The Partial Historians

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, one of our lovely Patreons requested that we talk about archaic Roman religion. Religion is Dr G’s favourite topic, so we decided it was well and truly time for us to chat about what the Romans were up to in their early days. As with all aspects of the archaic period, it can be difficult to find reliable and detailed source material for certain aspects of religious life. However, the gods were hugely important to the Romans, so there are a variety of sources that we can use to piece together an accurate picture. This includes: ·        shrines, temples and tombs·        inscriptions·        votive offerings ·        the religious calendar ·        artwork, such as frescoes and sculptures·        coinage·        the priestly colleges·        details of rituals ·        Records, including from groups like the Arval Brethren, a group of 12 priests who worshipped Dea Dia, an agricultural goddess  ·        Roman law ·        Extra special sources like the Iguvine Tablets from the mid to late Republic, which were written in Umbrian ·        as well as literary sources  Where did religion sit in ancient Rome? We discuss the nature and role of Roman religion in society, whilst trying to mythbust the belief that the Romans just stole everything from the Greeks.Archaic Roman religion is fascinating, with deities like Quirinus and Robigo (goddess of grain mildew) seeming to date back a long way. As Rome progressed, the state cults became more formalised and ritualised, and new gods were incorporated. You may recall that when the Romans conquered Veii in 396 BCE, they went to great lengths to coax the resident goddess, Juno Regina, to their city. Roman expansion allowed them to come into contact with a greater variety of deities.   There were several important priestly positions in Rome that we refer to in this episode, so here’s your cheat sheet: ·        Rex sacrorum/ Rex sacrificulus – The rex sacrorum was a patrician and seems to have assumed the priestly duties of the kings in the Republic. ·        Flamen Dialis (Jupiter)·        Flamen Martialis (Mars)·        Flamens Quirinalis (Quirinus – eventually associated with Romulus)·        Pontifex Maximus (chief pontiff or priest) ·        And then there were minor flamens, who served gods such as Vulcan, Ceres and Flora  ·        And, of course, we also talk about the Vestals! Dr G would never leave these ladies out Getting Personal On a more personal level, the Romans were also surrounded by the lares, guardian spirits who were seemingly connected to place, such as the hearth, streets, neighbourhoods and boundaries. If you have been to Pompeii or Herculaneum, you may have seen a lararium, or one of the shrines that people could have in their houses for these deities. Their origin is debated, but no one can deny their presence in the Roman world. Thinks to Look Out For: ·        Augury – and our musings on how the Romans would have responded to kookaburras ·        The importance of nature  ·        The invention of a new dessert: Flamines banana ·        The sacred tree house where only patricians are allowed  For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have finally reached the LAST part of our coverage of the Gallic Sack of Rome. Once again, whilst there are similar elements in our sources, it is astonishing to see the different way the authors weave the details together.Another Amazing Camillus Montage  It is not often that Diodorus Sicilus is praised for his accuracy, but this is one of those rare moments. Savour it, everyone! Dr G takes us through the details of his account, in which Camillus is on a military rampage. Forget the Rocky training montage that Livy includes. This is a Rambo montage, with Camillus kicking ass all over Italy. He’s taking down the Volscians, the Aequians, the Etruscans…. where does he find the time? It is during his escapades that Camillus recovers the ransomed gold, not the rather more dramatic intervention included in Livy’s history. However, Diodorus and Livy are not the only sources to have different explanations for the return of the gold! Some sources claim it was the people of Caere who retrieve the ransom after defeating the Gauls in a battle, and others claim it was one of the Emperor Tiberius’ ancestors who won it back in a battle with a Gallic chieftain. We will let you guess which version Dr Rad prefers…There’s No Place like Rome Unlike Diodorus, Livy is content to keep the focus on affairs inside Rome. Camillus gets a triumph and then keeps his dictatorship because things are not yet as they should be. Camillus needs to make sure that Rome remains on the good side of the gods. Purification and restoration of the temples was the name of the game. However, most of the remainder of Livy’s account for this year is dedicated to Camillus giving the MOTHER of all speeches. The tribunes of the plebs were stirring up trouble by pushing for Rome to be moved to Veii. Urgh, the tribunes. They were the only people Camillus did not miss whilst he was in exile.  Why go to the effort of rebuilding the city when there’s a perfectly good abandoned one right over there? Well, Camillus can tell you exactly why and in a painful level of detail. To cut a long story short: ·        Rome is far too amazeballs to leave·        It seems incredibly DUMB to have defended it fiercely against the Gauls if they just planned to up sticks ·        Um, the location?! The views?  ·        You can’t just relocate your religion – we JUST patched things up with the gods, guys ·        This is just lazy behaviour and he doesn’t like it. In fact, it is UN-ROMAN Camillus’ rhetoric was incredibly powerful, but a sign sent straight from the gods helped to seal the deal. The Romans were staying put! Time to get Bob the Builder on the phone. Whichever historian you prefer, we both end up in roughly similar places by the end of 390 BCE (or thereabouts): the gods have been taken care of, the city has been rebuilt, the gold is back in Roman hands, and Camillus is the most awesome general… well, ever! And THAT brings the Gallic Sack of Rome to a close. Things to Look Out For: ·        The famously preserved head that was allegedly discovered on the Capitoline ·        The possible founding of the Capitoline Games for Jupiter Optimus Maximus ·        The building of a temple to Aius Locutius who TRIED to warn them about the Gauls. Schwoops!·        Matrons! Yes, finally some women briefly grace our podcast once more ·        A mention of the Social War (91-87 BCE) between Rome and its Italian allies over their rights. Some of Camillus’ speech may have been shaped by pro-Roman propaganda that originated during this conflict. ·        Ancient building programs – state-funded, no less ·        Very sweaty historians by the end of this showFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman EmpireThere wasn’t room to have the social media links in there as well so I’ve prioritised the books for now and our patreon.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know that the Partial Historians can’t resist talking about Ancient Rome on film, so we were thrilled to chat to Dr Jeremiah McCall about his book, Swords and Cinema.Who is our special guest?Dr Jeremiah McCall (or DMac as his students call him) is a teacher at Cincinnati Country Day School in Ohio with a PhD in Ancient History. Along with an interest in Roman military and political systems in the Republic, he has done a lot of work on pedagogy of using video games to learn about history, publishing Gaming the Past: Using Video Games to Teach Secondary History in 2022. He divides his research time between historical game studies and Roman history. Dr McCall’s other publications include The Cavalry of the Roman Republic (2002); the Sword of Rome (2012), Clan Fabius: Defenders of Rome (2018) and Rivalries that Destroyed the Roman Republic (2022). Manly Men We will touch on the battle scenes and depiction of the Roman military in all your favourite Roman movies and TV shows. Things to look out for: ·        The defeat of Spartacus - Spartacus vs. Rome: The Last Battle·        The battle of Alessia (52 BCE) in HBO’s Rome - Rome Fighting with Gauls HD·        The battle of Philippi in HBO’s Rome - HBO Rome - Battle of Philippi (Battle only)·        The opening battle sequence in Gladiator (2000) - Gladiator 2000 Opening Battle·        And a bit on Centurion (2010) and The Eagle (2011) to finish!·        The Eagle | Channing Tatum Fends Off A Midnight Sneak Attack·        The Eagle | Channing Tatum Leads Roman Centurions Into Battle·        Centurion 2010 Best movie Scene HD·        Plus some things that get set on fire! You will need your popcorn for this special episode! Our music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman. For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sacred geese have attempted to save Rome, but the siege of the Gauls is still not over! What could possibly happen next? We continue our deep dive into the events purported to all take place In 390 BCE.Despite the Romans apparently being surprised by the Gauls turning up on their doorstep, the Gauls have been in northern Italy for some time as far as we can trace archaeological evidence. The rumours that the Gauls came to central Italy in the search for cooler weather, but instead what they find is a city of Romans, and as the siege drags on, hygiene starts to emerge as a problem.Maybe we can come to an arrangement?The siege is getting tedious for both sides, so amidst the military encounters, conversations start about maybe bringing the siege to a close through mutual agreement. The details of the siege consequences include lack of food, issues with cadavers, and spread of disease. And it seems neither the Romans or the Gauls want to keep going with this situation.“Woe to the Conquered!”Those Gauls are pretty cheeky in the moment of coming to a monetary agreement to ensure they’ll pack up their siege and leave Roman territory. Not only to they ask for 1000 pounds of gold, but they have the nerve to add some extra items to the scales to encourage the Romans to pay even more than this sum. Perhaps even worse, are our sources really telling us a story of Rome resisting the Gauls, or could it be the case that ALL the city was taken and the Romans were legitimately and completely defeated? We explore the possibilities. Where in the world is Camillus?Is he in Ardea pumping out a training montage with the locals in preparation to swoop in and rescue Rome? Or is waiting in the wings but misses his cue to come on stage leaving Rome to deal with the Gauls all by themselves? Our sources have some disagreements which we’ll delve into.Things to listen out for:An origin story for Jupiter Pistor (Jupiter ‘the baker’)The centrality or not of Camillus to the siege narrativeImportant references to “Eye of the Tiger” What are the Gauls interested in?What might colour the Romans’ perceptions of the Gauls?Where did the Romans find 1000 POUNDS of gold????The role of the Roman matrons in saving the CityThe tricky legacy of who paid the ransom to the Gauls and what happens afterwards…For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc Hyden returns to the show to discuss the life and times about the second Flavian emperor Titus. The Flavians were the second dynasty of the imperial period extending from 69 CE until the assassination of Domitian in 96 CE. Titus’ reign is short, but significant. We sit down with Marc to consider details of Titus’ rule of Rome and its impact across the Mediterranean, particularly involving Judaea.Marc’s book Emperor Titus: The Right Hand of Vespasian (2025) is out now and explores at lot of the contextual details that helps us appreciate Titus’ rule as emperor from 79-81 CE. What’s the state of Rome in 68/69 CE?Nero’s death leads to a period of political chaos in Rome. If you’re keen to delve into the notorious Year of the Four Emperors, we recommend checking out our interview with Dr Rob Cromarty.Once the dust settles, the military general Vespasian ends up as the top dog in Rome. From unlikely beginnings, Vespasian sets up the Flavian family for dominance over the next thirty years and his eldest son, Titus, was his right-hand man.The Flavians and JudaeaIt is impossible to truly understand the Flavians’ rise without considering the foothold that they had in Judaea. Military actions in the east were part and parcel of the Roman empire, but the particulars of Vespasian as the Roman general in Judaea when relationships broke down means that Vespasian (and thus the Flavians) are substantially enriched by the sack of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Marc takes us through some of the key details including Josephus’ role in the conflict, the riots across the regionTitus and BereniceApparently you can be a Roman a war, but still fall in love with a lady from the local aristocracy. The story of Titus and Berenice is one of the most interesting details of the Flavian era, and we don’t know as much about their relationship than we’d like, but there’s enough gossip to create something of a historical record! Tune in for the details of their seemingly on-again, off-again liaison.  The Busiest Reign and the Most Tragic DemiseTitus comes into full imperial power on the natural death of his father Vespasian and, oh boy, is he busy. He rules over the eruption of Vesuvius, he formally opens the Flavian Amphitheatre (aka the Colosseum), not to mention a pestilence. With all this busyness, we can only wonder how his reign would have gone if he lived for longer. But sadly it is not to be. Titus dies after a short but intense illness opening wide speculation about the cause of death. We explore some here.Things to listen out forQuestions about the reliability of Suetonius (shock! horror!)Titus, the playboy?The marriages of Titus and Arrecina Tertulla and Marcia FurnillaThe role of Praetorian PrefectJosephus’ account of the war in JudaeaAn important farm house in Sabine countryFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back with more exciting episodes from the infamous Gallic sack of Rome. The Bermuda Triangle? Or the Holy Trinity? We have action in three different locations in this episode – Camillus in Ardea, the remnants of the Roman army in Veii and the Romans under siege on the Capitoline. The siege had entered a fairly quiet stage where little was happening on either side. It was at this point that one of the Fabian clan decided that his duty to the gods was worth more than his life. Gaius Fabius Dorsuo calmy descended from the Capitol, past the stunned Gauls and went off to the Quirinal to perform an annual sacrifice that was part of Fabian tradition. His piety so impressed the Gauls that they allowed him to pass, unscathed. The Romans in Veii had selected the centurion, Quintus Caedicius as their commander. They were growing in numbers as stragglers who fled during the attack sought refuge. Latin allies also joined the Romans. It depends on which account you read as to what happened next. Livy claims that the forces at Veii decide that they have had enough beauty sleep and now they want Camillus recalled from exile so they can seek their vengeance. Other sources indicate that they were just trying to get word to their fellow Romans that they were, in fact, ALIVE! Either way, a sprightly young man named Publius Cominus was selected to travel to the besieged city and smuggle himself onto the Capitol to deliver his message.The Return of Camillus Whichever version you believe, somehow Camillus worms his way back into our narrative, and our hearts. Naturally, Camillus would not set foot outside of Ardea without all the paperwork being in order, but once his exile was officially over, he was ready to step into the role of dictator. However, Camillus was still packing his bags when the Gauls noticed a possible route up the top of Capitoline. It meant scaling up a cliff face, so surely the Romans would never suspect it. It’s so crazy, it just might work. Slowly, the Gauls helped each other to make the difficult climb. They were so quiet, the Roman dogs did not hear the coming. But the sacred geese sure did! They caused such a ruckus that Marcus Manlius woke up and realised what was going on. This allowed him to arouse the other Romans and lead the charge against the attackers. It gets pretty grisly at this point. Best case scenario: the Gauls were hurled to their deaths. Worst case… you’ll have to listen to find out! Things to Look Out For: ·        Far too many songs from Dr Rad ·        Sustainable travel, Roman-style·        LOTS of piety ·        A kamikaze Fabian On a serious note, please be aware that this episode does include discussion of animal cruelty. For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss one of the more tragic episodes from the Gallic sack of Rome. We Who Are About to Die…The Romans who have remained in the city take up their defensive positions on the Capitol. The old patricians did not join them. Instead, their retired to their houses. Wearing their old robes of state, they settled down in the middle of their houses on ivory chairs to await the end. Livy reports that some of his accounts indicate that the pontifex maximus (chief priest) led the ex-magistrates in a vow, in which they were devoting themselves to death for the sake of the city and its citizens.The Gauls found their blood had cooled; after all, they had not had to fight the Romans to seize control of the city. They had just wandered in. They could see that the Capitol had been fortified, so they kept an eye on that area. However, it was time to go SHOPPING! All these abandoned streets and houses – it was theirs for the taking. After some pillaging and plundering, the Gauls touched base again in the Forum. The plebeian houses in the area were locked up – they weren’t taking any chances whilst they were out of town. But the houses of the elite were mysteriously open.As the Gauls entered the patrician dwellings, a shocking sight met their eyes. The old ex-magistrates, sitting as still as statues, dressed in their robes of state, just waiting for them. Not quite believing their eyes, one of the Gauls reached out to touch the beard of one of the patricians. How rude! The patrician clocked him in the head with an ivory mace. The Gauls were not going to show restraint now. The patricians were slain, the houses of the Roman citizens looted, and finally, the city was set on fire. But not the whole city – these Gauls weren’t FOOLS! They wanted to keep a bargaining chip in their back pockets. Maybe these pesky Romans on the citadel might surrender to save their homes? The Romans in question were in their own kind of hell as they sat on the Capitol and had to watch the destruction. Fortune had turned her back on them.Did this mean that the Romans were going to give up? It most certainly did NOT! When the Gauls finally assaulted the Capitol, the Romans were ready for them. They managed to hold the line. If the Gauls wanted to seize all of Rome, they were going to have to settle in for a siege. As the Gauls made themselves comfortable and set about plundering the countryside, over in Ardea, the exiled Camillus heard of the attack on Rome. What could he do? Could he possibly whip up an inspirational speech and persuade the Ardeates to fight the Gallic invaders? You betcha! Things to Look Out For: ·        Dazzling rhetoric ·        Far too much bloodshed ·        Silent, manly tears from the Romans on the Capitol ·        Ye olde time Roman racism ·        The Gauls putting on a SHOW of destruction for the RomansFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marcus Furius Camillus is an ancient Roman that it is hard to ignore, especially in the early days of the 4th century BCE. He has been regularly popping up in our episodes from the era, so we thought it would be wonderful to invite on a special guest to discuss his whole life in one handy biographic episode. Who is Marc Hyden?Marc Hyden is the Director of State Government Affairs at a Washington DC-based think tank, as well as being a weekly columnist for the Newnan Times-Herald, Albany Herald, and Rome News-Tribune. Marc graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in philosophy. Marc has authored many, many books on Ancient Rome. His most recent work is Emperor Titus: The Right Hand of Vespasian (McFarland, 2025), and we will be talking with him about that in a future episode. He has also authored Gaius Marius: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Saviour (Pen & Sword, 2017), Romulus: The Legend of Rome's Founding Father (Pen & Sword, 2020), but our focus today is going to be on Marcus Furius Camillus: The Life of Rome’s Second Founder (Pen & Sword, 2023). Things to Listen Out For: ·        Camillus’ controversies ·        Camillus’ rise to fame ·        The many virtues of Camillus ·        The legacy of this Roman hero We are sure you will love hearing Marc talk about Camillus, the man who served as a role model for later Roman luminaries like Julius Caesar and Augustus. If you would like to hear more, we have a stack of episodes in our back catalogue that feature Camillus. Sound CreditsOur music is by Bettina Joy de GuzmanFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 167 - The Gallic Sack of Rome - Part 2We rejoin the Romans and the Gauls in 390 BCE at the place where the Tiber river intersects with the Alia river. Turns out that when a bunch of Fabians upset the Gauls, those Gauls decide to march south towards Rome… How many Gauls and how many Romans met at the rivers’ edge? Well, the numbers are probably unreliable but the Romans are pretty sure they are outnumbered.The Battle at the AliaThere seems to be a few issues at this moment including the Roman failure to build a proper camp and - even worse - failure to take the auspices. Is this some foreshadowing from our friend Livy?Stay tuned for a discussion of the slim layout of the Roman forces. Brennus, the putative leader of the Gauls, seems to be uncertain that there may be some secret tactic or force that he hasn’t been able to account for. There’s also the problem of which bank of the river the battle takes place on which may influence where Roman forces end up. Will the Romans take the day or will they flail in the face of the Gallic strength? Are there some tactics involved that scholars can discern from the literary accounts that aren’t immediately obvious?The Roman Retreat When the day goes against Rome, the retreat seems to be chaotic. Some of the Romans retreat to Rome, which makes sense, and some retreat to Veii. This creates a host of uncertainty for the Romans who survive particularly those who head back to Rome and don’t find their comrades there. The assumption of Roman losses is significant.The Gauls meanwhile continue to suspect that there is a surprise attack from the Romans coming, but after some time they decide it’s worth marching on Rome just to see what they can see.  Things to listen out for:Gauls getting ‘organised’ after AliaThe priestesses of Vesta get involvedGeneral Akbar and the Gauls coming togetherThe role of the citadel on the Capitoline HillThe Gauls confused about Rome - the city?How does the levy of the Roman army work in this moment?The security of the sacred objects of RomeThe Vestal Virgins on the move!What happens to the eldest noble Romans now the Gauls are at the gatesLucius Albinus - ’the noble Plebeian’?For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re about to embark on a stunning period of Rome’s history in the middle Republic. Strap yourself in, this one is going to a take more a couple of episodes. We are, of course, dealing with the years that were 391/390 BCE. We begin with some of the important details that emerge for the latter part of 391 BCE which will have flow on effects for 390 BCE, which is the big ticket year that we’ll be navigating in this episode.The title may have given a little away, but the Gauls are in Italy. North Italy specifically, but they are going to be travelling south and pretty soon they arrive on the doorstep of Clusium.Clusium, Rome's new bestie?The Etruscan people of the city of Clusium seek support from the Romans. Unusual, yes, good for storytelling, also yes. Clusium is deep in Etruscan territory and yet it seems the Romans are willing to send a delegation to see what the Gaulish fuss is all about. The delegation is made up solely of Fabians, who are apparently meant to be neutral, but that aspect of the situation falls away pretty quickly when one of them kills a leader of the Gauls...The Battle of the AliaRome (and particularly the Fabians) have really upset the Gauls so much so, that the Gauls make a bee-line for Rome moving swiftly through Etruscan territory to arrive at the point where the Tiber meets the Alia, just north of Rome. The speed of the Gallic movement catches the Romans off-guard and that's just the beginning of their woes.Things to listen out for:Who is King Brennus?“All things belong to the brave”Quintus Fabius gets right out of lineThe Gauls send envoys to RomeDiodorus Siculus - more accurate than Livy?Did Dionysius of Syracuse hire the Gauls as mercenaries?The search for somewhere cool?For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are thrilled to sit down with Dr Francesca Fulminante to chat all about the development of settlements in central Italy from the Bronze Age to the Archaic Period of Rome. Dr Fulminante shares insights from her recent monograph: The Rise of Early Rome - Transportation Networks and Domination in Central Italy, 1050-500 BCE  (2023) (Cambridge University Press).This is a period where archaeological investigation reigns supreme requiring researchers to get into the nitty gritty layers of settlement patterns and trading networks. We’re thrilled to learn from Dr Fulminante as her research involves the investigation of complex societies in central Italy during the Bronze Age, looking at things like social stratification, settlement organisation, and craft community practices. Dr Fulminate is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol, and is an Associate Professor at University Roma Tre. Her work also involves offering continuing education training at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.What is time and how do things get complicated quickly?Coming to grips with the early evidence for Rome and central Italy involves understanding some of the overlapping terminology used by archaeologists and historians, who are coming to the evidence from different perspectives. Terms like the Bronze Age and Iron Age come to us from archaeology and anthropology while specific periods like the Archaic period and Early Roman Republic are much more society specific and tend to come from historians. This overlap can create a little bit of confusion, so here’s a rough breakdown (including some of the overlapping terms):The Early Bronze Age: 2300-1700 BCEThe Middle Bronze Age: 1700-1350 BCEThe Recent Bronze Age: 1350-1150 BCEThe Final Bronze Age: 1150-950 BCEIron Age: c. 1200- c. 500 BCEVillanovan Culture: c. 900-700 BCE (Etruscan)The Orientalising Period: c. 700-500 BCE (Etruscan)The Archaic Period: 800-500 BCE (Rome)The Early Republic: 509-400 BCE (Rome)The Rise of Rome?Dr Fulminante takes us through the early settlements of the Bronze Age and the transition to permanent structures in stone rather than perishable materials that occurs in from the 8th century BCE onwards. What does the evidence suggest for the development of ancient cities and the interconnections between them? Tune in to find out!Things to listen out for:V. Gordon Childe’s ten defining features for an ancient cityConnectivity in central Italy as an essential feature of the growth of citiesBurial under the housesThe movement of cities from east to west versus the network development theoryHow transportation networks develop from a physical perspectiveHow transportation networks are are influenced by political organisation and relationshipsThe way roads and rivers work together to create a networkThe connections between Latium vetus (old Latium) and Etruria (north of the Tiber)Cooperative networks versus centralised hierarchical networksFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

