Ancient Heroes

Patrick Garvey takes an interview-based approach to ancient history and mythology, bringing on archaeologists, historians, and scholars to discuss the people and stories that shaped the ancient world. The show has been running since 2016 with 70 episodes that cover ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and civilizations that tend to get less attention in the podcasting world. Episodes run 30 to 55 minutes, which keeps conversations focused without cutting guests short. Garvey's strength is in selecting interesting guests and asking the right questions to draw out the best material from their research. Recent topics have ranged from King Arthur manuscripts and Plato's philosophy to Alexander the Great and Arthurian legends, showing a willingness to follow interesting threads wherever they lead. The show occasionally features author readings and book announcements, which adds variety to the standard interview format. With a 4.7 star rating from 55 reviews, the audience is small but appreciative. Some listeners have noted that Garvey's conversational style could be tighter at times, but the quality of the guests more than compensates. This is a free podcast with no subscription tier, which makes the entire catalog accessible without any barriers. If you enjoy hearing directly from the people who spend their careers studying the ancient world, Ancient Heroes provides consistently interesting conversations with scholars you might not encounter on bigger shows.