Emperors of Rome

Catiline is a notorious figure of the Roman republic, a longtime rival of Cicero who, after repeated attempts at the consulship decided to push the matter by force. In this episode we look at his character, his role in the social wars of Rome and his early attempts at office.

Part I of The Catiline Conspiracy

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

Hispala Faecena was instrumental in bringing the cult of Bacchus to the attention of Roman authorities, ending a conspiracy that was threatening lives and the rule of law.

Guest:

Dr Emma Southon (Author of 'A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women')

Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

Martial was a Roman poet primarily writing during the reign of Domitian, and while primarily known for his commentary on Roman life, his takedowns, his insults and vulgarity, in this episode we look at how he toes the careful line of praising the Emperor.

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

Yes, it’s that festive time of year again, when you gather all ye merry people with sore throats, stand around a statue with its mouth covered, and keep the sacred name of Rome safe.

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

A dire warning from the spirit of Africa! A Haunting in Athens! And someone cuts the hair of Pliny's freedman.

Pliny the Younger presents a Roman Haunting in Three Parts.

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

Aurelian is known as a conqueror, a general and a restorer, and his reputation is based on those achievements. But in his short rule of five years, he was also an Emperor, and made efforts to leave his mark on Rome.

Part IV of 'Aurelian'

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Aurelian has seen off vandals, goths, and conquered the forces of Zenobia to reclaim the east. But to the west lies the Gallic Empire, once firm territory of Rome, awaiting his attention.

Part III of 'Aurelian'

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

The weakness of Rome was the strength of Palmyra, and the east came to be be ruled by the Queen Zenobia. Cultured and ambitious, her empire stretched from Egypt to Turkey, which made her a formidable challenge for Aurelian.

Part II of 'Aurelian'

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Aurelian became Emperor of a fractured empire. To the west the Gallic Empire had been established ten years earlier, the eastern provinces were now controlled by Zenobia, and there were threats from the vandals in the North. To unite an empire, this will be his first priority.

Part I of ‘Aurelian’

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

The treacherous death of Gallienus saw the rise of a man of war. Claudius Gothicus definitely earned his title, but with a reign of only two years perhaps he made the right kind of impact without the time to leave a bad impression. For an emperor in the third century that was more than enough, and he left an example for all who followed after.

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

What Latin words and concepts for time are still with us today?

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

While much of the Roman Empire was lost during the rule of Gallienus, We don't really know how much of that is his fault, or really get a sense of his reign. Was he responsible for the loss of territory, or was he just a victim of the time?

Part IV of 'Gallienus'

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Support production of a new series of the When in Rome podcast on Kickstarter.

As the Roman empire lost the western provinces something very different was happening in the east. Odaenathus remained on the side of Rome, but assumed the title of King, building his influence throughout the region, to the point where it became a problem for Gallienus.

Part III of 'Gallienus'

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Support production of a new series of the When in Rome podcast on Kickstarter.

A challenge to the imperial authority was hardly unusual in the third century, but for whatever reason, Postumus decides to do things differently.

Rather than marching an army on Rome he shaves off the western provinces, declaring Gaul, Germania, Hispania and Britannia the independent, but still very Roman, Gallic Empire.

Part II of 'Gallienus'

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

When the Emperor Valerian was captured by the enemy what the empire needed was a trusted, capable, firm set of hands to take on the imperial mantle. In retrospect, that probably wasn’t his son Gallienus.

For the next eight years Gallienus would rule as sole emperor and proceed to lose two thirds of the empire, leaving Rome at its weakest position in centuries.

Part I of 'Gallienus'

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Cleopatra Selene was the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and was destined for greatness. Following the death of her parents she became a prisoner of Rome, survived into adulthood, and became a queen of the ancient world.

Dr Draycott is the author of ''Cleopatra’s Daughter: Egyptian Princess, Roman Prisoner, African Queen'.

Guest: Dr Jane Draycott (Classics, University of Glascow)

Part of the making of Octavian was the victories he had early in his career. He defeated his rivals, conquered territory, and united the senate behind him whether they liked it or not.

One of those territories was Illyria, in which he conducted campaigns during the quiet years before his final battles against Egypt and Antony. It’s perhaps in Illyria that we see Octavian display his greatest acts of bravery, if not ability.

Guest: Dr Christopher Gribbin (Adjunct Lecturer, La Trobe University)

Egypt was a valuable province to Rome, with natural wealth and successful agriculture. Thanks to an arid climate there’s also a number of preserved papyri from that era, providing modern scholarship with an invaluable paper-trail on the administration at the time.

One papyri has led to the belief that Augustus confiscated lands of the Egyptian temples, and ultimately the decline of Egypt’s religions.

Andrew Connor is the author of Confiscation or Coexistence: Egyptian Temples in the Age of Augustus published by University of Michigan Press.

Guest: Dr Andrew Connor (Lecturer, Centre for Ancient Cultures, Monash University)

With Octavian triumphant at the Battle of Actium the scene is finally set for a dramatic showdown in Alexandria. Cleopatra and Antony, a couple famous for their strategy and volatility will pay the ultimate price for resisting Rome, leaving Octavian free to assume a role of undisputed power.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

In 31 BCE one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman. The forces of Octavian, Antony and Cleopatra would square off for control of the mediterranean, and ultimately the Roman empire.

Guest: Barry Strauss (Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, author of The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium).

When Cleopatra and Antony stood side by side they were at the pinnacle of power. Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was the queen of an ancient civilisation, and heir to the unmatched cultural achievements of Greece. Marcus Antonius of Rome contended for control of the empire.

Together they fought against Octavian and would bring about the end of the republic, and the start of a new age for Rome.

Recorded live at ACMI studios in Melbourne on 4th October, 2022.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

Sextus Pompeius was the youngest son of Pompey the Great, and was responsible for leading the last great resistance of the Roman republic against Octavian and Mark Antony. While he made the most of his late father’s reputation, Sextus was a leader in his own right, and to many a forgotten aspect of this period of Roman history.

Guest: Dr Kathryn Welch (Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Sydney).

