Rise of King Herod
He’s the villain of the Nativity. An alleged killer of innocents, remembered as one of history’s great monsters. But the truth about Herod the Great is far more dramatic, far more complex, and far mor...
11 Dec 202548min
The Ten Commandments
Did Moses really receive the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, or is that just ancient legend? Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Dylan Johnson to unpack how the Book of Exodus disagrees with Deuteronomy,...
7 Dec 202556min
Origins of Chocolate
Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Cameron McNeil, Mesoamerican archaeologist, to explore cacao, in ancient Mesoamerican societies like the Maya, Aztecs, and Olmecs. They discuss how was used as food, dr...
4 Dec 202544min
The Khmer Empire: Angkor Wat
How did Indian culture shape the wonders of Southeast Asia?Tristan Hughes is joined by William Dalrymple to explore the fascinating first millennium AD, from vibrant trade dynamics with the Roman Empi...
30 Nov 202537min
The World's Oldest Letters
What do the world’s first letters reveal about life in the Bronze Age?Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Amanda Podany to uncover the remarkable written culture of ancient Mesopotamia, when clay tablets c...
27 Nov 202555min
Emperor Tiberius: Monster or Misunderstood?
*WARNING: This podcast contains adult themes and discussion of paedophilia*A brilliant general. A brooding autocrat. A recluse surrounded by scandal. Few Roman emperors divide opinion like Tiberius. B...
23 Nov 202553min
Zoroastrianism
A faith born in the distant prehistoric past, rooted in ancient Iranian texts over 4,000 years old, Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest living religions. and one that shaped empires.In this ep...
20 Nov 20251h
Decline & Fall of the Ancient World
Tristan Hughes invites Matt Lewis, host The Ancients's sister podcast Gone Medieval, for a lively debate with about the blurred boundary between the ancient and medieval worlds. Can Tristan champion R...
16 Nov 202546min
