History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who Lived It

8:45

The Travels of Marco Polo (Pt. 4)

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/09/08

Whilst in prison at the end of the Thirteenth Century Italian writer Rustichello da Pisa began to hear extraordinary tales from his cell mate. That man turned out to be a Venetian merchant named Marco Polo. The tales that Polo then narrated to Rustichello eventually became the ‘Book of the Marvels of the World’. Usually known to us today as ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’. This is Part Two of the Preface, concerning the travels of Marco Polo’s father and uncle. Music- Kevin MacLeod - At

en

10:38

Procopius' Wars of Justinian (Pt. 3)

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/09/06

This is an extract from Procopius of Caesarea’s ‘History of the Wars of Justinian’, first written and published in the mid Sixth Century AD. It remains one of the great masterpieces of historical writing and an integral source for the world of Late Antiquity. We are starting from the very beginning. This is an original work by Procopius of Caesarea, written 1500 years ago to record the deeds of the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian (Reigned 527-565) The words of this video come directly from

en

5:15

Ibn Rusta on the Khazars (903-913 AD) / Primary Source

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/09/05

Ahmad ibn Rustah Isfahani, better known as Ibn Rusta was a 10th-century Persian explorer and geographer born in Rosta district, Isfahan, Persia. He wrote a geographical compendium known as Book of Precious Records, based on first hand accounts and his own travels. His information on the non-Islamic peoples of Europe and Inner Asia makes him a useful source for these obscure regions and for the prehistory of the Turks and other steppe peoples. This is a direct quote from Ibn Rusta, written between

en

12:46

Ohthere of Hålogaland's Voyage to the White Sea //...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/09/04

In the late Ninth Century a Norseman arrived at King Alfred of Wessex’s court. The stories he told the king were recorded for posterity by a court scribe. This is a retelling of that Ninth Century document recording the exploits of a Ninth Century resident of Norway’s northernmost province. Music:- From https://www.purple-planet.com - Chimera - Creepy Hollow Kevin MacLeod - Shores of Avalon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-02ejRfldg&t=30s Ossuary 2-

en

4:45

Ibn Rusta on the Volga Bulgars (903-913 AD) / Primary...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/09/04

Ahmad ibn Rustah Isfahani, better known as Ibn Rusta was a 10th-century Persian explorer and geographer born in Rosta district, Isfahan, Persia. He wrote a geographical compendium known as Book of Precious Records, based on first hand accounts and his own travels. His information on the non-Islamic peoples of Europe and Inner Asia makes him a useful source for these obscure regions and for the prehistory of the Turks and other steppe peoples. This is a direct quote from Ibn Rusta, written between

en

8:54

Charlemagne's Letter to Offa // Frankish Primary...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/09/01

In 796 the Frankish & Mercian kingdoms were two of the most powerful states in Western Europe. 100 years later they barely clung on to existence against an onslaught of Vikings. This miraculously surviving letter from Charlemagne to Offa of Mercia sheds light on the often neglected time of prosperity just before the coming of the Norsemen. Watch what happened next over on my main channel History Time:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfGRuWTV_rg&t=2265s —Join the History Time community on social

en

25:55

Sermon of the Wolf to the English (1010-1016) //...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/31

The Sermo Lupi ad Anglos ('The Sermon of the Wolf to the English') is the title given to a homily composed in England between 1010-1016 by Wulfstan II, Archbishop of York (died 1023), who commonly styled himself Lupus, or 'wolf' after the first element in his name [wulf-stan = 'wolf-stone']. Though the title is Latin, the work itself is written in Old English. The Sermo Lupi is Wulfstan's most well-known work. In it, he blames a lack of moral discipline amongst his fellow English as the source of

en

7:15

Alexander the Great's Letter to Darius, King of...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/31

This the speech attributed to Alexander by the historian Arrian (92-175 AD), said to have been sent to the defeated Darius, King of Persia after the battle of Guagamela in 331 BC. Though he wrote his account 'The Anabasis', several hundred years after Alexander's time, his account of the Macedonian ruler turned' King of the World' is thought to be one of the more accurate. History Time is now a podcast. You can find us on iTunes. Become a patron for as little as a dollar a month to vote on

en

7:19

Caesar on Britain // Roman Primary Source (58-49 BC)

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/29

In 60 BC Rome was not yet an empire, but soon it would be. The momentous events of the next decades, many of which were put into motion by the famed politician Julius Caesar, were some of the most important and formative of the Western World. We tell this story directly from the words of Caesar himself. Starting with his masterpiece ‘Commentaries on the Gallic Wars’ - first published over two thousand years ago yet still widely read all over the world today. This is an extract from Julius Caesar's

en

7:23

Caesar on the Germans // Roman Primary Source (58-49 BC)

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/28

This is an extract from Julius Caesar's 'Commentaries on the Gallic Wars', first published between 58 and 49 BC. In 60 BC Rome was not yet an empire, but soon it would be. The momentous events of the next decades, many of which were put into motion by the famed politician Julius Caesar, were some of the most important and formative of the Western World. We tell this story directly from the words of Caesar himself. Starting with his masterpiece ‘Commentaries on the Gallic Wars’ - first published

en

12:15

Calgacus' Speech of Freedom // The Agricola by...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/27

