472 episodes

A podcast for all ancient history fans! The Ancients is dedicated to discussing our distant past. Featuring interviews with historians and archaeologists, each episode covers a specific theme from antiquity. From Neolithic Britain to the Fall of Rome. Hosted by Tristan Hughes. 

The Ancients History Hit

    • History
    • 4.7 • 1.9K Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

A podcast for all ancient history fans! The Ancients is dedicated to discussing our distant past. Featuring interviews with historians and archaeologists, each episode covers a specific theme from antiquity. From Neolithic Britain to the Fall of Rome. Hosted by Tristan Hughes. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    The Pantheon

    The Pantheon

    The Pantheon is one of the greatest Roman monuments still standing. First built as a pagan temple by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Caesar Augustus, it was rebuilt in its current form by Emperor Hadrian in AD 126 after a devastating fire and still stands just under two thousand years later almost exactly as the Romans intended. It’s famous free-standing dome is a marvel of Roman architecture and engineering, and makes it one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions to this day.
    In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Matthew Nicholls to unlock the secrets of this wonder of Ancient Rome and discover how the Romans built a temple with a craftsmanship that rivals the skills of builders today. 
    This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan.
    We need your help! We’re working on something special and we need your questions about the Roman Empire. Let us know here.
    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.

    • 43 min
    Britain After the Ice Age: Star Carr

    Britain After the Ice Age: Star Carr

    Over 13,000 years ago, Britain emerged from the ravages of the Ice Age as a changed land. Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who had adapted to cold climates were presented with new opportunities by the retreating glaciers that could transform the way they lived. But what do we actually know about these people? What can the archeology tell us about Britain after the Ice Age?
    In this episode of The Ancients Tristan Hughes is joined by archeologists Dr Nick Overton and Dr Barry Taylor to talk about the discovery of Mesolithic artefacts at Star Carr - the site of a prehistoric lake settlement in North Yorkshire - and what they can tell us about how some of Britain’s oldest inhabitants might have lived. 
    This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Peter Dennis
    We need your help! We’re working on something special and we need your questions about the Roman Empire. Let us know here.
    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.

    • 54 min
    The Persians

    The Persians

    The Persian Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great, was one of the ancient world’s most formidable imperial powers. It’s rulers possessed near-endless ambition, going toe to toe with Babylonians, Greeks and Egyptians alike until the empire was brought to ruin by the conquests of Alexander the Great. 

    The story of the Persians is one that deserves to be told on as grand a scale as possible, so in this bonus subscriber episode of The Ancients Tristan does just that. Combining five of our previous episodes about Persia into one mega-episode, Tristan embarks on a journey with friend of the show Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn Jones to retrace the highs and lows of Persia’s glittering ancient history. 

    This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Tom Delargy.

    We need your help! We’re working on something special and we need your questions about the Roman Empire. Let us know here.

    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.

    Great Wall of China

    Great Wall of China

    It's one of the most iconic structures in the world: The Great Wall of China.
    But is it just one wall? And who built it and why? Today, Tristan Hughes is joined by William Lindesay OBE to delve into the ancient history of this epic structure and to answer these questions and more.
    Together, they uncover the origin story. From the Warring States around 300 BC to the Qin Dynasty and China's first emperor, and then to its expansion during the Han Dynasty. They explore the evolution of the walls' symbolism and significance, the role it played in protecting against nomadic threats, through to modern day conservation and protection efforts and how important it is to understanding China's military and cultural history.
    We need your help! We’re working on something special and we need your questions about the Roman Empire. Let us know here.
    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.

    • 55 min
    Artemis: Goddess of the Hunt

    Artemis: Goddess of the Hunt

    Artemis is best known as the goddess of the Hunt. But she is far more than just the famed huntress of Greek mythology - she is the patron of the wilderness, of wild animals, of childbirth and also chastity. Daughter of the gods Zeus and Leto, she is famed for her lust for divine retribution and her prowess with a bow, a trait she shares with her twin brother Apollo.
    In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes continues our Gods and Goddesses series as we delve into one of the most fascinating and fickle goddesses of the Greek pantheon. He is joined by Jasmine Elmer as they discuss Artemis’s relationship with her brother, explore the importance of her virginity to her followers and discover she turns one of her favourite hunters into a stag. 
    You can preorder Jasmine’s book Goddess with a Thousand Faces here
    We need your help! We’re working on something special and we need your questions about the Roman Empire. Let us know here.
    The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie. Script written by Andrew Hulse. Voiceover performed by Nichola Woolley. The Assistant Producer was Joseph Knight. Edited and Mixed 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.

    • 47 min
    The Walls of Babylon

    The Walls of Babylon

    The ancient metropolis of Babylon was famed for its wonders like the Tower of Babel and the mysterious Hanging Gardens. But few Babylonian monuments were as wondrous as the towering, blue-bricked walls and glittering gates that surrounded the city and protected those inside from enemies on the Mesopotamian Plain.
    In todays episode of The Ancients, Tristan continues our mini-series focusing on the ancient world’s greatest architectural wonders by shining a light on the great walls of Babylon. He is joined by Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn Jones to tell the fascinating history of these legendary walls and explore what remains of them, including the magnificently reconstructed Ishtar Gate in Berlin. 
    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.
    You can take part in our listener survey here.

    • 42 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
1.9K Ratings

1.9K Ratings

Tim_MN ,

Just came across this - fabulous!

Was looking for podcasts on Ancient Britons and came across this. Lots of fascinating episodes! Is now one of my “go to” podcasts!

Kanealoha ,

So saddened by the subscription model

I understand monetization may be necessary, however, the majority of what’s released is unavailable to me because I don’t have the funds to join. The podcast is excellent, but I am close to unsubscribing because almost every time I check to see the new episode, I can’t listen. It becomes frustrating. Other podcasts provide options. A greater percentage is available to all or after a certain period of time, episodes unlock. I hope things change.

PinkyL'Amour ,

Fascinating and Illuminating

Love it!

Top Podcasts In History

The Rest Is History
Goalhanger Podcasts
Throughline
NPR
American Scandal
Wondery
You're Wrong About
Sarah Marshall
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
Dan Carlin
American History Tellers
Wondery

You Might Also Like

Gone Medieval
History Hit
Dan Snow's History Hit
History Hit
Not Just the Tudors
History Hit
History Extra podcast
Immediate Media
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
History Hit
The Rest Is History
Goalhanger Podcasts

More by History Hit Network

Dan Snow's History Hit
History Hit
Warfare
History Hit
How and Why History
History Hit
Historical Fiction
History Hit