History Is Sexy
- Episodes
- 146
- Released
- every two weeks
- Latest episode
- Nov 3, 2026
About the podcast
History is Sexy is a podcast presented by historian Dr Emma Southon and writer Janina Matthewson answering listener questions about history. What did the Romans do for us? Where did marrying for love come from? What was world war one all about? Produced and edited by Oliver Kealey. Theme music by Ketsa.
Episodes 146
Episode 138 - What's the Deal with the Avignon Papacy?
How many popes is too many popes? Who decides who is the One True Pope? How do you even get more than one pope? Can a pope be TOO French?? All these questions answered as we explore that the time the pope moved …
Show notes
How many popes is too many popes? Who decides who is the One True Pope? How do you even get more than one pope? Can a pope be TOO French?? All these questions answered as we explore that the time the pope moved to France and the Great Western Schism. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Show notes etc at www.historyissexy.comEpisode 137: What's the Deal with Magna Carta?
Why doesn't it have a definite article for a start? Where did it come from? What's it all about? Why are people so weird about it? Can you really use it to avoid paying council tax and abiding by covid …
Show notes
Why doesn't it have a definite article for a start? Where did it come from? What's it all about? Why are people so weird about it? Can you really use it to avoid paying council tax and abiding by covid restrictions? Is Bad King John accidentally responsible for a good thing or is he still awful? Let's find out in a Magna Carta deep dive! Support the Show at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Show notes etc at www.historyissexy.comEpisode 137: What's the Deal with Saint Paul?
Saint Paul, born Saul. A Zealot, a persecutor, a fanatic, a sail maker, a convert and the man responsible for what Christianity became in the first century CE. What exactly is his deal? Let's talk. Support the …
Show notes
Saint Paul, born Saul. A Zealot, a persecutor, a fanatic, a sail maker, a convert and the man responsible for what Christianity became in the first century CE. What exactly is his deal? Let's talk. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Merch and show notes at www.historyissexy.comEpisode 136: A Conversation with Lost Roman Heroes
Something a bit different this week as Emma is travelling. We sat down with Matthew and Matteo, the father and son doing their best to rate and rank every Roman hero. We talked Marcus Camillus, why we can't …
Show notes
Something a bit different this week as Emma is travelling. We sat down with Matthew and Matteo, the father and son doing their best to rate and rank every Roman hero. We talked Marcus Camillus, why we can't trust Trajan and how to define the Romans. Lost Roman Heroes can be found at https://lostromanheroes.com/ Support History is Sexy at www.patreon.com/historyissexyEpisode 135: What's the Deal with Switzerland?
Switzerland! Peaceful, neutral, full of clocks and cheese , or is it? How did Switzerland come to be? Why does it get to be neutral? How did they get so rich? Why did it take until 1990 for women to be allowed …
Show notes
Switzerland! Peaceful, neutral, full of clocks and cheese , or is it? How did Switzerland come to be? Why does it get to be neutral? How did they get so rich? Why did it take until 1990 for women to be allowed to vote? Let's find out! Support the podcast at patreon.com/historyissexy Show notes, merch etc at www.historyissexy.comEpisode 134: What's The Deal with Marcus Camillus
Who the hell is Marcus Camillus? Featuring Rome's version of the Trojan War, Rome's greatest humiliation, a truly scandalous number of white horses and one of the coolest lines any Roman ever delivered.
Episode 133 - What's the Deal with Maximilian I of Mexico (Part 2)
Max and Carlota go to Mexico and it goes...well it goes. Everyone has a horrible time but Max keeps his Habsburg honour, which is apparently the important thing. Enjoy the first episode Janina and Emma have …
Show notes
Max and Carlota go to Mexico and it goes...well it goes. Everyone has a horrible time but Max keeps his Habsburg honour, which is apparently the important thing. Enjoy the first episode Janina and Emma have ever recorded in the same room! Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Ask a question at www.historyissexy.comEpisode 132: What's the Deal with Maximilian I of Mexico? Part One
Remember that time when France invaded Mexico and tried to install a Hapsburg emperor? No? Let's learn all about it, including Maximilian's no thoughts approach to government and why on EARTH anyone would think …
Show notes
Remember that time when France invaded Mexico and tried to install a Hapsburg emperor? No? Let's learn all about it, including Maximilian's no thoughts approach to government and why on EARTH anyone would think this was a good idea! A Correction: A criollo is not a "mixed race" person in the Spanish Empire but a person born of "pure" Spanish parents but in the colonies/outside of Spain and therefore considered to be lesser than a Spanish person born in Spain. Thank you to Fiyenyaa for the correction! Notes etc at www.historyissexy.com Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexyEpisode 131 - What's the Deal with Romance Languages?
