Rephonic
Artwork for Past Lives

Past Lives

Patrick Wyman
Slavery
History
Transatlantic Slave Trade
Roman Empire
Social Death
Serfdom
Assyria
Clovis People
Xinjiang
Mamluk Empire
Ottoman Empire
Congo
Bangladesh
Mississippi
America
Bog Bodies
Amarna
Ancient Egypt
Akhenaten
Shang Dynasty

History is built by people like you, and Past Lives is here to bring their stories to life. Every week, we’ll focus on the lived experiences of real people in the past, from the Stone Age to the near-present. Peasants, laborers, artisans, merchants, soldiers, and the enslaved are far too often overlooked in favor of kings, generals, and politicians; not here. On Past Lives, we keep the focus where... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes44Founded10 months ago
Number of ListenersCategory
History

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Artwork for Past Lives

Latest Episodes

When we think of Scandinavia, it seems to be a long way from the Roman Empire, with hundreds of miles separating the Rhine and Danube frontiers from the bogs of Jutland and Sweden. Why, then, were hundreds upon hundreds of Roman-made weapons intentio... more

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Professor Peter Mancall is one of the finest historians of colonial America working today, and he's written a banger of a book, the newest entry in the wonderful Oxford History of the United States series. It's entitled Contested Continent, and it's ... more

More than 2,400 years ago, a man living in southern Denmark was hung from a plaited leather cord, then buried in a bog. There he stayed until 1950, when his perfectly preserved face emerged from the peat. We know him as Tollund Man, but who was he in... more

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

Peter C. Mancall
Historian of North America, professor at USC
University of Southern California
Episode: Professor Peter Mancall on Understanding Colonial America
James Romm
James H. Ottaway Professor of Classics at Bard College; author and scholar of the ancient world
Bard College
Episode: Interview: James Romm - Since You’re Mortal: Life Lessons from the Lost Greek Plays
Thomas Asbridge
Dr. Thomas Asbridge, reader in history at Queen Mary University of London, author of The Black Death, A Global History
Queen Mary University of London
Episode: Interview: Professor Thomas Asbridge on the Black Death
Shannon Chakraborty
Award-winning New York Times bestselling author
Daevabad Trilogy / The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi / The Tapestry of Fate
Episode: Interview: Shannon Chakraborty and Historical Fantasy
Tim Haines
Screenwriter, producer, and director known for Walking with Dinosaurs/beasts/monsters and Primeval
NBCUniversal (Surviving Earth)
Episode: Interview: Producer, Writer, and Director Tim Haines on Surviving Earth and Bringing the Distant Past to Life
Craig Fehrman
Journalist, historian, and author
This Vast Enterprise (Author)
Episode: The Corps of Discovery Wasn't Just Lewis and Clark: Interview with Craig Fehrman

Host

Patrick Wyman
Host and primary narrator guiding historical narratives with a focus on everyday people and social history.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 411 ratings
  • Fascinating stories.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Dallas
    a month ago
  • Interesting. I would like the narrative to be slower. Very rushed and difficult to immerse in the past lives.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    me!
    2 months ago
  • Very cool idea for a podcast. I'd recommend talking a bit slower though! The speech feels quite rushed

    Podcast Addict
    3
    dlamdesu
    2 months ago
  • Great source of more Wyman

    The high standard of history podcasting we all associate with Patrick Wyman, but in a great format: quick episodes that still manage to do a deep dive on under-appreciated topics.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cbees5000
    United States3 months ago
  • Bringing a more complete narrative to History

    Patrick continues his amazing podcast work with _Past Lives_, looking at people like you and me and their experiences during the times they lived. By drawing sociological views of their surroundings and fleeting glimpses of people in records, Patrick brings unique views of past lives to us in an enjoyable podcast format. Each episode brings these people together into a broader subject arc that is satisfying to experience from beginning to end.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jeffrey Marraccini
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise rigorous research and engaging storytelling that centers ordinary people.
Many note the show blends scholarship with accessible narratives, making history feel personal.
A few critics suggest expanding topic diversity beyond slave histories.
Praise for consistently high-quality guests and production value across episodes.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#104
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#120
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#216
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#162
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#194
France/History
Apple Podcasts
#211
Germany/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Interview: James Romm - Since You’re Mortal: Life Lessons from the Lost Greek Plays
Q: What do you hope readers take from Since You're Mortal?
He wants readers to feel a sense of connection to the past, to recognize that ancient people faced the same essential concerns as we do, and to see modern life reflected in the moral and practical questions raised by the quotations in Stobaeus's compilation.
Interview: James Romm - Since You’re Mortal: Life Lessons from the Lost Greek Plays
Q: So what initially drew your interest to the ancient world?
Romm describes being drawn first to myths and Homeric tales and gradually shifting to history as a living discipline; the myths sparked curiosity, and through time he found a deep engagement with historical contexts behind those myths.
Interview: Shannon Chakraborty and Historical Fantasy
Q: What inspires you when thinking about parallel worlds or source worlds?
Historically grounded curiosity; the idea that past worlds are living systems with their own logic, which can be explored through meticulous world-building and engagement with primary sources.
Interview: Producer, Writer, and Director Tim Haines on Surviving Earth and Bringing the Distant Past to Life
Q: Your background was in science journalism. How did you pivot to making a full TV series, and how do you balance accuracy with storytelling?
He explains starting with a research-heavy approach, using natural history storytelling channels, and then crafting characters and ecosystems around the evidence to create a compelling, emotionally resonant series while respecting scientific reliability.
Interview: Producer, Writer, and Director Tim Haines on Surviving Earth and Bringing the Distant Past to Life
Q: How did you get into making documentary series?
Tim describes an early passion sparked by Jurassic Park and a move from science journalism into storytelling, realizing technology could animate real-looking dinosaurs and drive engaging narratives, which led to Walking with Dinosaurs and beyond.

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 Past Lives

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

This show centers the lived experiences of ordinary people across history, from peasants and laborers to artisans and the enslaved, using narrative storytelling to illuminate daily life and social contexts. Episodes blend archival sources, archaeology, and scholarly interpretation to explore how larger historical forces affected real people, often reframing well-known events through grassroots perspectives. A notable strength is its consistent focus on human scale moments and communities, with careful attention to evidence and a clear effort to translate complex scholarship for curious general listeners. The format often features in-depth conversations with historians and researchers, plus vivid on-site or artifact-driven storytelling that ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Past Lives?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Past Lives:

1. Tides of History
2. Fall of Civilizations Podcast
3. The Hellenistic Age Podcast
4. The Ancient World
5. No Gods No Mayors

How many episodes of Past Lives are there?

Past Lives launched 10 months ago and published 44 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 Past Lives?

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What guests have appeared on Past Lives?

Recent guests on Past Lives include:

1. Peter C. Mancall
2. James Romm
3. Thomas Asbridge
4. Shannon Chakraborty
5. Tim Haines
6. Craig Fehrman

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.

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