**This episode contains conversation about sexual behaviour** In early modern Europe, acting upon same-sex desires was forbidden. We only know of many of the cases because of records of criminal trials. But the evidence of the past does not suggest that we can easily find a strai ...Afficher plus
Walter Raleigh’s Quest for El Dorado
Sir Walter Raleigh remains one of the most famous men of the Elizabethan era. He was a true Renaissance man - a statesman, soldier, writer, explorer and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. In 1594, Raleigh heard about the legendary golden city of El Dorado and, the following year, ...Afficher plus
From Tudor to Stuart: Regime Change
In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I died and King James VI of Scotland, became King James I of England. Elizabeth was a hard act to follow for the Scottish newcomer who faced a host of problems in his first years as king: not only the legacy of his predecessor but also unrest in Ireland, ...Afficher plus
Diving Tudor Shipwrecks
In the 16th and 17th centuries, sailing was a tool of warfare and empire, of conquest and discovery, of trade and travel. But vessels were often lost or wrecked in heavy storms or on unfamiliar routes, through attack and piracy. Many such shipwrecks are still being found. In thi ...Afficher plus
The Birth of Science in 16th Century Europe
The traditional view of the birth of modern science places it firmly in the 17th century with such huge names as Bacon, Descartes, Newton, and Galileo. But a century earlier there were others - whose names are not so well-known to us - who paved the way for later scientific brea ...Afficher plus