391 BCE is jam-packed with action, but the event that stands out is the arrival of the Gauls in centre stage. It’s time to surf the Celtic Wave!Revenge is Sweet… and EasyThe year began well for the Romans as they recovered from the pestilence that had caused such havoc the year before. Finally, they were strong enough to take down the Sappinates and the Volsinii who had tried to take advantage of their illness. Scoundrels! And it wasn’t hard at all – these guys barely put up a fight!Portent for a Pleb In spite of their success on the battlefield, there were signs of trouble ahead. A humble plebeian, Marcus Caedicius, heard a god speak to him in the dead of the night whilst he was on the Nova Via. The god (Aius Locutius, the speaking voice) told him that the Gauls were coming and that he had to let the magistrates know right away! The magistrates showed zero interest in anything this lowly pleb had to say. Um, why was this lowly man even talking to them? Didn’t he know they were patricians? And the Gauls? They were so far away, the Romans had barely even heard of them! Ridiculous. Ciao, Camillus! Arrogance continued to be a problem for the Romans. Having ignored a message from the GODS, they now turned on the best man who ever lived, Camillus. The last thing Camillus needed was drama as his young son had just passed away. However, the tribune of the plebs, Lucius Apuleius, cared not. He was coming after Camillus over the way he had handled the spoils captured from Veii. Rather than wait around to be convicted, Camillus went into exile – but not before asking the gods to make the Romans rue the day they had driven him away! Pretty please, gods of Rome, prove his innocence and put them in a situation which only Camillus could fix. Then they’d have to come back on their knees!Getting Close to ClusiumEnvoys from the Etruscan city of Clusium now arrived in Rome, seeking help against some troublesome Gauls who had arrived in their neighbourhood. This seems like an odd turn of events for so many reasons. The Romans did not have a strong relationship with Clusium. This was an Etruscan city quite some distance to the north. Perhaps they had been inspired by Rome’s performance against Volsinii? Although the exact details are questionable, there is no doubt that Gallic tribes had migrated into northern Italy. There are many stories associated with this Celtic wave, including some family intrigue, the lure of Etruscan fruits, wine – oh, and land! We wish we had more accounts from the Gauls/ Celts themselves, but we have to let the archaeology speak for them. The evidence confirms Celtic migration over the Alps and into northern Italy from the 5th century BCE and Livy seems to have been inspired by Herodotus in his own account of the varied Celtic peoples who crossed the Alps. Livy believes that it was the Senones tribe who rocked up at Clusium in the early 4th century, one the last to make the move. Although there is little archaeological evidence to suggest contact between these groups, let’s not interrupt Livy’s narrative. The people of Clusium were freaked out by these strangers and decided to turn to Rome. Surely the Romans would remember that they had not helped Veii out during the recent war? That must count for something? The Romans were not so sure. They decided to send the three sons of Marcus Fabius Ambustus as ambassadors to have a wee chat with the Gauls. They would issue a stern warning and hope that the new arrivals went on their merry way. No one wants a war, guys! In fact, the Romans would love to make new friends. How did the Senones respond? You’ll have to tune in for our epic multi-episode coverage of 390 BCE! For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode, we tackle the second half of the 1963 epic, Cleopatra.In the first part of this double-header, we tried to keep our focus on Cleopatra and Caesar and the initial challenges faced by #TeamCleo. However, today we get to delve into the second half of the movie when Cleopatra and Antony get it on. This means we finally get to discuss ‘Le Scandale’, aka the Taylor-Burton affair that developed on the set once these two clapped eyes on each other. Their passion would result in two broken hearts, a publicity sensation and not one, but TWO, marriages (and divorces).Cleopatra (1963) is a classic example of how the context of a film can shape how the history was received. It’s hard not to see some weird parallels between Taylor & Burton and Cleopatra & Antony. We need to work on some couple names before this gets too confusing. Cleotony? Antra? Tayton? Burtay? We’ll keep workshopping these ideas.  Things to listen out for:·      Unexpected feline births·      The casting couch makes an unwelcome appearance·      Studio coups·      Editing wars·      Broken hearts (#JusticeforSybil&Eddie)·      Odd similarities with the production of Spartacus·      MORE production problems than you can every imagine!One thing we have concluded after three hours of discussion: don’t start shooting a movie without a finished script.If you enjoyed this discussion, you might be interested in checking out The Plot Thickens, who are doing a whole season on Cleopatra (1963).Our SourcesDrs G and Dr Rad discuss ancient sources such as Florus, Cicero, Appian, and of course, Plutarch’s Life of Antony.Brodsky, Jack, and Nathan Weiss. The Cleopatra Papers : A Private Correspondence. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963.Geist, Kenneth L. Pictures Will Talk : The Life and Films of Joseph L. Mankiewicz. New York: Scribner, 1978. Humphries, Patrick. Cleopatra and the Undoing of Hollywood : How One Film Almost Sunk the Studios. Cheltenham: The History Press Ltd., 2023.Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, and Daniel Ogden. “CELLULOID CLEOPATRAS or DID THE GREEKS EVER GET TO EGYPT?” In The Hellenistic World, 275-. United Kingdom: The Classical Press of Wales, 2002.Royster, F. Becoming Cleopatra : The Shifting Image of an Icon. 1st ed. 2003. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-07417-1.Southern, P. Cleopatra. Gloucestershire: Tempus, 2007.Taraborrelli, J. Randy. Elizabeth. London: Pan Macmillan, 2006.Wanger, Wanger, and Joe Hyams. My Life with Cleopatra: The Making of a Hollywood Classic. New York: Vintage, 1963.Wyke, Maria. Projecting the Past : Ancient Rome, Cinema, and History. New York: Routledge, 1997.Sound CreditsOur music is by the wonderful Bettina Joy de Guzman.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

