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What did Marcus Aurelius, Jesus, and Ragnar Lothbrok all have in common? Apart from their notorious and symbolic deaths, all three men boasted luscious beards. Throughout history, beards have posed quite the conundrum for all those able to grow them. While some Roman emperors chose to outlaw beards in retaliation to the Greek penchant for hipster stubble, others chose to grow them long and strong to demonstrate their machismo and sexual prowess. The question of \u201cto beard or not to beard\u201d is one which has puzzled men (and women!) over the course of civilisation, leading to hairy battles and questionable postiches but, in this miniseries, Tom and Dominic settle the great debate once and for all.\n\nJoin our clean shaven hosts as they wade through the long and scraggly history of the beard. From Alexander the Great\u2019s ingenious beardless marketing strategy to the chinstrap beards of Ancient Egypt, prepare to have your mind blown by the remarkable power of facial hair.\n\n_______\n\n*The Rest Is History LIVE in the U.S.A.*\nIf you live in the States, we've got some great news: Tom and Dominic will be performing throughout America in November, with shows in San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston and New York.\xa0\n*The Rest Is History LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall*\nTom and Dominic, accompanied by a live orchestra, take a deep dive into the lives and times of two of history\u2019s greatest composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.\nTickets on sale now at TheRestIsHistory.com\n_______\n\nTwitter:\n@TheRestHistory\n@holland_tom\n@dcsandbrook\nProducer: Theo Young-Smith\nAssistant Producer: Anouska Lewis\nExecutive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices