The Ancients

<p>Fifteen thousand years ago, as the Ice Age loosened its grip on Northern Europe, humans returned to the previously inhospitable British Isles. But they did not come alone. Among their number was a companion once thought to be an impossibility: Britain's earliest known dog.</p><br><p>In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes Dr. Selina Brace and Dr. William Marsh from the Natural History Museum to explore groundbreaking new research from Gough’s Cave that is reshaping our understanding of humans and dogs in Ice Age Britain. Together they uncover the story of a remarkable discovery: ancient remains once believed to belong to a wolf, now identified as Britain’s oldest known domesticated dog. How did this dog live alongside prehistoric hunter-gatherers? And how is this discovery changing what we thought we knew about the arrival of dogs in Britain?</p><br><p><strong>MORE</strong></p><p><strong>The First Dogs:</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000643552587" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fpF68aiJUIbMv6AzXxfC6?si=z52vZY8vTfOkkFawZD-9ow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify </a></p><br><p><strong>End of the Ice Age Britain:</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000694734588" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wYzp7wrHLqXmKMvG2okz4?si=4T90KftMQtiV86OS0c4f1w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify </a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What did it take to become a Roman centurion? To command, to punish and to lead from the very front of Rome’s armies?</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Ben Kane to uncover the reality behind one of the most iconic ranks of the ancient world. From the brutal discipline of life on campaign to the prestige and pressure of command, discover how centurions became the backbone of the Roman military. How were they chosen? What kept their soldiers in line? And why were they so crucial to Rome’s success on battlefields across the empire?</p><br><p><strong>Watch this episode on our NEW YouTube channel: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>@TheAncientsPodcast</strong></a></p><br><p><strong>MORE:</strong></p><p><strong>The Roman Legionary</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000627618850" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1NYMG6kR42oRGiVps0AH8S?si=f1ad4cd1b83848f9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify </a></p><br><p><strong>The Roman Auxiliary</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000654062585" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cUQGd0cGCWIWo2tHFPS2m?si=cPW8QDVBRQWAEOkmdh-Jiw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify </a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p><p><a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What happens when a defensive alliance slowly turns into an empire? Tristan Hughes and Professor Polly Low explore the Delian League, the so‑called “ancient NATO”, from its Persian War origins to Athenian domination. Discover tribute, revolt, contested sources and how a league of allies became Athens’ hard-edged maritime empire.</p><br><p><strong>MORE</strong></p><p><strong>The Persian Wars: Xerxes, Thermopylae and Salamis</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-persian-wars-xerxes-thermopylae-and-salamis/id1520403988?i=1000695929043" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jgBbWwNQQiK0Hj2v3E09I" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p><strong>The Parthenon: Wonder of Athens</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-parthenon-wonder-of-athens/id1520403988?i=1000665167130" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RDHGG7Gw4K30mejtl4j1Q" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tim Artsall. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In 480 BC, at the narrow pass of Thermopylae, a vastly outnumbered Greek force prepares to face the advancing army of the Persian king Xerxes. At its head stands Leonidas, king of Sparta, ready to make a final stand that will become one of the most famous moments in ancient history.</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Andrew Bayliss to peel back the myth and uncover the real story of Leonidas. Tracing Leonidas's origins amid the turbulent politics of Sparta’s Agiad dynasty to his denouement at the hot gates of Thermopylae, they explore Leonidas's journey to power, his dogged defiance against the Persians and what his story reveals about Spartan society, kingship and warfare at the height of the Greco-Persian Wars.</p><br><p><strong>Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>@TheAncientsPodcast</strong></a></p><br><p><strong>MORE:</strong></p><br><p><strong>Xerxes the Great: </strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000744989036" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/34TuppA48iL0ZnzJCUVmF6?si=DP7vjJH4RGWLmDWPz9dFkQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify </a></p><br><p><strong>The Spartan Warrior:</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000637960305" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sW8h75JGibviB8xf9nVYT?si=pLyW3ZHLRn-WuXiucF-1yA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify </a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p><p><a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p><br></p><p>What if Julius Caesar had survived the Ides of March? This episode explores his last known plans — vast eastern campaigns, sweeping reforms, and his visions for Rome’s future. Could he have rivalled Alexander the Great, crowned himself king, or reshaped the Republic forever? Discover history’s greatest “what if.”</p><br><p><strong>MORE</strong></p><p><strong>The Rise of Julius Caesar</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/rise-of-julius-caesar/id1520403988?i=1000699164890" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/66cyBkNuR0EJvtZ6XkIGio" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p><strong>Cleopatra</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rise-of-cleopatra/id1520403988?i=1000569847272" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/64bERc7V5m4FstxWzJJ4i2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tim Arstall. