Fan of History
by Dan Hörning & Bernie Maopolski
Dan Horning and Bernie Maopolski discuss the events of ancient history all over the world, decade by decade, starting at 1000 BC and moving forward. We love history! History, History, History! That’s all we think of … History in the morning, History for lunch, History for dinner… even history right before bed! And we talk about all the key people in Ancient History – Julius Caesar, Gilgamesh, Jesus, Budha, Lao Tzu, Confucious, Solon, Pythagoras, Alexander the Great, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Herodotus, Homer, Ashurnasirpal, Sennacherib, Ashurbanipal, Croesus, Cyrus the Great, and Pisistratus. And the Great Historical Civilizations in History like the Assyrian Empire, Israel, Judah, Babylonia, Egypt, Ancient Greece, Roman Republic and Roman Empire, The Zhou of China, India, and the historical civilizations of the Americas like The Olmecs, Maya, and Chauvin. We have another show on this same feed - What’s New In History - that spans all the eras of history. On What’s New in History
Episodes
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248. Origins of the Zhou Part 2: All Hail Duke Dan! The Birth of the Zhou Dynasty
Overthrowing a dynasty is one thing. Building a new one—and keeping it alive—is something else entirely. After the Zhou victory at Muye, the real struggle begins. The Shang are defeated, but the new rulers face a big challenge: how do you govern a conquered kingdom, keep ambitious relatives in...
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247. The Origins of the Zhou 1046 BC: Wine Lakes, Meat Forests & the Battle of Muye
Dan and Bernie recorded this together in Stockholm! Before Confucius, before the Spring and Autumn period, and before the political world we've been exploring on Fan of History, there was the revolution that created it. Bernie and Dan travel back to the final days of the Shang dynasty and the…
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What's New in History - Bernie and Thomas together in Stockholm talk about a 1,000 year old whale trap found in Norway
For once, Bernie and Thomas aren't separated by an ocean—they're sitting together in Sweden! And appropriately enough, we're staying in Scandinavia for a fascinating new archaeological discovery beneath the waters of western Norway. Archaeologists have discovered a massive man-made stone…
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246. Confucius Part 4 — Yang Hu's Wild Ride & Confucius' Rise
Yang Hu just doesn't know when to leave the story. In Part 4 of Confucius: The World That Created the Sage, Bernie and Dan finish the remarkable adventures of the rebellious retainer who briefly turned the political order of Lu upside down. Defeated but far from finished, Yang Hu's story involves...
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What´s New In History - The Secret of Rome's Self-Repairing Concrete — Solved?
Some Roman concrete has been standing for nearly two millennia—and in certain environments, it seems to have gotten remarkably good at repairing its own cracks. How? Bernie and Garry Stevens from History IN the Bible explore the science and history behind Roman concrete, from volcanic materials…
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245. Confucius Part 3:The Pig, the Philosopher and the Rebel
Last time it was a cockfight. This time it's a pig. In Part 3 of Confucius: The World That Created the Sage, Bernie and Dan follow Confucius to the powerful state of Qi, where he finally gets the opportunity to discuss government with Duke Jing—and comes tantalizingly close to getting the…
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BeerParty Announcement
We are doing a beer meet and greet in Stockholm, Sweden, on september 25th together with Dan's Swedish history podcast. https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory/posts/fan-of-history-167291940 This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski. Contact information: E-mail: [email protected]...
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244. Confucius Part 2: The Cockfight That Started a Civil War
History is full of conflicts that begin as cockfights between powerful men. This one started with an actual cockfight. In 517 BC, a dispute between two aristocratic households in Lu helped ignite a much larger political crisis. There was cheating, revenge, old grudges, conspiracy, and finally…
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What´s New In History: The Biblical Discovery That Has Archaeologists Arguing
Claims of newly deciphered inscriptions of King Hezekiah made headlines around the world. One called them one of the greatest biblical archaeological discoveries ever. Others urged caution, arguing that extraordinary claims require peer-reviewed evidence before rewriting history. And then they...
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243. Confucius: The World That Created the Sage Part 1— The Man Before the Philosopher
Confucius is one of history's most influential figures. But who was the man before he became the sage? This is the first episode in an ambitious multi-part series following the life of Confucius within the historical world that shaped him. Bernie and Dan start where the story really begins—with…
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242. 490s BC China: The Partition of Jin Begins
The state of Jin stands at the height of its power—but beneath the surface, the balance of power is shifting. Bernie and Dan explore the growing dominance of Jin's great aristocratic clans, the weakening authority of its rulers, and the political maneuvering that will eventually lead to one of…
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241. 490's BC The Ionian Revolt: An Epic Finale
The final chapter of the Ionian Revolt plays out like an ancient epic: great fleets, secret deals, shifting loyalties, unexpected betrayals, and one remarkable character who simply refuses to leave the story. Bernie and Dan follow the revolt from the aftermath of Aristagoras' death through the...
