Ancient History Fangirl

Ancient History Fangirl

All Podcast Episodes:

• Attila the Hun and the Rebel Princess
  In 450 AD, the Imperial Princess Honoria–daughter of Galla Placidia–was desperate to escape her arranged marriage. So she made an indecent proposal–to Attila the Hun. On this single action, cities were torched. Saints were raised. Thousands died. And Venice was founded.
  Find out how it all went down. Get the show notes here.
  
• Real Life Romance from the Fall of Rome: Ataulf x Galla Placidia
  He was a fierce barbarian warlord—a man who had stood between his people and the Roman Empire since the sack of Rome. She was a Roman Imperial princess with a core of iron strength. Born enemies, the love of Ataulf and Galla Placidia is marked by tragedy—but in its time, it burned hot enough to reshape an Empire. This is their story.
  Get the show notes here.
  
• Stuff Alaric Said
  On August 24, 410 AD, Alaric and the Visigoths sacked the city of Rome. Before he sacked it, he starved it. Before that, he went toe to toe with the Roman Empire for fifteen years—uniting disparate tribes, holding a people together, and achieving more against Rome than any barbarian leader before him. This is his story.
  Get the show notes here.
  
• War Elephants Part 2: Land Pirates of the Ancient World
  In this episode, the epic story of the elephant of war continues. Join noted elephant adventurers King Pyrrhus of Epirus (he of the Pyrrhic victory), Julius Caesar, Hannibal Barca, and Lady Trieu of Vietnam as they stomp their enemies into submission on the ancient battlefield.
  Get the show notes here.
  
• War Elephants Part 1: Alexander’s Immortals
  Few sights terrorized ancient armies more than that of a wall of elephants, tusks drenched in blood, bearing down on them in a killing frenzy. From the mighty armies of ancient India to the crack troops of Alexander the Great, all of them faced down weaponized elephants—and used them to crush their enemies.
  We call upon you now to bear witness to an epic story: that of the awesome and great-hearted elephant of war.
  Get the show notes here.
  
• Praetorian Guard, Part 2: Caligula & Friends
  In this episode, it’s Roman Emperors behaving badly–and Praetorian Prefects behaving even worse.
  Beginning with Caligula, Emperors were assaulted in their homes, killed with their families, dragged through the streets, and mutilated by angry mobs. At one point, the Praetorians even assassinated an Emperor, then auctioned off the Empire to the highest bidder.
  Find out just how bad it got. Get the show notes here.
  
• Praetorian Guard, Part 1: The Beast in Your House
  The Praetorian Guard was the elite military unit tasked with protecting the Emperors of Rome–except when they held the assassin’s blade themselves. The Praetorians brought emperors low and raised them up; shaped the fate of the Empire and were eventually destroyed by it. This is their story.
  Get the show notes here.
  
• Child Emperors, Part 2: Lambs to the Slaughter
  Some of Rome’s child emperors became tyrants. Others were taken advantage of by stronger regents and family members–frequently with tragic results. In this episode, we’ll take a look at weaker child emperors who struggled to overcome the influence of power-hungry adults around them.
  Get the show notes here.
  
• Child Emperors, Part 1: Sharks in the Womb
  In ancient Rome, being made Emperor could be a death sentence. Experienced generals and statesmen lasted weeks or months sometimes. In some cases, children were raised to the role. What became of them? Part 1 of our series looks at two very different kinds of child tyrant: Elagabalus and Caracalla.
  Get the show notes here.
  
• How to Survive a Siege, Part 2: Gnaw Off Your Finger, Leave it On the Ground
  Did the Mongols really kill 1.3 million people in a single day? How does civilization devolve in a city under siege when the food runs out? What really went down during the sack of Troy–and what clues did ancient writers leave us? All of this–plus our best siege survival hacks from the ancient world.
  Get the show notes here.
  
• How to Survive a Siege, Part 1: Street Cleaners of Carthage
  How would you survive an ancient siege? We take a close look at the brutal siege of Carthage at the end of the Punic Wars–and give you a few tips and hacks for staying alive when the enemy has breached the gates.
  See the show notes here.
  
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