Podcast Archives - Life Of The Caesars: Recent Episodes
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The Praetorians push for a fast campaign because they didn't want to spend any more time away from the comforts of Rome than necessary. Unfortunately, in letting them drive the strategy, Otho sealed his doom.
The post Otho #10 – The Comforts of Home appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
As the Vitellians try to build a bridge and get over it, the Othonians try to burn their bridge down. Then Otho himself arrives on the scene and holds a council of war. The big question - should they wait a few days for reinforcements or attack now despite being massively outnumbered?
The post Otho #9 – Burning Bridges appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Italy is having its first civil war in one hundred years - not since the bloody and fateful days of Octavius v Marcus Antonius, the last days of Second Triumvirate and the Republic, have Italians seen war on their own lands, Roman v Roman. But now Otho orders troops into Northern Italy to block the approach of the armies of Vitellius. He followed them, taking with him many members of the Senate to make sure they don't replace him while he's away from Rome.
The post Otho #8 – Otho’s Civil War appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
By March 69, Caecina's troops (part of Vitellius' forces) had arrived in northern Italy and crossed the river Po. They first attacked Piacenza where Otho's commander, Spurinna, struggled to maintain discipline with his inexperienced but eager troops. Their Yo Momma Jokes didn't help.
The post Otho #7 – Yo Momma Jokes appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Drunken soldiers storm the palace and threaten Otho, who they suspect is plotting something against the people. After he puts down that rebellion, Otho hears that Valens and Caecina were on the way from Gaul and puts together his army to defend Italy. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have access to the best that Italy had to offer.
The post Otho #6 – Otho On The Defense appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
A Sarmatian tribe from Southern Russia attacks some Roman cohorts and we learn about the Russian origins of the King Arthur myth. The governor of Corsica declares his support for Vitellius but it doesn’t end well for him, or for Tigellinus, but Calvia Crispinilla manages to escape.
The post Otho #5 – King Arthur, A Russian Myth appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Pagans and Christians continued to believe Nero would return, either as the Antichrist or as the precursor to the Antichrist. But is the number of the beast 666 or 616?
The post Otho #4 – 666 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
As soon as Nero was declared dead by the Senate, rumours started appearing that he was still alive, just in hiding, waiting for the right time to re-claim the throne. Those stories persisted… for centuries.
The post Otho #3 – The Return of Nero appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Vitellius starts his march on Rome with seven legions. He’s 54, popular with his men, and a good career behind him. But his troops’ reasons for supporting his bid for emperor may have less to do with him, and more to do with their own interests. On the other hand, Vespasian decides to declare his support for Otho.
The post Otho #2 – The March of Vitellius appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
With Galba dead, Otho is made the new emperor of Rome. Long may he reign.
The post Otho #1 – Head appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
At the altar of Apollo, Galba was still praying to the gods to protect him and the empire, when suddenly he got news that a senator of unknown identity was being conducted to the Praetorian barracks with an armed guard. A little while later the man was identified as Otho. And then… it’s all over.
The post Galba #4 – What Is Best for Rome appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Otho didn’t take the news of Piso being chosen as Galba’s heir very well. He’d already been screwed over by one emperor and he bloody well wasn’t going to let it happen a second time. A plot is formed to usurp the throne.
The post Galba #3 – A Plot Against The Throne appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
On Jan 1, 69 CE, the beginning of the new Roman year, life looked pretty rosy for Emperor Galba. He had no obvious threats to his power from outside or inside the empire. On Jan 3, the Senate offered vows and sacrifices for his long health and reign. Unbeknownst to any of them, he had less than two weeks left to rule... and live.
The post Galba #2 – Long May He Reign appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In our last episode, we finished on June 9, 68. Nero was 30 years and six months old. He had ruled for 13 years and 8 months. On June 10, 68, while he was still in Spain, The Senate declared the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, northern Spain, 73 year old Servius Sulpicius Galba, to be the new Emperor. He was the first person from outside of the Julio-Claudian family to assume the throne.
The post Galba #1 – Republic Schmublic appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
News of Galba’s betrayal makes its way to Nero who is shocked into action. He sends troops to stop Galba - but they switch sides and join the conspiracy. Nero goes into hiding with the intent of running away to Alexandria and Greece, but even that plan is betrayed. Finally, he comes to the end of his story. And so do we! This is our last episode ever.
