The year is 508 BCE, and Athens is a mess. Tyrants have fallen, Sparta’s been meddling, and the aristocrats can’t agree on lunch—let alone a constitution. Enter Cleisthenes with a bold idea: hand power to the people. In this episode, Bernie and Dan walk through the real, chaotic, and sometimes violent birth of Athenian democracy.

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory

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Contact information:

E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dean Kinzer of Kinzer Coins joins Bernie to talk about the world of ancient coin collecting—how surprisingly accessible it is, what to look for, and why these tiny pieces of metal are gateways to massive historical stories. You don’t have to be a museum to hold the past in your hand.

https://www.kinzercoins.com/

You will put the Buy me a Coffee and rest in right?

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory or https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

Custom Printed Shirts in 3 days! Go to graveyardprinting.com and enter coupon code FANOFHISTORY2025 for 11% off

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Contact information:

E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Athens in the 510s BCE was on the edge of transformation. As tyranny collapsed, rival aristocrats scrambled to shape the city’s future. In this episode, we follow the dramatic events that set the stage for democracy—including one unexpected turning point that changed everything.

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory

Custom Printed Shirts in 3 days! Go to graveyardprinting.com and enter coupon code FANOFHISTORY2025 for 11% off

Contact information:

E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Long before the Greeks launched triremes or the Egyptians built reed boats, ancient Southeast Asians were already mastering the sea. In this episode, Bernie and Dan dive into new archaeological findings that challenge the entire timeline of technological progress. Stone tools, deep-sea fish bones, and microscopic plant fibers tell the story of a forgotten seafaring culture—one that may have built boats, caught tuna, and navigated open waters 40,000 years ago. Were the world’s first sailors islanders?

Article Links:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a63870396/ancient-boats-southeast-asia/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X25000525?via%3Dihub

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory or https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

Custom Printed Shirts in 3 days! Go to graveyardprinting.com and enter coupon code FANOFHISTORY2025 for 11% off

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Contact information:

E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a wild ride through the 510s BCE in Greece—where legends fall and the ground starts to shift beneath the ancient world. We kick things off at the Olympics of 512, where a new champion takes all three footraces and Milo of Crotone suffers his final Olympic defeat. But Milo isn’t done—he goes to war, becomes a symbol of Crotone’s might… and eventually meets a famously gruesome end. Meanwhile, Pythagoras is tossed from the city he helped shape, and over in Athens, murder sets democracy in motion. This is the storm before the storm.

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory

Custom Printed Shirts in 3 days! Go to graveyardprinting.com and enter coupon code FANOFHISTORY2025 for 11% off

Contact information:

E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We march into the Persian Empire with Xenophon and Alex Petkas to break down the opening of Anabasis—a story of betrayal, survival, and leadership born from failure. This isn't just ancient military drama; it’s a mirror for modern challenges: how to lead when no one else will, how to make decisions in chaos, and how to earn trust in a world of uncertainty.

https://www.costofglory.com/

Retreat info

https://greece.costofglory.com/

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory or https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

You can also get all the old episodes if you subscribe to Fan of History+ at https://fanofhistory.supercast.com/

Custom Printed Shirts in 3 days! Go to graveyardprinting.com and enter coupon code FANOFHISTORY2025 for 11% off

Contact information:

E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If they are free men, they are the basest cravens in the world; but if they are slaves, none would love their masters more.” — Herodotus, on the Ionians

A Persian army on the run. A desperate warning from the Scythians. And a group of Greek tyrants who choose despotism over defiance. In this episode, we follow the moment Darius I almost lost it all—plus Megabazus’ ruthless conquest of Thrace and the Persians’ first awkward dinner with Macedon and a guy named Alexander.

Great episode... don't miss it!

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory

Custom Printed Shirts in 3 days! Go to graveyardprinting.com and enter coupon code FANOFHISTORY2025 for 11% off

Contact information:

E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing the first ever LazRus Podcast by the creative genius Aniello Dougherty - who is also a teenager!

Something different. Something New. Check it out and let us know what you think.

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory or https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

Custom Printed Shirts in 3 days! Go to graveyardprinting.com and enter coupon code FANOFHISTORY2025 for 11% off

Contact information:

E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.