The Ancients History Hit

In an exclusive episode for our History Hit subscribers, Tristan Hughes introduces one of his favourite interviews from The Ancients. 

The House of the Faun in Pompeii is known for being one of the largest and most impressive private residences in the ancient city. Among its many works of art is a depiction of Alexander the Great in battle. In previous episodes we have discussed Alexander’s rule and empire, but in this interview with Gregory Aldrete Tristan focuses on Alexander's armour, for, instead of wearing bronze or iron armour as one might expect, Alexander is going into battle wearing a breastplate of linen.

Gregory Aldrete has spent 12 years studying the composition and effectiveness of this ancient armour used by many nations around the Mediterranean. To do so, he recreated the armour from scratch, using authentic materials. In this fascinating interview Gregory, Professor Emeritus from The University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, speaks with Tristan about how this armour protected one of the most powerful conquering armies of all history, despite being made of a soft fabric. 

This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan

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Caligula. One of the most infamous Roman emperors of them all. He didn't rule Rome for long, but he has gained a legacy as this incredibly evil figure. But who was the real Caligula? Did he really fall in love with one of his horses? And did he really declare war on the sea?
In today's episode Tristan Hughes uncovers all this and more as he welcomes historian LJ Trafford back onto the podcast to explore the truth behind Caligula's rather horrifying legend.
This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan
Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.
You can take part in our listener survey here.

Cleopatra. It is one of the most recognisable names in ancient history, made famous by the exploits of Egypt’s controversial pharaoh queen. But did you know that the Cleopatra of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony fame was actually the seventh Cleopatra of her dynasty. From 180 BC, down to the Roman conquest of Alexandria in 30 BC, Egypt was ruled by a line of fiercely ambitious and independent Cleopatras, none of whom were afraid to break the rules…
In today’s episode of The Ancients Tristan once again welcomes Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn Jones onto to podcast, this time to delve into the golden age of Ptolmeic Egypt and unpack the tumultuous family drama that brought these Cleopatras to the fore. 
This episode was produced and edited by Joseph Knight. Senior Producer was Anne-Marie Luff.
Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.
You can take part in our listener survey here.

Nineveh was one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia. Situated on the eastern bank of the River Tigris, it rivalled cities like Babylon and Persepolis as the capital of the great Assyrian Empire and the seat of power for towering figures like Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal. But what were its origins, how did it become such a great city and how did it fall? 
In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Paul Collins to tell the story of Nineveh’s history from start to end. Beginning with its Stone Age origins, they discuss its conquest by the Akkadians, its golden age as Mesopotamia’s foremost city, and its obliteration at the hands of the Medes and Babylonians. 
This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan 
Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.
You can take part in our listener survey here.

The Silk Road was a pivotal ancient exchange network that connected the grassy steppes of Asia and the Middle East with the western world. The passage of goods, ideas and technologies along this bustling commercial artery was crucial to the development of the ancient East and West. It was, quite simply, the glue that held the ancient world together. But what were the origins of this first global exchange network? 
In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes seeks to answer that very question. Speaking to Dr. Miljana Radivojevic they discuss how people living in Bronze Age Central Asia helped build the world’s first and most famous trading route. 
This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan 
Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.
You can take part in our listener survey here.

Stonehenge is one of Britain’s most iconic historic monuments and arguably the jewel of prehistoric Britain. It is also one of the most popular topics on The Ancients. So for this subscriber episode we're combining our previous episodes on this most famous of stone circles into one bumber 'mega-episode'. A comprehensive ‘Ancients Guide to Stonehenge’ if you will.

So if you want to explore the story of Stonehenge's creation and discover what the wider world of stone-age Britain looked like, come and join Tristan on this mammoth prehistoric adventure through 'The Ancients' Stonehenge archive.

This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan