The plot against Nero continues to gather momentum but is finally betrayed by a freedman, a day before shit was about to go down. data-episode-id="955817" data-theme="light" data-height="190" data-enable-volume="true"> The Complete Premium Caesar: (Protected...
When one of the praetorian prefects joins the conspirators, they decide it’s time to act. But they can’t agree on a plan. It takes a woman to move things along. data-episode-id="949649" data-theme="light" data-height="190" data-enable-volume="true"> The...
We’re talking about the Pisonian Conspiracy of 65. Who started it and why? Theories involve an angry poet and an angry gay man seeking revenge. data-episode-id="945062" data-theme="light" data-height="190" data-enable-volume="true"> The Complete Premium Caesar:...
Picking up after the Great Fire of Rome in the year 64 CE, we find Nero taxing everyone heavily to pay for the rebuilding of Rome and his palace. This, as well as the rumours that he started the fire, leads to the Pisonian Conspiracy. data-episode-id="942659"...
If there’s one thing most people know about the Emperor Nero, it’s that he fiddled while Rome burned and that he falsely blamed the Christians. But how much of those stories are true? To find out, I’m joined today by Stephen Dando-Collins, author of “The Great Fire Of...
Friend of the show, Lindsay Powell, has a new work of investigative history, “Bar Kokhba, The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome”. Like Lindsay’s other books on Agrippa, Augustus, Drusus the Elder and Germanicus, this new book peels away the...
We’re jumping out of our Nero timeline this week to talk to Stephen Dando-Collins about his new book, “Constantine At The Bridge – How the battle of the Milvian Bridge Created Christian Rome”, which examines the background of the events that lead to the famous...
When Nero talks about going to Greece, to take his one-man theatre show on the road, the Romans complain. They don’t want him to leave! So he decided to show them how much he loves them – by throwing the craziest party ever seen in Rome. And that’s really saying...
Paetus’ war with the Parthians gets off to a great start, but quickly becomes a disaster for the Romans. Corbulo eventually needs to ride in and save his sorry ass and negotiate a new peace deal with Parthia. Meanwhile back in Rome, there’s no grain and Thrasea is out...
We often get asked “Who the hell are Barry & Stan?” And, of course, that is the question that people have been asking for thousands of years… the names Barry and Stan turn up in hieroglyphs in Egyptian temples, in the mystery cults of Ancient...
Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace. And Nero gets jerked off by his freedman, Doryphorus. data-episode-id="908493" data-theme="light"...
This is part 2 of our recent chat with Edward J. Watts, professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, and author and editor of several prize-winning books, including THE FINAL PAGAN GENERATION, a great book about HYPATIA, a book out about the...
Edward J. Watts is a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, and author and editor of several prize-winning books, including THE FINAL PAGAN GENERATION, a great book about HYPATIA, a book out about the collapse of the Roman Republic, MORTAL...
With Seneca out of the way, Tigellinus brings down the other prefect, Rufus. To strengthen his relationship with Nero, he increases his paranoia about the two men Nero had recently exiled for being threats to his power – Plautus and Sulla. Poppaea, not happy...
In the year 61, Nero deals with riots, treason, Stoics and the death of one of his key advisors. data-episode-id="858079" data-theme="light" data-height="190" data-enable-volume="true"> The Complete Premium Caesar: (Protected...
Boudicea wins round one. But Suetonius has bloodshed and destruction on his mind. data-episode-id="858081" data-theme="light" data-height="190" data-enable-volume="true"> The Complete Premium Caesar: (Protected...
Corbulo finishes round one in Armenia and gets a promotion. Meanwhile in Britain, a certain queen decides to take on the Romans – Boudicea. Exactly why, though, is a bit of a mystery. data-episode-id="850308" data-theme="light" data-height="190"...
Agrippina is dead and Nero decides to party. Tacitus disapproves. He doesn’t like Nero’s parties and he doesn’t like his poetry. But then a comet appears, and everyone assumes it means the end of Nero’s reign – so they start looking for a replacement....
Stephen Dando-Collins is an Australian historical author, who, like me, once sold his soul to the gods of marketing and advertising but has been redeeming himself ever since. His new book is about the great Jewish – Roman war of 66CE, entitled “Conquering...
We examine the circumstances and theories surrounding the death of Agrippina. data-episode-id="833797" data-theme="light" data-height="190" data-enable-volume="true"> The Complete Premium Caesar: (Protected...
