Our Fake History

When the conquistador Francisco Orellana was attacked by a band of female warriors deep in the heart of South America, he thought immediately of the Amazons of Greek mythology. His encounter with this group would end up inspiring the name for the river he was navigating: the Amazon. The original Amazons were said to be society of ferocious female warriors who lived at the edge of the known world. In myth the Amazons tangled with many of greatest Greek heroes. Their all-female society stood in stark contrast to the deeply patriarchal ancient Greek city states. Were these fearsome women just a product of the ancient Greek imagination, or is there some truth to their story? Tune-in and find out how improvised brigantines, casual kidnappings, and the most slept-on epic battle in Greek myth all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this OFH throwback episode Sebastian is throwing you back to Episode #61 - What's the Problem with Socrates? Socrates has been celebrated as the “father of western philosophy”. This is particularly remarkable when you consider the fact that we know almost nothing about him for sure. What we consider “Socratic Philosophy” is what has been reported to us by his students. Should we trust what they are telling us about him? Tune in and find out how ancient fart jokes, free lunch, and a wrestler-turned-playwright-turned-philosopher all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this "throwback episode" we look back at episode #96. In the 1930’s a famous California history professor thought he had discovered a long lost historical treasure. It was a brass plate apparently inscribed by the famous English adventurer Sir. Francis Drake. The plate was heralded as an amazing discovery, but it was actually an elaborate hoax orchestrated by an irreverent secret society. The group behind the hoax is known as E Clampus Vitus and it may be America’s weirdest secret society. Tune in a find out how tin-can medallions, “widders”, and a Grand Noble Humbug all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this SUPER SIZED season finale Sebastian explores the many myths and misconceptions about the city of Toronto. In his attempt to get a deeper understanding of the city he has called home, our host embarks on a series of probing conversations with a handful of Toronto storytellers. Author and feature writer Katie Daubs, Toronto educator Bryan Tran, Toronto Star investigative journalist Brendan Kennedy, local music legend Dave Bidini, and Governor General's Literary Award finalist Liselle Sambury all pop by to share their thoughts on the city of Toronto. Tune-in and find out how a fly killing contest, a hot copy of Rush Hour 2, and something called the "Roller Boat" all play a role in the story. To get your copy of Missing Millionaire by Katie Daubs follow this link: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/561290/the-missing-millionaire-by-katie-daubs/9780771025174 To get your copy of Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury follow this link: https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Blood-Like-Magic/Liselle-Sambury/Blood-Like-Magic/9781534465299 Check out the West End Phoenix here: https://www.westendphoenix.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the stories of saints' lives written in the medieval era Attila the Hun was often used as a stock villain. He was called the "Scourge of God" and was understood as a blunt instrument used by God to punish the impious and test the resolve of martyrs. But, Attila certainly did not see himself as the tool of a Christian God that he did not worship. These medieval hagiographies presented Attila as one of history's most brutal monsters, but is that reasonable? Attila was an ambitious conqueror who sacked and looted his way across Europe, but does that make him all that different from the Caesars? Tune-in and find out how a psalm reading severed head, a marriage proposal, and 11,000 martyred maidens all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Huns were not a literate culture, which means their version of history was never written down. As a result we rely on sources written by outsiders to trace the rise of the Hunnic empire and the career of King Attila. This means that the record is patchy, incomplete, and deeply affected by the anti-Hun prejudices of the authors. But despite that, there are still a number of remarkable stories that have survived in the historical record that help us get a more nuanced picture of Attila the Hun. The man had a truly ferocious reputation and yet he could also be gracious, merciful, and patient. Attila was certainly no stranger to violence, but he was also no mindless brute. Does he deserve to be cast as one of history's great villains? Tune-in and find out how Australian propaganda, a scheming palace eunuch, and 50lb bag of gold all play a role in the story.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Attila the Hun has been saddled with a truly terrible historical reputation. In many parts of the world his name is synonymous with barbarism. But, despite the fact that Attila the Hun has excellent name recognition for an ancient historical figure, the details of his life remain obscure to most. Like most conquerors, opinions on Attila swing widely depending on which side of those conquests your ancestors happened to be on. Was Attila a bloodthirsty sadist or a noble nation builder? Can you be both? Tune-in and find out how German dragon slayers, an ancient refugee crisis, and meat warmed between a man's thighs all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the last year the global conversation around the fate of the Benin Bronzes has shifted dramatically. In April of 2021 the German government announced that the vast majority of Benin Bronzes kept in German museums will be returned to Nigeria. This announcement was followed by a rash of other institutions making pledges to return objects that had been plundered from the Kingdom of Benin. Most recently, in March of 2022, America's Smithsonian institute pledged to return it's entire collection of Benin Bronzes. However, the one institution that has yet to commit to returning it's plundered artefacts is the British Museum, which holds the world's largest collection of Benin Bronzes. This is especially painful given Britain's role in the destruction of the Kingdom of Benin. How exactly did the the death of one British official result in the destruction of a 1000 year old city and the wholesale looting of Benin's heritage? Tune-in and find out how Maxim guns, turn of the century rockets, and one magical warrior all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1897 Queen Victoria marked her diamond jubilee and Britain was in a celebratory mood. The British Empire had never been stronger. Few could imagine that this world-spanning empire might very well be peaking. But in 1897 Britain was in no mood for painful self-reflection. Instead Britons were gaily celebrating the what they perceived to be the "triumphs" of empire. Earlier that year a British punitive expedition sacked the West- African city of Benin. The victorious Brits carried off thousands of priceless cultural treasures, many of which were then displayed as trophies of war and instructive curios at the British Museum. The British press had painted Benin City as a hopelessly "savage" place, but these artworks instead reflected a society of great sophistication and artistic skill. Perhaps Britain had been wrong about Benin. How did a British expeditionary force end up at the gates of Benin City in the first place? Tune-in and find out how miscommunications, shady treaties, and pageants with machine guns all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looting has been a part of warfare since the earliest times. Despite the fact that looting was common for much of history, it was always recognized as an especially harmful and humiliating by-product of armed conflict. By the late 19th century, the looting of sacred objects and culturally significant works of art was widely considered a war crime and was forbidden by a number of international treaties. But despite these high minded treaties, the treasures of Indigenous people, Africans, and South Asian people were still considered "fair game" by European colonialists. In 1897 the British returned from the West African Kingdom of Benin with a remarkable haul of looted art of religious objects. Many of these objects, known collectively as the Benin Bronzes, are still in Britain today as part of the collection held by the British Museum. What do these works of art mean to the people of Benin? How did they fall into the hands of the British? Why are they still considered some of the most controversial museum objects in the world? Tune-in and find out how tamed lice, a leopard sacrifice, and wall five times longer than the Great Wall of China, all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.