The Ancients

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The Other Alexander Nov 08, 2020

Show notes

Alexander, an Ancient Greek king and a victorious conqueror. No, not that one, not Alexander the Great. This time, we’re talking about his uncle, Alexander I of Molossia. In 334BC, when Alexander the Great advanced east to conquer the Persian Empire, Alexander of Molossia was travelling west across the Ionian sea to the south of Italy. In addition to their matching names and simultaneous expansionist expeditions, both Alexanders were brought up in the court of Philip II of Macedon. But whilst one remains a household name, the other has sunk into obscurity. To explore the life of this lesser known Alexander, Tristan was joined by Dr. Ben Raynor. Ben is a former Moses and Mary Finley Fellow at Darwin College, University of Cambridge. He talks us through Alexander I of Molossia’s formative years in Philip’s court, his relationship with the Macedonian king and his own successes as a leader. Ben and Tristan also delve into the legends about Alexander’s death, and his omission from popular history.

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Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

Alexander the Great. One of the most recognisable names in history. In his short lifetime he conquered the mighty Persian Empire and marched his army as far as the Indus River Valley. But it is important to remember that Alexander’s achievements were only possible because of his father Philip. It was Philip who transformed the Kingdom of Macedon from a backward domain into the dominant power in the Central Mediterranean. It was Philip who reformed the army and created the force that would serve as the nucleus of Alexander’s famous victories. Both were extraordinary leaders. Both embodied a charismatic style of leadership that helped transform them into semi-legendary conquerors.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a soft spot for the story of Alexander, his successors and the Hellenistic Period in general, and so I was delighted to be joined by the one and only Adrian Goldsworthy to talk all things Philip and Alexander. One of Britain’s most renowned ancient historians, Adrian has written countless books on ancient Rome, while his most recent work covers the stories of Philip and Alexander.

This was a great chat and I hope you enjoy.

Adrian is the author of Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors.

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Catullus: Rome's Most Erotic Poet Nov 01, 2020

Show notes

If you're looking for a raunchy Roman poet, look no further than Catullus. Born into one of the most exciting periods in Roman history, in the early 1st century BC as the Roman Republic started to sing its swansong, Catullus was an aristocrat who moved in powerful circles. He was known to Cicero; he dined with Julius Caesar even after he’d mocked the great leader in verse. Catullus was well-connected, but it was his abiding love for a woman he called Lesbia (probably Clodia Metelli, a powerful woman herself) that inspired much of his poetry, which survived in a single manuscript of 116 verses.

Catullus was revolutionary, bringing a new type of poetry to the fore in ancient Rome. Often his poems were deeply personal, filled to the brim with emotion. Rarely did the young man hold back when pouring his heart out into his verses. Friends and enemies were targeted in sexy and scurrilous poems that continue to shock readers to this day. Nevertheless Catullus' legacy was far-reaching. From Ovid to Byron, Catullus has inspired many of those famous romantic poets that followed him.

To talk through the life of Ancient Rome's 'bad boy poet' (to quote our current Prime Minister Boris Johnson), it was an honour to interview Daisy Dunn, a leading classicist and Catullus' 21st century biographer. In this podcast Daisy brilliantly talks through the life of Catullus and his remarkable legacy. This was a brilliant chat and I hope you enjoy as much as Daisy and I did recording it.

Daisy is the author of Catullus: Rome's Most Erotic Poet.

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Ancient Ethiopia: The Kingdom of Aksum Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

At its height the Kingdom of Aksum was considered one of the four great powers of the Ancient World. Situated primarily in what is now northern Ethiopia, Aksum’s legacy is astonishing and far reaching and so it is extraordinary to think that so few people have heard about this kingdom today. To explain why this is the case, and so much more, I was delighted to be joined by Dr Jacke Phillips, an archaeologist and leading expert on the Kingdom of Aksum. In this podcast Jacke explained to me what we know about this ancient African kingdom and how we are continuing to learn more thanks to new, ground-breaking archaeological discoveries. From Aksum's relations with neighbouring kingdoms to its important role in the history of both Christianity and Islam, Jacke explains all in this brilliant chat.

Apologies for the couple of places where the audio is a little dodgy!

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The Origins of Ancient Vietnam Oct 25, 2020

Show notes

It is one of the most extraordinary ancient archaeological sites in Southeast Asia, albeit one that is relatively unheard of outside of Vietnam. Cổ Loa. A defensive stronghold that during its golden age became the beating heart of ancient Vietnam. To this day the city holds a deep national importance for the Vietnamese. It is a site surrounded by legendary tales, with new archaeological discoveries continuing to reveal more about this ancient city’s fascinating past.