392 BCE, the year that went down in history for “a campaign in no way memorable”. Ah, that Livy, he paints quite a picture, doesn’t he? All About the ConsulsThe campaign in question involved our consuls for the year. Yep, consuls! The plebeians were still in a blissful mood after receiving some of the land from Veii in the previous year and so they didn’t fight for military tribunes. The consuls took care of a few domestic matters, such as holding the Great Games promised by Camillus during the siege against Veii and dedicating the temple to Juno (another of Camillus’ promises). Once the gods had been satisfied, the Romans were off to fight the Aequians at Mount Algidus in the titular “campaign in no way memorable.” Come on Aequians, put up a proper fight! The decisive victory (and possible capture of the city of Liphoecua) earned the consul Valerius a triumph as he slaughtered so many of the fleeing enemy. His colleague, Manlius, was given the lesser honour of an ovation. Guess he didn’t kill as many men who were running away in terror! You can’t reward that kind of behaviour in Ancient Rome. Kicking the Romans when they were really downWar found the Romans again in 392, this time with the Etruscan people of Volsinii and the Sappinates (which we presume was near Volsinii). The Romans could not respond with their typical vigour as they were hit by a horrific plague. Famine and pestilence were rampant in their part of the world, thanks to drought and a heatwave. These are the same environmental crises and disease mentioned by Dionysius of Halicarnassus for the previous year, which goes to show how the dating for this period is a tad confused. With the Romans too ill to fight, they send angry messages to their new enemies that they will get their revenge… just as soon as they can stop vomiting. Good Censors are like WafflesNo one was immune from the pestilence. Censors had been elected in 393 BCE, but now one of those elected, Gaius Julius, died in office and was replaced with Marcus Cornelius. Spoiler alert, but we are only a couple of years away from the Gallic sack of Rome. This happened in the same lustrum as events such as the death of Gaius Julius. Livy asserts that the way he was replaced caused issues with the gods, and that the Romans would ensure the partner of deceased stepped down from office and two brand new colleagues would be placed in office in the future. This may not be accurate, but it certainly shows that the Romans were committed to the idea of collegiality.The Scourge of the PlagueWhen the consuls also fell ill, they decided the Romans needed some fresh auspices. It was time for an interregnum! The consuls stepped down from office, and power was shared amongst the interreges until military tribunes with consular power were elected. We know what you’re thinking – why interreges? This was a position created to deal with the transfer of powers between kings. It’s interesting that the Romans continue to use this position long into the Republic. The last time we saw interreges was only a few years earlier in 396 BCE.  We do mention a couple of Latin terms in this episode, so here is your handy glossary in case you need it!·      The pomerium – the sacred boundary of the city. This was religious in nature. The pomerium set the bounds within which the auspices could be taken.·      Reference to the lustrum – a lustratio was a purification ceremony. The lustrum condere was conducted at the end of a census by one of the censors. For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cleopatra was released in 1963 and has gone on to herald the end of the golden age of the historical epic in Hollywood. Known as one of the most expensive films to ever be made, its troubled production and the on screen connection between Taylor and Burton have both cemented its place in cinematic history.A Troubled ProductionWe have a look at some of the issues that led to production delays and there were a lot! From tricky weather conditions, Taylor’s health troubles, to issues with the script, there wasn’t an issue that this film didn’t face in the journey to release. Dr Rad delves into the details of the factors that influenced the production including:the monetary problemsthe challenges into Twentieth Century Fox in this periodthe increasing pressure to write and shoot for Mankiewiczand Taylor’s public aura in the early 1960sA Foray into Roman and Egyptian HistoryThe historical pedigree of Cleopatra is based on a few different sources including credit given to Plutarch, Appian, and Suetonius! The impetus for the film was also based on the book published in 1957, The Life and Times of Cleopatra by Carlo Maria Franzero. There’s a depth of references throughout the film that have support in the ancient sources. Dr G considers:the representation of Ptolemy and his advisorsThe divided representation of Cleopatra as a savvy politician and a seductressThe burning of the library of AlexandriaThe history of where Alexander the Great’s body ends up after deathThings to listen out forThe life and significance of CaesarionThe importance of Mankiewicz in bringing this project to lifeShifting to French hoursWhat’s up with Mithridates?Caesar’s winding journey through the MediterraneanOur historical sources for Cleopatra’s lifeJulius Caesar in Egypt versus Cleopatra in RomeCleopatra’s complex Mediterranean identityThe powerful representation of motherhoodElizabeth Taylor’s requirements for this filmKeen to delve more into Cleopatra? Check out our conversation with Yentl Love about the reception of Cleopatra over time.Further readingBrodsky, Jack; Weiss, Nathan (1963). The Cleopatra Papers: A Private Correspondence (Simon and Schuster)Cooney, Kara (2018). When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt (National Geographic Society)Lucan De Bello CiviliWagner, Walter and Hyams, Joe (2013). My Life with Cleopatra: The Making of a Hollywood Classic (Knopf Doubleday)For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re still in the year 394 BCE and we’ve seen Camillus has had a run in with the Falsican Schoolmaster. In this episode we move on further into the action of 394 BCE and look at 393 BCE as well. Is Camillus learning how to keep a low profile? He is praised from his success over the Faliscans and he doesn’t rush for a triumph this time. But the challenge remains, that Camillus’ forgotten vow to Apollo might be about to bite him on the bottom.A fateful voyage!Rome is pretty intent on fulfilling Camillus’ forgotten vow to Apollo and this means a boat trip is in order. But sailing to Greece is not for the faint hearted, especially when you have such precious cargo as a golden bowl in tow. Tune in for adventures on the high sea!War with the AequiansThe Aequians, a thorn in Rome’s side? Yes indeed. Do our sources agree? Of course not. It’s Diodorus Siculus against Livy, duking it out with Siculus having just a mention of trouble, while Livy comes packing details. We take you through the chaotic details. The conflict centres in the town of Verrugo but watch out for mention of Tusculum as well.New Year, New You?It’s time for the Roman census! We also see a return of the consulship in 393 BCE! The tussle about moving some of Rome’s population permanently to Veii is back on the agenda. There’s a faction in favour of a move to Veii and a faction against. Our sources seem to position this as a patrician/plebeian divide, but it might be more confusing or complicated than that.More Aequians on the Horizon…Somehow, the Aequian forces, that were absolutely devastated in 394 BCE are BACK baby but their appearance seems only a flash in the pan compared to Rome’s troubles at home. There’s tribunes of the plebs to worry about, factional infighting over what to do about Veii, and some trials to contend with as well. It’s an exhausting time to be in Roman politics! Enter scene right: Camillus… How important was the tribune of the plebs right of veto? The question is raised in Livy’s narrative.Things to listen out forSpecial legates - fancy!Pirates on the Mediterranean Sea!A fine of 10, 000 asses!What’s going on the tribune of the plebs and the veto?A break from the pattern of the gens? Shock and horrorLivy getting confused?7 iugera to be allocated to every Roman and provision to procreatePestilence in Rome and surroundsA Roman beach getawayFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we continue to follow the adventures of that most amazing of Romans: Marcus Furius Camillus! This is one of his real shining moments of virtus.Although the Romans have just conquered Veii, there was tension on those mean city streets. The patricians and plebeians were locked in a disagreement over what they should do with this new territory.However, Camillus had military matters to attend to. He was placed in charge of subduing Veii’s allies, the Faliscans. This was no easy task as the enemy was well-prepared and the city of Falerii was easily defended.Camillus was making some headway, but it looked as though this conflict was going to turn into another length siege. Boo!School for ScandalFortune sided with Camillus as the leading school teacher in Falerii decided to betray his people. He was in charge of the children of all the most important families in town, and what better way for kids to get exercise than to be marched right into the Roman camp?We don’t want to give too much away, but what Camillus does next will make you swoon like a love-sick teen. Oh, and it also gave us our next idea for a T-shirt, so thanks Camillus! You sure are a swell guy!Our PlayersMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerM. Furius L. f. Sp. n. Camillus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 401, 398, 386, 384, 381L. Furius L. f. Sp. n. Medullinus (Pat) Cos. 413, 409, Mil. Tr. c. p. 407, 405, 398, 397, 395, 391 C. Aemilius TI. F. TI. N. Mamercinus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 391L. Valerius L. f. L. n. Poplicola (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 389, 387, 383, 380Sp. Postumius – f. – n. Albinus Regillensis (Pat)P. Cornelius -f. -n (--------) (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 397 or 395[?] Catlus VerusTribunes of the PlebsQ. PomponiusT. SiciniusA. VerginiusLegates, AmbassadorsL. Valerius Potitus (Pat) Cos. 393, 392, Mil. Tr. c. p. 414, 406, 403, 401, 398L. Sergius (Fidenas) (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 397A. Manlius (Vulso Capitolinus) (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 405, 402, 397For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman EmpireFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our latest special episode, we were positively tickled to be able to chat to Dr Jane Draycott about her latest historical biography Fulvia: The Woman who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome (published with Atlantic Books).For the uninitiated, Fulvia is one of the more notorious characters from the Late Roman Republic. If you’ve heard of her, it is probably as the wife of Mark Antony – the one he first cheated on with Cleopatra. What an honour.However, in this episode, you will get to hear why Dr Draycott thinks she is so much more than that. Join us to hear all about Fulvia’s other husbands, her many children and the rhetoric that destroyed her reputation.Dr DraycottDr Jane Draycott is a historian and archaeologist and is currently Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Glasgow. Her research interests are extensive and include: displays of extraordinary bodies in the ancient world; the depiction of the ancient world in computer games; and domestic medical practice in ancient Rome. In 2023, Dr Draycott published Prosthetics and Assistive Technology in Ancient Greece and Rome with Cambridge University Press. 2022 was a huge year for Dr Draycott in terms of publications! First, there’s the co-edited collection Bodies of Evidence: Ancient Anatomical Votives Past, Present and Future with Routledge;  Second, the co-edited the volume Women in Classical Video Games with Bloomsbury;  Third(!), the edited volume Women in Historical and Archaeological Video Games for De Gruyter; And fourth (we’re already tired thinking about this much writing coming out all at once), the biography Cleopatra's Daughter: Egyptian Princess, Roman Princess, African Queen (Bloomsbury)We know that you will be running out to get yourself a copy of Fulvia once you have heard the fascinating details shared in this episode.And for keen listeners, rest assured that Dr Rad was keeping a tally throughout the interview of all of Augustus' hideous crimes :)Sound CreditsOur music is provided by the wonderful Bettina Joy de Guzman.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s 395 BCE and we explore the events that are the result of the epic year of 396 BCE. The Romans ended 396 BCE on a high with their military success against the southern-most city of the Etruscans, Veii. But is all well in the Roman world? That may depend on which god you talk to…An incomplete victory?The defeat of Veii leaves the northern peoples - the Capenates and Faliscans - open to Rome’s wrath. Their resistance to Rome means that war is on Rome’s agenda. This may also explain why we see military tribunes with consular power.A great time for some Roman colonising?Despite the threats to the north, Rome seems intent on setting up a new colony down south towards Volscian territory. Does Rome really have the resources to spare for such an endeavour after a ten-year siege and problems north of Veii? Well, historians have some questions about that!What’s up Apollo?Camillus’ glorious leadership in taking Veii seems to be undermined by the his vow to Apollo which he had apparently forgotten. This creates real problems as the 10th portion to be offered to Apollo was not collected when the booty was distributed and now people OWE the gods… Will Camillus’ reputation emerge unscathed?Things to listen out forIs Veii more attractive to the plebeians than Rome? Scandal!A proposal to send half of Rome’s population, patricians and plebeians to Veii - a classic case of Porque Lo Nos Dos?Some very grumpy patricians playing the ‘Romulus’ cardBlaming Titus Sicinius for putting ideas into the plebeians’ headsConnections with Greek history…A beautiful golden bowl!Drama in Sicily including an appearance from Magon the CarthaginianOur PlayersMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerPublius Cornelius P. f. A. n. Cossus (Pat)Publius Cornelius - f. -. N. Scipio (Pat)Kaeso Fabius M. f. Q. n. Ambustus (Pat). Previously Military Tribune with Consular Power in 404, 401.Lucius Furius L. f. Sp. n. Medullinus (Pat). Previously Consul in 413, 409 and previously Military Tribune with Consular Power in 407, 405, 398, 397.Quintus Servilius Q. f. P. n. Fidenas (Pat). Previously Military Tribune with Consular Power in 402, 398.Marcus Valerius M. f. M. n. Lactucinus Maximus (Pat). Previously Military Tribune with Consular Power 398.Tribunes of the PlebsTitus SiciniusQuintus PomponiusAulus VerginiusFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rounding out our trilogy of special episodes on Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, we are joined by gladiator expert, Alexandra Sills.Alexandra holds a BA in Classical Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London and a MA in The Classical Mediterranean from the University of Leicester. Alexandra’s MA dissertation was awarded the Mark Pluciennik prize in Archaeology & Ancient History. Alexandra has published outreach articles for Bad Ancient and Working Classicists and recently published an academic article entitled ‘The Tropification of Hollywood Heroes Thrown Into the Arena’ for Melita Classica in 2023. Alexandra’s current research focuses on gladiators in the ancient world and their reception on film and television. We’re thrilled to have her on the show to discuss all things gladiators.We start with a history of the development of the gladiator in the Roman world including:The Etruscan evolutionThe Julius Caesar effect and the subsequent influence of AugustusThe osteo-archaeological evidence for gladiatorsAre there things that Gladiator II gets right from the perspective of the ancient evidence? We discuss the possibilities with Alexandra.Things to listen out for:The nobility of the screen gladiator versus the infamia of gladiators historicallyThe contrast between the crowd of spectators in the ancient world and in cinematic representationsThe dehumanisation involved in the arenaThe role of the love interestThe gladiator connection of Katniss EverdeenThe trope of the woman in the refrigeratorHow to make sure gladiators are dead in the arena and on filmThe complexities of katabasis (journeys to the Underworld) in the context of films and sequelsThe challenges of setting a film in Ancient Rome but changing key elements of history through the storytellingThe deep specialisation of the different gladiatorial fighting stylesWhere are the shields? Where are the nipples?Sexuality in the Roman imperial era versus the representation on screenFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We return for the final instalment on the fall of Veii in 396 BCE.In our previous episode, we witnessed the actual conquest of the great Etruscan city.Now it’s Camillus’ time to bask in the glory!He's a Real TripCamillus has managed to secure victory for Rome, and one of the advantages now that it’s all over is that sweet, sweet booty. Everyone knew that Veii was wealthy, but Camillus is staggered (pun intended) by the number of captured spoils. As he offered detailed thanks to the gods, he stumbled. The Romans were a superstitious bunch, so although Camillus tried to gloss over this trip, it was seen as an omen. Camillus, and perhaps Rome herself, were destined to take a mighty tumble. Foreshadowing!But that all lay in the future. Camillus had to decide how to divvy up the booty. He tried to take the sensible path and consult with the Senate, but he failed to please most of the populace with his choices. Ingrates!This Lady IS for Turning!The fate of Veii’s tutelary deity, Juno Regina, was an even more delicate matter. The Romans hoped they could persuade her to switch her allegiance and residence to Rome. Juno agrees to make the move and was initially established in a new temple on the Aventine. That little minx!This is the first example of the ritual of evocatio, which we sometimes see pop up when Rome conquers Etruscan cities. This may have something to do with the fact that the rite probably originated in Etruria. We wish we knew more about this fascinating practice, but as usual, we have more questions than answers. The religious calendars of Rome indicate that the cult of Juno Regina did begin at around this time, so this may lend some support to our historical narrative. Either way, Veii has now not only been conquered, but stripped of divine protection. OUCH.Celebrate Good Times, Come On!Back in the city, the Romans are thrilled with this military victory. Camillus was mobbed by crowds upon his return. No one will be surprised to hear that Camillus was awarded a triumph. EVERYTHING about it was OTT. Not everyone thought this triumph was in good taste. After such an important victory, Camillus was eroding those warm fuzzies in record time. That is, of course, if we can believe the details. It’s hard to know what the norm was for a triumph in the early 4th century BCE.Camillus ignored the haters, and busied himself with all the vows and promises he had made to various deities. There were temples to build for Juno and Mater Matuta, and then there was also the matter of gifts to Apollo. Camillus had pledged one tenth of the booty seized. The pontiffs decided that this needed to come from the people, who were less than impressed with a request to return some of their share of the spoils.The Year That Had EverythingThe year wrapped up with peace being secured on multiple fronts. Perhaps after seeing Veii’s defeat, the Volscians and Aequians decided to sue for peace themselves.396 BCE truly was an epic year. We think you’ll agree once you’ve listened to all parts of our trilogy that it deserves to be known as ‘The Year That Had Everything’. For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WARNING! This post and episode both contain spoilers!We are back to discuss Gladiator II, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s smash hit Gladiator (2000). Gladiator II is set in the joint reign of Caracalla and Geta. These emperors were brothers in real life, but not the creepy twins shown in the movie. However, let’s not get caught up in historical detail! After all, Lucilla should have been executed by Commodus in the first film if we were sticking to the facts.In Gladiator II, we learn that Lucilla’s precious son, Lucius Verus, was hidden away in the provinces after Commodus’ death and became alienated from the imperial family. He clearly inherited the military skills of his real father (Maximus or Russell Crowe), as Lucius is something of a local hero in his new home.But no one can resist the power of Rome forever. After a military defeat, Lucius ends up in the arena and spends the film wrestling with his past, his trauma and the corruption of Rome. Just like his dad!Whilst Lucius Verus is the hero of this film, as is so often the case in movies about Ancient Rome, the villain steals the show. Macrinus (Denzel Washington) is a master manipulator, skilfully playing a dangerous political game. Will the ghost of Maximus past allow Lucius to finally set Rome on a virtuous path? Or is Rome doomed to be dominated by corrupt politicians?   And boy, do we have a treat in store for you all! We were privileged to talk to a giant in the field of classical reception, a man who has spent many decades studying Roman history on film.Martin M. Winkler is Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Classics at George Mason University in Northern Virginia. His research interests include classical mythology, Roman history, classical literature, the classical tradition, and classical literature, history and myth on film. Professor Winkler’s list of publications is long indeed, but we will cite a few of our favourites. The Roman Salute: Cinema, History and Ideology (2009), Ovid on Screen: A Montage of Attractions (2020) and most recently, Classical Antiquity and the Cinematic Imagination (2024). Professor Winkler has edited and contributed to volumes on the films Troy (from 2004), Kubrick’s 1960 Spartacus, and importantly for today, Ridley Scott’s original 2000 Gladiator.We hope that you enjoy our conversation with Professor Winkler in which we discuss:The characters of Maximus and Lucius VerusThe aesthetic of Gladiator IIThe representation of the army and praetorian guard in the sequelThe Roman Senate of Gladiator IIHistorical accuracy in Gladiator IIFor our full show notes and transcript, head over to our website: https://partialhistorians.com/2025/04/03/special-episode-gladiator-ii-with-professor-martin-m-winkler/ For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Fall of Veii is finally upon us – or perhaps we should say it was finally upon them! After a shameful defeat early in 396, the Romans decided to appoint a dictator. It is time for a Republican hero to burst into the spotlight. Welcome to the stage, Marcus Furius Camillus!Episode 159 – The Fall of Veii: Part II A Hero is Born Camillus is a legendary figure of Rome, possibly in more ways than one. He was held up as an exemplar for generations. Even the emperor Augustus was a fangirl. We have mentioned him before, but it is his service as dictator during the siege against Veii where we get to see him shine for the first time.Bronze Sculpture of Marcus Furius Camillus ca. 1st century AD from the Capitoline Museum. Courtesy of Ancient Times Blog Spot.The Fall of VeiiThe appointment of Camillus restored a sense of optimism to Rome and people were literally queuing up to serve under him. With suspicious ease, Camillus dealt with Veii’s allies, the Faliscans and Capenates, before turning his attention to breaking the siege once and for all. Through clever use of tunnels and military distractions, the Romans defeated their enemy – at last! Rome has been engaged in almost constant warfare with neighbouring towns and cities for an exceptionally long time, but it is hard to overstate the importance of this conquest. Not only was Veii a wealthy and serious rival, but this acquisition also doubled the size of Rome’s territory. To quote Camillus as he surveyed the battlefield, “Cha-ching!”However, Camillus made some promises to the gods both before and after this final battle, promises that will have various impacts for our hero and for Rome….  Stay tuned for the next instalment on 396 BCE!Things to Look Out For: The ongoing presence of the vanilla bean plebeian, Publius Licinius Calvus EsquilinusA bootylicious face-off between Licinius Calvus and Appius ClaudiusThe resurgence of Mater MatutaAllusions to the Trojan WarThe discovery of the ancient version of BDE (BRME – Big Roman Masculine Energy)Livy constructing history before our very eyes!Our Players for 396 BCEMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerL. Titinius L. f. M. n. Pansa Saccus Mil Tr. c. p. 400P. Licinius P. f. P. n. Calvus Esquilinus Mil. Tr. c .p. 400P. Manlius Sp. f. C. n. Capitolinus Mil Tr. c. p. 400Q. Manlius A. f. Cn. n. Vulso Capitolinus? (Pat)Cn. Genucius M. f. M. n. Augurinus Mil. Tr. c. p. 399L. Atilius L. f. L. n. Priscus Mil Tr. c. p. 399Dictator M. Furius L. f. Sp. n. Camillus (Pat) Mil Tr. c. p. 401, 398, 394, 386, 384, 381Master of the HorseP. Cornelius P. f. M. n. Maluginensis (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 397, 390InterregesL. Valerius (Potitus) (Pat) Cos. 393, 392, Mil. Tr. c.p. 414, 406, 403, 401. 398Q. Servilius Fidenas (Pat)M. Furius Camillus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 401, 398, 394, 386, 384, 381Need to catch up on the first part of 396 BCE? Check out Part One on the Fall of Veii!Our SourcesDr Rad reads Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, 5.18-23.Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus, 14.90.1, 14.93.2-3; Fasti Capitolini; Dionysius of Halicarnassus 12.13-16, 13.1-3; Plutarch, Life of Camillus, 5-8; Pliny, Natural History, 33.111; Appian, Ital. 8; Florus, 1.17; Valerius Maximus 1.5.2, 1.8.3; Aulus Gellius, Attic Nights, 17.21; Eutropius, 1.20; Augustine, City of God, 2.17; Orosius, 2.19.1-4; Zonaras, 7.21.Bernard, Seth. “Rome from the Sack of Veii to the Gallic Sack.” In Building Mid-Republican Rome. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190878788.003.0003.Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press).Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)Bruun, Patrick. “Evocatio Deorum: Some Notes on the Romanization of Etruria.” Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis 6 (1972): 109–20. https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67073.Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War (University of California Press) Gowing, Alain M. 2009. “The Roman exempla tradition in imperial Greek historiography: The case of Camillus in Feldherr, A., ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Historians. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.Kraus, C. S. 2020. ‘Urban Disasters and Other Romes: The Case of Veii’ in Closs, V. M., Keitel, E. eds. Urban Disasters and the Roman Imagination (De Gruyter), 17-31.Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674919938. ISBN978-0-674-65965-0. S2CID239349186.Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press). Prescendi, F. (. (2006). Mater Matuta. In Brill's New Pauly Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e726220Raaflaub, K. A. 2006. Social st

