The History of Rome
By Mike Duncan
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Podcast Description
A weekly podcast tracing the rise, decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Visit us at http://thehistoryofrome.typepad.com
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
168- The Rise of Aetius | In the late 420s AD, the Roman General Flavius Aetius connived and backstabbed his way up the chain of command. | 2/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
167- Exploiting the Opportunity | The Emperor Honorius died in 423, leading to a brief civil war between the Theodosian dynasty and a self-proclaimed Imperial regime in Ravenna. | 1/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
166- As Long As She's Nice To Look At | Constantius III continued to lead the Western Empire as its defacto Emperor until 421, when he was officially elevated to the rank of Augustus. Unfortunately, this elevation was not recognized by Cosntantinople. | 1/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
165- Reviving the Roman Name | Between 412 and 415 relations between the Romans and Goths shifted back and forth between alliance and antagonism. | 1/15/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
164- The Sack of Rome | After failing to secure a deal with Honorius, Alaric sacked Rome in August of 410. It was the first time the Eternal City had been sacked in 800 years. | 1/8/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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6 |
163- Theodosius's Walls | Following the death of Eudoxia, the Praetorian Prefect Anthemius took control of the Eastern Empire and ran it wisely for the next decade. Meanwhile in the West, anti-barbarian policies will lead to the invasion of Italy by Alaric. | 12/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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7 |
162- Opening the Floodgates | On New Year's Eve 406 a horde of barbarians crossed the lower Rhine into Gaul. Their arrival would have severe consequences for the Western Empire. | 12/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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8 |
161- The Swamps of Ravenna | Alaric and his Goths invaded Italy in 402. After they were pushed out, Stilicho moved the seat of the Western Imperial Court to the city of Ravenna. | 12/4/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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9 |
160- East vs. West | In the late 390s, the generals and ministers who dominated Arcadius and Honorius battled with each other for control of the Empire. | 11/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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10 |
159- The Divine Winds | After winning the Battle of the Frigidus River, Theodosius stood alone as the last sole ruler of the Roman Empire. He would be die just four months later. | 11/20/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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11 |
158- An Imperial Suicide | In 392 Valentinian II was found hanged in his bedchamber, paving the way for another Roman Civil War. | 11/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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12 |
157- Only the Penitent Man Shall Pass | After defeating the usurper Maximus in 388 AD, Theodosius found himself facing an even greater opponent in Ambrose of Milan. | 10/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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13 |
156- Jockeying for Position | From 383-387 the tense quasi-partnership of Maximus, Valentinian II and Theodosius ruled the Roman Empire. During those years Bishop Ambrose and Nicean Christianity pushed themselves to dominance over their Arians rivals. | 10/23/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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14 |
155- The New Bishop of Milan | In 383 the General Magnus Maximus rose up in revolt against Gratian. The power sharing agreement that followed Maximus's victory would be negotiated in part by St. Ambrose, the influencial new Bishop of Milan. | 10/16/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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15 |
154- The Gothic War | Following Adrianople, Theodosius was brought in to salvage the situation. After determining that he could not beat the Goths in battle, the new Emperor was forced to sign a peace with the barbarians that treated them as, gasp, equals. | 10/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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16 |
153- Adrianople | Operating with faulty intelligence and desperate to defeat the Goths on his own, Valens forced the disasterous Battle of Adrianople in August 378. | 10/2/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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17 |
152- The Storm Before the Storm | In 375 the Huns exploded into Gothic territory, sending refugees fleeing for the saftey of the Roman Empire. | 9/25/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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18 |
151- Bursting a Blood Vessel | Valens spent the late 360s and early 370s dealing with hostile Goths in the north and hostile Persians in the east. In 375 he would be left to face these threats alone when Valentinian suddenly died. | 9/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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19 |
150- The Perils of Mismanagement | in the late 360s and early 370s AD Roman mismanagment of three different regions in the Western Empire led to armed conflict. | 9/4/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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20 |
149- The Great Conspiracy | In the winter of 367 Britannia was hit from all sides by a coordinated barbarian invasion. It would be more than a year before the Romans were able to reassert control over the island. | 8/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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21 |
148- The Cousin's Cousin | Shortly after Valentinian and Valens ascended to the throne, one of Julian the Apostate's maternal cousins seized control of Constantinople. | 8/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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22 |
147- Capitulation | Jovian extracted the Roman legions from the east at a heavy price. He then ruled the Empire for eight months before suddenly dying on his way to Constantinople in early 364. | 8/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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23 |
