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PODCAST

Echoes of History

History Hit & Assassin"s Creed

Dive into the real-life history that inspires the locations, characters, and storylines of the legendary world of Assassin’s Creed.‘Echoes of History’ is the official Assassin"s Creed history podcast. We’ll head down the narrow side streets of Medici-ruled Florence, cross sand dunes in the shadow of ancient pyramids, climb the rigging of 18th century brigs sailing across the Caribbean and meet the most powerful warlords in Feudal Japan - all before hearing from the developers themselves to

history video games

All Episodes

1:02:11

Did Isaac Newton Find The Philosopher's Stone?

Echoes of History ·

2026/02/09

The Philosopher’s Stone: the source of infinite wealth and everlasting life. It is one of the most famous myths in the world. But for centuries, it was not a myth. Some of the greatest and most pioneering scientists in history believed in the power of the stone, and pursued its riches. Amongst them was Sir Isaac Newton. As is depicted in the audio drama Assassin’s Creed Gold, his private notes reveal his secret pursuit of alchemy and the Philosopher’s Stone.How far did Isaac Newton take his

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1:04:53

Viking Age Music In Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Echoes of History ·

2026/02/02

The Assassin’s Creed games specialise in recreating the places and sounds of the past. But how can we know what music our ancestors listened to? If we can, how well does ancient music work within a modern audience’s expectations of what music is? And how does making music for a video game differ from all the other forms of entertainment we have today?Dr Holly Nielsen is joined by Steph Economou, the composer for the Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris and Dawn of Ragnarok, for which she

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51:22

The Tang Dynasty: The End of China's Golden Age?

Echoes of History ·

2026/01/26

Assassin’s Creed Dynasty provides a vivid recreation of China as it was 1300 years ago, during the reign of the Tang Dynasty. The story focuses on a pivotal moment for the emperors, when a huge rebellion plunged the empire into a civil war that took nearly a decade - and the brutal deaths of millions - to end.Yet despite this turbulence, the Tang Dynasty is often thought to have ruled over a golden age in Chinese history, characterised by peace, stability and the peak of ancient art.To make sense of

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1:04:48

The Haitian Revolution

Echoes of History ·

2026/01/19

Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry reminds us of an often overlooked turning point in history: the Haitian Revolution, when the slaves of Haiti overthrew their masters and the might of the French, British and Spanish militaries to create their own state. But this remarkable achievement was overshadowed by the American and French Revolutions, and has traditionally been viewed as just a byproduct of those famous rebellions. When did the Haitian Revolution take place? How did the slaves defeat both

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1:07:49

Rasputin: Russia's Greatest Propaganda Machine?

Echoes of History ·

2026/01/12

Grigori Rasputin is a household name, mostly thanks to the Boney M song. And such is Rasputin’s reputation that you can’t help but think of the "mad monk" when playing Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia, even though he doesn’t appear in the game.Was he really Russia’s greatest love machine? Did he have supernatural abilities? Was he even an ordained priest? To help answer these questions and more, Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Leonid Trofimov from Bentley University. As well as being senior

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1:12:18

Alfred the Great's Downfall: The Battle of Chippenham

Echoes of History ·

2026/01/05

Among the many cool characters from the Viking Age that are brought to life in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is Alfred the Great. Before his military success against the vikings, Alfred also boasts one of the all-time great comeback stories. In January 878 all looked lost: Alfred was hiding in marshlands, his army defeated and scattered, and the Vikings controlled his kingdom. The key event that almost saw the end of Anglo-Saxon England was the Battle of Chippenham.Assassin’s Creed Valhalla recreates

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35:10

The First Europeans In Japan

Echoes of History ·

2025/12/29

When Portuguese merchants ran aground on the Japanese isle of Tanegashima in 1543, two worlds collided - Europeans encountered Japan for the first time. For the next 50 years, Portuguese and their partners flooded into this newly discovered land aiming to spread the power of the Christian Church and sell wares that could revolutionise Japan, like the powerful gun. But in the fiery cauldron of Sengoku Japan, Portuguese missionaries were but one player in the most bloody and brutal of political

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50:27

The Ancient Open-Air Library of Jabal Ikmah

Echoes of History ·

2025/12/22

Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory transports players to the medieval Abbasid caliphate. One place in particular that is recreated in the game is the remarkable Jabal Ikmah, the ancient Open-Air Library. Here, on the mountains surrounding AlUla, archaeologists have found a treasure trove of texts that stretch across centuries in multiple languages and from several civilisations. Who made these inscriptions, and why? What do they reveal about the daily lives of the ancient peoples who lived in

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43:26

Ancient Civilisations of Arabia in Assassin's Creed...

Echoes of History ·

2025/12/15

Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Valley of Memoryrecreates life in the AlUla oasis as it was over a millennium ago. Players can climb the battlements of a Muslim fortress, wander through an ancient city carved into the mountainside, and experience the vibrant sights and sounds of a medieval spice market.In this episode, Creative Director Olivier Leonardi divulges the behind-the-scenes secrets of how the game developers combined history and artistry to transport players to the unique locations and ancient

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1:06:07

The Boston Tea Party: Did The Sons of Liberty Really...