We are super excited for this conversation. Owen Rees is the founder of the website badancient.com and we’ve been lucky enough to write a couple of articles over there on some misconceptions about the ancient Romans. So when we heard that Owen had a book coming out, we absolutely wanted to have a chat.Special Episode – The Far Edges of the Known World with Owen ReesThe Far Edges of the Known World is coming out through Bloomsbury Press February 2025 and is all about what’s happening beyond the traditional centres of power that are the focus of historians such as Greece and Rome. What becomes clear in this conversation is that the written sources produce a focus on the centres of power for historians and that the archaeological record is critical to appreciating what’s happening in areas that weren’t the centre.We start with a little bit on Ovid’s poor attitude to being in Tomis on the Black Sea and what that reveals about Rome BUT also reveals inadvertently about that society. There are generalisations about what place is where to navigate – where was Libya or India really? There's also plenty of scope to dip into the particulars of the archaeological record. To get a sense of the breadth and depth of Rees’ work we have a chat about:Ancient Sudan and what is happening through the cataracts along the Nile beyond the sway of Egypt. This includes thinking about the Kushites as well as the nomadic peoples of the regionThe limits of the ancient language and then our contemporary loaded terms ‘civilisation’ and ‘barbarian’The fascinating city of Olbia, which seems to have been a meeting point between the Greeks and the Scythians resulting in a unique cultural nexus that feels effects of changing geopolitics when it comes to the Macedonians, the Persians, and the RomansThings to listen out forWomen? In military forts? Shocking stuff!Vindolanda and it’s amazing cache of letters of everyday lifeThe nomadic Medjay being paid to police other nomadic groupsThe way that conquest can produce redefinition of self – case in point Rome and BritonThe challenges of the British accent when it comes to Ancient Rome on screenA penchant for trousersThe development of coinage in OlbiaThe challenges of writing a book about the edges of the worldAuthor of The Far Edges of the Known World: A New History of the Ancient Past, Owen Rees Music CreditsOur music is composed by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman.Automated TranscriptLightly edited for the Latin and our wonderful Australian accents!Dr Rad 0:15Welcome to the Partial Historians.Dr G 0:19We explore all the details of ancient RomeDr Rad 0:23Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battled wage and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr RadDr G 0:33and I'm Dr G, we consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Dr G 0:50Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of the Partial Historians. I am one of your hosts, Dr GDr Rad 0:58And I am Dr RadDr G 1:00And we are very excited to sit down today with Owen Rees to talk about his new book ‘The Far Edges of the Known World'. Even the title sounds very impressive. I'm like OoOoo. Owen Rees is an ancient historian. He held a Leverhulme early career fellowship at the University of Nottingham, and is a lecturer in applied humanities for Birmingham Newman University. He is the founder and lead editor of the website badancient.com which brings together specialists to fact check common claims. I'll say that again, which brings together specialists to fact check common claims made about the ancient world. We are absolutely thrilled to talk with Owen about his new book, ‘The Far Edges of the Known World, which is published by Bloomsbury Press. Welcome Owen.Owen Rees 1:57Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.Dr G 1:59An absolute pleasure. So to get us softly into this topic, because I feel like this topic is actually huge, I'm wondering what sparked your fascination for this idea of borders and edges when it comes to the ancient world.Owen Rees 2:16Yeah, it's a valid question, because it's not really talked about a lot, or when it is talked about, it's often in terms of conflict. So especially in the Roman Empire, we think hard borders, conflict and wars generally. So I mean, put it simply, it bugs me that the ancient world is always done from cultural centers. So every time we talk about ancient history, we talk about Athens, we talk about Rome, Alexandria, places like this. And that's all fascinating and interesting stuff, but I'm always struck with the kind of question in my head of, well, what about everyone else? What's everyone else up to? And how do these highfalutin ideas that people are coming up with like Plato and the like. How does that play out for, shall we say, normal people around the world? So first of all, it was to kind of get a

396 BCE is finally here! Rome and Veii have been locked in a competition for space and resources for quite some time and it seems like the tide is about to turn. The year 396 BCE is perhaps one of the most significant years for Rome’s history in the early republic. Given the events at play, this episode is considering how the year begins and it might not be quite the thrills you might expect…Episode 158 – The Fall of Veii – Part IWhat’s going on with Rome’s magistrates?The situation with Roman magistrates in 396 BCE is quite complicated. We spend some time considering some of the challenges we face with the evidence. There seems to have been some problems with the military tribunes which leads to a changing of the guard. There also seems to be great fondness for the plebeian military tribune with consular power, Publius Licinius Calvus Esquilinus, but is he really fit for public duties? We consider the details.The challenges of our sourcesWhile Livy is providing plenty of narrative material for 396 BCE, every other ancient source seems only interested in some of the big ticket events and not the finer details of family politics in Rome. How can we reconcile these different accounts? We’ll try our best!Success is not assured…Rome gets off to a bad start in 396 BCE with a botched Roman ambush led by Genucius and Titinius. After waiting so long with the siege business, it seems a couple of the military tribunes with consular power decide that a little bit of action might be preferable. But things do not go according to plan… it’s only a matter of time for panic to set in among the citizens.Things to listen out forThe gradual Etrurian retreat from Campania in favour of the northSome of the significant moments between Veii and Rome over the years including the challenges of the Fabian gens at Cremera (see Episode 82 – Fabian Demise), and the death of the king of Veii Lars Tolumnius (see Episode 129 – Lars Tolumnius and the Fate of Fidenae)The emphasis in the annalist tradition on the TEN years of conflict between Rome and Veii and the questions that might be asked about thisThe apparent lack of broader support for Veii from Etruscan city-states further northRome’s fondness for building up their enemies in their histories and other written evidenceChronological issues with the source material? Shock! Horror!Does Livy have a penchant for family histories? Licinius Macer is worth a mentionPeriander as Greek inspiration for Calvus?Homeric parallels!Igor taking a short breakOur Players for 396 BCEMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerLucius Titinius L. f. M’. n. Pansa SaccusPublius Licinius P. f. P. n. Calvus Esquilinus (Mr Original Plebeian in the role according to Livy)Publius Maelius Sp. f. C. n. CapitolinusQuintus Manlius A. f. Cn. n. Vulso Capitolinus? (Pat)Gnaeus Genucius M. f. M. n. AugurinusLucius Atilius L. f. L. n. PriscusDictatorMarcus Furius L. f. Sp. n. Camillus (Pat)Master of the HorsePublius Cornelius P. f. M. n. Maluginensis (Pat)InterregesLucius Valerius (Potitus) (Pat)Quintus Servilius Fidenas (Pat)Marcus Furius Camillus (Pat)Our SourcesDr Rad reads Livy, 5.18.2-12Dr G reads Dionysius of Halicarnassus 12.13-16 and 13.1-3; Plutarch Life of Camillus 5-8; Diodorus Siculus 14.90.1; 14.93.2-3; Valerius Maximus 1.5.2; 1.8.3; Pliny Natural History 33.111; Appian Ital. 8; Florus 1.17; Aulus Gellius Attic Nights 17.21; Eutropius 1.20; [Aurelius Victor] De virus illustribus 23; Augustine The City of God 2.17; Orosius 2.19.1-4; Zonaras 7.21Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC: The Beginnings of the City and the Rise of the Republic (Edinburgh University Press).Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War (University of California Press) Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The Rise of Rome: From the Iron Age to the Punic Wars. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press). Raaflaub, K. A. 2006. Social struggles in archaic Rome: new perspectives on the conflict of the orders (2nd ed). (Wiley).Smith, C. 2019. ‘Furius Camillus and Veii’, in Taboli, J., Cerasuolo, O. (eds.) Veii (University of Texas Press), 219-224.Sound CreditsOur music is composed by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman. Additional sound effects from the BBC Sound Library,Partial Reconstruction of a Temple at Veii – Photo credit to ArtSupp.Automated TranscriptLighted edited for our wonderful Australian accents.Dr Rad 0:15Welcome to the Partial Historians.Dr G 0:19We explore all the details of ancient Rome.Dr Rad 0:23Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battled wage and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr RadDr G

WARNING! This post and episode both contain spoilers!In case you somehow missed it, the hotly anticipated sequel to Gladiator (2000) hit the cinemas in November 2024. Gladiator II follows the story of Lucius Verus, the child of Lucilla and the hero from the first film, Maximus. Nope, we did not know that was a thing either.Poster for Gladiator II, Source: https://deadline.comAfter being separated from his imperial family following the death of his uncle (the Emperor Commodus), the adult Lucius ends up in the arena. His owner is Macrinus, an actual historical figure who served as emperor briefly in the third century CE. The film follows Macrinus and Lucius as they navigate the complicated political world of Rome under the Emperors Caracalla and Geta. Will Lucius be able to rid Rome of corruption, once and for all? (Dramatic music)   Joining us today to discuss the film is the delightful Lindsay Steenberg.Special Episode – Gladiator II with Dr Lindsay Steenberg Dr Lindsay Steenberg is currently a Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University where she co-ordinates the graduate programme in Popular Cinema. Her research interests are violence and gender in postmodern and postfeminist media culture. If you like true crime, you should definitely check out her back catalogue. Whilst Dr Steenberg has published widely and regularly presents at conferences, our particular point of connection is her interest in gladiators.  She is the author Are you not entertained? Mapping the Gladiator Across Visual Media, which was published by Bloomsbury in 2020.We hope that you enjoy our conversation as we unpack:Arena action scenesThe naumachia scene from Gladiator IIMacrinus’ role in this filmGladiators and celebrityHistorical inaccuracy on screenOur vision for Gladiator III: Tokyo DriftSound CreditsOur music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman.Dr Lindsay Steenberg's book Are You Not Entertained? Mapping the Gladiator Across Visual Media. We recommend it!Automated TranscriptDr Rad 0:00Hello. You're about to listen to a special episode of the partial historians, which is all about gladiator two, a movie set in the reign of Caracalla and GetasoDr G 0:12so we are warning you in advance that this conversation will contain spoilers if you have not yet gone to the cinemapost haste, my friends get there soon and come back and listen. Or if you don't care about spoilers, and in fact, you thrive in an environment where you know all of the details before you see a thing, please continue listening and enjoying.Dr Rad 0:35And it pretty much turns out as we all expected. Dr G Maximus came back to life and married me in the future, just as I always wanted. Finally, a New Zealand man finds his Australian bride, that's right, and now on with the show you.Music. Welcome to the partial historians.Dr G 1:10We explore all the details of ancient Rome,Dr Rad 1:15everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battles wage and when citizens turn against each other, I'm Dr rad andDr G 1:25I'm Dr G. We consider Rome as the Romans saw it by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories. JoinDr Rad 1:36us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Hello and welcome to another special episode of the partial historians. I am one of your hosts, Dr rad,Dr G 2:00and I'm Dr GDr Rad 2:02And we are super excited because we're going to be talking about another gladiator movie today. Dr G, just when you thought you couldn't get enough,Dr G 2:10I can't get enough. That's why I'm here, exactly. AndDr Rad 2:15we are super lucky to be joined by an expert, an international expert, Dr Lindsay Steenberg is currently a senior lecturer in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University, where she coordinates the graduate program in popular cinema. Her research interests are violence and gender in post modern and post feminist media culture. If you like true crime, you should definitely check out her back catalog. Whilst Dr Steenberg has published widely and regularly presents at conferences, our particular point of connection is her interest in gladiators. She is the author of, are you not entertained? Mapping the gladiator across visual media, which was published by Bloomsbury in 2020. Being astute listeners, I am sure that you have all correctly guessed that she is here to discuss gladiator two with us, which was at time of recording, just released in cinemas. Welcome Dr Steenberg,Lindsay Steenberg 3:15thank you so much for having me and for giving me the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subject matters gladiator movies, you'reDr Rad 3:23in good company here. You know, it's one of the things I think that we do the most around here. So look, we are so keen to talk a little bit about gladiator two with you, and also the aspects that you have looked at in your work. So we thought we might start off with the part that people probably remember most vividly when they see a gladiator fi