Octavia was, in many ways, the very model of a modern Roman matron. As the older sister to Octavian, later Augustus, and a wife of the powerful figure Antony, she was respected and admired by her contemporaries for her loyalty, nobility and humanity, as well as for maintaining traditional Roman feminine virtues.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

With Antony distracted with developments in the east, Fulvia finds herself in the familiar position of advocating for her husband’s interests. This escalated to a war with Octavian, the outcome of which would leave Fulvia isolated.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

Content warning: There is rude Augustan poetry in this episode, as well as some rather insulting missiles. Please be advised.

Emperors of Rome will celebrate its 200th episode with a live recording in Melbourne on October 4th. Get your free tickets!

Fulvia came from a Roman noble family and is strongly associated with a string of influential husbands, most notably Mark Antony. She was influential and powerful in her own way, and would go on to play an important role in the Perusine War against Octavian.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

For the eighth time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer! In this episode:

- Was Antony rehabilitated?

- Did Classical Latin have regional dialects?

- How did Romans celebrate their birthday?

- Who was the first true Roman emperor?

- How much of the Roman Empire remains in the modern world?

- What were some of the Roman’s most notable superstitions?

- Did a Roman soldier get time off?

- When did it become customary for Romans to learn Greek?

- Did Rome have a foodie culture?

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

Rome has always been a sea-faring power, relying on the Mediterranean for food and trade. But what lies beneath the waves can chill the hearts of mortal men, and tales of aquatic horrors were common in antiquity.

Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director, Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)

With enemies to confront in every direction, Valerian heads back to the east where Shapur and the Parthians are once again threatening the borders of the Roman empire. While Valerian anticipates a victory, what is to come is the greatest defeat of a Roman emperor.

Episode III of 'Valerian'.

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Religious persecution wasn’t a new thing for Rome, but under the rule of Valerian they intensified. Christians were now the specified target, but the executions and confiscation of property did little to help the stability of the empire.

Episode II of 'Valerian'.

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

When Valerian became emperor in 253CE Rome was fighting on all fronts. With Shapur and the Syrians taking territory in the east, and Germanic tribes to the west and the north, the empire was going to get messy for Valerian and his newly established dynasty.

Episode I of 'Valerian'.

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Brian Blessed is a treasured British actor who for our purposes will fondly be remembered for his iconic role as Emperor Augustus in the 1976 BBC television series I, Claudius. Brian dominated the screen with his performance and we were very lucky to get the chance to speak to him.

Now funding on Kickstarter: Agricola (the podcast miniseries).

Guests:
Brian Blessed
Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

On the night of 18 July, 64 CE, a fire broke out in the Circus Maximus at Rome. It raged for nine days, destroying or damaging ten of the city’s fourteen regions.

Was the fire just a terrible accident? Or was it deliberately lit, either by dissident Christians or by the emperor Nero, who allegedly sang while Rome burned?

Recorded on 12th April 2022, in front of a live audience at the Australian National University.

Now funding on Kickstarter: Agricola (the podcast miniseries).

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Every year Rome held an election in which two senators were chosen for the role of consul. Being elected consul was a great honour, and the position was hotly contested, and a successful campaign depended upon the candidate’s military achievements, rhetorical skills and their willingness to be corrupt.

Now funding on Kickstarter: Agricola (the podcast miniseries).

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

More than two years have passed since the death of Caesar, and we now find our story at the final battle of the Liberator’s war. Octavian and Mark Antony lead their forces west to confront Cassius and Brutus, who have amassed quite the army in the meantime.

Part VI of 'The Liberator's War'

Guest: Assistant Professor Steele Brand (History, The King’s College, New York City).

Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus have secured their alliance against Caesar's assassins, and since they have control of Rome, it's time for them to get rid of any competition. Proscribing an enemy means they will likely be executed, and their personal fortunes can be confiscated and put towards paying soldiers - and the second triumvirate make full use of this.

Part V of 'The Liberator's War'

Guest: Assistant Professor Zachary Herz (Legal Historian, Department of Classics, University of Colorado Boulder).

After his victory in at Mutina, Octavian desired honours that the senate declined to award him. This led him to re-evaluate who his enemy truly was, and make an alliance with the recently defeated Mark Antony.

Part IV of 'The Liberator's War'

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

As Antony heads north he finds the city of Mutina defended by Decimus Brutus. Antony lays siege, but he doesn't count on a young Octavian leading the army to confront him.

Part III of 'The Liberator's War'

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

As the power struggle in Rome continued and generals waged their war on the battlefield, Cicero took to the floors of the senate, confronting Antony with the greatest weapon in his arsenal: the spoken word. He called his speeches the Philippics, and they were influential in turning the senate against Antony.

Part II of 'The Liberator's War'

Guest: Dr Kathryn Tempest (Reader in Classics and Ancient History, University of Roehampton).

Caesar’s death created a power vacuum in the city of Rome. While Antony struggled against the senate to make a deal and assert his dominance, Octavian’s imminent arrival presented a rival he couldn’t anticipate.

Part I of 'The Liberator's War'

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University).

Crucifixion was a Roman practise or torture and execution that proved a popular punishment for slaves and enemies of Rome When crucified an individual was nailed to a cross or a piece of wood and left in the elements to asphyxiate.

Obvious content warning!

Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director, Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)

The Roman fort functioned as a base of operations for the army, a defensive and functional structure that could protect both the frontier of the Roman Empire and the supply lines.

Guest: Dr Adrian Goldsworthy (historian and author, whose most recent work of fiction is titled 'The Fort').

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

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of School of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

Romans had the reality of witches, those who made the brews and prepared the curses, but also the witches of fiction. In their poems and stories, a witch took on a horrific persona, one that skews much more closely to the modern idea of a witch.

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

A witch occupied a strange niche in the Roman world. Distrusted but respected, persecuted but employed by the most elite, a witch in Rome existed on the sidelines and spoken of in hushed terms, and to many of the powerful, a weapon that could be employed.

