229 episodes

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

Emperors of Rome La Trobe University

    • History
    • 4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

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

    Episode CCXVI - A Roman Haunting in Three Parts

    Episode CCXVI - A Roman Haunting in Three Parts

    A dire warning from the spirit of Africa! A Haunting in Athens! And someone cuts the hair of Pliny’s freedman.

    Pliny the Younger presents a Roman Haunting in Three Parts.

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

    • 27 min
    Episode CCXV - The Unconquered Sun

    Episode CCXV - The Unconquered Sun

    Aurelian is known as a conqueror, a general and a restorer, and his reputation is based on those achievements. But in his short rule of five years, he was also an Emperor, and made efforts to leave his mark on Rome.

    Part IV of ‘Aurelian’

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

    • 22 min
    Episode CCXIV - Aurelian, Restorer of the Age

    Episode CCXIV - Aurelian, Restorer of the Age

    Aurelian has seen off vandals, goths, and conquered the forces of Zenobia to reclaim the east. But to the west lies the Gallic Empire, once firm territory of Rome, awaiting his attention.

    Part III of ‘Aurelian’

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

    • 22 min
    Episode CCXIII - Zenobia

    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 Aurelian.

    Part II of ‘Aurelian’

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

    • 34 min
    Episode CCXII - Aurelian, the Restorer of the World

    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 North. To unite an empire, this will be his first priority.

    Part I of ‘Aurelian’

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

    • 25 min
    Episode CCXI - Claudius Gothicus

    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 bad impression. For an emperor in the third century that was more than enough, and he left an example for all who followed after.

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

    • 31 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
1.4K Ratings

1.4K Ratings

Digjazzalot ,

Phenomenal

Love this a lot.

MGP Terps ,

Excellent

Well done. Informative. Great production.A university education in classic history and the Roman emperorships

dalignarly ,

This podcast is the best

I’ve finally finished binge-listening to this entire podcast and I’m all caught up, so I had to update my review. I love this podcast - the hosts are all great and I like the the in-depth discussion of the source material for different periods. It’s scholarly, it’s engaging, and the hosts obviously enjoy discussing the subject matter. I also love that they explore so many different subject areas - there’s the episodes about the emperors, but also other prominent figures, the fall of Rome, the various empresses, lessons in Latin, etc. All-around fantastic and I can’t wait to see what Matt, Rhiannon and Caillan do in the future.

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