Sep 27

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 120 "Charlemagne's Empire"

In this and the next episode, I want to look beyond the legend of Charlemagne to find the real man and his achievements and failings. His legend has made him into a symbol of power and authority as well as a figurehead for the cause of European integration. But it shouldn’t be fo ... Show More

24m 29s

Sep 13

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 119 "The Rise of the Carolingians"

In this episode, we explore how the Carolingians rose to become the dynasty that would claim to be the inheritors of Rome. For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German ... Show More

25m 6s

Aug 30

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 118 "The Battle of Tours, AD 732"

In this episode, I’m going to focus on one of the most famous battles in history: the battle of Tours, or Poitiers as it’s sometimes called, in 732. It’s famous because some historians think it stopped the Arabs from conquering Europe. But others think its significance has been e ... Show More

24m 30s

Aug 11

BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT - 'The End of Antiquity' Book 5 in The Fall of the Roman Empire

Although I’m no longer making new episodes of this podcast, I thought you might be interested in my latest book, called The End of Antiquity, which relates particularly well to the content in this podcast since it’s about the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD and the collap ... Show More

1m 53s

Dec 2024

The Roman Caesars' Guide to Ruling

The Roman caesars were the rulers of the Roman Empire, beginning in 27 BC with Julius Caesar’s heir Augustus, from whom subsequent caesars took their name, and lasting until around the fall of the Western Empire in 476 AD. The caesars transitioned the Roman Republic to autocratic ... Show More

57m 14s

Oct 2023

How the Roman Republic Became the Roman Empire

The Roman Republic existed for almost 500 years. The Romane Empire then existed for almost another 500 years. The two institutions had a great deal in common, but they radically differed in how Rome was administered. The Republic was set up explicitly to prevent the rule of a sin ... Show More

13m 27s

Jan 2018

092 The Story of Rome & Other Fairytales (Free)

The ideas attributed to ancient Rome have shaped much of western life and governance in the modern age. How is that we have no reliable historic account of the founding of Rome or how it became the Vatican? Maybe the sky can tell us –

1h 6m

Sep 2024

Love, Betrayal, and the Battle for Rome (Replay)

HISTORY This Week returns with new episodes starting September 16th! In the meantime, listen to a favorite classic from the archives. September 2, 31 BCE. Two camps prepare for battle off the coast of Greece. On one side is Octavian, Julius Caesar’s heir apparent. On the other, M ... Show More

44m 48s

Sep 7

History of Ancient Rome, Part 1 of 2 - The Republic

This sleepy story about the History of Ancient Rome is the first of two parts, because there were too many things to say for one single episode. The next part about the end of the Republic and the Empire will be out soon. In this episode, I tell you about the origins of Rome, its ... Show More

1h 19m

Feb 2025

Rome's most scandalous emperors

How cruel was Caligula? How depraved was Tiberius? And how monstrous was Nero? The dark reputations of these emperors owe a great deal to the Roman writer Suetonius, whose 121 AD work Lives of the Caesars offered intimate portraits of 12 rulers of Rome – from Julius Caesar to Dom ... Show More

32m 39s

Jan 2025

535. Emperors of Rome: Tiberius, Slaughter and Scandal (Part 2)

The Roman historian Suetonius’ biography of the controversial Emperor Tiberius is one of his most shocking and salacious, condemning Tiberius to infamy. But was Tiberius really the perverted monster Suetonius would have us believe? Born of Rome’s most illustrious family and a sac ... Show More

1 h

Feb 2025

The Roman Republic

March 15th, 44BC. Despite ill omens, Julius Caesar approaches the Theatre of Pompey. But the men inside have sworn an oath. To save the Republic from the hands of this self-styled ‘perpetual dictator', Caesar must die. But where did the Republic start? How did it transform Rome f ... Show More

58m 33s

The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 94 ...