Emperors of Rome
Nightlight Productions
276 episodes
“Great empires are not maintained by timidity.” - Tacitus. A Roman history podcast with Rhiannon Evans and Matt Smith.
Episodes page 2 of 6
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Episode CCXIII - Zenobia
The weakness of Rome was the strength of Palmyra, and the east came to be be ruled by the Queen Zenobia. Cultured and ambitious, her empire stretched from Egypt to Turkey, which made her a formidable challenge for…
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Episode CCXII - Aurelian, the Restorer of the World
Aurelian became Emperor of a fractured empire. To the west the Gallic Empire had been established ten years earlier, the eastern provinces were now controlled by Zenobia, and there were threats from the vandals in the…
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Episode CCXI - Claudius Gothicus
The treacherous death of Gallienus saw the rise of a man of war. Claudius Gothicus definitely earned his title, but with a reign of only two years perhaps he made the right kind of impact without the time to leave a…
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Episode CCX - A Lesson in Latin III
What Latin words and concepts for time are still with us today? Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).
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Episode CCIX - A Diminished Rome
While much of the Roman Empire was lost during the rule of Gallienus, We don't really know how much of that is his fault, or really get a sense of his reign. Was he responsible for the loss of territory, or was he just…
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Episode CCVIII - Odaenathus, King of Kings
As the Roman empire lost the western provinces something very different was happening in the east. Odaenathus remained on the side of Rome, but assumed the title of King, building his influence throughout the region,…
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Episode CCVII - The Gallic Empire
A challenge to the imperial authority was hardly unusual in the third century, but for whatever reason, Postumus decides to do things differently. Rather than marching an army on Rome he shaves off the western…
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Episode CCVI - Rome Crumbles
When the Emperor Valerian was captured by the enemy what the empire needed was a trusted, capable, firm set of hands to take on the imperial mantle. In retrospect, that probably wasn’t his son Gallienus. For the next…
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Episode CCV - Cleopatra Selene
Cleopatra Selene was the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and was destined for greatness. Following the death of her parents she became a prisoner of Rome, survived into adulthood, and became a queen of the…
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Episode CCIV - Octavian's Illyrian War
Part of the making of Octavian was the victories he had early in his career. He defeated his rivals, conquered territory, and united the senate behind him whether they liked it or not. One of those territories was…
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Episode CCIII - Augustan Egypt
Egypt was a valuable province to Rome, with natural wealth and successful agriculture. Thanks to an arid climate there’s also a number of preserved papyri from that era, providing modern scholarship with an invaluable…
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Episode CCII - The Death of Cleopatra and Antony
With Octavian triumphant at the Battle of Actium the scene is finally set for a dramatic showdown in Alexandria. Cleopatra and Antony, a couple famous for their strategy and volatility will pay the ultimate price for…
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Episode CCI - Actium
In 31 BCE one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman. The forces of Octavian, Antony and Cleopatra would square off for control of the…
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Episode CC - Cleopatra and Antony (Live in Melbourne)
When Cleopatra and Antony stood side by side they were at the pinnacle of power. Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was the queen of an ancient civilisation, and heir to the unmatched cultural achievements of Greece. Marcus…
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Episode CXCIX - Sextus Pompeius
Sextus Pompeius was the youngest son of Pompey the Great, and was responsible for leading the last great resistance of the Roman republic against Octavian and Mark Antony. While he made the most of his late father’s…
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Episode CXCVIII - Octavia
Octavia was, in many ways, the very model of a modern Roman matron. As the older sister to Octavian, later Augustus, and a wife of the powerful figure Antony, she was respected and admired by her contemporaries for her…
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Episode CXCVII - The Perusine War
With Antony distracted with developments in the east, Fulvia finds herself in the familiar position of advocating for her husband’s interests. This escalated to a war with Octavian, the outcome of which would leave…
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Episode CXCVI - Fulvia
Fulvia came from a Roman noble family and is strongly associated with a string of influential husbands, most notably Mark Antony. She was influential and powerful in her own way, and would go on to play an important…
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Episode CXCV - Q and A VIII
For the eighth time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer! In this episode: - Was Antony rehabilitated? - Did Classical Latin have regional dialects? - How did Romans celebrate their birthday? -…
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Episode CXCIV - Sea Monsters in Roman Mythology
Rome has always been a sea-faring power, relying on the Mediterranean for food and trade. But what lies beneath the waves can chill the hearts of mortal men, and tales of aquatic horrors were common in antiquity.…
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Episode CXCIII - The Humiliation of Caesar (Valerian III)
With enemies to confront in every direction, Valerian heads back to the east where Shapur and the Parthians are once again threatening the borders of the Roman empire. While Valerian anticipates a victory, what is to…
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Episode CXCII - The Persecution of Christians (Valerian II)
Religious persecution wasn’t a new thing for Rome, but under the rule of Valerian they intensified. Christians were now the specified target, but the executions and confiscation of property did little to help the…
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Episode CXCI - Empire Under Siege (Valerian)
When Valerian became emperor in 253CE Rome was fighting on all fronts. With Shapur and the Syrians taking territory in the east, and Germanic tribes to the west and the north, the empire was going to get messy for…
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Episode CXC - I, Augustus (with Brian Blessed)
Brian Blessed is a treasured British actor who for our purposes will fondly be remembered for his iconic role as Emperor Augustus in the 1976 BBC television series I, Claudius. Brian dominated the screen with his…
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Episode CLXXXIX - Nero and the Great Fire of Rome (Live in Canberra)
On the night of 18 July, 64 CE, a fire broke out in the Circus Maximus at Rome. It raged for nine days, destroying or damaging ten of the city’s fourteen regions. Was the fire just a terrible accident? Or was it…
