When in Rome: Recent Episodes
Matt Smith
A regular podcast series about place and space in the ancient Roman Empire.
“I found Rome built of sun-dried bricks; I leave her clothed in marble.” - Augustus.
The Baths of Diocletian was a huge imperial public building, built on the scale that Rome rarely saw during the early years of the fourth century. Designed to outshine previous public bath projects, we can still get a sense of the grandeur today, repurposed into a church designed by Michaelangelo.Guest: Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University)
In this episode When in Rome travels further west than it has ever gone before, to the Roman fort in Caerleon, headquarters of the Legion II Augusta, close to the River Usk in modern day Wales.Germania is a new podcast series from Rhiannon Evans and Matt Smith. You can support it now on kickstarter. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nightlight/germania-a-roman-history-podcast-miniseriesGuest: Dr Peter Guest (Vianova Archaeology)
In the Roman period, Nea Paphos was the capital of Cyprus and a thriving centre of administration, culture, and commerce. Its theatre—first built in the Hellenistic age and later transformed under Roman rule—became one of the city’s most impressive monuments, a place where architecture, performance, and imperial power all came together.Guest: Dr Craig Barker (Head of Public Engagement, Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney and Director of the Paphos Theatre Archaeological Project)
As a prominent coastal city on the island of Cyprus, Salamis had a lot to offer the Romans. Well situated in the middle of the Mediterranean, it was the perfect location for maritime trade, as well as, unfortunately, the occasional war.Guest: Dr Christopher Gribbin (Adjunct Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)
Lepcis Magna, the ancient Roman city on the coast of modern day Libya, has such a long history of excavation and restoration that it deserves its own episode. While much of the city remains undisturbed beneath the sand, plenty has been explored, restored, or scattered throughout Europe.Guest: Dr Niccolò Mugnai (Assistant Professor at the Institute of Classical Archaeology at the University of Tübingen, Germany)
Lepcis Magna had much in common with Roman cities in Northern Africa - former colonies, built on the coast next to a river, and a blend of Roman and local cultures. So it would have continued until the late 2nd century, when Septimius Severus, a local lad who made it big, became the Rome’s newest emperor.Guest: Dr Niccolò Mugnai (Assistant Professor at the Institute of Classical Archaeology at the University of Tübingen, Germany)
To the Romans the Porta Nigra would have been nothing remarkable - while it’s an impressive city gate, there were many like it, offering entrance through the walls into the Roman city of Augusta Treverorum. To today’s residents and visitors to Trier in Germany, it is a reminder of the city’s Roman past, as well an important part of early Christianity.Guest: Dr Christian Rollinger (Senior Lecturer, Ancient History, University of Trier)
Pompeii has been excavated for hundreds of years, and in that time techniques, practices and philosophies have changed. We’re now finding out a lot more about the city and the people who lived there, and there’s still more to find out.The When in Rome podcast is now fundraising for an upcoming series 8. Please give your support.Guest:Dr Sophie Hay (Archaeologist, Archaeological Park of Pompeii)Professor Steven Ellis (Classics, University of Cincinnati)
The House of Julius Polybius is one of the best preserved residences in the town of Pompeii. Not only do we know about the family that lived there, a number of household goods have been excavated, giving insight to the life and workings of a Roman house.When in Rome podcast is now fundraising for series 8.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nightlight/when-in-rome-podcast-series-8Guest: Dr Lily Withycombe (Curator, National Museum of Australia).
Rome had an extensive road network, stretching from one end of the empire to the other. It aided travel, communications, movements of army and trade, and to this day has helped funnel a steady stream of visitors back to the mighty city.Guest: Professor Catherine Fletcher (History, Manchester Metropolitan University).Professor Fletcher is the author of 'The Roads to Rome'
The Saepta Julia began with a noble intention - a defined place for citizens to meet, debate and vote. It was built at the instruction of Julius Caesar, at a time when the ideals of voting were still being upheld.Guest: Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).
In the outer suburbs of Rome is a well preserved late Roman mausoleum, built for the daughter of Constantine the great. While late Roman in nature it shows the influences of early Christian architecture.Guest: Dr Christopher Gribbin (Adjunct Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).
In Pompeii there is a House of the Baker - a strangely designed dwelling with a famous mosaic of a man handing out bread that gives it its name. But perhaps the image indicates a different scene.Guest: Professor Steven Tuck (History and Classics, Miami University).
The Temple of Bel in Palmyra mixed the religions of Rome with beliefs in the east, providing the residents of the city with their own unique deities. While significant as a Roman temple, it had a long history in the years that followed, and has played an important part in Syria’s recent tragic events.Guest: Dr Peter Edwell (Senior Lecturer, History and Archaeology, Macquarie University).
