logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
27m 40s

15 minutes of fame: Kleisthenes, father ...

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
It’s the HistoryExtra podcast’s 15th birthday, and to celebrate, we’ve asked 15 historians to nominate a figure from history they think deserves their ‘15 minutes of fame’. In this episode, Professor Michael Scott nominates Kleisthenes. He tells Kev Lochun about how this sixth-century BC aristocrat came to be regarded as the father of Athenian democracy. ... Show More
Up next
Jun 16
Strangers and aliens in Tudor England
Many histories of the 16th century tell stories of monarchs and courtiers – but there is, of course, much more to the century than that. Speaking to Charlotte Vosper, Nandini Das charts the ways in which migration and movement shaped the Tudor and Stuart periods, and traces the l ... Show More
43m 21s
Jun 15
Alexander the Great: life of the week
Stretching from Greece to India, Alexander the Great’s empire was one of the largest in human history, and he’d conquered it all by the time he was 30 years old. So how did this young king of a small Greek kingdom defeat the mighty Persian empire and become a godlike figure in th ... Show More
54m 7s
Jun 14
What myths do we tell about royal women?
Have royal women's stories been misconstrued? Speaking to Charlotte Vosper, Kate Williams argues that many of them have been, tracing the lives of a whole host of queens – from Hatshepsut to Queen Victoria – to explore how and why these women have so often been viewed through a p ... Show More
50m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
Athens: Birthplace of Democracy?
<p>When we think of democracy in the ancient Greek world, our minds often go straight to Athens, the purported birthplace of democracy. But was Athens <em>truly</em> the home of democracy? And if so, who's responsible for giving a voice to the people?</p><br><p>In this episode, T ... Show More
1h 5m
May 2024
Why Are We Drawn to Dictators?
<p>Is liberal democracy facing an existential crisis? A 2023 poll conducted by the Open Society Barometer found that faith in democracy among young people is waning. But what does this mean? Why might young people become more 'strongman-curious'?</p><br><p>To get to the bottom of ... Show More
49m 14s
Nov 2023
Pop Quiz | King Arthur
<p>Welcome to a new segment in 15-Minute History called, Pop Quiz! Every other Thursday, Joe asks a topical question about history, and Jon has to answer it without any help or resources - other than his legendary memory and knowledge of history. These episodes are unedited and a ... Show More
6m 54s
Mar 2024
Découvrez notre nouveau podcast Secrets d'Histoire !
<p>Stéphane Bern vous invite chaque semaine à la rencontre d’un grand personnage de l’Histoire, en retraçant les grands moments de son existence. Monarques, artistes, courtisanes et seigneurs de la guerre, tous ces personnages jalonnent la grande et la petite histoire au travers ... Show More
37s
Mar 2022
The Legacy of Julius Caesar's Assassination
<p>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 Ca ... Show More
55m 26s
Sep 2023
Roman Emperors with Mary Beard
<p>What did it take to become a Roman emperor? Pliny the Elder wrote that a ruler should be generous, victorious in battle and a father to his people. But how many emperors were able to live up to these expectations? And were these really traits that the typical Roman cared about ... Show More
33m 38s
Dec 2023
Pop Quiz | Communism vs. Fascism
<p>Welcome to the Pop Quiz! Every other Thursday, Joe asks a topical question about history, and Jon has to answer it without any help or resources - other than his legendary memory and knowledge of history. These episodes are unedited and a fun way for the team to interact more ... Show More
11m 15s
Dec 2021
How Julius Caesar Changed Time
<p>We’re finishing off 2021 with what is perhaps Julius Caesar’s greatest legacy. It’s not a military victory or battle, but one of the many political reforms that truly has stood the test of time: the Julian calendar. Before, calendars were largely based on the lunar calendar, a ... Show More
46m 4s
May 2024
Pop Quiz | Ancient Ideas
<p>Welcome to the Pop Quiz! Every other Thursday, Joe asks a topical question about history, and Jon has to answer it without any help or resources - other than his legendary memory and knowledge of history. These episodes are unedited and a fun way for the team to interact more ... Show More
5m 22s