Told in Stone

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Told in Stone explores (mostly ancient) history through buildings and monuments. Each episode is complemented by material on toldinstone.com.

Garrett Ryan

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    • Jul 25, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 36m AVG DURATION
    • 42 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Told in Stone

    23 – Greek myths in comics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 47:37 Transcription Available


    Matthew Blair and I discuss the uses and abuses of ancient myth and history in comic books.

    comics greek myths matthew blair
    22 – Reading the Herculaneum Papyri

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2024 36:38 Transcription Available


    In this episode, Dr. Federica Nicolardi and I discuss the challenges of reading the scrolls charred and buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.

    21 – The Ancient Architecture of New York City

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2024 53:48


    Elizabeth Macaulay and I discuss New York's neo-antique architecture.

    20 – Medicine, Roman and Modern

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2024 34:04


    Dr. Athalia Pyzer and I discuss what - if anything - modern medicine owes to its classical roots.

    19 – The Rules of Gladiatorial Combat

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2023 64:52


    Michael Carter and I discuss the rules and rituals that governed the lives - and deaths - of Rome's gladiators.

    18 – The Siege and Fall of Constantiople

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2023 58:49


    Roger Crowley and I discuss the Ottoman siege of Constantinople in 1453.

    17 – Greece under Roman Rule

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2023 47:52


    Sue Alcock and I discuss the fate of Greece after its conquest by Rome.

    16 – Climate, Disease, and the Fall of Rome

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2023 68:51


    Kyle Harper and I discuss how climate and disease shaped Roman history.

    15 – Julius Caesar and the Rhine Frontier

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2023 36:11


    Nico Roymans and I discuss Rome's frontier on the lower Rhine, in what is now the Netherlands.

    14 – The Evolution of the Roman Frontier

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 61:14


    David Breeze and I discuss the Roman frontiers, with a special emphasis on Hadrian's Wall.

    13 – Rome and Persia: 700 years of rivalry

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2023 114:06


    Adrian Goldsworthy and I discuss the long rivalry between the Roman and Persian Empires.

    12 – Building a LEGO Model of Ancient Rome

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2023 48:43


    Rocco Buttliere and I discuss his new LEGO model of imperial Rome.

    11 – When was Rome founded?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2023 47:58


    Paolo Carafa and I discuss the archaeology of the Palatine Hill.

    rome founded palatine hill
    10 – Reading the Herculaneum Scrolls

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2023 25:28


    Dr. Brent Seales and I discuss the fascinating challenge of "virtually unwrapping" the Herculaneum Papyri.

    9 – The Byzantines and the Classical Past

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 64:37


    Anthony Kaldellis and I discuss the complex relationship between Byzantium and the classical tradition.

    8 – Jerusalem in the Roman World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2023 41:05


    Simon Goldhill and I discuss Jerusalem's place in the classical world.

    7 – Trivia, ancient and modern (with Ken Jennings)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2022 52:24


    Jeopardy! legend Ken Jennings and I discuss trivia and esoterica.

    6 – Why was Alexander the Great so successful?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2022 95:43


    Dr. Adrian Goldsworthy and I discuss the incredible careers of Alexander the Great and his father Philip II.

    5 – The lives of Roman slaves

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2022 44:16


    Dr. Jerry Toner and I discuss the many shapes of slavery in the Roman world.

    4 – How to address a crowd in ancient Rome

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2022 47:58


    Dr. Gregory Aldrete and I discuss how Roman orators used rhetorical tricks and hand gestures to win friends and influence people.

    3 – Why the Romans Still Matter

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2022 51:39


    Gareth Harney (OptimoPrincipi on Twitter) and I discuss why the Romans are so intriguing - and why, in a broader sense, they still matter in the 21st century.

    2 – The Lord of the Rings and Ancient Rome

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2022 62:25


    In this episode, Bret Devereaux (the blogger behind "A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry") discusses the relationships between fantasy and ancient history - and why historical accuracy matters.

    1 – Why the Fall of Rome Set Europe Back 1,000 Years

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2022 42:16


    In this inaugural episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Professor Bryan Ward-Perkins outlines the archaeological evidence for the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and explains why the fall of Rome was so catastrophic.

