Today

What causes cultures to decline and fall?

The new BBC TV series Civilisations: Rise and Fall charts the decline of some of history's most famous cultures, from the Aztecs to the ancient Egyptians. Three of its experts – Islam Issa, Caroline Dodds Pennock and Luke Kemp – joined Matt Elton to explore some of the series' ma ... Show More

44m 5s

Yesterday

Christopher Marlowe: life of the week

From his possible espionage work for the Elizabethan state to his open flirtations with atheism and subversive sexual themes, the brief life of playwright Christopher Marlowe tells us much about the shadowy edges of 16th-century England. Stephen Greenblatt joins Elinor Evans to d ... Show More

42m 54s

Nov 24

Uprising: the Civil Wars untangled

On 30 January 1649, Charles I was led on to a freshly erected scaffold outside Whitehall’s Banqueting House in London. Thousands of spectators watched in shock and awe as the king of England, Scotland and Ireland was executed as a traitor. It was the climax of one of the most des ... Show More

37 m

Mar 2023

Istanbul

In episode five of this new series exploring the sights and stories of Europe’s most beautiful, intriguing and historic cities, travel journalist Paul Bloomfield is joined by historian and author Professor Bettany Hughes for a tour of Istanbul. Together they lead us through the s ... Show More

48m 18s

Nov 2021

Introducing: History Daily

On History Daily, we do history, daily. Every weekday beginning November 1st, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened on this day in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast ... Show More

17m 40s

Jan 2024

Episode 280 - The New Roman Empire with Anthony Kaldellis. Part 3 - Narrative

Professor Kaldellis' new history of Byzantium is out now in the USA and on Kindle everywhere. In our third conversation we walk through the narrative picking out interesting things to talk about. The creation of Constantinople, Justinian's personality, Heraclius' achievements and ... Show More

1h 42m

May 2023

Alexander The Great's Sex Life

This episode contains references and words of a sexual nature. Did Alexander the Great and the Queen of the Amazons really have sex for 13 days solid? What do we know about his male lovers? And how did his sex life stand up to that of his dad’s? To ... Show More

44m 56s

Mar 2024

Wonderlust: exploring the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were daring and dazzling constructions that have burned bright in the human imagination right up to the modern day. In this Long Read written by Bettany Hughes, we follow in the footsteps of the ancients to explore their remarkable stories. ... Show More

21m 37s

Sep 2017

Emin Pasha, né Eduard Schnitzer (Part 1)

Emin Pasha's story connects to so many other historical things, particularly in the context of both the Ottoman Empire and African history. First, we'll talk about his time in Albania and how he made his way to Africa and took a new name. Learn more about your ad-c ... Show More

33m 58s

May 2023

Messalina: Empress of Rome

In this episode of The Ancients, host Tristan Hughes speaks with historian Honor Cargill-Martin about the notorious Empress Messalina, third wife of Emperor Claudius. A lot has been said about Messalina over two millennia: that she was a nymphomaniac who organised orgies and e ... Show More

39m 11s

Aug 2021

The New York Times Has ALWAYS Been Woke: A Conversation With Ashley Rindsberg

Ashley Rindsberg, author of The Gray Lady Winked, joins us to discuss how the "Paper of Record" has often prioritized ideology over news throughout its storied history, and how this has consequently shaped history in profound ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc ... Show More

21m 2s

A history of Istanbul