Emperors of Rome

Jul 10 2017 87 ep. 21 mins 8.9k
Emperors of Rome Podcast artwork

“Great empires are not maintained by timidity.” - Tacitus. A podcast series looking at the rulers of the ancient Roman empire, by Dr Rhiannon Evans and Matt Smith.

  Society & Culture
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Episode LXXV - Flying Too Close to the Sun

Jul 10 2017 23 mins  
Commodus wasn't the most attentive emperor to rule Rome, preferring to dedicate his time to indulging his vices. Inevitably, someone will step forward to call the shots, as someone has to keep the grain flowing. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University). Support the crowdfunding campaign for When in Rome series 3 on Kickstarter.

Episode LXXIV - Iron and Rust

Jun 25 2017 24 mins  
With the passing of Marcus Aurelius, his son Commodus is made emperor. The 19 year old youth had been raised knowing the empire would be his to rule, and he spent it doing what he pleased. The next twelve years under the reign of Commodus would be bloody and chaotic, and many historians believe it to mark the beginning of the end of the Roman empire. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Seni

Episode LXXIII - From a Kingdom of Gold

Jun 12 2017 24 mins  
Marcus Aurelius faced many threats to Rome during his time as Emperor and spent more time at war than he did at peace. Unlike most Emperors, succession was never an issue, as he had a legitimate son, Commodus, ready to take his place. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

Episode LXXII - On Behalf of the State

May 29 2017 34 mins  
"For it is on behalf of the State that I continue to toil and to undergo dangers and that I have spent so much time here outside of Italy, though already an old man and weak, unable to take either food without pain or sleep without anxiety." - Dio 72:24 An ageing Marcus Aurelius continues to toil and undergo dangers – be they warring tribes to the north, the insurrection of Avid

Episode LXXI - Meditations

May 15 2017 20 mins  
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are the private musings of a stoic philosopher, primarily written while he was on campaign during the Marcomannic Wars. While they lack extensive details, they give a rare insight into the mind of an Emperor, and the popularity of the text has shaped our modern understanding of the thoughtful Emperor. Guest: Dr Sonya Wurster (Honorary Fellow in t

Episode LXX - The Marcomannic Wars

May 01 2017 28 mins  
With the Parthians once again defeated and the Antonine plague sweeping through the empire, Marcus Aurelius must defend Rome from yet another opportunistic enemy – the tribes to the north, or as Rome called them, the barbarians. The northern borders were under threat from a rough coalition chiefly lead by the Marcomanni, and Marcus heads out to take control of the Roman forces hi

Episode LXIX - Galen and the Antonine Plague

Apr 17 2017 23 mins  
As the Parthian War comes to end the troops are dispersed throughout the corners of the Empire, and with them goes the Antonine plague. The effects of the plague will be felt for decades to come, and we know much about it through the extensive writings of the physician Galen. Guest: Dr Leanne McNamara (Classics, La Trobe University).

Episode LXVIII - Never Underestimate the Parthians

Apr 03 2017 25 mins  
The reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus quickly erupts into war, a state which will continue for the rest of their lives. The first threat the empire encounters comes from the east, where the long-time enemy of the Romans, the Parthians, make their move. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

Episode LXVII - Heir and a Spare

Mar 20 2017 25 mins  
Introducing Marcus Aurelius: scholar, warrior, philosopher,leader, lover. And his younger brother, Lucius Verus. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Senior Lecturer, Mediterranean Studies, La Trobe University).

Episode LXVI - Fronto

Mar 06 2017 25 mins  
When Marcus Aurelius was a young man he was important enough to be given the best education sestertius could buy, in the form of a number of prominent tutors. One of those was the respected senator, Marcus Cornelius Fronto, who remained close to Marcus for the rest of his life. His letters to and from the Emperor, as well their relationship, give a rare insight behind the scenes of