History Snacks

Our season is over, but Producer Emily will be giving you quick bites of history until we return next season. Today's bite: the Rosetta Stone.

The volcano of Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E. and we haven't stopped talking about it since. We discuss the only eye-witness account of the eruption that buried the Italian cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In this episode we encounter violent eruptions, ancient scientists, natural disasters, villas by the sea, and stranded sea animals.An extra warning for this episode, there are detailed descriptions of the dangers that occur during a natural disaster, so if that’s going to upset you, skip this one!

Rubies, sapphires, and bad omens. We're tracing the history of a couple of cursed gems and seeing what we can learn in the process. In this episode we encounter medieval civil wars, taking gems from dead people, rocks with names, cursed litter, bad friendship practices, and treating people how you want to be treated.

Disappearing in the Amazon rainforest looking for the Lost City of Z in the 1920s is a bold look. Let's see if it works out for him. In this episode we encounter the disappearance of an explorer, forced labor on rubber plantations, the death of a pack animal, hostile neighbors, and the disappearance of an explorer.

Special guest: Attila the Hun. Rome didn't fall all at once, but when the Emperor's sister invites the Huns to invade, you gotta know something's not going super well. In this episode we encounter the plague, metaphorical backstabbing, literal backstabbing, the death of a boyfriend, a marriage proposal, and the fall of Rome.

Saint Mark the Evangelist had an interesting life, and then his body had an interesting afterlife. A medieval heist is underway! In this episode we encounter discussion of human remains, religious rivals, demoted saints, severe storms, forbidden trade routes, and customs officials.

We've finally reached the Byzantine Empire, with Emperor Justinian. Chariot racing! Angry mobs of sports fans! And the coronation of a fake emperor, what isn't to like? In this episode we encounter too much fandom, political intrigue, many people dying, armies turning on civilians, and sports you don't care about.

The whole Roman timeline in under 17 minutes. Can we do it? Sure. Should we have done it? Historians will argue. The important part is not the details we retain, but the Brutuses we meet along the way. In this episode we encounter tyrants, questions about how to run an empire, assassinations, civil wars, a Charlemagne jumpscare, and an extremely quick overview of over 2,000 years of history.

Who made it to the top of Mt. Everest first? We delve into the disappearance of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine on their way to summit Everest. In this episode we encounter death by misadventure, lots of mountain climbing talk, a scary mountain, preserved dead bodies, a detached foot, the Death Zone, and a mystery that may never be solved.

Queen Cleopatra of Egypt--the myth, the legend, the cut-throat politician who may or may not have killed several of her siblings to gain control of Egypt. In this episode we talk about her rise to power, ruthless family dynamics, lots of assassinations, someone's head on a literal platter, propaganda, and the death of some guy named Julius Caesar.

Did you know the Ancient Greeks found fossils? But they didn't know they were fossils. Surely they couldn't be... the bones of heroes? In this episode we encounter myth and history, confusing prophesies, ancient animals, chatty blacksmiths, and the glory of Sparta.

History Snacks is a podcast that serves up bite-sized pieces of history to feed curious minds. Join hosts Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes as they bring you a fresh take on the stories that shaped the world. They will explore the Byzantine Empire, medieval heists, lost adventurers, cursed objects, epic royal sibling rivalries, and the fall of Rome. Check out History Snacks wherever you get your podcasts.