A Janina special! Why do French and Italian sound different? How do Romance languages develop? How do languages live and die? Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Merch etc at www.historyissexy.com
Episode 130: Short Answer Questions
Does Oliver approve of any archers on film? Why does Emma called Caligula Gaius? What's Janina's favourite myth? So many questions, so many answers.
Episode 129: What's the Deal with Roman Triumphs?
Big red faces sweating in the sun. No it's not a group of English men in Benidorm, it's Roman generals dressed as gods being paraded through the streets! What the hell is a triumph anyway? Let's find out …
Show notes
Big red faces sweating in the sun. No it's not a group of English men in Benidorm, it's Roman generals dressed as gods being paraded through the streets! What the hell is a triumph anyway? Let's find out together. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Show Notes etc at www.historyissexy.comEpisode 128 - What's the Deal with Ranavalona I and the Kingdom of Madagascar?
Queen Ranavalona I of Madagascar aka the Female Caligula aka the Mad Queen of Madagascar. Was she really as mad, bad and dangerous to know as the British Empire would have us believe? Featuring a "very …
Show notes
Queen Ranavalona I of Madagascar aka the Female Caligula aka the Mad Queen of Madagascar. Was she really as mad, bad and dangerous to know as the British Empire would have us believe? Featuring a "very apparently mathematically challenged" economic historian and a deep dive into pre-Christian religious belief in Madagascar. Support the show at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Show notes etc at www.historyissexy.comAn announcment from Emma
A small announcement and plea for support! https://www.emmasouthon.com/events2026
Episode 127: What's the Deal with Ancient Stoicism?
Stocism. Sto-Bros. In this episode we look at the ancient philosophical school of Stoicism. A surprisingly complex and strange cosmology is expounded, Emma gives up on Logic and Janina wonders if thought …
Show notes
Stocism. Sto-Bros. In this episode we look at the ancient philosophical school of Stoicism. A surprisingly complex and strange cosmology is expounded, Emma gives up on Logic and Janina wonders if thought experiments are any use at all. Support the Podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Show notes and sources at historyissexy.com/show-notes/episode-127-whats-the-deal-with-stoicismEpisode 126: What's the Deal with the Spartans?
In which we learn that the Spartans were so horrible that even other ancient Greeks were freaked out by them, and recieved absolutly no benefit from it. Support the Podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy …
Show notes
In which we learn that the Spartans were so horrible that even other ancient Greeks were freaked out by them, and recieved absolutly no benefit from it. Support the Podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Source Notes at https://historyissexy.com/show-notes/episode-126-whats-the-deal-with-the-spartansEpisode 125: What's the Deal with the Tynwald?
The long and unexpectedly revolutionary history of the Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man. Allegedly the oldest continuous parliament in history, it celebrated its 1000 year anniversary in 1976. Support …
Show notes
The long and unexpectedly revolutionary history of the Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man. Allegedly the oldest continuous parliament in history, it celebrated its 1000 year anniversary in 1976. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/historyissexy Show notes and sources at www.historyissexy.com/show-notes/episode-125-whats-the-deal-with-the-tynwaldEpisode 124: The Medici Part 3
In which Emma loses total patience with this terrible family and retroactively decides that the name mispronunciation was actually an act of rebellion against them. Support the podcast at …
Show notes
In which Emma loses total patience with this terrible family and retroactively decides that the name mispronunciation was actually an act of rebellion against them. Support the podcast at patreon.com/historyissexy Show notes, info and merch at www.historyissexy.comEpisode 123: The Medici Part 2
Support History is Sexy at https://www.patreon.com/c/historyissexy Show Notes etc at https://historyissexy.com/show-notes/episode-122-124-the-medici Emma continues to mispronounce Medici and the Medici continue …
Show notes
Support History is Sexy at https://www.patreon.com/c/historyissexy Show Notes etc at https://historyissexy.com/show-notes/episode-122-124-the-medici Emma continues to mispronounce Medici and the Medici continue to be a shower of terrible people. Join us as we meet Piero the Unfortunate and a whole lot of popes.Episode #122 - The Medici (Part 1)
One of history's most famous families, the Medici, ruled the city of Florence for years, but who were they?
Episode #116 - The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Quick, no googling, how many of the seven wonders can you name off the top of your head?
Episode #115 - Eleanor of Aquitaine
You may know her from the 1968 film "The Lion In Winter" but who was the real Eleanor of Aquitaine?
Episode #111 - The Year of the Four Emperors (Part 3)
If you thought we forgot to upload this one, you would be correct, but here it is!
These are the latest 40 of 146 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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