Yes, the topic this week is the number 40. Yes, it's episode 41. What can we say. We're historians, not mathematicians.
Obvious stupidity and working ourselves into a corner aside (genuinely, we - specifically Sam - are absolute idiots) we've got a cracker this week. Tom's started from the beginning, that is, 40AD. Which just happens to be when Agricola, Roman Governor of Britain and subject of the book with the imaginative title 'Agriocola' was born. We take a whirlwind trip through Tacitus' history of the apparently quite nice (but still quite murderous) Roman leader.
Next, Sam given an honourable mention to ancient Egypt and the Tessarakonteres (which means 40), the largest human-powered ship ever built. Just a shade smaller than Noah's Ark, it had 4,000 rowers and a total crew of nearly 10,000. And was utterly useless as anything except a fancy garden ornament.
After that, we head to Britain in the 1840s and railway mania, with some of the ridiculous stories of madness, rioting, stealing trains and literal locotmotive tugs of war that characterised Britain's Victorian transport fever.
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Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. A 12-hour time difference. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history but lives in New Zealand), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
The Muffled Screams of Thriller from the Mortuary (Ancient Laws week) - That Was Genius Episode 46
The Soily Fondue Jazz Quartet (Treasure week) - That Was Genius Episode 45
A Triple Suplex in the Name of Love (Badass Women week) - That Was Genius Episode 44
Brazilian Samba Dancing Nurses with Incredible Moustaches (Charlatans week) - That Was Genius Episode 43
One Dead President and a Scottish Woman's Bottom (Spooky week) - That Was Genius Episode 42
Toilet Paper of the Ancients (discovery week) - That Was Genius Episode 40
Revenging the Nazi Tap-Dance Troupe (Badass week) - That Was Genius Episode 39
A Noble and Historic Parking Lot Brawl (Revenge week) - That Was Genius Episode 38
Hold Me Closer Zombie Dancer (Health week) - That Was Genius Episode 37
He's Not The Messiah, Hes a Very Naughty Serial Killer (The Law week) - That Was Genius Episode 36
Watch Where You Waggle That Broomstick (Pope week) - That Was Genius Episode 35
Sam Meets History With Hilbert - The Other Genius Episode 1
The Gassy Floridians Are Coming By Sea (Ships week) - That Was Genius Episode 34
Welcome to That Was Genius - A Rather Silly History Podcast
When in Rome, do as the Chinese do (Silk Road week) - That Was Genius Episode 33
One Monkey, Two Giant Balls, and 6,000 Eastern Europeans (Japan Week) - That Was Genius Episode 32
The Purple Headed Wibbler in the Garden (Vegetables Week) - That Was Genius Episode 31
Attack of the Burping Lecherous Bum Otters (Rivers Week) - That was Genius Episode 30
Attention Passengers This Is Your Toilet Speaking (Plane Crash Week) - That Was Genius Episode 29
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