Echoes of History ·

2025/12/08

Assassin’s Creed III recreates many key events from the American Revolution, including the Boston Tea Party, when colonists resisted British taxes by dumping tea into Boston Harbor. But the game challenges the popular perception of the protest as a pure and noble defiance of tyranny. In fact, the legend of the Party started to develop nearly half a century after the event. What were the true motives of the Sons of Liberty? Did they really dress up as Native Americans? Was the Boston Tea Party as

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40:24

Life as a Greek Philosopher

Echoes of History ·

2025/12/01

One of the most profoundly influential periods in history is the 5th century BCE, when when a collection of great minds in Ancient Greece formed the foundations of Western philosophy, medicine and history itself.How did ancient doctors heal the sick? How did historians share their research with a society that didn't read? What influence did female intellectuals have on the Fathers of Philosophy?Matt Lewis presents the expertise of Prof Michael Griffin, Prof Helen King and Justin Marozzi about

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37:37

The Incense Route Through Arabia

Echoes of History ·

2025/11/24

Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory takes our hero Basim ibn Ishaq from the glory of Baghdad in the Abbasid era to the remote oasis at Al-Ula. There, he discovers mysteries hidden in the mountains and ancient dwellings of civilisations that fell long ago.Even though the oasis at AlUla has provided sustenance to people living there throughout history, that doesn’t entirely explain why so many civilisations wanted to rule it. Instead, the answer may lie in its position on the trade routes that

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52:14

The Nabataeans

Echoes of History ·

2025/11/17

Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory takes players to the haunting tomb city of Hegra, a remarkable memento of the Nabataeans. Hewn from the hard rock of the mountainside are spectacular, seemingly countless tombs that contain inscriptions, artefacts and echoes of this lost civilisation… Who were the Nabataeans? Where did they come from? And why do they suddenly disappear from the archaeological record at Hegra?To teach Matt Lewis more about Hegra and the Nabataean civilisation, he's joined by

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43:01

The Roman Empire in Anno 117: Pax Romana

Echoes of History ·

2025/11/10

Anno 117: Pax Romana puts you in the place of a new Roman Governor at a crucial point in the history of the Roman Empire. Rome has never been more powerful but the mighty Emperor Trajan has died. You must choose how to keep the peace in your new province, whether in the Celtic wilds of Albion or on the Mediterranean coastlines of Latium.In this special episode recorded live at Gamescom 2025, Matt Lewis and Dr Holly Nielsen ask the senior game writer, Matt Cook, about which historical people and

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53:46

Daily Life in the Roman Empire

Echoes of History ·

2025/11/03

Anno 117: Pax Romana presents a different side of the Roman Empire - a multicultural world where people from diverse backgrounds lived side by side, and the necessities of everyday life are essential to success as a player. Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Anne Chen, Associate Professor of Art History and Culture at Bard College, to explore what archaeology can tell us about daily life in the Roman Empire.Follow this link to learn more about Dr Chen's work at the the International [Digital] Dura-Europos

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49:06

Isaac Newton vs Counterfeiters at the Royal Mint

Echoes of History ·

2025/10/27

Everyone knows the great achievements of Sir Isaac Newton. Or do they? Assassin's Creed Gold focuses not on the first half of Newton's career, describing gravity and the fundamental laws of physics, but on the second half of his life, working at the Royal Mint in London. This responsibility included chasing down counterfeiters. One man in particular would became his nemesis - the Professor Moriarty to Newton's Sherlock Holmes.To shed light on this fascinating time in Newton's life, Matt Lewis is

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48:11

Revolutionary Paris In Assassin's Creed Unity

Echoes of History ·

2025/10/20

Assassin’s Creed Unity offers a stunning recreation of 18th century Paris, which in modern times is the home of Ubisoft. How did this setting affect the developers’ work? Did this personal connection make things easier or harder? And how did the developers approach the intense history of the French Revolution, which is still an emotive period for many people?Dr Holly Nielsen is joined by Ubisoft resident historian and Assassin's Creed World Director, Maxime Durand, to uncover the challenges and

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48:51

Vinland: Vikings In America

Echoes of History ·

2025/10/13

Vinland, the mysterious place that may be somewhere in North America, and that players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can explore in The Last Chapter, as a grand finale to the epic story. And story is the key word, because our evidence for Vikings in America comes from Norse sagas. What exactly do they tell us about Vinland and the Vikings in America? And how much can we trust these sources for historical fact?To help Matt Lewis separate saga fact from fiction, he's joined by Dr Brittany Schorn, a

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55:47

The Russian Revolution: What Really Happened?

Echoes of History ·

2025/10/06

Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia transports us to the tense atmosphere of World War One as Russia made the difficult transition from an imperial state to a socialist republic.But what was it like for the ordinary person on the streets of Moscow, or in the wheatfields of Kursk? Did they passionately pursue the political shifts that were underway? Or did they just fear the threat - and the fact - of violence while they looked for their next meal?To help Matt Lewis understand the experience of the

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37:45

Life as a Samurai

Echoes of History ·

2025/09/29

Assassin’s Creed Shadows recreates everyday life in Japan during the Sengoku jidai - the Warring States period - and highlights how reality doesn’t always align with pop culture perceptions of samurai as a noble elite.Matt Lewis spoke to Dr Kate Kitagawa and Professor Eric Rath to answer the question, what was it really like to live as a samurai? From weapons to worship and family to food, they reveal a more pragmatic view of the legendary warrior than we may be used to.Echoes of History is a

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158 results

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