On the edge of the world, the Roman Empire is advancing. The year is 84, and Gnaeus Julius Agricola has finally goaded the Caledonians into battle, a tribe still clinging to independence in the cold north of the island. Much of Britannia has already been subjugated, along with Gaul, and absorbed into the voracious maw of the greatest empire the world has ever seen. Agricola's campaign comes to us through the words of Tacitus (56 - 120 AD), famous Roman historian. Here he gives us a speech from the

en

16:15

The Justinian Plague: First Pandemic? // Procopius...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/26

In the year 541 death fell upon the Byzantine Empire. Brought across the sea by rats on trading boats from the ports of Egypt, the Justinian Plague swept through its namesake's empire, leaving 25-50 million people dead before it had run its full course. At its worst 5000 people were dying in Constantinople a day. This is an extract from Procopius' 'History of The Wars' in which he details the spread of the disease, and how it thoroughly and mercilessly "destroyed men". How do we actually know about

en

4:17

Xenophon & The Ruins of Assyria // Ancient Greek...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/25

General of the elite Greek mercenary army 'The Ten Thousand', student of Socrates, effusive historian; Xenophon (431 - 354 BC) was a monumental figure in ancient Greek history. Here we have an extract from his Magnus Opus, 'The Anabasis' in which he describes encountering the ruins of two ancient cities as he and his men crossed Persia on their long journey home after taking part in a Persian civil war. He calls these cities Larisa and Mespila. Today they are generally assumed to have been ancient

en

19:45

Conversation between Hannibal and Scipio before The...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/24

The year is 202 BC and the Roman Republic has spent seventeen years at war with the Carthaginians. Legendary general Hannibal, who at this point had been in Italy bringing Rome close to her knees for sixteen years, has been dragged back to Carthage in northern Africa to defend his homeland from a bold incursion by the Republic's remarkable young wunderkind General - Publius Cornelius Scipio, only at the beginning of a lifetime of empire moulding battles, before even he received the title

en

8:09

Contemporary Leaflet About The Glencoe Massacre...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/23

To coincide with the final season of Game Of Thrones, here we have an event that inspired the novel's most horrifying twist, the Red Wedding. The Massacre of Glencoe took place in 1692 in Glencoe in Scotland when MacIain of the Macdonald clan was delayed by a snow storm from swearing fealty to King William II of Scotland (III of England). He and many of his men were then slain in their homes by government forces who were billeted with them, led by Robert Campbell of Glenylon. This extract is from a

en

4:16

Earliest Roman reference to Jesus & Christianity (116...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/22

This extract from Tacitus´ Annals (116 AD) represents the oldest reference to Christianity in Roman texts that have survived to this date. In it he describes the persecution of Christians under Nero in 65 AD, and corroborates parts of the New Testament; albeit with some derision at the "disease" that has spread from Judea and "taken hold" in the capital. How do we actually know about history? Voices of the Past is a channel dedicated to recreating the original accounts from the people who lived

en

7:31

The Death of Nero // Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/21

Following on from our video on Nero's treatment of the Christians, here we have Suetonius' vivid description of his despairing last moments. Infamous throughout history and vilified by many, the archetypal megalomaniac Nero finally met his end on the 9th of June 68 AD, after fleeing Rome following a revolt by his governors. How do we actually know about history? Voices of the Past is a channel dedicated to recreating the original accounts from the people who lived through events, or who lived far

en

7:50

Massacre at Ayyadieh (1191) // Richard Lionheart and...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/20

One of the many horrors of the Crusades. It is August 20th 1191. Just over a month has passed since the fall of the port of Acre, and the crusader king Richard Lionheart has been negotiating with the legendary Sultan Saladin for the return of his captured prisoners. Negotiations have broken down, and Richard has brought his Muslim captives to a raised hill in full sight of Saladin's men. This account comes to us from Baha-ad-din, a Muslim historian who knew Saladin well. It is worth noting that by

en

3:25

Caesar & the Pirates // Plutarch 75 AD // Roman Source

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/19

The beginnings of a legend. The year is 75 BC and Julius Caesar is not yet the mammoth figure he will become. Originally set to be a priest of Jupiter, he was stripped of his title and his inheritance after his family was involved in a bitter civil war, turning to work as a legal advocate in Rome to make his way. This story comes to us from Plutarch, who relates this early example of young Julius' remarkable confidence - almost verging on arrogance - in the face of very real danger; being captured

en

6:55

William the Conqueror's Speech at Hastings (1066) //...

History"s Living Voices: The Past, Told by Those Who... ·

2026/08/18

In 1066 Norman Duke William The Bastard invades England with the full might of his army, loaded onto a vast armada of longships. King Harald Hardrada of Norway had already tried to do the same a few weeks earlier, losing his life in the gamble, to the new English king Harold Godwinson. Godwinson had no time to revel in his victory however as news arrived of Williams successful crossing of the channel. The stage was set for one of the most pivotal moments of English history. The battle of Hastings

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Les dents et dodo

BFMTV

Daily Facts

Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.

Education Futures

Svenia Busson & Laurent Jolie

Out In The Hall

NHSA

Reading Teachers Lounge

Shannon Betts and Mary Saghafi