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Agony

The Ideas That Make Us Series 1
Episode 4 of 5

Bettany Hughes investigates ideas of agony, from conflict on the sports field to the battles of the heart upon which literature depends. From September 2013.

The Ideas That Make Us is a Radio 4 series which reveals the history of the most influential ideas in the story of civilisation, ideas which continue to affect us all today.

In this 'archaeology of philosophy', the award-winning historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes begins each programme with the first, extant evidence of a single word-idea in Ancient Greek culture and travels both forwards and backwards in time, investigating how these ideas have been moulded by history and have impacted on history and the human experience. Here Bettany explores the idea of agony with cricket columnist Gideon Haigh, classicist Professor Paul Cartledge, philosopher Martin Warner and kate Mosse, best-selling author of 'Labyrinth' and 'The Taxidermist's Daughter'.

Other ideas examined in The Ideas that Make Us are idea, desire, fame, justice, wisdom, comedy, liberty, hospitality and peace.

Producer: Dixi Stewart.

Available now

15 minutes

Last on

Fri 28 Apr 2017 02:15
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra

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  • Exec Producer Dixi Stewart blogs about a bizarre moment in the recording of the programme.

Broadcasts

  • Thu 19 Sep 2013 13:45
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Mon 8 Sep 2014 09:30
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Thu 27 Apr 2017 14:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
  • Fri 28 Apr 2017 02:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra

Watch animations from A History of Ideas

Explore some big questions about how we live today.