146- The Spear of Destiny | In 363 Julian launched an invasion of Sassanid Persia. He would die in battle just three months later. | 8/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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24 |
145- Julian the Apostate | Julian came to power in late 361 and immediately set about trying to turn back the clock on both Church and State. | 7/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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25 |
144- The Road to Constantinople | Once he was established as a force to be reckoned with in the west, Julian revolted against Constantius II in 360 after the Emperor ordered half the Gallic army redeployed to the eastern frontier. | 7/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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26 |
143- Julian the Pre-Apostate | After a childhood spent mostly in exile, Juian was elevated to the rank of Caesar in 355. His first assignment was to clear Gaul of Germanic invaders. | 7/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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27 |
142- You've Earned It | After two years of sporadic war, Constantius II defeated the usurper Magnentius in 353. Following his victory the Emperor let his advisors talk him into executing first Gallus in 354 and then Claudius Silvanus in 355. | 7/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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28 |
141- Blood and Water | Constantius and Constans shared the Empire for a decade until Constans was overthrown by a rebel general named Magnetius in 350 AD. | 6/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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29 |
140- My Three Sons | The three sons of Constantine took control of the Empire following the death of their father and the murder of most of their extended family. | 6/19/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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30 |
139- Wash Away Your Sins | Constantine was baptized on his deathbed after arranging a plan for succession. | 6/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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31 |
138- The New Rome | Live and direct from Old Rome! | 5/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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32 |
137- The Christian Emperor | This episode brought to you live and direct from Constantinople! After defeating Licinius, Constantine found his dream of a united Christian Empire foiled by a very disunited Christian Church. | 5/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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33 |
136- Let This Be Our Final Battle | War between Licinius and Constantine flared up again in 324 AD. This time Constantine would finish the job. | 5/1/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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34 |
135- Brothers in Name Only | Constantine and Licinius split up the Empire following the death of Maximinus Daia in 313. It did not take long for relations betweent the two Emperors to turn sour. | 4/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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35 |
134- And Then There Were Two | In 313 AD, Maximinus Daia and Licinus fought for control of the Eastern Roman Empire. | 4/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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36 |
133- The Milvian Bridge | On October 28, 312 AD Constantine and Maxentius fought a battle at Rome's doorstep for control of the Western Empire. | 4/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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37 |
132- In This Sign | Prior to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge Constantine experienced visions and dreams that promised him victory if he embraced Christianity. | 4/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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38 |
131- The New Game in Town | With the Tetrarchy in shambles, Diocletian will be called out of retirement in 308 AD to help broker a settlement. But the new new order will prove as bad as the old new order. | 3/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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39 |
130- Lost in Transition | Less than two years after Diocletian's abdication, the Tetrarchy was left in shambles following the power plays of Constantine and Maxentius. | 3/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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40 |
129- Abdication | In 305 AD, Diocletian and Maximian voluntarily abdicated the throne, handing power over to Galerius and Constantius. | 3/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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41 |
128- The Great Persecution | In 303 AD Diocletian initiated the last and greatest of the Christian persecutions. | 2/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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42 |
127- Commanding The Economy | Rome's economy was in disarray when Diocletian came to power and he initiated major overhauls to get the system running again. | 2/20/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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43 |
126- All The King's Men | Over the course of his reign Diocletian overhauled the government, transforming it into a centralized bureaucracy run by career civil servants. | 2/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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44 |
125- The Best Defence is a Good Defence | Over the course of his reign Diocletian instituted a number of reforms to the military structure that helped transform the legions into a new kind of army. | 2/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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45 |
124- The Tetrarchs at War | In the mid-to-late 290s the Imperial Tetrarchy was at war on multiple fronts. In the west Constantius undertook the reconquest of Britain, while in the east, Galerius fought a newly hostile Sassanid Empire. | 1/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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46 |
