Our new series, The Renaissance Times, launched on Dec 24, 2017. Here’s the first episode! Go check out the rest of the series at therenaissancetimes.com.   At its peak, the Library of Alexandria was estimated to contain somewhere in the order of 500,000 books on philosophy, science, medicine, history, tragedy, comedy, rhetoric and politics. Across the Roman empire, private and public libraries contained copies of these books. They were read, studied and appreciated. Of course, literacy...

The Dark Ages are ending! As you may have realized, we published our very last Alexander episode last week! Now some of you might be wondering what to do now? Well, I had hoped I’d be able to just transfer your Alexander subscriptions over to the new series, but, alas, the entrails from our last sacrifice portended bad omens in that regard. So instead, you have a few options. Please read carefully. 1. If you’re a new monthly subscriber to Alexander, or you haven’t finished the series...

The Dark Ages are ending! As you may have realized, we published our very last Alexander episode last week! Now some of you might be wondering what to do now? Well, I had hoped I’d be able to just transfer your Alexander subscriptions over to the new series, but, alas, the entrails from our last sacrifice portended bad omens in that regard. So instead, you have a few options. Please read carefully. 1. If you’re a new monthly subscriber to Alexander, or you haven’t finished the series...

Well, here we are. Three years, 122 episodes, some of which were a LOT longer than an hour, so probably around 130-140 hours of story. We started with 14 episodes covering the rise of Philip II of Macedon, aka Big Daddy Phil: his military innovations, his marriages, his cunning, the Battle of Chaeronea, and his assassination in 336 BCE. We then carried on with 44 episodes about his eldest son, Alexander III: shutting down rebellions across Greece, his journey of conquest across Asia Minor,...

Well, here we are. Three years, 122 episodes, some of which were a LOT longer than an hour, so probably around 130-140 hours of story. We started with 14 episodes covering the rise of Philip II of Macedon, aka Big Daddy Phil: his military innovations, his marriages, his cunning, the Battle of Chaeronea, and his assassination in 336 BCE. We then carried on with 44 episodes about his eldest son, Alexander III: shutting down rebellions across Greece, his journey of conquest across Asia Minor,...

Professor Ian Worthington joins us again to talk about new book about Ptolemy!   HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the show below or subscribe through iTunes or any podcast player. If you're not a subscriber, please register. If you want to listen to the first episode for free, get instructions here. If you haven't already, join our Facebook page and you'll be in the running to win prizes in our regular “Share The Love” and other competitions. If you'd...

Professor Ian Worthington joins us again to talk about new book about Ptolemy!   HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the show below or subscribe through iTunes or any podcast player. If you're not a subscriber, please register. If you want to listen to the first episode for free, get instructions here. If you haven't already, join our Facebook page and you'll be in the running to win prizes in our regular “Share The Love” and other competitions. If you'd...

David Grant has just published a truly unique and fascinating book called “In Search of the Lost Testament of Alexander”. We recently had him on to talk us through his theory. register. If you want to listen to the first episode for free, get instructions here. If you haven't already, join our Facebook page and you'll be in the running to win prizes in our regular “Share The Love” and other competitions. If you'd like to write a funny or insightful review on iTunes, this is the...

David Grant has just published a truly unique and fascinating book called “In Search of the Lost Testament of Alexander”. We recently had him on to talk us through his theory. register. If you want to listen to the first episode for free, get instructions here. If you haven't already, join our Facebook page and you'll be in the running to win prizes in our regular “Share The Love” and other competitions. If you'd like to write a funny or insightful review on iTunes, this is the...

James Romm is an author, reviewer, and the James H. Ottaway Jr. Professor of Classics at Bard College in Annandale, NY. After getting his B.A. in Classics from Yale, he went on to earn a Ph.D. from Princeton in 1988. He has taught Greek language, literature and history at Bard College since 1990. He is also the author of GHOST ON THE THRONE, one of the best books on the Wars of the Successors. HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the show below or subscribe...

James Romm is an author, reviewer, and the James H. Ottaway Jr. Professor of Classics at Bard College in Annandale, NY. After getting his B.A. in Classics from Yale, he went on to earn a Ph.D. from Princeton in 1988. He has taught Greek language, literature and history at Bard College since 1990. He is also the author of GHOST ON THE THRONE, one of the best books on the Wars of the Successors. HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the show below or subscribe...

In this episode Alexander III of Macedon marches all the way from Alexandria in Egypt to Gaugamela (near Mosul in modern day Iraq) where Darius of Persia is waiting for him with the biggest army the world had ever seen. And elephants.   HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the show below or subscribe through iTunes or any podcast player. If you're not a subscriber, please register. If you want to listen to the first episode for free, get instructions...

