The Ancients

Leonidas: King of Sparta, Hero of Thermopylae

In 480 BC, at the narrow pass of Thermopylae, a vastly outnumbered Greek force prepares to face the advancing army of the Persian king Xerxes. At its head stands Leonidas, king of Sparta, ready to make a final stand that will become one of the most famous moments in ancient history. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Andrew Bayliss to peel back the myth and uncover the real story of Leonidas. Tracing Leonidas's origins amid the turbulent politics of Sparta’s Agiad dynasty to his denouement at the hot gates of Thermopylae, they explore Leonidas's journey to power, his dogged defiance against the Persians and what his story reveals about Spartan society, kingship and warfare at the height of the Greco-Persian Wars. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: @TheAncientsPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast] MORE: Xerxes the Great: Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000744989036] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/34TuppA48iL0ZnzJCUVmF6?si=DP7vjJH4RGWLmDWPz9dFkQ] The Spartan Warrior: Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000637960305] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sW8h75JGibviB8xf9nVYT?si=pLyW3ZHLRn-WuXiucF-1yA] 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. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. 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.

What if the Ides of March Failed?

What if Julius Caesar had survived the Ides of March? This episode explores his last known plans — vast eastern campaigns, sweeping reforms, and his visions for Rome’s future. Could he have rivalled Alexander the Great, crowned himself king, or reshaped the Republic forever? Discover history’s greatest “what if.” MORE The Rise of Julius Caesar Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/rise-of-julius-caesar/id1520403988?i=1000699164890] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/66cyBkNuR0EJvtZ6XkIGio] Cleopatra Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rise-of-cleopatra/id1520403988?i=1000569847272] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/64bERc7V5m4FstxWzJJ4i2] 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 to watch the new documentary RISE OF CAESAR; and see Adrian Goldsworthy, Dr. Simon Elliott, and Dr. Hannah Cornwell, Tristan Hughes, peel back the layers of the man, the myth, and the massive political ego that transformed the Western world forever. As well as hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. 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.

Herodotus: The Father of History

What drove Herodotus to write the first great story of history? Tristan Hughes speaks with Dr. Roel Konijnendijk to uncover the world of Herodotus of Halicarnassus - the traveler, investigator, and storyteller behind The Histories. From Persian kings to Greek heroes, they explore his methods, digressions, and the quest to explain why empires rose, wars raged, and memory became history. MORE Homer Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homer/id1520403988?i=1000562402765] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/41Uayy5vU4udgt08Z0TVuv] The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/ci/podcast/the-persian-wars-darius-athens-and-the-battle-of-marathon/id1520403988?i=1000693668740] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/12fCnM711Gh2LbKxoiE1uo] Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: @TheAncientsPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast] 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. 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 Phoenicians

Three thousand years ago, Phoenician ships sailed west across the Mediterranean, their holds packed with pottery, wine and enslaved people to trade. Passing beyond the fabled Pillars of Heracles, they were pushing at the familiar limits of the ancient world. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Josephine Quinn, to explore the story of the Phoenicians. From the bustling sea ports of Tyre and Sidon to the founding of famous settlements like Carthage, discover how these remarkable seafarers built vast trading networks across the Mediterranean. Tristan and Josephine discuss who the Phoenicians really were, how their reputation as master mariners took shape, and the enduring legacies often linked to them, including the spread of the alphabet and their influence on the ancient world. MORE Tyre: Jewel of Phoenicia Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1759820234?i=1000663557850] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/28ia0jWJaqLsCXTvqJAZ4d?si=ftn_VtEzSM-ujT0u1e9bcQ] Origins of Carthage Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000646037461] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/522qoJ8gm5pQT0IYunKiTJ?si=tXx5DyeERbKx2qyfzlpLvA] 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. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. 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.

Bronze Age Star Map: The Nebra Sky Disk

In 1999, a mysterious bronze disc buried for millennia in central Europe transformed how we see the prehistoric world. The Nebra Sky Disk - forged 3,600 years ago - is the oldest known depiction of the night sky. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined, once again, by archaeologist Raven Todd DaSilva to uncover the remarkable story of this Bronze Age star map. Discovered in Germany in thrilling and illegal circumstances, this precious artefact reveals a sophisticated understanding of the heavens long before classical astronomy. Together, Tristan and Raven explore how ancient Europeans mapped the stars, what the disk’s symbols may represent, and why this extraordinary object continues to reshape our understanding of prehistoric science and belief. MORE The Skulls of Jericho: Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000749262721] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mkhmHnIquulOuqbZBIXT7?si=b_eTEUuOSpWrlOSx1rkSsw] The Bronze Age Collapse: Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000641437640] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dEddIFS5yfamKqVZd6xAE?si=9503fa324aab45f8] Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: @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. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. 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.