He learned from Socrates, taught Aristotle and is often described as the key figure in the history of philosophy. But what do we actually know about the life of Plato of Athens? And why was his work so pioneering? Plato’s latest biographer, Robin Waterfield, joins Rob Attar to explore these questions and more.
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Aug 4
Inside the Maya storyworld
The Maya have a rich and varied storyworld shaped by diverse traditions and communities. In this episode, Mallory E Matsumoto tells Emily Briffett about her recent book, The Maya Myths, which explores tales of destruction and rebirth, people made of maize dough, and journeys into ... Show More
44m 16s
Aug 3
Zheng Yi Sao: life of the week
Few pirates in history wielded as much power as Zheng Yi Sao, the woman who rose from obscurity to command one of the largest pirate fleets the world has ever seen, challenging the Qing empire's control of the South China Sea. Yet despite her extraordinary achievements, surprisin ... Show More
48m 16s
Aug 2
The Fifth Crusade: triumph, disaster and the battle for Egypt
In 1217, crusaders launched an ambitious campaign to conquer Egypt, believing it held the key to reclaiming Jerusalem and securing the Holy Land. Historian and author Thomas Smith tells Emily Briffett why the crusaders targeted Egypt, charts the dramatic naval assault that preced ... Show More
45m 9s
Mar 2022
109 Sokrates
In this episode, we discuss the life and death of Sokrates (ca. 470-399 BC), who is widely considered to be the father of Western philosophy, with in-depth overviews of Aristophanes' Clouds and Plato's dialogue Euthyphro, Apologia, Krito, and Phaido Show Notes: http://www.thehist ... Show More
1h 46m
Jul 2025
Season 4, Episode 11: James Romm, Plato and the Tyrant
Send us Fan MailJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Professor James Romm, classicist and historian at Bard College, for a captivating discussion on one of the most dramatic and fascinating political experiments of the ancient world: Plato’s involvement with power politics in Syracus ... Show More
45m 1s