The post Nero #47 – THE END appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero celebrates two official triumphs. Not for military victories, but for singing. It’s the last straw. A new rebellion is formed, lead by Vindex and Galba.
The post Nero #46 – The Last Straw appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero didn’t visit Athens or Sparta while in Greece because he was scared of religious and political retribution. Besides, he was too busy trying to become the periodonikes, the Grand Slam champion of all of the Games. But things weren’t going well back at Rome, so he is finally convinced to return. He had six months left to live.
The post Nero #45 – Grand Slam appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The year is 67 CE. Nero is still on his 14 month tour of Greece. He dropped into the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and tickled the Omphalos.
The post Nero #44 – Horny Dolphins appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s 67 CE. Before he sets out for his World Tour of Greece, Nero first needs to insult the Senate, then he needs to deal with a new conspiracy, this one involving Corbulo. While Greece, he becomes unhappy with Vespasian who apparently doesn’t clap loudly enough at Nero’s performances.
The post Nero #43 – To the Deuce! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero gets, not one, but TWO new wives. One of them is a dude.
The post Nero #42 – Dude Looks Like A Lady appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero’s first attempt at building a single property that covered his estates on the Palatine Hill and the Esquiline Hill was The Domus Transitoria, the House of Passage. It burned down in the Great Fire. He replaced it with the Domus Aurea (Golden House), designed by expert engineers Severus and Celer, and it was so revolutionary that it appears to be the stuff of genius.
The post Nero #41 – The Stuff of Genius appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero built his Domus Aurea between 64-68 and, in doing so, revolutionised Roman architecture. He also built a massive statue of himself, because, hey, why not?
The post Nero #40 – The Golden House appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero was a lover, not a fighter. Not a great leader of armies. He thought of himself as an artist. He wanted to be on stage, not on horseback. He was very proud that he closed his Janus.
The post Nero #39 – Closing His Janus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
If you want to marry a woman, remember to kill her husband first
The post Nero #38 – A Woman Woo’d appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The Stoics Thrasea and Soranus go on trial. And we run out of Tacitus.
The post Nero #37 – “Spare your ears” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
When you’ve been up to no good, and you get caught out, you have two options. Nero, like Ray, is a Number 2 kind of guy. In this episode, he goes after two significant Stoics, Thrasea Paetus and Barea Soranus, with trumped up charges. And we farewell one of our fans and friends, Victor Santochi. RIP mate.
The post Nero #36 – Two Options appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
A family commits suicide together to escape Nero’s prosecution, while others just get stabbed to death. But Tacitus’ explanations for Nero’s behaviour still leave us scratching our heads.
The post Nero #35 – A Monotony Of Disaster appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero launches a series of attacks that result in the demise of certain members of the Roman elite. But why these particular people? And why now? We tease apart Tacitus to try to work out what’s really going on.
The post Nero #34 – A Reckless Spirit appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This is the second and final part of our interview with philosopher Michael Tremblay, talking about Seneca and stoicism.
The post Nero #33 – Michael Tremblay On Stoicism (part 2) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
With the recent demise on our show of Nero's favourite Stoic, Seneca, we wanted to go balls deep on Stoicism. To help us out, our guest Michael Tremblay, who has a PhD in philosophy, where he studied Stoic ethics and education, came on and talk to us about the history and ideas behind the philosophy and the importance of Seneca. Here's part one of our discussion.
The post Nero #32 – Michael Tremblay On Stoicism (part 1) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In the year 66, Nero gets taken on a wild goose chase, performs some lovely poetry and harp concerts… oh yeah, and he kicks his wife to death.
The post Nero #31 – Wife Kicker appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This episode is brought to you by - legal weed! The Pisonian Conspiracy is over. Rewards are handed out to those who remained loyal. The Senate wants to make Nero a living god.
The post Nero #30 – High Praise appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Next on the chopping block is Seneca, Nero’s old tutor and adviser and leading Stoic. Historians seem to think he wasn’t directly involved in the conspiracy - but he probably knew about it.
The post Nero #29 – Seneca Falls appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero hunts down the main conspirators. Some of them are captured, while others help execute their own colleagues without betraying their allegiance to the cause. Piso is urged to mount the rostra in the Forum and make a case to the people, but decides to take the easy way out instead.
The post Nero #28 – Piso Falls appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The plot against Nero continues to gather momentum but is finally betrayed by a freedman, a day before shit was about to go down.