123- The Tertrarchy | In 293 AD Diocletian and Maximian invited Constantius and Galerius to share in their Imperial burdens, forming what we today call the Tetrarchy. | 1/23/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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47 |
122- Jupiter and Hercules | Immediatly after becoming the undisputed Emperor in 285, Diocletian elevated Maximian to serve as his Imperial colleague. | 1/16/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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48 |
121- Phase Three Complete | The Crisis of the Third Century finally ended with the mini dynasty of Carus and his two sons. In 284 Diocletian rose to power, ushering in a new age in Roman history. | 1/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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49 |
120- Interregnum | After Aurelian's death, an old Senator named Marcus Cluadius Tacitus briefly reigned before the throne fell to Probus, who ruled from 276-282. | 12/19/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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50 |
119- Restitutor Orbis | Aurelian defeated the breakaway western provinces and reunified the Empire in 274 AD. The next year he was assassinated by officers who had been tricked into committing murder. | 12/12/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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51 |
118- The Palmyrene Wars | In 272 Aurelian finally managed to bring the east back under Roman control by defeating Queen Zenobia of Palmyra. | 12/5/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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52 |
117- Aurelian's Walls | Aurelian became Emperor in 270 and immediatly faced an invasion of Italy by the Juthungi. After succesfully driving the Germans off, Aurelian turned his attention to building a new wall circuit around Rome to protect the capital in the future. | 11/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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53 |
116- Here Come the Illyrians | Claudius Gothicus became Emperor in 268 and promptly lead the legions to victories against the Goths and the Alamanni. Unfortunately he died before he was able to reunify the Empire. | 11/21/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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54 |
115- Phase Two Complete | The near simultaneous deaths of Gallienus, Odenathus and Postumus upset the political equilibrium in the late 260s AD. | 11/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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55 |
114- The Nadir of Our Fortunes | The 260s AD were bad for the Romans, but they could have been a whole lot worse had not Gallienus, Postumus and Odenathus each done their part to defend their respective corners of the Empire. | 10/31/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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56 |
113- Three Empires | -- | 10/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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57 |
112- Captured Alive | Valerian and his son Gallienus did their best to hold the Empire together through the 250s AD, but after Valerian was captured by the Sassanids things quickly spiraled out of control. | 10/17/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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58 |
111- Phase One Complete | After the Battle of Abrittus, Trebonianus Gallus was proclaimed Emperor. After reigning for two years he was ousted by Aemilianus, who lasted less than a month on the throne before being ousted by Valerian. | 10/3/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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59 |
110- A Gothic Horror | In 249 AD Decius ousted Philip the Arab and ascended to the Imperial throne. Two years later though, Decius was dead after leading the legions to a massive defeat at the hands of the Goths. | 9/26/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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60 |
109- The New Millenium | Gordian III died in 244 AD and was succeeded by his Praetorian Prefect Philip the Arab. While Philip dealt with internal revolts and external invasion, he found time to celebrate Rome's 1000th birthday in 248 AD. | 9/19/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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61 |
108- Gordian's Knot | By August of 238, the other five men who had claimed a share of the purple were dead, leaving 13-year-old Gordian III as the last man standing. | 9/12/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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62 |
107- The Year of the Six Emperors | In 238, a revolt in Africa sparked a revolution in Rome that would eventually lead to six different men claiming the title of Augustus. | 8/29/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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63 |
106- Barbarian at the Gate | After bungling a campaign in the east, Alexander headed to the Rhine where he was assassinated by Maximinius Thrax in 235 AD. | 8/22/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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64 |
105- The Last Princeps | Alexander was only 13 when he ascended to the throne in 222. With the help of his mother and a few key advisers, he managed to avoid being the kind of disaster that previous teenage Emperors had been. | 8/15/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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65 |
104- Here Comes the Sun | Elagabalus became Emperor in 218 AD at the tender age of 14. His short reign was defined by a scandalous private life and an obsession with the eastern sun god El-Gabal. | 8/8/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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66 |
103- The Equestrian | Carcalla was killed by his Praetorian Prefect Macrinus in 217 AD. Macrinus then spent a troubled year as Emperor before the House of Severus came back to challenge his rule. | 8/1/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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67 |
102- The Common Enemy of Mankind | Septimius Severus died in 211 while campaigning in Britain. He left the Empire to his sons, but their mutual hatred for one another meant that one of them was going to wind up dead. | 7/25/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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68 |