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What´s New In History - Did Accountants Build Civilization?
This week on What's New in History, I sit down with archaeologist Dr. William Hafford to discuss his fascinating paper, Countdown to Cities: Numeracy and the Development of Urban Society. Could something as simple as counting have helped create the world's first cities? We explore the origins of...
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240. 490s BC Ionian Revolt: The Empire Strikes Back
The popular thing to do in the Greek world of the 490s BC was to revolt against the Persians Having launched their revolt in the name of freedom, the Ionian "freedom fighters" soon discover that the Persian Empire has no intention of quietly accepting rebellion. Bernie and Dan follow the next…
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239. 490s BC These ships were the beginning of troubles for Greeks and Barbarians
Aristagoras leaves Sparta empty-handed but finds a more receptive audience in Athens. Can Athens help "Make the World Safe for Democracy" in the 490s BC?? In this episode, Bernie and Dan follow the Ionian Revolt from the Athenian embassy and the dispatch of the famous twenty ships to the.... What...
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238. 490's BC - The Ionian Revolt Begins
A failed expedition. A frightened tyrant. A restless Greek world under Persian rule. The Ionian Revolt did not begin with grand ideals, but with fear, ambition, and political chaos. Bernie and Dan begin a new multi-part series covering the revolt that would eventually draw Athens, Sparta, and...
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237. 490s BC Rome part III: The Legend of Coriolanus
We left the last episode with a cliffhanger and this episode is chock full of action, adventure, and narrow escapes! Oh and Barbarians! Dan explains how the Republic nearly dies in its infancy as ordinary Romans abandon the city and refuse military service, the Senate faces a nightmare it cannot...
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What's New In History: What We Still Get Wrong About the Caribbean's Brutal History
An interview with Andrew Rowen, author of ISABEL, ANACAONA & COLUMBUS’S DEMISE: 1498–1502 Retold, a historical novel grounded in primary sources and anthropological research that reconstructs from both European and Native perspectives the period of Caribbean history when permanent European…
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236. 490s BC Rome Part II : Manius Valerius Maximus
“If your name is Manius Valerius Maximus, you’re either saving Rome… or conquering something.” This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski. Contact information: E-mail: [email protected] http://facebook.com/fanofhistory https://twitter.com/danhorning...
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What´s New In History: Did you know the Vikings were in North America for 350 years??
The algorithm gods served me a video with hard evidence that the Northmen didn't just stop in for a quick visit and leave. New research into Viking-age wood is shedding light on something much bigger: how often the Greenland Norse were really crossing into North America—and for how long. So I...
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235. 490s BC: Rome Part 1: The Battle of Lake Regillus
The Monarchy Strikes Back! The young republic isn't safe just yet. We have an an action packed episode for you today: barbarians, single combat, and a tradition that will last for centuries is born. Dan leads on this first of multiple episodes on Rome in the 490s BC. This is a podcast by Dan...
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What's New In History - 40,000 year old writing??
Wow! 40,000 years ago... that's a lot earlier than we thought. Is this just click bait or is there something to this. Dan and Bernie break it down. The final conclusions may surprise you. Plus we have 18 foot bears to deal with! Link to article...
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234. 500s BC Final Episode
From East to South to North to West and everywhere in between, Dan finishes off the story of the last half millennia. He takes us through Southeast Asia, the Scandinavian lands, Central Africa, THRACE (!!) It goes on! Even the Finn's get a part. Next time we go into the 490s BC! Enjoy. Fan of...
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What’s New in History: The War Trumpet of Boudicca the Warrior Queen?
A war trumpet shaped like a snarling animal head, buried for nearly 2,000 years, has just been pulled out of the ground in Britain—and it may connect directly to the people who fought Rome under Boudicca. In this episode, Bernie and Garry unpack the discovery, the culture behind it, and the role…
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233. 500s BC The Americas part 3: Strangling walruses, farming deserts, and a North American slave trade
Our final episode on the America's in the 500s BC delivers all the details and fun you expect from a Fan of History episode. Before the Inuit. Before the Pueblo cities. Before the great trade networks of later centuries. Across the northern half of the Americas, very different societies were...
