History - Ancient

ANCESTORS: A PREHISTORY OF BRITAIN IN SEVEN BURIALS

by Alice Roberts

read by Alice Roberts

running time 13hrs 48mins

We often think of Britain springing from nowhere with the arrival of the Romans. But in Ancestors, pre-eminent archaeologist, broadcaster and academic Professor Alice Roberts explores what we can learn about the very earliest Britons, from burial sites and by using new technology to analyse ancient DNA. Told through seven fascinating burial sites, this groundbreaking prehistory of Britain teaches us more about ourselves and our history: how people came and went and how we came to be on this island. It explores forgotten journeys and memories of migrations long ago, written into genes and preserved in the ground for thousands of years. This is a book about belonging: about walking in ancient places, in the footsteps of the ancestors. It explores our interconnected global ancestry, and the human experience that binds us all together. It's about reaching back in time, to find ourselves, and our place in the world.

THE CAVES OF THE SUN

by Adrian Bailey

read by John Fidell

running time 17hrs

Adrian Bailey believes that the influence of psychological interpretations posed by Freud and Jung have been detrimental to a true understanding of mankind`s religious origins. Here he revives a long-discarded nineteenth-century theory that all myths, religions and folktales can be traced to one source - the sun.

THE DREAM OF ROME

by Boris Johnson

read by Barry Wilsher

running time 6hrs 30mins

The Romans created the longest-lasting empire in History. Since then others have tried to imitate Rome's success, including the European Union, but most have failed. Boris Johnson examines the empire created by the Romans.

THE HISTORIES

by Herodotus

read by Frank Laverty

running time 27hrs 8mins

The Histories of Herodotus, completed in the second half of the 5th century BC, is generally regarded as the first work of history and the first great masterpiece of non-fiction writing. Joined here are the sheer drama of Herodotus' narrative of the Persian invasions of Greece, and the endless curiosity - turning now to cannabis, now to the Pyramids - which make his book the source of so much of our knowledge of the ancient world.

IN OUR TIME: 25 KEY FIGURES IN ANCIENT HISTORY

by Melvyn Bragg

read by Miscellaneous

running time 19hrs

In Our Time is one of BBC Radio's most successful and best-loved programmes, with a weekly listenership of over two million. This special thematic collection focusses on some of the most important rulers, philosophers and writers of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. Across 25 episodes, presenter Melvyn Bragg and a panel of top-class academics engage in lively and eloquent conversation as they explore the lives, reputations and impact of these pivotal figures. Their subjects include emperors, statesmen, military leaders, authors, poets, playwrights, fabulists and theorists—among them Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, Socrates, Pythagoras, Ovid, Aesop and Sappho.

KUBLAI KHAN

by John Man

read by Tony Lister

running time 14hrs

Placed in line for the throne by his scheming mother, Kublai Khan the thirteenth century Mongolian prince became the warrior emperor of China and one of the most powerful men who ever lived. John Man draws on his own travels in Mongolia and China to bring this world to life.

MOUNT GRACE PRIORY: EXCAVATIONS OF 1957-1992

by Glynn Coppack

read by Elizabeth Goodrich

running time 25hrs 30mins

Owned by the National Trust and managed by English Heritage, Mount Grace Priory in North Yorkshire, established in 1398 and suppressed in 1539, was one of only nine successful Carthusian monasteries in England and one of the best-preserved medieval houses of that order in Europe. First excavated by Sir William St John Hope in 1896-1900 and in state guardianship since 1955 it is acknowledged as a type site for late-medieval Carthusian monasteries. The modern study of Mount Grace began in 1957 when Hope’s interpretation of the monks’ cells about the great cloister was found to be simplistic and so further excavations were carried out over the next thirty years.

THE NANTEOS GRAIL: THE EVOLUTION OF A HOLY RELIC

by Ian Pegler & John Matthews

read by David Hobbs

running time 9hrs

The theft of the Nanteos Cup from a private home in Wales in 2015 – and its even more remarkable recovery two years later – made the headlines in most major newspapers and featured on BBC Crimewatch. People who had never heard of the cup began asking what it is – a question that has occupied people for the past three hundred years, since word of this mysterious vessel first began to filter out to the world. Though unremarkable to look at, stories of the cup’s powers and of the miraculous cures experienced by those who drank from it have been in circulation for years. The Nanteos Grail collects together for the first time records of the history of the vessel from its first appearance in the Middle Ages to the present. It will appeal to all those interested in historical mysteries and to seekers of the spiritual history of the Grail.

