Why did witches confess?

Why did Alexander the Great sleep with a copy of the Odyssey under his pillow? In this final episode of HistoryExtra's four-part series, Kev Lochun and classicist Daisy Dunn explore the astonishing cultural legacy of a poem that has been shaping how we think about home, heroism a ...  Show more

The Maya have a rich and varied storyworld shaped by diverse traditions and communities. In this episode, Mallory E Matsumoto tells Emily Briffett about her recent book, The Maya Myths, which explores tales of destruction and rebirth, people made of maize dough, and journeys into ...  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 ...

Messy Messalina has not gone down in history with the tidiest reputation. In fact, we may even say her reputation is kind of messy. Empress Messalina was the wife of Roman Emperor Claudius, who ruled from AD 41 to 54. She is infamous for her promiscuity and extravagance. But, was ...  Show more

How sexually depraved were the Romans?Whilst they were a civlised, stoic and innovative bunch, they were also a promiscuous bunch with very questionable morals.Joining us today is friend of the show Emma Southon, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women.How did the Rom ...  Show more

"Enough of the Princeps, what remains to be described, is the monster..." The Roman emperor Caligula endures as one of the most notorious figures in not only Roman history, but the history of the world. Famed as a byword for sexual degeneracy, cruelty and corruption, the account ...  Show more