As the Great Fire of Rome wreaked havoc on the city, the emperor practiced his singing. Nero's artistic obsessions led not only to Rome's downfall, but his own.
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Nov 2022
Thanksgiving Special: Just Add Arsenic
Over the ages, arsenic has had many lives — beauty fad, household product, medical prescription… and weapon of choice wielded by killers everywhere from Alabama to ancient Rome. Brine your turkey, knead your dough, and listen to our Thanksgiving Special on the regime-changing, as ... Show More
42m 41s
Nov 2022
Famous Revolutionaries: Maximilien Robespierre Pt. 2
In 1791, France adopted a new constitution, placing power in the hands of the people. Robespierre’s job was done... or so he thought. War was coming, and with it, the growing threat of enemies both internal and external. In his quest to squash the counter-revolution, Robespierre ... Show More
46m 37s
Feb 2023
Anthony Everitt on Nero, Rome’s Most Misunderstood Emperor
Ryan speaks with Anthony Everitt about his book Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome, how Rome would have been different if Nero were free to become a musician, why Nero’s overbearing mother contributed to his lack of moral compass, and more.Anthony Everitt is a Br ... Show More
1h 4m
Jun 2023
Caesar: Death of a Dictator Trailer
On the Ides of March, 44 BC, the most famous Roman in history was murdered. Julius Caesar’s killers hoped to save the Republic, but in the end they destroyed it. In the six episodes of Caesar: Death of a Dictator, Rob Attar is joined by a group of expert historians to revisit the ... Show More
3m 53s
Apr 2022
Emperor Nero: Bad boy of Ancient Rome
Nero fiddled while Rome burned, didn’t he? At least, that’s what the history books tell us. Nero’s image as a depraved tyrant has been handed down to us by three biased sources, written after the emperor’s suicide in 68AD. These sources have informed interpretations of Nero’s leg ... Show More
39m 18s
Feb 2023
Heliogabalus: Rome’s scandalous emperor
The story of the Roman emperor Heliogabalus is filled with sex, death, decadence and religious extremism, but it also touches on some key questions about imperial Rome. What were the limits of political power? How far should a ruler intervene in the life of his subjects? And what ... Show More
38m 58s