Emperors of Rome

In times of antiquity, alongside the Via Appia, stood the Laudatio Turiae, a funerary inscription praising the life of an exceptional Roman woman. While we aren’t sure of her actual identity her husband was clearly fond to her, and wanted everyone approaching Rome to know it.

Episode CCXLVI (246)

Guest: Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classic and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Plague getting your people down? Suffering from a mysterious ailment? Perhaps a festival of Apollo is what you need. A simple festival with games, plays and feastings could be enough to sway Apollo in your favour. Or at least, distract your city for a while.

Episode CCXLIV (244)

Guest:
Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classic and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

After the death of Crassus his powerful name, his fortune, and his family’s honour survived. In this episode we’ll trace the life of the Crassi yet to come, and how the family comes together with an old rival.

Episode CCXLIII (243)

Part V of Crassus

Guest:

Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classic and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Crassus had power, he had money, but he still felt something was missing. With an army and a province in the east, he sets off to win the glory he had always been denied Perhaps it lay in Parthia.

Episode CCXLII (242)

Part IV of Crassus

Guest:
Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classic and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

As Crassus gathered more power and wealth his success was aided by two allies. One, Julius Caesar, had received financial aid from Crassus for many years. The other, Pompeius Magnus, was at the best of times a bitter rival. Together they formed the triumvirate - more powerful together than apart.

Episode CCXLI (241)

Part III of Crassus

Guest:

Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classic and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

In the tales of Hollywood Crassus will always be the antagonist to the slave hero Spartacus, but is that how would he see himself? A war against slaves is something that no self respecting Roman would like to be pushed into. And yet here we are.

Episode CCXL (240)

Part II of Crassus

Guest:
Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classic and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Marcus Licinius Crassus was an influential politician in the late Roman republic, famous for the wealth he accrued and the power that he held. An ally of Caesar and a rival of Pompey, he rose to prominence during the social wars, but would never get the military glory he believed was his owed.

Episode CCXXXIX (239)

Part I of Crassus

Guest:

Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classic and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The simple act of dinner took on a new dimension for the Emperors. In an place where every meal could be a performance, an Emperor used the chance to reward and impress, intimidate and strike fear, and sometimes all at once. Having dinner with the Emperor was always a great honour, but sometimes you were risking your life.

Episode CCXXXVIII (238)

Guest:
Professor Mary Beard (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

To celebrate the 10th year of the Emperors of Rome podcast, Rhiannon Evans and Matt Smith convened a screening of the epic movie Gladiator starring Russell Crowe, preceded by a live podcast recording the history and basis of the character Commodus performed by Joaquin Phoenix.

Recorded on the 19th October 2024 at the Thornbury Picture House, Melbourne.

The Roman festival of Faunalia Rustica was celebrated in rural areas in honour of the god Faunus, a god who according to epic poetry was the King of the Latins, but to many needed appeasement for country living.

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

As the wild and crazy experiment of the 3rd century winds to a conclusion, a man named Carus steps into the purple, with an imperial dynasty ready to go. But Rome has grown unwieldy. Challenged by enemies from beyond and within, it will take quite a leader to hold the empire together.

Guest:
Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University)

Probus had a fairly long reign for this time in the history of the Empire. Keeping the barbarians in check is one thing, seeing off usurpers is another, but just don’t ask too much of the military - they don’t like getting their hands dirty.

Guest:
Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University)