The war of the words. Following his strategic defeat at Kadesh, Ramesses set about putting his version of the story into wide circulation. Today, art and texts of this conflict survive at the temples of Abu Simbel, Karnak, Luxor, Abydos, and the Ramesseum. Among those texts, we have the “Literary Record” or “Kadesh Poem.” A lengthy, dramatised version of the ... Show More
Oct 3
217: The Art of Kadesh (Livestream)
Our final part of the Kadesh story is Ramesses' art. Wall carvings, on major temples, present the pharaohs' summary of Kadesh and the conflict. They include many fun details, including enemy combatants, and comparing some scenes with artefacts allows us to imagine aspects of the ... Show More
1h 14m
Sep 26
Ancient Historical Fiction with Dr. Colleen Darnell
My guest today is Dr. Colleen Darnell, who will speak to us about New Kingdom literature (featuring rulers like Ramesses, Thutmose III, Seqenenra, and more). It’s a fun discussion, ranging from the calamitous death of Seqenenra Tao, to the triumphs of Thutmose III and Ramesses II ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 16
A Tale of Two Cities, oh and the Capture of a Third (Herodotus' The Histories Bk 1, Part 2)
We return to the wonderful world of Herodotus to see what happens next in Croesus' mad dash to take on the Persian Empire? Will he succeed? Will we even really hear about it? What sort of tangents can Herodotus get onto today! Line up quick folks, tickets go fast, come on in to s ... Show More
35m 23s
Oct 2024
La légende noire de la reine Margot (1/4)
Dans un royaume en proie aux guerres de religion, le début du règne de Marguerite de Valois n’est pas de tout repos. Catholique, elle est mariée à un roi protestant dans l’espoir de ramener la paix, en vain. Refusant de se cantonner à la place que lui imposent sa naissance et son ... Show More
25m 45s
Jun 2025
Episode A4 - The Pinnacle
Synopsis: This episode covers the rise and fall of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. “The Second Dynasty consists of nine kings of This. The first was Boethos, for 38 years. In his reign a chasm opened at Bubastis, and many perished. Kaiechos, for 39 years. In his reign the bulls, Apis a ... Show More
50m 38s
Sep 18
Tutankhamun (Archive Episode)
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the discovery in 1922 of Tutankhamun's 3000 year old tomb and its impact on the understanding of ancient Egypt, both academic and popular. The riches, such as the death mask above, were spectacular and made the reputation of Howard Carter who led t ... Show More
53m 28s