Fan of History

Yang Hu just doesn't know when to leave the story.In Part 4 of Confucius: The World That Created the Sage, Bernie and Dan finish the remarkable adventures of the rebellious retainer who briefly turned the political order of Lu upside down. Defeated but far from finished, Yang Hu's story involves escapes, stolen symbols of state authority, new masters, and an apparently inexhaustible ability to survive his own political disasters.But then our story takes an important turn.After years of teaching, advising, waiting, and wondering whether there was any government worth serving, Confucius finally gets his chance. We follow his entrance into public office and his surprisingly rapid rise through the government of Lu, culminating in his appointment as Minister of Crime.For the first time, Confucius is no longer simply explaining how a state ought to be governed. He's going to have an opportunity to try it.PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO WHAT'S NEW IN HISTORY YOUTUBE CHANNELhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatsnewinhistoryThis is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.Contact information:E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.comhttp://facebook.com/fanofhistoryhttps://twitter.com/danhorninghttps://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Some Roman concrete has been standing for nearly two millennia—and in certain environments, it seems to have gotten remarkably good at repairing its own cracks.How?Bernie and Garry Stevens from History IN the Bible explore the science and history behind Roman concrete, from volcanic materials and ancient building techniques to recent research suggesting that something once dismissed as evidence of sloppy mixing may actually have been an important part of the recipe.Were Roman engineers deliberately creating self-healing concrete? Did different builders use different recipes for different jobs? And how much have we really rediscovered about one of the ancient world's most impressive technologies?The Romans left us the concrete. Figuring out exactly how they made it is another matter.Of course we have a lot of fun along the way and meet a very interesting character - Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. DEFINITELY check this episode out!Article links:https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-a-1-900-year-old-latrine-helps-explain-why-roman-concrete-lasts/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-construction-site-in-the-ruins-of-pompeii-is-revealing-new-secrets-about-the-2000-year-old-recipe-for-roman-concrete-180987845/https://news.mit.edu/2025/pompeii-offers-insights-ancient-roman-building-technology-1209PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO WHAT'S NEW IN HISTORY YOUTUBE CHANNELhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatsnewinhistoryThis is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.Contact information:E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.comhttp://facebook.com/fanofhistoryhttps://twitter.com/danhorninghttps://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Last time it was a cockfight. This time it's a pig.In Part 3 of Confucius: The World That Created the Sage, Bernie and Dan follow Confucius to the powerful state of Qi, where he finally gets the opportunity to discuss government with Duke Jing—and comes tantalizingly close to getting the political opportunity he has been waiting for.But when Confucius returns home to Lu, the political order has somehow become even more upside down. The great families who stripped power from their duke are now discovering that their own servants have learned the same lesson. Enter Yang Hu: a household retainer who rises to become one of the most powerful men in Lu—and who very much wants Confucius on his side.What follows includes political intrigue, rebellion, assassination plots, an attempted kidnapping, and one extraordinarily well-chosen gift of pork.And once again, the chaos surrounding Confucius helps us understand the philosophy taking shape in his mind. What does it mean to say "let the ruler be a ruler and the minister a minister" when rulers can't rule, ministers won't obey—and servants are beginning to rule their masters?PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO WHAT'S NEW IN HISTORY YOUTUBE CHANNELhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatsnewinhistoryThis is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.Contact information:E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.comhttp://facebook.com/fanofhistoryhttps://twitter.com/danhorninghttps://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

We are doing a beer meet and greet in Stockholm, Sweden, on september 25th together with Dan's Swedish history podcast. https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory/posts/fan-of-history-167291940This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.Contact information:E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.comhttp://facebook.com/fanofhistoryhttps://twitter.com/danhorninghttps://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

History is full of conflicts that begin as cockfights between powerful men. This one started with an actual cockfight.In 517 BC, a dispute between two aristocratic households in Lu helped ignite a much larger political crisis. There was cheating, revenge, old grudges, conspiracy, and finally Duke Zhao's attempt to reclaim his authority from the powerful families who had steadily stripped it away.In Part 2 of Confucius: The World That Created the Sage, Bernie and Dan follow this remarkable chain of events as the political world around Confucius begins to come apart. We also explore the legendary meeting between Confucius and Laozi—and ask whether it actually happened.And through it all, we continue to see why the history matters. Confucius was living in a world where rulers struggled to rule, powerful families pursued their own interests, and the political and social order was breaking down around him. To understand the philosophy that would emerge, we first have to understand the world that created it.Link to music that will stop you from eating meat for 3 months. You've been warned!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTyo6OTc1a0&list=RDJTyo6OTc1a0&start_radio=1PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO WHAT'S NEW IN HISTORY YOUTUBE CHANNELhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatsnewinhistoryThis is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.Contact information:E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.comhttp://facebook.com/fanofhistoryhttps://twitter.com/danhorninghttps://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Claims of newly deciphered inscriptions of King Hezekiah made headlines around the world. One called them one of the greatest biblical archaeological discoveries ever. Others urged caution, arguing that extraordinary claims require peer-reviewed evidence before rewriting history.And then they proceeded to attack each other with archeological tools.In this episode, Gary Stevens and Bernie explore the controversy, explain what was actually claimed, why many archaeologists remain skeptical, and what this debate reveals about how archaeology—and good science—really works.Links to the aah-ticalshttps://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-725074https://www.timesofisrael.com/bible-scholars-sensational-hezekiah-inscription-claims-prompt-researchers-outcry/FAN OF HISTORY Shirts and Stickers are Available NOW! Email Bernie. Bmaopolski@gmail.comGarry's Podcast: History IN the Biblehttps://podfollow.com/986634977PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO WHAT'S NEW IN HISTORY YOUTUBE CHANNELhttps://www.youtube.com/@whatsnewinhistoryThis is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.Contact information:E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.comhttp://facebook.com/fanofhistoryhttps://twitter.com/danhorninghttps://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020