James Boulton

The Other Half: The History of Women Through the Ages

Society EN ↓ 174 episodes

Women make up half of the world's population, and yet history books often consign them to the sidelines. They are dismissed as merely the wives of powerful men; babymakers and nothing more. Yet women have been the driving force behind history for millennia, from female Pharoahs, warrior princesses and pirates, to the revolutionaries who sought to topple the male-dominated political systems of their day. From host of the popular 'Queens of England Podcast', The Other Half tells the forgotten and ignored stories of the most powerful and influential women in history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Author

James Boulton

Episodes

5.03 Servilia (1) Lover of Caesar 06.03.2023 35:50

The decline and fall of the Roman Republic is one of history's great epics - with a colourful cast of characters that have become household names. All of them men. All, except one. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5.02 Aspasia of Miletus: Notorious woman of Athens 19.02.2023 38:24

The teacher of Socrates and the lover of Pericles - Aspasia of Miletus came to Athens with nothing, but left quite a legacy. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5.01 Rulers' Mistresses: History's Other Women 12.02.2023 14:38

In the fifth season of the Other Half Podcast, we are looking at Rulers' Mistresses: a cross-cultural story of extra-marital love and lust, bringing ten women, who so often existed in the shadows, into the light. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.26 Pascalina Lehnert (2) The powerful virgin 30.10.2022 34:10

Pascalina helps propel Pius XII to the papacy, becoming his right-hand woman and the most powerful woman in Vatican history. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.25 Pascalina Lehnert (1) Dealing with devils 16.10.2022 33:29

Pascalina would come a long way from her family farm in Bavaria, becoming the right-hand woman to a man who would become Pope just as Europe slipped towards war. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.24 Christina of Sweden (4) The uninvited pest 02.10.2022 40:05

Scandal was never far from Christina but she is about to get embroiled in her most serious one to date. Pontifacts: Women and Female Power in the Vatican with The Other Half Podcast Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SUPPLEMENTAL: Elizabeth to Elizabeth, British Royal Funerals since 1603 18.09.2022 32:37

On Monday 19 September, Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest in Windsor after a state funeral at Westminster Abbey. Royal funerals have gone back hundreds of years, with the first one in the Anglican tradition occurring in 1603. What did those funerals look like, and how will they compare to the one we will watch tomorrow? Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on...

4.23 Christina of Sweden (3) Queen of the Flying Squadron 11.09.2022 28:31

Christina arrives in Rome and makes her mark on a very different court from the one in her homeland. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.22 Christina of Sweden (2) The road to Rome 28.08.2022 22:47

One of the greatest conscious uncouplings in European royal history as Queen Christina does two unthinkable acts: give up both her throne and her faith. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.21 Christina of Sweden (1) Athena of the North 14.08.2022 38:38

Christina, Queen of Sweden, is arguably the most fascinating female monarch in Early Modern history. One of learning and science, independence and free thinking. She is Scandinavia’s Elizabeth I in many ways, but their legacy is very different. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.20 Olimpia Maidalchini (2) Innocent's dominatrix 24.07.2022 40:52

Corruption, family drama, betrayal. The pontificate of Innocent X would certainly not be a dull one with Olimpia Maidalchini at the helm. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.19 Olimpia Maidalchini (1) Electing a female pope 10.07.2022 34:30

Olimpia was very different to her Renaissance forebears, but whose partnership with her brother-in-law would see her become the true power behind the throne of St Peter. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.18 Felice della Rovere (2) The Temporal Mother of Bracciano 26.06.2022 40:39

You might expect Felice della Rovere’s place in history to more or less end with the death of her father - but in fact, she was just getting started. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.17 Felice della Rovere (1) Aboard the matrimonial carousel 29.05.2022 39:56

Fortune played very little role in Felice's impact on history - few women achieved more in the Italian Renaissance than she. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.16 Lucrezia Borgia (3) A pearl in this world 16.05.2022 38:20

Lucrezia emerges from her self-imposed isolation, starts a family and meets the next great love of her life - and I don’t mean her husband. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.15 Lucrezia Borgia (2) Chestnuts and mares 01.05.2022 38:35

Lucrezia is pulled out of mourning to get married for the third, and final, time - but not before getting embroiled in scandal. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.14 Lucrezia Borgia (1) The loose end 17.04.2022 43:13

History has many great femme fatales - but the very byword for femme fatale, the archetype for centuries, is Lucrezia Borgia. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.13 Caterina Sforza (3) A daughter of iniquity 27.03.2022 48:36

Caterina takes on her most powerful yet - the Borgias Support the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.12 Caterina Sforza (2) The Tigress of Forli 13.03.2022 39:33

With her husband indisposed after an illness and treasury empty, Caterina would need to work hard to prove herself once more as the regent of Imola and Forli. Support the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.11 Caterina Sforza (1) Veni, vidi, da Vinci 27.02.2022 39:24

Caterina Sforza was married young to a scheming relative of the Pope. She would find quickly that to survive, she would need to take matters into her own hands. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.10 Catherine of Siena (2) Setting the world on fire 13.02.2022 36:48

Catherine's fame and influence grow, leading her to the papal court itself in Avignon and the heat of the ruptures that would lead to the Great Schism. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.09 Catherine of Siena (1) Speaking truth to power 30.01.2022 40:47

Introducing the writer, church doctor and eventual saint, Catherine of Siena. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CHAT: Hallie Rubenold on the victims of Jack the Ripper 02.01.2022 37:47

I speak to historian and author Hallie Rubenhold about the victims of Jack the Ripper, why they have been forgotten and the importance of social history. Buy The Five The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper Listen to Bad Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.08 Joanna of Naples (4) The new Jezebal 19.12.2021 41:37

Now nearly 40, Joanna had given up hope of producing a natural heir, meaning that now she had to solve a bit of a conundrum - who should succeed her as ruler of Naples? Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.07 Joanna of Naples (3) Return of the Queen 05.12.2021 40:41

Joanna sits in triumph back in her capital city, but her kingdom still faced three terrible foes: invaders, plague and internal foes. Support the show on Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.