Biography

The salt march is the most iconic event from Gandhi's campaign of non-violent resistance. In 1930 Gandhi and his followers began a month-long march to the coast where he made salt, defiantly breaking a British law related to the taxation of salt production.

Explaining his choice, Gandhi said that "Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life."

Guest: Dr Thomas Weber (Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University)

Gandhi is a figure who is known across the world as the father of the nation, the man who achieved independence in the Indian subcontinent through non-violent resistance. He was also a thinker and a philosopher, and the name he was given, ‘Mahatma’, means great soul, and reflects the reverence with which he was seen.

Guest: Dr Thomas Weber (Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University)

With his victory at Salamis, Themistocles is now the hero of the Hellenic world. he's recognised and lauded across the lands, but with this power comes jealousy and competition. The hero of Athens will have to turn to its greatest enemy for sanctuary.

Guest: Professor Christopher Mackie (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University)

Themistocles has established himself as a respected politician within ancient Athens, but he isn't without rivalry. He has political enemies from within who hope to bring him down, and there's always the threat of Persia, readying itself to take on the Hellenic states.

Guest: Professor Christopher Mackie (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University)

Issues around the segregation of African-Americans in the United States led to an increasingly active civil rights movement. The most influential figure in this movement was a Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr. His persuasive words and non-violent methods have made him one of the most revered Americans.

Guest: Professor Timothy Minchin (North American History, La Trobe University)