095- The Beginning of the End

The reign of Commodus turned on a botched assassination attempt orchestrated by his sister in 182 AD. 

Commodus went off the deep end around 190 AD and was finally killed by his inner circle in 192. <br><br> 

After Commodus was assassinated, Pertinax reigned for 86 days. He was murdered by the Praetorian Guard in March 193 and the Imperial throne was auctioned off the highest bidder. 

<p>Marcus Aurelius was the last of the &apos;Good Emperors&apos;. His son, Commodus, proved to be the exact opposite of his father. A bloodthirsty tyrant, his reign is often seen as marking the beginning of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.</p><p>For a free ebook, maps an ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the man who, according to Machiavelli, was the last of the Five Good Emperors. Marcus Aurelius, 121 to 180 AD, has long been known as a model of the philosopher king, a Stoic who, while on military campaigns, compiled ideas on how best to live his ... Show More

The second fitna revealed the unprecedented level of division within the umma, divisions which only grew as the civil conflict ground on for a decade. Under Abdulmalik’s leadership, the Umayyads managed to slowly grow their power until they found themselves in a position to chall ... Show More

<p>Mark Antony; the headstrong bad boy, a feared commander, lover and traitor memorably depicted by Richard Burton. His story is intertwined with some of ancient history's biggest names such as Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, Cleopatra and Augustus.</p><br><p>In a two part special ... Show More

Hisham’s armies faced many different opponents during his long and formidable reign. The mismanagement of the half-brothers who preceded him had taken its toll on the umma’s unity, and the caliphate’s borders were no longer as secure as they had once been. We’ll take a whirlwind ... Show More

From the glories of early medieval Northumbria to the urban powerhouses of the industrial revolution, northern England has long had an identity of its own. In his book Northerners, Brian Groom traces the story of the North from the Ice Age to the present day. He tells Ellie Cawth ... Show More

Succession once again warrants its own episode. Al Saffah relied on three commanders to oversee different parts of his caliphate, and while the setup kept the new dynasty safe and stable, the ambitions of these three leaders clashed soon after the caliph passed away. 

Despreciado por su propia familia a causa de sus defectos físicos, Claudio se vio marginado del poder por Tiberio y sufrió luego las crueles burlas de Calígula. Pero tras el asesinato de éste los pretorianos, para sorpresa de todos, lo auparon al trono imperial. Con el tiempo, se ... Show More

<p>This week we continue our discussion of Napoleon Bonaparte with our comrade Matthew. We start out tying up some loose ends and then discuss the upcoming Ridley Scott movie and the many variations of Bonapartism. </p><p><br/></p><p>Music: <em>Marche du Sacre de Napoléon</em></p ... Show More

<p>Despite Belisarius&apos; victory at Dara in 530, dissatisfaction was growing with Justinian which would soon lead to rebellion.</p><p>For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website <a href='https://www.nickholmesauthor.com/'>nickholmesauthor.com</a><br/>Find my latest b ... Show More