In this episode Alexander III of Macedon marches all the way from Alexandria in Egypt to Gaugamela (near Mosul in modern day Iraq) where Darius of Persia is waiting for him with the biggest army the world had ever seen. And elephants.   HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the show below or subscribe through iTunes or any podcast player. If you're not a subscriber, please register. If you want to listen to the first episode for free, get instructions...

It's late 333 BCE. Alexander faces Darius on the battlefield for the first time! He's outnumbered – 3 to 1 or even 11 to 1, depending on which source you believe. What does he do? He stands firm and fights, because he is Alexander. If you've ever wondered why he deserves the epithet “The Great”, this is where you find out. In fact, we don't think that does him justice. From now on, he will be know as “Alexander the Motherfucker”. HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen...

It's late 333 BCE. Alexander faces Darius on the battlefield for the first time! He's outnumbered – 3 to 1 or even 11 to 1, depending on which source you believe. What does he do? He stands firm and fights, because he is Alexander. If you've ever wondered why he deserves the epithet “The Great”, this is where you find out. In fact, we don't think that does him justice. From now on, he will be know as “Alexander the Motherfucker”. HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen...

In this exciting episode, we see Alexander engage the Persians for the first time! We also talk about Persian religion, Zoroastrianism, and talk a little about the achievements and history of the Persian empire. Then we get stuck into the Battle of the Granicus River, where young Alexander proves himself, yet again, to be a master of strategy and to be just plain crazy. HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the show below or subscribe through iTunes or any...

In this exciting episode, we see Alexander engage the Persians for the first time! We also talk about Persian religion, Zoroastrianism, and talk a little about the achievements and history of the Persian empire. Then we get stuck into the Battle of the Granicus River, where young Alexander proves himself, yet again, to be a master of strategy and to be just plain crazy. HOW TO LISTEN If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the show below or subscribe through iTunes or any...

After six long months and 14 episodes we finally end Chapter One of our series with Philip II's assassination. It's one of the craziest stories you'll ever hear. We know who did it but we'll never really know why or who put him up to it – if anyone. It involves a homosexual dalliance and gang rape. In this episode we also have babies burned alive, a forced suicide, a crucifixion, a warning about chopping of dicks and a really awful country song. WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR!? HOW TO...

After six long months and 14 episodes we finally end Chapter One of our series with Philip II's assassination. It's one of the craziest stories you'll ever hear. We know who did it but we'll never really know why or who put him up to it – if anyone. It involves a homosexual dalliance and gang rape. In this episode we also have babies burned alive, a forced suicide, a crucifixion, a warning about chopping of dicks and a really awful country song. WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR!? HOW TO...

If you’re not already one of the many fans of Peter Adamson’s “History Of Philosophy Without Any Gaps” podcast, you will be by the end of this episode. Peter does to philosophy what we do to history – he provides a blow-by-blow account of the ideas, lives and historical context of the major philosophers as well as the lesser-known figures of the tradition. Peter is a Professor of Philosophy at the LMU in Munich and was previously at King’s College London. We invited him onto the show to...

If you’re not already one of the many fans of Peter Adamson’s “History Of Philosophy Without Any Gaps” podcast, you will be by the end of this episode. Peter does to philosophy what we do to history – he provides a blow-by-blow account of the ideas, lives and historical context of the major philosophers as well as the lesser-known figures of the tradition. Peter is a Professor of Philosophy at the LMU in Munich and was previously at King’s College London. We invited him onto the show to...

King Philip bought some time with his peace treaties and marriages and used that time to re-engineer the Macedonian army and cavalry. In this (shortish due to Xmas) episode, Philip turns on his enemies who threaten Macedon and shows them that there’s a new king in town!   And here are some maps so you can play along! I WANT YOU Coffee Mugs If you want to order one of the brilliant coffee mugs designed by Jessica Robles, here’s the pricing info (inc shipping): * U.S. – USD...

King Philip bought some time with his peace treaties and marriages and used that time to re-engineer the Macedonian army and cavalry. In this (shortish due to Xmas) episode, Philip turns on his enemies who threaten Macedon and shows them that there’s a new king in town!   And here are some maps so you can play along! I WANT YOU Coffee Mugs If you want to order one of the brilliant coffee mugs designed by Jessica Robles, here’s the pricing info (inc shipping): * U.S. – USD...

The saga begins! We kick off the new series talking about why Alexander The Great is worth discussing – cavalry commander at 16, king at 20, conqueror of Persia at 26, conquered two-thirds of the known world by the time of his death at 32, bore the shield of Achilles, never lost a battle, the Gordian Knot – and he had AWESOME HAIR. We also discuss his motivations – was he just a despotic conqueror or did he have a vision, inspired by Aristotle, to unite the world and stop the incessant...