logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
40m 16s

Re-Release: A History of Women & Poison

Kate J. Armstrong, Carly A. Quinn
About this episode

Season 3, Episode 10. This is one of my earliest Halloween-inspired bonus episodes, finessed and remastered, to get you warmed up for our Tudor-era Halloween special next week. It will take us from the ancient world into the Tudor and Victorian eras and beyond, exploring that age-old link between women and poison. It's a perfect companion to the spooky season! And it'll teach us some bizarre and fascinating things about the Tudor monarchs' paranoia about poison.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. To explore the treasure trove of bonus materials, including more episodes about women and poison, check out The Exploress Patreon.



Up next
Oct 2021
Women and Witch Hunts in Scotland and England
<p>Season 3, Episode 11. Between 1450 and 1750, some 100,000 Europeans were tried for witchcraft, and some of the most intense periods of witchy panic took place in Scotland and England. Most, but not all, of these so-called witches were women. During this special Halloween episo ... Show More
47m 35s
Dec 2021
A Brief History of Sequins
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Season 3, Episode 12. This month, I'm pulling three bonus episodes from the Patreon vault to share with everyone. Happy holidays! I LOVE me some sequins. It's hard to feel anything but celebratory when you're sparkling like a mirror ball. The sh ... Show More
13m 53s
Dec 2021
The Magnificent Lady Fu Hao
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Season 3, Episode 13. For years, China's ancient Shang Dynasty was almost a myth, but its stories were lying in wait in the Yellow River plain, where it had been hiding for centuries. And at the heart of it all, an almost lost queen. Let's meet ... Show More
13m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
Alexander the Great Finds His Destiny
November 14, 332 BCE. Alexander the Great has conquered an unprecedented amount of territory in a relatively short amount of time. At just 24 years old, he's in control of Macedonia, much of Greece, and now, a huge part of Egypt. But Alexander doesn't want to just conquer each of ... Show More
32m 16s
Dec 2024
521. Warlords of the West: Killer Queens (Part 2)
Following the death of the legendary Frankish King Clovis, his son Clothar I divided the mighty realm his father had hacked out from the warring warlords of Europe between his four sons. But peace was not to reign…the most ambitious of his brood - Chilperic - seized Paris, his br ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2024
Pyrrhus: Warlord of Ancient Greece
<p>It’s 279 BC. On a large plain in Southern Italy near the town of Asculum, a famous Greek warlord likened to Alexander the Great faces down the legions of the Roman Republic. His name was Pyrrhus of Epirus. And the victory that he won at Asculum would come to define his legacy. ... Show More
1h 7m
Oct 16
Alexander the Great, with Mary Beard
No one was like him, terrible were his crimes… Where was Alexander the Great born, and who were his parents? What drove him to go beyond the Aegean empire he had already carved out for himself, and conquer lands beyond the limits of the Greek world? Why did Alexander eventually t ... Show More
10m 52s
Feb 2025
The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon
<p>490 BC. On the plains of Marathon, Athens faced down a mighty army of the Persian Empire - the superpower of the time It was an underdog clash that would echo throughout history. But how did it all begin?</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes kicks ... Show More
58m 21s
Sep 2024
Women Leaders, part 3: Boudica (Literally) Burned London Down (Rerelease)
It's a rerelease of a classic Vulgar History episode, now with better editing! Boudica was Queen of the Iceni, a Celtic tribe during the Roman conquest of Britain. She led a rebellion of united tribes against their Roman invaders, leaving a path of death and bloodshed in her wake ... Show More
58m 22s
Sep 2024
Irene of Athens, Byzantine Empress
Queens of the World Series: Irene of Athens ruled as regent for her son, Easter Roman Emperor, Constantine VI. But when he rose up against her and threatened her religious conviction, she had his eyes gouged out. Thus she became the first Roman Empress to rule in her own right. B ... Show More
23m 21s
Sep 2024
Love, Betrayal, and the Battle for Rome (Replay)
HISTORY This Week returns with new episodes starting September 16th! In the meantime, listen to a favorite classic from the archives. September 2, 31 BCE. Two camps prepare for battle off the coast of Greece. On one side is Octavian, Julius Caesar’s heir apparent. On the other, ... Show More
40m 48s
Apr 2025
Alexander the Great
Though he ruled for just 13 years, Alexander the Great is as famed for his hedonistic lifestyle as his military genius. But how did he become one of the best known military leaders in history? What inspired such loyalty among his troops? And what drove this young man in his endle ... Show More
47m 59s