101- And All Was of Little Value | After defeating Clodius Albinus, Septimius Severus turned over daily administration of the Empire to his Praetorian Prefect Gaius Plautianus, while the Emperor himself went looking for further military vicotries in Parthia. | 7/18/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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69 |
100- Black and White and Severus All Over | Septimius Severus became the undisputed Emperor of Rome after defeating Pescennius Niger in 194 and Clodius Albinus in 197. | 6/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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70 |
099- What Evil Have I Done? | After buying the Imperial throne, Didius Julianus only remained in power for 66 days before being ousted by Septimius Severus. | 6/20/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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71 |
098- Purchasing Power | After Commodus was assassinated, Pertinax reigned for 86 days. He was murdered by the Praetorian Guard in March 193 and the Imperial throne was auctioned off the highest bidder. | 6/13/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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72 |
097- The Fall of Hercules | Commodus went off the deep end around 190 AD and was finally killed by his inner circle in 192. | 6/6/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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73 |
096- The Most Aptly Named Emperor | The reign of Commodus turned on a botched assassination attempt orchestrated by his sister in 182 AD. | 5/30/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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74 |
095- The Beginning of the End | Marcus elevated Commodus to the position of co-Emperor and then died a few years later while campaigning in the north. | 5/23/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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75 |
094- Revolt and Meditations | In 175 Avidius Cassius led a brief revolt in the east that forced Marcus to postpone his final triumph along the Danube. | 5/16/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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76 |
093- The Marcomannic Wars | The Romans fought a series of campaigns against a coalition of German tribes from 167-175. They were on the verge of total victory when news arrived of a rebellion in the east. | 5/9/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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77 |
092- The Parthian War | After some initial setbacks, Marcus sent Lucius east to deal with a suddenly critical war with Parthia in 162. | 4/25/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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78 |
091- Marcus and Lucius and the Parthians | Marcus Aurelius was destined to become Emperor, but his insistence that Lucius Verus share the honor came as a surprise to everyone. | 4/18/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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79 |
090- The Hundredth Episode | Big question-time blowout! | 4/12/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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80 |
089- Provincial Matters | In which I talk for way too long about where the best tin deposits in the Roman Empire can be found. | 4/4/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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81 |
088- A Day in the Life | Life in Rome began at dawn and lasted until sunset. Work was done in the mornings while the afternoon was reserved for recreation. | 3/21/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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82 |
087- Thinking and Feeling | With Roman education leaving much to be desired, many citizens found enlightenment in the eastern mystery cults or Greek philosophy. | 3/14/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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83 |
086- Wealth and Class | The Roman world was divided between slaves, freedmen, and free citizens of every economic class. Gross inequality though was the order of the day, with the Emperor himself controlling the lion's share of the Empire's wealth. | 3/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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84 |
085- Antoninus the Dutiful | Antoninus's reign is often pointed to as the golden age of the Roman Empire. In many ways the assessment is correct, though unresolved issues would come back to haunt his successors. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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85 |
084- Longing For Death | After returning to Italy in 134 Hadrian spent a final few miserable years trying to plan the long term future of the Imperial dynasty before dying in 138. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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86 |
083- May His Bones Be Crushed | Hadrian's relationship with the teenage boy Antinous raised eyebrows even in permissive Ancient Rome. His relationship with the Jews raises eyebrows even today. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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87 |
082- Hadrian's Walls | Hadrian's reign got off to a rough start following the political murders of four ex-consuls. The new Emperor would eventually settle in though and set out on his first grand tour of the Empire in 121. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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88 |
081- The Greekling | Though Hadrian's career had long been guided by Trajan, when the Emperor died in 117 he still had not named Hadrian heir. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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89 |
080- Optimus Trajan | Trajan greatly improved the infrastructure of the Empire and finished his reign by conquering much of the Middle East. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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90 |
079- The Dacian Wars | After Trajan ascended to the throne in 98 AD he fought two wars against the Dacians, finally annexing the country in 106 AD. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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91 |
078- Imperial Stop Gap | Nerva's brief reign was stormy, but his choice of Trajan as heir was inspired. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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92 |
