When we think about Greek and Roman beauty, we think of marble statues of huge men with tiny...feet.

But what did it mean to be a beautiful woman? What role did their ideas of ugliness play in these ideas? And how did Christianity throw a curveball in all of this?

Taking us back to this world is Caroline Vout, author of Exposed: The Greek and Roman Body, to give us a learned glimpse beneath the togas.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Michelangelo made religion sexy.

That may not have been his initial aim, of course, but the way he portrayed the human form, and particularly the male form, was extremely beautiful.

How did his devout Catholic faith create conflict with his well-known attraction to men? How was it expressed in his incredible artwork? And how was sexuality viewed in Renaissance Italy?

Joining Kate today is historian and Michelangelo scholar at Stanford University, Sarah Prodan, to help us get to know this man better. You can find out more about Sarah's work here: https://www.sarahprodan.com/

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

If you'd like to get in touch with the show you can contact us at [email protected].

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

When and why did Soho become a hedonistic hotspot, the home of sex, drugs and music?

Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Dan Snow to talk about post-WW1 London - when a dark underworld of shady characters are soundtracked by an exploding jazz scene, fuelled by a roaring drugs trade.

At the heart of it are the so-called 'dope girls'. Women who fascinated and appalled society in equal measure. 

How did a post war mindset influence the 1920s? How did the press react to all the scandal?  And, who were some of the major players involved?

Historic Soho has been brought to life in the new BBC show Dope Girls, which tells the story of Soho when female gangs ran the nightclubs after the First World War. You can watch it on BBC iPlayer now.

You can listen to Dan's podcast, Dan Snow's History Hit here.

Between 1860 and 1925, tens of thousands of women worked in Dublin's Monto, the largest red light district in Europe.

It was a world of narrow alleyways full of brothels busy with sex workers, at a time when the Catholic church was trying to establish ideas around what a woman should be. Hint: it was very different to the women of Monto.

What was life like for the women who lived and worked in Monto? How did these 'poor unfortunates', as they were known, create a community and support each other amidst such hard times? And how did they influence fashion trends of the time?

Joining Kate today is the fantastic Caroline West, author of Wrong Women: Selling Sex in Monto, Dublin's Forgotten Red Light District, which is available now.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

If you'd like to get in touch with the show you can contact us at [email protected].

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Dark ideas and stigma around different body sizes really took hold in the Enlightenment.

Very unenlightened, if you ask us.

This started all sorts of awful movements, and one result was BMI - or Body Mass Index - which is still used as a measure of health by doctors today.

What even is the BMI? Why are women and people of colour particularly affected by these harmful ideas? And what's the future of fatphobia and BMI?

Joining Kate is the fantastic Amy Farrell, professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Dickinson College and author of Fat Shame: Stigma and the Fat Body in American Culture, to take us back to the dark origins of BMI and fatphobia.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Societies all throughout history have tried to control female sexuality.

Ireland's Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes are two examples of this, where women were imprisoned against their will.

As you'll hear, it's a history that dates back to the 18th century and is still unfolding today.

Joining Kate to take us inside the Magdalene Laundries and the Mother and Baby Homes are two special guests:

Natalie Hughes-Crean is a Specialist Case Worker at Frea Renewing Roots, a charity based in the north of England to help women and families affected by Mother and Baby Homes.

Katherine O'Donnell, campaigner and co-author of Ireland and the Magdalene Laundries, A Campaign for Justice.

How was this imprisonment and mistreatment of women allowed to go on for so long? How complicit were the state? And what are some of the incredible stories of the women whose lives these institutions ruined?

This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

What are the origins of Valentine's Day?

Perhaps the answer lies in a pagan festival that starts with a sacrifice in a cave above Ancient Rome.

What connects the naked running through the streets of Rome to Valentine's Day today? How did the onset of Christianity in Rome effect celebrations? And when did Valentine's Day as we know it today first take off?

Joining Kate to find out all about this, is friend of the show and author, Emma Southon. Check out Emma's book A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women, here.

This podcast was edited by Amy Haddow and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Quack doctors have made some INCREDIBLE promises throughout history, but what good would a goat testicle transplant do for you?

In the early 20th century, John R. Brinkley became a sensation for - you guessed it - implanting goat's testicles into men. He promised virility and boosted fertility.

Did it work? Did the law ever catch up with him for such outrageous claims? And what became of the people (and goats) who were involved in his operations?

On today's episode, Kate is talking with Tim Hartford on his wonderful podcast, Cautionary Tales, created by Pushkin Industries, to find out more about this remarkable quack doctor.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producers were Stuart Beckwith, Marilyn Rust and Charlotte Long.

You can listen to Cautionary Tales wherever you get your podcasts. Cautionary Tales is a Pushkin Industries Production. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

When you hear the word Sparta, what do you picture?

Well, put aside the images of the rippling six packs for just a moment, as there's a lot more to this workout-obsessed state of the ancient world than you might imagine.

Joining Kate today to get to know the Spartans is the master of all things Ancient Greece, Helen King. You can check out Helen's book, Immaculate Forms: Uncovering the History of Women's Bodies, here.

What were the Spartans views on same-sex relationships? Were they really as ripped as 300 made out? And did Spartan women invent the mini skirt?

This episode was edited by Nick Thomson and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

All music from Epidemic Sounds/All3 Media.

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As historical figures go, Genghis Khan has something of a reputation.

Is there any truth to the rumours of him fathering so many children? What was life like in 12th century Mongolia? And how did he create one of histories most noted empires?

Joining Kate today is historian Marie Favereau, author of The Horde: How The Mongols Changed The World, to help us find out.

This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

All music from Epidemic Sounds/All3 Media.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  

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Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.