The post Nero #27 – A Betrayal Betrayed appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
When one of the praetorian prefects joins the conspirators, they decide it's time to act. But they can't agree on a plan. It takes a woman to move things along.
The post Nero #26 – The Circus Games (take 3) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We’re talking about the Pisonian Conspiracy of 65. Who started it and why? Theories involve an angry poet and an angry gay man seeking revenge.
The post Nero #25 – Effeminate Vice appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace.
The post NERO #24 – The Pisonian Conspiracy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace.
The post NERO #23 – The Great Fire Of Rome appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace.
The post NERO #22 – CONSTANTINE AT THE BRIDGE appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace.
The post NERO #21 – PROMISCUOUS THONG appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace.
The post Nero #20 – BEAST OF BURDEN appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace.
The post Nero #19 – OH NO MENS appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This is part two of a massive two-and-a-half-hour chat we had recently Edward J. Watts, a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, and author and editor of several prize-winning books, including THE FINAL PAGAN GENERATION, a great book about HYPATIA, a book out about the collapse of the Roman Republic, MORTAL REPUBLIC, and his latest book is THE ETERNAL DECLINE AND FALL OF ROME.
The post Nero #18 – Eternal Decline Part 2 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Edward J. Watts is a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, and author and editor of several prize-winning books, including THE FINAL PAGAN GENERATION, a great book about HYPATIA, a book out about the collapse of the Roman Republic, MORTAL REPUBLIC, and his latest book is THE ETERNAL DECLINE AND FALL OF ROME. This is part one of a massive two-and-a-half-hour chat we had recently.
The post Nero #17 – Eternal Decline Part 1 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
With Seneca out of the way, Tigellinus brings down the other prefect, Rufus. To strengthen his relationship with Nero, he increases his paranoia about the two men Nero had recently exiled for being threats to his power - Plautus and Sulla. Poppaea, not happy with Nero just divorcing Octavia, makes sure she gets rid of her forever.
The post Nero #16 – Your Filthy Little Mouth appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In the year 61, Nero deals with riots, treason, Stoics and the death of one of his key advisors.
The post Nero #15 – 400 Slaves appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Boudicea wins round one. But Suetonius has bloodshed and destruction on his mind.
The post Nero #14 – Bloodshed And Destruction appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Corbulo finishes round one in Armenia and gets a promotion. Meanwhile in Britain, a certain queen decides to take on the Romans - Boudicea. Exactly why, though, is a bit of a mystery.
The post Nero #13 – Badass Boudicea appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Agrippina is dead and Nero decides to party. Tacitus disapproves. He doesn’t like Nero’s parties and he doesn’t like his poetry. But then a comet appears, and everyone assumes it means the end of Nero’s reign - so they start looking for a replacement.
The post Nero #12 – Filthy Rabble appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Stephen Dando-Collins is an Australian historical author, who, like me, once sold his soul to the gods of marketing and advertising but has been redeeming himself ever since. His new book is about the great Jewish - Roman war of 66CE, entitled "Conquering Jerusalem".
The post Nero #11 – Stephen Dando-Collins appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We examine the circumstances and theories surrounding the death of Agrippina.
The post Nero #10 – All Manner Of Depravity appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero likes hanging out under bridges where he could “take his pleasures more freely” and this leads to trouble for Sulla’s great-great-great grandson. But Nero also wants to abolish taxes because he’s a dirty commie. Then the Germans start some shit and find out why he was called “ONE CHANCE NERO”.
The post Nero #9 – When In Rome appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero likes hanging out under bridges where he could “take his pleasures more freely” and this leads to trouble for Sulla’s great-great-great grandson. But Nero also wants to abolish taxes because he’s a dirty commie. Then the Germans start some shit and find out why he was called “ONE CHANCE NERO”.
The post Nero #8 – “Abominations And Wickedness” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Tacitus shares some Salacious Stories from Nero's Rome in the year 58 CE - mostly about ambitious women.
The post Nero #7 – Salacious Stories appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
There’s a war with Parthia, Rome’s boogeyman since they cut off the head of Crassus in 53 BCE, a hundred years earlier, and Nero sends Corbulo to deal with it. He whips his troops into order and kicks ass, wearing a mankini while his troops’ hands fall off from the cold.