077- What Time is It? | After Saturninus's revolt in 89 AD, Domitian's paranoia increased. In 96 AD court officials afraid for their lives conspired to have the Emperor killed. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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93 |
076- Mock Triumphs | Domitian attempted to emulate Augustus, but his heavy-handed treatment of the Senate earned him many enemies. Meanwhile, his focus on frontier defense brought charges of cowardice and his treaty with the Dacians was seen as a humiliation. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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94 |
075- The Forgotten Son | Domitian had spent his life in the background, but in 81 AD he found himself Emperor and soon demonstrated that he had very strong ideas about how to wield power. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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95 |
074- Friends I Have Wasted a Day | Titus succeeded his father to the throne in 79 AD, but ruled for only two years before dying of a sudden infection in 81. Throughout the reign of the Flavians, Agricola campaigned in Britain to Romanize the island. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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96 |
073- The Only Man Who Improved | Vespasian served as Emperor from 69-79 AD, stabilizing the Empire after a year of Civil War. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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97 |
072- Vitellius and Vespasian | Vitellius's reign was underminned by internal squabbling, allowing Vespasian's army to sieze Rome in December 69 AD. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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98 |
071- Otho and Vitellius | After murdering Galba, Otho ascended to the throne in January 69 AD. He immediately had to deal with Vitellius revolt and after suffering a defeat at Bedriacum in April, Otho committed suicide having served as Emperor for just three months | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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99 |
070- Galba and Otho: The History of Rome | Galba's refusal to pay off the Praetorian Guard came back to haunt him when Otho looked for accomplices to aid in his assassination plot early in 69 AD. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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100 |
069- As History of Rome Wedding | Marriage was one of the key institutions of Roman culture and many of the traditions surrounding weddings persist today. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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101 |
068- Three Emperors | The personalities of each of the men who vied for the throne in 69 AD had a major impact on how events unfolded. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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102 |
067- What an Artist the World is Losing | In 66 AD the Great Revolt broke out in Judaea, leading Nero to appoint Vespasian to crush the uprising. But the Emperor did not live to see the end of the conflict- in 68 AD he committed suicide after a palace coup. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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103 |
066- 666 | Nero's popularity with the people began to wane in the early 60s AD. Things got so bad that after the Great Fire of Rome swept through the city, many held Nero responsible. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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104 |
065- Burn It To The Ground | Between 58 and 63 AD Rome dealt with a major conflict over the Kingdom of Armenia and a revolt in Britain led by the warrior Queen Boudica. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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105 |
064- Smite My Womb | After Nero came to power he was dominated by Agrippina. But it didn't take long before the 16-year-old Emperor got tired of his mother telling him what to do. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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106 |
063- A Farewell to Claudius | Claudius turned out to be one of the more successful Emperors in Roman history, but unfortunately in 54 AD he was assassinated to make way for one of the worst. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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107 |
062- Take My Wife...Please | Though Claudius had great success in his public life, his private life was a different story. Each of his marriages ended in either divorce or execution. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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108 |
061- What, me Claudius? | Claudius became Emperor after the assassination of Caligula in 41 AD. Far from a bumbling fool, Claudius turned out to be capable and dedicated ruler. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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109 |
060- No Better Slave, No Worse Master | Caligula was insane. Luckily for the Romans, he wielded absolute power. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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110 |
058- Partner of my Labors | After the death of Tiberius's son Drusus, Praetorian Prefect Lucius Sejanus's influence grew exponentially. Sejanus was the defacto ruler of Rome from 26 AD until his fall from power 5 years later. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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111 |
059- To the Tiber with Tiberius | Tiberius's final years were consumed with treason trials and private licentiousness. After he died in 37 AD, the infamous Caligula ascended to the throne. | 2/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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112 |
057- Germanicus | The early years of Tiberius's reign were defined by his growing jealousy of his nephew/adopted son Germanicus. After winning victories on the far side of the Rhine, Germanicus was sent east, where in 19 AD he died under mysterious circumstances. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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113 |
056- The King is Dead, Long Live the King | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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114 |