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Episode CLXXXVIII - How to Win a Consular Election
Every year Rome held an election in which two senators were chosen for the role of consul. Being elected consul was a great honour, and the position was hotly contested, and a successful campaign depended upon the…
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Episode CLXXXVII - The Battle of Philippi
More than two years have passed since the death of Caesar, and we now find our story at the final battle of the Liberator’s war. Octavian and Mark Antony lead their forces west to confront Cassius and Brutus, who have…
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Episode CLXXXVI - Proscriptions
Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus have secured their alliance against Caesar's assassins, and since they have control of Rome, it's time for them to get rid of any competition. Proscribing an enemy means they will…
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Episode CLXXXV - The Second Triumvirate
After his victory in at Mutina, Octavian desired honours that the senate declined to award him. This led him to re-evaluate who his enemy truly was, and make an alliance with the recently defeated Mark Antony. Part IV…
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Episode CLXXXIV - The Siege of Mutina
As Antony heads north he finds the city of Mutina defended by Decimus Brutus. Antony lays siege, but he doesn't count on a young Octavian leading the army to confront him. Part III of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Dr…
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Episode CLXXXIII - Philippics
As the power struggle in Rome continued and generals waged their war on the battlefield, Cicero took to the floors of the senate, confronting Antony with the greatest weapon in his arsenal: the spoken word. He called…
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Episode CLXXXII - The Empty Throne
Caesar’s death created a power vacuum in the city of Rome. While Antony struggled against the senate to make a deal and assert his dominance, Octavian’s imminent arrival presented a rival he couldn’t anticipate. Part…
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Episode CLXXXI - Crucifixion
Crucifixion was a Roman practise or torture and execution that proved a popular punishment for slaves and enemies of Rome When crucified an individual was nailed to a cross or a piece of wood and left in the elements…
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Episode CLXXX - The Fort
The Roman fort functioned as a base of operations for the army, a defensive and functional structure that could protect both the frontier of the Roman Empire and the supply lines. Guest: Dr Adrian Goldsworthy…
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Episode CLXXIX - Q and A VII
For the seventh time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer! In this episode: - What happened to the original sources - Did the Romans have dogs, and how did they use them? - What types of jobs did…
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Episode CLXXVIII - Witches in Roman Literature
Romans had the reality of witches, those who made the brews and prepared the curses, but also the witches of fiction. In their poems and stories, a witch took on a horrific persona, one that skews much more closely to…
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Episode CLXXVII - Witches in the Roman World
A witch occupied a strange niche in the Roman world. Distrusted but respected, persecuted but employed by the most elite, a witch in Rome existed on the sidelines and spoken of in hushed terms, and to many of the…
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Episode CLXXVI – The Apology of Apuleius
When Apuleius married his friend’s mother, little did he realise that it would lead to a charge of sorcery, with a raft of seemingly innocent actions from buying a mirror to writing bad poetry bought up in front of the…
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Episode CLXXV - The Murder of Pedanius Secundus
When Pedanius Secunus was murdered by his slave the law was precise - every slave in his household, every man, woman and child, would be crucified as punishment. The law that allowed this was the Senatus Consultum…
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Episode CLXXIV - Boudicca
In 60CE Rome came close to losing the province of Britannia in an uprising led by the warrior queen Boudicca, who united the tribes in the area, destroyed several Roman settlements and defeated part of a Roman legion.…
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Episode CLXXIII - Arminius
There were few enemies of the Romans who had as much success as Arminius. One of the Germani who fought at their side, he was able to unite the disparate tribes, lure three Roman legions into a trap, and defeat them at…
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Episode CLXXII - Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix was a Gallic leader who managed to unite the local tribes and mount a credible defence against Caesar during his campaign in Gaul. While his resistance was ultimately futile, he has become a symbol of…
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Episode CLXXI - Roman Magic
Magic was an essential part of the Roman world. You could use it in love, revenge, profit, life and death. All levels of Roman society made use of it, and it was an integral part of the understanding of both religion…
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Episode CLXX - Roman Luxury and Wealth
If archaeological digs are anything to go by, Rome was a society of fantastic luxury. Impressive buildings, exotic foods, obedient slaves, and more marble than you could shake a toga at. But when you read ancient…
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Episode CLXIX - Gallus
When Decius died during a battle with the Goths, the Roman army took it upon themselves to appoint his successor - his remaining general Trebonianus Gallus. Gallus was praised for not beginning a civil war - unusual…
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Episode CLXVIII - The Battle of Abritus (Decius III)
The Goths are leaving Roman territory, and while they successfully sacked some cities there has been no lasting damage to the provinces - but the same can’t be said for the reputation of the Emperor, Decius. He rides…
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Episode CLXVII - The Gothic Invasion (Decius II)
This is the era of Roman history where the Goths from the north begin to pose a serious threat to the stability of the faltering Roman empire. When they begin to lay siege to Roman cities Decius rides to confront them,…
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Episode CLXVI - The Edict of Sacrifice (Decius I)
During the early days of his reign, Emperor Decius issued an edict commanding that all Romans should make a sacrifice for the good of the empire. While some happily went along with it, for others it went against what…
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Episode CLXV - Phillip
When Phillip became Emperor in 244CE, Rome was cracking at the edges. Enemies were at the border, the economy was straining, and the Emperor was an easy target for a disgruntled military. Who wants to rule Rome at this…
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Episode CLXIV - Gordian III
When the dust settled on a six month civil war in 238CE, only the 13 year old Gordian III is left standing to take the purple. Once again Rome is left with a teenage emperor. Guest: Associate Professor Caillan…
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