Echoes of History

In the new game Anno 117: Pax Romana, the Emperor has appointed you as governor, tasked with developing new provinces in the Empire.

It’s tempting to think of the Roman Empire as, well, Roman. But by its very nature the Empire consisted of people from a diverse range of cultures, with their own languages, traditions and architecture. How did the Romans keep this hodge-podge of territories together? And how much of what we think ...

In the new game Anno 117: Pax Romana, the Emperor has appointed you as governor, tasked with developing new provinces in the Empire. The game is set in a big year for Rome: it marked the moment the Roman Empire expanded the furthest in all its history, and saw the death of Trajan, who is counted amongst the Five Good Emperors. 

But why was Trajan so popular? You’ve probably heard of Trajan’s Column, which celebrates his mil...

In the new game Anno 117: Pax Romana, the Emperor has appointed you as governor, tasked with developing provinces in the Roman-based Latium region and Celtic-inspired Albion. The game is set in a big year for Rome: it marked the moment the Roman Empire expanded the furthest in all its history, and saw the death of Trajan, who is counted amongst the Five Good Emperors. 

As the video game’s title indicates, this era was known...

For nearly two decades, the Assassin’s Creed video games have transported players to worlds of the past. From the hot sands of the medieval Middle East to the frozen Arctic of 18th century Canada; the variety of periods, people and places of the past that have been built from scratch, in detail, is immense. But video games are also meant to entertain, and there are gaps in our knowledge of history which must be filled when creating...

The heart of the Assassin’s Creed franchise is the deadly rivalry between the brotherhoods of Assassins and Templars. These were real groups in history, whose power and influence in their lifetimes matched the longevity of their reputations. But how much of what we know of the two organisations is myth, and what is reality?

To help separate fact from fiction, Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Steve Tibble, author of Assassins and Templ...

The first Assassin's Creed game puts players in the thick of the Siege of Acre during the Third Crusade. We can climb its battlements and fight in the shadow of its mighty walls. In this episode, Dr Nicolas Morton from Nottingham Trent University returns to help Matt Lewis explore how the confluence of cultures in the Holy Land produced unique features to Crusader Castles, and what methods could be used to overcome their defences, ...

The very first Assassin's Creed video game takes us back to the Third Crusade, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. As Saladin's Islamic armies tried to reconquer the Holy Land, the Christian rulers of Jerusalem faced as many threats from within as without - perhaps none moreso than Sybilla and Isabella, women who ruled in a men’s world.

Matt Lewis is joined by Katherine Pangonis to help understand how these women rose to power - and h...

Assassin’s Creed Rogue lets players explore the frozen world of the Arctic coastline of North America. Players inhabit the memories of Shay Cormac, an Irish Assassin who switches sides to join the Templars, against the backdrop of the Seven Years’ War, or as its American theatre is known, the French-Indian War.

Dr Holly Nielsen is joined by James Nadiger, scriptwriter on Assassin’s Creed Rogue, to shed light on the dramatic shif...

Assassin's Creed Rogue and Assassin's Creed III let us sail through the frozen waters of the Northwest Passage at the most dangerous time in history.

From Hudson Bay to Hawaii, the coasts of Canada and the USA were mapped as an unintended consequence of history’s greatest explorers trying to find a navigable path from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Just what was it that made this route so hard to find? And how did explorers overco...

Assassin’s Creed Rogue allows players to explore the icy landscapes and freezing oceans of the Arctic as it was during the Seven Years’ War. Appropriately, it also lets players hang around with one of history’s greatest explorers: Captain James Cook.

What made Cook an exceptional navigator? And how does his depiction in the video game compare to the reality of the man? Historian and adventurer Ken McGoogan helps Dan Snow get und...

Assassin's Creed Rogue takes us back to a time when the troubles of royal houses in Europe violently affected the lives of people across the Atlantic Ocean. When the Old World and the New World violently collided in the French-Indian War. But that was just one part of a clash of empires.

Professor Emma Hart joins Dan Snow to explain the complex causes and events of an 18th century conflict that was so huge, it might truly claim...

For the past few weeks, we have investigated the history behind Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. In this episode, Matt Lewis joins historian and video game writer Holly Nielsen to step into the Animus and uncover how history and gaming interact. Holly speaks exclusively to Benjamin Hall, World Director of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, about how the developers met the challenge of bringing the past to life.

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft po...

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey immerses players in the mythology of Ancient Greece. In particular, they can walk in the footsteps of Theseus through the Labyrinth and come face to face with the mythical Minotaur.

Commonly associated with the maze-like Knossos palace on Crete, how much of the myth is rooted in reality? Prof Nicoletta Momigliano guides Tristan Hughes through the pathways between myth and reality of the Minoan Labyrinth.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey lets players spend time with renowned philosopher Sokrates - but it also lets us meet his surprisingly younger and outspoken wife, Xanthippe. Sources are clear that Sokrates valued her independent mind and argumentative nature. This raises the interesting question, to what extent was Sokrates’ worldview influenced and shaped by Xanthippe’s honest companionship?

Prof Michael Griffin helps Tristan Hughes t...

Assassin's Creed Odyssey puts us at the heart of the expansive conflict that occurred when Athens went to war with Sparta: the Peloponnesian War. Guest host Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Roel Konijnendijk to recount the causes, events and legacy of this pivotal war in the ancient Greek world.

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

Hosted by: Tristan Hughes

Edited by: Michael McDaid

Produce...

For the past few weeks, Matt Lewis has investigated the history behind Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. In this episode, Matt joins historian and video game writer Dr Holly Nielsen to step into the Animus and uncover how history and gaming interact. Holly speaks exclusively to Jeffrey Yohalem, Lead Writer on Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, about how the developers met the challenge of recreating the people and places of the past.

Echoes ...

Assassin's Creed Syndicate recreates Scotlland Yard, the famous home of the Metropolitan Police Force, and lets players explore its overcrowded nooks and crannies. Today we return to Matt Lewis and Dr Jonah Miller as they put a magnifying lens to the history of both Scotland Yard as a place, and on the policemen and detectives that worked within it. How and when did the Metropolitan Police begin? Why is it called Scotland Yard? And...

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes players to Victorian London. This was an age of massive social change through technological innovation and cultural exchange, as the industrialised British Empire extended around the world.

Perhaps the greatest symbol of Britain’s power and influence at this time was the Great Exhibition and its iconic venue, the Crystal Palace.

Tom Furber, Research Fellow at the London Centre for Public History, ...

Assassin's Creed Syndicate incorporates technology into its gameplay and story more than any other game in the series. Its setting in Victorian London represents the culmination of a remarkable period of British history known as the Age of Invention. Or does it? Did the Age really end, and are we still living in it?

To help Matt Lewis get to grips with the vast and fascinating Age of Invention, he's joined by Dr Anton Howes, aut...