Best A History Of Greece To The Death Of Alexander The Great Podcasts (2025)

1
Why Was Carthage Such a Threat to Rome? Interview with Dr. Bret Devereaux, Part 2 59:39

4d ago59:39

59:39

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, Carthage most closely resembled Rome. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in har…

1
The Rise of Scipio Africanus and the War in Iberia 39:22

11d ago39:22

39:22

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 leader for Rome: Scipio Africanus, a scion of one of the city's most illustrious families. Today, we follow his rise, how it reflected Rome's aristocrat…

1
263 - The Halbe Pocket, 1945 44:41

11d ago44:41

44:41

In the final weeks of the Second World War, as Soviet forces closed in on Berlin, tens of thousands of German soldiers and civilians found themselves encircled in what became known as the Halbe Pocket. In a desperate attempt to break out west and surrender to the Americans rather than the Soviets, brutal fighting erupted in the forests south of Ber…

1
Why Didn't Cannae Win the War for Hannibal? 39:16

18d ago39:16

39:16

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 diffusion of authority. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or…

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Experiencing the Battle of Cannae 37:11

25d ago37:11

37:11

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 Roman soldier and try to make sense of the unexplainable. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years tha…

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262 - The 7th Infantry Regiment 49:08

25d ago49:08

49:08

The 7th Infantry Regiment, known as the "Cottonbalers," is one of the oldest units in the U.S. Army, originally formed in 1812. It has fought in nearly every major American conflict, including the Civil War, both World Wars, Korea, and Iraq. Renowned for its bravery and deep traditions, the regiment remains an active combat unit to this day. I'm jo…

1
Listen Now: Death County, PA 5:32

28d ago5:32

5:32

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 mysterious death that has plagued Dauphin County Prison. The search for the truth will put him at odds with a reality TV show coroner who claims to speak for th…

1
Combining Ancient DNA and History: Interview with Dr. Pontus Skoglund 47:49

1M ago47:49

47:49

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 researchers, joins me to talk about his recent study of Iron Age and Medieval Europe, and how genomics can reveal new things even about periods we think …

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261 - Agent Zo 43:52

1M ago43:52

43:52

In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I’m joined by Clare Mulley to uncover the extraordinary story of Elżbieta Zawacka—known by her codename, "Zo"—a woman who defied the odds as a resistance fighter, courier, and special operations agent during the Second World War. Zo was the only woman to make the perilous journey from Warsaw to London as an emiss…

1
Hannibal Invades Italy 38:34

1M ago38:34

38:34

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 tens of thousands of men, horses, and even several dozen elephants into the peaks, then descended on Italy and brought destruction to the heart of Roman t…

1
260 - Operation Bagration 53:04

1M ago53:04

53:04

For this episode, I am by Prit Buttar to discuss Operation Bagration—the massive Soviet offensive launched in the summer of 1944 that shattered the German Army Group Centre. While the D-Day landings in Normandy dominate the narrative of mid-1944, events on the Eastern Front were just as decisive, if not more so, in determining the course of the war…

1
The Carthaginian Conquest of Iberia 42:23

2M ago42:23

42:23

The disastrous ending of the First Punic War could have destroyed Carthage for good, and it nearly did. But one man had a plan for how to bring Carthage back to prosperity and power: Hamilcar Barca, the father of Hannibal, who took an army to Iberia to build a new Carthaginian empire. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Ren…

1
Rome, Carthage, and the Punic Wars: Interview with Dr. Bret Devereaux 1:07:09

2M ago1:07:09

1:07:09

Dr. Bret Devereaux is one of the world's leading experts on the military history of Rome and on the Punic Wars. We discuss Rome's advantages, what made the Republic so formidable, and why it was able to accomplish so much in such a short period. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the…

1
259 - The Essex Yeomanry 51:20

2M ago51:20

51:20

With a history stretching back to the late 18th century, the Essex Yeomanry had seen action in the First World War, but in WWII, they found themselves in the thick of the fighting once again. From the Western Desert and the Italian Campaign to the beaches of Normandy and the advance into Germany, the Essex Yeomanry played a part in some of the war’…

1
Rome in the Middle Republic 41:22

2M ago41:22

41:22

A century of expansion and conquest in Italy transformed Rome from a minor spot on the Tiber to the hegemonic power in the peninsula, but what did that actually mean for the Republic and the city itself? Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (r…

