Feb 22, 2018
* Claudius was encouraged to take up writing history by the man who himself wrote one of the greatest histories during Aug’s reign – Titus Livius, aka Livy. * He was a local aristocrat from Northern Italy and never sought a career in public life. * His history...
Feb 17, 2018
Having listened to both the Napoleon podcast and Rays WW2 podcast for some time I couldn’t believe my lucky when these to blokes teamed up for this podcast. There chemistry and humour make history fun and informative. It’s also forced me to question how I...
Feb 15, 2018
* Caius and Lucius presided over games including one where 260 lions were killed in the Circus Maximus which was built by the first Etruscan king of Rome Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. * BTW if you go to Rome today, you can see The Obelisco Flaminio, now in the Piazza del...
Feb 10, 2018
* Caius and Lucius seem unaffected by Julia’s exile. * She probably hadn’t had much to do with their upbringing for quite a while. * She was too busy having drunken orgies. * Both of them were adults and were assuming more of a public role. * They presided over the...
Jan 21, 2018
A quick hello from our hotel room in Durham, North Carolina.
Jan 10, 2018
* In 2 BCE, Aug turned 60 and was made consul for the 13th time. * Lucius Caesar turned 15 and became a man. * He was made an augur and joined his brother as a leader of the youth. * He was also permitted to attend the Senate and marked down to be Consul in 4 CE. * On...
Jan 7, 2018
* Augustus is left all alone to run the empire. * In 5 BCE he becomes consul for the 12th time – 18 years since the last time he held the post. * As consul, he led out his oldest adopted son, Caius, on the day he first donned his toga virilis. * Not long...
Dec 31, 2017
Sorry folks. I messed up the first file. Here’s the correct episode. Tiberius suddenly declared he wanted to withdraw from public life. Something happened. Behind the closed doors of the imperial court, there must have been an argument, and Tiberius lost it. He said...
Dec 15, 2017
Tiberius is riding high, the last man standing – until he starts to be overshadowed by Gaius and Lucius Caesar, Augustus’ adopted sons. It is declared that both will become Consul when they are 20 years old. Meanwhile Tiberius is sent away to Parthia. Cam...
Dec 8, 2017
Livia is the Melania Trump of Rome. Julia falls pregnant to Tiberius but the baby is stillborn, which is the beginning of the end for them. Tiberius crosses the Rhine in case the Germanic tribes think the death of Drusus means they are free. To make him feel special,...
Dec 1, 2017
We’re back after a short break. To be fair, this episode started off pretty simple. But quickly it went to some pretty dark places. We’re sorry. You might want to listen to this alone, in a dark room, with a shower handy. Don’t forget to check out...
Nov 16, 2017
Hey folks, I’m trying to gauge interest in a 2018 tour of Europe. I’ve had a bunch of people email me over the last six months asking for details – well, here they are. It’s hard to come up with exact dates or costs until we have a much better...
Nov 4, 2017
10 BCE – Drusus barely escapes from Germany. Augustus celebrates his 52nd birthday. Octavia dies. Antonia gives birth to Tiberius Claudius Drusus – the future emperor Claudius. 9 BCE – Drusus becomes consul. Then he goes back to Germany where he is...
Oct 27, 2017
In 12 BCE, Drusus completed a census in the three Gauls. The other thing Drusus was responsible for during this period was getting ready to cross the Rhine. Around the winter of 13-12 BCE, there was another raid by German warriors into the Roman provinces. It was...
Oct 20, 2017
A very special episode. Over the last 12 months, there’s been a ton of articles in the media comparing Donald Trump to Julius Caesar. A recent Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar in New York depicted Caesar as Donald Trump. We decided that as WE...
Oct 8, 2017
A concise history of both Julius Caesar & Augustus. Take from reputable sources with added humour (much needed sometimes as Ancient Rome can get somewhat tedious). Both Cam the Australian guy & Ray the American fella (Thought I’d specify as many get you both...
Oct 6, 2017
The loss of Agrippa was a huge blow, but Tiberius and Drusus stepped up. However, now Augustus’ daughter Julia was now single again. Who could he find to marry her? Also – what kind of board games did they play in Rome? [powerpress] HOW TO LISTEN If you’re...
Sep 28, 2017
Augustus buries Agrippa. After the funeral, attention turned to the matter of Agrippa’s will and the disbursement of his enormous estate. Work began on the Ara Pacis Augustae, a temple dedicated to the Augustan peace, that featured the Princeps, his family and...
Sep 22, 2017
Agrippa returned to Rome in 13, stayed a few months, long enough to knock Julia up again, then left to deal with some military problems in Illyricum. On his way back to Rome he fell ill – and died. [powerpress] HOW TO LISTEN If you’re seeing this message,...
Sep 8, 2017
When Lepidus finally died in 13 BCE, Augustus finally accepted the title of Pontifex Maximus, the chief priest of Rome. It gave him the responsibility for the entire Roman state cult. Only emperors would hold that role until Rome fell and the pope took the title In...
