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PODCAST

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

History"s Living Voicesis the ultimate, immersive history podcast that delivers firsthand, first-person historical accountsdirect from the source. In every episode, we cut out the middleman and go straight to the primary documents: personal diaries, battlefield maps with handwritten orders, private letters, and last-will-and-testaments. Through these authentic, unfiltered voices, discover the true human behind the legend. Imagine a seasoned medieval knight storyteller, having just removed his

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All Episodes

10:40

The Death of Caesar (March 15th 44 BC) // Nicolaus of...

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

2026/07/26

"The body of Caesar lay just where it fell, ignominiously stained with blood - a man who had advanced westward as far as Britain and the Ocean, and who had intended to advance eastward against the realms of the Parthians and Indians, so that, with them also subdued, an empire of all land and sea might be brought under the power of a single head. There he lay." Nicolaus of Damascus was a prolific historian, and one time tutor to Antony and Cleopatra's children. He was a contemporary of Caesar, and

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9:05

Spartan Training // Xenophon 380 BC // Ancient...

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

2026/07/26

Here we have Xenophon (431 - 354 BC), the great ancient Greek historian, telling us how children in Spartan society were moulded into the legendary warriors famed throughout history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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13:05

Do the Dog-Headed Men Have Souls? // Letter from 9th...

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

2026/07/24

In the 9th century famed Carolingian theologian Ratramnus was written a letter enquiring as to whether the Cynocephaly (the Dog-headed men) had souls. Here we bring you his considered response, taking into account the many different examples of creatures on earth known to him at that time.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 closer to them than we do today. We

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14:18

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

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

2026/07/22

Here we have Julius Caesar's views on the peoples he crushed in his campaigns to the west through which he made his name - the Gauls. Foreign and backwards to Caesar, modern archaeological evidence has shown that they were actually a city building culture far more advanced than he gave them credit for. If this channel is something you like, if you think saving primary sources is important, head over to the patreon and join up! patreon.com/voicesofthepast — Don’t forget to subscribe to my

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16:13

Ancient Chinese Historian Describes The Roman Empire...

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

2026/07/22

"The ruler of Da Qin is not permanent. When disasters result from unusual phenomena, they unceremoniously replace him, installing a virtuous man as king, and release the old king, who does not dare show resentment..." Here we have the words of the early third century Chinese historian Yu Huan, who lived during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Though he never left China, he collected large amounts of information on the countries to the West, chief among them the Roman Empire. Enormous

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4:27

Roman Citizen Describes Ancient Ireland and Thule //...

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

2026/07/22

Here we have the Greek and likely Roman Citizen Strabo describing the edge of the world as Rome knew it in the first century, the windswept island of Ierne - and even further than that, the legendary island of Thule. Surrounded by a 'sea-lung', an impenetrable mix of solid and liquid, Thule and "Ultima Thule" later became synonymous with the furthest point north on the map. If this channel is something you like, if you think saving primary sources is important, head over to the Patreon and join

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15:11

Roman Trade Route to Ancient China // 1st cent. AD...

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

2026/07/22

For your free 1 month Audible trial head over to: http://www.audible.com/VOTP or send VOTP to 500-500. ----------------- This is an extract from the 1st century Periplus of the Erythraean Sea - a navigation and trade guide for sea merchants, and an invaluable insight into the Roman Empire's knowledge of both Ancient India and Ancient China. Thanks for Raoul McLaughlin for the use of his translation, head over to his YouTube channel for more context on this remarkable

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16:01

Japanese Historian Describes First Contact With...

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

2026/07/22

Get MagellanTV here: https://try.magellantv.com/voicesofthepast & get an exclusive offer extended to our viewers: an extra month FREE. MagellanTV is a new kind of streaming service run by filmmakers with 2,000+ documentaries! Check out our personal recommendation and MagellanTV’s exclusive playlists: https://www.magellantv.com/explore/history --------------------- Here we have something special - the Japanese perspective of the first Europeans in Japan. In 1543 two Portuguese traders - men "whose

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4:58

17th Century Ninja Explains How To Be A Ninja // The...

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

2026/07/22

Straight from the pages of the ultimate Ninja manual - The 17th century Bansenshūkai (萬川集海 - translated as 'All Rivers Merge into the Sea'), here we have a passage of advice for lords on the ten key aspects they should search for when hiring a prospective Ninja/Shinobi. Compiled in 1676 by Fujibayashi Yasutake, The Bansenshūkai is an exhaustive guide to many of the key moral ideas that underpin the Ninja, as well as practical advice on how to execute various strategies - from castle infiltration to

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10:58

Ancient Chinese Historian Describes Japan // First...

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

2026/07/22

Here we have the first full description of the island east of China - what would become Japan. Straight from the 3rd century History of the Kingdom of Wei, these words give us our first insight into life on that remote island and their mysterious female rulers. If this channel is something you like, if you think saving primary sources is important, head over to the patreon and join up! patreon.com/voicesofthepast — Don’t forget to subscribe to my brother's channel History Time, where he makes

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15:30

Ancient Chinese Monk Describes Ancient India // 4th...

