Episode notes
Take a trip back in time to Ancient Rome, to discover the bizarre and barbaric world of the gladiators. But who were these mysterious warriors? And how much truth lies behind the legends? Take your seat in the Roman Colosseum, the games are about to begin. A Noiser production, written by Addison Nugent. With thanks to Dr. Neville Morley, historian and author of The Roman Empire: Roots of Imperialism. For ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser network, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple…
Ancient Civilisations
The ancient world was full of wonders. Engineering marvels like the Great Wall of China and Stonehenge. Remarkable peoples like the Aztecs, the Romans and the Mongols. Infamous leaders such as Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Herod the Great. Inventors, explorers, builders, pioneers and philosophers wh
More from Ancient Civilisations
-
S2 · E21 · 31 Oct 2025 · 57 min
The Pyramids
Sakkara, Egypt, 2,630BC. A man stands atop a structure of dizzying height as the final block grinds into place. For Imhotep, it is the culmination of his life’s work: a mountain made by man. He checks the joint while his workers wait in silence. Then, he gives a barely perceptible nod. It is done. Imhotep’s pyramid is the first, but more will come. Bigger pyramids, more beautiful pyramids, tombs filled with treasure, chambers inscribed with complex, sacred writings. But what motivated these ancient people to toil for decades over their vast monuments? What purpose did the structures serve?…
-
S2 · E20 · 23 Oct 2025 · 56 min
The Samurai
After a bloody battle on September 22nd, 1877, Saigo Takamori and his loyal warriors pause on a hillside overlooking Kagoshima. They’ll never surrender, but they’re wounded, exhausted, and massively outnumbered, and Saigo already knows how this will end. Because his noble Samurai army aren’t just fighting the Emperor’s gun-wielding forces. They’re fighting progress itself. And that’s a battle they cannot win. But were the Samurai really a class of elite martial artists, driven by unbreakable codes of chivalry and loyalty? Or, behind the propaganda, just a self-important militia of…
-
S1 · E19 · 5 Jun 2025 · 47 min
Pompeii and the Vesuvius Eruption
"What happens when a volcano erupts just six miles from a bustling city? In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius is regarded as a source of bounty by those who live in its shadow. But one of history’s most infamous natural disasters soon unfolds. How did the lucky ones make their escape? And how did this Roman settlement become such an extraordinary archaeological site? This is a Short History of Pompeii and the Vesuvius Eruption. A Noiser production, written by Dan Smith. With thanks to Kevin Dicus, Professor of Classical Archeology at the University of Oregon. For ad-free listening, exclusive content, and…
-
S1 · E17 · 22 May 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
The Ottoman Empire
For over six hundred years the Ottoman Empire ruled swathes of the Middle East, North Africa, and Southern Europe. As an Islamic superpower centred on what is now Turkey, theirs is a story of surprising alliances and enemies, trade, war and progress. But who were its leaders? How did it become so powerful? And after its eventual collapse, what legacy did it leave behind? A Noiser production, written by Danny Marshall. With thanks to Professor Marc David Baer, author of The Ottomans: Khans, Caesars, and Caliphs. For ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across…
-
S2 · E45 · 14 May 2026 · 51 min
Julius Caesar Part 3: Murder in the Senate
Caesar departs Egypt with his lover, Cleopatra, secure on the throne. After crushing Pompey’s allies, he returns to Rome. His rule proves popular with the masses. But senators grow concerned by his increasing megalomania. With the Ides of March approaching, conspirators hatch an historic assassination plot… A Noiser production, written by Jeff Dawson. This is Part 3 of 3. For ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser network, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the subscription banner at the top…
-
S2 · E44 · 7 May 2026 · 53 min
Julius Caesar Part 2: Rendezvous With Cleopatra
Caesar’s campaign in Gaul begins. An invasion on an epic scale, it will also include two missions to the rain-lashed island of Britain. Back home, however, the collapse of the Triumvirate pushes Rome towards civil war. The conflict will spill across the Mediterranean, driving Julius Caesar into the arms of a certain Queen Cleopatra… A Noiser production, written by Jeff Dawson. This is Part 2 of 3. For ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser network, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the…
-
S2 · E43 · 30 Apr 2026 · 57 min
Julius Caesar Part 1: The Roman Dictator
Politician, writer, warrior, lover... Julius Caesar was the dictator-for-life who became the absolute ruler of Rome and its domains. His life was a series of extraordinary and gruesome adventures. The young student kidnapped by pirates. The general who butchered the people of Gaul and led the Roman legions into Britain. The lothario famously entranced by Cleopatra. But how much truth do the legends contain? A Noiser production, written by Jeff Dawson. This is Part 1 of 3. For ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser network, join…
-
S2 · E42 · 23 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
The Anglo Saxons
The Anglo-Saxon period, also known as the ‘Dark Ages’ stretched from the withdrawal of Roman forces in 410 AD to the conquest of England by William of Normandy in 1066. The period is remembered by the legends that emerged from it, such as the tales of Beowulf and King Arthur, but it was also a time populated by very real historical figures: Alfred the Great, King Cnut, and Harold Godwinson. So who were these people who came to the island of Great Britain in the chaotic aftermath of Roman withdrawal? What happened to the native population they displaced? And how did the Anglo-Saxon period…
-
S2 · E41 · 16 Apr 2026 · 56 min
The Silk Roads
From the deserts of Central Asia to the gates of ancient China, from the bazaars of Persia to the harbours of the Mediterranean, the Silk Roads were never just one route. A living network of paths, mountain passes, and caravan trails, they carried not only silk and spices, but stories, beliefs, technologies, and ideas that would reshape entire civilisations. For more than a thousand years, they connected worlds that might otherwise never have met, and, in doing so, transformed them. The Silk Roads have witnessed empires rise and crumble, faiths spread and evolve, and cultures meet, merge,…
-
S2 · E40 · 9 Apr 2026 · 56 min
The Stone Age
The Stone Age is the foundational period of human history, stretching from roughly 3 million to 5,000 years ago, and accounting for over 99% of humanity’s time on earth. It’s the era when modern humans evolved and migrated out of Africa to populate the globe, developed language and the ability to make tools, and learned to farm crops and domesticate animals. But what do we really know about the way our Stone Age relatives lived? What role did the shifting climate play in their evolution? And how are our ancestors reflected in our bodies, lifestyles and communities today? This is a Short…
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
