The Persian Wars: Xerxes, Thermopylae and Salamis
The Ancients27 Feb 2025

The Persian Wars: Xerxes, Thermopylae and Salamis

In 486 BC, King Xerxes ascended the Persian throne, inheriting its vast and glittering world empire. But his ambition didn’t stop there - he sought revenge on Greece.


In this episode of The Ancients, the culmination of our two-part series on the Persian Wars, Tristan Hughes is joined once again by Dr. Roel Konijnendijk and Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to explore Xerxes' massive invasion. From the assembling of his colossal army to the legendary battles of Thermopylae and Salamis featured in the accounts of Herodotus, discover the earth-shattering conclusion to the largest invasion ancient Greece had ever faced.


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 and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

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

Episoder(596)

The Rise and Fall of Brutus

The Rise and Fall of Brutus

Marcus Junius Brutus is best known as one of the conspirators against Julius Caesar, but there's so much more to his complex story. In today's episode, we continue our mini-series, all about the event...

13 Mar 20221h 14min

Helen of Troy

Helen of Troy

Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships - but is there more to her than a beautiful face? To mark Women's History Month, Tristan is joined by author and broadcaster Natalie Haynes to di...

10 Mar 202244min

The Assassination of Julius Caesar: Explained

The Assassination of Julius Caesar: Explained

March 15th 44BC is perhaps the most notorious date in all of ancient history. On that fateful day, the Ides of March, 55-year-old Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of disa...

6 Mar 202251min

The Origins of Ukraine

The Origins of Ukraine

It's not often we cover current affairs on The Ancients (the clue is in the name), but in light of Putin’s claims that Ukraine was “entirely created by Russia”, we wanted to highlight Ukraine’s extrao...

3 Mar 20221h 5min

Sappho: The Poet from Lesbos

Sappho: The Poet from Lesbos

Famous throughout antiquity, yet retold only in fragments today - who is Sappho? Her poetry inspired generations, from Catullus to Byron, so how come we know so little about her life? This week Trista...

27 Feb 202232min

The Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army

Discovered by local farmers in 1974, the Terracotta Army is one of the most astounding archaeological finds on record. A piece of funerary art, dedicated to the First Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang, i...

24 Feb 202249min

Eureka! Innovation in Ancient Greece

Eureka! Innovation in Ancient Greece

It's often thought that the ancient Greeks were devout in tradition, strict in their ways and beliefs. But how true is this? When it comes to creative thinking and innovation, the ancient Greeks excel...

20 Feb 202244min

The First Australians

The First Australians

Indigenous Australians have lived on the vast continent of Australia for thousands of years - but how have they survived isolation, extreme conditions, and caring for the land which serves them? This ...

17 Feb 20221h

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
henrettelsespodden
rss-historiske-romanser
historier-som-endret-norge
rss-benadet
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
sektledere
aftenposten-historie
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-katastrofe
rss-gamle-greier
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
vare-historier
undersattene
historiepodden-ww2
historiepodden
rss-historiepodden-ww2
rss-alt-var-bedre-for