To talk through the history, and legends, that surround this central bastion of ancient Vietnam, I was delighted to be joined by Professor Nam Kim from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Nam is a leading expert on the ancient history of Vietnam and has conducted excavations at Cổ Loa since 2005.

Nam is the author of The Origins of Ancient Vietnam.

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The Battle of Philippi: Death of the Roman Republic Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

In October 42 BC the Roman Republic committed suicide. Near the town of Philippi in northern Greece the forces of Brutus and Cassius, the famous assassins of Julius Caesar and the last surviving cheerleaders of the Roman Republic, faced off against the armies of Marc Antony and young Octavian. Two separate battles were fought, the results of which decided the future direction of Rome. I was delighted to get the brilliant Steele Brand (@steele_brand) back on the podcast to talk me through these all-important battles. From the background to Brutus’ pitiful demise Steele guided me through the final Roman attempts to restore the Republic and how they were ultimately squashed by a combination of political brilliance, suicidal blunders and outrageous luck.

Steele is the author of ‘Killing for the Republic: Citizen Soldiers and the Roman Way of War’.

Steele's Twitter: @steele_brand

Tristan's Twitter: @ancientstristan

Steele's previous appearance on The Ancients: https://play.acast.com/s/the-ancients/killingfortheromanrepublic

Quick note:

Lycia was a region in southwest Anatolia that bordered the Mediterranean Sea.

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Sophocles' Lost Plays Oct 18, 2020

Show notes

The Big Three. In antiquity it could mean a whole host of different things, the triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus for instance. But for many, ‘The Big Three’ means the three great tragedians of Ancient Greece we know so well today: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Today’s podcast is all about Sophocles, the creator of famous plays such as Oedipus Rex, Ajax and Antigone.

Seven of his plays survive in full, but believe it or not this is but a morsel of the many works that Sophocles created. Fragments of more than 100 other plays written by Sophocles have been uncovered. Though only snippets survive, and in various forms, they have provided valuable insights into Sophocles’ career and how he wrote much more than just tragedy. Even more extraordinary, to this day new fragments continue to be studied. They continue to reveal more about Sophocles and his works, slowly adding more pieces to the puzzle that is this famous dramatist - and ancient Greek drama as a whole. Sophocles may have been living over 2,500 years ago, but his story is far from over.

I was delighted to be joined by Dr Lyndsay Coo, a leading expert on Sophocles and his lost plays, to talk through the life and legacy of this famous dramatist. We first talk about Sophocles and his seven surviving plays, before going on to the many, many fragments that survive and their significance. This was an enthralling and eye-opening chat. Enjoy.

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69 AD: Rise of Vespasian Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

69 AD was a tumultuous year in Roman history. 4 Romans assumed the title of emperor; only one remained standing by the year’s end. His name was Vespasian, veteran of Claudius’ invasion of Britain and the builder of the Colosseum. Jonathan Eaton (@DrJEaton) joined me on the podcast to talk through the rise of Emperor Vespasian. In particular, we focus on what this father of the Flavian Dynasty was doing during 69 AD and assess how influential soldiers across the empire were in his bid for power. Jonathan is the author of Leading the Roman Army: Soldiers and Emperors, 31 BC – 235 AD.

Jonathan's Twitter: @DrJEaton

Tristan's Twitter: @ancientstristan

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Crassus and the Battle of Carrhae: The Defeat of Rome Oct 11, 2020

Show notes

Gareth Sampson, author of Defeat of Rome in the East: Crassus, the Parthians, and the Disastrous Battle of Carrhae, 53 BC came on the podcast to provide an in depth account of Marcus Crassus’ disastrous campaign east of the Euphrates River in 53 BC. Gareth sorted the fact from the fiction. He dispelled the idea that Crassus was this incompetent general, highlighting the questionable impartiality of our surviving sources that are at pains to suggest the campaign was plagued by disastrous omens from start to finish. In fact it was quite the opposite.

Gareth is also the author of Rome and Parthia: Empires at War, his most recent book.

Quick note:

The Seleukid Empire: A Hellenistic Kingdom that once ruled much of the ancient Near-East. One of its key kings was Antiochus III, also known as Antiochus 'the Great'.

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Septimius Severus in Scotland Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

Dan Snow talks to Simon Elliott about Septimius Severus, the first Hammer of the Scots, about his Northern Campaigns, and the true story of this savage 3rd century invasion of Scotland.

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