In 480BC, the Spartans secured their place in history when 300 of their soldiers fought to the death against the mighty Persian army at Thermopylae. Their reputation for brutal decisiveness and simple living have been admired for thousands of years. But what about the darker side of Spartan ideology, a society that culled weak babies, forced children to figh ... Show More
Mar 18
Introducing: Real Vikings - Episode 1
This is a preview of a brand-new show from the Noiser podcast network. Hosted by Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Silo), Real Vikings takes you on a deep dive into the Viking age. You’ll board longboats bound for new lands, follow mighty warlords, meet master navigators, and uncover t ... Show More
54m 18s
Mar 16
Ernest Hemingway
At the dawn of the twentieth century, a writer emerged who learned his craft not in a classroom, but in battlefields, bullrings, and bars. To some, Ernest Hemingway was the greatest writer of his generation. A Nobel laureate whose sparse, muscular prose changed literature forever ... Show More
56m 34s
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
Jan 2025
RE-AIR: Conversations: A Long and Storied History of Sparta, Modern Misuse & Misconception w/ Stephen Hodkinson
This episode originally aired in January 2023. (Note: we'll return to new episodes very soon, there's been some behind the scenes changes and loads of recordings we're perfecting, stay tuned!) Liv speaks with Stephen Hodkinson, expert in all things Sparta. They discuss Sparta thr ... Show More
1h 40m
May 2021
Episode C4 – The Great Kings
Synopsis: The Great King Tudhaliya’s sons, Arnuwanda and Suppiluliuma, take power in a time of growing famine. The collapse of Mycenaean Greece intensifies the predations of Aegean and Mediterranean pirates, who threaten Hittite grain shipments and ally with the Libyans to launc ... Show More
32m 20s
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