The Olympic Games

Tristan Hughes goes on an exploration of Hawaii's earliest settlers, guided by the insights of Dr. Patrick Kirch, a leading expert on Hawaiian archeology. From the arrival of Polynesians around AD 1000, using sophisticated double-hull canoes, to their unique agricultural practice ... Show More

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

From Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast, the roots of fairy tales stretch back thousands of years — to the dawn of Indo-European languages and beyond.In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by author and journalist Laura Spinney to explore the origins of mytholo ... Show More

Olympias is known for being the mother of Alexander the Great and for being Very Fond Of Snakes. She was subject to centuries of slander by the historians who followed her - but in this episode, we right some of the wrongs, give you some context for her actions, and reveal her co ... Show More

The first Olympics took place in the sixth century in order to build diplomacy across the Greek world. Learn more about the history of the first Olympics in this HowStuffWorks.com podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/ ... Show More

In 1896 the Olympic Games were reborn in Athens. Here we look at the forgotten tales and little known facts from the start of the modern Olympics through to the outbreak of the Second World War. Tom tells us about the greatest race of all time, whilst Dominic reveals he is somewh ... Show More

The Olympic Games  Join us today as we learn about how the Olympic Games, which are held every four years, got their start and have changed over the years. Sources:  https://www.britannica.com/sports/Olympic-Games/Munich-West-Germany-1972 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-histo ... Show More

The Olympics originated in Ancient Greece, and were resurrected in the 1890's after a 1,500 year ban. Since then, the International Olympic Committee has been behind every Olympic Games. In this episode, we explore the story of how the IOC turned the Olympics into a huge commerci ... Show More

Rediffusion Les Jeux Olympiques trouvent leurs origines dans la Grèce antique, où ils étaient un festival sportif et religieux dédié à Zeus, le roi des dieux. Les premiers Jeux Olympiques ont eu lieu en 776 av. J.-C. à Olympie, une petite ville située dans le Péloponnèse, au sud- ... Show More

The 1904 St. Louis Olympics were marred by controversy and poorly organized events like the marathon. But at least they took place as scheduled. In 1916, after the outbreak of World War I, they were canceled entirely. A century later, in 2020, the Olympics faced another kind of t ... Show More

With the Games underway in Tokyo, Tom and Dominic look back to the Ancient Olympics. They discuss the heroic but incredibly violent stories of the Greek superstars of 2500 years ago, and why the Games were bad news for women, animals and cheats. Plus, Tom reveals how his cricketi ... Show More

In 1904, the U.S. hosted its first Olympics. It had a host of problems. But the event that was the most dangerous for athletes was the marathon. Research: Abbott, Karen. “The 1904 Olympic Marathon May Have Been the Strangest Ever.” Smithsonian. Aug. 7, 2012. https://www.smithsoni ... Show More

In the late 1800s, European fascination with the culture of ancient Greece, and a growing interest in physical education and fitness, led to the idea of resurrecting the Olympic Games of antiquity. A French nobleman named Pierre de Coubertin took up the cause, and under his leade ... Show More