July 7, 2007. In a dramatic ceremony featuring pop stars, fireworks, and smoke canons, the Colosseum is named one of the seven new wonders of the world. It’s an appropriately over-the-top blowout for an arena which, centuries before, was home to its own lavish events. How did spectacles once unfold on the floor of this ancient arena? And how did the Romans u ... Show More
Oct 30
Salem’s First Witch Trial
Happy Halloween! Today, we're bringing back a particularly spooky episode from the archives...June 10, 1692. Bridget Bishop is loaded into a two-wheeled cart and brought from her Salem jail cell to a pasture on a hill, where a rope is hanging from freshly-installed gallows. A cro ... Show More
28m 48s
Oct 26
1066: The Brother Who Broke England (w/ Greg Jenner)
October 28, 1065. The king’s council meets in Oxford and throws a man out of England. His name is Tostig Godwinson, and the north of England already hates him. His own brother Harold, the most powerful earl in the realm and the likely next king, refuses to save him.Tostig does no ... Show More
29m 22s
Sep 2023
369. The Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death
“Are you not entertained?!”
The emblem of Rome, the Colosseum was the unsettling but glamorous home of Roman violence, used for gladiatorial bouts, naval reenactments, and by the emperors to re-stage popular myths. Built by the Flavian dynasty in the first century AD, it is both ... Show More
53m 53s
Apr 2025
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Like most rulers of old, Mausolus wasn't exactly known for his modesty. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max continue their exploration of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World with the story of a tomb so opulent that humans ended up making a brand-new word to describe it: the ... Show More
38m 32s
Aug 2008
How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Work
<p>On July 7, 2007, the new seven wonders of the world were chosen by more than 100 million voters. But whatever happened to the original seven? Take a look at our HowStuffWorks article, 'How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Work,' to learn more.</p><p> </p> Learn more abou ... Show More
9m 23s
Oct 2025
Gladiators: A Day in the Life
The Colosseum packed with roaring crowds, the sand stained with sweat and blood. But today, you’re not watching - you’re fighting. Welcome to a day in the life of a Roman gladiator.In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by historian and author Dr Harry Sidebott ... Show More
59m 56s