The Ancients

The Achaemenid Empire, or better known as the First Persian Empire, was one of the largest empires in History - led by Cyrus the Great it covered 2.1 million square miles. But where did it come from? And what do we know about their society? It was in their DNA to travel and explore - so why did the Persians settle on the Eurasian plateau? Tristan is once again joined by Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-J...

Prosthetics - an artificial feature or body part commonly used to either help restore functions of lost limbs, or change a person's appearance. Today, advancements in technology mean prosthetics can sense touch and be controlled by the mind - a far cry from their origins in antiquity as ivory embellished arms or hair extensions made out of plant fibres. In this episode, Tristan is joined by Dr Jan...

One of the largest archaeological sites in South America, located near Lake Titicaca in Western Bolivia - Tiwanaku is a brilliantly mysterious place. Believed to have been founded around 200BC, Tiwanaku is filled with monumental structures, mighty monoliths and incredible ceramics - but who built it? And why? In the final episode of our Ancient Americas series, Tristan is joined by Dr Alexei Vrani...

Known for their iconic ceramics and notable artwork - the Moche people flourished in ancient northern Peru. But who were the people behind the clay? In this special bonus episode of our Ancient Americas series, Tristan is joined by Doctor Jeffrey Quilter from Harvard University to tell us more about this incredible society. Temples, tombs and treasure - what do we know from these sources about the...

One of the the earliest Mesoamerican civilisations discovered so far - Olmec influences are visible throughout history. But who were they? And what do we actually know about them? In the third episode of our 'Ancient Americas' series, Tristan is joined by Professor Jillian Mollenhauer to help shed some light on this mysterious civilisation. Taking a look at their culture, legacy, and their iconic...

One of the oldest cities in history, and revered by religions across the world - what do we know about the origins of Jerusalem? In this episode, Tristan is joined, once again, by Professor Jodi Magness to talk us through the origins of this important city. Looking at evidence from Egyptian New Kingdom texts, the Hebrew Bible and other surviving literary accounts - where does the archaeology align...

A jewel of Mesoamerica, Teotihuacan was a vibrant, painted city - but who built it? And who actually lived there? In the second episode of our August series 'The Ancient Americas', Tristan is joined by professor Annabeth Headrick to help shine a light on one of ancient history's most marvellous mysteries. Taking us on a journey through the city, examining the monumental structures, the mythology i...

"If Croesus goes to war he will destroy a great empire."  That was the prophecy the Oracle of Delphi delivered to the Lydian King - she just left out that fact it was his own empire that would be destroyed. Known as the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi was the High Priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Responsible for delivering divine prophecy to those that visited her - she was one of th...

One of the most famous, and sophisticated, cultures of Mesoamerica, why are the Maya known only for predicting the end of the world? In the first episode of our new mini series 'The Ancient Americas', Tristan is joined by Professor Matthew Restall from Penn State University to help debunk the idea of a Maya Apocalypse. Together, Tristan and Matthew take a look at where this idea of an apocalypse o...

One of the most studied military victories in history, and arguably one of the worst Roman defeats - what went wrong for the Romans at Cannae? In our final episode in the Hannibal mini-series, Dr Louis Rawlings explains just what happened at Cannae in 216BCE, and why that battle is still so important today. With 50,000 Romans dead, 20,000 captured, and only 10,000 managing to escape - Cannae is tr...

One of the greatest military commanders in history - it's no wonder Hannibal and Rome so frequently fought. In the second episode of our Hannibal mini-series, Tristan is once again joined by Dr Louis Rawlings from Cardiff University to examine Hannibal's movements and clashes post-Trasimene. Looking at the Roman reaction to their second defeat and what happened next, why are these 10 months so imp...

In May 2020, four unique Roman artefacts were unearthed near Ampleforth, North Yorkshire by two amateur metal detectorists. A bronze bust that is thought to depict Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, a beautifully crafted horse, and a one of a kind figurine of the Roman god Mars, to name a few. But who buried these beautiful artefacts - and what can they tell us about life in Roman Britain? In thi...