We were titillated to speak to the scintillating Jenny Freaking Williamson. Jenny is one of the co-hosts of Ancient History Fangirl, which we like to consider part of the unofficial but highly exclusive #ladypodsquad. Jenny and Genn have been on our show before to discuss their fabulous book, Women and Myth, which was released in 2023. However, today Jenny is here to discuss a solo venture. She has just completed her debut novel, a historical romantasy called Enemy of My Dreams, slated for release through Harlequin in February 2025 and available for pre-order now.Enemy of my Dreams is set during the late Roman Empire and focuses on a romance between an imperial princess named Julia and a ‘barbarian’ leader, Alaric of the Visigoths. Julia was largely inspired by three historical figures: Julia the Elder (daughter of Augustus), Galla Placidia and Honoria.It was a delight to hear about Jenny’s process in crafting historical fiction.Special Episode – Enemy of my Dreams with Jenny WilliamsonHere are some quick bios for the ladies in question!Julia the ElderJulia the Elder was the only biological child of Augustus, which was a nasty surprise for him. Without a son, Julia’s importance as a dynastic pawn grew. She was married off to her cousin, then Augustus’ BFF Agrippa, and finally her stepbrother, Tiberius. Although it was normal for an elite woman to marry for the benefit of her family, there was a huge amount of pressure on Julia to in these scenarios, especially as her last marriage a trainwreck. Let that be a lesson to you – don’t marry your step-siblings!Julia was suddenly exiled for scandalous behaviour in 2 BCE… or was she plotting against her father? We will never know. All we can be sure of is her fate. Julia was exiled to the island of Pandataria before her exile was moved to Rhegium. She was never allowed to return and died of “malnutrition” early in the reign of Tiberius, her ex-husband. If Augustus intended to put his errant daughter in her place, mission accomplished.    Bust of Julia the Elder by Egisto Sani on Flickr. Galla PlacidiaGalla Placidia lived hundreds of years after Julia, in the twilight of the 4th century CE. She was the daughter of Theodosius the Great, a very capable emperor (as the name implies). Sadly for Rome, he died in 395 CE and left the purple to his sons, Honorius and Arcadius, who split the empire between them. Placidia resided in the west with HonoriusThese were not easy times for Rome as there was a lot of movement around their borders, and within the empire. The Goths were looking for a new home and the Roman Empire was it! The Romans were not always so thrilled by this prospect. In Placidia’s youth, they decided to unite behind a Visigoth named Alaric. Alaric was a pretty successful guy, and in 410 CE he and his followers managed to penetrate the walls of Rome itself. It’s hard to put into words how shameful and shocking this event was for the Romans.It became even more embarrassing when Placidia was taken captive by the Goths. She remained with them for years, eventually marrying Alaric’s brother-in-law Athaulf, who became the leader of the Gothic forces after Alaric’s death. It is one of the tragedies of history that we know so little about this time in her life. Did she and Athaulf fall in love, or did it just seem wise to marry a man of status, given the circumstances?This could have been an interesting union that changed history as we know it, except that Athaulf was murdered soon after their wedding and eventually the Romans found the time to negotiate for her return. Placidia was married to her brother’s right-hand man, Constantius, whom she despised. Hatred is not an effective birth control method, and she had two children by this marriage. Honorius had not produced any children, so Placidia’s son was a likely heir.Placidia was highly respected in her lifetime for her piety and for her capabilities. When her brother died, she helped to engineer the succession of her son, Valentinian III. As Valentinian was so young, Placidia acted as regent, and she never really left the imperial stage. This probably had something to due with the fact that Valentinian was as useless an emperor as Honorius. She died peacefully in 450. She did not have to witness the assassination of Valentinian a few years later.HonoriaWe know very little about Honoria, the daughter of Galla Placidia and sister to the rather pathetic Valentinian III. Honoria was either born with a wild streak or developed one because she was oddly left single for too long, which was a weird status for an imperial princess. After an affair with one of the imperial stewards, she was being forced into a marriage with a rich senator. That oughtta fix this whole situation!Honoria refused to go down quietly. She may have contacted Atilla the Hun, the latest barbarian threat on the block. She sent him a ring and asked for his help – was this an offer of marriage? Atilla certainly thought s

We are thrilled to sit down in conversation with Professor Joel P. Christensen to discuss some of the ideas explored in his forthcoming book Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things (Yale University Press).Special Episode – Storylife with Professor Joel P. ChristensenJoel Christensen is Professor of Classical Studies at Brandeis University. He received his BA and MA from Brandeis in Classics and English and holds a PhD in Classics from New York University. His publications include A Beginner’s Guide to Homer (2013), A Commentary on the Homeric Battle of Frogs and Mice with Erik Robinson (2018), Homer’s Thebes: Epic Rivalries and the Appropriation of Mythical Pasts with Elton T. E. Barker (2019), and The Many-Minded Man: the Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of Epic (2020). Professor Christensen is also famous online for his engaging work on ancient Greece and Rome through his website sententiaeantiquae.comIn this episode we delve into some of the ideas that Christensen explores in his forthcoming book Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things (Yale University Press). With chapters exploring Homer in tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic and people’s response to it, particularly in the context of the United States.Things to listen out forThe power of epic poetry to have therapeutic benefitsBiological analogies for the considering the life of narrativesApproaching our understanding of the world and the affairs of people with generosityThe Homeric Question(s)The dangers of the God-Author model when considering written textsOn the significant differences between oral approaches to authority and written approaches to authorityThe arboreal metaphor for thinking of the Iliad and the Odyssey as objectsEpic poetry and DNA (and some of the poetic meter!)The challenges of language whether its epic poetry or just going to language classThe problem with Greek heroes and the protective nature of epic poetryThe opportunity for ‘rehumanisation’ that comes from engaging with storiesA call for an education revolution!The cover for StorylifeIt's All Greek to Me!Keen on the Ancient Greek recited by Professor Christensen in this episode?He recites the opening line of the Iliad: μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος which can be found online at Perseus.And he also cites the first line of the Odyssey: ἄνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ which can also be found online at Perseus.Books (and film) mentionedBarbara Graziosi 2002. Inventing Homer: The Early Reception of Epic (Cambridge University Press ) Ruth Finnegan 1979. Oral Poetry: Its nature, significance and social context (Cambridge University Press) Walter J. Ong 2012. Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word (Routledge)Rebecca Huntley 2020. How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way That Makes a Difference (Allen & Unwin) Cook, E. (1998). ‘Heroism, Suffering, and Change’ in D. Boedeker (Ed.), The Iliad, the Odyssey and the Real World: Proceedings from a Seminar Sponsored by the Society for the Preservation of the Greek Heritage and Held at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., on March 6-7, 1998 (pp. 47-63). Washington D.C.: Society for the Preservation of the Greek Heritage. Film: 2040 by Damon Gameau, released in 2019 Music CreditsOur music is composed by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman.Automated TranscriptLightly edited for the Latin and our wonderful Australian accents!Dr G 0:15Welcome to The Partial Historians.We explore all the details of ancient Rome.Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battled wage and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr Rad.And I'm Dr G. We consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Welcome everybody to a very special episode of The Partial Historians. I am one of your hosts, Dr G.And I am Dr Rad.And we are super thrilled today to be welcoming a special guest, Professor JoelChristiensen. Now, Joel Christiensen is professor of Classical Studies at Brandeis University. He received his BA and MA from Brandeis in classics and English, and holds a PhD in classics from New York University, and has many exciting publications in his back catalog, including ‘A Beginner's guide to Homer', ‘A Commentary on the Homeric Battle of Frogs and Mice' with Eric Robinson, ‘Homer's Thebes' with Elton T. E. Barker and ‘The Many-Minded Man:The Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of Epic'. Also, Professor Christensen is famous online for his engaging work on ancient Greece and Rome through his website, which I'm about to mispronounce, sententiaeantiquae.comYup, you stuff that up completely.I did. Somebody correct me, please. Somebody correct me.Sententiae, I think.See, there you go. It's easy. Just don't rely on me for pronouncing things. So you could say, from this back catalog that we are incredibly starstruck and also co

In 398, the Romans received some worrying signs from the gods, and now we return with a special message for them: From Delphi, With Love.Episode 157 – From Delphi, With LoveIn 397 BCE, the Romans were waging war on all fronts. On top of their ongoing siege at Veii, they were contesting their hold on Anxur with the Volscians, and their colony at Labici against the Aequians. Never ones to shy away from drama, the Romans were also dealing with internal division between the patricians and the plebeians. PHEW! Sounds exhausting.Rude RaidersThe Tarquinii, from another part of Etruria, also noticed that the Romans had a lot on their plate. Now was their moment to attack and score some booty! The Romans were highly offended that anyone could even THINK of attacking them when they were already so busy. It was time for an etiquette lesson…The Romans wiped the floor with these rude raiders, but the rest of their campaigns were in a stalemate. They weren’t losing, but they weren’t winning either. Clearly they needed some divine help, direct from Delphi.The Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The ambassadors that had been seen to the Delphic Oracle after the sudden rise in the levels of the Alban Lake in 398 returned at this moment. They confirmed what the kidnapped soothsayer from Veii had told them in 398. Lower the levels of the lake and you will have your victory at Veii. Suddenly their captive seemed much more valuable.Getting SquareAside from their lack of military victories and the higher levels of water in the Alban Lake, the Romans discovered another sign that all was not right. When the magistrates for 397 had been proclaimed, something had gone wrong. Magistrates were proclaimed during the annual Latin festival for Jupiter Latiaris. If a mistake was made during the sacrifice or proclamation, there was only one thing to do. Get rid of this lot of magistrates and start all over.An interregnum ensued whilst the Romans sorted out their magistrate woes. Very unusually, the Romans set their sights on someone who was not even campaigning, Publius Licinius Calvus. Calvus had been the first confirmed plebeian to become military tribune with consular power and was known to be very moderate. But how would the Romans pull off his election? Tune in to find out more!Things to Look Out For: Aeneas’ dad, Latinus  The Etruscans giving Veii the cold shoulder, AGAIN!Tips on the proper way to sacrifice a bullVolcanic activityRoman-style Christmas hampersHighlights of happenings in the wider Mediterranean worldOur Players for 397 BCEMilitary Tribune with Consular PowerL. Iulius L. f. Vopisci n. Iullus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 401L. Furius L. f. Sp. n. Medullinus (Pat) Cos. 413, 409, Mil. Tr. c.p. 407, 405, 398, 395, 394, 391L. Sergius M. f. L. n. Fidenas (Pat)A. Postumius – f. – n. Albinus Regillensis (Pat)P. Cornelius P. f. M. n. Maluginensis (Pat) Cos. 393? Mil. Tr. c.p. 390A. Manlius A. f. Cn. n. Vulso Capitolinus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 405, 402Legates; Ambassadors(Cn. Cornelius) Cossus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 406, 404, 401(P.) Licinius (Calvus Esquilinus) Mil. Tr. c.p. 400, 396(L.) Valerius Potitus (Pat) Cos. 392, Mil. Tr. c.p. 414, 406, 403, 401, 398OR(C.) Valerius Potitus (Volusus) (Pat) Cos. 410, Mil. Tr. c.p. 415, 404(K.) Fabius Ambustus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 410, 404, 401, 395, 309?OR(Num.) Fabius Ambustus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 406Our SourcesDr Rad reads Livy, 5.16-18.Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus, 14.85.1; Fasti Capitolini. Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press). Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War (University of California Press) Kraus, C. S. 2020. ‘Urban Disasters and Other Romes: The Case of Veii’ in Closs, V. M., Keitel, E. eds. Urban Disasters and the Roman Imagination (De Gruyter), 17-31.Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674919938. ISBN978-0-674-65965-0. S2CID239349186.Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press). Raaflaub, K. A. 2006. Social struggles in archaic Rome: new perspectives on the conflict of the orders (2nd ed). (Wiley).Smith, C. 2019. ‘Furius Camillus and Veii’, in Taboli, J., Cerasuolo, O. (eds.) Veii (University of Texas Press), 219-224.Young, J. 1875. ‘The Alban Lake’ The Athenaeum no. 2505, pp 575-576.Sound CreditsOur music is composed by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman.Automated TranscriptDr Rad 0:00Hi listeners. Before we get into today's episode, Dr G and I would just like to mention that we will once again be presenting at the podcast event of t

Are you ready to have a Totally Chaotic time?We certainly hope so, as we are thrilled to welcome Dr Emma Southon back on the show for the FOURTH TIME (not the third, as incorrectly said by Dr Rad). Emma has released her first children’s book, which was co-authored with Greg Jenner and illustrated by Rikin Parekh.Special Episode – Totally Chaotic History with Dr Emma Southon The cover of Totally Chaotic History: Roman Britain Gets Rowdy!This powerhouse trio have produced Totally Chaotic History: Roman History Gets Rowdy! Whilst the target audience for this latest instalment in the Totally Chaotic series is 7-12 year olds, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Turns out that we didn’t know as much about Roman Britain as we thought! If you would like to chuckle and LOL your way through the lengthy history of the British and their interactions with the Romans, you need to grab a copy of this book. We were intrigued to find out how Greg, Emma and Rikin managed to pack so much historiography into a children’s history book. It was intriguing to find out about the process that went into building the layers of historical meaning on every page.   Are you ready to get rowdy?Things to Listen Out For: Robot hamstersChaos ratingsTips on sight-seeing in BritainEmma’s upcoming projectsAsk Santa for Totally Chaotic History: Roman History Gets Rowdy! Naturally, Mr Claus shops at your local independent bookstore. Want more from Emma Southon? Check out our previous interview about A History of Rome in 21 Women from 2023. Sound CreditsOur music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman. Automated Transcript Dr Rad 0:15Music. Welcome to the partial historians.Dr G 0:18We explore all the details of ancient Rome,Dr Rad 0:23everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battles wage and when citizens turn against each other, I'm Dr Rad andDr G 0:33I'm Dr G, we consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Welcome to a special episode of the partial historians. I am one of your hosts, Dr Rad, and I am Dr G and Dr G, we are joined by someone who is now, I think, a triple guest, which I don't think we've ever had before. We are joined by Dr Emma Southon, who is without doubt, our top drag race fan to have on the podcast, but she also happens to be a top notch historian and hilarious, so that's very handy for us. She is the author of a biography of Agrippina the Younger as well as a book called A fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and, most recently, a history of Rome in 21 women, all of which you need to check out if you have not read them already, Emma is also the co host of the podcast. History is sexy, but we are here today to graduate her on her latest book, which is totally chaotic history Roman Britain gets rowdy, and in this collaboration, Emma gets together with a podcaster and all around famous author Greg Jenner and illustrator Rikin Parekh. So Emma, welcome,Dr Emma Southon 2:06hello. What a joy to be back. Am I really your first third person? That makes me feel special.Dr Rad 2:11I think soDr G 2:14special you've come to the right place. So weDr Rad 2:17are so excited to talk about this book, because it is very different, and we're going to explore some of those differences in a moment for you. But let's start with the general premise of the book. Shall we? The book is about Roman Britain, and we actually learned a lot by reading this, right? Because it is actually a children's book, I should point out to people.Dr Emma Southon 2:37It isn't for, technically, for like seven to 12 year olds, but both Greg and I love history, and so we put in about as much as we learned. Everything that we learned that we found was interesting, we chucked in there, and we're very keen to make it a book that is proper history like So the premise is that Greg is an amateur historian who is telling the reader the story of whatever the period he's covering, so telling the story of Roman Britain. And then that's all in the present tense, and then he has expert interruptions from a professional historian and expert in the field, who, in the past tense, comes in and says, Actually, Greg, we used to think that, but now we think says, and we know this because we found x, y, z, or and this is what the evidence is. And kind of then gives you the historiography of the period as well, and the like, how we know what we know what kind of things historians have had arguments about what has shifted in our understanding of it, how we interpret the sources and just both widening the subjects as it's usually taught to children. So it's not just like decontextualized Roman Britain, which has like no time period, which is what you very often get with kids books. You just get, like, the Romans or and as if there was no change in the entire period. Or like, you know, the Romans are in Britain for 500 years,

