Messalina

We’re back with a completely reworked and expanded 2026 version of one of our most requested redo episodes: Alexandra Feodorovna, the last empress of Russia. Originally covered way back in 2018, we realized there was so much more to unpack about the woman who would become the tra ...  Show more

We’re back for part 2 in our Caroline of Brunswick series—and the drama only escalates. After her disastrous marriage to George IV, Caroline becomes Britain’s ultimate “people’s princess” while her husband doubles down on being the worst. In this episode, we cover the birth of Pr ...  Show more

In this episode of The Ancients, host Tristan Hughes speaks with historian Honor Cargill-Martin about the notorious Empress Messalina, third wife of Emperor Claudius. A lot has been said about Messalina over two millennia: that she was a nymphomaniac who organised orgies and e ...

What happens at a Roman emperor's dinner party? Why would you be lucky to get out alive? And how are emperors even chosen?

Joining Kate today is the one, the only Mary Beard, to take us back to Ancient Rome and help separate the facts from the myths.

Mary's ...

The crisis of the Roman Republic is a period littered with iconic male power players. Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Pompey, Brutus and the Gracchi brothers. But less famous, and often overlooked are the women that shaped these famous Roman statesmen.

In today' ...

What's the worst thing you could accuse someone of in Ancient Rome? There are a few strong candidates, but incest is definitely up there.

In today's episode, Kate speaks with Roman historian, Emma Southon, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Roman-Emp ...