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

When Apuleius married his friend’s mother, little did he realise that it would lead to a charge of sorcery, with a raft of seemingly innocent actions from buying a mirror to writing bad poetry bought up in front of the courts to prove his wicked intentions.

Unfortunately for his accusers, Apuleius was a skilled orator, educated in the art of philosophy and highly skilled at slandering his enemies.

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

When Pedanius Secunus was murdered by his slave the law was precise - every slave in his household, every man, woman and child, would be crucified as punishment.

The law that allowed this was the Senatus Consultum Silanianum, It existed to ease the minds of the wealthy slave owners of Rome, allowing them to live in power amongst slaves who knew that their actions would mean that all are punished.

Guest: Assistant Professor Zachary Herz (Legal Historian, Department of Classics, University of Colorado Boulder)

In 60CE Rome came close to losing the province of Britannia in an uprising led by the warrior queen Boudicca, who united the tribes in the area, destroyed several Roman settlements and defeated part of a Roman legion.

She has become an icon of British resistance, highlighting the difficulty Rome had in controlling the distant provinces.

Part III of ‘Enemies of Rome’

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

There were few enemies of the Romans who had as much success as Arminius. One of the Germani who fought at their side, he was able to unite the disparate tribes, lure three Roman legions into a trap, and defeat them at the battle of Teutoburg Forest. His success and later resistance would leave the area largely free of Roman influence.

Part II of ‘Enemies of Rome’

Guest: Dr Emma Southon (Historian and author of 'A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum').

Vercingetorix was a Gallic leader who managed to unite the local tribes and mount a credible defence against Caesar during his campaign in Gaul. While his resistance was ultimately futile, he has become a symbol of French nationalism and a much needed foe to Caesar’s Gallic war commentaries.

Part I of ‘Enemies of Rome’

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

Magic was an essential part of the Roman world. You could use it in love, revenge, profit, life and death. All levels of Roman society made use of it, and it was an integral part of the understanding of both religion and medicine.

Guest: Professor Daniel Ogden (Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter)

If archaeological digs are anything to go by, Rome was a society of fantastic luxury. Impressive buildings, exotic foods, obedient slaves, and more marble than you could shake a toga at. But when you read ancient sources, there were those who felt uncomfortable with the opulence, and perhaps it was making the Roman’s soft.

Guest:

Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

When Decius died during a battle with the Goths, the Roman army took it upon themselves to appoint his successor - his remaining general Trebonianus Gallus. Gallus was praised for not beginning a civil war - unusual for the time - but would be unable to lead the empire through the turmoil.

Guest:

Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

The Goths are leaving Roman territory, and while they successfully sacked some cities there has been no lasting damage to the provinces - but the same can’t be said for the reputation of the Emperor, Decius. He rides with his troops to confront them in battle, becoming the first Roman emperor to die at the hands of a foreign enemy.

Guest:

Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

This is the era of Roman history where the Goths from the north begin to pose a serious threat to the stability of the faltering Roman empire. When they begin to lay siege to Roman cities Decius rides to confront them, not realising the challenging battles that await him.

Guest:
Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

During the early days of his reign, Emperor Decius issued an edict commanding that all Romans should make a sacrifice for the good of the empire. While some happily went along with it, for others it went against what they believed in, and not everyone living within the borders of Rome were happy with the Emperor's wishes.

Guest:
Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

When Phillip became Emperor in 244CE, Rome was cracking at the edges. Enemies were at the border, the economy was straining, and the Emperor was an easy target for a disgruntled military. Who wants to rule Rome at this time?

Guest:
Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

When the dust settled on a six month civil war in 238CE, only the 13 year old Gordian III is left standing to take the purple. Once again Rome is left with a teenage emperor.

Guest:
Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Rome dates its beginning to the 21st April 753BCE, when legend has it that it was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus. While not the only myth connected to this event, it has been the most enduring, and commemorating it became an important event in the Roman calendar.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

Rhiannon Evans, Caillan Davenport, Gillian Shepherd and Matt Smith each share three items of Roman interest for three minutes! You will hear:

- Silius Italicus and his unbearable bunion
- Pomponius Mela and the wonders of the Nile
- Snarky soldiers at the Vindolanda fort
- Legacy hunters and the jewels of Matidia
- Unusual dedications to the gods
- Early sources for the great fire of Rome
- The effectiveness of Roman concrete
- How Rome dealt with mass burial of the poor
- Sea monsters
- Curse tablets and sporting fanatics
- Vedius Pollio throws a clumsy slave to the lamprey
- The rare instances of Romans sacrificing people

Guests:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)
Assoc. Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)
Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director, Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)

The Severan dynasty was founded in 193CE by Septimius Severus, but in many ways it was his wife Julia Domna and her sister Julia Maesa who would guide the family, both powerful augustae and instrumental in securing their family’s imperial position.

Part X of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guest:
Dr Emma Southon (Historian and author of 'A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum').

As the daughter of the previous Emperor, Faustina provided her husband, Marcus Aurelius, with a solid link to the imperial throne. Besides continuity she came to embody motherhood, not just to the next Emperor, but to the empire as a whole.

Part IX of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guest:

Assoc. Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Sabina bought some much needed legitimacy to the rule of Hadrian. As a grand-niece of Trajan she was an important dynastic link to the previous emperor, and in death Hadrian could deify her, and be the husband to a god.

Part VIII of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guest:

Professor T. Corey Brennan (Classics, Rutgers University).

When Trajan came to the big city he bought his provincial wife with him. Plotina stood on the steps of Domitian’s palace and promised the people of Rome that she’d keep it real. And from what we can tell from our ancient sources, that’s exactly what she did.

Part VII of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guest:

Professor T. Corey Brennan (Classics, Rutgers University).

Domitia was princess of the Julio-Claudians who caught the attention of a young Domitian. As Augusta she kept a low profile, and managed to survive and thrive across three imperial dynasties.

Part VI of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guest:

Dr Trudie Fraser (Honorary Fellow, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne).

As the wife to the Emperor and daughter of Germanicus, Agrippina had grown accustomed to being a voice of influence in Rome. When her son Nero takes the title this changes, and she struggles to have her voice heard.

