Apr 7, 2018
* By the time news of Caius’ death had reached Rome it was some time in late March, 4 CE. * Aug mourned but also hurried to plan for the future. * Of course, he didn’t have many options left. * Julia and Agrippa had one son left – Agrippa Postumus. * Or Aggy P...
Mar 26, 2018
* Keep in mind that by the standards of the day, jokes about deformities were pretty mild. * Remember those speeches Cicero gave about Mark Antony? The Phillipics? * Here’s just one example: * Let us speak rather of his meaner descriptions of worthlessness. You, with...
Mar 16, 2018
Augustus stayed in Rome more now, no longer going out on long tours of the provinces, probably because he’s in his sixties, probably because he doesn’t have someone like Agrippa to leave in charge while he’s away. * On his birthday in 2 CE, he wrote an interesting...
Mar 10, 2018
* It’s the year 1 BCE * Caius Caesar, biological son of Agrippa and Julia, adopted son of Augustus, is 19 years old. * And what do you get for the 19 year old who has everything? * A military command. * In a distant land. * There was a power struggle going on in...
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 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...
