The Ancients

Terror Birds

What kind of predator needs no teeth to terrify its prey? The terror birds were enormous flightless hunters that ruled South America for millions of years, standing metres tall and built for a life of pursuit and slaughter. In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by palaeontologist Dr Steve Brusatte to explore the world of the phorusrhacids. What were these extraordinary birds really like? How did they dominate an isolated South America after the extinction of the dinosaurs? And what ultimately brought their predatory reign to an end? MORE Tyrannosaurs Rex Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1759820234?i=1000670274429] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3uxH3HHjSuEk0mHmjFU9k7?si=KbONGZsXR4S2F6e-Yj8Gkw] The Rise of Mammals Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1759820234?i=1000663557843] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/33uckCUV0H1ojyFqxJM8b6?si=5dwKk2LZSyOTmzJkEfYCSg] The Ancients is now on YouTube! Watch here: @TheAncientsPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™ Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Maya Ballgame

A rubber ball. A stone court. And a sport where the stakes could be life and death. For more than 2,000 years, Mesoamerican peoples played a remarkable ballgame that became far more than entertainment; across the Maya world, it became a spectacle and a ceremony with religion, politics and power at it's heart. Today, Tristan Hughes is joined by archaeologist Ed Barnhart to uncover the oldest sporting tradition in the ancient Americas. Together they discover how the Maya ballgame was played, why it became so important, and whether the most chilling aspect of its reputation was actually true: did the losers really face sacrifice? MORE Chichén Itzá Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000622653097] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7hIfsQWS7Ya8KRHKGMntt7?si=qj7Ur8m2S4SofHkpTyk8aQ] The Maya Collapse Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000663446064] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/56rb6VA4Ey9bMX9CrhCfRR?si=35DOIxi7TFiZH2d5wRDfeQ] The Ancients is now on YouTube! Watch here: @TheAncientsPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Produced and edited by Aidan Lonergan. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, plus early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe]. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How Slavery Built the Roman Empire

Was the Roman Empire really made by conquest? Or was it powered by something much darker? For centuries, millions of enslaved people sacrificed their lives and their labour on the altar of Roman progress, an integral cog in the grinding imperial machine. And so today on The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Emma Southon, author of Servus: How Slavery Made The Roman World to bring their overlooked stories back into the limelight. From the mines and farms to the households of the imperial elite, they discover how slavery was woven into the fabric of the Roman society and ask what life was really like for enslaved Romans. MORE Spartacus: Listen on Apple [https://Was the Roman Empire really made by conquest? Or was it powered by something much darker? For thousands of years, millions of enslaved people sacrificed their lives and their labour on the altar of Roman progress, an integral cog in the grinding imperial machine. And so today on The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Emma Southon, author of Servus: How Slavery Made The Roman World to bring the overlooked stories of Rome's enslaved people back into the limelight. From the mines and farms to the households of the imperial elite, they discover how slavery was woven into the fabric of the Roman society and ask what life was really like for enslaved Romans? ] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7fOyYpS9ez5swsGuoVwz4H?si=Bsbi5pmsQ8mRIReqStBeZg] Zenobia: Queen of Palmyra: Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000647561918] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4o7gMb5tLk8f6nF0Qirzcv?si=MRSn0DiDTDC7PpWSyBDcEQ] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Producer is Joseph Knight. Edited by Natasha Hughes. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Romulus & Remus

The story of Romulus and Remus is one of the most famous myths from the ancient world. But the Romans believed the founding of their city stretched far beyond the tale of the twin brothers. Heroes, kings and exiles all played a part in Rome's legendary beginnings. Tristan Hughes is joined by Jeremy Armstrong to explore the myths behind the founding of Rome. Why did the Romans link their origins to figures like Aeneas and Romulus? What do these stories reveal about Roman identity? And could there be any historical truth behind the legends of Rome's earliest days? MORE Origins of Rome's Empire Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000745902274] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qyIzGeF2hDyC17o7XbcaB?si=8NLPMMlHSb2lCufSaAxvVg] The Kings of Rome Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000593872119] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/60sJAHwbJtZYTKHlfRlZ2i?si=1pG8avirTv-VxmSAp3ST-w] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tim Arstall. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access ad-free podcasts and subscriber-only episodes. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Shapur I: Rome's Greatest Enemy?

Few rulers humbled Rome quite like Shapur I. A King of Kings, he rebuilt the Sasanian Persian Empire, defeated Roman armies and captured Emperor Valerian in one of antiquity's most remarkable military triumphs. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Eve MacDonald to explore the rise of Shapur the Great. Why did he find so much success against the ancient Roman behemoth? How did he help forge a new Persian superpower on the Empire’s eastern frontier? And is he worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Hannibal, Boudicca, and Spartacus in the Roman villain hall of fame? MORE Persia Reborn: Rise of the Sassanians Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000644788751] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gSKjbVzB2jstHXUJKDtUO?si=A6zkdXicQ-KgaeHSE2XR7Q] Edges of Empire: The Sassanian Frontiers Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000506003159] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6VObqk1D5t6P410f5g2F4r?si=dHgSeY5HSoad37gWd3n68w] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. Video producer is McKenna Fernandez, channel manager is Vilde Osknes.The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.