Origins of the Olympics
The Ancients4 Aug 2024

Origins of the Olympics

The Olympics. It’s the most famous sporting event in the world, and the 33rd Olympiad is taking place in Paris right now. But how did it all begin?


It's a story that takes us back more than 2,000 years. Featuring mythological heroes like Heracles, ancient athletes that became celebrities and the great sanctuary of Olympia in western Greece, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World


In today's episode of The Ancients Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Judith Swaddling to delve into the origins of the Olympic Games, uncovering how they were founded and what the earliest Olympics looked like.


Presented by Tristan Hughes. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.


The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.


The Ancients is recording our first LIVE SHOW at the London Podcast Festival on Thursday 5th September 2024!

Book your tickets now to be in the audience and ask Tristan and his guest your burning questions.

Tickets on sale HERE https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/the-ancients/


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscription


Vote for The Ancients in the Listeners Choice category of British Podcast Awards here.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(616)

Stone Circles

Stone Circles

From Cornwall to Orkney, stone circles are scattered throughout the length and breadth of the British Isles. Their history stretches more than 2 millennia, varying from the earlier huge stone circles ...

2 Aug 202033min

Agrippina the Younger

Agrippina the Younger

Agrippina the Younger (AD 15 - 59) was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Born during a time of radical political change in the Roman Empire, she had a very powerful pedigr...

26 Jul 202056min

Horse Archery

Horse Archery

The horse archer was one of the most feared warriors of antiquity. Triumphing mobility and fluidity, these swift skirmishers came to epitomise a feared ‘eastern’ style of warfare. Renowned historical ...

19 Jul 202058min

Antonine Wall

Antonine Wall

In c.142 AD the Emperor Antoninus Pius ordered the construction of a new wall in Northern Britain. Situated between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde it stretched the neck of modern day centra...

12 Jul 202047min

Housesteads and Hadrian's Wall

Housesteads and Hadrian's Wall

Housesteads Roman Fort is one of the great, surviving treasures of Roman Britain. Once an auxiliary fort, it occupied a dominant position on Hadrian’s Wall. The Fort has proven vital in helping archae...

5 Jul 202046min

Origins of Biological & Chemical Warfare

Origins of Biological & Chemical Warfare

The origins of biological and chemical warfare stretch far back; modern technology has not brought about these terrifying weapons. Throughout antiquity we have cases of societies using poisonous gases...

2 Jul 202030min

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

In the late 4th century and early 5th centuries two massive largely-Germanic confederations arrived on Roman borders, having been uprooted from their homelands by the Huns. These were the Goths and th...

26 Jun 20201h 2min

Plague of Athens

Plague of Athens

Plague in the ancient world was nothing unusual. Bouts of illness were common occurrences, but we do have accounts of some exceptional outbreaks: epidemics that brought powerful empires and city-state...

24 Jun 202035min

Populært innen Historie

med-egne-oyne
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
historier-som-endret-norge
henrettelsespodden
rss-katastrofe
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
rss-benadet
sektledere
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
aftenposten-historie
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-politisk-preik
rss-gamle-greier
rss-bisarr-historie
historiepodden-ww2
historiepodden
rss-historiske-romanser-svik-drap-og-kjarlighet
rss-historiepodden-ww2
vare-historier