The Trojan War was a time of heroes. From the swift-footed Achilles, and the hot-headed Prince Paris, to the beautiful Queen Helen, and the all-powerful gods, Zeus, Athena, and Aphrodite. In these early days of what we now call Ancient Greece, the story of Troy was already a saga from a bygone age, re-imagined by Homer, and told around the world ever since.
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Apr 12
The American Civil War (Part Two of Two)
In the decades since the United States declared their independence from Britain, the question of slavery had become increasingly divisive. As the nation expanded, fragile political agreements over the issue failed, and the frontier became a battleground. When Abraham Lincoln was ... Show More
59m 7s
Mar 29
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
In 1914, Europe was dominated by four great empires — the British, the French, the Russian, and the vast, uneasy realm of Austria-Hungary, stretching from the Alps to the Balkans. While international treaties bound the continent together under a veneer of peace, beneath the surfa ... Show More
55m 43s
Sep 2025
602. Greek Myths: Zeus, King of the Gods (Part 1)
What are the mythic origins of Zeus, King of the Olympians, and the other Greek gods? From what period did the earliest of the Greek myths derive? Who was Hesiod - alongside Homer, the greatest of the Greek poets, and the father of European literature - who first recorded Zeus’ s ... Show More
1h 1m
Feb 2025
The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon
<p>490 BC. On the plains of Marathon, Athens faced down a mighty army of the Persian Empire - the superpower of the time It was an underdog clash that would echo throughout history. But how did it all begin?</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes kicks ... Show More
58m 21s
Nov 2024
RE-AIR: Wandering Across the Ancient World, the Mesopotamian & Phoenician Origins of Aphrodite
This episode originally aired in July of 2023. Before she was Aphrodite, she was Kypris, and before she was Kypris, well, she was Astarte and Inanna/Ishtar. This is the story of Aphrodite's origins in ancient Phoenicia and Mesopotamia. You can submit your questions or comments or ... Show More
39m 21s