The traditional story that’s told about Britain from the end of the Roman period through to the arrival of the Vikings is one of coalescing kingdoms, leading inexorably towards the rise of Wessex as the last man standing. However, the real story is much more complicated, as Thomas Williams tells David Musgrove in this new episode.
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Today
Ancient goddesses: love, violence and ecstatic experiences
What do goddesses of love have in common with goddesses of war? Historian Ronald Hutton argues that some of the ancient world’s most powerful female deities were united by a potent combination of sex, violence and ecstatic experience. Speaking to Danny Bird, Hutton traces a linea ... Show More
29m 56s
Oct 30
D-Day’s secret hero: the true story behind Pressure (In paid partnership with StudioCanal)
What comes to mind when you think D-Day? Perhaps it’s the tactical brilliance of the commanders, or the brutal combat fought by the troops. But, what about meteorologist James Stagg? He’s the subject of the new Second World War thriller Pressure, and to find out more about his co ... Show More
43m 4s
Sep 2024
The Fall of Roman Britain
<p>In the early 5th century AD, after almost four centuries of iron-fisted Roman rule, the empire in Britain was beginning to fade. Franks, Saxons and Roman usurpers were running rampant. Britannia was on its last legs and in 410 AD, the Britons were told to ‘look to their own de ... Show More
1h 22m
May 2023
2. Story of England: Medieval Invaders
<p>Great Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, bloodshed at the battle of Hastings, Bubonic Plague and Roland the celebrity flatulist. As dawn breaks, Dan walks the beach at Pevensey where William the Conqueror and his Norman Invaders landed in 1066, but not before getting a quick lesson from Me ... Show More
59m 51s
Apr 2025
557. 1066: The Norman Conquest (Part 4)
What happened in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings? What horrors did William the Conqueror have to inflict upon his Anglo Saxon subjects in order to consolidate his new realm? And, what role did castles, the Harrowing of the North, and the Doomsday Book play in the creation ... Show More
1h 3m
Jan 2019
1. Roman Britain - The Work of Giants Crumbled
A vast ruined bath house, a fire-damaged poem and a world teetering on the brink of collapse. In this episode, we look at the history of the collapse of Roman Britain. Find out how a great civilization grew up almost overnight on the island of Britannia, how it endured the test o ... Show More
1h 3m
Apr 2024
Viking Royalty: Nicknames, Love Poems & Victorian Myths
We think we know the Vikings, but how well do we really know them?From the insignia we think they wear, to the names they call themselves and the way they spoke to each other, there's a lot to uncover.Joining Kate today is Dr. Caitlin Ellis, historian and Associate Professor at t ... Show More
40m 34s