As the fourth century drew to a close, Rome wasn't the only rising power in the central Mediterranean; Syracuse and Carthage were battling for dominance in Sicily and beyond, fighting devastating wars of ever-increasing scale that led directly to the eventual conflicts we know as the Punic Wars.
Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, R ... Show More
Mar 19
Popular History and Academic History
Academic history and popular history are very different things, but what is their purpose? And how should we, as people who like and consume history, understand and use them?Patrick launched a brand-new history show! It’s called Past Lives, and every episode explores the life of ... Show More
33m 20s
Mar 12
Migration in Human History
If we want to understand how and why the human story has unfolded in the way it has, then we have to understand migration: large numbers of people moving long distances. It's a surprisingly difficult topic to understand, but in the past couple of decades, we've developed better i ... Show More
35m 4s
Sep 2025
History of Ancient Rome, Part 1 of 2 - The Republic
This sleepy story about the History of Ancient Rome is the first of two parts, because there were too many things to say for one single episode. The next part about the end of the Republic and the Empire will be out soon. In this episode, I tell you about the origins of Rome, its ... Show More
1h 19m
Sep 2024
Love, Betrayal, and the Battle for Rome (Replay)
HISTORY This Week returns with new episodes starting September 16th! In the meantime, listen to a favorite classic from the archives.
September 2, 31 BCE. Two camps prepare for battle off the coast of Greece. On one side is Octavian, Julius Caesar’s heir apparent. On the other, ... Show More
40m 48s
Aug 2025
Howard Hughes Blows Up Hollywood | Censored | 2
<p>Howard Hughes embraces sex and violence in his quest to conquer Hollywood. But his sensationalist approach clashes with industry regulators and censors, sparking a high-stakes battle over artistic freedom, public morality, and the future of American cinema.</p><p>Be the first ... Show More
34m 56s
Feb 2025
Muhammad Ali vs. The Draft | What’s My Name? | 2
<p>In 1967, Muhammad Ali officially refuses induction into the U.S. military, standing firm in his religious objection to the Vietnam War. He is stripped of his heavyweight title, barred from boxing, and sentenced to five years in prison. Ali fights back with appeals while strugg ... Show More
40m 13s
May 2024
How the Legacy of the British Empire Still Shapes Our World, with Sathnam Sanghera
Sathnam Sanghera is a writer and author of bestselling books exploring British identity, the latest of which is Empireworld: How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe. It follows Empireland, which looked at how the British Empire has shaped modern Britain. Sanghera has written ... Show More
38m 11s