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.
Dónde está tu oro? (Conquistador Week) - That Was Genius Episode 28
If it Says it in The Bible (Slavery Week) - That Was Genius Episode 27
Hell Hath No Fury Like 300 Spearmen in Heels [Homosexuality Week] - That Was Genius Episode 26
A Face Full of Holy Horse Wind (The North week) - That Was Genius Episode 25
Kiss Me Tenderly Where The Sun Doesn't Shine (Music week) - That Was Genius Episode 24
The Ghosts Told Me To Do It (Great Escapes week) - That Was Genius Episode 23
The Tragic Tale of Burpy the Dwarf (Disney week) - That Was Genius Episode 22
A Bit Heavy on the Dynamite (America week) - That Was Genius Episode 21
Everything Here is Trying to Kill Us (Australia week) - That Was Genius Episode 20
Third Arm and Hammer (Religion week) - That Was Genius Episode 19
Pornographic Soviet Drunk Train (inventions week) - That Was Genius Episode 18
Imagine Mr Tickle... Covered in Swastikas ('that should be a film' week) - That Was Genius Episode 17
Vanking for Victory (resistance week) - That Was Genius Episode 16
A Nice Bike Ride Through A French Riot (cheating week) - That Was Genius Episode 15
The Bad, The Worst, and The Stupid (naughty Englishmen week) - That Was Genius Episode 14
Please Dont Pirate This Podcast (pirate week - obviously) - That Was Genius Episode 13
Two Shiny Nipples and an Unfortunate Weather Vane (sculpture week) - That Was Genius Episode 12
Welcome to the Antarctic Party Boat (people called Richard week) - That Was Genius - Episode 11
Please Don't Eat The Priceless Artifact (yes, it's artifact week) - That Was Genius Episode 10
Two False Legs and One Ruined Bakery (food week) - That Was Genius - Episode 9
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