The Ancients

He's known as Rome’s philosopher-emperor and faced plague, rebellion and war in the East. Yet Marcus Aurelius ruled with a pen as much as a sword, finding peace in philosophy which still inspires the world today. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor William Stephens to uncover the life, legacy, and stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. From his rise to emperor at the height of Rome’s power to his struggles with plague, rebellion, and invasion, they unpack how this philosopher-king embodied the ideals of Stoicism while leading through crisis and ask what Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations can tell us about duty, resilience, and the mind of Rome’s most thoughtful ruler? MORE Commodus: The Gladiator Emperor [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nkbGeOTbzTlkvlmgstGMI?si=-PlqmKXkSDOWjq0ryGThww] Pax Romana [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0I9fUpjYLdzvN04lOwF6Ti?si=h3uXJF6hTwabmwbpr0bBcA] 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 and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  You can take part in our listener survey here [https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK]: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK [https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The year is 453 AD. The most feared warlord in Europe - Attila the Hun - lies dead on his wedding night. But what happened next plunged his vast empire into bloody chaos. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Hyun Jin Kim to uncover the dramatic story of Attila’s heirs and the fall of the Huns. From bitter rivalries between Attila’s sons to the Gothic kings who rose to challenge them, discover how the mighty Hunnic Empire collapsed almost overnight — a saga of ambition, betrayal, and the violent unravelling of one of history’s most feared powers. MORE Attila the Hun: Scourge of God [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7y5w7yyVOqwYxvqHAAfthi?si=PtzE0HlhTs-pS6IKeq56pg] The White Huns [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7urNQxKoWuDLdxs5WUlm0u?si=ChgT_T09TqWbPKw_xZ4svw] 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 and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  You can take part in our listener survey here [https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on]: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on [https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

In the 7th century, a new empire rose from the sands of Arabia - united by faith, driven by conquest, and destined to change history forever. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Khododad Rezakhani to explore the emergence of Islam from the ashes of Rome and Persia’s great struggle for supremacy. Together they discover how the early Islamic polity took shape, why the Arab conquests were so swift and decisive, and how they reshaped the politics, culture, and religion of West Asia. From the fall of the Sasanians to the dawn of a new empire, this is the story of how Islam rose to dominate the world of late antiquity. MORE Persia Reborn: Rise of the Sasanians [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gSKjbVzB2jstHXUJKDtUO?si=de7E4A84SB6fXdaCPdGB_A] Edges of Empire: The Sasanian Frontiers [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6VObqk1D5t6P410f5g2F4r?si=o4PcHrbxQFCJkXAT_2tgqg] 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 and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  You can take part in our listener survey here [https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on]: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on [https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Tristan Hughes goes on an exploration of Hawaii's earliest settlers, guided by the insights of Dr. Patrick Kirch, a leading expert on Hawaiian archeology. From the arrival of Polynesians around AD 1000, using sophisticated double-hull canoes, to their unique agricultural practices and the construction of monumental architecture, they delve into the impact of Polynesian settlers on Hawaii's pristine ecosystem, the use of petroglyphs, and the development of highly stratified societal structures shedding light on Hawaii's ancient past. MORE Polynesian Mythology [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Lmi6v0tLbk6oMWnd74MHa] The First South Americans [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3g3FvUJkYbPhs1RFImydth] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor and 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 and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  You can take part in our listener survey here [https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on]: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on [https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Colosseum packed with roaring crowds, the sand stained with sweat and blood. But today, you’re not watching - you’re fighting. Welcome to a day in the life of a Roman gladiator. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by historian and author Dr Harry Sidebottom to uncover the brutal reality behind Rome’s most iconic fighters. From their training regimes and daily routines to the myths of gladiatorial combat, discover what it really meant to step into the arena. Were these warriors condemned slaves or celebrities of the ancient world? And did they really salute the emperor with the famous words: “We who are about to die salute you”? MORE The Roman Gladiator [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wlBwL1Tw7cpcd8Iy83v6K?si=74rjmQ7sQz2R7S7QAVktQw] Roman Beast Hunts [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5BzUjSeAFoiyKawbZ3I0dl?si=IHbBmzfLTMSlybaFYJ3xKw] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tomos Delargy, 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 and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  You can take part in our listener survey here [https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on]: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on [https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.