No one plans to live through a major historical event. Yet here we are, clad in sweatpants, keenly aware that we are Living Through History and looking for anything to placate and guide us.

That’s where history podcasts come in. When dealing with a difficult present, it might actually be comforting to turn to the past: to revisit other moments when our society has endured extraordinary changes, upheavals, and crises, in an effort to gain perspective and insight.

Then again, a good historical yarn can serve as pure escapism, completely transporting us out of our current moment. Or maybe some of us just want to use all this newfound free time to brush up our Shakespeare (or Roman history, or knowledge of the American presidency). Whatever the goal, we’ve rounded up some of the most interesting history podcasts to keep your brain occupied.