Emperors of Rome

A challenge to the imperial authority was hardly unusual in the third century, but for whatever reason, Postumus decides to do things differently. Rather than marching an army on Rome he shaves off the western provinces, declaring Gaul, Germania, Hispania and Britannia the independent, but still very Roman, Gallic Empire. Part II of 'Gallienus' Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

When the Emperor Valerian was captured by the enemy what the empire needed was a trusted, capable, firm set of hands to take on the imperial mantle. In retrospect, that probably wasn’t his son Gallienus. For the next eight years Gallienus would rule as sole emperor and proceed to lose two thirds of the empire, leaving Rome at its weakest position in centuries. Part I of 'Gallienus' Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Cleopatra Selene was the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and was destined for greatness. Following the death of her parents she became a prisoner of Rome, survived into adulthood, and became a queen of the ancient world. Dr Draycott is the author of ''Cleopatra’s Daughter: Egyptian Princess, Roman Prisoner, African Queen'. Guest: Dr Jane Draycott (Classics, University of Glascow)

Part of the making of Octavian was the victories he had early in his career. He defeated his rivals, conquered territory, and united the senate behind him whether they liked it or not. One of those territories was Illyria, in which he conducted campaigns during the quiet years before his final battles against Egypt and Antony. It’s perhaps in Illyria that we see Octavian display his greatest acts of bravery, if not ability. Guest: Dr Christopher Gribbin (Adjunct Lecturer, La Trobe University)

Egypt was a valuable province to Rome, with natural wealth and successful agriculture. Thanks to an arid climate there’s also a number of preserved papyri from that era, providing modern scholarship with an invaluable paper-trail on the administration at the time. One papyri has led to the belief that Augustus confiscated lands of the Egyptian temples, and ultimately the decline of Egypt’s religions. Andrew Connor is the author of Confiscation or Coexistence: Egyptian Temples in the Age of Augustus published by University of Michigan Press. Guest: Dr Andrew Connor (Lecturer, Centre for Ancient Cultures, Monash University)

With Octavian triumphant at the Battle of Actium the scene is finally set for a dramatic showdown in Alexandria. Cleopatra and Antony, a couple famous for their strategy and volatility will pay the ultimate price for resisting Rome, leaving Octavian free to assume a role of undisputed power. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

In 31 BCE one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman. The forces of Octavian, Antony and Cleopatra would square off for control of the mediterranean, and ultimately the Roman empire. Guest: Barry Strauss (Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, author of The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium).

When Cleopatra and Antony stood side by side they were at the pinnacle of power. Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was the queen of an ancient civilisation, and heir to the unmatched cultural achievements of Greece. Marcus Antonius of Rome contended for control of the empire. Together they fought against Octavian and would bring about the end of the republic, and the start of a new age for Rome. Recorded live at ACMI studios in Melbourne on 4th October, 2022. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

Sextus Pompeius was the youngest son of Pompey the Great, and was responsible for leading the last great resistance of the Roman republic against Octavian and Mark Antony. While he made the most of his late father’s reputation, Sextus was a leader in his own right, and to many a forgotten aspect of this period of Roman history. Guest: Dr Kathryn Welch (Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Sydney).

Octavia was, in many ways, the very model of a modern Roman matron. As the older sister to Octavian, later Augustus, and a wife of the powerful figure Antony, she was respected and admired by her contemporaries for her loyalty, nobility and humanity, as well as for maintaining traditional Roman feminine virtues. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

With Antony distracted with developments in the east, Fulvia finds herself in the familiar position of advocating for her husband’s interests. This escalated to a war with Octavian, the outcome of which would leave Fulvia isolated. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University). Content warning: There is rude Augustan poetry in this episode, as well as some rather insulting missiles. Please be advised. Emperors of Rome will celebrate its 200th episode with a live recording in Melbourne on October 4th. Get your free tickets!

Fulvia came from a Roman noble family and is strongly associated with a string of influential husbands, most notably Mark Antony. She was influential and powerful in her own way, and would go on to play an important role in the Perusine War against Octavian. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

For the eighth time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer! In this episode: - Was Antony rehabilitated? - Did Classical Latin have regional dialects? - How did Romans celebrate their birthday? - Who was the first true Roman emperor? - How much of the Roman Empire remains in the modern world? - What were some of the Roman’s most notable superstitions? - Did a Roman soldier get time off? - When did it become customary for Romans to learn Greek? - Did Rome have a foodie culture? Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

Rome has always been a sea-faring power, relying on the Mediterranean for food and trade. But what lies beneath the waves can chill the hearts of mortal men, and tales of aquatic horrors were common in antiquity. Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director, Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)

With enemies to confront in every direction, Valerian heads back to the east where Shapur and the Parthians are once again threatening the borders of the Roman empire. While Valerian anticipates a victory, what is to come is the greatest defeat of a Roman emperor. Episode III of 'Valerian'. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Religious persecution wasn’t a new thing for Rome, but under the rule of Valerian they intensified. Christians were now the specified target, but the executions and confiscation of property did little to help the stability of the empire. Episode II of 'Valerian'. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

