classic! , we dive into Book 5 of Homer’s Iliad , where the gods and mortals collide in a series of explosive battles. Diomedes, one of the greatest Greek warriors, steps into the fray, guided by the divine favour of Athena. With his unmatched courage, he takes on not only the Trojans but even the gods themselves—wounding Aphrodite and Ares in the heat of ba...

In this episode of What a Classic! , we dive into the intense and dramatic events of Book 4 of Homer’s Iliad . Just as a glimmer of peace seemed possible between the Greeks and Trojans, the gods have other plans. A fragile truce is shattered by a single, deadly arrow—one that sets the stage for a brutal renewal of hostilities.  We’ll explore how divine intervention reignites the battle, with Hera’...

In this episode of "What a Classic!", war comes back to the fore once again as we dive into the drama of Book 3 of The Iliad .   After shying from death itself and shrinking back into the ranks when confronted by Menelaus, Paris receives a dressing-down from Hector, accused of being a ' seducer of women'! To salvage his honour, Paris proposes a duel to the death for Helen and her...

In this episode of "What a Classic!", things get even more complicated for the Achaean army in Book Two of the Iliad. Agamemnon, fresh off his quarrel with Achilles, receives a deceptive dream from Zeus promising victory. Fuelled by false hope, Agamemnon decides to test his troops' loyalty by suggesting they abandon the war and sail home.  Chaos erupts as the Achaeans, weary after ni...