In the seventh century BC, the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal created a gigantic library in his capital city – one that contained centuries of wisdom. And this vast wealth of ancient knowledge can reveal a lot about how the people of the Near East thought about their gods. Dr Selena Wisnom tells David Musgrove more about the Assyrians' religious views, i ... Show More
Sep 3
Roman kings: myth, memory and the making of power
Before Rome's republic and the age of emperors, there were kings… or so the story goes. Beginning with Romulus, and ending with Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, these rulers loomed large in the Roman imagination – but is their narrative fact or fiction? In this episode, Emily Briffett ... Show More
41m 28s
Aug 2025
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
Oct 2025
From the Vault: The Demons of Ancient Mesopotamia, Part 1
In this classic series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the more noteworthy, fascinating and potentially terrifying gods and demons from the religions and myths of the ancient Mesopotamian world. It’s a who’s who of Pazuzu-adjacent entities. (originall ... Show More
52m 1s
Aug 2023
361. The Lost Library of Alexandria
One of the greatest institutions of the ancient world, the Library of Alexandria was the embodiment of ultimate learning, and a “repository of everything”. Built within the same complex as the tomb of Alexander the Great, it stood as a beacon of knowledge, boasting an unparallele ... Show More
54m 50s
Oct 2024
The Demons of Ancient Mesopotamia, Part 1
In this series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the more noteworthy, fascinating and potentially terrifying gods and demons from the religions and myths of the ancient Mesopotamian world. It’s a who’s who of Pazuzu-adjacent entities. See omnystudio.com ... Show More
51m 29s
Feb 2025
Conversation: Singing the Songs of Sumer, the Mesopotamian Mythology of Ancient Iraq w/ Alex W
Liv is joined by Alex W to discuss Sumerian mythology and some broader history of Mesopotamia/Ancient Iraq. Learn more from Alex vis his podcast, the Drumbeat Forever After, here. As mentioned in the episode, Aseel Jad El-Haq is 28, the youngest of seven sisters. She grew up in K ... Show More
1h 36m