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258 - USN PT Boats 40:34

2M ago40:34

40:34

The vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean was a battleground unlike any other during the Second World War. While massive aircraft carriers and battleships dominated the headlines, a different kind of naval warfare was fought in the shadows—one of speed, stealth, and surprise. Armed with torpedoes and machine guns, the small but deadly PT boats waged a …

1
The First Punic War 41:32

2M ago41:32

41:32

The First Punic War put Rome on the map as a major power in the Mediterranean. For 23 grueling years, the war between Rome and Carthage dragged on and on, causing immense destruction and tens of thousands of deaths, but in the end the Republic emerged victorious. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Ye…

1
257 - Uncovering Berlin’s Wartime Past 51:39

2M ago51:39

51:39

Berlin is a city steeped in history, with its streets, buildings, and scars bearing witness to the dramatic events of the 20th century. From the rise and fall of the Third Reich to the Cold War divisions that shaped the modern city, Berlin remains a living museum of its past. Yet, beyond the well-known landmarks, countless hidden stories lie waitin…

1
How and Why Rome and Carthage Went to War in 264 BC 37:28

2M ago37:28

37:28

There was no particularly pressing reason for Rome and Carthage to go to war in 264 BC over the small city of Messana, but one small incident nevertheless sparked a conflict that lasted for 23 years and caused untold devastation. Why did this happen? Was war between the two great powers actually inevitable? Patrick's book is now available! Get The …

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256 - Bomber Command Minelaying Operations 49:20

3M ago49:20

49:20

Aerial mining by RAF Bomber Command played a crucial role in the Allied war effort, sinking far more Axis shipping than direct attacks by either Coastal Command or Bomber Command itself. Minelaying operations began in April 1940 and expanded significantly throughout the war, yet today, this critical campaign—along with its impact on Axis merchant v…

1
Rebroadcast: Peasants' Rebellions and Resistance 51:10

3M ago51:10

51:10

The medieval world relied on peasants. They grew the food, maintained the buildings, produced the craft goods, and made up the vast bulk of the population. But they were never particularly happy with their place in society, and rebellions, revolts, and quieter forms of resistance were ubiquitous. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Refo…

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255 - Caen, Cobra and Confusion 45:07

3M ago45:07

45:07

General Montgomery was a complex figure, and his legacy remains the subject of debate among historians. In this episode, I’m joined by Andrew Harrison, author of Caen, Cobra and Confusion, to examine the controversies surrounding Monty’s leadership during the Normandy campaign. Central to our conversation are the misunderstandings about Monty’s int…

1
Soldiers and Labor Markets in the Hellenistic World: Interview with Dr. Charlotte van Regenmortel 44:58

3M ago44:58

44:58

The decades after the death of Alexander the Great saw a massive increase in the scale and intensity of warfare over an area stretching from Italy to Afghanistan. Dr. Charlotte van Regenmortel joins me to talk about the enormous economic impact of that warfare, and how it created a concept of wage labor that transformed the economies of the Helleni…

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254 - Macau 49:37

3M ago49:37

49:37

In this episode, we discuss the role of Macau, the Portuguese colony in South China, and the experiences of John Reeves, the British Consul stationed there. Despite Portugal's official neutrality, Macau found itself caught in the geopolitical struggles of the Pacific War. With Japanese forces surrounding the colony, John Reeves had the difficult ta…

1
Interview: Professor Lyndal Roper on the German Peasants' War 53:59

3M ago53:59

53:59

The German Peasants' War was the largest popular revolt in Europe before the French Revolution, but it's largely been forgotten. Why? Professor Lyndal Roper of the University of Oxford joins me to discuss her absolutely outstanding new book, Summer of Fire and Blood, and we discuss peasants, resistance, and the heady days of the early Reformation. …

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253 - Fortress Britain 1:07:36

3M ago1:07:36

1:07:36

Alone, unprepared, and weak—these are the words often used to describe Britain's position in 1940, a narrative that has persisted since the end of World War II. But is that the whole truth? The reality might surprise you. In this episode, we uncover the fascinating story of Britain’s secret defences during the dark days of 1940. Joining me is Andre…

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The Defeat of Pyrrhus and the Road to the Punic Wars 40:01

