Echoes of History

Napoleon Bonaparte is a household name; a rare example of someone who is as well remembered by his supporters as by his enemies. His life is rich with dramatic irony. He was a key figure in the creation of the First French Republic, yet became a self-appointed Emperor. Surrounded by enemies, he secured peace in France through war abroad and was hated by the monarchies of Europe, who feared he would bring democracy to their lands.

George Washington is perhaps the most consequential leader in the USA’s short history. Having demonstrated his leadership credentials as commander-in-chief during the American Revolutionary War, he then set a precedent for all subsequent US presidents to follow by refusing the opportunity to seize power. Yet he also craved to be part of the British Empire and ignored pleas to right other wrongs of his era.

Alexis Coe, New York T...

The shot heard ‘round the world; the start of the American Revolution. An event that would have profound consequences for world history, especially western democracy. Who’d have thought that something of such magnitude would begin in a small settlement with as many cows as people living in it?

Don Wildman hops across the Atlantic from American History Hit to help Matt Lewis understand how two tiny towns became the spark that lit...

Assassin’s Creed III offers players a glimpse into the room where it happened - the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But was the Declaration more than just a document? Who wrote it? And what were the immediate and lasting impacts of making such a Declaration?

To answer these questions and more, Matt Lewis is joined by Prof Frank Cogliano, whose latest book A Revolutionary Friendship: Washington, Jefferson, and the Ame...

In 47 BCE, Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt as a victorious general, ready to make an easy alliance with the Pharaoh. Instead, he found himself besieged in Egypt’s capital city by the very ruler who wanted to ally with him. Trapped and outnumbered, Caesar’s glory was almost cut short.

In this episode, Matt Lewis and Dr Jen Gerrish unravel the messy politics, personalities and relationships that led to Caesar’s most dangerous momen...

The Great Sphinx of Giza is the most recognisable statue in the world - and one of the most mysterious. Even its Western name is misleading, since the monument bears little resemblance to the sphinx of ancient Greek mythology. Conflicting stories about who built it and why have circulated since ancient times. These include tales of what lies inside… 

In this episode, Dr Chris Naunton joins Matt Lewis to explore how the Sphi...

Antony and Cleopatra. Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. These are household names thanks to Shakespeare’s plays, big budget TV shows and films, and histories written about them since antiquity. But Ptolemy XIII is an afterthought, if anyone bothers to think about him at all.

Today Matt Lewis and Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones shed light on a ruler who was instrumental in the rise to power of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, and was a...

An enduring symbol of ancient Greek artistry and architecture. Arguably the most recognisable monument they left behind. The Parthenon. 

Built atop the Acropolis in Athens during the 5th century BCE, its construction was completed just before the start of the Peloponnesian War. Today, its ruined marble pillars are printed on postcards the world over, and visited daily by hordes of bustling tourists. Tristan Hughes from The ...

A tradition that endured millennia. The ancient Olympic Games began in 776 BC and took place every four years until at least 396 AD. It was a major religious and sporting festival, attended by over 40,000 spectators who flocked to watch athletes compete in sports like wrestling, chariot racing and athletics. 

Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Nigel Spivey to explore the history of the ancient Olympic games, delving into its variou...

Around 460 BCE, a man was born in Ancient Greece who would change medicine forever. He invented a new scientific approach to medicine that recognised disease as a natural phenomenon, rather than the will of the gods. Or at least, that's what we're told.

Matt Lewis joins Prof. Helen King, author of Hippocrates Now and Immaculate Forms, to reveal what we really know about Hippocrates’ life, his medical philosophy and the legacy he...

The literal jewel in the British crown, the Koh-i-Noor diamond has a history as rich as its caratage. Queen Victoria received it from the last maharaja of the Sikh Empire, and it has become a symbol of British colonialism ever since - even in the eyes of the Empress of India herself.

In this episode, thanks to a glitch in the Animus, Dan Snow steps in to interview Shrabani Basu about the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond - its origin an...

The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 18th century, giving birth to an era that has changed world history. The period was characterised by rapid economic, social and technological growth. Marked by innovation and inventions like the steam engine, spinning jenny and telephone, industrialisation also saw a rise in urbanisation, the factory system, poverty and the exploitation of a new urban working class. This in tur...

Scotland Yard: the home of London's Metropolitan Police Force. In this episode, Matt Lewis and Dr Jonah Miller put a magnifying lens to the history of both Scotland Yard as a place and on the policemen and detectives that worked within it. What went on inside? Why did it come to be known as Scotland Yard? And how significant a role did it play in shaping Victorian London?

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by...

Queen Victoria was the last English monarch of the House of Hanover and gave her name to an era in British history. Although small in stature, she was a towering figure as she witnessed major turning points in British history. Yet she is often caricatured as a spiky and stubborn woman.

In this episode, historian Alex Churchill join Matt Lewis to life the veil on Victoria's life as queen; unpacking the myths about her personality...

What was life like in feudal Japan? If you were born into the chaos of the Warring States period, would you have been a farmer, a merchant or a samurai? Or perhaps even an Emperor?

Delving into the history behind the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Dr Tomoko Kate Kitagawa shed light on the customs, culture and class structures of medieval Japan. They explore what daily life would have been ...

During the Onin Wars of the early Sengoku period, Kyoto was razed as civil war struck the Imperial capital. Only with unification did the city begin to rebuild. This episode will explore the rise and fall and rise again of Kyoto, what life in the city might have looked like, and why it held such significance to unification in the 16th century. In turn, we'll reveal how the Sengoku period shaped the city’s meaning for early modern J...

In the sixth episode delving into the history behind the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Nathan Ledbetter follow the sound of marching footsteps and clashing blades into Japan’s mountainous Iga province, to learn about the fearsome conflict between samurai armies and guerrilla shinobi, or ninja, that was the Tensho Iga War between 1578 and 1581.

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft Podcast brough...

Oda Nobunaga. He’s one of feudal Japan’s most infamous and consequential figures, known to many as Japan’s first ‘Great Unifier’. From humble beginnings as the daimyo of Owari province, he embarked on a mission to unite all of Japan under his sole control. But how did he emerge as Japan’s dominant warlord in an era of incessant social upheaval and civil war? 

In the fifth episode delving into the history behind the latest A...

Yasuke is one of the most captivating and yet mysterious figures within Japanese history. In 1581, at the height of the civil war, he crossed paths with the country’s most powerful warlord, Oda Nobunaga. Their meeting bound the two men together and set Yasuke on a path to becoming the first known samurai of African descent in Japan.

Delving into the history behind one of the two main characters in the latest Assassin’s Creed gam...