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How can the experience of the Babylonians and Assyrians ease our worries now? Can we look to a Tudor queen for advice on procrastination? How can we harness the ancient fear of faeries and witches to add a bit of enchantment to our lives today? What’s this all about? It’s a simple concept. I find a great historian or archaeologist and I ask them to propose a Life Lesson from History – some learning from their study of the past that will help us today to live better, happier, healthier, or more productive lives.

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Check latest episodes from Life Lessons from History podcast

Be wary of labour-saving devices

2026/02/09

Don’t let your life be ruled by your vacuum cleaner, says celebrated historian of the Industrial Revolution Emma Griffin in this episode of our Life Lessons from History series. She also shares some helpful observations about how we might deal with the challenges of the AI revolution.

Hug a tree like a medieval pagan

2026/02/02

Paganism hung on in eastern and northern Europe for a lot longer than you might expect. According to historian and folklorist Francis Young, that’s partly because people there took a very flexible and personal approach to spirituality, which often included a deep respect for trees and nature. This episode of Life Lessons from History explores how we might benefit from that today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love your neighbour, like an ancient Roman

2026/01/26

Good neighbours become good friends. If you ever watched the long-running Australian drama series Neighbours, you’ll recognise that ditty. According to Roman historian Dr Jess Venner, we could take a lesson on neighbourliness from ancient Rome – more specifically, ancient Pompeii. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find wonder in the world around you

2026/01/19

The Anglo-Saxons had a deep sense of wonder – they saw magic in the mundane, and expressed it through riddles. Eleanor Parker’s Life Lesson from History is that we, too, should seek out wonder in the world around us, and that a little bit of riddle-writing might help us find it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paint a pot like an ancient Etruscan

2026/01/12

Be yourself and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s one of the lessons that archaeologist Dr Lucy Shipley says we can take from the approach to life of the ancient Etruscans. These historical inhabitants of the Italian peninsula seem to have had a very self-confident attitude – one which we could learn from today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live locally, live sustainably

2026/01/05

We know we should all be living sustainably if we can. Bestselling historian Ian Mortimer suggests that we should look back to the medieval period – an era in which people took a very local attitude to life – to seek inspiration for sustainable living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don’t worry, be Babylonian

2025/12/29

Do you wake up in the middle of the night worrying? If so, you’re definitely not alone. But if you want to manage the anxieties of modern life, Selena Wisnom argues that you could take a leaf out of the book of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get personal with your poo, like a samurai

2025/12/22

Are we too quick to flush? In Edo Japan, people were much more mindful of how they dealt with sewage and rubbish than we are today. Chris Harding’s Life Lesson from History is that we should think more carefully about how we deal with our waste products, in the spirit of the samurai. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tudor sleep lessons

2025/12/15

In the early modern period, people considered a good night’s sleep to be fundamental to a good life – they thought about it a lot, and deployed plenty of techniques to ensure they slept well. Sasha Handley explains what we can learn from the Tudors about sleep, including why we might want to pop a chilled apple on our heads at night, in this Life Lesson from History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let a little magic into your life

2025/12/08

We live in a modern disenchanted world. That’s why, in this episode of Life Lessons from History, Ronald Hutton suggests that we might benefit from seeking out a spot of magic. Could we all do with a bit more of the thrill of the supernatural? Listen to this conversation to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Procrastinate like Elizabeth I

2025/12/01

What can we learn about decision-making, and the art of proactive procrastination, from the Virgin Queen? Elizabeth I famously managed to keep all her courtiers wondering about what she really meant for decades, and in this episode of Life Lessons from History, Tracy Borman explains what we can take from the life of the Tudor monarch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Introducing Life Lessons from History

2025/11/24

What’s this all about? It’s a simple concept. I find a great historian or archaeologist and I ask them to propose a Life Lesson from History – some learning from their study of the past that will help us today to live better, happier, healthier, or more productive lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices