logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2020
27m 35s

Livy

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Join Natalie Haynes and guests for half an hour of comedy and the Classics from the BBC Radio Theatre in London.

Natalie is a recovering comedian who is a little bit obsessive about Ancient Greece and Rome. Each week she takes a different figure from the Ancient World and tells their story through a mix of stand-up comedy and conversation.

Today she stands up in the name of Roman historian Livy, who gave us Hannibal crossing the Alps and the inspiration for Shakespeare's Coriolanus. Meticulously researched facts or a damn fine story? History or myth? Mostly the latter, but priceless nonetheless.

Elephants, early science and a lot of essential information from a thousand years ago.

With special guests comedian - and history buff - Al Murray and classicist Professor Llewelyn Morgan. Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.

Up next
Aug 19
Catullus
The brilliant Roman love poet is the poster boy for teen angst. He feels everything intensely, from the stealing of his favourite napkin to the death of his lover Lesbia's pet sparrow. And then he dies young. Of course the Romantics loved him, as do his biographer Dr Daisy Dunn a ... Show More
27m 52s
Aug 12
Hera
The Queen of the Olympian gods is swallowed whole by her father at birth and then marries her brother Zeus, who turns himself into a cuckoo to seduce her. Hera, or Juno to the Romans, has her triumphs. She adds the eyes to the tail feathers of her sacred bird the peacock by pluck ... Show More
27m 56s
Aug 5
The Women Poets of Ancient Greece
Natalie is joined by Edith Hall and Nikita Gill to tell the stories of the Nine Earthly Muses, the most admired Greek women poets. They are Sappho, Myrtis, Corinna, Moero, Anyte, Nossis, Erinna, Praxilla and Telesilla. The idea was that these "divine voices" had been nurtured by ... Show More
28 m
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
Fairy Tales
Greg Jenner and his guests uncover the gruesome truths behind some of our most-loved fairy tales that have kept children and adults enchanted for centuries. In comedy corner, we have the wickedly funny “evil queen of comedy” Sally Phillips, who we all know as a comedian, sketch-w ... Show More
51m 36s
Jan 2022
Colette
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the outstanding French writers of the twentieth century. The novels of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873 - 1954) always had women at their centre, from youth to mid-life to old age, and they were phenomenally popular, at first for their freshn ... Show More
51m 27s
Jan 2022
Colette
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the outstanding French writers of the twentieth century. The novels of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873 - 1954) always had women at their centre, from youth to mid-life to old age, and they were phenomenally popular, at first for their freshn ... Show More
51m 27s
Dec 2023
Kristen Lundberg | Comedy And "Violince" | Musical Comedy
Kristen is a Los Angeles based Second City standup, actress and violiness from Dayton Ohio. She completed both the Second City writing and improv conservatory programs in Chicago and was selected as Best Musical Comedian in the Laugh After Dark comedy fest in Vegas. Appeared on O ... Show More
8m 47s
Apr 2024
ZIWE
This week, Kevin is joined by Comedian, Writer and Model, Ziwe! She shares her unique path to creating her own seat at the table. A truly fun conversation that touches on everything from Ziwe's inspirations to Nigerian slang. Like Gold Minds? SiriusXM subscribers get it a day ear ... Show More
1 h
May 2022
Messalina
Messy Messalina has not gone down in history with the tidiest reputation. In fact, we may even say her reputation is kind of messy. Empress Messalina was the wife of Roman Emperor Claudius, who ruled from AD 41 to 54. She is infamous for her promiscuity and extravagance. But, was ... Show More
1h 12m
Sep 2021
Nell Gwyn
One of the original comedic rags to riches stories, Nell Gwyn. We're travelling back to 17th century England to delve into a celebrity of the Restoration era, one of the first actresses in comedy and a mistress to King Charles II all rolled into one! Nell Gwyn's life is as eventf ... Show More
51m 46s
Mar 2017
Cleopatra
It's the second episode of Queens Podcast, y'all! And today we're pairing a classic glass of red wine with the one and only Cleopatra! Cleopatra is one of the most iconic figures in history. She was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, ruling around 51 to 30 B.C.E. During her reign ... Show More
58m 16s
Jan 2021
Agrippina the Younger
Greg Jenner is joined by returning guests, historian Dr Emma Southon and comedian Cariad Lloyd as they travel back to 1st-century Rome to meet Agrippina the Younger. Empress, overbearing mother of the Emperor Nero and murderer, but how much of what has been written about this ext ... Show More
54m 39s