In 398 BCE, the Romans were still enmeshed in their siege at Veii. Whilst the Romans waited, worrying portents started to appear. What did they all mean?Episode 156 – Kidnapped!The most concerning portent was a sudden increase in the levels of the lake in the Alban Woods. It was positively spooky. An embassy was despatched to visit the Delphic Oracle so that the mystery could be unravelled.Lake Albano, courtesy of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulconologia.Whilst the ambassadors were on the road, some casual conversation between enemies led to a revelation.  An old man from Veii seemed to have the answers the Romans needed, and unfortunately this led to him being kidnapped and interrogated. How else could the Romans get the information? They want the truth!The old man and the Oracle both indicated that the Romans needed to figure out a way to draw off the water from the lake. Then, and only then, Veii would fall, and the Romans would be victorious.Sounds simple! Just make the water go away, Rome.Things to listen out for: LOTS of patricians in powerDangerous shortages of Etruscan soothsayersSneaky Roman youthsRoad trips!An owl suddenly covering for Igor Our Players for 398 BCEMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerL. Valerius L. f. P. n. Potitus (Pat) Cos. 392, Mil. Tr. c.p. 414, 406, 403, 401M. Valerius M. f. M. n. Lactucinus Maximus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 395M. Furius L. f. Sp. n. Camillus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 401, 394, 386, 384, 381L. Furius L. f. Sp. n. Medullinus (Pat) Cos. 413, 409. Mil. Tr. c.p. 407, 405, 397, 295, 394. 391Q. Servilius Q. f. P. n. Fidenas (Pat) Mil. Tr. 402, 395, 390, 388, 386Q. Sulpicius Ser. f. Se. n. Camerinus Cornutus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 402Legates, Ambassadors(Cn. Cornelius) Cossus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 406, 404, 401(P.) Licinius (Calvus Esquilinus) Mil. Tr. c.p. 400, 396(L.) Valerius Potitus (Pat) Cos. 392, Mil. Tr. c.p. 414, 406, 403, 401, 398OR(C.) Valerius Potitus (Volusus) (Pat) Cos. 410, Mil. Tr. c.p. 415, 404(K.) Fabius Ambustus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 410, 404, 401, 395, 309?OR(Num.) Fabius Ambustus (Pat)Our SourcesDr Rad reads Livy, 5.14-15.Dr G reads Dionysius of Halicarnassus 12.10-33; Cicero, On Divination, 1.44; Diodorus Siculus, 14.82; Plutarch, Life of Camillus 2.3-4.4.Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press). Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press) Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674919938. ISBN978-0-674-65965-0. S2CID239349186.Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press). Raaflaub, K. A. 2006. Social struggles in archaic Rome: new perspectives on the conflict of the orders (2nd ed). (Wiley).Smith, C. 2019. ‘Furius Camillus and Veii’, in Taboli, J., Cerasuolo, O. (eds.) Veii (University of Texas Press), 219-224.Young, J. 1875. ‘The Alban Lake’ The Athenaeum no. 2505, pp 575-576.Sound CreditsOur music is composed by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman. Automated TranscriptDr Rad 0:15Music. Welcome to the partial historians.Dr G 0:18We explore all the details of ancient Rome,Dr Rad 0:23everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battles waged and when citizens turn against each other, I'm Dr Rad.Dr G 0:33And I'm Dr G. We consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Dr G 0:55Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of the partial historians I am Dr G, and I am Dr rad, and we are tracing Rome's history from the foundation of the city. And in this episode, we're going to be looking at 398 BCE, so we're right in the early period of the fourth centuryDr Rad 1:18that we are Dr G. But before we dive into 398 Can we get a quick recap on what happened in 399Dr G 1:24It was either a hot summer, a severe snowstorm, or both. Well, IDr Rad 1:29think the snowstorm actually happened in 400Dr G 1:32Well, so you say.Dr Rad 1:34So I say indeed, although Wait, how do Italian winters work? Wait, when is a winter? Oh, actually, that would make sense. It would span two years. Sorry, being in the southern hemisphere, it took me a moment to figureDr G 1:46that out, yes. And the thing is that the source material doesn't kind of line up in any other way. So, like that fragment can't come in earlier than what it already did, or at least not as far as I can tell. So I think there are ways in which Livy and Dionysius might be a little bit out of sync with each othe

We love it when we get to chat with some of our podcast friends, and this week we got to catch up with the hilarious Liv Albert from ‘Let's talk about myths, baby!' to talk about relationships between gods and mortals. Please be warned, this episode does contain references to sexual assault. Special Episode – Gods and Mortals with Liv Albert The lovely Liv Albert herself!When we get together with Liv, we pick a theme and compare the Roman and Greek myths on the topic. This episode, we decided to compare what each civilisation had to say about gods and mortals get involved with each other.We found some interesting points of divergence as we delved into the tales of Rhea Silvia and Mars, Servius Tullius and Fortuna, and Aphrodite and Anchises.Join us for this mini-myth conversation! Things to Look Out For: Mars Bar controversyThe debut of ‘The Trojan Connection'Roman studio executives planning to reboot Aeneas' mythBold promises about re-reading The Aeneid Sound CreditsOur music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sit down with Casie Vogel, VP Publisher at Ulysses Press to talk about the process of bringing an ancient Roman history book into the world and some of the cheeky details about the past that Casie learnt along the way.To celebrate the publication of ‘Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire' this special episode is even in video form!https://videopress.com/v/Pni4vXoO?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fpartialhistorians.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F11%2Fyour-cheeky-guide-interview-with-casie-vogel_mp4_hd.original.jpg&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=trueYou can also find this video over on our YouTube channel if that's easier for you.Join us as we talk about books, publishing, and ancient Rome (of course)!Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire is out now! We hope you love it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Have a chat to your local independent bookstore about getting a copy or two in or let your library know that you'd love them to keep a copy in their collection. Libraries are a bastion of hope and a refuge for so many and surely a joy-filled exploration of Rome is just the ticket!This is what the tome looks like it in all its glory! How to Buy Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman EmpireUS – You can read more about the book as well as how to order it at Ulysses Press.UK – If you're based in the UK, check out Bookshop.orgAustralia – If you're based in Australia, check out Abbey's Bookstore, Booktopia, or check in with your local independent bookseller.Sound CreditsOur music is by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman.The header image includes the highly detailed, but very idealised imagining of ancient Rome at its height by Thomas Cole. This painting dates to 1836 and is part of the series The Course of Empire. This painting in particular is entitled The Consummation. There are vibrant crowds of people on a bridge crossing the Tiber surrounded by white buildings with hints of gold everywhere.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are thrilled to release the final cheeky preview from our new book, Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire. The final chapter from our ‘With a Rebel Yell' bonus material is entitled ‘Last Man Standing: Masada'. This bonus episode is coming out on the very same day that our book officially hits the shelves. Huzzah!The Final Cheeky Preview – Last Man Standing: MasadaWe hope you enjoy listening to the fascinating tale of the final stand in the First Jewish Revolt (or Great Jewish Revolt). The literary and archaeological sources for this event pose just as many questions as they answer! Want to hear about our other favourite rebels? Check out the chapters on Spartacus and Zenobia! And of course, if you enjoy this chapter, you might like to grab yourself a copy of the book! It is available on Amazon, or ask at your local independent bookstore. Sound CreditsOur music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman. For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our new book ‘Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire’ has nearly landed! Pre-order your copy via Ulysses Press!It’s happening – the Romans enter the fourth century! In this episode, we compare and contrast the ancient source accounts for the year that was 399 BCE. Rome and Veii are still locked in a siege, with Roman forces outside the gates of the most preeminent Etruscan city to the south. Combined with the this situation is the suggestion that one (or more) plebeians have recently made it into the position of military tribune with consular power – no small feat given this is the most senior magistracy in Rome during the year that people are elected into it.Episode 155 – A Feast for the Gods!Siege got you down? Experiencing some baleful weather? What’s a Roman to do?It’s fair to say that Rome’s been copping a rough time recently. From strange and unprecedented weather conditions to the ongoing challenges of trying to run a multi-year siege when you have a system of annual magistrates, Rome is in a tough spot. It’s moments like these that a consultation with the Sibylline Books is in order…Things to listen out forWho are the duumvirs?What is the lectisternium and why do the Romans want one?A hot Roman summerA huge snowstormA little bit of the regional history of some of the gods: Apollo and LatonaLucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi puts in an early appearance as the writer of the AnnalesVeii might not be friendless after all!Our PlayersMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerGnaeus Genucius M. f. M. n. AugurinusLucius Atilius L. f. L. n. PriscusMarcus Pomponius L. f. L. n. RufusGnaeus/Gaius Duillius K. f. K. n. LongusMarcus Veturius Ti. f. Sp. n. Crassus Cicurinus (Pat)Volero Publilius P. f. Voler. N. PhiloOur SourcesDr Rad reads Livy 5.13Dr G reads the Dionysius of Halicarnassus Ant. Rom. 12.7-9; Diodorus Siculus 14.54.1-4; Fasti CapitoliniBradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press). Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association) Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press)Elvers, K. (., Eck, W. (., Kierdorf, W. (., Walde, C. (., & Fey-Wickert, B. (. (2006). Calpurnius. In Brill's New Pauly Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e225050Graf, F. (. O., & Ley, A. (. (2006). Apollo. In Brill's New Pauly Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e128090Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674919938. ISBN978-0-674-65965-0. S2CID239349186.Maharam, W. (. (2006). Latona. In Brill's New Pauly Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e632510Mommsen, T. 1894-1908. Römische Geschichte Münzer, F. ‘Licinius 43’ in Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press).Phillips, C. R. I. (. P. (2006). Neptunus. In Brill's New Pauly Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e820340Raaflaub, K. A. 2006. Social struggles in archaic Rome: new perspectives on the conflict of the orders (2nd ed). (Wiley).Siebert, A. V. (. (2006). Lectisternium. In Brill's New Pauly Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e633370Smith, C. 2019. ‘Furius Camillus and Veii’, in Taboli, J., Cerasuolo, O. (eds.) Veii (University of Texas Press), 219-224.Sound CreditsOur music is by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman. Sound effects courtesy of BBC Sounds and Orange Free Sound.The Apollo of Veii is thought to date to around 500 BCE so about a century prior to the action that takes place in this episode. This fabulous sculpture is held by the Museo Nazionale Etrusco.Automated TranscriptLightly edited for the Latin and our wonderful Australian accents!Dr Rad 0:15Welcome to The Partial Historians.Dr G 0:19We explore all the details of ancient Rome.Dr Rad 0:23Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battled wage and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr Rad.Dr G 0:33And I'm Dr G. We consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Welcome to a brand new episode of The Partial Historians, I am one of your hosts. Dr Rad.Dr G 1:04And I am Dr G, welcome.Dr Rad 1:08Dr G, I feel like listeners will have no idea how hard we have fought to get to our microphones today.Dr G 1:15Oh, dear listeners, we've been experiencing some audio issues.Dr Rad 1:20We still are experienced.Dr G 1:23Suffice it to say that we are podcasting in separate rooms of the same houseDr Rad 1:28an

Welcome to another cheeky preview from our new book, Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire.This chapter is a bit of a contrast to our first one on Spartacus. We turn from a rebel from the lowest ranks of society to one from the elite. We are journeying from the Roman Republic to the mid-Empire. Aaaaand we are travelling from Italy to the provinces.For our next instalment, we tell you the tale of Queen Zenobia of Palmyra. Cleopatra reborn!With a Rebel Yell – Zenobia's Winning StrategyQueen Zenobia addressing her soldiers by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.We hope that you enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts.If you haven't pre-ordered a copy yet and you like the sound of it,  the details for the book can be found on our website.Music by Bettina Joy de Guzman.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fifth century BCE in Rome is the century that saw the idea of the republic flourish and falter only to flourish again. The plebeians rose up to fight for their rights and to enjoy the fruits of their hard work on the battlefield. The patricians held on to their prestige and power with a vice-like grip and Rome began to expand their influence in the local region. At least that’s what our ancient sources believed!Let’s review the 5th century BCE together. We’ll focus on the big themes, the ideas that were central to the century, and what was going on in the Struggle of the Orders. Episode 154 – The Fifth Century BCE in ReviewIt seems only fair to start with the year 509 BCE (so technically the end of the 6th century!) because that’s the year that the Romans finally booted out the kings and decided there had to be a better way to run the place. If you’re keen to go through the 5th century in ALL THE DETAIL, you’ll need to go back to our Episode 45 – The Last Gasp of the Regal Period that we recorded all the way back in 2015! Our detailed coverage of the 5th century BCE runs from Episode 45 all the way through to Episode 153 – The Plebeians Push Into Power. That’s 108 episodes on the 5th century BCE!Touchstones of the 5th century BCEWe'll be taking a bird's eye look at the century that was with a focus on some key themes and developments. Tune in for a consideration of:The Introduction of the DictatorThe Struggle of the OrdersThe First and Second Plebeian SecessionThe Introduction of the Tribune of the PlebsTrouble with the Etruscans and the Volscians and the Aequians and…!The Decemvirate and the Twelve TablesThe Dream of Agrarian ReformThe Military Tribune with Consular PowerWhere to from here?So after a turbulent first 100 years of the Roman Republic, what can we say for sure?There’s tensions between the haves and the have nots.The primary political power of Rome seems to be drawn from the gens, the extended family structure. This led to war bands like the Fabians taking it upon themselves to execute a war against their neighbours that they ultimately lost.Rome doesn’t have anything like a formal army. If you wanted to go to war you needed to convince people to sign up. They might be willing to do that in order to protect their own lands and gens, but they might not want to if it interfered with their own prerogatives. There is some suggestion that, at times, the issue of war service was forced through internal violence.A troubled time in the field or illness sweeping through the land could have devastating consequences. Plagues were a disaster – death and loss of life from illness could also have consequences for the next farming season. There’s plenty of tales from the 5th century that draw attention to the way that significant military losses or death from contagions resulted in famines the next year. Life was hard and there were no quick fixes.Rome isn’t a leader in the region – far from it. They seem to have had a great proclivity for pissing off most of their neighbours without always being able to back up their ambitions with talent. The Latins and Hernicians were their major allies in the 5th century but they were not looked upon fondly by many: the Etruscans, the Volscians, the Aequians, the Faliscans, the Sabines etc.The archaeological record across Italy in the 5th century suggests that the Romans were not the only people struggling. The Etruscan influence in Campania declined over the 5th century even while their power expanded in the northern region of the Po River. There seems to have been less foreign trade and more economic struggle. The Romans and their neighbours were fighting wars over scraps. What will the 4th century BCE bring for the development of Rome? Stay tuned to find out!  Sound CreditsOur music is by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman. Sound effects courtesy of BBC Sounds.Léon Bénouville (1844) Cincinnatus. The senators happen upon Cincinnatus while is he is busy farming sans shirt.Automated TranscriptLightly edited for the Latin and our wonderful Australian accents!Dr Rad 0:15Welcome to the Partial Historians.Dr G 0:19We explore all the details of ancient Rome.Dr Rad 0:23Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battled wage and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr Rad.Dr G 0:33And I'm Dr G. We consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Dr G 0:55Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of the Partial Historians I am, Dr G, and I'm joined by my long-going and fabulous co host:Dr Rad 1:07Dr Rad. How you doing, Dr G?Dr G 1:10I'm doing fabulously well. It's always a good day when I get to sit down with you.Dr Rad 1:14I know, now look, you and I, we usually sit here and we hash out the narrative that is the history of Rome from the founding of the city