Towards the beginning of the Second Punic War on 21 June 217 BC, a Carthaginian force under Hannibal launched a vicious ambush on a Roman army commanded by Gaius Flaminius. The resulting battle, at Lake Trasimene in Italy, saw a complete capitulation of the Roman forces - with thousands of legionaries meeting their end at the bottom of the blood-sopped waters. In this episode - part of our special...

Known as the Eternal City, ancient Rome was one of the greatest civilisations in human history, but how did it come about? With a turbulent history of Kings, civil wars and imperial desires - Rome has an incredible history. But who founded it? Were Romulus and Remus real brothers fighting for their kingdoms, or did a Trojan hero found one of the mightiest Italian states? Recent archaeological disc...

Despite being one of the first civilisations in human history, Sumer is not as well-known as other Bronze Age societies such as Babylonia and, of course, Ancient Egypt. Recent research indicates that the first ever writing system emerged in the Sumerian heartland of southern Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. So who were these Near Eastern pioneers forming some of the first urban settlements along the Ti...

Famed across the ages and around the world - everyone knows the name Cleopatra. But how did she become one of the most infamous women in history? Born in 69BCE, a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Hellenistic Egypt, Cleopatra VII lived a tumultuous life. Within   two turbulent decades of taking the throne of Egypt, Cleopatra had emerged the victor of a brutal civil war. She won the hear...

In the final part of our Samnite Wars episodes, Tristan is once again joined by Dr Kathryn Lomas from Durham University to find out more about these conflicts and the effect they had on the rise of Rome as an ancient superpower. With three wars between the Roman Republic and the Samnite armies, beginning in 343 BC and ending with a Roman victory in 290 BC - what happened in those 53 years? In this...

In this first episode of a two-parter on the Samnite Wars, we focus in on one of Rome’s greatest rivals in early Italy. Based in modern day Campania, who were the Samnites? With three wars between the Roman Republic and the Samnite armies, beginning in 343 BC and the ending with a Roman victory in 290 BC, what happened in those explosive 53 years? In part one, Tristan is joined by Dr Kathryn Lomas...

Dozens of incredible examples of prehistoric rock art have been found across western Europe in recent decades - but what do they mean? Artworks can be discovered all along the Atlantic seaboard, from Spain to Scotland, where one stunning example was uncovered just last year. Ancient peoples left traces of their prehistoric cultures across the length and breadth of the landscape - but what does thi...

Ancient Sparta was co-opted by the Nazis as a supposed model civilisation for the Third Reich’s twisted racial and martial ideologies. German children were taught that the Spartans had originally been an ‘Aryan’ tribe, and that they should aspire to Laconian ideals such as endurance, discipline and military self-sacrifice. Yet modern evidence suggests the Ancient Greek city-state may not have been...

Modern humans thrived in the Americas for thousands of years before the first European colonists arrived, but how and when did they get there? What's more, did their arrival spell disaster for indigenous megafauna such as giant ground sloths and wooly mammoths, or was there another culprit behind the mass extinctions across North, Central & South America? In this episode, Tristan is joined by Prof...

They survived extinction level events and record high global temperatures - how did mammals adapt and thrive in a dramatically changing world? In today's episode, Tristan welcomes back Professor Steve Brusatte to uncover the origins of mammals. Going back to a time before the dinosaurs, from lizard-like creatures to wooly mammoths, Steve helps us understand how so much is known about life 300 mill...

Often pictured with a flowing white beard, looking down from Heaven - why is God always seen as an old man? In today's episode, Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou, whose latest book ' God: an Anatomy'  has been shortlisted for the Wolfson prize, is here to debunk those images. Using archaeological material and resources, she answers the question - did God always have a body? With depicti...

The central Mediterranean is home to a bounty of creatures - fish, dolphins, and... mermaids? In today's episode Dr Amelia Brown returns to the podcast to talk marine mammals and Merpeople. From iconic characters such as Thetis, mother to one of the most famous heroes in the ancient world (anyone heard of a man called Achilles?) to the role Nereids played throughout Greek Mythology - just what can...

Alexander the Great’s untimely death at Babylon in 323 BC triggered an unprecedented crisis across his continent-spanning empire. Within a couple of days, the very chamber in which he died witnessed a gore-soaked showdown between his previously united commanders and soldiers. Within a fortnight, Babylon saw the first siege of the post-Alexander age. In this special explainer episode to mark the an...