What made the Hittites one of the great Bronze Age powers, and how did their empire survive on war, diplomacy and faith? Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Elena Devecchi to uncover ancient royal intrigue, lavish festivals, the 'Thousand God', and the world’s oldest known peac ...Show more
Homo Sapiens vs Neanderthals
Tristan Hughes is joined by Ella Al-Shamahi, paleoanthropologist and presenter of the hit BBC series Human, to explore what interactions between early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals may have been like, from communication and cultural exchange to interbreeding and the possibility o ...Show more
Olympias is known for being the mother of Alexander the Great and for being Very Fond Of Snakes. She was subject to centuries of slander by the historians who followed her - but in this episode, we right some of the wrongs, give you some context for her actions, and reveal her co ...Show more
In this episode, we discuss the construction, the history, and the significance of the buildings on the Athenian Akropolis (including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and a few others); together, these buildings mark the high point of the ...Show more
While the Roman Republic was still in its infancy, the Greek city-state of Athens rose from the ruins of war with the Persians to become the most beautiful and powerful in the region. During this Golden Age, many Athenian citizens enjoyed unprecedented freedoms in the world’s fir ...Show more
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the myths and history of the ancient Greek city of Thebes and its depiction in Athenian drama. In myths it was said to be home to Heracles, Dionysus, Oedipus and Cadmus among others and, in history, was infamous for supporting Xerxes in the Persian ...Show more