Best Zenia Flo Barney And Meg Podcasts (2024)

1
Against the Lore on Telly: Documentaries 40:08

5d ago40:08

40:08

In which we pitch Flo our favourite documentaries about the ancient world. For Zenia and Meg, these documentaries were genuinely life-changing, setting them on the path that has led all the way up to Against the Lore! But for Barney, the world of documentaries is changing, and not in a good way...

1
Against the Lore on Telly: Dramas 33:35

20d ago33:35

33:35

In which Meg, Zenia and Barney pitch Flo their favourite TV drama series set in the ancient world. Zenia puts forward ITV's Plebs and HBO's Rome and Barney fast follows with Starz's steamy series Spartacus, and pitches Gilgamesh as a mini-series. Meg brings two BBC dramas, Atlantis and Troy: Fall of a City, but also pitches a Glee-style series arou…

1
Against the Lore at the Movies 36:08

1M ago36:08

36:08

In which Zenia, Barney and Meg pitch to Flo their favourite movies set in the ancient world. From Gladiator to Troy, from Prince of Egypt to Gods of Egypt, we go against the lore on thumbs down and the eye of Horus.

1
Against the Lore at the Library: Novels 36:53

2M ago36:53

36:53

In which we welcome special guest Dr Mai Musie to talk about novels, both ancient and modern, set in the ancient world! Mai tells us about novels written in the Roman Empire, which are rollicking tales of love and magic and adventure - and even science fiction! Barney brings an Egyptian Robinson Crusoe to the table, while Meg pitches the queer icon…

1
Against the Lore at the Library: The Children's Section 32:10

2M ago32:10

32:10

In which we each pitch our favourite children's books set in the ancient world to Flo! Zenia continues fangirling for Caroline Lawrence, Meg is onto a winner with Vesuvius Poovius, while Barney stans Horrible Histories.

1
Against the Lore at the Library: Retellings 40:36

3M ago40:36

40:36

In which we pitch our favourite retellings of ancient myth to Flo and she chooses her favourite. From poetic Achilles to sponge adventures to Zeus Behaving Badly, we explore all sorts of Greek myth retellings!

1
Against the Lore in Pop Culture 15:20

3M ago15:20

15:20

In which we introduce the theme for series eight - the ancient world in modern popular culture! Each episode, we're going to bring our favourite examples of ancient history in popular culture, whether that's books, films, TV shows, videogames, brand names...there's a lot of ancient stuff out there. And Flo will judge the best examples of this 'clas…

1
Series 8 Trailer 0:46

3M ago0:46

0:46

What's Classical Reception? Find out in our next series...

1
Yes, Classics Really Is For Everyone! 43:35

4M ago43:35

43:35

In which we are joined by the Titan of Classics, Edith Hall, to talk about classicists from underprivileged backgrounds. From Isobel Cotton the blacksmith's daughter to Hormuzd Rassam to Freya Stark, these ordinary people defied social expectations and class limitations to make their mark on the history of Classics.…

1
Storytelling 35:21

5M ago35:21

35:21

In which Caroline Lawrence joins us again to talk about storytelling in the ancient world. Of course, the great epics are the protagonists in this episode, but the key to how these stories were passed down was the incredible memorisation techniques that the ancients used on a daily basis.

1
Earth 42:33

5M ago42:33

42:33

In which we learn about the Mesopotamian goose-god of the earth, the Roman intersex (?) god(dess?) of the earth, and the Greek primordial quartet.

1
Fire 38:25

6M ago38:25

38:25

In an episode that is straight fire, Barney tells us that the ancient Egyptians thought the sun was made of poo, while Meg brings some beautiful poetry, ancient and (more) modern, to the hearth. Zenia tells the tragic story of the Great Fire of Rome and describes the super-stylish uniforms of ancient Rome's firefighters.…

1
Water 38:20

6M ago38:20

38:20

In which Meg begins a 'not all aqueducts' pipe positivity movement, Barney tells us about Hapi the Egyptian intersex idol, while Zenia tells the story of syncretism in Roman Bath.

1
Vandalism 47:26

7M ago47:26

47:26

In which we learn about the Romans who toppled statues, Egyptians who cached mummies, and Greeks who had a grand old time...!

1
Classics is for Everyone 47:04

7M ago47:04

47:04

In which we are joined by Professor Arlene Holmes-Henderson to talk about classics teaching and education today. If you're interested in any of the resources mentioned in the podcast, check out our public post on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/againstthelorepodcast

1
Power 42:59

7M ago42:59

42:59

In which we compare power structures across the ancient world - from the 'big men' (otherwise known as loo girls) in the ancient Near East, to democracy in ancient Greece, to Roman kings and emperors.