THE PERSIANS: THE AGE OF THE GREAT KINGS

by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

read by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

running time 18hrs 40mins

The Great Kings of Persia ruled over the largest Empire of antiquity, stretching from Libya to the Steppes of Asia, and from Ethiopia to Pakistan. At the heart of the Empire was the fabled palace-city of Persepolis where the Achaemenid monarchs held court in unparalleled grandeur. From here, Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes, and their heirs passed laws, raised armies, and governed their multicultural Empire of enormous diversity. The Achaemenids, however, were one of the great dysfunctional families of history. Brothers fought brothers for power, wives and concubines plotted to promote their sons to the throne, and eunuchs and courtiers vied for influence and prestige. Our understanding of the Persian Empire has traditionally come from the histories of Greek writers such as Herodotus - and as such, over many centuries, our perspective has been skewed by ancient political and cultural agendas. Professor Llewellyn-Jones, however, calls upon original Achaemenid sources, including inscriptions, art, and recent archaeological discoveries in Iran, to create an authentic 'Persian Version' of this remarkable first great empire of antiquity - the Age of the Great Kings.

TROY: THE SIEGE OF TROY RETOLD

by Stephen Fry

read by Stephen Fry

running time 12hrs

When Helen, the beautiful Greek queen, is kidnapped by the Trojan prince Paris, the most legendary war of all time begins. Listen in awe as a thousand ships are launched against the great city of Troy. Feel the fury of the battleground as the Trojans stand resolutely against Greek might for an entire decade. And witness the epic climax - the wooden horse, delivered to the city of Troy in a masterclass of deception by the Greeks....In Stephen Fry's exceptional retelling of our greatest story, Troy will transport you to the depths of ancient Greece and beyond.

UNDER ANOTHER SKY: JOURNEYS IN ROMAN BRITAIN

by Charlotte Higgins

read by Clare Francis

running time 10hrs

What does Roman Britain mean to us now? How has it been re-imagined, in story and song and verse? Charlotte Higgins has traced these tales by setting out to discover the remains of Roman Britain for herself, sometimes on foot, sometimes in a splendid, though not particularly reliable, VW camper van.

WHY EMPIRES FALL: ROME, AMERICA AND THE FUTURE OF THE WEST

by Peter Heather

read by Sid Sagar

running time 6hrs 55mins

Over the last three centuries, the West rose to dominate the planet. Then, suddenly, around the turn of the millennium, history reversed. Faced with economic stagnation and internal political division, the West has found itself in freefall. This is not the first time the global order has witnessed such a dramatic rise and fall. The Roman Empire followed a similar arc from dizzying power to disintegration - a fact that is more than a strange historical coincidence. In Why Empires Fall, historian Peter Heather and political economist John Rapley use this Roman past to think anew about the contemporary West, its state of crisis, and what paths we could take out of it. In this exceptional, transformative intervention, Heather and Rapley explore the uncanny parallels - and productive differences - between the two cases, moving beyond the familiar tropes of invading barbarians and civilizational decay to learn new lessons from ancient history. From 399 to 1999, the life cycles of empires, they argue, sow the seeds of their inevitable destruction. The era of the West has reached its own end - so what comes next?

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF ANCIENT GREECE: THE REAL LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED THERE

by Philip Matyszak

read by Simon Edginton

running time 6hrs 30mins

It is 248 BC, the year of the 133rd Olympic Games. At this time the Hellenistic world is at its peak, with Greek settlements spread across the Middle East, Egypt and Spain. As ever, the world is politically troubled, with Rome locked in a war with Carthage and a major conflict brewing between Egypt and Syria. However, ordinary people are still preoccupied with the crops, household affairs - and in some cases, with winning an Olympic crown. Starting at the autumn equinox, in this imagined account of a year in the life of eight fascinating characters, Philip Matyszak reveals what life was really like at this time. Rather than focusing on the kings and generals from the histories of Thucydides and Polybius, we are invited into the homes of ordinary Greek citizens. From the diplomat who is using the Games as a cover to engage in political skulduggery to the sprinter who dreams of glory, A Year in the Life of Ancient Greece takes us through a dramatic twelve months to reveal the opportunities and the perils of everyday life during this period.