The ’’Greats’’ of History

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

December 31, 2024 14 mins

Hi all. I need some guidance on where to go from here. Have a listen and drop me a line. 

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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?

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December 17, 2024 34 mins

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. 

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December 10, 2024 54 mins

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. 

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December 3, 2024 55 mins

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. 

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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=

   
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November 19, 2024 34 mins

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. 

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November 12, 2024 39 mins

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...

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November 5, 2024 35 mins

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. 

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October 29, 2024 47 mins

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. 

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October 22, 2024 43 mins

Let's track Pompey as he pushes in his chips and chooses sides in Rome's first major civil war, -- already! -- gets the name "The Great," and becomes the indispensable man of Rome, all before age thirty. 

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October 15, 2024 54 mins

So, if you haven't figured this out yet, I am a nerd. Nothing brings out my inner nerdery like Rome. Buckle up; we're going to be here for a while!

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October 8, 2024 37 mins

The story of The Poison King reaches its violent apex. We've spent lots of time with this guy. Would you consider him to be "Great?"

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October 1, 2024 32 mins

HI. If you've already listened to this, then you realized that I messed up the RSS feed, and published part three BEFORE part one. So, yeah. Six months in and this is my first major flub. But the story is awesome so hopefully you will forgive me. 

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September 24, 2024 38 mins

The king is back from his self-imposed exile in the wilderness. Let's see what he does now that he is back in control of his kingdom. 

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September 17, 2024 36 mins

Part one of our series on Mithridates, a larger than life figure and the deadliest enemy of those obnoxious Romans. You're going to love this guy. 

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September 10, 2024 40 mins

Wu is firmly in control. Let's follow him across his long reign to see if he earns his epithet of "The Great."

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September 3, 2024 38 mins

We shift our attention to the unification of China under its first Emperor, the spectacular fall of his short-lived dynasty, and the rise of the powerful Han and their greatest of rulers, Wu the Great. 

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August 27, 2024 38 mins

Today moves us to China, where we meet all sorts of fun people, like Yu the Great, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Sun Tzu, and many more! Ancient China was an amazing place. 

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August 20, 2024 29 mins

The conclusion of our look at Ashoka, considered by many to be the greatest ruler in India's history, even if it didn't start out that way.

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