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

2026/07/22

The journey of Faxian is one of the most incredible in human history. By foot, he traveled from his home in central China to the far away land of India - where he encountered a surprisingly tolerant society, some truly ancient ruins and the first recorded hospital. If this channel is something you like, if you think saving primary sources is important, head over to the patreon and join up! https://patreon.com/voicesofthepast — Don’t forget to subscribe to my brother's channel History Time, where

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22:31

First European Description of Life in Korea // 1668...

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

2026/07/21

Get MagellanTV here: https://try.magellantv.com/voicesofthepast & get an exclusive offer extended to our viewers: an extra month FREE. MagellanTV is a new kind of streaming service run by filmmakers with 2,000+ documentaries! Check out our personal recommendation and MagellanTV’s exclusive playlists: https://www.magellantv.com/explore/history ------------------------------------------- Hendrick Hamel was shipwrecked in Korea in 1653, becoming the first Westerner to provide a first-hand account of

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8:39

Ivar and Björn Avenge Ragnar's Death // 12th Century...

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

2026/07/21

Here we have two extracts - one from Krákumál, a medieval Scottish poem from the 12th century giving the final words of Ragnar Lothbrok - and an extract from the Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus, which relates what happened next - and the bloody punishment his sons meted out upon his killer. If this channel is something you like, if you think saving primary sources is important, head over to the patreon and join up! patreon.com/voicesofthepast This video is part of Vikings Month - so please

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7:15

Justinian: The Headless Emperor // Procopius' Secret...

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

2026/07/21

"...for one of these asserted that he would rise suddenly from the imperial throne...and the head of Justinian would disappear suddenly, but the rest of his body seemed to keep making these same long circuits..." Here we have a Halloween special for you - Procopius' Secret History, which portrays the then Emperor Justinian as not only cruel and incompetent but actually possessed by demons. Rediscovered centuries after its writing in the Vatican Library, it was finally published in 1623. Possibly

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15:55

First European Description of Life in Japan // 1585...

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

2026/07/21

"Many of their customs are so distant, foreign, and far removed from our own that is difficult to believe that one can find such stark contrasts among us and people who are so civilized." In 1543 Portuguese traders and missionaries landed in Japan and started the Nanban Trade Period. For half a century, these missionaries and traders interacted with the Japanese, up until the early sixteenth century and the beginning of the isolationist policies of the Edo period. Here we have missionary Luis Frois

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7:18

Roman Historian Describes Ancient Scandinavia //...

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

2026/07/21

Here have Tacitus (perhaps the greatest of Rome's historians) describing to us his knowledge of the lands of the Swedes, Aestii and Sitones - modern day Scandinavia (and the lands across the Baltic Sea). Ancestors of the Vikings, Tacitus gives us a description of a people with no right to bear arms, and who in the far north of the lands live in a matriarchal society. If this channel is something you like, if you think saving primary sources is important, head over to the Patreon and join

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10:35

Chinese Historian Describes the Byzantine Empire //...

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

2026/07/21

This is the third in our series on the relationship between China and the Roman Empire - in this case the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire). Here we have an extract from the Old Book of Tang, the first history compiled of the Tang Dynasty in 945 AD. It is a compilation of earlier annals, dating from the 7th century up until the 10th, which shine light on the Chinese opinion of the Byzantine empire and the various embassies between the two states. Thanks again to the Seattle Silk Road website

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7:22

Letter from Genghis Khan Asking for the Secret of...

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

2026/07/21

By the end of his reign, Genghis Khan was the most powerful man in history. As he oversaw his vast empire, there was one final enemy he found himself facing - his own mortality. Here we have the letter Genghis wrote to the famous Taoist monk Qiu Chuji urging him to cross the vast distance to come to his court, as the Supreme Khan wished to discover the secret of "preserving life" - immortality. Check out the original source (and the story of the monk) at this excellent

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12:54

Ancient Chinese Historian Describes The Xiongnu //...

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

2026/07/21

A thousand years before the Mongols, China had to build the world's longest wall to defend against incursions from a truly ancient enemy: The Xiongnu. Here we have an extract from the Book Of Han that describes their customs and origins - a people amongst whom "the strong and robust were held in esteem, while the old and feeble were treated with contempt." https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/hantxt1.html#beginning If this channel is something you like, if you think saving primary sources

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6:37

Roman Scholar Describes Ancient China // 1st century...

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

2026/07/21

In recognition of the enthusiasm surrounding last week's video on China's perspective, here we have a video exploring the reverse. There are however very few Roman accounts of China that have survived to us - and those that we do have are very limited. Here we have two short extracts from Pliny's magnum opus "Naturalis Historia", in which he describes what he knows of the people of Serica and its surroundings far to the east, and how they in turn affected the Rome he knew at the time. In the second

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