When Valerian became emperor in 253CE Rome was fighting on all fronts. With Shapur and the Syrians taking territory in the east, and Germanic tribes to the west and the north, the empire was going to get messy for Valerian and his newly established dynasty. Episode I of 'Valerian'. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Brian Blessed is a treasured British actor who for our purposes will fondly be remembered for his iconic role as Emperor Augustus in the 1976 BBC television series I, Claudius. Brian dominated the screen with his performance and we were very lucky to get the chance to speak to him. Now funding on Kickstarter: Agricola (the podcast miniseries). Guests: Brian Blessed Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

On the night of 18 July, 64 CE, a fire broke out in the Circus Maximus at Rome. It raged for nine days, destroying or damaging ten of the city’s fourteen regions. Was the fire just a terrible accident? Or was it deliberately lit, either by dissident Christians or by the emperor Nero, who allegedly sang while Rome burned? Recorded on 12th April 2022, in front of a live audience at the Australian National University. Now funding on Kickstarter: Agricola (the podcast miniseries). Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Every year Rome held an election in which two senators were chosen for the role of consul. Being elected consul was a great honour, and the position was hotly contested, and a successful campaign depended upon the candidate’s military achievements, rhetorical skills and their willingness to be corrupt. Now funding on Kickstarter: Agricola (the podcast miniseries). Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

More than two years have passed since the death of Caesar, and we now find our story at the final battle of the Liberator’s war. Octavian and Mark Antony lead their forces west to confront Cassius and Brutus, who have amassed quite the army in the meantime. Part VI of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Assistant Professor Steele Brand (History, The King’s College, New York City).

Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus have secured their alliance against Caesar's assassins, and since they have control of Rome, it's time for them to get rid of any competition. Proscribing an enemy means they will likely be executed, and their personal fortunes can be confiscated and put towards paying soldiers - and the second triumvirate make full use of this. Part V of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Assistant Professor Zachary Herz (Legal Historian, Department of Classics, University of Colorado Boulder).

After his victory in at Mutina, Octavian desired honours that the senate declined to award him. This led him to re-evaluate who his enemy truly was, and make an alliance with the recently defeated Mark Antony. Part IV of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

As Antony heads north he finds the city of Mutina defended by Decimus Brutus. Antony lays siege, but he doesn't count on a young Octavian leading the army to confront him. Part III of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

As the power struggle in Rome continued and generals waged their war on the battlefield, Cicero took to the floors of the senate, confronting Antony with the greatest weapon in his arsenal: the spoken word. He called his speeches the Philippics, and they were influential in turning the senate against Antony. Part II of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Dr Kathryn Tempest (Reader in Classics and Ancient History, University of Roehampton).

Caesar’s death created a power vacuum in the city of Rome. While Antony struggled against the senate to make a deal and assert his dominance, Octavian’s imminent arrival presented a rival he couldn’t anticipate. Part I of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

Crucifixion was a Roman practise or torture and execution that proved a popular punishment for slaves and enemies of Rome When crucified an individual was nailed to a cross or a piece of wood and left in the elements to asphyxiate. Obvious content warning! Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director, Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)

The Roman fort functioned as a base of operations for the army, a defensive and functional structure that could protect both the frontier of the Roman Empire and the supply lines. Guest: Dr Adrian Goldsworthy (historian and author, whose most recent work of fiction is titled 'The Fort').

For the seventh time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer! In this episode: - What happened to the original sources - Did the Romans have dogs, and how did they use them? - What types of jobs did the Romans have that don’t exist today? - Did far-flung provinces retain their own languages? - What kind of libraries did the Romans have? - Did Emperors support the arts? - Have we rethought Domitian? Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of School of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

Romans had the reality of witches, those who made the brews and prepared the curses, but also the witches of fiction. In their poems and stories, a witch took on a horrific persona, one that skews much more closely to the modern idea of a witch. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

A witch occupied a strange niche in the Roman world. Distrusted but respected, persecuted but employed by the most elite, a witch in Rome existed on the sidelines and spoken of in hushed terms, and to many of the powerful, a weapon that could be employed. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

When Apuleius married his friend’s mother, little did he realise that it would lead to a charge of sorcery, with a raft of seemingly innocent actions from buying a mirror to writing bad poetry bought up in front of the courts to prove his wicked intentions. Unfortunately for his accusers, Apuleius was a skilled orator, educated in the art of philosophy and highly skilled at slandering his enemies. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

When Pedanius Secunus was murdered by his slave the law was precise - every slave in his household, every man, woman and child, would be crucified as punishment. The law that allowed this was the Senatus Consultum Silanianum, It existed to ease the minds of the wealthy slave owners of Rome, allowing them to live in power amongst slaves who knew that their actions would mean that all are punished. Guest: Assistant Professor Zachary Herz (Legal Historian, Department of Classics, University of Colorado Boulder)