Founded as a Phoenician city, Utica became an important Roman colony on what is now the Tunisian coast, but it never managed to get past a healthy rivalry with nearby Carthage.Guest: Assistant Professor J. Andrew Dufton (Archeology, Dickinson College)
No structure says ‘Crisis of the Third Century’ more than the Aurelian Walls. The city of Rome had long been at peace and largely untouchable, but Aurelian realised that times had changed, and the capital of the empire needed defending.Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).
Cyprus was in an excellent position for trade in the mediterranean, not just for the Roman empire but later for the Byzantine empire as well. In the old capital of Neo Paphos, one of the richest and most extensive residences is the Villa of Theseus.
Guest: Dr Christopher Gribbin (Adjunct Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)
Paestum is a city on the western coast of Italy, founded by Greeks and known in the modern day as the site of impressive temples and elaborately painted tombs.Guest: Dr Tiziana D'Angelo (Director, Archeological Park of Paestum and Vella).Support the kickstarter campaign for When in Rome series 7.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nightlight/when-in-rome-podcast-series-7
The cloaca maxima is the great sewer of Rome. A tad smelly but highly functional, it funneled water and waste increasing health and sanitation, and earned admiration for its importance to the people.Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)
Venta Silurum was a city on the western fringes of Roman Britannia, established to integrate the conquered tribes of the Silures. Its ruins are found on the grounds of the welsh town of Caerwent, where modern buildings are side by side with the Roman archaeology.
Guest: Dr Peter Guest (Vianova Archaeology).
Hadrian loved Greece, and part of his grand plan involved making his mark on the city of Athens. The library he built on the north side of the Acropolis was just one of his building projects, and a contribution to the culture he so admired.
Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).
Salona was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and sits along the coast of the Adriatic on the banks of the river Jadro. It is strongly associated with early Christianity, and is now the largest archaeological site in Croatia.
Guest: Dr Christopher Gribbin (Adjunct Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).
Melite was an ancient Roman settlement on the site of M’Dina in modern Malta. A small island in the middle of the mediterranean, Malta was in the path of wars and trade routes throughout the classical period, and we’re only just beginning to learn what it mean to live in Roman Malta.
Guest: Robert Brown (PHD candidate in archaeology, Australian National University, and managing director of the Melite Civitas Romana Project).
Palmyra is an ancient ruined city in modern Syria, long known for its place in the Roman empire and strongly influenced by Persian and Hellenistic cultures.
In modern times it has been associated with the major destruction by the Islamic State, and there are currently hopes for its restoration.
Guest: Dr Peter Edwell (Senior Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology at Macquarie University).
Augustus of Prima Porta is a colossal statue of Augustus, and shows the Emperor dressed in military garb and addressing his troops. It was found in the Villa of Livia, and is one of the most impressive imperial statues you can see today.
Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).
Livia had a Villa in Prima Porta, and the high vantage point provided her with a sweeping view of the city of Rome. It is known for a famous statue of Augustus and a luxurious garden dining room.
Dr Victoria Austen (Lecturer in Classics, University of Winnipeg).
Londinium was a significant city in the Roman empire, as it was the hub of activity and the capital of the province of Britannia. It was built on the bank of the River Thames and became the largest city in Roman Britain.
Guest: Dr Dominic Perring (Director of the Centre for Applied Archaeology at University College London).
The LEGO Colosseum is one of the largest LEGO sets available, containing more that 9000 pieces. It has been designed on such a scale to convey the monumental nature of the Colosseum in Rome, and contains many design elements that reflect those of the building.
Guest: Rok Zgalin Kobe (Senior Designer, LEGO Group)
Augusta Emerita was a Roman colony on the Iberian Peninsula in Spain, established by the Emperor Augustus in the wake of campaigns to pacify the region. Now known by the modern name of Merida, it boasts some impressive ruins, including one of the best known Roman theatres still in use today.
Guest: Dr Daniel Osland (Senior Lecturer in Classics, University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand).
Trier in Germany was an important Roman colony that gained more prominence during the late empire, and it was about 310CE when the Emperor Constantine decided to build an impressive reception hall attached to his palace.
Guest: Dr Christian Rollinger (Lecturer in ancient history, University of Trier).
When Galerius had a big victory against the Persians he decided to celebrate with a fantastic building project. The arch and associated palace complex would dominate the streets of Thessaloniki in Greece, and long remembered after the name of Galerius was forgotten.
Guest: Assoc. Professor Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt).
Villa Romana del Casale was a large Roman villa in rural Sicily dating to the early 4th c CE. Its scale and opulence speaks to the wealth and power of the villa owners, and it boasts one of the most extensive and impressive collection of mosaics in the Roman empire.
Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Trendall Centre, La Trobe University).
Gerasa was a Greco-Roman city in the east of the Roman Empire, in what is now modern day Jerash in Jordan. Like many cities in the area it had Greek influences with a strong local semantic character, and it was significant enough to get a visit from Hadrian during his tour of the province.
Guest: Emeritus Professor David Kennedy (Senior Honorary Research Fellow, Classics and Ancient History, University of Western Australia).