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232. 500s BC – The Americas part 2: Mountains, Rainforest, and Sea
While Greece and Persia dominate the history books, entire worlds are developing across the Americas. In this episode we explore: • The Chavín network that connected the Andes through religion, pilgrimage, trade, AND DRUGS! • The hidden civilizations of Amazonia beneath the rainforest canopy •…
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231. 500s BC - The Americas Part 1 of 3: Before the Empires
Before the Maya kings. Before the Aztecs. Before the Inca. While the Mediterranean world reorganizes itself, two continents across the ocean are developing along very different lines. In this episode arc we explore: • The forgotten mound-builders of North America • The Epi-Olmec world and the...
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What´s New In History: Frozen in Time: Norway’s Ancient Reindeer Trap
New discoveries in Norway point to a large-scale, coordinated reindeer hunting operation from 1,500 years ago. But this isn’t just another dig—it’s personal. Bernie is joined by Thomas, a hunter and farmer who lives right near the site, for a rare perspective on ancient tools, modern echoes, and...
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230. 500s BC part 13 - How a real Oarhole changed the history of Western Civilization
How do you ignite a decades-long East-West conflict? Sometimes all it takes is some meddlesome Greeks, a Persian Transformer, and a tight oarhole. In this episode, we revisit a pivotal moment in 500 BC as the Persians sail for Naxos and history starts to shift—permanently. PLEASE Subscribe to our...
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What´s New In History: Escaping Vesuvius — The Romans Who Lived
Most people think everyone died when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. Pompeii and Herculaneum froze in time — but the story didn’t stop there. In this What’s New in History, we talk to Garry Stevens about the fascinating new perspective on the AD 79 eruption: archaeologists aren’t just finding victims…
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229. 500s BC Part 12 When Coins Took Over the World Part 2
Picking up where we left off, in part 2 of my conversation with Leo from Classical Numismatics, we go deeper—tracing the earliest coins across Rome, Persia, and beyond. If you think everyone used silver, think again. From punch-marked coins in India to Roman bronze lumps, the diversity of 500 BC...
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228. 500s BC part 11: When Coins Took Over the World
How did little metal disks became power, propaganda, and paychecks? Could you buy a round of drinks with a coin in 500BC? Well that depends! Some places maybe yes and some places maybe a goat would be better. In this episode, Bernie talks with Leo from Classical Numismatics about the early days…
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What´s New In History - A Slice of PIE
Before Greek, Latin, or Sanskrit, there was PIE: Proto-Indo-European. Bernie and Garry Stevens unpack the new book PROTO, focusing on the Anatolian branch—especially the Hittites—and what their strange, early divergence tells us about migrations, language, and identity in the ancient world. Come...
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227. 506 BC - The Clash at Boju: Sun Tzu’s Moment (500 BCs part 10)
It’s 506 BCE. The armies of Wu and Chu have finally met at Boju after years of rising tension, personal vendettas, and political ambition. In this episode, we break down the strategies, leadership, and terrain behind one of the most dramatic military clashes of the Spring and Autumn period. With...
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226. 506 BC The Battle of Boju (500s BC part 9)
It started with exiles, legendary assassinations, and a dream of revenge. This is the opening act of the Wu–Chu War, where the state of Wu punched far above its weight — and the state of Chu didn’t see it coming. When Chu underestimated its ambitious neighbor, all hell broke loose. In Part 1, we...
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225. 508 BC Greek Democracy part 4 (530s BC part 8)
In this "final" episode of our examination of ancient Greek democracy we compare it with the early Roman Republic which began "coincidentally" at the same time. This won't be the last time we refer to the structures of these political systems over the next few centuries so this episode is…
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What´s New In History: Sloths, Mastodons, and Armadillos the Size of Cars
New science is rewriting the story of Ice Age South America. Humans didn’t just live alongside the giants — they hunted them. Join me as we explore the lives, deaths, and legacies of the GIANT BEASTS that vanished 11,600 years ago. Please help support the show!...
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224. 508 BC Greek Democracy part 3 (500s BC part 7)
In this episode we talk about men that made up the fleet and army, how the courts worked (you would definitely get jury duty in this system!), and how you could be "dishonored" and thus lose your "civic honor". And you can you believe they wouldn't allow CRIMINALS to serve or lead in government??...
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What´s New In History: A Hydraulic Hoax?
We got a letter from a listener—an actual hydraulic engineer—calling SHENANIGANS! on the big claims of building the pyramids with water power as we explored in a recent episode. So we brought Garry back to dig in. Were the ancients really hoisting massive stones with water or is this all just a...
