When examining ancient history, it can be hard to decipher myth from reality. Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great have gained legendary status as some of history's most renowned figures; yet they also committed some of the most devastating war crimes and atrocities to date. The Roman version of sport was gladiators fighting to the death; but does that really mean they valued life so little? Why have some ancient civilizations become so celebrated, while others have all but vanished in the history books? And what can we learn from the many civilizations that have come and gone and how it relates to our world today? Historian Aaron Irvin, from Netflix's hit documentary series "Roman Empire", joins the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.