The post Nero #6 – ARMenia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero starts his own Fight Club. Apart from that, the years of 56 - 58 were pretty good. Nero made some wise decisions (no doubt with the help of Seneca), showing moderation and generosity. He was turning out to be an emperor of the calibre of Augustus.
The post Nero #5 – Fight Club appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This is where the story becomes really weird. Nero, up until now the golden child, suddenly becomes a cold murderer with the murder of Britannicus.
The post Nero #4 – Nero The Murderer appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In the first year of his rule, Nero was a big hit. He built a wooden amphitheatre in the Campus Martius, flooded it, and held a naval battle with sea monsters. In his gladiator shows, nobody died, not even criminals. But then… Nero fell in love.
The post Nero #3 – Nero In Love appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nero becomes emperor on the murder of his step-father. He’s 16 or 17 years old. Why didn’t the Senate stop him? It might have something to do with Seneca and Burrus. Seneca wrote him a speech where he promised to be nice. And, indeed, the first five years of his rule seemed to go well. His mother, Agrippina, ruled by his side.
The post Nero #2 – Nice Guy Nero appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This is the story of Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. Known to us as Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Or just “Nero”. On this episode, we ask - how is it possible that a man tutored and guided by one of the most famous Stoic philosophers, Seneca, would end up with the reputation as one of history’s worst tyrants?
The post Nero #1 – The Last OG appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Messallina decides the time has come. She has a poison expert released from prison and they prepare a special dish of mushrooms for Claudius’ last meal. But the mushrooms weren’t enough and so they had to finish him off - with a feather.
The post Claudius #15 – A Mushroom & A Feather appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Claudius builds the world’s biggest tunnel and puts on a huge show to celebrate. But things don’t go to plan. Nero gets married and starts to build his political profile - he is only 16.
The post Claudius #14 – Digging Tunnels appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Claudius and Agrippina get hitched despite the fact that she was his niece. She immediately starts to get rid of her enemies, reward her supporters, and prepare the ground for the next stage of her plan to make her young son, Nero, the emperor.
The post Claudius #13 – Roman Incest appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It's 48 CE. Messalina is dead. So now Claudius needs a new wife. There are several candidates, including Julia Agrippina, the daughter of Germanicus, making her Claudius' niece. Conveniently, her rich husband had recently died. She is also the mother of a young boy called Domitius Ahenobarbus - but who will soon change his name to Nero.
The post Claudius #12 – Lips That Grip appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo - brother-in-law of Caligula - is sent by Claudius to Germany to deal with some rebellious tribes. But he's TOO successful, so Claudius calls him home. Messalina decides to get married again - while still married to Claudius. Surprisingly he isn't too happy about it when he finds out. So she has a date - with a sword.
The post Claudius #11 – Deviant Behaviour appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Messalina starts killing off men who refuse her sexual advances or who just have something she wants. Meanwhile, Claudius keeps being a nice guy and the people feel sorry for him.
The post Claudius #10 Santa Claudius appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The invasion of Brittania continues. When Plautius has them nearly finished, he sends for Claudius who turns up to take credit for the final blow. The Senate grant him tons of honours as a result of his victory. But he’s more interested in explaining to Romans how an eclipse works.
The post Claudius #9 Vini Vidi Vici Bitchi appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In 43 Claudius is consul again. Messalina is setting him up with girls to bang while she’s running sex parties in another part of the palace. Then he invades Britain, finishing the job Julius Caesar started nearly a century earlier.
The post Claudius #8 – Invading Britannia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
While the attempted coup was going on, Claudius had troops in Mauretania under the command of Suetonius Paulinus. One of Paulinus’ officers, Gnaeus Hosidius Geta, chases the Moors over the Atlas Mountains and into the desert - where he has to call on foreign gods to save his legions.
The post Claudius #7 – Mauretania appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Claudius was a builder and a visionary. Humble and generous. He liked gladiatorial contests a little too much. But then there was his wife. Valeria Messallina. Like Livia, Messallina often gets blamed for some of the deaths that occurred early in his reign.
The post Claudius #6 – The Revolt appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Claudius was a builder and a visionary. Humble and generous. He liked gladiatorial contests a little too much. But then there was his wife. Valeria Messallina. Like Livia, Messallina often gets blamed for some of the deaths that occurred early in his reign.
