003a- The Seven Kings of Rome

The last days of the Roman Kingdom were ruled over by the three members of the so-called Tarquin Dynasty: Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus. The last proved to be such a tyrant that he was overthrown and monarchy was forever outlawed by the Romans. 

The monarchy had been overthrown and the Roman Republic was now established. Despite the appearance of a free democratic republic, the Romans were beset with economic and political divisions that threatened the unity of the young State. 

The infant Roman Republic faced many challenges as it grew into adolescence, both internally and externally. Most significantly class divisions led to a confrontation between patricians and plebs that resulted in the creation of the office of Tribune. 

Coming up on this episode of Talking History: we're exploring entertainment, culture, religion and society in Ancient Rome, with Dr Jonathan Coulston, Senior Lecturer at the School of Classics at The University of St Andrews; Dr Rebecca Usherwood, Assistant Professor in Late Anti ... Show More

We continue with the story of Rome's rise to power in the third and second centuries BC, and ask two vital questions: first, did the Romans simply get lucky? Second, how did the Roman legions become the most feared fighting machine of the ancient world?Support the showFor a free ... Show More

Shushma Malik discusses some of the most admired and reviled Roman emperors, and considers whether the legends surrounding them stand up to scrutiny   In the latest in our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Shushma Malik responds to your quest ... Show More

Love them or loathe them, the Roman emperors were some of the most influential figures in history. In this episode Barry Strauss, Professor of History and Classics at Cornell University, talks through ten of the most important - starting with Augustus and ending at Cons ... Show More

<p>The crisis of the Roman Republic is a period littered with iconic male power players. Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Pompey, Brutus and the Gracchi brothers. But less famous, and often overlooked are the women that shaped these famous Roman states<em>men</em>.</p><br><p>In today' ... Show More

<p>Join us as we discuss six Roman emperors, highlighting how they either helped the empire grow through innovation and scalability, or through corruption and greed, contributed to its downfall.</p> 

<p>Gaius Marius (157&nbsp;BC – 86 BC) was one of the first warlords of the late Roman Republic, a general and statesman who held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his life.</p><br><p>In this episode Tristan is joined by Dr Federico Santangelo, Professor of ... Show More

This week, we drop in on a conversation between Mary Beard and two former TLS editors; and Anne Enright joins us to talk about turning poet in her new novel.'Emperor of Rome: Ruling the ancient Roman world', by Mary Beard'Big Caesars and little Caesars: How they rise and how they ... Show More

<p>What happened after the Ides of March? How did the Romans go from co-ordinated assassinations to the Pax Romana? From Tyranny to prosperity? In this third episode of our Ides of March series, Tristan is joined by Dr Hannah Cornwell to discuss the turbulent relations that erupt ... Show More