Feb 6

Renaissance Medicine: healthcare and disease in early modern England

Greg Jenner is joined in the sixteenth century by Dr Alanna Skuse and comedian Ria Lina to learn all about medicine and medical professionals in Tudor and Stuart England. In Renaissance-era England, medicine was still based on the theory of the four humours, passed down from anci ... Show More

57m 10s

Jan 30

Emperor Nero: ancient Rome’s most infamous ruler

Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Rome by Professor Mary Beard and comedian and actor Patton Oswalt to learn all about Emperor Nero. Nero has gone down in history as one of Rome’s most infamous rulers – the villain in any number of films and television programmes, and the man who ... Show More

58m 8s

Jan 23

Marie Antoinette (Radio Edit)

Greg Jenner is joined in the 18th century by historian Professor Katherine Astbury and comedian Jen Brister to learn about French queen Marie Antoinette.Born an Austrian princess, Marie Antoinette went on to be the last queen of France before the Revolution and the abolition of t ... Show More

28m 3s

May 2025

568. Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy (Part 1)

Who was Hannibal, the flawed but brilliant Carthaginian general? What makes Rome vs Carthage in the third century BC one of the most totemic ancient rivalries of all time? How did Hamilcar, father of Hannibal, restore the fortunes of Carthage following their devastating defeat to ... Show More

55m 36s

May 2025

The Rise of Hannibal (Part 1)

Hannibal Barca was Rome's greatest enemy. What was it about his strategies and leadership style that allowed him to haunt Romans' nightmares for centuries? 00:00 Hannibal's Blood Oath 02:00 Why Hannibal? 05:45 Carthage - A Brief History 17:30 The Making of Hannibal 28:35 The Rise ... Show More

1h 3m

Jun 2025

571. Hannibal: Roman Bloodbath at Cannae (Part 4)

How did the Battle of Cannae - one of the most important battles of all time for Ancient Rome, with a whole Empire at stake, and a reputation that had reverberated across the centuries - in 216 BC, unfold? What brilliant tactics did Hannibal adopt in order to overcome the Roman k ... Show More

58m 26s

Mar 2025

Rise of Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar is one of history’s most famous figures. But before his legendary conquests and romance with Cleopatra, how did he rise to power? In this episode of The Ancients, host Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Catherine Steel to explore Caesar’s ea ... Show More

51m 51s

May 2025

569. Hannibal: Elephants Cross the Alps (Part 2)

Why did Hannibal choose to cross the Alps with his elephants in 218 BC, when invading Rome? Was it a brilliant stratagem or a military disaster? What was the secret to the Roman Republic’s growing military success at this time? And, why did Carthage, under Hannibal’s formidable g ... Show More

58m 28s

Jun 2025

570. Hannibal: The Invasion of Italy (Part 3)

How did Hannibal achieve the remarkable feat of crossing the Alps with his army, and elephants? How many of his men survived the treacherous journey? Was it worth sacrificing so much of his army in order to fight the Romans in Italy? And, what unfolded during the first great clas ... Show More

56 m

Nov 2024

Gladiators: The Real Spartacus

Spartacus is probably the most famous gladiator in history but how much of his legend is actually true? Dan is joined by Dr Rhiannon Evans, from Melbourne’s Le Trobe University, a leading expert in Ancient History and one of the hosts of the Emperors of Rome podcast to find ou ... Show More

40m 58s

Oct 2024

501. The Roman Conquest of Britain: Boudicca’s Reign of Blood (Part 3)

“Two cities were sacked, eighty thousand of the Romans and of their allies perished, and the island was lost to Rome. Moreover, all this ruin was brought upon by a woman...” Few figures have statues dedicated to them in the towns they incinerated. But Boudicca was no ordinary fig ... Show More

54m 23s

Jun 2020

Attila the Hun

Known as the Scourge of God, Attila the Hun was one of the greatest Barbarian rulers in history. Renowned for his brutality, sacking and pillaging the lands and cities he conquered, Attila became one of the most feared enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. But how did ... Show More

25m 47s

Jun 2024

Episode S7 - Ascendo

Synopsis: Part 1 of a two-part Spotlight series on the rise and fall of the Roman Emperor Galerius: refugee, herdsman, soldier, Caesar, Augustus, Tetrarch, conqueror, schemer, would-be ruler of the (Dacian?) Empire, and persecutor of the Christians. A rollicking Third Century rom ... Show More

31m 28s

Hannibal of Carthage: fearsome enemy of ...