1
Money 38:26

8M ago38:26

38:26

In which we discover the dolphin coins of Ancient Greek colonies, Ancient Egypt's cheap gold and Ancient Rome's horrendous inflation.

1
Sex 44:58

8M ago44:58

44:58

In which we hear Sappho's version of Teenage Dirtbag, Enkidu's entry to civilisation and Caesar, Queen of Bithynia...

1
Wrong Answers Only 45:47

10M ago45:47

45:47

In which we play Saturnalia and Flo takes over being the ancient history expert! Listen out for the Easter Eggs in our QI-style buzzers...

1
Physics 37:33

10M ago37:33

37:33

In which we go against the lore on Archimedes while Lucretius muses on the nature of the universe and the Ancient Near Easterners predict the weather.

1
Chemistry 41:21

11M ago41:21

41:21

In which we find out about Tutankhamun's space dagger and Barney comes up with an excellent PhD title...

1
Biology 38:54

11M ago38:54

38:54

In which we find out about some creation myths that have similarities to our episode on fertility and meet some ancient David Attenborough equivalents.

1
That's Entertainment: Art 42:40

12M ago42:40

42:40

In which we discover how the ancients made and appreciated art. From bricks as art in ancient Persia to art as storytelling in ancient Rome to joke art in ancient Greece, the ancient world is full of beauty!

1
That's Entertainment: Performance 41:45

12M ago41:45

41:45

In which we discover the Greek origins of modern-day theatre, the Roman version of pantomime (oh no we don't) and ancient Near Eastern ritual performances, including a ritual slap of the King for New Year's. Coronation inspo, anyone?!

1
That's Entertainment: Games 32:50

1y ago32:50

32:50

In which we learn what games were played in the ancient world - the Romans and Greeks typically liked strategy games, while the Mesopotamians and Egyptians read omens into their race games...

1
The Ugly 37:44

1y ago37:44

37:44

In which we discover that ugliness can be lucky, disability can be divine, and Enkidu and Anne Hathaway have a surprising amount in common...

1
The Bad 35:47

1y ago35:47

35:47

In which we find out what it meant to be bad in the ancient world - for Barney and the ancient near east, it's demons, whereas the Greek philosophers thought badness was due to a lack of self-control, and several emperors vie for the title of worst Roman!

1
The Good 35:52

1y ago35:52

35:52

In which we discover what the ancient Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and Babylonians thought of as Good! From Marcus Aurelius' commendable journalling habit, to Aristotle's virtue-signalling, to Gilgamesh's pursuit of eternal life, there's a grand scale of ancient goodness. But the key question we try to answer in the podcast is: where exactly does Papa…

1
Season 6 Trailer 2:24

1y ago2:24

2:24

Get ready for a new format...triple threat episodes! Starting off with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...

1
Childcare 44:21

1+ y ago44:21

44:21

In which we're joined again by Caroline Lawrence, who is shocked by Soranus' terrible advice about breastfeeding. Meg tells us about the ancient Greek baby shower (aka the amphidromia ritual), while Barney reveals the ancient Sumerian word for midwife.

1
Birth 36:28

1+ y ago36:28

36:28

In which Caroline Lawrence returns to tell us about the textbook-perfect birth from Roman times! Barney attempts an induction via Akkadian incantations, while Meg tells us about the pollution that the ancient Greeks associated with childbirth - which have strange echoes of the covid rules...

1
Pregnancy 38:33

1+ y ago38:33

38:33

In which we hear pregnancy advice from the ancient world! Roman doctor Soranus has some helpful practical advice for the third trimester, while the abortion debate raged among the Hippocratic doctors as much as it does in some countries today. Meanwhile, the hippo goddess of ancient Egypt and Babylonian demons join forces to protect unborn children…

1
Fertility 32:50

1+ y ago32:50

32:50

In which we find out how the peoples of the ancient world tried, and tried not, to conceive. From Pliny the Elder's spider-sourced implant to Babylonian couples therapy to an ancient Greek contraceptive cocktail, we categorically do not recommend you try these recipes at home...

1
Women's Health 40:25

1+ y ago40:25

40:25

In which Caroline Lawrence joins us again to discuss women's health in the ancient world! Meg talks about how Aristotle saw women as weak and spongy, basically human Brita filters, while Zenia highlights a Roman husband-and-wife doctor dream team. Caroline talks about Hippocrates' ideas of the wandering womb and the imbalance of the four humours, w…

1
Series 5 Trailer 2:16

1+ y ago2:16

2:16

Big news all round! Announcing Dr Meg, two Against the Lore babies and the return of Caroline Lawrence. Oh, and Barney's cat's new trick...