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. </em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit to watch the new documentary RISE OF CAESAR; and see Adrian Goldsworthy, Dr. Simon Elliott, and Dr. Hannah Cornwell, Tristan Hughes, peel back the layers of the man, the myth, and the massive political ego that transformed the Western world forever.</strong></p><p><strong>As well as hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What drove Herodotus to write the first great story of history? Tristan Hughes speaks with Dr. Roel Konijnendijk to uncover the world of Herodotus of Halicarnassus - the traveler, investigator, and storyteller behind The Histories.</p><br><p>From Persian kings to Greek heroes, they explore his methods, digressions, and the quest to explain why empires rose, wars raged, and memory became history.</p><br><p><strong>MORE</strong></p><p><strong>Homer</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homer/id1520403988?i=1000562402765" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/41Uayy5vU4udgt08Z0TVuv" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p><strong>The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ci/podcast/the-persian-wars-darius-athens-and-the-battle-of-marathon/id1520403988?i=1000693668740" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/12fCnM711Gh2LbKxoiE1uo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p><strong>Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>@TheAncientsPodcast</strong></a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor and producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p><p><a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Three thousand years ago, Phoenician ships sailed west across the Mediterranean, their holds packed with pottery, wine and enslaved people to trade. Passing beyond the fabled Pillars of Heracles, they were pushing at the familiar limits of the ancient world.</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Josephine Quinn, to explore the story of the Phoenicians. From the bustling sea ports of Tyre and Sidon to the founding of famous settlements like Carthage, discover how these remarkable seafarers built vast trading networks across the Mediterranean. Tristan and Josephine discuss who the Phoenicians really were, how their reputation as master mariners took shape, and the enduring legacies often linked to them, including the spread of the alphabet and their influence on the ancient world.</p><br><p><strong>MORE</strong></p><p>Tyre: Jewel of Phoenicia</p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1759820234?i=1000663557850" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/28ia0jWJaqLsCXTvqJAZ4d?si=ftn_VtEzSM-ujT0u1e9bcQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p>Origins of Carthage</p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000646037461" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/522qoJ8gm5pQT0IYunKiTJ?si=tXx5DyeERbKx2qyfzlpLvA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p><p><a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In 1999, a mysterious bronze disc buried for millennia in central Europe transformed how we see the prehistoric world. The Nebra Sky Disk - forged 3,600 years ago - is the oldest known depiction of the night sky.</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes is joined, once again, by archaeologist Raven Todd DaSilva to uncover the remarkable story of this Bronze Age star map. Discovered in Germany in thrilling and illegal circumstances, this precious artefact reveals a sophisticated understanding of the heavens long before classical astronomy. Together, Tristan and Raven explore how ancient Europeans mapped the stars, what the disk’s symbols may represent, and why this extraordinary object continues to reshape our understanding of prehistoric science and belief.</p><br><p><strong>MORE</strong></p><br><p><strong>The Skulls of Jericho:</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000749262721" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mkhmHnIquulOuqbZBIXT7?si=b_eTEUuOSpWrlOSx1rkSsw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p><strong>The Bronze Age Collapse:</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000641437640" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dEddIFS5yfamKqVZd6xAE?si=9503fa324aab45f8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify </a></p><br><p><strong>Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>@TheAncientsPodcast</strong></a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p><p><a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Before Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops, Earth was rebuilding from catastrophe. Out of the ashes of the Great Dying rose a new prehistoric world and with it came the age of the dinosaurs.</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Henry Gee to explore the full sweep of dinosaur history, from their emergence on the supercontinent Pangaea to their 150-million-year dominance of the planet. Discover how early reptiles evolved into the giants of the Jurassic and Cretaceous, how ecosystems transformed around them, and why their reign finally came to a dramatic end.</p><br><p>MORE</p><p><strong>Rise of Humans</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000702067254" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/05wbG2dMp174D10gP30kIj?si=RnOXjNDpS6avZVFtBhearQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p><strong>Feathered Dinosaurs</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000597083844" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Apple</a></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1vXxIXCruQh4w90EuawE6E?si=kf1RxSyXTxCqFiqRNiZWWw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen on Spotify</a></p><br><p>Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor and producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.</p><p>All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds</p><p><em>The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.</em></p><br><p><strong>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at </strong><a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</u></strong></a><strong>.</strong> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p><p><a href="https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>