Podcast Episodes

On Ancient History and Our Shared Heritage: Interview with Professor Walter Scheidel

Season 5 Episode 130

Why does ancient history matter? Stanford's Professor Walter Scheidel returns to Tides to discuss his new book, What is Ancient History?, and provides an answer: The distant past is nothing more or l…

Published on 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Wondery Presents: How to Survive Against the Odds

Inspired by Wondery’s hit podcast Against the Odds—learn how to survive whatever nature can throw at you through gut-twisting true stories of survival on the brink

How to Survive Against the Odds plac…

Published on 6 months, 4 weeks ago

The Final Defeat of Hannibal Barca

Season 5 Episode 129

More than any other individual, Hannibal defined the Second Punic War. But after his crushing victory at Cannae, Hannibal never again came so close to finishing off Rome. At Zama, in 202 BC, he final…

Published on 7 months ago

Why Was Carthage Such a Threat to Rome? Interview with Dr. Bret Devereaux, Part 2

Season 5 Episode 128

Dr. Bret Devereaux returns to the show to discuss why, exactly, Carthage was such a threat to the Roman Republic. The answer lies in the fact that more than any other state in the ancient world, Cart…

Published on 7 months, 1 week ago

The Rise of Scipio Africanus and the War in Iberia

Season 5 Episode 127

Most of Rome's generals were competent but not outstanding, which was more than enough for a power with Rome's structural advantages. Yet the Second Punic War did produce one extraordinary military l…

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Why Didn't Cannae Win the War for Hannibal?

Season 5 Episode 126

Cannae was a crushing victory for Hannibal, but it didn't win the war for him. Why? The answer lies in the nature of the Roman political system, which prioritized resilience, manpower, and the diffus…

Published on 7 months, 3 weeks ago

Experiencing the Battle of Cannae

Season 5 Episode 125

The Battle of Cannae was the worst defeat Rome ever suffered, and one of the worst battlefield losses in history. What was it like to be there? We explore the battle from the perspective of a common …

Published on 8 months ago

Listen Now: Death County, PA

Lamont Jones leaves Dauphin County Prison for the last time, a free man ready to move on with his life. But when his young cousin dies in that same jail, he learns that this is not the only mysteriou…

Published on 8 months ago

Combining Ancient DNA and History: Interview with Dr. Pontus Skoglund

Season 5 Episode 124

Ancient DNA has completely reshaped our understanding of prehistory, but what does it offer for periods when we actually have historical texts? Dr. Pontus Skoglund, one of the world's leading aDNA re…

Published on 8 months, 1 week ago

Hannibal Invades Italy

Season 5 Episode 123

Hannibal accomplished a great deal during his long and illustrious life, but no feat has captured the imagination more than his crossing of the Alps. In the teeth of an Alpine fall, Hannibal took ten…

Published on 8 months, 2 weeks ago