Synopsis: Part 1 of a two-part Spotlight series on the rise and fall of the Roman Emperor Galerius: refugee, herdsman, soldier, Caesar, Augustus, Tetrarch, conqueror, schemer, would-be ruler of the (Dacian?) Empire, and persecutor of the Christians. A rollicking Third Century romp inspired by my current residence in his former tetrarchal capital of Thessalon ... Show More
Dec 21
Episode A7 - The Abode of Clouds
Synopsis: The science behind the 4.2 kiloyear BPE Aridification Event. “The great farming tracts brought forth no grain, The irrigated farming tracts brought forth no fish, The well-watered orchard brought forth neither syrup nor wine. The gathering clouds brought no rain, not ev ... Show More
39m 53s
Jul 2025
Episode A6 - The Reign of Ishtar
Synopsis: The Akkadian Empire reaches its zenith under the rule of Naram-Sin. “Its king, the shepherd, Naram-Sin, Shone forth like sunrise on the holy throne of Agade, Its walls, like a mountain range, reached up to graze the sky. Holy Inanna opened in them spacious gates, Big en ... Show More
51m 49s
Jan 2025
534. Emperors of Rome: Sex Secrets of the Caesars (Part 1)
The Roman historian Suetonius’ The Lives of the Caesars, written during the early imperial period of the Roman Empire, is a seminal biography covering the biographies of the early emperors of Rome, during two spectacular centuries of Roman history. Delving deep into the personal ... Show More
53m 41s
Oct 2024
500. The Roman Conquest of Britain: The Empire Strikes Back (Part 2)
Viewed as an idiot by those around him, Claudius felt the need to prove himself. In the century since Caesar had invaded Britain, the mythology surrounding the island had taken hold in Roman imaginations. Stories of sea monsters, terrifying Druids, and human sacrifice by barbaria ... Show More
56m 52s
Feb 2025
537. Emperors of Rome: Claudius, Paranoia and Poison (Part 4)
Following the bloody assassination of the twenty-eight year old Emperor Caligula, Rome found herself without a leader. Who then should fill the enormous power vacuum left by the death of an emperor? Should Rome return to a Republic? Then, one overlooked candidate - a scion of the ... Show More
1h 6m
Feb 2025
536. Emperors of Rome: Caligula, Incest and Insanity (Part 3)
"Enough of the Princeps, what remains to be described, is the monster..."
The Roman emperor Caligula endures as one of the most notorious figures in not only Roman history, but the history of the world. Famed as a byword for sexual degeneracy, cruelty and corruption, the account ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2024
The plague that brought the Roman empire to its knees
In AD 165, the Roman empire was enjoying a period of seemingly unprecedented prosperity and stability. Then, the Antonine Plague arrived, bringing with it death, chaos, and fear. Speaking with James Osborne, Colin Elliott, author of Pox Romana, dissects the impact of this devasta ... Show More
43m 13s