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 ... Show More
Mar 31
The Tetrarchic Persecution of Christians
In the early fourth century the emperors of the Tetrarchy initiated what later Christians would call the “Great Persecution.” Under Diocletian and his colleagues, churches were demolished, sacred texts seized, and believers forced to choose between sacrificing to the Roman gods o ... Show More
42m 38s
Mar 21
How the Tetrarchy Won the East
With the tetrarch system still taking shape, Diocletian and his Caesar Galerius come under growing pressure in the East, facing rebellion from Egypt and invasion from the Persian King Naresh. A series of hard campaigns, careful political choices and eventual victory will determin ... Show More
34m 53s
Apr 2022
EP 20 A Republic Lost at Sea
Professor Barry Strauss and Dan talk about Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar and a host of historical luminaries in a tale worthy of Shakespeare as the Roman Republic goes down with the ships at Actium. Show Notes: 1. "The War That Made the Roman Empire: Anto ... Show More
1h 8m
Feb 2024
423. Carthage vs. Rome: The Wolf at the Gates (Part 3)
“Every man is the architect of his own destiny”
Long before Rome reigned over the Mediterranean, there was Carthage: the supreme predator of Antiquity. But how did Rome rise to become one of the most ruthless powers of all time, united in cold, disciplined violence? And what was ... Show More
49m 29s
Apr 2021
Cicero’s Fight for the Roman Republic
Caesar Octavian, Mark Antony, Decimus Brutus and Cicero: the Battle of Mutina, April 43 BC, was a clash of giants. It also became the beginning of the end for one of Ancient Rome’s greatest orators, Cicero. For this episode, Steele Brand came back to take Tristan through the batt ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2022
The Legacy of Julius Caesar's Assassination
<p>The legacies of the Ides of March stretch from that very afternoon on March 14th 44BC to the modern day. From Roman times to the Medieval period, from Dante to Shakespeare, and from Brutus to the other infamous assassin he inspired in John Wilkes Booth, the echoes of Julius Ca ... Show More
55m 26s
Sep 2023
369. The Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death
“Are you not entertained?!”
The emblem of Rome, the Colosseum was the unsettling but glamorous home of Roman violence, used for gladiatorial bouts, naval reenactments, and by the emperors to re-stage popular myths. Built by the Flavian dynasty in the first century AD, it is both ... Show More
53m 53s