055- Teutoburg Nightmares | The Julio-Claudian family was rife with conflict, but nothing compared to the battle fought against the Germans in the Teutoburg Forest. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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115 |
054- All in the Family | Augustus promoted his steps sons Tiberius and Drusus to high office long before they were technically eligible. He hoped they would share power with him until Gaius and Lucius Caesar came of age, but Drusus died young and Tiberius went into self-imposed exile. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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116 |
053- Reigning Supreme | After attaining power, Augustus set about reforming the Empire. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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117 |
052- Caesar Augustus | The Senate bestowed upon Octavian the title Caesar Augustus during the constitutional settlement of 27 BC. Four years later Augustus and the Senate altered their power sharing agreement. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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118 |
051- Actium | On Sept 2, 31 BC Octavian defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium. Antony and Cleopatra fled back to Alexandria where they committed suicide the next year, following Octavian's invasion of Egypt. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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119 |
050- The Donations of Alexandria | After Antony failed to conquer Parthia, the Triumvirate partnership broke down, leading to a declaration of war. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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120 |
049- Apollo and Dionysus | After winning the Battle of Philippi Antony and Octavian divided the empire into two halves. Antony took control of the east where he formed an alliance with Cleopatra, while Octavian commanded the west. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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121 |
048- The Second Triumvirate | In 43 BC Marc Antony, Octavian and Marcus Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate. After initiating proscriptions to raise funds and purge their enemies, the Triumvirs headed east, where they defeated Brutus and Cassius at Philippi. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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122 |
047- Octavius-Octavian | Caesar posthumously adopted his great nephew Gaius Octavius and the 19-year-old was thrust into the center of Roman politics. In the months following the assassination Octavian and Mark Antony vied for the support of the legions. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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123 |
046- Sic Semper Tyrannis | In the last months of his life, rumors swirled about Caesar's monarchical ambitions. On the Ides of March 44 BC, a group of Senators put the issue to rest by assassinating Caesar during a session of the Senate. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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124 |
045- The End of the War | Caesar took the overland route back from Egypt back to Rome and along the way pacified what little resistance he came across. After a brief stay in Italy he sailed for North Africa where he defeated the regrouped Republican army. Having emerged from the Civil War triumphant he returned to Rome and began his ambitious reform programs. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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125 |
044- Caesar Triumphant | Following a setback at Dyrrachium, Caesar decisively won the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. After defeating Pompey, Caesar sailed for Alexandria, where settled a civil war by placing Cleopatra on the throne. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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043- Insert Well Known Idiom Here | In 49 BC Caesar led a single legion across the Rubicon River, sparking a civil war that would lead to the death of the Roman Republic. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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042- Meanwhile, Back in Rome | While Caesar was fighting the Gallic Wars, events in Rome and beyond exacerbated the political tensions that would eventually lead to Civil War. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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041b- The Gallic Wars | From 57-52 BC Caesar slowly conquered Gaul. Along the way he crossed into Germania twice and led the first Roman expedition to Britain. Finally, the last Gallic army was forced to surrender at Alesia. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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041a- The Gallic Wars | After beginning his proconsulship of Cisalpine Gaul in 58 BC Caesar was asked to halt the advance of a migrating Celtic tribe. He managed to turn them around, but was immediately called to face an even deadlier threat at the banks of the Rhine River. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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040- In the Consulship of Julius and Caesar | In 59 BC Julius Caesar served a controversial year in the consulship. He pressed for land and administrative reforms the conservative Senate opposed. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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039- The Young Julius Caesar Chronicles | Julius Caesar had an eventful career on his way up the Cursus Honorum. He won the Civic Crown in Asia, was captured by pirates on his way to Rhodes, and served as Governor of Hispania Ulterior. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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038- The Catiline Conspiracy | In 63 BC an embittered two-time consular candidate named Catiline conspired to overthrow the Roman government. He was stopped by Rome's greatest politician and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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037- Go East Young Man | After clearing the Mediterranean of pirates in 67 BC Pompey was put in charge of the war with Mithridates. He promptly conquered his way to Jerusalem. