
Ancient History Fangirl
True stories and tall tales of the ancient world.
Jenny Williamson and Genn McMenemy · Ancient History Fangirl
Show overview
Ancient History Fangirl has been publishing since 2018, and across the 8 years since has built a catalogue of 358 episodes, alongside 7 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 410 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 53 min and 1h 20m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language History show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 5 days ago, with 27 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2023, with 69 episodes published.
From the publisher
An ancient history podcast run by two Millennial women. Misbehaving emperors, poison assassins, mythological mayhem; it’s like if Hardcore History met up with My Favorite Murder in the ancient world, with a heavy helping of booze and laughter.
Latest Episodes
View all 358 episodesWhy are Techbro Oligarchs so Obsessed with Augustus?
A Democracy Built on Slavery (With Emma Southon)
The Secret Lives of Julio-Claudian Wives (Part 3)
The Secret Lives of Julio-Claudian Wives (Part 2)
RE-RELEASE: Fulvia: Original Gangster of Ancient Rome
The Secret Lives of Julio-Claudian Wives (Part 1)
AHFG Book Club: Aphrodite & Ares: An Immortal Affair (With Jennifer Saint)
Clodia: Champion of Democracy (With Douglas Boin)
The Lex Juliae: How Augustus Brought Women to Heel
AHFG Book Club: If Villain Bad, Why Villain Hot? (With Elizabeth May)
How to Destroy a Democracy (Welcome to the Augustan Age)
Was Rome Always Like This? (With Mike Duncan)
AHFG Book Club: Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh (With Saara El-Arifi)
Ep 344Rome Has No Kings
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! When Octavian (Augustus) returned home victorious from his final battle against Marc Antony and Cleopatra, he was met by an ecstatic crowd. The Senate had ordered all classes and priesthoods, including the Vestal Virgins, to joyously greet him at the entrance to the city. This was the man who would be responsible for demolishing their democracy and ushering in an imperial military state that would last another 500 years (roughly). What was it like to stand in the shadow of the walls that day? What questions were burning in the people’s hearts? What did they think that they did not dare say? Was the mood celebratory? Raucous? Rebellious? Join us as we travel back in time to the gates of Rome, to watch Octavian return. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep 343RE-RELEASE: Actium, Baby! (With Barry Strauss)
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! In this episode, we return to the beach at Actium with author, historian, and academic Barry Strauss as our tour guide. His new book, The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium, discusses the infamous sea battle Marc Antony and Cleopatra fought against Octavian and Agrippa for love, for supremacy, for their very survival. Join us as we deconstruct this battle, paint a vivid picture of ancient war at sea, and tackle the one question everyone’s asking: why did Cleopatra flee the battlefield? Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep 342ALL IN ONE PLACE: Marc Antony x Cleopatra: Lovers in a Dangerous Time (Parts 4 & 5)
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! This file contains the last two episodes in our series on Marc Antony and Cleopatra: Lovers in a Dangerous Time, all in one place. This series has everything: love, war, violence, betrayal, Marc Antony barfing everywhere, and Cleopatra being extremely glamorous at all times. Please enjoy while you wait for us to return from hiatus on April 9. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep 341RE-RELEASE: Fulvia: Original Gangster of Ancient Rome
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! The romance between Mark Antony and Cleopatra has beguiled us for centuries. What most people don’t realize is that when Mark Antony met Cleopatra, he was already married—to someone just as epic. Her name was Fulvia. Cleopatra had glamour and divinity and lots of money. But Fulvia had the gangs. She was a populist firebrand, military leader, and for a while, the undisputed power in Rome: both in the Senate and in the streets. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep 340ALL IN ONE PLACE: Julius Caesar Parts 1 & 2
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! We're on hiatus until April 9. Until then, enjoy this long, binge-able episode on Julius Caesar's early life. Most accounts of Caesar's life start later on--such as during his time in Gaul or crossing the Rubicon. But his early life was just as fascinating; maybe even more so. This is the Caesar who stood up to Sulla and refused to divorce his wife. The Caesar who made an early career of prosecuting corrupt governors to cement his cred as a populist--even as it made him powerful enemies. The Caesar who, when kidnapped by pirates, demanded they raise his ransom and spent his time in captivity hanging out on the beach and reading them bad poetry. It's a fun, lighthearted introduction to Caesar's life before it takes its dark turn. We hope you enjoy. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep 339RE-RELEASE: Spartacus vs. Toussaint L'Ouverture (With Mike Duncan)
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! More than 1,800 years after Spartacus fought for his freedom, another rebel leader spearheaded the most successful slave revolt in history: the Haitian Revolution. That leader was a man named Toussaint L’Ouverture. This week, we invited Mike Duncan of The History of Rome and Revolutions to help us compare these two revolutionaries and discuss what advice Toussaint L'Ouverture might have had for Spartacus. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep 338ALL IN ONE PLACE: Spartacus Parts 1, 2 & 3
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! This file contains the first three episodes of our Spartacus series. You'll learn about the conditions in Italy that gave rise to the Third Servile War; how Spartacus rebelled and the pressures he was under in holding together a disparate crowd of rebels with differing priorities. It's a riveting tale that's sure to keep you hooked. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices