Born on the Western edge of an empire that stretched all the way to India, Herodotus was a Greek historian of the 5th century BC. His major work The Histories, a long and detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars and the cultures of the ancient world, is considered the founding work of History in Western literature. Herodotus was known for his thorough rese ... Show More
Aug 30
701. Roman Civil War: Rise of the General (Part 1)
Who was Gaius Marius, one of the two men who would shape the fate of Rome in the first century BC? Why was his road to fame, fortune, and political greatness, from total obscurity, so dangerous? And, would Marius be the man to face down the existential threat facing the empire du ... Show More
1h 13m
Aug 23
699. The Troubles: Return of the IRA (Part 3)
What was the Provisional IRA, and why did they return to the fray at the high point of The Troubles in Northern Ireland? How did a series of bloody battles, including the Short Strand Battle, brutally intensify tensions between the British Army and Catholic communities? And, how ... Show More
1h 23m
Nov 2021
How the Greeks changed the world
Historian Roderick Beaton ranges over 4,000 years of Greek history, from the glories of Mycenae to the life of a modern European nation. In discussion with Rob Attar, he picks out some of the key moments in this journey, including the triumphs of ancient Greece, the conquests of ... Show More
53m 51s
Sep 2025
A Tale of Two Cities, oh and the Capture of a Third (Herodotus' The Histories Bk 1, Part 2)
We return to the wonderful world of Herodotus to see what happens next in Croesus' mad dash to take on the Persian Empire? Will he succeed? Will we even really hear about it? What sort of tangents can Herodotus get onto today! Line up quick folks, tickets go fast, come on in to s ... Show More
35m 23s
Feb 2018
They're Not So Awful After All, Ancient Greek Women in Herodotus' History
The ancient Greeks weren't all gods and monsters. Herodotus was the world's first historian, he travelled the region writing down stories of the recent past. We discuss how he accounts for some of the most famous myths of the Greek world, and some of the badass women he wrote abo ... Show More
29m 38s