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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast The residents of Britain during the Iron Age are often collectively called 'Celts'. However, both before and during the Roman occupation, this term is a huge generalisation. In this episode we explore the real characteristics and variations of the lifestyle and communities of present day Wales in the 1st millennium BC. The people of Southern Britain were written about in part by both Ptolemy, who gives us the geographical location of different groups, and Tacitus who gives a slightly more colour...
May 22, 2022•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Iliad and the Odyssey are two of the world’s most famous poems. But who was their author, Homer, and how have his name and poems survived so long, preserved for almost 3 millennia? In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan is joined once again by author, classicist, and cultural critic, Daisy Dunn. Daisy helps us dissect the complex works, legacy and influence of Homer. From the Trojan War to Ionic and Aeolic Greeks, we find out more about the inspiration and impact that Homer holds. For more...
May 19, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do we know about the earliest hominins to exist? With a story spanning one million years and counting, we're discovering more about how we came to be every day. In this episode of The Ancients, we're on location in the Natural History Museum in London as Tristan covers a huge topic; the history of human evolution! Today's guest, Professor Chris Stringer, joins us as we delve into the origins of modern humans. As a leading expert in the creation of our species, Chris takes us through his res...
May 15, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast The treatment of mental health has been rapidly growing and improving over the past few decades, but it actually goes back thousands of years. Whether it was the Ancient Greek physician Galen’s humoral theory - in which people’s mental health was determined by imbalances in the levels of four different substances in the body - or Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ meditations for guidance and self-improvement, ideas of mental health and its treatment have ranged from the intriguing to the totally bi...
May 12, 2022•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast According to Greek myth, Pandora was the first human woman - moulded from the earth by Hephaestus on the instruction of Zeus himself. We've all heard of Pandora's box, but in actual fact it was no such thing. Instead it was a jar containing all the evils of humanity, but even these contents of the jar are up for debate! So what is real story behind this often misunderstood, misinterpreted and maligned figure? In this episode Tristan is joined by esteemed author, broadcaster, classicist and comed...
May 08, 2022•33 min•Ep 202•Transcript available on Metacast Described as the "most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years", an elaborately decorated 5000 year-old chalk cylinder, discovered buried with 3 child skeletons in Yorkshire and as old as the first phase of Stonehenge, is going on display at the British Museum for the first time ever. To find out what the drum is, how it was found and what it tells us about Britain at the time Stonehenge was constructed, Tristan got special access to the World of Stoneheng...
May 05, 2022•25 min•Ep 201•Transcript available on Metacast The rise of Christianity in the first few centuries AD is one of the most significant stories in world history. But it’s also an incredibly turbulent one. It’s a story filled with (in)famous episodes of conflict with the Roman state. It’s a story of co-existence, but also one of intolerance and of violence. From martyrdom to monasticism; from Celsus to Hypatia; from the Emperor Constantine hedging his divine bets to early Christians burning down one of the greatest architectural wonders of the a...
May 01, 2022•59 min•Ep 200•Transcript available on Metacast Poetry, parables, and produce - how did someone live a healthy life in the ancient Greco-Roman world? Tristan is joined by author Mark Usher to talk about what we can learn from our ancient ancestors. Discussing the impact farming has on both physical and mental well-being, the role it played in music and song, and philosophical musings about the land - Tristan and Mark discuss how can we live a sustainable, and ancient inspired, way of life? Copies of Mark's book How To Be A Farmer: An An...
Apr 28, 2022•36 min•Ep 199•Transcript available on Metacast The 23rd of April marks Saint George's Day - but who are we actually celebrating? Is there any truth behind the myth of the man who slew the dragon and rescued the princess - and where does the Patron Saint of England actually come from? Spoiler alert - it's not where you think. In this episode Tristan travelled to the Lancashire Archives to talk to Dr Sam Riches, from Lancaster University, about all things Saint George. Religious origins, centuries old cults, and farm animals going on a day out...
Apr 24, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep 198•Transcript available on Metacast When we think of the modern Mediterranean, delicious and vibrant food is one of the first things that come to mind. But how much has the regional food changed over the last two millennia? In this episode Tristan is joined by host of 'The Delicious Legacy' Thomas Ntinas to discuss just how much the food has changed and helps by providing Tristan with some mouth-watering home made recreations of just what they would have eaten. The importance of fresh produce, who would've eaten an ext...
