The Exploress

Season 2, Episode 2. Let's continue our day as an everyday lady in ancient Egypt's New Kingdom during the 18th Dynasty. We'll talk about what we're doing for both work and pleasure, go to a feast, and explore medicine, contraception, mummification and the afterlife. Put on your best jewels and let's go traveling.

For show notes, head over to my website. While you're there, become a patron of the show and receive bonus goodies by clicking on Become a Patron.

(Most) music by Keith Zizza and Derek & Brandon Fiechter.

Season 2, Episode 1. Of all the civilizations in the ancient world, Egypt was perhaps the most prone to the miraculous. They invented many wonders: the 365-day calendar, breath mints, paper, the ramp and lever. And then there’s this particular wonder: ancient Egyptian women had more freedom and power than anywhere else in the ancient world. Why was Egypt such an exception to the ancient rule? What did their lives really look like? Grab a linen sheath, your dangliest earrings, and a whole lotta sunscreen. Let’s go traveling.

Music from this episode includes: “Hathor,” “Nefertiti,” and “Lost Tombs” from the album Ancient Egypt by Derek and Brandon Fiechter. “Journey of the Nile, “Festival Dance,” and “Jewel of the Desert” from the album Children of the Nile by Keith Zizza.

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If you're keen to check out the map and timeline I created just for Season 2, plus a list of my sources and an episode transcript, head over to my website.

Season 2, Episode 12. In Part 1 we met Olympias, Alexander the Great's mother, and saw her navigate some savage drama to get her and her son to the top. Now let's see what she does when he goes off conquering. When he dies, she and several of Alex's women will battle with the men around them for power - often a battle to the death - in a war for an empire that would put Game of Thrones to shame. Get ready for a whole lot of stabbing.

Check out the show notes for a transcript, images, a list of my research sources, and more. To support the show, become a patron or go and nab something from my brand-new Exploress Etsy shop.

Season 2, Episode 16. Welcome to a day in the life of an ancient Roman matrona. In Part 3 of our exploration of a Roman woman's day, we go out into the streets, taking in the Coliseum, the Forum, and the famous Roman baths. We'll also go to a dinner party, then talk about sexuality in ancient Rome and what kinds of medical care we can expect to find.

For a transcript, a list of my sources, and lots of images, check out my website. To support the show and get extra content and goodies, go to my Patreon page or explore my Etsy merchandise shop. Music featured comes courtesy of Michael Levy.

Thanks to our Rome expert guests Dr. Rhiannon Evans, main guest on the podcast Emperors of Rome, and Dr. Rad and Dr. G of The Partial Historians.

Season 1, Episode 1. Mid-19th century America was a pretty buttoned-up place. Or was it?

For women, marriage and family was their destiny, their lives confined to a small and private sphere. They could toil, but they couldn’t vote; they could work their land, but often couldn’t own it. They were laced into corsets, surrounded by a piece of clothing called a cage.

The whole thing sounds pretty...constricting. But women in this era did plenty of fascinating things, both within the boundaries of polite society and well outside of them. That was especially true when the Civil War broke out in 1861. War has as way of rewriting the rules of engagement. In a divided country, many women found themselves driven, and inspired, to become more than they were told they were supposed to be.

Let's step into a day in the life of an upper- to middle-class, city-dwelling lady and discover what it might be like to walk in her shoes. We will explore a wide range of topics, from what underwear you might be wearing, how you might go about washing your hair, and what exactly a crinoline cage is to courtship rituals, women's suffrage, the potential absurdity of your wedding night, and having children in 19th-century America. We'll also talk about how the Civil War changed things for women: how it complicated their lives, but also opened doors to a whole new world.