181. The Birth of Babylon

What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to repress all treasonous activity in her realm? And, what terrible tr ...  Show more

How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England uninvaded…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the secret war ragin ...  Show more

HISTORY A TO Z (2) - In this episode we focus on events and characters beginning with the letter B. The Building of the Great Pyramid, the Bronze Age Collapse, the Babylonian Captivity and Belshazzar.

Professor Zainab Bahrani tackles popular internet search queries, and questions submitted by listeners, about the Mesopotamian city, which was one of the jewels of the ancient world. Topics range from religion, food and kings to the Hanging Gardens and the myth of the Tower of Ba ...  Show more

Would you be able to survive in ancient Babylonia?

In this episode, Tristan is joined once again by Amanda Podany from California State Polytechnic University to discuss the realities of daily life in this fascinating empire. Together, they discuss everything fr ...

The year is 539 BC. The greatest city of the ancient world has fallen. Babylon has opened it's gates to a new conqueror: the mighty Persian king Cyrus the Great.In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined once again by friend of the show Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jo ...  Show more