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The First Ladies of Rome—the women of Augustus’ family—played a role in building his empire. Octavia, Livia, Julia, Agrippina—these were the women who helped kill a democracy.
In this episode, we will explore how they were complicit in their own oppression—how they were manipulated, how they w ... Show More
May 21
The Lex Juliae: How Augustus Brought Women to Heel
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! You may have noticed that MAGA (Republicans in general, really) are weird about women. That weirdness is ancient. It goes all the way back to ancient Rome, all the way back to ancient Greece, and all the way back to ... Show More
1h 39m
Jul 2025
The Roman Conquest of the Hellenistic World
For most of its history, Rome barely bothered with the Greek east. Then, quite suddenly, Rome exploded onto the scene, laying low the two most powerful Hellenistic warrior-kings of the past century. Within ten years, Rome became the undisputed hegemonic power of the Mediterranean ... Show More
43m 35s
Jul 2024
The Roman Conquest of Italy
At the beginning of the 4th century BC, Rome was still not the dominant force in Latium, the small region surrounding the city; by the end of that century, Rome was the dominant power in all of Italy. How did that happen? The answer lies not so much in conquest as cooperation.Pat ... Show More
42m 6s
Sep 2023
History of Everything: Atilla The Hun, The Scourge of God
Also called Flagellum Dei, or the “scourge of God,” Attila was known to Romans for his brutality and a penchant for sacking and pillaging Roman cities. He's considered one of the greatest “barbarian” rulers in history, having successfully expanded the rule of the Huns and maintai ... Show More
1h 13m
Aug 2024
The Fall of Roman Britain
<p>By 410 AD, over 450 years after Julius Caesar first landed on its shores, the Romans had formally withdrawn from Britain. Burdened by military threats and political upheaval on the continent, the empire began to contract in on itself. The Romano-Britons were left to fend for t ... Show More
36m 10s
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