3M ago40:01

40:01

Pyrrhus of Epirus won costly but clear victories over the Romans in their first battlefield meetings, but couldn't win the war. Rome's dogged determination eventually won the war for them and placed them on the path to seemingly inevitable conflict with Carthage. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Ye…

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Duels, Violence, and Conflict in Early Modern Europe: Interview with Professor Stuart Carroll 55:05

4M ago55:05

55:05

Early modern Europe was a violent place, full of duels, bloody encounters, and decades-long feuds. In many ways, it was more fractious and dangerous than it had been during the Middle Ages. Professor Stuart Carroll is an expert on the social and cultural aspects of violence in that age, and we chat about murder, conflict resolution, and how people …

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252 - Canadian Airmen in the Battle of Britain 47:40

4M ago47:40

47:40

In 1940, for 113 harrowing days, Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe unleashed relentless attacks on Great Britain, aiming to secure an early victory in World War II. The defence of southern England fell to the brave pilots of the Royal Air Force, joined in their hour of need by over 100 Canadian airmen. These men, hailing from all walks of life—some from pro…

1
The Pyrrhic War 40:24

4M ago40:24

40:24

By 281 BC, Rome controlled much of Italy, but the city was still a minor player on the larger Mediterranean scene. That changed when King Pyrrhus of Epirus crossed the Adriatic with a powerful army of Macedonian pikemen and war elephants, setting in motion the toughest war the Romans had ever fought. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: …

1
King Pyrrhus of Epirus and a New Age of Mediterranean Politics 38:28

4M ago38:28

38:28

While the Punic Wars mark the stage of Roman history with which most people are familiar, Rome's entrance onto the stage of Mediterranean power politics actually came a decade earlier, with a bloody, grinding war against the Hellenistic king Pyrrhus of Epirus. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years…

1
The Tyrants of Syracuse and the Wars with Carthage 42:10

4M ago42:10

42:10

As the fourth century drew to a close, Rome wasn't the only rising power in the central Mediterranean; Syracuse and Carthage were battling for dominance in Sicily and beyond, fighting devastating wars of ever-increasing scale that led directly to the eventual conflicts we know as the Punic Wars. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Refor…

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251 - Fighting Vichy from Horseback 48:24

4M ago48:24

48:24

In 1939, incredibly, the British Army still fielded cavalry units that had yet to be mechanised, relying on horses as they prepared for war. When conflict broke out, these regiments—many of them Territorial Army Yeomanry units—were mobilised, with horses being requisitioned to meet the demand. By 1940, the 1st British Cavalry Division was deployed …

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Excavating a Scythian Royal Burial Mound: Interview with Dr. Gino Caspari 38:46

5M ago38:46

38:46

Dr. Gino Caspari returns to discuss the extraordinary finds at his most recent excavation of an early (maybe the earliest) Scythian royal burial mound in Siberia! We discuss horse sacrifice, state formation, the earliest Scythians, and the trials of excavating in one of the more remote places on the planet. Patrick's book is now available! Get The …

1
What If: Alexander the Great had Died at the Granicus River? 32:54

5M ago32:54

32:54

How would history look different if Alexander the Great had died in 334 BC? Would Macedonia still have conquered most of Asia? Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge. And check out Patrick's new pod…

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250 - The Home Intelligence Unit 53:19

5M ago53:19

53:19

During the Second World War, the Home Intelligence Unit—a branch of the Ministry of Information—was tasked with monitoring public attitudes on the home front. They compiled confidential reports on the state of popular morale, which were circulated among decision-makers in Whitehall. These reports offer a fascinating insight into how ordinary people…

1
The Birth of the Carthaginian Empire 40:08

5M ago40:08

40:08

Carthage spent most of the fifth century BC building up its economy, but in the aftermath of the disastrous Athenian expedition to Sicily, the Carthaginians decided that the time was ripe to create a new Mediterranean empire. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, …

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249 - Private Snafu 41:13

5M ago41:13

41:13

Today, I’m joined by Peter Zablocki, a professor at Caldwell University, host of the History Shorts podcast, and author of The Death of General Sikorski. I was introduced to Peter after I recorded the episode looking at the death of Sikorski with Chris Wroblewski. Chatting I discovered Peter had researched and written about an entirely different bu…

