The Ancients History Hit

Auxiliaries were some of the most important troops in the all-conquering Roman Army. Unlike legionaries, their more heavily-armoured and widely famed counterparts, auxiliaries were recruited from across the Empire and were renowned for their versatility. Deployed as border guards in the far-away hinterlands near Hadrians Wall or as mobile cavalry in the deserts of Parthia, they helped aid the advance of Rome’s military behemoth in many more ways than one.

In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by historical novelist Ben Kane to delve deeper into the fascinating stories of these soldiers and uncover who they were, where they came from and how important they were to Rome’s many conquests.

This episode was edited and produced by Joseph Knight.

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The Beaker People were a Bronze Age culture that revolutionised prehistoric Britain. They were responsible for introducing Bronze Age technology into the British Isles for the first time, and also completely replaced the island’s earlier inhabitants. Identified by their distinctive style of pottery they quite literally changed the faced of British settlement and genetics forever. But how much do we know about them? And what archeological traces have they left behind?
In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes talks to Dr. Alison Sheridan to learn the mysterious story of the 'Beaker People'. Alison explains what recent DNA research has revealed about the nature of their arrival into the British Isles and how significant an impact they had on Britain’s Bronze Age past.
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 Library of Alexandria was one of the most important and most celebrated buildings of the ancient Mediterranean. It was a great hub of learning and literature and made Alexandria one of the ancient world’s foremost centres of knowledge and culture, and the jewel of the Nile Delta. But when was it built? And where did all the books come from?
In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes speaks to Dr. Islam Issa about the story behind one of histories greatest libraries. Together they explore why Alexandria’s reigning dynasty - the Ptolemies - were so obsessed with acquiring knowledge and uncover whether it really did burn down in a great fire. 
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.
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Apollo, the favourite son of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis, was a Greek God with many faces. Perhaps most famous as Phoebus, the God of the Sun, he was the patron of poetry and prophecy, of music and dance. And yet he also possessed a darker side. He was a terribly vengeful character and brought death and disease to both those he hated and loved through his trademark poisonous arrows.
In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Liv Albert, host of the podcast Let's Talk About Myths Baby to peel back the layers from one of Greek mythology's most complicated characters.
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.

Was Rome the greatest empire of all time? What were the reasons for its fall? How did women help expand the empire? And what were its greatest inventions?

In today's subscriber episode of the Ancients, Tristan answers your burning questions about the Roman Empire, submitted via our Google Form in our first ever subscriber Q&A.

This episode was produced and edited by Joseph Knight

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.

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The Goths are renowned for many things, not least sacking Rome in 410 AD and helping to bring about the fall of the Western Roman Empire. They were a 'barbarian' people from across the Danube who began migrating into the Empire during the 3rd and 4th centuries, pushed out of their ancestral nomadic lands by the onrushing Huns. But what were their origins? And did they really cause the fall of Rome?
In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes speaks to Dr. David Gwynn to tell the tale of the Goths from their origins on the great plains of Eastern Europe to their great migrations and successive invasions of Italy.
This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan and Ella Blaxill.
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.