Rephonic
Artwork for Beforecast

Beforecast

Ada Palmer
Niccolò Machiavelli
Florence
Florence, Florence
Medici
Italian City-States
Machiavelli
Discourses On Livy
Consequentialism
Renaissance Italian Republics
Republican Institutions
Genoa
Pazzi Conspiracy
The Prince
Roman Republic
Venice
Roman Statecraft
Medici Family

Ada Palmer deep dives into history and more. Long-form, serious but playful comparison of past and present.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes10Founded2 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryPhilosophySociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Beforecast

Latest Episodes

Historian Ada Palmer discusses the captivating story of the Catacombs beneath the Vatican, and the discovery of the bones of St. Peter Thanks for watching! We have so many topics to discuss on Machiavelli, the Renaissance, and beyond! All ideas are w... more

Historian Ada Palmer and Journalist & Podcaster Adam Davidson discuss the Tyrants of the Renaissance, how they expanded and grew their powers, and what we can learn from them today.

Thanks for watching! We have so many topics to discuss on Machiave... more

Historian Ada Palmer and Journalist & Podcaster Adam Davidson discuss Machiavelli's turbulent childhood, and the many tragedies that made him the man he became.

Thanks for watching! We have so many topics to discuss on Machiavelli, the Renaissance,... more

Historian Ada Palmer and Journalist & Podcaster Adam Davidson discuss a lesser known work of Machiavelli, but one that's just as important to his legacy.

Thanks for watching! We have so many topics to discuss on Machiavelli, the Renaissance, and be... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Volts
VoltsDavid Roberts
Slate Money
Slate MoneySlate Podcasts
Capitalisn't
Capitalisn'tUniversity of Chicago Podcast Network
On the Media
On the MediaWNYC Studios
The LRB Podcast
The LRB PodcastThe London Review of Books

Recent Guests

Ada Palmer
Historian, novelist and professor at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Episode: What Makes Republics FALL? | Beforecast Episode 6 with Ada Palmer

Hosts

Ada Palmer
Historian, musician and science fiction writer
Adam Davidson
Journalist and podcaster

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 54 ratings
  • Fantastic and engaging discussions about a historical figure who I knew very little about!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Joseph N
    16 days ago
  • Machiavelli ISN’T who you think he is

    Fascinating about Machiavelli, the Renaissance, and most of all, how it relates to our times. Both Adam and Ada are delightful and interesting hosts. Looking forward to the next episodes.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BrendaGD
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The Machiavelli and Renaissance discussions are praised as fascinating.
Listeners describe the hosts as engaging and enjoyable to hear.
Listeners value the connections between historical ideas and contemporary life.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#37
South Korea/History
Apple Podcasts
#96
Singapore/History
Apple Podcasts
#222
Denmark/History
Apple Podcasts
#237
United Arab Emirates/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What Makes Republics FALL? | Beforecast Episode 6 with Ada Palmer
Q: What are the differences that make a republic work sometimes and not other times?
Palmer says a key difference is whether wealthy newcomers have a legitimate route to political influence. Venice allowed families to earn entry through generations of public service, while Genoa's restricted elite shut out powerful new families, encouraging them to build an alternative power structure.
What Makes Republics FALL? | Beforecast Episode 6 with Ada Palmer
Q: What is a republic?
Palmer describes the republics under discussion as sovereign city-states with oligarchic systems that share and rotate power among multiple factions, rather than allowing one family to rule perpetually.
The Machiavelli Book You've Never Read | Beforecast Episode 7 with Ada Palmer
Q: How do Machiavelli and Livy hold up through our current lens of history, and are their facts and analysis sound?
Palmer says Machiavelli offers useful observations about political outcomes but lacks a systematic understanding of economics. Modern historians would explain Rome's advantages through economic practices, geography, trade and policies, including immigration.
The Machiavelli Book You've Never Read | Beforecast Episode 7 with Ada Palmer
Q: Was Machiavelli trying to needle the current rulers, and did he avoid doing so because he feared blowback, or was he trying to appear intellectually serious?
Palmer says he was chiefly presenting himself as a serious scholar. Many examples criticized decisions by earlier Florentine governments, not the Medici rulers who had recently seized power.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Beforecast

What is Beforecast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Long-form conversations connect Renaissance history and political philosophy with questions about power, ethics and political life today. Historian Ada Palmer and journalist Adam Davidson combine close readings of historical texts with stories about people, institutions and daily life, especially in Florence and other Italian city-states. Their discussions move between abstract ideas, such as consequentialist ethics and republican government, and vivid historical details about family networks, city streets, education and political conflict.

The tone is scholarly but playful, with accessible explanations and modern comparisons that keep complex material grounded in its historical context. Listeners interested in how political systems work, ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Beforecast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Beforecast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Beforecast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Beforecast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Beforecast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Beforecast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Beforecast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Beforecast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Beforecast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Beforecast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Beforecast:

1. Volts
2. Slate Money
3. Capitalisn't
4. On the Media
5. The LRB Podcast

How many episodes of Beforecast are there?

Beforecast launched 2 months ago and published 10 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Beforecast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Beforecast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Beforecast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Beforecast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Beforecast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Beforecast?

Recent guests on Beforecast include:

1. Ada Palmer

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days