logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
41m 58s

179. The Golden Road: Rise of the Indosp...

Goalhanger
About this episode
For a millennium and a half, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilisation, creating around it a vast empire of ideas. Indian art, religions, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics and mythology blazed a trail across the world, along a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific. Listen as Anita and William d ... Show More
Up next
Nov 20
309. Tintin, Nazis, & Soviets
How did the young journalist with the quiff haircut and his companion Snowy The Dog feature in Nazi propaganda in the 1940s? What was the origin story of Hergé, the Belgian illustrator who created The Adventures of Tintin? How did an unlikely friendship transform Hergé’s life and ... Show More
45m 37s
Nov 18
308. Asterix and Obelix, Babar The Elephant, & Colonial Cartoons
How did a story made up by a mother for her sick children turn into Babar The Elephant? Why did two immigrants to France create such a patriotically French cartoon in Asterix and Obelix? How should we feel about racist depictions of people of colour in beloved children’s cartoons ... Show More
47m 27s
Nov 13
307. Austen vs Brontë: Unmasking Slavery Heiresses
What is the true history behind the “madwoman in the attic” in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre? How was Jane Austen’s aunt deeply connected to slavery in Barbados? Who were the British heiresses who married Caribbean plantation owners and inherited vast wealth made through chattel s ... Show More
41m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2025
The Kushan Empire
<p>Embark on an epic journey with Tristan Hughes and acclaimed author William Dalrymple as they unravel the enigma of the Kushan Empire, the ancient superpower of Central Asia. Together they tell the riveting stories behind the Empire's rise in Bactria (modern-day Afghanistan), t ... Show More
59m 20s
Sep 2024
The Romans and India with William Dalrymple
<p>Ancient India was <em>the</em><strong><em> </em></strong>single greatest trading partner of the Roman Empire. For centuries, Indian sailors navigated the Indian Ocean and Red Sea to bring goods, ideas and religious beliefs to the Greco-Roman ports based on the Egyptian coast. ... Show More
48 m
Aug 7
The Olmec: Mother of Mesoamerican Civilisations
Iconic monumental stone heads, the intriguing Lord of Las Limas, the enigmatic 'were-jaguar' figures, so much survives from the ancient Olmec civilisation.Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Jillian Mollenhauer to unravel the Olmec's sophisticated artistry, the symbolic significance ... Show More
1h 8m
Dec 2024
The Thracians
<p>They were ancient masters of cavalry, creators of dazzling treasures, and the ancestors of the legendary Spartacus, but who exactly were the Thracians?</p><br><p>Join Tristan Hughes and Dr. Zosia Archibald in today's episode of The Ancients as they uncover the fascinating worl ... Show More
48m 29s
Jul 2024
The Maya Collapse
<p>Just over 1,000 years ago, the ancient Maya world in Mesoamerica was turned upside down. Prominent cities like Tikal, Palenque, Copan and Calakmul, their great stone art and architecture left to be gradually reclaimed by the jungle. It's a time of decline known as the Maya Col ... Show More
43m 16s
Jun 2025
The Kingdom of Aksum
<p>How is the unique narrative of the Ark of the Covenant deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture and tradition?</p><br><p>Embark on a journey to the Kingdom of Aksum with host Tristan Hughes and archeologist Dil Singh Basanti, located in present-day northern Ethiopia and Eritrea. The ... Show More
59m 54s
Aug 2024
Petra: Ancient Wonder of the World
<p>Despite being one of the most visited historic spots on the planet today, Petra was once a so-called ‘lost city,’ hidden from western eyes in a vast desert landscape for hundreds of years.</p><br><p>What is the story of this rose-red ancient city and its inhabitants? The power ... Show More
44m 51s
Oct 2
Origins of Mythology
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
47m 45s
Aug 21
Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria
Known as the 'King of the World' and the last great king of Assyria, Ashurbanipal bestrode the ancient Mesopotamian world as a warrior but also a scholar, ruling the great Assyrian empire at the height of its power.In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Assyriologist Dr Sel ... Show More
52m 11s
Aug 19
Xuanzang Levels Up
A seventh century monk sets out on a perilous journey from China to India and back to find lost knowledge. In the process, he becomes a folk hero. This story would also later inspire the popular game Black Myth: Wukong.Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to s ... Show More
28m 3s