The Ancients

Powerful, cunning, uncompromising, even murderous (allegedly)... meet Rome’s first empress and one of ancient history’s ultimate power players. Livia Drusilla has long been cast as the bloodthirsty ma...

In this special episode of the Ancients, released just hours after the embargo on new research was lifted, Tristan Hughes discusses the fascinating discovery of ancient Siberian ice mummies and their ...

Why was London transformed from a bustling Roman metropolis into a ghost town by the fifth century? Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Dominic Perring to explore the rich archaeological findings that reve...

Epic heroes, sacred rivers & ancient gods – this is Irish mythology as you’ve never heard it. From Newgrange to the Hill of Tara, Ireland’s myths are rooted firmly in its prehistoric past. In today's ...

As part of our week of Sharks on the Ancients, today we tell the story of Megalodon, the largest living marine animal, ever. Does this colossal prehistoric shark still lurk beneath the waves? Tristan ...

Long before the first dinosaurs, the first trees or even the formation of the rings of Saturn, our planet's oceans were ruled by prehistoric sharks. Across two special episodes of The Ancients this we...

A figure of wealth, wisdom, and global fascination - how did the Queen of Sheba become one of history’s most enduring royal icons? In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Jillian Stinchcomb to...

Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Rachel Bynoe who has literally dived into the enigmatic world of Doggerland, a prehistoric landmass now submerged beneath the North Sea. They discuss how archaeological...

It was perhaps Hannibal’s greatest gamble — after years of victories, not least his famed trek across the snow-capped Alps, could he strike at Rome itself? In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hug...

Today we journey into the creation of Plato's Republic. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. James Romm to discover how Plato's encounters with the tyrant-ruled city of Syracuse and its rulers, Dionysius t...