Emperors of Rome - La Trobe University

Latest Episodes:

Episode CXLII - Deification Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

When an emperor passed away it gave the Roman empire a chance to reflect on his reign. If he wasn’t terrible and the circumstances allowed it, he would be deified and worshiped as a god throughout the empire.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Podcast Announcement - Raising Standards May 23, 2020

Show notes

Rhiannon Evans and Matt Smith have started Raising Standards, An occasional rewatch podcast of HBO’s Rome. Available now from all good podcatching services.

Episode CXLI - Translating Suetonius May 06, 2020

Show notes

The last Penguin edition of The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius was translated by Robert Graves in 1957. Historian Tom Holland is now working on a new translation, and took time away from the manuscript to talk to me about his process.

Guest:
Tom Holland (author of Rubicon, Dynasty, and an upcoming translation of Suetonius' 'The Twelve Caesars')

Episode CXL - A Ridiculous Waste of Time (Severus Alexander IV) Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

Severus Alexander comes from a strong military dynasty with a string of victories against Rome’s enemies, and it’s fair to say the Roman army was less than impressed with his performance against Sassanian and Germanic tribes. The empire needs a leader! Should they turn to a fighter, or to a weakling and his mother?

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Episode CXXXIX - A Fish in a Net (Severus Alexander III) Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

When Severus Alexander leads the Roman armies east, he meets Artaxerxes and the Sasanians in battle but his tactics are unprepared. Artaxerxes attacked unexpectedly with his entire force and trapped the Romans like fish in a net; firing their arrows from all sides at the encircled soldiers, the Persians massacred the whole army.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Episode CXXXVIII - Rise of the Sasanian Empire (Severus Alexander II) Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

Severus Alexander was an emperor who spent much of his reign at war, but he was ill-suited to it and would likely have preferred to be elsewhere. His main enemy was the Sasanians, an empire that rose out of the ashes of the Parthians, and would be a leading regional power for the next 400 years.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Episode CXXXVII - Mother Knows Best (Severus Alexander I) Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

Severus Alexander was a young boy when he came to power in Rome in 222CE, in the wake of the death of his unpopular cousin, Elagabalus. He would reign for 13 years but struggle to assert authority, bringing the once proud Severan dynasty to a chaotic ending.

Guest:
Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Episode CXXXVI - Spartacus (1960) Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

Spartacus is an epic historical film based on the life of a Roman gladiator who led a slave rebellion against Rome in the 1st C BCE. In this episode we’ll take a fond look at this cinematic classic, in memory of its leading man, Kirk Douglas.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Episode CXXXV - Lupercalia Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

Lupercalia was a Roman festival which took place in the middle of February, and had the effects of purifying and cleansing the city. Participants would take part in a blood sacrifice, strip off their togas, and run naked through the streets of Rome.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Episode CXXXIV - Roman Health and Medicine Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

The Romans had some strange ideas when it came to medical practice, but you have to give them some leeway, and a lot has changed in 2000 years. Some of the thoughts and techniques showed forward thinking, but you might have to ignore the cabbages.

Guest:
Dr Leanne McNamara (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

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