Part V of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guest:
Dr Emma Southon (Historian and author of Agrippina: Empress, Exile, Hustler, Whore).

In many ways Agrippina can be associated with the worst qualities of Livia – a scheming, deceiving and manipulating. But in her marriage to Claudius you can see a different side of her: an ambitious, capable Empress who made Claudius look good.

Part IV of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guest:
Dr Emma Southon (Historian and author of Agrippina: Empress, Exile, Hustler, Whore).

Messalina, third wife of Claudius, is likely one of the Roman Empresses with the worst reputation. The historians accuse her of adultery and prostitution, avarice and greed, and her name becomes synonymous with a woman of loose morals and licentiousness.

Part III of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guests:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

Livia is often known by association - the wife of Augustus and the mother of Tiberius - but she becomes a figure of power and influence in Rome in her own right.

This episode is a redux of Episode XXV (from 2016), followed by an all new interview with Sian Phillips who played Livia in The BBC’s ‘I Claudius’ in 1976.

Part II of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guests:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)
Sian Phillips (Livia in ‘I, Claudius’)

A Roman Empress could often be one of the influential individuals in Rome. Always close to the seat of power, they have been recorded as dutiful, scheming, seductive and conniving - as interesting individuals as the Emperors themselves.

Part I of 'Empresses of Rome'

Guests:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)

The Fasti is a poem about the Roman calendar, written by the poet Ovid during the reign of the Emperor Augustus. Writing the poem gave Ovid the chance to think about contemporary Rome through the medium of some of the best known Roman stories, like the City's foundation by Romulus and Remus, and the creation of the republic by Brutus.

This is the first episode of a miniseries now funding on kickstarter. Back it now to receive an additional six episodes.

Guests:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of School of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)
Dr Peter Davis (Visiting Research Fellow in Classics, University of Adelaide)

For the sixth time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer!
In this episode:
- Which Roman Emperor would our guests like to interview?
- Did Romans have pets?
- How did Romans organise construction?
- How did we decided when the Roman Empire ‘ended’?
- Are the ancient sources reliable?
- Did women and men in Rome share bath houses?
- Favourite Cicero self-aggrandisement?

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head of School of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University)
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)
Virginia Trioli (ABC Journalist and Newsreader)

Herodian was a Roman historian living and writing during the reign of the Severan dynasty. He is a valuable record of events for some of the most turbulent days of Roman history, and while at times lacking details, he knows what he’s doing with an exciting narrative.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

During the civil war of 238CE no less than six Emperors were vying for the purple. When the dust finally settled on the child Gordian III remained in power, not because he was the best person for the job, but because he was the most convenient.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Maximinus Thrax was an unorthodox Emperor, a man of lowborn status who kept to the frontlines with the military. It was only a matter of time before the Senate threw in with someone more on their level, but their choice, Gordian, would have the shortest rule of any Emperor.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

The Roman Empire was unprepared for the rule of the Emperor Maximinus. Regarded by many as a savage barbarian, he came to the purple by blood, would rule by blood, and would leave it the same way.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

In 9CE three Roman legions were walking through Germany when they were ambushed in what would become one of the most notorious defeats throughout Rome’s history. The loss of the legions were a crippling blow to Rome’s plans of expansion, and redrew the borders in the province.

Guest:
Barry Strauss (Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, author of Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors From Augustus to Constantine).

Ulpian was a Roman jurist, who became quite influential during the rule of the Severan Dynasty. He was considered one of the great legal authorities of his time, and his writings and thoughts formed the basis of the Western Roman Empire.

Guest:
Dr Zachary Herz (Assistant Professor, Classics, University of Colorado Boulder)

If an emperor has been disappointing, cruel, tyrannical, or just related to the wrong person he is at risk of being damned, erased, have his likenesses destroyed and his name stricken from the records. The process of danmatio memoraie was intended to be a permanent judgement, and the final vengeance of an angry Rome.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

When an emperor passed away it gave the Roman empire a chance to reflect on his reign. If he wasn’t terrible and the circumstances allowed it, he would be deified and worshiped as a god throughout the empire.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The last Penguin edition of The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius was translated by Robert Graves in 1957. Historian Tom Holland is now working on a new translation, and took time away from the manuscript to talk to me about his process.

Guest:
Tom Holland (author of Rubicon, Dynasty, and an upcoming translation of Suetonius' 'The Twelve Caesars')

Severus Alexander comes from a strong military dynasty with a string of victories against Rome’s enemies, and it’s fair to say the Roman army was less than impressed with his performance against Sassanian and Germanic tribes. The empire needs a leader! Should they turn to a fighter, or to a weakling and his mother?

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

When Severus Alexander leads the Roman armies east, he meets Artaxerxes and the Sasanians in battle but his tactics are unprepared. Artaxerxes attacked unexpectedly with his entire force and trapped the Romans like fish in a net; firing their arrows from all sides at the encircled soldiers, the Persians massacred the whole army.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Severus Alexander was an emperor who spent much of his reign at war, but he was ill-suited to it and would likely have preferred to be elsewhere. His main enemy was the Sasanians, an empire that rose out of the ashes of the Parthians, and would be a leading regional power for the next 400 years.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Severus Alexander was a young boy when he came to power in Rome in 222CE, in the wake of the death of his unpopular cousin, Elagabalus. He would reign for 13 years but struggle to assert authority, bringing the once proud Severan dynasty to a chaotic ending.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Spartacus is an epic historical film based on the life of a Roman gladiator who led a slave rebellion against Rome in the 1st C BCE. In this episode we’ll take a fond look at this cinematic classic, in memory of its leading man, Kirk Douglas.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Lupercalia was a Roman festival which took place in the middle of February, and had the effects of purifying and cleansing the city. Participants would take part in a blood sacrifice, strip off their togas, and run naked through the streets of Rome.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The Romans had some strange ideas when it came to medical practice, but you have to give them some leeway, and a lot has changed in 2000 years. Some of the thoughts and techniques showed forward thinking, but you might have to ignore the cabbages.