The post Claudius #5 – The Wife appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
When Caligula was assassinated in 41, Claudius hid in a room of the palace called the Hermaeum, and then behind a curtain on a balcony. According to Suetonius, he was discovered by a soldier named Gratus - Gratitude -
who said to his colleagues: "This is a Germanicus; come on, let us choose him for our emperor." But many in the Senate wanted to see him dead and a return to the republic.
The post Claudius #4 – The Good Emperor appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
When Caligula was assassinated in 41, Claudius hid in a room of the palace called the Hermaeum, and then behind a curtain on a balcony. According to Suetonius, he was discovered by a soldier named Gratus - Gratitude -
who said to his colleagues: "This is a Germanicus; come on, let us choose him for our emperor." But many in the Senate wanted to see him dead and a return to the republic.
The post Claudius #3 – The Emperor appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
For most of his life, Claudius was the Rosemary Kennedy of the Caesars. Without the ice pick lobotomy. Hidden from the public. If he wasn’t allowed to participate in Roman affairs, he would look elsewhere. He became a historian, writing a ton of books about his family, the Carthaginians, and about Etruscan history. But he wasn't boring. He was a bit of a womaniser, and loved to watch games in the arena, gambling, eating, drinking. Things only started to turn around for him when became Caligula’s co-consul in 37 - but whether or not this was Caligula's little joke is hard to say.
The post Claudius #2 – The Historian appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The first 50 years of Tiberius Claudius Nero's life was a mixture of wealth, power and cruelty. With symptoms similar to cerebral palsy, the young Claudius was called “a monstrosity of a human being, one that Nature began and never finished" - by his own mother. He was kept out of public life and power by his adoptive grandfather, Augustus, and his successor, Tiberius. He was treated as a fool and a joke by his nephew, Caligula. But after Caligula's assassination, he took power by force, becoming Rome's first true IMPERATOR.
The post Claudius #1 – The Monster appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In this special post-series wrap up episode of Caligula, I'm joined by my fellow Aussie history podcasters, Dr G and Dr R from The Partial Historians.
The post Caligula #25 – The Partial Historians appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
On the last morning of his life, Caligula entered the temporary theatre on the Palatine in a good mood. The conspirators attacked him in a narrow corridor, on his way back to the palace during the lunch break between performances. The lead conspirator, the praetorian guard Chaerea, stabbed Caligula in the neck, shouting "hoc age" - TAKE THAT! Then he was set upon by a crowd of assassins. Then they brutally murdered his wife and child. The assassins searched for Claudius to bump him off too - but he couldn't be found.
The post Caligula #24 – Hoc Age appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
There's nothing worse than having a Finicky Anus aka Lucius Annius Vinicianus. According to Josephus, Vinicianus was one of the main conspirators. As we'll see, Vinicianus was a long history of conspiring against the Julio-Claudians - he was complicit in conspiracies to overthrow Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. And his sons tried to overthrow Nero. The assassination of Caligula was planned to happen during the celebration of the Palatine games because Caligula had announced that he would be moving to Alexandria - perhaps permanently - the following day.
The post Caligula #23.b – Finicky Anus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The final conspiracy against Caligula involved Cassius Chaerea, an officer of the Praetorian Guard; Callistus, Caligula's wealthy freedman adviser; and the senator Lucius Annius Vinicianus. Over the next three episodes, we'll explore whether or not the conspiracy was about getting rid of Caligula because he was batshit crazy - or because they wanted to restore the Republic.
The post Caligula #22 – The Foot Stomp appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
My guest today is Anthony Poulton-Smith - Freelance Journalist, Author of 78 books, and many more articles, ghostwriter, speaker and etymologist. Chair of Tamworth Literary Festival, Tamworth History Group. He spoke to me recently about the Latin roots of some of my favourite words. You know what I'm talking about.
The post Caligula #21 – Anthony Poulton-Smith appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caligula got back to Rome around May 40 but stayed outside of the city until he could celebrate his ovation on his 28th birthday, 31 August. In the meantime he met with delegations from various parts of the world, including Philo's delegation from Alexandria, and Herod Antipas and his wife, Herodias, from Judaea. Conspiracies against him are everywhere.
The post Caligula #20 – Hairy Antipasto appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Ray recently interviewed Lindsay Powell about Caligula. I asked Ray for show notes. This is what he gave me.
"We talked of keeping the sources in context, considering the times they lived it and agenda. He went deep. Then his analysis of the events in the German border and the coast of Britain. And his apparent fickleness, which in a ruler, effects everyone but also how people like Suetonius probably used that."