In 60CE Rome came close to losing the province of Britannia in an uprising led by the warrior queen Boudicca, who united the tribes in the area, destroyed several Roman settlements and defeated part of a Roman legion. She has become an icon of British resistance, highlighting the difficulty Rome had in controlling the distant provinces. Part III of ‘Enemies of Rome’ Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

There were few enemies of the Romans who had as much success as Arminius. One of the Germani who fought at their side, he was able to unite the disparate tribes, lure three Roman legions into a trap, and defeat them at the battle of Teutoburg Forest. His success and later resistance would leave the area largely free of Roman influence. Part II of ‘Enemies of Rome’ Guest: Dr Emma Southon (Historian and author of 'A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum').

Vercingetorix was a Gallic leader who managed to unite the local tribes and mount a credible defence against Caesar during his campaign in Gaul. While his resistance was ultimately futile, he has become a symbol of French nationalism and a much needed foe to Caesar’s Gallic war commentaries. Part I of ‘Enemies of Rome’ Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

Magic was an essential part of the Roman world. You could use it in love, revenge, profit, life and death. All levels of Roman society made use of it, and it was an integral part of the understanding of both religion and medicine. Guest: Professor Daniel Ogden (Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter)

If archaeological digs are anything to go by, Rome was a society of fantastic luxury. Impressive buildings, exotic foods, obedient slaves, and more marble than you could shake a toga at. But when you read ancient sources, there were those who felt uncomfortable with the opulence, and perhaps it was making the Roman’s soft. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

When Decius died during a battle with the Goths, the Roman army took it upon themselves to appoint his successor - his remaining general Trebonianus Gallus. Gallus was praised for not beginning a civil war - unusual for the time - but would be unable to lead the empire through the turmoil. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

The Goths are leaving Roman territory, and while they successfully sacked some cities there has been no lasting damage to the provinces - but the same can’t be said for the reputation of the Emperor, Decius. He rides with his troops to confront them in battle, becoming the first Roman emperor to die at the hands of a foreign enemy. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

This is the era of Roman history where the Goths from the north begin to pose a serious threat to the stability of the faltering Roman empire. When they begin to lay siege to Roman cities Decius rides to confront them, not realising the challenging battles that await him. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

During the early days of his reign, Emperor Decius issued an edict commanding that all Romans should make a sacrifice for the good of the empire. While some happily went along with it, for others it went against what they believed in, and not everyone living within the borders of Rome were happy with the Emperor's wishes. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

When Phillip became Emperor in 244CE, Rome was cracking at the edges. Enemies were at the border, the economy was straining, and the Emperor was an easy target for a disgruntled military. Who wants to rule Rome at this time? Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

When the dust settled on a six month civil war in 238CE, only the 13 year old Gordian III is left standing to take the purple. Once again Rome is left with a teenage emperor. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Rome dates its beginning to the 21st April 753BCE, when legend has it that it was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus. While not the only myth connected to this event, it has been the most enduring, and commemorating it became an important event in the Roman calendar. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

Rhiannon Evans, Caillan Davenport, Gillian Shepherd and Matt Smith each share three items of Roman interest for three minutes! You will hear: - Silius Italicus and his unbearable bunion - Pomponius Mela and the wonders of the Nile - Snarky soldiers at the Vindolanda fort - Legacy hunters and the jewels of Matidia - Unusual dedications to the gods - Early sources for the great fire of Rome - The effectiveness of Roman concrete - How Rome dealt with mass burial of the poor - Sea monsters - Curse tablets and sporting fanatics - Vedius Pollio throws a clumsy slave to the lamprey - The rare instances of Romans sacrificing people Guests: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University) Assoc. Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt) Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director, Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)

The Severan dynasty was founded in 193CE by Septimius Severus, but in many ways it was his wife Julia Domna and her sister Julia Maesa who would guide the family, both powerful augustae and instrumental in securing their family’s imperial position. Part X of 'Empresses of Rome' Guest: Dr Emma Southon (Historian and author of 'A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum').

As the daughter of the previous Emperor, Faustina provided her husband, Marcus Aurelius, with a solid link to the imperial throne. Besides continuity she came to embody motherhood, not just to the next Emperor, but to the empire as a whole. Part IX of 'Empresses of Rome' Guest: Assoc. Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Sabina bought some much needed legitimacy to the rule of Hadrian. As a grand-niece of Trajan she was an important dynastic link to the previous emperor, and in death Hadrian could deify her, and be the husband to a god. Part VIII of 'Empresses of Rome' Guest: Professor T. Corey Brennan (Classics, Rutgers University).

When Trajan came to the big city he bought his provincial wife with him. Plotina stood on the steps of Domitian’s palace and promised the people of Rome that she’d keep it real. And from what we can tell from our ancient sources, that’s exactly what she did. Part VII of 'Empresses of Rome' Guest: Professor T. Corey Brennan (Classics, Rutgers University).