The Toldinstone Podcast
Garrett Ryan
This podcast complements the toldinstone YouTube channel with interviews of scholars and creators working on the most exciting topics in ancient history.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 28, 2025 • 51min
29 – A Short History of Roman Spain
Paco Alvarez and I discuss the remarkable history of Roman Spain.
Nov 16, 2025 • 43min
28 – What bones tell us about ancient Rome
Deborah Ruscillo and I discuss how zooarchaeology has transformed our understanding of the classical world.
Oct 31, 2025 • 1h 20min
27 – The Mona Lisa of Ancient Coins
Nick Vaneerdewegh and I discuss the Aetna Tetradrachm - the "Mona Lisa of numismatics" - and other treasures of the Brussels Coin Cabinet.
Sep 24, 2025 • 1h 52min
25 – The History of Ancient Rome in 12 Coins
Gareth Harney and I discuss how coins tell the story of Roman history.
Aug 22, 2025 • 1h 6min
24 – Decline and Fall of the Roman City
Luke Lavan and I discuss the transformation of Roman cities in late antiquity.
Jul 25, 2024 • 48min
23 – Greek myths in comics
Matthew Blair and I discuss the uses and abuses of ancient myth and history in comic books.
Jul 9, 2024 • 37min
22 – Reading the Herculaneum Papyri
In this episode, Dr. Federica Nicolardi and I discuss the challenges of reading the scrolls charred and buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Mar 8, 2024 • 54min
21 – The Ancient Architecture of New York City
Elizabeth Macaulay and I discuss New York's neo-antique architecture.
Jan 1, 2024 • 34min
20 – Medicine, Roman and Modern
Dr. Athalia Pyzer, medical expert, discusses modern medicine's debt to its classical roots. Topics include the use of leeches and maggots in modern surgery, different schools of medical practice, the discovery of aspirin from ancient remedies, ancient prescriptions for wound healing, and the risks and limitations of ancient surgery.
Dec 17, 2023 • 1h 5min
19 – The Rules of Gladiatorial Combat
Michael Carter and I discuss the rules and rituals that governed the lives - and deaths - of Rome's gladiators.