We are in shock that it has taken us this long to cover the cult classic that is Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979). We have Rslaugesen over on Patreon to thank for pointing out this glaring oversight.Once we got started, it was hard for us to stop talking about the Life of Brian. British comedy was a staple of our childhoods and Monty Python was one of our favourites. It was a treat to follow the development of this movie from Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory to a Sliding Doors-style story of Brian Cohen, born in the manger over from Christ. Whilst Monty Python were probably trying to make a parody of 1970s Britain rather than a historically accurate portrait of first century CE Judea, we still found this film intriguing. From wolf’s nipples to imperialism, we take you through all the best Roman scenes… and perhaps a few non-Roman scenes as well. Who can resist talking about the Virgin Mandy?Part of the appeal of Life of Brian is the fact that it is not afraid to make fun of the Romans (or anyone) and shows a much less glamorous side of the empire. Quite the contrast to the epics of the 1950s and 1960s.Things to Look Out ForFar too many ‘reenactments’ of our favourite momentsThe Biggus Dickus sceneWhat Have the Romans Ever Done For Us? Not as much as this scene claims!The People’s Front of Judea in action!The famous BBC2 interview with John Cleese and Michael PalinThe hilarious parody of the BBC2 interview on Not the Nine O’Clock NewsDr G’s excitement upon spotting the frescoes from the Villa of the MysteriesComedies don’t always stand the test of time. We can spot some awkward moments in the film, but overall, we think Life of Brian stands the test of time. Forty-five years after it’s release, we would love to know whether you agree!For full shownotes and transcript, head on over to our website: https://partialhistorians.com/2024/09/19/special-episode-monty-pythons-life-of-brian-1979/For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 400s BCE have been a rollercoaster for Rome. It certainly seems to have been a decade of big changes, both in terms of foreign policy and on the domestic front.Join us for the highlights for the last decade of the fifth century BCE!The Partial Recap – 400s BCEWant to hear the full story? Head to Episode 144: Where in the World is Carventum? to start at 410 BCE. Sound CreditsOur music was composed by Bettina Joy de Guzman.TranscriptDr Rad – Welcome to the Partial Recap for the 400s BCE!Dr G – I’m Dr GDr Rad: and I’m Dr RadDr G: and this is our highlights edition of the 400s in Rome. We’ll take you through from 409 to 400 in an epitome of our normal episodes.Dr Rad: Perfect for those mornings when you don’t want some lengthy rhetoric with your coffee – but please be warned – the Roman world is a violent one.Dr G: Get ready for a recappuccino.409 BCEIn 409 BCE, the consuls were Cnaeus Cornelius Cossus and Lucius Furius Medullinus.The plebeians were SO upset that they could not elect their champion, Menenius, as military tribune with consular powerCapitalising on that, the tribune of the plebs started applying some pressure. DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SITUATION, PEOPLE OR WE GIVE UP.There were a staggering number of tribunes from the legendary Icilii family this year, and the plebs did always take them especially seriously. #heroesoftheunderrrepresentedFinally, THREE plebs were elected the quaestorship instead.This cheered them up immensely as it was the FIRST TIME a pleb had been chosen for this office! Amazeballs.The patricians naturally fell apart immediately. When they allowed plebs to be elected to the quaestorship, they didn’t really think it would happen! It was too ridiculous! A pleb in office? A pleb chosen over a patrician? This was a worrying sign that the world was ending.To make matters worse, the Icilii started pushing for elections for military tribunes with consular power in 408. We see what you are SCHEMING, you troublesome tribunes! You want a pleb to hold imperium! Don’t make us SICK.As the patricians and plebeians battled it out once more for consuls vs military tribunes, the Aequians and the Volscians started attacking the territory of Roman allies.The consuls attempted to hold a levy to raise an army, but the Icilii refused to let the levy proceed until they got what they wanted – elections for military tribunes!As the patricians and plebeians entered yet another staring contest, news arrived that the citadel of Carventum had been lost to the enemy.Still, the tribunes refused to allow the levy to proceed – military success be damned!This was not a popular move – but it WORKEDThe patricians were forced to agree that there would be no consuls in 408 – BUT only on the condition that none of the current tribunes of the plebs could serve again OR be elected as military tribune. They couldn’t kill the Icilli, but they could kill their career prospects!With all that unpleasantness behind them, the Romans could now march off to Carventum and win back that citadel.They did not quite pull that off, so instead they captured Verrugo from the Volscians and contented themselves with lots of lovely booty.408 BCEIn 408 BCE, the military tribunes with consular power were Caius Julius Iullus, Publius Cornelius Cossus, and Caius Servilius AhalaIn spite of the drama in 409, only patricians were elected to serve as the chief magistrates. Who would’ve thought?The patricians had pulled some shady tricks in the election, but it worked! No plebs were chosen and they could breathe a sigh of relief.The Antiates, Volscians and Aequians decided to band together and take on the Romans in this year.The Romans were used to taking on two enemies at a time, but three??? Time for a dictator!Two of the military tribunes were PRESSED to see their chance for glory and command slip right through their fingers.Julius and Cornelius complained so much, high-ranking senators had to tell them to build a bridge and get over it.Only Ahala proved himself worthy of office, as he was willing to do whatever was best for Rome – not himself. AWWWWThis impressed the pants off everyone, including the new dictator, Publius Cornelius Rutilus Cossus. He chose Ahala to serve as his deputy. That’s what happens when you’re a team player!The Romans could now focus on what they do best – winning! They easily trampled their enemies, perhaps capturing some prisoners and a fortress?Back at home, the patricians decided to use the same dodgy election tactics to make sure that no plebs were chosen to serve as military tribunes with consular power in 407 – and it worked again!Who says you have to reinvent the wheel? The wheel is fine!407 BCEIn 407 BCE, the military tribunes with consular power were Lucius Furius Medullinus, Caius Valerius Potitus Volusus, Numerius Favius Vibulanus and Gaius Servilius AhalaIt may have been in this year that the treaty between the Romans and Veii ran out.

We are SO excited to share a snippet of our new book with you! That's right, we have a whole section entitled ‘With a Rebel Yell' that will be bonus digital content on the Ulysses Press website and so we thought, why not read it as well?Today, we kick it all off with the section on the rebellious gladiator, SPARTACUS. Ah, this is where it all began for Dr Rad, and here we are at another beginning, and he's still her plus one.Sneak Peek from the Bonus Digital Chapter of Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman EmpireHopefully this gives you a good idea of what you can expect from Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire.Are you based in Australia? You can pre-order our book from the wonderful Abbey's bookstore and they'll even deliver it to you for a modest fee.Keen to read the whole bonus chapter? You can it find online here.As always, we would like to thank Bettina Joy de Guzman for our wonderful music.For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We jump into the year 400 BCE which has more excitement than you may have anticipated. Could this be the year we have evidence for a plebeian break-through into the important magisterial position of military tribune with consular power?Episode 153 – The Plebeians Push into PowerNow, as always with this period of Rome’s early republican history, we need to keep into mind that the extant records are sketchy and we’re relying on writers living centuries in the future for their interpretation of whatever information they could scrounge together. And yet, if we look at the names that are put forward for the top job in 400 BCE, we notice some folk we’ve never heard of before – not just individuals, but extended family groups (gens), which is worth considering in more depth. You know we can’t resist a good thorny mystery when it comes to the evidence!What is the senate and how did it work?The entry of Calvus into the position of military tribune with consular power is a bit of a cat amongst the pigeons. But it might be Livy’s details about Calvus’ position as a member of the senate that makes this even more intriguing. We consider what the structure of the very early senate might have been (largely in the absence of strong evidence from the period in question). Where did the senate come from? How did it emerge as a feature of the republic? What might make sense given the senate is later understood as an advisory body? Was there a third socio-political class in the early republic? We explore some potential scenarios.Things to listen out forOur transition into nineteenth century German scholarsThe difference between segregation and what was happening in the early republicDiscussion of the abuse of power by the powerfulThe character of our plebeian hero CalvusThe tribune of soldiersThe fragmentary writer Licinius MacerUpdates on the state of play in Sicily and their conflict with CarthageIgor taking a short break????Our Players for 400 BCEMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerPublius Licinius P. f. P. n. Calvus Esquilinus (NOT a patrician?????)Publius Manlius M. f. Cn. n. Vulso (Pat)Lucius Titinius L. f. M’. n. Pansa Saccus (Not a patrician?????)Publius Maelius Sp. f. C. n. Capitolinus (Not a patrician?????)Spurius Furius L. f. Sp. n. Medullinus (Pat)Lucius Publilius L. f. Voler. n. Philo Vulscus (Not a patrician?????)Our SourcesDr Rad reads Livy Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus; and Fasti Capitolini.Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press). Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press) Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674919938. ISBN978-0-674-65965-0. S2CID239349186.Mommsen, T. 1894-1908. Römische GeschichteMünzer, F. ‘Licinius 43' in Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen AltertumswissenschaftOgilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press). Raaflaub, K. A. 2006. Social struggles in archaic Rome: new perspectives on the conflict of the orders (2nd ed). (Wiley).Smith, C. 2019. ‘Furius Camillus and Veii’, in Taboli, J., Cerasuolo, O. (eds.) Veii (University of Texas Press), 219-224.Sound CreditsOur music is by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman. Sound effects courtesy of BBC Sounds and Orange Free Sound.A photograph of the Roman forum by Felix Bonfils in the 19th century. Source: Picryl.Automated TranscriptLightly edited for the Latin and our wonderful Australian accents!Dr Rad 0:15Welcome to the Partial Historians.Dr G 0:19We explore all the details of ancient Rome,Dr Rad 0:23everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battles wage and when citizens turn against each other, I'm Dr RadDr G 0:33And I'm Dr G, we consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Dr G 0:55Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of the Partial Historians. I am Dr G.Dr Rad 1:03And I am Dr Rad.Dr G 1:05And we are super thrilled to be here for what is the cusp; the very moment of transition. We're going to be talking about 400 BCE.Dr Rad 1:18I know. Do you remember when we were young and we started this podcast, and now we're middle aged, and we not even at the better known parts of Roman history yet.Dr G 1:27Goodness me, oh, you know, I like being in these lands of Rome's just developing. What is it? Why is it? Nobody really knows.Dr Rad 1:38I know. Yeah, well, it's easy to do a bit of a recap of where we were at l

In our latest special episode, we welcomed the talented LJ Trafford to the show to discuss her latest book, Ancient Rome’s Worst Emperors (2023).Special Episode – Ancient Rome's Worst EmperorsYou may very well have encountered some of LJ’s wonderful earlier works, including her historical novel series: The Four Emperors. These books cover a turbulent time in the early imperial period with Nero’s fall from power (and life) in 68 CE and the subsequent chaos that followed in the year 69. She has also published nonfiction works on ancient Rome including How to Survive in Ancient Rome (2020) and Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome (2021). And just in case that didn’t keep her busy, LJ is a contributor to The History Girls blog, writing about all sorts of fascinating subjects involving the ancient world from Pliny the Elder’s concerns about the dangers of sponges to handy tips to avoid assassination as a Roman emperor.Our conversation allowed us to talk about the qualities that define ‘good’ and ‘bad’ emperors. And yes, Augustus and Tiberius were mentioned, but we kept it civil! LJ then took us through some of the characters who qualified as one of the WORST emperors, including Caligula, Didius Julianus, Silbannacus, and Petronius Maximus.Image of Caligula, courtesy of Carole Raddato on Flickr. Things to Look Out For: Cat armiesShadow emperorsTips on shaking up your next meetingDrunken late-night shopping (Roman style)You will definitely want to grab a copy of LJ’s book to hear about all the other terrible emperors of Rome after this episode. You should be able to pick up a copy at your local independent bookstore, as well as the usual corporate giants.  Sound CreditsOur music was composed by Bettina Joy de Guzman.Automated TranscriptDr Rad 0:15Music. Welcome to the partial historians.Dr G 0:18We explore all the details of ancient Rome,Dr Rad 0:23everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battled wage and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr Rad andDr G 0:33I'm Dr G, we consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Dr G 0:55Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of the partial historians I am Dr GDr Rad 1:03and I am Dr Rad,Dr G 1:05and we are thrilled today to be sitting down and chatting with LJ Trafford. Now you may have heard of this author before. LJ Trafford studied ancient history at the University of Reading and is famous for her historical novel series the four emperors. These books cover a turbulent time in the early imperial period with Nero's fall from power and from life in 68 CE and the subsequent chaos that followed in the year 69 LJ is also a contributor to the history girls blog, writing about all sorts of fascinating subjects involving the ancient world, from Pliny the elders' concerns about the dangers of sponges to handy tips to avoid assassination as a Roman emperor, a goal to which maybe none of us aspire these days, but you never know, those of you out There, there are hints and tips for how to do it. In addition to this, LJ has published three accessible and immensely readable non fiction works on ancient Rome. How to survive in ancient Rome from 2020 sex and sexuality in ancient Rome, 2021, and most recently, ancient Rome's worst emperors in 2023 and it is this latest work on those troublesome emperors that we'll be discussing today. Thank you so much for joining us. LJ,LJ Trafford 2:32thank you so I'm delighted to be here. Huzzah. Huzzah,Dr G 2:35we're very excited. This is a great topic, and I think there's going to be some nice surprises in here for people as well. Oh, that's good. So before we delve into some of the gruesome details, we'd like to start with your perspective on what makes people in power so fascinating. So some of these stories are told, and they're retold many times, and yet we continue to return to them. And I'm interested in what makes them compelling. From your perspective,LJ Trafford 3:05I think from our perspective, I think our kind of politicians look slightly kind of impotent in comparison to kind of Roman emperors. You know, if you've got a parliamentary system, our kind of politicians are kind of curtailed, aren't they, by kind of law, international laws and regulations, and used to be in Britain, certainly UK, European laws and regulations. And they're also constrained by, you know, having an opposition party who might block everything they want to do. So you kind of vote for some your party, and they don't fulfil their potential because they're forever blocked and they and, you know, I think in most societies, there's these kind of big, looming issues that nobody seems to want to deal with that just get kicked down the road as a can down the road for somebody else to pick up later. So I think kind of in comparison looking at Roman emperors, where somebody can just walk in

