Ancient Greek pottery

Ancient Greece

Colourful illustration of a figure in a red helmet sitting inside a futuristic time machine built from a oversized wristwatch, set against a pink background

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We gave 8 historians a time machine. You won't believe where they chose to go. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Architectural reconstruction illustration of the grand Temple of Artemis at Ephesus with imposing marble columns, sculptured pediment, steps, and small figures gathered in the courtyard

Ancient Greece

It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – so why was it destroyed three times?

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Episode 4The Odyssey’s forgotten epilogue. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Episode 3How much of the Odyssey was actually real?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Episode 2Gods and monsters: the hidden stories of the Odyssey. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Cepheus, Odysseus and Eurylochus stand on a sandy ridge in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, wearing crested helmets, armour and cloaks, with swords at their sides. Odysseus stands prominently in the centre, with a military encampment visible behind the three warriors.

Ancient Greece

What is 'Zeus's Law'? The ancient moral code of The Odyssey explained

A large group of Mycenaean warriors marches through a misty pine forest in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Armoured soldiers wearing bronze helmets and cloaks advance with swords, spears and shields, led by commanders at the front.

Ancient Greece

Who are those giant soldiers in The Odyssey? The Laestrygonians explained

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Episode 1Who wrote the Odyssey?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Why has The Odyssey proved so enduring?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Pericles: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A large ancient Greek red‑figure krater with two painted scenes. On one side, three standing figures appear in a mythological moment, including one drawing a bow. On the other, three figures are shown indoors, with one reclining on a couch and another standing beside them. The vessel is decorated with geometric and floral borders.

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I'm an expert on ancient Greece – here's what you need to know before you watch The Odyssey. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An ancient Greek red-figure pottery scene showing several figures, including an archer drawing a bow and others seated or standing nearby (Photo via Getty)

Ancient Greece

Series 10The Odyssey. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

After 20 years away, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca. In one of the Odyssey's most dramatic scenes, he reveals his identity by stringing his great bow before turning it on the suitors who have overrun his household, bringing his long journey to a violent and decisive end | Credit: Getty Images

General ancient history

Is the Odyssey the first historical novel? How Homer recreated a world of gods and monsters

This ancient Greek vase depicts one of the most famous episodes in The Odyssey: Odysseus and his men blinding the Cyclops Polyphemus after becoming trapped in his cave | Credit: Getty Images

Ancient Greece

How the Odyssey's Cyclops became the ancient Greeks' worst nightmare

The fall of Troy marks the end of the decade-long war described in Homer's Iliad, but it is only the beginning of The Odyssey | Credit: Getty Images

Ancient Greece

Did the Trojan War really happen? Here's why even Odyssey experts can't agree

Matt Damon appears as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. The bearded warrior stands in a coastal encampment dressed in dark armour, with rows of tents, soldiers and moored longships stretching into the background.

Ancient Greece

Is The Odyssey based on a true story? The movie's historical accuracy explained

Robert Pattinson as Antinous in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, seated in Odysseus’s palace wearing dark armour with ornate gold detailing. He clasps his hands together and looks intently to one side, surrounded by other figures in the dimly lit hall.

Ancient Greece

Was Antinous a real person? The history behind The Odyssey character explained

Tom Holland as Telemachus sits in a dimly lit hall in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Wearing bronze armour and a cloak, the prince stares pensively into the distance, surrounded by blurred figures in the background.

Ancient Greece

Was Telemachus a real person? The history behind The Odyssey character explained

Anne Hathaway as Penelope in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The queen looks ahead with a calm, resolute expression, wearing a dark blue gown and an intricate gold necklace.

Ancient Greece

Was Penelope a real person? The history behind The Odyssey character explained

Matt Damon portrays Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The battle-worn king stares anxiously into the distance, his face lit by firelight as cloaked figures stand behind him in the mist.

Ancient Greece

Was Odysseus a real person? The hero of the The Odyssey explained

A collage of ancient Greek art and mythology. Several marble busts of classical figures—gods and goddesses—appear across the composition, their pale stone faces arranged in overlapping layers. In the foreground, a silver coin shows Athena in profile wearing a crested helmet. At the centre, a colourful painted scene depicts Poseidon holding a trident and riding two hippocamps through stylised waves. To the right, a metallic statue of Hermes stands in a dynamic pose, identifiable by his winged helmet and caduceus. The background blends ocean imagery with classical sculpture, creating a dense, myth‑themed visual montage.

Ancient Greece

Greek gods and goddesses: 15 of the most important deities of ancient Greece

Ancient Greece

Beyond the podcast: the Odyssey

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Historian reacts to the most painful part of The Odyssey trailer. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black‑figure ancient Greek vase showing a line of armoured warriors advancing in a tight phalanx. Each soldier carries a large round shield decorated with geometric or mythic emblems, and wears a crested helmet while holding a spear pointed forward. The figures are painted in dark silhouette against a pale background, typical of Archaic Greek pottery

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Athens vs Sparta was ancient Greece's greatest rivalry – but who came out on top?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An older person with long grey hair sits smiling in a chair, surrounded by vases of colourful flowers.

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"The ancient past is utterly weird": Mary Beard on 50 years of studying the Romans. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A bronze Greek warrior statue and a costumed hoplite stand against a sunset sky with tall grass and stylised golden olive branches.

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Nude inspections, thigh flashers and fights to the death: 15 things you need to know about the Spartans. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Ancient Roman mosaic depicting three theatrical masks with open mouths and stylized hair.

Roman

The ancient Romans knew the power of entertainment as propaganda – here's the proof

Ancient Greek sculpture showing a seated healer examining a youth, with another figure holding a staff wrapped by a snake.

General ancient history

The ancient Greeks had six essential tips for health. How many do you do?

This bust represents Hannibal, the famed general who led Carthaginian forces against Rome during the Second Punic War. As a descendant of Phoenician settlers, Hannibal embodied the military might and maritime legacy of Carthage.

General ancient history

The overshadowed ancient empire that rivalled Rome with maritime might and an iron fist

This 19th-century illustration, based on ancient Greek vase imagery, depicts two mounted Amazons chasing after two fleeing youths. Scenes like this reflect classical fascination with the myth of warrior women.

Ancient Greece

Were the Amazons just a “male fantasy”? Here’s the truth behind the ancient world’s warrior women

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