Latest Emperor Podcast Episodes

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CC - Cleopatra and Antony (Live in Melbourne)

Emperors of Rome - October 27, 2022 06:02 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 Antonius of Rome contended for control of the empire. Together they fought a...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCIX - Sextus Pompeius

Emperors of Rome - October 12, 2022 00:04 - 47 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 reputation, Sextus was a leader in his own right, and to many a forgotten aspect...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCVIII - Octavia

Emperors of Rome - October 04, 2022 02:27 - 48 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 loyalty, nobility and humanity, as well as for maintaining traditional Roman ...

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast artwork

Episode 18: The Life of Lysander

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast - September 22, 2022 20:00 - 26 minutes ★★★★ - 4 ratings
Lysander's importance to history begins when he is appointed as admiral of the Spartan fleet in 407 BC.   At this point Athens's navy has experienced a resurgence with the return of Alcibiades. Lysander takes command of the Spartan fleet at Ephesus and resolves to do what it takes to make it a ...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCVII - The Perusine War

Emperors of Rome - September 15, 2022 05:24 - 35 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 Fulvia isolated. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and A...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCVI - Fulvia

Emperors of Rome - August 31, 2022 04:46 - 39 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 role in the Perusine War against Octavian. Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate ...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCV - Q and A VIII

Emperors of Rome - August 11, 2022 06:51 - 41 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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? - Who was the first true Roman emperor? - How much of the Roman Empire remain...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCIV - Sea Monsters in Roman Mythology

Emperors of Rome - July 27, 2022 06:51 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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. Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director, Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast artwork

Episode 17: The Life of Alcibiades Part 3

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast - July 23, 2022 12:00 - 24 minutes ★★★★ - 4 ratings
After suffering a disastrous setback in Sicily the situation once again looks grim for Athens.  The Athenians would continue the fight however and the story of the Peloponnesian War would see a number of surprising twists - with Alcibiades playing a key role in each new turning point in the conf...

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast artwork

Episode 17 - The Lives of Alcibiades and Nicias - Part 3

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast - July 23, 2022 12:00 - 24 minutes ★★★★ - 4 ratings
After suffering a disastrous setback in Sicily the situation once again looks grim for Athens.  The Athenians would continue the fight however and the story of the Peloponnesian War would see a number of surprising twists - with Alcibiades playing a key role in each new turning point in the conf...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCIII - The Humiliation of Caesar (Valerian III)

Emperors of Rome - July 14, 2022 10:34 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 come is the greatest defeat of a Roman emperor. Episode III of 'Valerian'. Gu...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCII - The Persecution of Christians (Valerian II)

Emperors of Rome - July 01, 2022 00:49 - 29 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 stability of the empire. Episode II of 'Valerian'. Guest: Associate Professor Cai...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCI - Empire Under Siege

Emperors of Rome - June 13, 2022 05:16 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 Valerian and his newly established dynasty. Episode I of 'Valerian'. Guest: Asso...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXCI - Empire Under Siege (Valerian)

Emperors of Rome - June 13, 2022 05:16 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 Valerian and his newly established dynasty. Episode I of 'Valerian'. Guest: Asso...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CXC - I, Augustus (with Brian Blessed)

Emperors of Rome - May 26, 2022 12:19 - 28 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 performance and we were very lucky to get the chance to speak to him. Now funding ...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXIX - Nero and the Great Fire of Rome (Live in Canberra)

Emperors of Rome - May 20, 2022 08:04 - 58 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 deliberately lit, either by dissident Christians or by the emperor Nero, who alleg...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXVIII - How to Win a Consular Election

Emperors of Rome - May 11, 2022 06:55 - 48 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 candidate’s military achievements, rhetorical skills and their willingness to be c...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXVII - The Battle of Philippi

Emperors of Rome - April 29, 2022 14:44 - 48 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 amassed quite the army in the meantime. Part VI of 'The Liberator's War' Gue...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXVI - Proscriptions

Emperors of Rome - April 21, 2022 12:15 - 43 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 likely be executed, and their personal fortunes can be confiscated and put towards...

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast artwork

Episode 16: The Lives of Alcibiades and Nicias - Part 2

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast - March 31, 2022 19:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★ - 4 ratings
In Part 2 of the Lives of Alcibiades and Nicias, these two polar opposites clash over Athenian foreign policy.  With Sparta still a looming threat, Athenians must choose whether to listen to the ambitious Alcibiades or cautious Nicias. Support the Show.

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXV - The Second Triumvirate

Emperors of Rome - March 29, 2022 11:14 - 44 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in C...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXIV - The Siege of Mutina

Emperors of Rome - March 21, 2022 02:54 - 48 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trob...

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast artwork

Episode 15: The Lives of Alcibiades and Nicias - Part 1

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast - March 01, 2022 00:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★ - 4 ratings
For this episode it's going to be another two-for-one special as we will be covering two lives at once, and we will be picking up basically right where we left off.   To jog everyone's memories, when we last left Athens the city had just been dealt a devastating blow in it's war with Sparta.  A...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXIII - Philippics

Emperors of Rome - February 26, 2022 11:14 - 42 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 his speeches the Philippics, and they were influential in turning the senate ag...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXII - The Empty Throne

Emperors of Rome - February 08, 2022 22:42 - 28 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 I of 'The Liberator's War' Guest: Dr Rhiannon Evans (Associate Professor in C...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXXI - Crucifixion

Emperors of Rome - January 27, 2022 23:11 - 44 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 to asphyxiate. Obvious content warning! Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Director,...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXX - The Fort

Emperors of Rome - January 12, 2022 01:36 - 28 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 (historian and author, whose most recent work of fiction is titled 'The Fort').

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast artwork

Episode 14: The Life of Coriolanus - Part 2 - Season One Finale

Plutarch's Greeks and Romans Podcast - December 31, 2021 23:00 - 17 minutes ★★★★ - 4 ratings
Coriolanus was an orphan, a Patrician and a Roman with Roman-sized ambitions who wouldn't let anyone get in his way on the road to glory, fame and prominence.  Hope you enjoy! Chris & Ryan Support the Show.

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXIX - Q and A VII

Emperors of Rome - December 16, 2021 03:17 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 the Romans have that don’t exist today? - Did far-flung provinces retain their ...

Emperors of Rome artwork

Episode CLXXVIII - Witches in Roman Literature

Emperors of Rome - December 07, 2021 05:52 - 43 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
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 the modern idea of a witch. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Head o...