Podcast
Augustus Caesar #52 – The Primus Affair
The people try to convince Augustus to become dictator. He refuses. Then the proconsul of Macedonia, Marcus Primus, is brought up on serious charges of ruining the reputation…
Augustus Caesar #51 – Dark Shadow
It's late 23 BCE. Agrippa leaves Rome and makes his home in Lesbos. Rumours fly. Meanwhile there are still plagues, famine and natural disasters in Rome. The dark…
Inventing The Messiah
Our Kickstarter campaign went live today, so please jump on over there, and support us if you can. And, if you can't, but still want to support us,…
Augustus Caesar #50 – Imperium
In 23 BCE Augustus fell very sick with man flu once again. It was so bad, everyone thought he was going to die. When he miraculously recovered, he…
Augustus Caesar #49 – Covered With Spots
When Augustus finally returns to Rome late in 24, he travels along newly restored roads that he had mostly paid for himself. They were adorned with statues of…
Augustus Caesar #48 – Man Flu
We're back! First show of 2017! On his way back from Spain, Augustus falls deathly ill with man flu, which forces him to think about his future. It…
Augustus Caesar #47 – Festina Lente
It’s in Spain where we first see the new cautious Augustus. Instead of taking crazy risks, like he sometimes did when he was younger, now that he’s 38,…
Augustus Caesar #46 – Milites
Augustus needed to decide on the size and shape of the army. How many soldiers would he need to maintain the borders and to expand them when desired?…
Augustus Caesar #45 – Augustus Goes To Spain
Before Augustus leaves Rome, the gates of the Temple of Janus were re-opened, which means the peace is officially over. He’s going to war, to restore Roman order…
Augustus Caesar #44 – The Reluctant Dictator
With great reluctance, Octavian allows the Senate to refuse his resignation. It’s a brilliant piece of political theatre. And to celebrate, he gets a new name. HOW TO…
Augustus Caesar #43 – I QUIT!
On the 1 January 27 BCE, Octavian started his seventh consulship. On the 13th Jan, the Senate convened with Octavian as presiding consul. And it was that day,…
Augustus Caesar #42 – Making Rome Great Again
HOW TO LISTEN If you're seeing this message, it means you aren't logged in as a subscriber. If want to listen to the premium episodes of the series…
Augustus Caesar #41 – Princeps
Octavian gives a speech to the Senate, inviting each senator to look at his own reputation, wealth and ancestry and decide whether he was truly fit to belong…
Augustus Caesar #40 – The Restoration
Octavian is trying to restore some kind of normality to Rome. He hands out large wads of cash, opens the Temple to the Divine Julius and on 1…
Augustus Caesar #39 – Knee Deep In The Hoopla
Octavian is running around settling affairs in the Middle East before he returns to Rome. Herod in Judaea visited Octavian to win his support. Octavian then does a…
Augustus Caesar #38 – A Load Of Bull
It was a whole year after the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra before Octavian returned to Italy. Octavian captured the city of Alexandria on August 1, 30 BCE.…
3.5 Days
Excerpt from a new iTunes review: "Some facts: The History of Rome covered the period from the introduction of Julius Caesar to the death of Cleopatra in 3.5…
Augustus Caesar #37 – Victor
Rome had never seen anything like the three—day celebration of Octavian's three-fold triumph — for his victories in Illyricum, Actium, and Alexandria — held in August of 29…
Augustus Caesar #36 – Fatale Monstrum
The poets of Rome vilify Cleopatra and yet also are in awe of her. Antony's name and memory is wiped from the official records. And a Cicero gets…
Augustus Caesar #35 – The Death Of Antony & Cleopatra
This is one of those episodes that feel like major turning points in the narrative. Ever since Julius Caesar was assassinated, way way back in 44 BCE, Mark…