I used to love history hit, particularly the ancients podcast. However, most recently my experience has been completely ruined, by the ancients latest show with Simon Elliot. Simon, a well known author who I used to respect, has been spreading completely inaccurate facts about the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus and Tristan simply let the interview continue without challenging these comments!! For a historian to completely disregard historical sources and to simply make up his own historical fact is disgraceful.

I love the diverse world we live in, I respect all cultures and races and embrace all people for who they are. However in this case I am really disappointed in the show for promoting political ideologies rather than telling history how it happened according to the sources from that time. Septimius Severus was born in Leptis Magna Africa, making him the first African born emperor. HOWEVER, his fathers side were of Punic descent and his mothers side of Italian Descent. These are the records that were written down of him by historical biographers, there are NO records anywhere that have been found stating that he was a “black Roman emperor.” 

Stop disregarding source material to make up untrue facts, history should be told as it happened so we can learn about it, good or bad

If he was black and the sources stated it that would be great and a true historical fact. However simply making up a fact with no historical basis on a week known historical podcast platform is simply wrong. What’s it going to be next, Charles I was Chinese and actually a woman?

Yes, facts must be facts, no ‘alternative’ facts