337. Civilisation Does Not Start With Romans and Greeks with Patrick Wyman

Think history is a neat, upward march of progress? Think again.

We love to tell ourselves a cozy story about human history: we started as innocent hunter-gatherers in perfect harmony with nature, invented farming, and smoothly leveled up all the way to modern civilization. But Patrick Wyman—historian, author, and creator of the smash-hit Tides of History podcast—is here to tell us that standard textbook narrative is absolute bollocks. In this explosive episode of History Rage, Patrick unleashes on the myth of the "golden age" of human innocence and exposes the messy, chaotic reality of our deep past.

The truth? Human prehistory isn’t a straight line—it’s 10,000 years of spectacular booms, violent crashes, and desperate trade-offs. From prehistoric European societies tearing themselves apart in mysterious waves of conflict to sophisticated urban centers that completely rejected the need for kings or rulers, our ancestors weren't floating through an age of innocence. They were just like us: making shit up as they went along, altering their environments, and desperately trying to stay in the game.

Plus, Patrick stays fired up to deliver a much-needed, historically accurate beatdown to the internet's favorite conspiracy theory: no, aliens did not build the pyramids.

Ready to abandon the march of progress and see our ancestors for who they truly were? Hit play now to get angry, get smart, and look at human history with a whole new perspective.

About Our Guest: Patrick Wyman

Patrick Wyman is a historian, author, and the brilliant mind behind the massive history podcasts The Fall of Rome and Tides of History.

Buy the Book: Support the podcast and pick up Patrick's incredible new book, The Lost Worlds, directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780063256484Listen to the Podcast: Search for Tides of History on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your audio.Follow Patrick on Threads & Instagram: https://www.threads.net/@wyman_patrick or https://www.instagram.com/wyman_patrickFollow Patrick on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/patrick_wyman

Recommended Additional Episodes

If you loved diving into the mysteries of the ancient world, make sure to queue up these recommended episodes of History Rage next:

Episode 17: Caroline Nicolay rages that there was plenty of rich civilization thriving long before the Romans ever turned up.Episode 132: Professor Jim Leary talks about the deep prehistory of human movement and migratio