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223. 508 BC The Boule – 500 Random Guys and the Birth of Bureaucracy (500s BCs part 6)
Democracy wasn’t just showing up and voting in Athens—it needed infrastructure, and that’s where the Boule came in. This episode explores how 500 citizens, chosen at random, met daily to steer the Athenian state, draft proposals, and make democracy happen in real time. Sound impossible? It…
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What´s New In History: A 2200 year old coin with huge implications
Welcome our newest coin guru - Leo from Classic Numismatics! Bernie and Leo unpack the significance of a 2,200‑year‑old gold coin featuring Queen Berenice II—discovering power, prestige, and politics in a single tiny disk. We are thrilled to have Leo join us in this episode set in a time of...
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222. 508 BC Democracy in Athens (500 BCs part 5)
In this first of a multi-part series set in the 500s BC, we dive deep into the nuts and bolts of early Athenian democracy. Join us as we explore how Cleisthenes' radical reorganization of the people—from 4 tribes to 10, from clans to geography—laid the groundwork for a political system that still...
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What´s New In History - Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of High-Tech Machines Used by Ancient Egyptians to Build the Pyramids
We thought we knew how the pyramids were built. Then we read this paper. When a headline claims to rewrite 4,500 years of history, you have to take a closer look. A bold new archaeological theory claims that the ancient Egyptians may have used technology far more advanced than anyone thought...
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221. 508 BC Rome vs Lars Porsena (500 BC part 4)
King Tarquins first attempts to get Rome back failed and now he has to bring in Lars Porsena, the warrior king of Clusium to fight the roman patricians. But is Lars really going to reinstall Tarquin as the king or does he have other plans? Bonus feature: Lars Porsena builds a tomb bigger than the...
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What´s New In History - We Were Wrong About Egypt’s Most Powerful Queen
Everyone thought Hatshepsut—the most powerful woman to rule ancient Egypt—was erased from history by jealous men. But a new archaeological study reveals something stranger. In this episode, we explore who Hatshepsut really was, what her divine birth had to do with it, and how modern science is...
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220. 509 BC The Roman Republic (500s BC part 3)
Tarquin is locked out of his city and the patricians must now decide what to do with Rome. How can they make sure that no man tries to be king again? This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski. If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on...
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What´s New In History - Stamped and Delivered: The PR Power of Ancient Coins
What do Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and a modern-day marketing director have in common? They all knew how to get their face out there. In this episode, Bernie sits down with Dean Kinzer of Kinzer Coins to talk about how ancient coins were more than money—they were the original social…
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219. 509 BC The fall of the Roman Kingdom (500s BC part 2)
Romes final king Tarquin the Proud and his son Sextus mess up, invoking the wrath of the patricians. These are the events that maybe occured in 509 BC that caused the Roman Kingdom to end and heralded the beginning of something new. That something would turn out to be spectacular. This is a…
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History of Rome 539-510 BC
This is the fifth and final episode in our special re-edited Rome series—trimmed and tuned for anyone wanting a clear, entertaining binge through early Roman history. Originally part of our larger decade-by-decade show, this arc gives new listeners the perfect entry point: the fall of the kings…
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History of Rome 569-540 BC
This is the fourth episode in our re-edited Rome series—a clean, bingeable path through the city’s legendary and early historical development. Originally part of our larger decade-by-decade podcast, this arc focuses solely on Rome, and this episode marks a turning point: the reign of Servius...
About this show
Dan Horning and Bernie Maopolski discuss the events of ancient history all over the world, decade by decade, starting at 1000 BC and moving forward. We love history! History, History, History! That’s all we think of … History in the morning, History for lunch, History for dinner… even history right before bed! And we talk about all the key people in Ancient History – Julius Caesar, Gilgamesh, Jesus, Budha, Lao Tzu, Confucious, Solon, Pythagoras, Alexander the Great, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Herodotus, Homer, Ashurnasirpal, Sennacherib, Ashurbanipal, Croesus, Cyrus the Great, and Pisistratus. And the Great Historical Civilizations in History like the Assyrian Empire, Israel, Judah, Babylonia, Egypt, Ancient Greece, Roman Republic and Roman Empire, The Zhou of China, India, and the historical civilizations of the Americas like The Olmecs, Maya, and Chauvin. We have another show on this same feed - What’s New In History - that spans all the eras of history. On What’s New in History
Hosted by
Dan Hörning & Bernie Maopolski