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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036- I Am Spartacus! | From 73-71 BC a gladiator named Spartacus led a slave revolt in southern Italy. Despite defeating the Romans on numerous occasions, the slave army was eventually defeated by Marcus Crassus (with an unsolicited assist from Pompey). | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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035- Crassus and Pompey | After Sulla's death two men emerged as the vanguard of Rome's new political generation: Marcus Crassus who would become Rome's richest man and Pompey the Great, who would become Rome's greatest general. In a few years these two men would join forces with Julius Caesar to form the first Triumvirate. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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034- No Greater Friend, No Worse Enemy | Sulla returned from the east and after winning a short Civil War was made Dictator for Life. After purging his enemies and reorganizing the consitution he inexplicably stepped down in 80 BC. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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033- Marius and Sulla | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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032- The Social War | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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031b- Marius | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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031a- Marius | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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030- Gaius Gracchus | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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029- Tiberius Gracchus | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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028- Taking Stock | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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027- Mopping Up | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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026- The Third Macedonian War | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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025- The Syrian War | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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024- The Second Macedonian War | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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148 |
023e- The War With Hannibal | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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023d- The War With Hannibal | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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023c- The War With Hannibal | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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023b- The War With Hannibal | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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023a- The War With Hannibal | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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022- Prelude to the Second Punic War | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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021- Interbellum | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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020b- The First Punic War | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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020a- The First Punic War | -- | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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019- Prelude to the First Punic War | It was inevitable that the Romans and Cartheginians would run into each other one day. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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018- A History of Rome Christmas | Many of the traditions that surround modern Christmas have their roots in Saturnalia and the Feast of Sol Invictus. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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017- Pyrrhic Victories | The Greek cities of southern Italy called on King Pyrrhus of Epirus to protect them from Roman encroachment. Though Pyrrhus was undefeated in battle, his victories were so costly that he was forced to withdraw from Italy in 275 BC, leaving Rome in control of Magna Graecia. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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016- The Third Samnite War | Rome battled a combined army of Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians and Gauls for control of Italy. At Sentinum, the two sides fought the largest battle in Italian history up to that point. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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015b- The Second Samnite War | After a five year break, hostilities resumed between the Romans and Samnites. Despite early setbacks, Rome eventually emerged victorious in 304 BC. During these years a controversial politician, Appius Claudius, initiated a series of ambitious public works projects that advanced Roman civilization. | 2/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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015a- The Second Samnite War | After a decade of peace, the Romans and Samnites returned to war. The early years of fighting went well for Rome, but in 321 BC they were handed a humiliating defeat at Caudine Forks. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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014b- A Phalanx With Joints | The Roman army abandoned the Greek phalanx in favor of a new system based on a three line deployment organized by age and experience. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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014a- A Phalanx With Joints | For hundreds of years the Roman Army used the Greek phalanx, but during the Samnite Wars they were forced to develop a new distinctly Roman system. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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013- The Latin War | The Romans fought a final war against their Latin neighbors from 340-338 BC. The Romans won a decisive victory and the Latin League was abolished once and for all. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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012- The First Samnite War | From 343-341 BC Rome fought a brief war against the Samnites, a powerful hill tribe who would plague the Romans for the rest of the century. The Romans won an inconclusive victory, but the war was only the opening salvo in a long running struggle between the two peoples. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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011- The Morning After | In the decades after the Gauls abandoned Rome to its fate, the Romans were forced to battle both external threats and internal sedition. The Plebes, saddled with debt from the reconstruction, forced through reforms in 367 BC that finally gave them access to the most powerful office of state: the Consulship. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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010: Barbarians at the Gates | Soon after the war with Veii, Rome was sacked by invading Gauls. The event traumatized the Romans and left their city in ruins. It would be the last time a foreign army breached the walls until the fall of the empire 850 years later. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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009- A Trojan War | Economic necessity forced a final conflict with Veii, Rome's Etruscan rival to the north. After years of inconclusive fighting, Marcus Furius Camillus was appointed dictator and lead the Romans to victory. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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008- Decades of Gloom | The years after the creation of the Twelve Tables were hard. Political discord, grain shortages and famine all conspired to weaken the city, but the Romans soldiered on in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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007- The Roman Washington | Cincinnatus was famously appointed dictator of Rome in 458 BC and then resigned soon after, securing his place in history as a paradigm of republican virtue. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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006- The Twelve Tables | In 451 BC a committee was ordered to compile and then condense Roman law into a single text called the Twelve Tables of Law. Despite tyrannical machinations by the committee, the Twelve Tables secured an objective rule of law for all Roman citizens regardless of wealth or class. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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005- Trials and Tribunlations | The infant Roman Republic faced many challenges as it grew into adolescence, both internally and externally. Most significantly class divisions led to a confrontation between patricians and plebs that resulted in the creation of the office of Tribune. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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004- The Public Thing | The monarchy had been overthrown and the Roman Republic was now established. Despite the appearance of a free democratic republic, the Romans were beset with economic and political divisions that threatened the unity of the young State. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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003b- The Seven Kings of Rome | The last days of the Roman Kingdom were ruled over by the three members of the so-called Tarquin Dynasty: Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus. The last proved to be such a tyrant that he was overthrown and monarchy was forever outlawed by the Romans. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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003a- The Seven Kings of Rome | This week we cover the first three of Romulus's successors to the throne: Numa Pompulius, Tullus Hostilius and Ancus Marcius, who they were and what affect they had on the evolution Roman law and culture. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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002- Youthful Indiscretions | Last time we discussed the events that lead to the birth of Rome, covering the arrival of Aeneas in Italy and the story of the twins Romulus and Remus. Today we will cover the remainder of Romulus's life, his questionable morality and ultimate disappearance from the world of men. | 2/24/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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001- In the Beginning | Welcome to The History of Rome, a weekly series tracing the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Today we will hear the mythical origin story of Rome and compare it with modern historical and archaeological evidence. How much truth is wrapped up in the legend? We end this week with the death of Remus and the founding of Rome. | 7/27/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 178 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
well worth a listen if you do not know Roman history
I've never had an opportunity to learn much about early Roman history, but have always had the desire to do so. Happened upon this podcast yesterday, and from last night to this morning, listened to all of the currently available podcasts. The content is vast...almost too much. But, maybe that is because I listened to all of them at once. Perhaps I should slow down and let the information sink in before moving on to the next episode in sequence. At first, it was difficult listening to Mike, but the content of his material overcomes any personal delivery style. He is articulate and enunciates well. He does well in not only giving you names and their actions, but also tells the geopgraphical story, which comletes the story and aids in the understanding of what the early Romans had to endure to become a viable entity.. I can hardly wait for the next episodes. All of them will become a part of my permanent collection and will be listened to time and time again. Mike got me so excited that I pulled out my copy of Plutarch and ended the day by falling asleep in bed with it on my lap and my head aginst the pillow. Thank you, Mike, for taking the time to create such a well-produced, informative podcast.
Fantastic
In the tradition of Lars Brownworth's "12 Byzantine Rulers", this podcast tells a detailed history of Roman history, from its beginnings as a village founded by the mythical Romulus, and its rise from a village of convicts and escaped slaves to the foundation of the modern Western world. I highly recommend this podcast.
Please Keep This Up. Need More of This.
Very well produced, highly engaging and informative series for all History fans. One of the Best Podcasts on iTunes. Highly Recommended. Thanks for the Great Work.
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