Whilst 401 BCE was a tense year inside ancient Rome, we can assure you that there will be a plebeian win to close the year. Victory at last!Episode 152 – Victory at Last!Surrounded by EnemiesThe Romans were facing war with several enemies, thanks to Capena and the Falerii joining their conflict with Veii. And they weren’t going to take the loss of Anxur lying down. This calls for the mother of all levies! The magistrates had to try and enlist any man they could get their hands on, young or old. Rome needed to make sure all her bases were covered at home and abroad.The catch was that a larger army required an increase in funding. Rome was apparently paying soldiers now, right? The military tribunes with consular power came up with a genius plan – a war-tax! What form did this tax take? Crops? Bronze? Your first-born child? The only thing we can rule out is coinage, as the Romans were not using that yet.  Regardless of the mode of payment, the people were distinctly displeased by this new policy. They were already having to work extra hard with so many men serving in the army. And of course, the tribunes of the plebs were NOT HAVING IT. This was a total scam.Rome Just Can't Get EnoughWith the people all riled up over these issues, the elections for the tribunes of the plebs fell flat. Not enough men were elected to fill the positions. The patricians saw an opportunity to try to weasel their way into the office, but they didn’t get away with that. However, they did manage to convince the newly elected tribunes to co-opt some colleagues that had been given the patrician stamp of approval.This was in direct conflict with the Trebonian Law of 448 BCE, which was meant to prevent anyone being co-opted. As luck would have it, one of the descendants of the original Trebonius who had championed this law was serving as tribune in 401, and he vigorously protested this violation.The people were furious about these signs of corruption and the three tribunes who had colluded with the patricians knew they needed to come up with a distraction. Why not turn everyone’s attention to Sergius and Verginius? They had made such a mess of things in 402 BCE. They were the perfect scapegoats.Conflict of the Orders? Tensions remained high throughout 401 BCE as Sergius and Verginius were put on trial, the tribunes fought the war-tax and the men on the frontlines weren’t getting paid. Somewhere in this strange mixture of collusion and conflict between the patricians and plebeians, something momentous was brewing…Dr G and Dr Rad are celebrating the election of the first military tribune with consular power. Touchdown!Publius Licinius Calvus became the FIRST official plebeian to be elected as military tribune with consular power, set to serve in 400 BCE. Victory at last, Licinius, victory at last.  We're excited – can you tell?If you want to know why he was the chosen one, you’ll need to tune in next time! The suspense….Need to catch up on Sergius and Verginius’ epic bitch fight? Listen to our previous episode on 402 BCE.Things to Look Out For: Clever use of diversionsLaws being brokenSO MANY potential anachronismsThe spectre of the Gracchi appearing from the late Republic – again!Suspiciously momentous events happening right at the end of the centuryOur Players for 401 BCEMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerL. Valerius L. f. P. n. Potitus (Pat) Cos. 392, Mil. Tr. c. p. 414, 406, 403, 398M. Furius L. f. L. Sp. n. Camillus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 398, 394, 386, 384, 381M’. Aemilius Mam. f. M. n. Mamercinus (or Mamercus) (Pat) Cos. 410, Mil. Tr. c. p. 405, 403Cn. Cornelius P. f. A. n. Cossus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 406. 404K. Fabius M. f. Q. n. Ambustus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. y p. 404, 395, 390L. Iulius L. f. Vopisci n. Iulius (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 397 [Paulus Sextus]Tribune of the PlebsM. AcutiusP. CuriatusC. LaceriusM. MetiliusM. MinuciusCn. TreboniusOur SourcesDr Rad reads Livy 5.10-12.Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus 14.44.1; and Fasti Capitolini.Arizza, M., Rossi, D. 2022. ‘The territory between Veii and Rome in the Archaic period: Rural structures as territorial markers of cultural frontiers’ Frontière.s, Revue d’archèologie, histoire et histoire de l’art Volume 6: 49-62. https://journals.openedition.org/frontieres/1297Bartolini, G., Michetti, L. M. 2019. ‘Veii During the Archaic Period (Sixth and Fifth Centuries BCE)', in Tabolli, J, Cerasuolo, O. (eds.) Veii (University of Texas Press), 107-116.Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press). Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association) Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press)  Lomas, Kathryn (20

Neil returns to discuss more about some of the major sites of interest in the regal period of Rome. We recommend his podcast Ancient History Hound to you. You can also find out more details about Neil's work at his website: The Ancient Blogger.Special Episode – Exploring Place in Regal Rome with Neil, The Ancient Blogger – Part 2!When Life Gives You Lemons?It's time to take a tour of Rome's most infamous subterranean chamber, the Tullianum, aka the Carcer.What did Livy know about the place? And what that might tell us about the site in its earliest history?Does the archaeological structure make sense with the historiographical timeline?Possible connections to Tullius Hostilius or Servius Tullius? Other potential etymological possibilities?The Essential Precursor to Rome’s Success?Of course, we're talking about the Cloaca Maxima!Water, human waste, rats, and methane – is the Cloaca Maxima just a little more dangerous than generally thought? We take a tour with Neil to find out.The Circus Maximus – Older is Better?There aren't many flat places in Rome, so the natural valley that is home of the Circus Maximus marks it out as special. The natural contours shape the space and set the scene for how the Romans then adapted that space into an early sporting arena. Major sporting events included horse racing (in various configurations) and boxing, though in a very different style than you’d see today.It wasn't just about the sports though – it was also about being seen. Social standing takes on a new meaning when only some people get chairs.Why Does Rome Need Ostia?Well, a harbour can be a great asset to a developing city! Neil takes us through some of the important details associated with the site of Ostia, as the location of the early castrum, and the engineering modifications of the salt lagoons.Horrea (storehouses) at Ostia Antica. Photograph by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra via Flickr.Sound CreditsOur theme music was composed by the amazing Bettina Joy de GuzmanAutomated TranscriptLightly edited for Latin terminology and to support our wonderful Australian accents!Dr G 0:15Welcome to The Partial Historians.We explore all the details of ancient Rome.Dr Rad 0:23Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battles wage, and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr. Rad.Dr G 0:33And I'm Dr. G. We consider Rome as the Romans saw it by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of this city.Dr G 0:57Hello, and welcome to this very special episode of The Partial Historians. I am Dr. G.Dr Rad 1:06And I am Dr. Rad.Dr G 1:08And we are really, really excited to welcome back, Neil, for what is part two of our extravaganza exploration of regal Rome in terms of its layout and what's going on with like, the landscape and things like this. So as you know, Neil is the founder of the popular Ancient Blogger website, and is also the host of the Ancient History Hound podcast. So welcome back now.Neil – History Hound 1:43Hello, thank you very much for for having me back on again, you just don't learn is what I'm getting atDr G 1:51It is very few rare guests who get to come back for a second time.Dr Rad 1:55That's true, that's trueDr G 1:56Consider yourself in excellent company.Neil – History Hound 1:59When a teacher says when you meet up with a teacher later on in your life, and they say I remember you from school, and that's rarely a good thing.Dr G 2:08Often, that is the presage of some nasty stories. Oh wow, I was that kidNeil – History Hound 2:14Oh, I thought I was quiet. But thank you very much for having my back on apologies to everyone listening, I've decided to I visited London recently to go to the British Museum to see an exhibition there, which had great fun out. And of course, I've picked up the lurgy or a cold or something. So if I'm sounding a bit sinusy that is, I'm fighting against it with rapid amounts of various lem sippy type things. So I'll try and be as cogent and as clear as I can be, but stick with me if you can.Dr Rad 2:44I think you sound very smooth.Dr G 2:48I was gonna say as Australians we tend to like we really quite enjoy the English accent it does have a has a bit of a historical resonance for us. So you really can't do any wrong.Neil – History Hound 2:57Well, I actually got some feedback on I get some occasional feedback on my YouTube channel. And someone give me feedback the other day. Couldn't couldn't last one minute with his voice. A fair enough. I just didn't know my mom was on YouTube. A bit harsh.Dr Rad 3:18Like you can't please them all. We're constantly told our fellow laughing cackling and being immature so…Dr G 3:24How dare you do history and have fun at the same time. I take umbrage.Dr Rad 3:30This is very serious stuff.Neil – History Hound 3:32Yeah, I can very lightly I gotta be honest with you. I don't have much in

We jump into the year of 402 BCE and Rome and Veii are tooth and nail in siege mode. In addition to this, Rome is rapidly approaching the end of the 5th century BCE, a date that is meaningful for historians and scholars but less significant for the Romans who understood the years through the names of the magistrates more than being overly interested in the base ten system.Episode 151 – Factional FoiblesWatch your back!Rome’s siege of Veii continues so there’s good reason to see six military tribunes with consular power in the role this year. But it may be the case that Rome’s military preoccupation with Veii is about to become costly. Just ask the Rome’s new garrison at Anxur in Volscian territory…Siege DevelopmentsNow you’d be forgiven for thinking a siege is not the most exciting form of warfare. And if it was just Rome versus Veii, it may indeed have remained a boring affair. But sometime in this year, it seems that Veil’s northern neighbours have realised that Veii falling to Rome might be terrible for them. Enter the Capenantes and Falscians and cue siege chaos! How will the situation be resolved? Tune in to find out.Map of Veii including cities to the north Capena (Capenantes) and Falerii (Falsicans).Things to Listen Out ForThe joys of CornettosSkipping through the daisiesA hideous sandwich situationConsideration of the extent of the powers of the tribunes of the plebsA potted introduction to the 3rd century CE writer Dio CassiusSome details about the archaeological record between Veii and Rome during this periodA new record with the Partial Pick!A very late background contribution from one of our star podcats 🙂Our Players for 402 BCEMilitary Tribunes with Consular PowerGaius Servilius P. f. Q. n. Ahala (Pat)Quintus Servilius Q. f. P. n. Fidenas (Pat)Lucius Verginius L. f. Opetr. N. Tricostus Esquilinus (Pat)Quintus Sulpicius Ser. f. Ser. n. Camerinus Cornutus (Pat)Aulus Manlius A. f. Cn. n. Vulso Capitolinus (Pat)Maelius Sergius L. f. L. n. Fidenas (Pat)Our SourcesDr Rad reads Livy 5.8.1Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus 14.38.1; Fragmentvm de Praenominibus; Fasti Capitolini; Dio Cassius Book 6.23ishArizza, M., Rossi, D. 2022. ‘The territory between Veii and Rome in the Archaic period: Rural structures as territorial markers of cultural frontiers’ Frontière.s, Revue d’archèologie, histoire et histoire de l’art Volume 6: 49-62. https://journals.openedition.org/frontieres/1297Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press). Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association) Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press) Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674919938. ISBN978-0-674-65965-0. S2CID239349186. Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press). Sound CreditsOur theme music was composed by the amazing Bettina Joy de GuzmanMap of Veii from The Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria by George Dennis 1848Automated TranscriptLightly edited for Latin terminology and to support our wonderful Australian accents!Dr Rad 0:15Welcome to The Partial Historians.Dr G 0:19We explore all the details of ancient Rome.Dr Rad 0:23Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battled wage and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr Rad.Dr G 0:33And I'm Dr G, we consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city.Welcome to a brand new episode of The Partial Historians. I'm Dr rad, no longer afraid to say my PsDr G 1:03And I am Dr G. Goodness knows what foreshadowing that entails.Dr Rad 1:09Well, I can definitely assure you there'll be lots of patricians and plebeians running around in this episode. So it's good not to have to worry about saying my Ps. Thanks very much. Patreons for the microphone buffery-sock type thing.Dr G 1:22Ah, the pop filter.Dr Rad 1:24Yes, exactly. I can say however many damn Ps I want now. Peas and ham. Peas and ham, peas and carrots.Dr G 1:31Mind your P's and Q's, please.Dr Rad 1:34I never do.Dr G 1:36Just like the patricians.Dr Rad 1:38Exactly. Well, welcome Dr, G, so good to see you again.Dr G 1:42Likewise.Dr Rad 1:44So we are hosting an ancient Roman History podcast, if you somehow manage to miss the introduction, and we are tracing the journey of Rome from the founding of the city and Dr G, I think this might be the last episode before we cross the boundary to a new century.Dr G 2:07That's very exciting.Dr Rad 2:08It is. I honestly kind of got very comfortable with the four hundreds. I kind

It is not often that we get to say that there is a new translation of a classical text that has taken the world by storm. But that was exactly what happened when Professor Stephanie McCarter released her 2022 translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. We were honoured that Professor McCarter agreed to talk to us about the mysterious Ovid and her process of translation.Stephanie McCarter is currently a Professor of Classics at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She published a monograph entitled Horace between Freedom and Slavery: The First Book of Epistles in 2015 and a translation of Horace’s Epodes, Odes and Carmen Saeculare in 2020.We would like to warn our listeners that this episode will touch on instances of violence and sexual assault. This is not one to listen to with the kids in the car.Special Episode – Ovid's Metamorphoses with Professor Stephanie McCarter Who was Ovid? Ovid is one of our favourite Latin poets over at the Partial Historians. This is partially due to his work, which can be touching but also highly comedic. However, it is also because Ovid himself is hard to figure out.He lived and worked during the reign of Augustus but claimed to have been exiled in approximately 8 CE. Academics are still trying to figure out what Ovid did that was so terrible… or whether he was making it up entirely!Whatever he was up to, Ovid’s back catalogue is pretty impressive. He composed the Amores, the Heroides, the Fasti, the Ars amatoria, and his masterpiece, the Metamorphoses.Translating Ovid for the 21st CenturyTranslation is an immensely difficult and often underappreciated task. We don’t mean getting out your dictionary and figuring out a passage here and there. We delve into the technique of translating an entire work, trying to make it accessible and enjoyable for a new generation, whilst staying true to the voice of the original author. Whew! What an undertaking.Professor McCarter’s translation of the Metamorphoses is the first English translation of the work by a woman in many decades and it seems to have struck a nerve. There are many episodes of sexual violence in this work that have been softened or glossed over in previous translations. McCarter’s work aims to be more accurate and direct in the language, not shying away from the troubling aspects of these myths. This has allowed themes to emerge more clearly from text.It was a delight to talk to someone as passionate and dedicated to their work as Professor McCarter. Her work highlights the way that translations often reflect the values of their creator and their context, hence the need for fresh interpretations.Things to look out for: The powerful art of Elizabeth ColumbaAn amazing New Yorker article on McCarter’s workThe uterus and double helix cleverly woven into the mind-blowing cover art for McCarter’s book by Aiko TezukaProfessor McCarter makes reference to concordances as part of her process. These are essentially word indexes – very handy tools for translators!Exciting news about McCarter’s next projects!Sound CreditsOur music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman.Automated TranscriptGenerated by Otter AI. Dr Rad  00:15Welcome to the partial historians,Dr G  00:18we explore all the details of ancient Rome.Dr Rad  00:23Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battles waged, and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr. Rad. AndDr G  00:33I'm Dr. G. We consider Rome as the Roman saw it by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.Dr Rad  00:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of this city. Hello, and welcome to a special episode of the partial historians. I am one of your hosts, Dr. Rad,Dr G  01:06and I'm Dr. G.Dr Rad  01:09Now, Dr. G, you know that I break out in a cold sweat at the thought of translating anything. It'sDr G  01:16true. I think I do as well at this point, I feel Yeah. So I'mDr Rad  01:20super excited to have an expert in translation on our show. Today, we are going to be chatting to Stephanie McCarter, who is currently a Professor of Classics at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She published a monograph entitled horrors between freedom and slavery, the first book of epistles in 2015, and a translation of Horace's oppose, owed and calm and secular era in 2020. However, she has recently been spending more time with a man named of it, her 2022 translation of his Metamorphoses has received much acclaim, and this is what we will be focusing on today. However, before we start, we would like to warn our listeners that this episode will touch on instances of violence and sexual assault. Welcome, StephanieStephanie McCarter  02:25Thank you so much. This is this is a great treat. I'm super excited to be on this particular podcast because I spend so much time in Australia, my husband's and Aussie. So I sometimes try to my kids are all these. So this is exciting. ItDr Rad  0