Saxon mercenaries, collapsing Roman order, and a new chapter for Britain. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Peter Heather to explore the mysterious Saxon migrations, their Germanic roots, and how they shaped early medieval Britain. A gripping dive into post-Roman chaos and emerging kingdoms.

MORE

The Fall of Roman Britain

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vMwL1dueziXVNOwloY9xn

The Origins of London

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0vE8PGKJ858AY1bhwd4D0r

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Nick Thomson, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Theme music from Motion Array, all other music from Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

1700 years ago, the Roman Emperor Constantine called an unprecedented meeting of early Christian leaders from across the empire to settle a fierce dispute threatening to split the early Church. The result? The Council of Nicaea - Christianity’s first great general council and the birthplace of the Nicene Creed.

In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Dafydd Daniel to explore this this pivotal moment in history. From the dramatic showdown between Bishops Arius and Alexander to how this momentous gathering shaped the core beliefs of Christianity. Join us to discover the lasting legacy of one of the most influential councils in history.

Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer and audio editor is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

No grand battle. No final blaze of glory. In 476 AD, the Western Roman Empire collapsed not with a roar, but with a quiet abdication. A boy emperor - Romulus Augustulus - handed over the regalia of power in Ravenna, signalling the end of an empire that had once ruled the known world. But how did it come to this?

In this episode, the finale of our Fall of Rome miniseries, Tristan Hughes is joined by historian and bestselling author Adrian Goldsworthy to chart the chaotic final decades of the Western Roman Empire. From puppet emperors and ruthless kingmakers like Ricimer to the meteoric rise of Odoacer, discover how political infighting, military mutiny, and foreign ambition brought the Roman West to its knees - and ushered in the age of kings.

MORE: Roman Emperors with Mary Beard: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7C7wRHjSPeif9pLD2UZJyY?si=5226c8e7f9584336

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

War, invasion, civil unrest… or plague? Could a series of deadly pandemics have helped bring down the mighty Roman Empire?

In the third episode of our Fall of Rome mini-series, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Kyle Harper – author of The Fate of Rome – to explore how disease and climate change may have crippled this superpower of the ancient world. From the Antonine Plague of the 160s AD to the terrifying Cyprianic Plague that ravaged Carthage and beyond, this episode investigates how pandemics devastated populations, shattered economies, and reshaped imperial policy.

Join us as we uncover the dark side of Roman history – a world of weeping sores, mass graves, and myths of divine vengeance – and ask the big question: Could nature have delivered the final blow to the Roman Empire?

MORE:

Lessons from the Antonine Plague:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1wsEtmlqkwqLbQlgZ8TW1L

Plague of Athens:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1al8GluN7NBvuzXayHe74F

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

How did the Huns, Goths, and Vandals help bring down the Roman Empire - and sack the city of Rome itself, not once but twice?

In this second episode of our special series on the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Peter Heather to explore the dramatic wave of invasions that shook Rome in the late 4th and early 5th centuries. From the arrival of the Huns to the sacks of Rome by the Goths in 410 and the Vandals in 455, we trace how the advance of innumerable barbarian tribes brewed decades of tension, betrayal, and bloodshed which helped bring the empire to its knees.

MORE:

Fall of the Western Roman Empire:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fKMe2jrV1oZKzRSws83w4

The Goths:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5PbZnN3xtQbLkcn2dPZPy2

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor and producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

The Roman Empire, once an ancient powerhouse, experienced a dramatic fall from its golden age to eventual collapse.

Tristan Hughes and guest Dr. David Gwynn launch our new Ancients mini-series on The Fall of Rome by exploring how internal pressures, civil wars, economic instability, and the rise of Christianity contributed to the decline of the Western Roman Empire. They compare the structural changes made by emperors Diocletian and Constantine, the impact of class tensions, and the challenges posed by external threats, setting the stage for the empire's fall. Join them as they uncover the complex processes that led to one of history's most dramatic and world-changing collapses.

MORE:

The Origins of Rome:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/26cmn3eQrPb0LQ7Jiu92cP

Rome's Crisis of the Third Century:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VgvW43kHAxzSl43hWJiRZ

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editors are Aidan Lonergan and Joseph Knight, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

An astonishing ancient tomb is Ireland's most famous prehistoric monument; Newgrange. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Muiris O’Sullivan, an expert on the many Stone Age monuments of Ireland, including Newgrange, and they revel in the astonishing construction techniques used by ancient builders over 5,000 years ago and the intricate rock art such as the triple spiral, which has an intriguing backstory.

Archeology is slowly revealing the people who built this fascinating structure, their use of sacred landscapes, and the DNA evidence linking them to other Stone Age communities.

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Nick Thomson, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

See the treasures of Newgrange in the new History Hit documentary; Prehistoric Ireland: Secrets of the Stone Age now. Sign up to History Hit for this and more original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

From clashing rocks to golden treasure, Jason and the Argonauts is the ultimate Greek mythological adventure. But what lies behind the legend? And why has it endured for millennia?

In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by bestselling author Caroline Lawrence to chart Jason’s epic quest for the Golden Fleece. From harpies and dragons to the witch Circe and the bronze giant Talos, discover the mythical monsters, heroic crossovers and extraordinary journey that make this tale a timeless example of the hero’s journey — from Greece to Colchis and back again.

For more of Caroline Lawrence and Jason and the Argonauts on The Ancients:

The Minotaur: https://open.spotify.com/episode/72Efg0BmVFYunKg2FsDOQO

The Golden Fleece: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6OtHIiiC87BN4RMyOngK0t

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music from Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK