Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss 25 major leaders, thinkers and writers of the classical world
'The best thing on Radio 4, possibly the best thing on the radio full stop'
The Spectator
In Our Time is one of BBC Radio's most successful and best-loved programmes, with a weekly listenership of over two million. Since 1998, it has 'transformed the landscape for serious ideas at peak listening time' (The Times), introducing its audience to an astonishing array of intriguing topics, from the epic of Gilgamesh to the gin craze.
This special thematic collection focusses on some of the most important rulers, philosophers and writers of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. Across 25 episodes, presenter Melvyn Bragg and a panel of top-class academics engage in lively and eloquent conversation as they explore the lives, reputations and impact of these pivotal figures. Their subjects include emperors, statesmen, military leaders, authors, poets, playwrights, fabulists and theorists - among them Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, Socrates, Pythagoras, Ovid, Aesop and Sappho.
Whether you're a long-standing In Our Time fan or a new listener, a student of ancient history or simply keen to expand your knowledge; this thoughtfully curated compilation of illuminating, accessible discussions is sure to enlighten and entertain.
Production credits
Presented by Melvyn Bragg
Produced by Thomas Morris, Simon Tillotson, Victoria Brignell, Natalia Fernandez and Luke Mulhall
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates:
Part I: Leaders of Ancient Rome
Julius Caesar 2 October 2014
With Christopher Pelling, Catherine Steel and Maria Wyke
Cleopatra 2 December 2010
With Catharine Edwards, Maria Wyke and Susan Walker
Cicero 25 January 2018
With Melissa Lane, Catherine Steel and Valentina Arena
Agrippina the Younger 31 March 2016
With Catharine Edwards, Alice König and Matthew Nicholls
Nero 25 April 2019
With Maria Wyke, Matthew Nicholls and Shushma Malik
Constantine the Great 5 October 2017
With Christopher Kelly, Lucy Grig and Greg Woolf
Marcus Aurelius 25 February 2021
With Simon Goldhill, Angie Hobbs and Catharine Edwards
Pliny the Younger 12 December 2013
With Catharine Edwards, Roy Gibson and Alice König
Queen Zenobia 30 May 2013
With Edith Hall, Kate Cooper and Richard Stoneman
Part II: Leaders of Ancient Greece
Pericles 17 September 2020
With Edith Hall, Paul Cartledge and Peter Liddel
Alexander the Great 1 October 2015
With Paul Cartledge, Diana Spencer and Rachel Mairs
Part III: Thinkers of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece
Galen 10 October 2013
With Vivian Nutton, Helen King and Caroline Petit
Thucydides 29 January 2015
With Paul Cartledge, Katherine Harloe and Neville Morley
Xenophon 26 May 2011
With Paul Cartledge, Edith Hall and Simon Goldhill
Heraclites 8 December 2011
With Angie Hobbs, Peter Adamson and James Warren
Socrates 27 September 2007
With Angie Hobbs, David Sedley and Paul Millett
Archimedes 25 January 2007
With Jackie Stedall, Serafina Cuomo and George Phillips
Pythagoras 10 December 2009
With Serafina Cuomo, John O'Connor and Ian Stewart
Part IV: Writers of Ancient Rome
Seneca the Younger 23 February 2017
With Catharine Edwards, Mary Beard and Alessandro Schiesaro
Josephus 21 May 2015
With Tessa Rajak, Philip Alexander and Martin Goodman
Ovid 29 April...