Echoes of History

Matt Cook, a senior writer for Anno 117: Pax Romana, dives into the fascinating intersection of history and gaming. He discusses the significant moment of 117 AD in the Roman Empire, emphasizing research challenges and historical accuracy. Cook reveals how influences from pop culture shape the game's tone and addresses the sensitive topic of slavery through narrative rather than gameplay. He shares anecdotes about real historical figures and the unique gameplay mechanics driven by Roman society, all while encouraging players to engage with history creatively.

In this enlightening discussion, Dr. Anne Chen, an Associate Professor at Bard College and director of the International Digital Dura-Europos Archive, delves into daily life in the Roman Empire. She explores how archaeology reveals the intricacies of everyday activities often overlooked in texts. Discover the significance of Dura-Europos, a time capsule of cultures, and how modern methods help rediscover social dynamics, including women’s roles. Dr. Chen's insights highlight the empire as a borrower of cultures, showcasing a rich tapestry of coexisting traditions.

Everyone knows the great achievements of Sir Isaac Newton. Or do they? Assassin's Creed Gold focuses not on the first half of Newton's career, describing gravity and the fundamental laws of physics, but on the second half of his life, working at the Royal Mint in London. This responsibility included chasing down counterfeiters. One man in particular would became his nemesis - the Professor Moriarty to Newton's Sherlock Holmes.To shed light on this fascinating time in Newton's life, Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Patricia Fara, Emeritus Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and author of Life After Gravity: Isaac Newton's London Career. Everyone knows the great achievements of Sir Isaac Newton. Or do they? Assassin's Creed Gold focuses not on the first half of Newton's career, describing gravity and the fundamental laws of physics, but on the second half of his life, working at the Royal Mint in London. This responsibility included chasing down counterfeiters, and one man in particular who would became his nemesis - the Professor Moriarty to Newton's Sherlock Holmes.To shed light on this fascinating time in Newton's life, Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Patricia Fara, Emeritus Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and author of Life After Gravity: Isaac Newton's London Career.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Michael McDaidProduced by: Robin McConnell, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:On Father's Watch by Chris TiltonBallroom Fight (Invention No. 13 in D Minor) by Sarah SchachnerThe Nation, the Law, and the King by Sarah SchachnerIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Assassin’s Creed Unity offers a stunning recreation of 18th century Paris, which in modern times is the home of Ubisoft. How did this setting affect the developers’ work? Did this personal connection make things easier or harder? And how did the developers approach the intense history of the French Revolution, which is still an emotive period for many people?Dr Holly Nielsen is joined by Ubisoft resident historian and Assassin's Creed World Director, Maxime Durand, to uncover the challenges and surprising discoveries made by the game developers when recreating Paris during the French Revolution.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Holly NielsenEdited by: Michael McDaidProduced by: Robin McConnell, Holly NielsenSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic by Chris Tilton, Sarah Schachner, Ryan AmonIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vinland, the mysterious place that may be somewhere in North America, and that players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can explore in The Last Chapter, as a grand finale to the epic story. And story is the key word, because our evidence for Vikings in America comes from Norse sagas. What exactly do they tell us about Vinland and the Vikings in America? And how much can we trust these sources for historical fact?To help Matt Lewis separate saga fact from fiction, he's joined by Dr Brittany Schorn, a Director of Studies in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Robin McConnell, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Blood Red Sails by Sarah SchachnerTo The Next World by Sarah SchachnerIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia transports us to the tense atmosphere of World War One as Russia made the difficult transition from an imperial state to a socialist republic.But what was it like for the ordinary person on the streets of Moscow, or in the wheatfields of Kursk? Did they passionately pursue the political shifts that were underway? Or did they just fear the threat - and the fact - of violence while they looked for their next meal?To help Matt Lewis understand the experience of the worker during the Russian Revolution, he's joined by Professor Sarah Badcock from the University of Nottingham, author of Politics and the People in Revolutionary Russia; A Provincial History.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Michael McDaidProduced by: Robin McConnell, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic by Aaron Miller, Mark RutherfordIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows recreates everyday life in Japan during the Sengoku jidai - the Warring States period - and highlights how reality doesn’t always align with pop culture perceptions of samurai as a noble elite.Matt Lewis spoke to Dr Kate Kitagawa and Professor Eric Rath to answer the question, what was it really like to live as a samurai? From weapons to worship and family to food, they reveal a more pragmatic view of the legendary warrior than we may be used to.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic by The FlightIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historians Review & Ubisoft Developer Interview with Maxime DurandIn Assassin’s Creed Origins players can do what no tour group today can do: clamber all over and inside the monuments of Ancient Egypt, from the Sphinx to Cleopatra's Palace, from the temple at Karnak to the Great Pyramids.In this episode, Matt Lewis and Dr Holly Nielsen review the game's adaptation of history, before interviewing Ubisoft resident historian and Assassin's Creed World Director, Maxime Durand, about how the game developers recreated Ancient Egypt.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Dr Holly Nielsen, Matt LewisEdited by: Michael McDaidProduced by: Robin McConnell, Dr Holly NielsenSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic by Sarah SchachnerIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ezio Auditore, the hero of Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed Revelations, travels from Venice to the Ottoman Empire.For centuries, these two rivals in the Mediterranean were at war in one way or another. Today, Dr Gemma Masson returns to help Matt Lewis cover the key events that form the tense backdrop to Ezio’s adventures in the east.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Michael McDaidProduced by: Robin McConnell, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic by Lorne BalfeIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’ve probably heard of Herodotus, and in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey you’ll have met the man himself. Variously called the Father of History and the Father of Lies, what do we know about the real Herodotus, and what do his writings reveal about life in the ancient world?To answer all this and more, Matt Lewis is joined by Justin Marozzi - journalist, historian, travel writer and author of The Man Who Invented History: Travels with Herodotus.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Robin McConnell, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:A Happy Family by The Flight, Michael GeorgiadesPassing The Torch by The FlightConversations by The Flight, Michael GeorgiadesIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.