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-Jones from Cardiff University to talk about the rise of the Persians and how they fit into this turbu...
Sep 04, 2022•45 min•Ep. 241
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 Jane Draycott from University of Glasgow to talk about the brilliant uses of prosthetics in ancient soc...
Sep 01, 2022•41 min•Ep. 240
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 Vranich to help shine a light on this spectacular site. With 20 tonne stones carried from miles away, acr...
Aug 28, 2022•46 min•Ep. 239
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 Moche, and what can we still learn? For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter...
Aug 25, 2022•54 min•Ep. 238
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 colossal statues - what can we learn from the archaeology, and why were the Olmec so influential? Fo...
Aug 21, 2022•42 min•Ep. 237
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 with these sources, and what can it tell us about Jerusalem that these fascinating sources are unab...
Aug 18, 2022•42 min•Ep. 236
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 it was built on, and a quick detour to the Temple of the Feathered Serpent - there is no doubt Teotih...
Aug 14, 2022•51 min•Ep. 235
"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 the most revered women in antiquity. In this episode, Tristan is joined by classicist and author Dr Ga...
Aug 11, 2022•44 min•Ep. 234
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 originated from, and why our modern conceptions of the Maya calendar are incorrect. A civilisation kn...
Aug 07, 2022•42 min•Ep. 233
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 truly Hannibal's greatest victory. Using tactics that are still studied and used in modern military ac...
Aug 04, 2022•32 min•Ep. 232
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 important? With horses bathing in vinegar, famed military strategies, and animals being sacrificed - wh...
Jul 31, 2022•32 min
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 this episode Tristan takes a special behind the scenes look at one of Roman Britain's greatest mysterie...
Jul 28, 2022•29 min
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 miniseries on Hannibal's wars with Rome - Tristan is joined by Dr Louis Rawlings from Cardiff Unive...
Jul 24, 2022•39 min
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 discoveries indicate a far more complicated picture of Rome's beginnings - but where does its mystic pas...
Jul 21, 2022•45 min
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 Tigris and Euphrates rivers? In this episode, Tristan is joined by Dr Paul Collins from the Ashmolean ...
Jul 17, 2022•52 min
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 hearts of two of Rome’s most powerful men, and successfully restored a golden age for her kingdom - she ...
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr
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 episode, Tristan and Kathryn cover the second and third wars, and look at the impact these fabled e...
Jul 10, 2022•35 min
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 from Durham University to find out more about these conflicts and the effect they had on the rise o...
Jul 07, 2022•28 min
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 this art reveal about them? In this episode Tristan is joined by Dr Joana Valdez-Tullett to discover mo...
Jul 03, 2022•51 min
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 so militaristic after all. In this episode, Tristan is joined by Dr Helen Roche from Durham Univers...
Jun 30, 2022•42 min
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 Professor David Meltzer, an archeologist from Southern Methodist University, to explore the nature of hu...
Jun 26, 2022•1 hr 4 min
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 million years ago. For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd ...
Jun 23, 2022•55 min
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 depictions that change across the millenia; from a scandalous view of his backside, to an unfaithful wife, ...
Jun 19, 2022•51 min
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 we learn from these mythical creatures and do we really want to be part of their world? For more An...
Jun 16, 2022•51 min
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 anniversary of Alexander’s death, Tristan brings to life the imperial implosion that was the immediate...
Jun 12, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Clothing has been essential for human evolution. From protection against changing climate, through to the driving force behind technological innovation in the production of fabrics and agriculture. In this episode, Tristan with the help of Ian Gilligan, delves deep into our prehistory to uncover why and how our human ancestors may have begun to cover up, and how climate change, from the Pleistocene to the last ice age, may have also influenced this. Ian Gilligan is a prehistorian at the Universi...
Jun 09, 2022•39 min•Ep. 211
In 1919, excavators working near Edinburgh in Scotland unearthed the largest hoard of Roman hacksilver ever found. The trove, containing mostly silver vessels but also some personal items and coins, was probably buried in the early 5th century AD - just as the legions were finally pulling out of Britannia. The treasures - found at the ancient hillfort site of Traprain Law - shine a fascinating light on the connections between the Iron Age peoples of what is now Scotland and the rest of the Roman...
Jun 05, 2022•43 min•Ep. 210
Boudica has become a hero of British folklore. An ancient queen, her leadership of the Iceni in an uprising against the forces of the Roman Empire in around 60 AD is echoed around school classrooms. But what evidence do we have for her actions, appearance and eventual defeat? And how was she portrayed by the Romans in comparison to her contemporaries. On this Platinum Jubilee, we have put all of our Boudica content into one episode. Listen as Tristan speaks with Caitlin Gillespie, the author of ...
Jun 02, 2022•54 min•Ep. 209
Saint Patrick is a household name, celebrated around the globe every March. But what do we know about another of Ireland’s patron saints, Brigid? In this episode, find out about Patrick’s pupil and successor, her miracles and the ways in which her sainthood differs from that of her male counterparts. Lisa Bitel is Dean's Professor of Religion and Professor of Religion and History at the University of Southern California. She previously came onto the podcast to talk about Saint Patrick. You can f...
May 29, 2022•30 min•Ep. 208
Greece and Rome, they are the heavyweights of ancient history. But what happened when they came face to face with one another? Tristan is once again joined by Simon Elliott to talk about some of the great clashes that occurred between the Greeks and the Romans. From Cynoscephalae, to Magnesia, to Pydna - how did the forces match up and how did they evolve in armour, weapons and strategy to better compete against each other. For more from Simon, you can find his book here . For more Ancients cont...
May 26, 2022•53 min•Ep. 207
