The ’’Greats’’ of History
A weekly series about people who have been called “The Great,” where we try to get past the honorific and understand who they were, what they did, and why some people seem to like them so much.
Episodes

Dec 31, 2024
Dec 31, 2024
14 min
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Dec 23, 2024
Dec 23, 2024
1 hr 15 min
Herod's last few years were defined by soaring monuments of unsurpassed beauty, scale and sophistication that marked him as one of the greatest builders of all time. Oh, and a bunch of frenzied killing that made him a villain of (literally) biblical proportions. But, how much of this was the "real" Herod? What was this complicated man's true legacy?

Dec 17, 2024
Dec 17, 2024
34 min
Herod is firmly in control. He quickly becomes hated by his people. Some try to kill him. But then, he also tries to save many through personal and - if I do say so myself - quite thoughtful action. So, is this guy awful? Of maybe misunderstood? Or, somehow, a little of both.

Dec 10, 2024
Dec 10, 2024
54 min
Let's follow along as Herod rises to become king of Judea, a development that seems to have caught everyone off guard, including Herod himself. But gaining the throne didn't end his troubles; in many ways, they were just getting started.

Dec 3, 2024
Dec 3, 2024
55 min
For the final subject of season one, let's meet Herod, and cover about 1,000 years of interesting, chaotic, and, to some, sacred history.

Nov 26, 2024
Nov 26, 2024
42 min
With Gladiator II out, let's switch things up and get to know not a great of history, but one of the very worst ever: Roman Emperor Caracalla (and briefly, his less-bad brother, Geta). Content from this chapter is drawn in part from the book Evil Roman Emperors. https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Roman-Emperors-Shocking-Caligula/dp/1633886905/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Nov 19, 2024
Nov 19, 2024
34 min
The final (no, really) episode in our sprawling series on the life and career of Pompey Magnus. Let's track the culmination of his war with Caesar, and consider his life and legacy.

Nov 12, 2024
Nov 12, 2024
39 min
The late Roman Republic was chaotic, with violence and bloodshed the norm. As the crisis reached its apex, two factions emerged: one led by Pompey, one led by Caesar. In time, of course, only one would be left standing...

Nov 5, 2024
Nov 5, 2024
35 min
Pompey finally encounters some political challenges that he can't solve on his own. Fortunately, he's got a couple of guys lurking in the shadows who are ready to help him -- and themselves. Their collaboration would change history, and the course of Pompey's life and career.

Oct 29, 2024
Oct 29, 2024
47 min
Woah. This guy has already been called "The Great," just in his twenties?! Where on earth can he go from here? Whelp. It turns out that his remarkable career is just getting started.