Guest:
Dr Leanne McNamara (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Rhiannon Evans, Caillan Davenport and Matt Smith each share three Roman topics of interest for three minutes! You will hear:
- Scaurus and the marble columns
- The 206 fragments of the Portland Vase
- The paranoia of Emperor Claudius
- The Roman perception of Ireland (featuring exploding sheep)
- The vanity of the Alexander the Sophist
- An early example of chemical warfare
- Living it rough with Seneca
- Goldflake and Innocence
- The nazi fascination with Tacitus' Germania

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

For the fifth time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer!
In this episode:
- How the orders of Roman society worked
- The materials Romans used in clothing
- How Romans marked years by Consul
- Augustus adopting his wife, Livia
- The truth about the Cantabrian warrior Cococotta
- How to actually pronounce ‘Pompey’
- Is the Roman salute accurate?
- How much of Latin is Greek?
- How did the Romans say their own numbers?
- How did the relationship change between Patricians and Plebs?
- Which Roman figure do we wish we knew more about?

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Gaius Gracchus - awe-inspiring and passionate to exaggeration, a demagogue pure and simple, seemingly shunned the family business, at least to begin with. But however much you may try to defer your fate, sometimes decisions are made for you.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Tiberius Gracchus had introduced property laws that, while unpopular with the ruling elite, went down well with the people of Rome. You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time. But that’s just politics, isn’t it? Nothing to lose your head over.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Any system of government that has been around for long enough is going to develop its problems, and that is definitely the case with the Roman republic. There was inequality between the ruling class and the common people, and if young Tiberius Gracchus decides to take up the cause, what’s the worst that could happen?

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

What we do know about Cornelia is mostly through the lens of her famous sons, but to the Romans she was much more than that. She was put on a pedestal, in bronze, no less, as the ideal mother for Romans to aspire to, and may have been quite influential in politics at the time.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Octavian was barely an adult when he arrived in Rome in 44BCE. Two months had passed since his adopted father, Julius Caesar, was murdered by members of the senate who resented his control as dictator. Octavian stood to inherit Caesar’s fortunes, but few could have imagined that he would inherit Caesar’s power.

He would become emperor in 27BCE, reigning as the Augustus and transforming the republic of Rome into an autocratic principate. Under his leadership of forty years Rome would grow in territory, reputation, economy and culture, and change from a city of sun-dried bricks and leave it clothed in marble. How did the young Octavian transform himself into Rome's first emperor?

Sponsored by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University. Held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on 23 September, 2019.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The Vestals were an order of priestesses who were sacred to Rome, and were respected and referred as symbols of a safe and stable empire. They had the all-important duty of maintaining the sacred flame, and if it were extinguished, it would be a sign of impending disaster.

Guest:
Dr Peta Greenfield (Public Historian, co-host of 'The Partial Historians' podcast)

Elagabalus has long been remembered as deviant and sexually depraved. His behaviour was shocking for a Roman citizen, let alone the leader of the empire, and Rome was relieved to see the end of him.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

When Elagabalus finally reached Rome, the city seemed to hold its breath. The young Emperor embraced both the roles of ruler and high priest of a foreign religion, and there were many that questioned where his priorities lie.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Macrinus has made a treaty with the Parthians and at long last, the two mighty empires are at peace. It likely won’t last, but at this point it matters little: now he can finally get down to the business of ruling the empire.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

With the murder of Caracalla one of the most unlikely men steps into power. Macrinus is unassuming, of the wrong position, and the wrong class. He’d argue he’s the best man for the job, but very few in Rome would agree with him.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

Assassination was a regular occurrence in the right Roman circles, and the gossip around the senate floor must have frequently turned to who's knifing who. An emperor would need to keep the senate, the army, and the people on side, or risk a well-placed dagger.

Guest:
Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

By modern standards the Romans had some fairly unusual ideas, which could be putting it mildly when it comes to the subject of adultery. For the most part the Romans were lack lax in repercussions, unless of course you were embarrassing a man of high status.

Guest:
Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

While we are lucky that much Roman literature from the late republic and the imperial period comes down to us complete or almost complete, most of the historical and poetic works from the mid-republic have been lost and only survive in fragments.

Guest:
Dr Hannah Čulík-Baird (Assistant Professor, Classical Studies, Boston University)

The Roman calendar was important to the civic management of Rome - it told when to plant and harvest crops, when to celebrate festivals and when to go to war. The calendar designed by the Romans is used today, more or less unchanged for 2000 years - including paying homage to both Julius Caesar and Augustus.

Guest:
Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The historian Edward Gibbon perhaps summed up Caracalla quite succinctly, when he used this phrase to describe his demise while answering a call of nature on the side of the road: "Such was the end of a monster whose life disgraced human nature, and whose reign accused the patience of the Romans."

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

The Roman Empire had engaged in Parthian wars for generations, stretching back, off and on, to the days of Pompey the Great.

Caracalla makes his foray into this arena, but as always, he’s going to do things a little differently. He shall have a wedding. Or a hanging. Either way he’s going to have a lot of fun.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

After unleashing his unique brand of rule on the people of Rome, Caracalla becomes the problem of the provinces. After 212 he’ll spend the rest of his reign either at war or on tour, making the beast of Italy a problem for all Romans to deal with.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

Now that Caracalla is the sole emperor of the Roman empire he’s able to act as he wishes. While he does little to please anyone outside the military, it’s his economic and social reforms that will affect the empire for years to come.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

The death of Septimius Severus left a strong line of succession with two sons ready to take control of the empire. There was no love lost between Caracalla and Geta, and it would be the Roman empire that bore the scars of their relationship.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

The Roman poet Ovid penned The Book of Love in three volumes as a manual for how to deal with the art of love and seduction during the slightly austere days of the reign of Augustus.

This isn't exactly 'Men are From the Temple of Mars, Women are From the Temple of Venus', but happy Lupercalia everyone!

