logo
episode-header-image
May 2021
44m 16s

The Truth About The Huns

History Hit
About this episode

The Huns! The name of this ancient people triggers a multiplicity of responses and evokes a number of images (nearly all of them negative). They have been portrayed as a savage people, who contributed little to world history. But is this really the case? In this podcast, Tristan was joined by Professor Hyun Jin Kim to talk about the emergence of the Huns in the west in the late 4th century, and the striking geopolitical changes that their rapid expansion brought about. Hyun Jin dismantles the portrayal that all the Huns did was destroy and plunder and highlights the remarkable structure of this ancient empire. The first unified empire in Europe beyond Rome’s borders.

Hyun Jin is a Professor in Classics at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of The Huns, published by Routledge in 2016.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Nov 23
Emperor Tiberius: Monster or Misunderstood?
<p>*WARNING: This podcast contains adult themes and discussion of paedophilia*</p><br><p>A brilliant general. A brooding autocrat. A recluse surrounded by scandal. Few Roman emperors divide opinion like Tiberius. But was he truly a monster, or the victim of centuries of salacious ... Show More
53m 10s
Nov 20
Zoroastrianism
<p>A faith born in the distant prehistoric past, rooted in ancient Iranian texts over 4,000 years old, Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest living religions. and one that shaped empires.</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes is joined by Profes ... Show More
1 h
Nov 16
Decline & Fall of the Ancient World
<p>Tristan Hughes invites Matt Lewis, host <em>The Ancients's </em>sister podcast <em>Gone Medieval</em>, for a lively debate with about the blurred boundary between the ancient and medieval worlds. Can Tristan champion Roman Emperor Justinian as an Ancient? What about Charlemagn ... Show More
46m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
EP27 More Steppe Stories
Huns, Mongols, Turks, Scythians and other nomadic steppe tribes are longtime interests of Dan's. In this show he interviews historian Kenneth W. Harl who specializes in the study of those fascinating peoples. 1. Empires of the Steppes: A History of the Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped C ... Show More
1h 10m
Jun 2021
Marie Favereau, "The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World" (Harvard UP, 2021)
The Mongols are widely known for one thing: conquest. Through the ages, word "horde" has entered the English lexicon with a negative connotation, conjuring up images of warriors on horseback, sweeping across the plain--a virtual human flood destroying everything in its path and t ... Show More
1h 5m
Jan 2024
From the Mongols to the Huns: the nomads who dominated Eurasia
From the Huns, Mongols and Magyars to the Turks, Xiongnu, Scythians and Goths, these nomadic people of the Eurasian steppes built long-lasting empires, facilitated global trade via the Silk Road and widely disseminated religion, technology, knowledge and goods. Speaking to Emily ... Show More
33m 53s
Aug 2023
Genghis Khan
<p>Genghis Khan roughly translates to 'Universal Ruler', a fitting name for the most famous nomadic conqueror to have ever lived. He was born as Temüjin, outcast by his tribe as a young child and left to fend for his family in the wild. But the determined young man would go on to ... Show More
34m 48s
Jun 2023
The British Empire
<p>The British Empire was one of the most influential and far-reaching empires in history. Dan and his guest journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera remember school lessons on the small island that rose to global dominance. From the 16th century to the 20th century, the British Em ... Show More
25m 2s
Aug 2021
The Ottoman empire: everything you wanted to know
Eugene Rogan answers listener questions on one of history’s most powerful – and long-lasting – empires   How did the Ottomans dominate swathes of Europe, Asia and Africa for up to seven centuries? How did their sack of Constantinople in 1453 change the course of history? And why ... Show More
47m 36s
Jan 2023
The Mongol Empire
<p>The Crusades are well-known but only part of the complex history of the medieval Near East. During the same era, the region was completely remade by the Mongol invasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;In a single generation, the Mongols upended the region’s geopolitics.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In this e ... Show More
34m 40s