Apr 21, 2022•36 min•Ep 197•Transcript available on Metacast Who was Mary Magdalene? Jesus' confidant, a devout follower, or a sex worker? In this Easter special, Tristan is joined by Professors Helen Bond and Joan Taylor, authors of 'Women Remembered' to explore Mary Magdalene and her role in the bible. Through looking at both ancient and contemporary source material, depictions in art across the centuries, and exploring religious themes they hope to offer a new narrative on the vital roles women played in the Bible. Their book 'Women Remembered' is out ...
Apr 17, 2022•39 min•Ep 195•Transcript available on Metacast When someone says the Terracotta Army, you’d be forgiven for instantly thinking of rows upon rows of life size warriors, arranged in three pits as part of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s huge mausoleum complex. But what’s arguably an even more fascinating aspect of these Warriors are the wide range of bronze weapons that they are buried with. From swords to spears to hooks to crossbow triggers, hundreds of these weapons survive in extraordinary condition. What can we learn from these weapons about t...
Apr 14, 2022•43 min•Ep 195•Transcript available on Metacast Gaius Marius (157 BC – 86 BC) was one of the first warlords of the late Roman Republic, a general and statesman who held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his life. In this episode Tristan is joined by Dr Federico Santangelo, Professor of Ancient History at the University of Newcastle, to find out more about the man whose career changed the course of Rome's future. Federico's book Marius is available here . For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newslett...
Apr 10, 2022•45 min•Ep 193•Transcript available on Metacast Roman connections with Britain stretch back to (at least) the mid 1st century BC. But what has archaeology revealed about the Late Iron Age British societies they interacted with? Do we have any concrete evidence for the druids? Was human sacrifice a thing? Sit back and enjoy in this very special Ancients episode, as experts provide a detailed run down of life and death in Late Iron Age Britain. The episode covers several topics: urbanisation, ritual and religion, trade, slavery and warfare. Fea...
Apr 07, 2022•43 min•Ep 192•Transcript available on Metacast In Ancient Greece, the symposium was no ordinary after-dinner drinking party, but one in which the Hellenic men of society got together to wine, recline and philosophise. They took various forms depending on the whim of the leader of the symposium - the symposiarch - but were exclusively male affairs (aside from the occasional courtesan or two). In this episode Tristan is joined by Michael Scott, Professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick, to find out more about the s...
Apr 03, 2022•42 min•Ep 191•Transcript available on Metacast Man's best friend has been at our side for thousands of years. Ancient Greece was no exception, and although some of the types of dog that were popular back then might seem unfamiliar to us today, tales of their loyalty, dependability and downright cuteness certainly are not. From dog names, to their function in Greek religion, to their usefulness–including their possible deployment on the battlefield–what do we know about dogs in Ancient Greece? In this episode Tristan is joined by Dr Owen Rees...
Mar 31, 2022•54 min•Ep 190•Transcript available on Metacast The legacies of the Ides of March stretch from that very afternoon on March 14th 44BC to the modern day. From Roman times to the Medieval period, from Dante to Shakespeare, and from Brutus to the other infamous assassin he inspired in John Wilkes Booth, the echoes of Julius Caesar's assassination have continued to reverberate through time over the last two thousand years. In this episode, the last of our special four-part miniseries on the Ides of March, Tristan sits down with Professor Maria Wy...
Mar 27, 2022•55 min•Ep 189•Transcript available on Metacast Dinosaurs! Spectacular resilient beings who were able to adapt and survive the most terrifying of events. Evolving from a group of mostly humble-sized creatures, into the most enormous beasts that ever existed on land. But how did the first true dinosaurs emerge? In this episode, Tristan is joined by Professor Stephen L. Brusatte. Stephen is a Palaeontologist and evolutionary biologist who specialises in the anatomy and evolution of dinosaurs. He takes us through not just the evolution of dinosa...
Mar 24, 2022•45 min•Ep 188•Transcript available on Metacast What happened after the Ides of March? How did the Romans go from co-ordinated assassinations to the Pax Romana? From Tyranny to prosperity? In this third episode of our Ides of March series, Tristan is joined by Dr Hannah Cornwell to discuss the turbulent relations that erupted between Marc Antony and Octavian (Young Caesar), following Julius Caesar's assassination. Secluded meetings, arranged marriages, reconciliations, dissensions, and a love affair for the ages - what really happened between...
Mar 20, 2022•50 min•Ep 187•Transcript available on Metacast 