1
Against Your Lores 35:15

1+ y ago35:15

35:15

In which we tackle the biggest misconceptions that you shared in a recent Twitter poll! We go against the lore on the assumption that the ancient world is about Northern European (white) history, that ancient peoples had no concept of their own history, and that Greek philosophers were seen as cool in their own day...…

1
Conspiracies 34:35

2y ago34:35

34:35

In which we go Against the Lore on some of the biggest conspiracy theories about the ancient world - both ancient and modern.

1
Chickens 36:26

2y ago36:26

36:26

In this episode, we welcome Ophelie Lebrasseur, archaeologist and expert on chickens! From royal chickens in the Ancient Near East, to the world's first chicken farm, to chickens as sex symbols in ancient Greece, to omen-giving sacred chickens in ancient Rome, Ophelie joins the rest of the gang as we trace the history of chickens in archaeology, li…

1
Weather 35:00

2y ago35:00

35:00

In which we engage in our favourite British pastime - talking about the weather. Zenia tells us about how Hannibal made bad weather work for him (and his elephants), Meg shares the story of Odysseus' mishap with the winds, and Barney tells us about how priests in the Ancient Near East interpreted different types of thunder.…

1
Breakups 28:00

2y ago28:00

28:00

In which we gossip about famous historical breakups, like the mythological breakups of Jason and Medea or Ishtar and Dumuzid, or the dramatic divorce case of Fannia and Titinius (who have normal, not funny names) and the attempted divorce by Hipparete of her playboy husband Alcibiades. If we thought modern breakups were gossip-fodder, then ancient …

1
Assassinations 34:59

2y ago34:59

34:59

In which we compare assassinations in the ancient world, by advising Flo on how to get rid of a troublesome person in her life. Zenia tells us how the Romans found stabbing a foolproof method; Meg brings some variety to the mix by adding a potential poisoning to the stabbing theme; meanwhile Barney reveals some unorthodox Ancient Near Eastern metho…

1
Names 35:40

2y ago35:40

35:40

In which we welcome back Caroline Lawrence to talk about what kind of names people had in the ancient world! From the Roman triple name to the Greek joke name to the Pharaohs' five names, we discover what really is in a name.

1
Collapse 35:00

2y ago35:00

35:00

In which we welcome back Iszi Lawrence to talk about civilisation collapse! Cue doom and gloom and...donkey chariots? Check out Iszi's new show, Your Place or Mine, on BBC Sounds.

1
Hair 33:28

2y ago33:28

33:28

In which Flo finds out what hairstyles she would have rocked in our three different periods of ancient history! Meg says her short hair would have been suitable for a slave, while Zenia advises Flo to get herself a monobrow and an ornatrix (Latin for hairdresser). Barney takes us through the different hairstyles of Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Nea…

1
Celebrity 34:49

2y ago34:49

34:49

In which we play a game of smash or pass on the celebrities of antiquity...from actors to priests to kings to politicians, there's a whole range of ancient celebs on whom we dish the dirt...

1
Natural Disasters 32:00

2y ago32:00

32:00

In which we welcome Jerry Toner to talk about natural disasters in the ancient world! Jerry goes against the lore to tell us that the Romans weren't actually that fussed about Vesuvius; Meg and Barney both share flood myths from Greek and Mesopotamian traditions; Flo wonders whether Pliny was the original storm chaser...…

1
Buildings 31:19

2y ago31:19

31:19

In which we welcome Professor Michael Scott, who has co-presented several series of the BBC's Invisible Cities, to talk to us about buildings! We each present our favourite buildings from the ancient world: Michael votes for the Parthenon, Zenia proposes Hadrian's Wall, Barney shares his admiration for the pyramids and Meg of course likes the build…

1
Poetry 33:07

2+ y ago33:07

33:07

In which we welcome Dr Valerie Smitherman to talk about the connections between ancient and modern poetry. Valerie tells us about her research on Bedouin poetic traditions and the modern-day X-factor style TV poetry contest in the UAE. Barney, Zenia and Meg each share their favourite poems from the ancient world.…

1
Pet Peeves 33:17

2+ y ago33:17

33:17

In which we try to purge our January blues by getting all our pet peeves out in one go. Zenia objects to the objectification of Cleopatra; Meg goes against the lore on some assumptions about Homer, and Barney points a finger at orientalist attitudes to the Ancient Near East.

1
Alcohol 38:50

2+ y ago38:50

38:50

In which we celebrate the festive season with drinks from each of our periods in history. Barney chugs beer, Zenia sips white wine, while Meg glugs Greek grog.

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Zenia Flo Barney And Meg Podcasts

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