Carthage vs Greeks? The First Sicilian War
480 BC is a year widely-celebrated in Greek history. When Leonidas' Spartan core and their Hellenic allies fought a powerful Persian army at Thermopylae, and an outnumbered, Athenian-led navy defeated...
13 Jul 202147min
Julius Caesar’s Invasions of Britain
On the day of the Euro 2020 final, we’re talking England versus Italy…Ancients style (well, sort of). Historian and archaeologist Dr Simon Elliott returns to the podcast to talk us through Julius Caes...
11 Jul 202142min
Begram: Crossroads of the Ancient World
Bagram, also known as Begram, has been in the news a lot recently. Over the past couple of days, the last US and NATO troops have withdrawn from Bagram air base, which they have occupied for some 20 y...
8 Jul 202140min
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Strait of Messina
Dividing Sicily from Italy, the Strait of Messina is a small stretch of water with an incredible history that stretches back to ancient times. It was likely here that the mythical sea monsters of Scyl...
6 Jul 202141min
Persepolis: Jewel of Persia
It is one of the most remarkable ancient sites in the World. Situated east of the Zagros Mountains in modern day Iran, Persepolis was an important urban centre of the Achaemenid Persian Empire for alm...
4 Jul 202148min
Divorced, Murdered, Survived: Nero's Wives
In the long tradition of categorising famous wives as the good or the bad, Nero’s partners are no exception. These women are regularly reduced to simple characters within the final Julio-Claudian Empe...
30 Jun 202148min
The Truth About Spartan Society
Sparta. Situated in the southern Peloponnese, this ancient Hellenic city-state has become ingrained in popular imagination as the home of unmatched Greek super soldiers, trained for war since youth an...
29 Jun 202126min
Vindolanda: Jewel of Roman Britain
Situated roughly two miles south of Hadrian's Wall in the heart of the Northumberland countryside, Vindolanda is home to some of the most remarkable archaeology from Roman Britain. Its history spans s...
27 Jun 202153min