Guest:
Assoc Professor Peter Davis (Visiting Research Fellow, Classics, University of Adelaide)

The equites belonged to a class of Roman citizen dating back to the kingdom of Rome. Ranked below the senatorial class, they grew in power and influence, occupying key positions in the government and military.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

The ultimate triumvirate! Three people present three Roman history topics each for three minutes. In this episode you will hear:
- The unfortunate demise of Cinna the poet
- Cicero's reluctance to send panthers to those in need
- The sensitive subject of baldness
- PTSD bought on by the Carthaginian War
- Women donning a toga
- Claudius' edicts and defending 'stupidity'
- The last of the Ptolemys
- The hazard of regifting the world's largest apple

Guests:
Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University)

Saturnalia was the biggest festival on the Roman calendar - that special time in December when you gathered all your loved ones close, made a sacrifice to Saturn, and celebrated the festive season.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

The power and prevalence of Latin - how did it develop, how has it influenced language, and where can we still come across it today?

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

Spartacus amassed an army and had some victories against the Romans. While he was ultimately unsuccessful, the story of his rebellion against oppressors would grow, and find a sympathetic audience in the modern time.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

When Spartacus escaped the gladiator training school he may not have realised what he had started. What began as a simple bid for freedom soon became a cause for slaves around Italy, and he attracted thousands of followers.

The Romans were forced to pay attention to this enemy from within, despite the fact that there was little glory to be found fighting an army of slaves.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

The Roman empire was made mighty through the hard work of slaves, but occasionally they escaped, banded together and fought back.

The last and greatest slave rebellion was lead by Spartacus, a man who has come to symbolise the oppressed and resistance against tyranny. We begin the story of his life by looking at his time as a gladiator.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

Slaves were an integral part of the Roman society, responsible for much of the domestic duties and manual labour for any self respecting and vaguely wealthy Roman citizen.

Life as a slave was harsh – you were treated as property, the best you could hope for was freedom, and at worst being worked to death. But it’s unlikely Rome would be a city clothed in marble without slaves to exploit.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

Classical authors such as Cicero and Plutarch would have us believe that the elderly were revered, active citizens of ancient Rome. But on closer inspection that may not be the case, and older people mightn’t have the power and respect in society that we first supposed.

Guest: Professor Tim Parkin (Elizabeth and James Tatoulis Chair of Classics, University of Melbourne)

The women of Rome are largely missing from the written records, and often come up only tangently in works by and or about the men in their lives. They’re often painted as villains, temptresses, and poisoners – Clodia is no exception.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

A silence settled over the Theatre of Pompey, and Rome moved quickly. Will Brutus and Cassius be hailed as liberators and restorers of the Roman republic, or will Rome lament the demise of its leader? Much of it comes down to the actions of Antony, and the legacy left in the will of Caesar.

‘Caesar’s Gallic War’ podcast is now crowdfunding on kickstarter.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Julius Caesar was popular with the people, but that didn't extend as far as the senate. Wary of the risk of a new monarchy and eager to restore the proud Roman republic, Brutus, Cassius and Decimus decide to do away with their dictator.

Recorded live at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne, on 8th August 2018.

‘Caesar’s Gallic War’ podcast is now crowdfunding on kickstarter.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

For the fourth time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer!
In this episode:
- Was Livia the scheming sociopath that Robert Graves portrayed?
- What is the difference between Caesar and Augustus? Are the titles the same?
- What did the Romans write their manuscripts on?
- How did the Romans picture the shape of their empire?
- Could a senator quit the senate?
- What were the limitations of Roman naming conventions?
- Would Donald Trump make a good Roman Emperor?
- What happened between Caesar and Titus Labienus?
- What are some of the lesser known Roman gods?
- Did Caesar actually say 'I came, I saw, I conquered'?

‘Caesar’s Gallic War’ podcast is now crowdfunding on kickstarter.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

After his year as consul, Caesar heads north to govern the province of Cisalpine Gaul. He will spend years fighting against Gaul, extending the empire, and establishing his reputation as a mighty leader. We now give an introductory episode to his text.

This is the first episode of a new premium podcast series, ‘Caesar’s Gallic War’, now crowdfunding on kickstarter and available to supporters only.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Sallust was a Roman politician and historian writing during the time of the fall of the Roman republic. The two main surviving examples of his work are The Cataline Conspiracy and The Jugurthine War and they give an informative and partisan view of the Roman events.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The first triumvirate is over, but for Julius Caesar he got the desired outcome – he’s now poised with an army to march into Rome. Over the next few years he will exert his influence over the empire, and his legacy will bring and end to the Roman republic.

Part VI of The Fall of the Roman Republic.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The Roman republic is now at a point where it can be manipulated, particularly if powerful people decide to work together to further their interests, which is exactly what Caesar, Pompey and Crassus have in mind.

Part V of The Fall of the Roman Republic.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Rome is now past the years of Sulla as dictator, but the rich and powerful are only encouraged, finding new ways to attain power. Both Crassus and Pompey use the might of the sword to force their agenda, while Cataline prefers the old fashioned method of a dagger to the back.

Part IV of The Fall of the Roman Republic.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

As the senate clawed more power from the people, it was inevitable that a few would rise above others, and take over command and influence with an army. Marius, Sulla, and the civil war that followed would just be another log on the funeral pyre of the Roman republic.

Part III of The Fall of the Roman Republic.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The Roman Republic was still going strong 400 years after it had been established but cracks were beginning to show. We can put a year on when it started to go wrong: 133BCE. In this year there would be two significant deaths that would begin the end.

Part II of The Fall of the Roman Republic.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The Roman Republic is often held up as a foundation model of western democracy, and while it worked well for some of the Romans at the time, it did have its flaws. These became more pronounced as the centuries passed.

Part I of The Fall of the Roman Republic.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Herodes was a distinguished Roman senator from Greece, and also had the reputation of being the greatest sophist of the age. While he wasn’t always the most popular person in his home province, he did do a lot to elevate the culture and standing of Athens in the Roman Empire.

Guest: Dr Estelle Strazdins, (Research Fellow, Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens).

