Skip to content
PodParley
The Toldinstone Podcast podcast artwork

PODCAST · history

The Toldinstone Podcast

by Garrett Ryan

This podcast complements the toldinstone YouTube channel with interviews of scholars and creators working on the most exciting topics in ancient history.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Oct 9, 2026 · Source feed

Subscribe · 0 Bookmark

Episodes

  1. 39 – Houses and Gardens of Pompeii

    Caitie Barrett and I discuss the houses (and overlooked gardens) of Pompeii

  2. 38 – Lessons from the Lost Greek Plays

    James Romm and I discuss what can be gleaned from the fragments of lost Greek tragedies.

  3. 37 – How Accurate was HBO’s Rome?

    Greg Aldrete and I discuss the historical accuracy of HBO's "Rome."

  4. 36 – The Late Bronze Age Collapse

    Eric Cline and I discuss the causes and consequences of the Late Bronze Age Collapse.

  5. 35 – The Spartan Mirage

    Stephen Hodkinson and I discuss the latest research on classical Sparta.

  6. 34 – Ancient Rome and America’s Founding Fathers

    Carl Richard and I discuss how Ancient Greece and Rome shaped the American Revolution and US Constitution.

  7. 33 – Understanding the Valley of the Kings

    Chris Naunton and I discuss history's most iconic necropolis.

  8. 32 – Tactics of Alexander the Great

    Roel Konijnendijk and I discuss the army and tactics of the most iconic Greek general.

  9. 31 – How the Renaissance invented Ancient Rome

    Ada Palmer and I discuss how the Italian Renaissance transformed our understanding of antiquity.

  10. 30 – The Mind of a Roman Gladiator

    Harry Sidebottom and I discuss the unique place of gladiators in Roman society.

  11. 29 – A Short History of Roman Spain

    Paco Alvarez and I discuss the remarkable history of Roman Spain.

  12. 28 – What bones tell us about ancient Rome

    Deborah Ruscillo and I discuss how zooarchaeology has transformed our understanding of the classical world.

  13. 27 – The Mona Lisa of Ancient Coins

    Nick Vaneerdewegh and I discuss the Aetna Tetradrachm - the "Mona Lisa of numismatics" - and other treasures of the Brussels Coin Cabinet.

  14. 25 – The History of Ancient Rome in 12 Coins

    Gareth Harney and I discuss how coins tell the story of Roman history.

  15. 24 – Decline and Fall of the Roman City

    Luke Lavan and I discuss the transformation of Roman cities in late antiquity.

  16. 23 – Greek myths in comics

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

  17. 22 – Reading the Herculaneum Papyri

    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.

  18. 21 – The Ancient Architecture of New York City

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

  19. 20 – Medicine, Roman and Modern

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

  20. 19 – The Rules of Gladiatorial Combat

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

  21. 18 – The Siege and Fall of Constantiople

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

  22. 17 – Greece under Roman Rule

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

  23. 16 – Climate, Disease, and the Fall of Rome

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

  24. 15 – Julius Caesar and the Rhine Frontier

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

  25. 14 – The Evolution of the Roman Frontier

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

  26. 13 – Rome and Persia: 700 years of rivalry

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

  27. 12 – Building a LEGO Model of Ancient Rome

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

  28. 11 – When was Rome founded?

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

  29. 10 – Reading the Herculaneum Scrolls

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

  30. 9 – The Byzantines and the Classical Past

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

  31. 8 – Jerusalem in the Roman World

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

  32. 7 – Trivia, ancient and modern (with Ken Jennings)

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

  33. 6 – Why was Alexander the Great so successful?

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

  34. 5 – The lives of Roman slaves

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

  35. 4 – How to address a crowd in ancient Rome

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

  36. 3 – Why the Romans Still Matter

    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.

  37. 2 – The Lord of the Rings and Ancient Rome

    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.

  38. 1 – Why the Fall of Rome Set Europe Back 1,000 Years

    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.

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

This podcast complements the toldinstone YouTube channel with interviews of scholars and creators working on the most exciting topics in ancient history.

HOSTED BY

Garrett Ryan

CATEGORIES

history

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Toldinstone Podcast have?

The Toldinstone Podcast currently has 38 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Toldinstone Podcast about?

This podcast complements the toldinstone YouTube channel with interviews of scholars and creators working on the most exciting topics in ancient history.

How often does The Toldinstone Podcast release new episodes?

The Toldinstone Podcast has 38 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to The Toldinstone Podcast?

You can listen to The Toldinstone Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts The Toldinstone Podcast?

The Toldinstone Podcast is created and hosted by Garrett Ryan.
URL copied to clipboard!