See? That's what I have to work with.
The post Caligula #19 – Lindsay Powell on Caligula appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Many historians claim that Caligula’s demand to be treated as a living god is a sure sign of madness. And yet - JESUS claimed the same thing and nobody calls HIM insane. Why does he get special treatment? On this episode, we drill down into the evidence for the claim about Caligula.
The post Caligula #18 – Living God appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caligula plans his invasion of Britain. It would have been the first time any Roman solider had been there since Julius Caesar. What motivated his plans? Was he even serious? It's often portrayed as a stupid stunt. But we discover there may be more to it. How did it fit into his German campaign and the conspiracies against him? And how does it factor into Claudius' later invasion?
The post Caligula #17 – Brittanicus Germanicus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Sometime around the year 40, Caligula executed Ptolemy, the king of Africa Proconsularis and Roman ally. It's usually portrayed as evidence of his insanity and greed - but perhaps there is an alternative explanation.
The post Caligula #16 – Bless The Rains appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caligula suspects a grand conspiracy against his person and the sword falls on a variety of people - including the commander in Gaul, his two surviving sisters and his best friend / lover, Lepidus.
The post Caligula #15 – The Conspiracy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caligula built a 3-mile long bridge over the Bay of Naples. Why? So he could ride over it to prove someone wrong. Then he marries his third and last wife, Caesonia. Then he fires two consuls for not celebrating his birthday and starts a general purge of governors who are called back to Rome and, in some cases, charged with majestas. There's conspiracy in the air.
The post Caligula #14 – The Great Purge appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In 39 CE, Caligula walked into the Senate and tore them all a new one. The gloves came off. The nice guy act was over. He criticized them for enabling Sejanus' persecution of his family and for criticizing Tiberius when in fact they urged him on. Then he reinstated majestas. The Senate responded by thanking him and singing his praises.
The post Caligula #13 – No More Mr Nice Guy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
My inaugural guest is Dr Nathan Brooks PhD from CQUniversity. He's a forensic psychologist with a background in researching psychopaths. He (and a couple of colleagues) have a new book that came out just after mine, called "Corporate Psychopaths". It's an academic book looking at many of the same issues as mine. It was great to speak to him last week and find that we agreed on everything, from the size and importance of the problem, to the causes and the cures.
The post The Psychopath Epidemic 01 – Corporate Psychopathy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
From his sickbed he named his favorite sister, Drusilla, to inherit the imperial “property and the throne”. But when he recovered, he decided to rid himself of some enemies, real or imagined, including Gemellus, Macro and Silanus, his former father-in-law.
The post Caligula #12 – The Divine Drusilla appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
From his sickbed he named his favorite sister, Drusilla, to inherit the imperial “property and the throne”. But when he recovered, he decided to rid himself of some enemies, real or imagined, including Gemellus, Macro and Silanus, his former father-in-law.
The post Caligula #11 – Paranoia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caligula's absolute favourite thing in the world, apart from spending money, is screwing. And seriously, who can blame him. It's good to be the king. And, like Ray, he was happy to be a power bottom. He liked horse racing, and was fond of poisoning other team's horses and riders. He liked actors, and was fond of beating people up who interrupted performances in the theatre. I wish we could do that to people who write moronic iTunes reviews. And then, a few months after he became Emperor, Caligula fell seriously ill. It would be the turning point of his reign.
The post Caligula #10 – “Anal Maintenance” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The Nemi ships were two pleasure barges, one larger than the other, built under Caligula at Lake Nemi. Although there were several attempts to recover them from the 15th century onwards, it wasn't until 1929 that Mussolini ordered the whole of Lake Nemi would be drained and they were recovered and housed in a museum. And then the Americans decided to drop bombs on them, and they were destroyed, lost forever.
The post Caligula #9 – The Ships of Nemi appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
According to Suetonius, Caligula was quite proud of his "adiatrepsia" - shamelessness. He lived in habitual incest with all his sisters and was especially fond of Drusilla. He made her divorce her first husband and marry his friend and lover Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. In 37 he interrupted the wedding of Livia Orestilla so he could marry her himself - and then kicked her to the curb 24 hours later. Then he made Lollia Paulina divorce her husband and marry him - but he tired of her in six months. Then he married Caesonia, "a woman of reckless extravagance and wantonness". Six months into his rule, Caligula fell seriously ill. While he was sick in bed, Macro and Silanus apparently prepared for the worst. They started the wheels in motion for Gemellus to be declared the successor.