Determined to end his time as Emperor on a high note, Septimius Severus sets his sights on what is one of the few places in the empire having trouble with the locals – Brittania, an island that has never been entirely under Roman rule.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Three completely different events in the reign of Septimius Severus.

Act I – If you build it they will come

Septimius Severus was establishing a dynasty, and one of the best ways to do that is through building. Not only did you get to beautify the empire, but it gives the opportunity to list your names and accomplishments for all to see

Act II - The superfluous senators of Septimius Severus

Many Roman emperors were harsh towards the senators, and Septimius Severus in particular was adept at thinning the ranks and getting rid of perceived threats. This continued throughout his reign.

Act III - I beg of no man

There will always be dissatisfaction in the empire, but every now and then a figure will rise from the lower classes, so to speak, and rally some men around him. This happened during the reign of Septimius Severus, when an individual known as Bulla the Brigand started causing trouble in the empire.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Three different events in the reign of Septimius Severus.

Act I - A hair of the beard

Gaius Fulvius Plautianus was a trusted relative of Septimius who became pretorian prefect and remained a close advisor. There was no love lost with the rest of the emperor’s family, which led to a swift demise.

Act II - Princes who adore you

Septimius’ sons Antoninus and Geta were constant rivals, and the Emperor worried about their behaviour and indulgences during the idle days in Rome.

Act III - Cordially detested

Septimius had a close relationship with his wife Julia Domna, and the empire respected her as the mother of the dynasty. She is remembered as having a keen political mind and being a patron of thinkers, but she wasn’t always respected in the palace.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Septimius Severus is now ruler or Rome without opposition, had been all things, and all was of little value. He is now distracted with the care, not of acquiring, but of preserving an empire.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Septimius Severus is proclaimed the new Emperor of Rome, but doesn’t have time to rest on his laurels. With rivals to the east and west, not to mention the problematic Parthians, he has an empire to consolidate.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

The Roman Empire shudders in the wake of Commodus’ death, which if you recall, was a matter of months but a whole two emperors ago. Striding into Rome at the head of an army is Septimius Severus, ready to set the right path and found a new, powerful dynasty. Year of the five emperors, take three.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Enraged at the lack of a decent bonus, the Praetorian Guard cut down the newly installed Emperor Pertinax and resolve to sell the throne to the highest bidder. Stepping forward with a sufficient bank balance is Didius Julianus, a man with a proven track record in both the military and the senate. What could go wrong? Year of the five emperors, take two.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Many saw Pertinax as a safe pair of hands to hold the empire - an old general and close advisor of Antoninus Pius, he represented a regime change from the days of lavish excess of Commodus. But was it too much too soon? Well they don't call 193CE the year of the five emperors for nothing.

Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Roman History, Macquarie University).

Livy was an historian writing during the Augustan age of Rome, who wrote one of the empire’s most famous works – an extensive and exhaustive history, spanning 142 books. Of those we have the first quarter, and they’ve influenced every work on Rome that has been written since.

Guest: Professor Ronald Ridley (Honorary,Historical and Philosophical studies, University of Melbourne).

For much of our journey through the Antonine dynasty we’ve had Dio Cassius as our guide. As both a historian and a senator, Dio had a ringside seat to some of the greatest Emperors the Roman empire had seen. He wrote an extensive and what is considered reliable history of the Roman empire, spanning 80 volumes, many of which we have today.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

Epicureanism was an ancient philosophy founded in Athens which became popular throughout the Roman world. It teaches that the greatest good is to seek modest pleasures, and this will lead to a state of tranquility.

Guest: Dr Sonya Wurster (Lecturer in Literature and Philosophy, Yale-NUS, Singapore).

The borders of the Roman Empire grew and shrank throughout its history, reaching its greatest extent during the rule of Trajan. How the Romans viewed and managed their provinces changed with the politics of Rome, and their relationship with outside powers influenced what it meant to be a Roman.

Guest: Dr Paul Burton (Senior Lecturer, Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University).

One thing you can say about the reign of Commodus is that it must have been an interesting time to live in Rome. Between the spectacles in the colosseum and the lowered life expectancy in the Senate, it was just a matter of time until someone took a knife to Commodus, and after almost a century in power, the Antonine dynasty comes to an end.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

One thing you can say about the reign of Commodus is that it must have been an interesting time to live in Rome. Between the spectacles in the colosseum and the lowered life expectancy in the Senate, it was just a matter of time until someone took a knife to Commodus, and after almost a century in power, the Antonine dynasty comes to an end.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

Commodus took a hands-off approach to ruling Rome, but what was he doing with all that free time? It turns out quite a lot. Commodus redefined what it meant to be an emperor, on one hand debasing himself by fighting against the lowest classes in the arena, and on the other hand elevating himself to the level of a god and hero.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

Commodus wasn't the most attentive emperor to rule Rome, preferring to dedicate his time to indulging his vices. Inevitably, someone will step forward to call the shots, as someone has to keep the grain flowing.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

With the passing of Marcus Aurelius, his son Commodus is made emperor. The 19 year old youth had been raised knowing the empire would be his to rule, and he spent it doing what he pleased. The next twelve years under the reign of Commodus would be bloody and chaotic, and many historians believe it to mark the beginning of the end of the Roman empire.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

Marcus Aurelius faced many threats to Rome during his time as Emperor and spent more time at war than he did at peace. Unlike most Emperors, succession was never an issue, as he had a legitimate son, Commodus, ready to take his place.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

"For it is on behalf of the State that I continue to toil and to undergo dangers and that I have spent so much time here outside of Italy, though already an old man and weak, unable to take either food without pain or sleep without anxiety." - Dio 72:24

An ageing Marcus Aurelius continues to toil and undergo dangers – be they warring tribes to the north, the insurrection of Avidius Cassius, an alleged betrayal by his beloved wife, or the disappointing prospects of his son and heir.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are the private musings of a stoic philosopher, primarily written while he was on campaign during the Marcomannic Wars. While they lack extensive details, they give a rare insight into the mind of an Emperor, and the popularity of the text has shaped our modern understanding of the thoughtful Emperor.

