logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
58m 21s

426. History's Greatest Monkeys

Goalhanger
About this episode
Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity. More humble, and I believe truer, to consider him created from animals. A military grave from the 5th century BC was found to contain something extraordinary; a macaque monkey dressed as a roman legionary. Did he fight alongside his human fellows, or merely serve as their ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
649. The Fall of the Incas: The Last Emperor (Part 6)
With the Incan emperor on the run, and the Spanish divided, what atrocities would unfold in the final phase of this brutal conquest? Who would triumph, Francisco Pizarro or his brutal former partner Diego de Almagro? And how would the once mighty Incas, finally fall…? Join Domini ... Show More
1h 12m
Mar 2
648. The Fall of the Incas: Battle for the Sacred City (Part 5)
Three years into the conquest of the Incas, how did the Spaniards respond to the Incan uprising, lead by their puppet emperor Manco? How did the despicable behaviour of Pizarro and his men spark the rebellion? And, how would the terrifying assault of Manco and his Incan warriors, ... Show More
1h 7m
Feb 26
647. The Fall of the Incas: The King in the North (Part 4)
How did the Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro take advantage of the Incan civil War? Were they able to discover the glorious city of Cusco, with all of its riches? And, what terrible brutalities did they commit along the way…? Join Dominic and Tom, as they discuss the ... Show More
1h 10m
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
Lion Man: The First Myth?
<p>Discovered in a German cave, days before the Second World War broke out, the Lion Man statue remained an enigma for decades. A figurine that represents a hybrid creature with the body of a human and the head of a lion, the statue is made from mammoth ivory and is estimated to ... Show More
32m 45s
Nov 2023
Human Evolution: Dragon Man
<p>Homo longi, also known as Dragon Man, is an extinct archaic human species - with a nearly complete skull found near Harbin, China, dating back to at least 146,000 years ago. Discovered in 1933 during the construction of the Dongjiang Bridge, it remained hidden until 2018 due t ... Show More
35 m
May 2022
Monkey for Mayor from This Day in Esoteric Political History
What happens when a monkey gets elected mayor? Well, not really a monkey, but a monkey mascot for a town’s football games. Tim Harford joins This Day in Esoteric Political History to discuss a weird moment from UK history in 2002, when the northeastern English town of Hartlepool ... Show More
28m 46s
Dec 2023
Rise of Hannibal
<p>He was one of the greatest enemies the Romans ever faced. An excellent general and a larger-than-life figure, he led an army across the alps and dealt a series of crushing defeats upon the Romans on Italian soil. His achievements have become a thing of legend and his name has ... Show More
1h 5m
May 2021
Journey to the West
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great novels of China’s Ming era, and perhaps the most loved. Written in 1592, it draws on the celebrated travels of a real monk from China to India a thousand years before, and on a thousand years of retellings of that story, especially ... Show More
51m 49s
Nov 2019
The Monkey King Pt. 2
After 500 years trapped underneath a mountain by Buddha, the Monkey King finally gets a chance at redemption by joining the Buddhist Monkey, Tripitaka, on a sacred journey to India. Tripitaka quickly learns that the Monkey King's mischievous ways will be difficult to adjust to. L ... Show More
50m 14s
Mar 2023
Roman Beast Hunts
<p><em>This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and cruelty against animals.</em></p><br><p>The Romans were - and still are - infamous for the brutal gladiatorial contests they held in their ancient amphitheatres. But often what made their games so spectacular were ... Show More
33m 55s
Nov 2019
The Terrible Secret of Sea Monkeys (Live Show)
tail spinning
1h 50m
Jun 2023
Human Origins: Australopithecus
<p>For millions of years, Australopithecus thrived in Africa's vast landscapes, laying the groundwork for the emergence of the Homo genus. Later, alongside early members of the Homo genus, Australopithecus played a crucial role in shaping human evolution and our present-day exist ... Show More
43m 1s
Mar 2022
The IKEA Monkey | 10
On Dec. 9 2012, video of a baby monkey running around in a faux-shearling coat at a North York IKEA garnered international attention when Darwin escaped a locked crate and vehicle before making a dash toward the furniture store. “(I thought) this is absolutely ridiculous that the ... Show More
47m 8s