    Ten Turkish Buildings 03: The Obelisk of Theodosius

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2018 13:14


    Obelisk of Theodosius PDF Already eighteen centuries old when it was set up in the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the Obelisk of Theodosius loomed over the greatest arena of Byzantium’s two bloodiest pastimes: chariot racing and politics.   To return to … Continued

    Ten Buildings in Turkey 02. Mren Cathedral

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2018 15:45


    Mren Cathedral PDF A relief over the door of a ruined church in the steppes of northeastern Turkey offers a glimpse into one of the most dramatic episodes in ancient history, in which an ageing emperor led Rome’s last army … Continued

    Ten Buildings in Turkey 01. The Walls of Herakleia

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2018 14:05


    The Walls of Herakleia PDF In 301 BCE, four kings – all former generals of Alexander the Great – met at the Battle of Ipsos. After a charge led by three hundred war elephants decided the issue, the prince Pleistarchus, … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 15: Keats-Shelley House

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2018 10:09


    Keats-Shelley House PDF For well over a century, the Odes of John Keats have been boring high school students, enchanting lovers of poetry, and giving scholars of English literature interesting things to overinterpret. When he died in 1821, however, Keats … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 14: Sant’Andrea al Quirinale

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2018 14:05


    Sant’Andrea al Quirinale PDF Coke vs. Pepsi. Kramer vs. Kramer. Alien vs. Predator. Everyone loves a rivalry – and so, discussions of art and architecture in Baroque Rome never fail to mention the antagonism between the ebullient Gianlorenzo Bernini and … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 13: San Pietro in Vincoli

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2018 13:58


    San Pietro in Vincoli PDF Speech stands at the threshold of the compressed lips. Righteous indignation is written in the lines of the set jaw. The presence of God blazes forth from the eyes. As a work of art, Michelangelo’s … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 12: Santa Maria in Trastevere

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2018 11:40


    Santa Maria in Trastevere PDF Wanted: candidate for Pope. Must be a good fundraiser, effective administrator, and shrewd politician. Deep pockets a must. Sanctity negotiable. The medieval papacy lies at the heart of this twelfth episode of our History of … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 11: Santa Prassede

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2018 16:41


    Santa Prassede PDF After Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor in 800, Europe had two notional leaders: the pope and the emperor. In theory, they were the twin pillars of a well-ordered Christian society. In practice, they were usually … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 10: Santa Sabina

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2018 19:48


    Santa Sabina PDF Through some combination of military disasters, barbarian migrations, social change, and dynastic bad luck, the Western Roman Empire collapsed in the fifth century. In this tenth episode of our History of Rome, focused on the church of … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 09: The Arch of Constantine

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2018 22:19


    Arch of Constantine PDF The many statues and reliefs from older monuments integrated into the Arch of Constantine – the focus of this ninth episode of our History of Rome – advertise the continuity of traditional Roman values into the … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 08: The Baths of Caracalla

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2018 13:41


    Baths of Caracalla PDF Every day, ten thousand bathers and over a million gallons of water were funneled through the Baths of Caracalla, the subject of this eighth episode in our History of Rome. The astonishing scale of the Baths … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 07: The Column of Marcus Aurelius

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2018 12:19


    Column of Marcus Aurelius PDF Roman troops file in neat lines over raging rivers and trackless mountains. They crush barbarian forces in battle after battle, leaving fields of corpses in their wake. Villages burn, captives weep – and the lonely … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 06: The Pantheon

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2018 13:24


    Pantheon PDF The sixth building in our History of Rome, the Pantheon, epitomizes the most stable Roman building material and the most restless Roman emperor – concrete and Hadrian, respectively. This episode discusses the peculiarities of both in some detail. … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 05: The Colosseum

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2018 19:10


    Colosseum PDF Six lions fighting eight tigers! A troupe of performing elephants! Executions, accompanied by a full orchestra! Twelve gladiatorial combats, guaranteed to the death! So might a day of games at the Colosseum, the subject of our fifth episode, … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 04: Ara Pacis

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2018 14:33


    Ara Pacis PDF Augustus dominates this fourth episode of our History of Rome, which uses the Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of the Augustan Peace) to discuss the first emperor’s reign, reforms, and propaganda. I also threw in a gripping description … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 03: The Forum of Caesar

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2018 15:28


    Forum of Caesar PDF In this third episode of our History of Rome, focused on the Forum of Caesar, we discuss (as might be expected) Julius Caesar, the last and greatest of the generals who reshaped the Roman Republic in … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 02: The Rostra

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2018 12:35


    Rostra PDF This second episode of our History of Rome presents the Rostra, the speaking platform in the Roman Forum, as a key to understanding the turbulent world of the Late Republic. It focuses on the career of Cicero, Rome’s … Continued

    Rome in 15 Buildings 01: The Hut of Romulus

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2018 13:02


    Hut of Romulus PDF This first episode of my History of Rome in Fifteen Buildings discusses the origins of Rome in relation to the enigmatic and frequently-rebuilt structure known as the Hut of Romulus. Along the way, we’ll encounter a … Continued

    Told in Stone: Introduction

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2018 4:26


    Told in Stone Introduction PDF Welcome to Told in Stone, a podcast that explores the histories of some of the world’s most fascinating cities through their buildings and monuments. This introductory episode was designed to accompany the opening page of … Continued

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