Guest: Dr Sonya Wurster (Honorary Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne).

With the Parthians once again defeated and the Antonine plague sweeping through the empire, Marcus Aurelius must defend Rome from yet another opportunistic enemy – the tribes to the north, or as Rome called them, the barbarians. The northern borders were under threat from a rough coalition chiefly lead by the Marcomanni, and Marcus heads out to take control of the Roman forces himself. It is a conflict that will dominate his time for the rest of his life.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

As the Parthian War comes to end the troops are dispersed throughout the corners of the Empire, and with them goes the Antonine plague. The effects of the plague will be felt for decades to come, and we know much about it through the extensive writings of the physician Galen.

Guest: Dr Leanne McNamara (Classics, La Trobe University).

The reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus quickly erupts into war, a state which will continue for the rest of their lives. The first threat the empire encounters comes from the east, where the long-time enemy of the Romans, the Parthians, make their move.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

Introducing Marcus Aurelius: scholar, warrior, philosopher,leader, lover. And his younger brother, Lucius Verus.

Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

When Marcus Aurelius was a young man he was important enough to be given the best education sestertius could buy, in the form of a number of prominent tutors. One of those was the respected senator, Marcus Cornelius Fronto, who remained close to Marcus for the rest of his life. His letters to and from the Emperor, as well their relationship, give a rare insight behind the scenes of imperial power.

Guest: Dr Callain Davenport (ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow at the University of Queensland).

Listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer! In this episode:
- What did the Romans know about China and India?
- At what point does someone who is conquered become a slave?
- Where did the colours come from for Roman garments?
- What did Romans celebrate?
- What did Romans eat?
- Do we know where Julius Caesar was stabbed?
- Who is our favourite Emperor?
- How did the ancient texts get to us today?
- How do we prepare and do our research for the podcast?

Cleopatra was a ruler of Egypt at a time when the land of the Pharaohs were coming to an end. The impression we have of her will always be through the relationships she had with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. So what's her real story?

Recorded live at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne, on 22nd November, 2016.

Martial was a poet writing during the time of Domitian, Nerva and Trajan. He was famous during his time, well-known for his books of epigrams, many of them witty, brief, and/or offensive.

As this is a historical work and a historical figure, we are presenting this uncensored.

"It is the rare fortune of an age in which we may feel what we wish and may say what we feel." - Tacitus, Histories, Book I.I

Tacitus is one of the most important historians of the Roman empire, writing some of the most reputable biographies of early Roman emperors.

Frontinus was a Roman senator who rose to prominence during the time of Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan. While a respected military man, he is best known as an author of technical treatises, especially De Aquaeductu, the authority on the aqueducts of Rome.

Guest: Dr Alice König (Lecturer in Latin & Classical Studies, University of St Andrews, Scotland)

Caligula's erratic rule has led to a fast erosion in popularity and support, and rumours of assassination come to head just four short years after he becomes emperor.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at downfall of this hated ruler of Rome.

Caligula is best known for his erratic and tyrannical behaviour, but were his reactions a result of deviance or madness?

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at the literary sources on Caligula and the wrongs that they accuse him of.

When Caligula became emperor there was a lot of expectations after the disappointing neglect of Tiberius. But for an emperor with such a short time in power he had a lasting impact on the Roman Empire.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith discuss the promising beginning of the reign of Caligula.

Tiberius has withdrawn to a life of seclusion on the island of Capri, and while he’s there he loses control of both Rome and his reputation.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at the downfall of Tiberius, his trashed reputation, and the scheme of Sejanus.

Tiberius became emperor of Rome at the relatively advanced age of 55. He was well-known as a military commander and was popular with the soldiers, but history portrays him as a reluctant leader.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith discuss the reality of Tiberius.

After a lengthy reign of 41 years the Emperor Augustus needs to designate his successor, and after a number of candidates die young he is left with limited options.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at Augustus' succession problem and how he secures his legacy.

Pax Romana - the 'Roman peace' was a long period of relative peace experienced by the Roman Empire, and is said to have been established during the rule of Augustus.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at the contemporary views of peace and how Augustus used it to his advantage.

During Augustus’ time as emperor he had a lasting impact on Rome, during which culture thrived and there was extensive building projects.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at Augustan Rome’s good and bad - from culture to censorship.

Augustus was the founder of the Roman Empire and its first emperor, and after the tumultuous rule of Caesar he enjoyed a long reign.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at how he came to power and whether he was a man of war or peace.

What does the word 'emperor' mean and who can it be applied to in Rome's history?

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at what the emperors called themselves in antiquity, and why the title doesn't apply to Julius Caesar.

For someone who had power for a short amount of time, Caesar’s impact is undeniable.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at the impact of Julius Caesar – the veneration, the public works in his name, and the attempts of emperors to style themselves in his image.

Between winning the civil war and holding power, Caesar's won the support of the people of Rome, but gains more than one enemy in the Roman Senate.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at Caesar's great downfall.

Julius Caesar turns his eyes on a greater prize - the Roman Empire itself.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Lecture in Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University and host Matt Smith discuss Caesar’s civil war, and the resistance within the Senate.

With Gaul and the Germanic tribes conquered and the borders of the Roman Empire expanded, Julius Caesar returns to Rome, hailed as a heroic conqueror.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University), Sarah Midford (Lecturer and PhD student in Classics, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at Caesar's triumphal procession.

Caesar eyes the territory to the east, inhabited by hoards of Gauls, and sees a chance to push forward his military career.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith cover Caesar's conquest of Gaul, and his use of writing to push his agenda.

Caesar reaches the age where he can enter politics, but quickly finds that the rules don’t suit him.

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith look at Caesar's time as a politician, and a tenuous alliance called the Triumvir.

How do Caesar’s formative years shape his decisions in years to come and impact on the Roman Empire?

Dr Rhiannon Evans (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University) and host Matt Smith discuss what we know about Caesar’s early life, his entry into the military and his encounter with pirates.