1
The Fall of the Carolingian Empire: Interview with Dr. David Perry 54:16

5M ago54:16

54:16

Much of what we take for granted about the European Middle Ages was a product of the Carolingian dynasty, particularly its most notable member, Charlemagne. But before long, the empire Charlemagne built splintered, thanks to the ambitions of his grandsons. Dr. David Perry is co-author, along with Professor Matthew Gabriele, of the new book Oathbrea…

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248 - Patton and the Battle of the Bulge 52:17

5M ago52:17

52:17

In this episode, I’m joined by acclaimed historian and bestselling author Alex Kershaw to explore one of the most pivotal moments of the Second World War: the Battle of the Bulge. This December marks the 80th anniversary of the battle, a critical turning point where General George S. Patton’s bold leadership and daring actions—most famously the dra…

1
The End of the Age of the Successors 39:55

5M ago39:55

39:55

By the 280s BC, only a few of the men who had ridden the length and breadth of Asia with Alexander were still alive, and the world they had spent decades fighting to make was ready to be born: the Hellenistic world. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or …

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247 - The Mysterious Death of Wladyslaw Sikorski 41:43

6M ago41:43

41:43

In this episode, we are uncovering one of the great enigmas of the war: the tragic death of General Władysław Sikorski. Sikorski was a towering figure in the Polish government-in-exile, a man who held together the hopes of a nation during its darkest days. His sudden death in 1943, when his Liberator aircraft crashed into the sea near Gibraltar, sh…

1
Being a Soldier During the Thirty Years War: Interview with Dr. Lucian Staiano-Daniels 1:05:28

6M ago1:05:28

1:05:28

What was it like to be a soldier during the Thirty Years War? I spoke with Dr. Lucian Staiano-Daniels, author of the upcoming book The War People: A Social History of Common Soldiers during the Era of the Thirty Years War, about what we can know of the thousands of men who fought during that extraordinarily violent and confusing period. Patrick's b…

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246 - Frederick Rutland: The Double-Agent War Who Helped Japan 38:36

6M ago38:36

38:36

In this episode, Ronald Drabkin joins me to uncover the fascinating yet complex story of Frederick Rutland, a First World War hero with a unique story. Known as “Rutland of Jutland” for his bravery as an aviator in WWI, Rutland's career took an unexpected turn in the interwar years as he became a spy for Japan. This is a gripping tale of loyalty, i…

1
The Rise of the Hellenistic World 40:11

6M ago40:11

40:11

Antigonus the One-Eyed came closer than almost any other figure in the post-Alexander world to recreating the dead king's empire, but his success aroused the ire of the other Successors, and his doom wasn't far behind. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, …

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245 - Spies in the Sky 1:05:59

6M ago1:05:59

1:05:59

In this episode, historian Taylor Downing joins me to explore the remarkable work of reconnaissance pilots and photo interpreters during the Second World War. These daring aviators flew perilous missions over Occupied Europe, risking life and limb to capture the detailed aerial photographs crucial to the Allied war effort. But capturing the images …

1
Ancient DNA and the Iron Age Mediterranean: Interview with Dr. Hannah Moots 40:30

6M ago40:30

40:30

Ancient DNA has transformed our understanding of the more distant reaches of the human past, but what can it tell us about more recent ages of history? Dr. Hannah Moots has extensively investigated the genomic history of the Iron Age Mediterranean, offering striking new insights into an age of mobility and interaction over huge spaces. Patrick's bo…

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244 - Harold Alexander and the road to Supreme Command 57:47

6M ago57:47

57:47

For this episode, I'm joined by Matthew Hough, and we discuss Harold Alexander and his road to supreme command in the Mediterranean Theatre. Matthew is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Leeds whose research examines Alexander and ideas about Supreme Command in the Mediterranean Theatre toward the end of the war. patreon.com/ww2podcast…

1
The Foundation of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 42:27

6M ago42:27

42:27

As the dust began to settle after Alexander's death, the possibility of one of his relatives truly ruling the dead king's empire grew smaller and smaller. The power lay with the generals, and as they fought it out, the outlines of a new world order began to take shape. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Fo…

1
The Successors of Alexander the Great 38:21

7M ago38:21

38:21

With mountains of treasure, huge armies, and ambitions that no amount of conquest could ever slake, Alexander's Successors spent the next 40 years after the king's death fighting over his inheritance. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read…

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A History Of Greece To The Death Of Alexander The Great Podcasts

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