British historian Tristan Hughes is the presenter of The Ancients podcast, which, since its inception in 2020, has released more than 600 episodes focusing on the world’s earliest civilisations, and attracts more than half a million monthly listeners.
In August, Hughes brings his live show to Australia for the first time to share his love of the ancient world, and will share the stage with local history experts and discuss the story of Hercules.
An odd topic for a purveyor of historical fact?
“This is how we like to do it,” Hughes says. “Yes, we can tell the stories, but then I like to explore, what could the actual history and what is the archaeology actually suggesting? With Hercules, for example, he’s famous for the slaying of a great lion which had been terrorising local farming villages, and we know that there were lions in Greece over 3000 years ago in the area that they’re talking about, and we have [information] from archaeology. I want to explore which parts of his story have some slivers of historical truth behind them.”
1. Worst habit?
When The Ancients podcast began, I was a part-time producer of it as well as the presenter, and I got absolutely obsessed with checking our stats over and over again. It was healthy to an extent, but it can detract from other work, going back and back again. I’ve since told the team to take me off the stats! That’s my worst habit – that I’ll happily admit to, anyway.
2. Greatest fear?
I can’t do snakes, I’m sorry. People always (refer to) Indiana Jones, but for me, it’s from watching, by mistake, Snakes on a Plane. I was about 10 years old, and I think that scarred me for life.
I’ve seen a few [in real life] and I’m sure they’re lovely creatures, but they are definitely my biggest fear. Please don’t bring a pet snake if you’re coming to my live shows.
3. The line that stayed with you?
I think it’s a classic one, but I can’t say exactly where I got it from, but it’s just, “try and remember why you do what you do”. Remember why you’re doing something – it’s so cliched, but it’s so true.
4. Biggest regret?
When I mentioned it to my colleagues, they all said the same thing – supporting Birmingham City football club! I do have actual personal regrets, but I wouldn’t want to share those. One I can share, though, is that I stopped playing guitar. I used to have lessons when I was growing up and then I stopped for some reason. I look back now and that’s one of the things I regret. Playing an instrument is such a lovely thing that people can do. As humans, we are social beings – you know, we choose to do stuff together, whether it’s going to the pub or music concerts, or celebrating someone. I think music is something that we undervalue as being critical to that kind of coming together.
5. Tell us about your turning point…
I’m not being Australia-biased, but I’d say it was when I spent a year in Australia. I was fortunate enough to do a year abroad program when I was studying ancient history and archaeology at the University of Edinburgh, and spent a year at the University of Queensland. Yes, the joke is, what could I learn about Ancient Greece or Rome or Egypt on the east coast of Australia, but there were amazing experts there covering ancient history, and not just the ancient Mediterranean, but Indigenous history, of course. But personally, just to be able to go to Australia, when before that I’d never been further than Eastern Europe, was incredible. Confidence-wise, it was in Australia that I realised I did want to get into ancient history and media – and have the confidence to do it, and also just kind of … developing myself as less of the shy person; I am innately quite introverted. Going back to University of Edinburgh, in the fourth year, felt rejuvenating, and I would love to think that has just endured ever since.
6. The artwork or song you wish was yours?
I don’t wish this was mine because I don’t want to take it away from the original artist, but my favourite song is and has always been Walk of Life by Dire Straits. It’s always been my go-to happy song. There was a time when I had it as my alarm and an ex-girlfriend was like, ‘how can you have that as your alarm every morning, aren’t you sick to death of it?’ But I absolutely loved it. That might be the reason [that relationship] ended.
7. If you could time travel, where would you choose to go?
My main area of interest is the death of Alexander the Great and the real Game of Thrones story of what happened when he died in the chaos. How is the empire split apart so quickly? For me, it would be to just see what that room was like in that palace in Babylon in 323BC when he died, looking at the generals that surround his deathbed who are all going to fight each other very soon afterwards, and just kind of getting a sense of the tension in the room at the time. There’s that classic image you get in so many of those old epic movies where there’s, you know, that hatred and animosity straight away. I’d just love to see what was actually the truth behind that in that particular scenario and how quickly things turned south.
The Ancients, An Evening with Tristan Hughes is at City Recital Hall, Sydney, August 3, QPAC, Brisbane, August 4, Astor Theatre, Perth, August 6 and Melbourne Recital Centre, August 9.