The post Caligula #8 – Shamelessness appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
How does a 24 year old kid, who's never even been on a battlefield, let alone lead an army to victory, get declared "imperator"?
How would you handle it if you were granted ius arbitriumque omnium rerum (‘power and authority over all things’) and declared princeps legibus solutus (a princeps not bound by the laws)? Would you be able to handle it?
We know we wouldn't. Who would we have killed? Find out on this episode.
The post Caligula #7 – Going Back To Cali appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
One of the other first things Caligula did when he took power was to release Herod Agrippa from jail - King Herod from the New Testament. The grandson of Herod the Great. Which all gives me an excuse to talk about The Maccabean Revolt and a short history on Judaean politics from 169 BCE to Caligula.
The post Caligula #6 – The Maccabees appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
By all accounts, Caligula was extremely popular with the people, as his father, Germanicus, had been. Suetonius reports that Caligula was “the emperor most earnestly desired”. When he entered Rome, the celebrations are said to have gone on for almost three months, and more than 160,000 animals were sacrificed—and eaten.
The post Caligula #5 – Caligula’s Popularity appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We all think we know something of the story of Caligula. We have a picture of him as a destructive monster, an insane sadist. But truth is rarely that simple. Let's take a look at the sources and their individual biases. And let's keep in mind that Caligula was Rome's first true emperor.
The post Caligula #4 – Monster or Misunderstood? appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We continue and finish our live commentary on the 1979 epic film, CALIGULA. Picking up where we left off last week, Caligula is fisting the married couple and he doesn't even remove his ring. A dark and stormy night leads to night terrors, a super hot threesome between Caligula, his sister and Helen Mirren, a gratuitous but welcome sultry Italian lesbian scene, spinning plates, a Helen Mirren does Madonna dance scene, some torture, a horse in a bed, death, crazy, an orgy on a fake ship, and we close with brains being bashed out on the stairs. It's one helluva film.
The post Caligula #3 – The Movie (Part 3) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We continue our live commentary on the 1979 epic film, CALIGULA. Picking up where we left off last week, still in Tiberius’ sex palace on Capri, with a lady holding a writhing legless lizard that she is apparently about to place inside her woo-hoo. Around the 18 minute mark of the film. This episode sees the death of Tiberius, the arrest of Macro, a bukake scene, Helen Mirren dancing and doing it doggy style, a possibly historically-inaccurate giant head mower, and Caligula providing a young couple with a wedding present to remember.
The post Caligula Caesar #2 – The Movie (Part 2) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
To kick off our Caligula series, we are doing a commentary on the 1979 epic film, CALIGULA. Written by Gore Vidal, directed by Tinto Brass, produced by Bob Guccione, starring Malcolm McDowell, Hellen Mirren, Peter O’Toole, John Gielgud, Teresa Ann Savoy, fucking, sucking, anal fisting, disembowelling, beheading, and more dicks and pussies than you can count. It’s truly a masterpiece that you need to give a second chance.
The post Caligula Caesar #1 – The Movie (Part 1) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
When Ray’s away, the Cam doth play.
The post The Papa Bear Beat appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
A special philosophy episode. Nothing at all to do with Augustus or Rome. No Ray. Just me and a special guest – Dr. Richard Carrier, who has a M.Phil. and a Ph.D. Ancient History from Columbia University. Talking about FREE WILL. Now most of you know that I’m as passionate about philosophy as I am […]
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Our Kickstarter campaign went live today, so please jump on over there, and support us if you can. And, if you can’t, but still want to support us, Tweet it, Facebook it, Reddit it. Thanks!
The post Inventing The Messiah appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Excerpt from a new iTunes review: “Some facts: The History of Rome covered the period from the introduction of Julius Caesar to the death of Cleopatra in 3.5 hours. That includes adverts for Casper mattresses. Ray and Cam have taken 3.5 days. I really like the History of Rome, but it’s this podcast that has […]
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Thanks to everyone who nominated us for a Podcast Award! We made the official “Society & Culture” nomination list! Now we need you to go and vote for us. You can vote for us once a day. Vote early, vote often! If we win, there will be a very special event, kind of like the […]
The post Life Of Augustus Announcement – Podcast Awards Nomination! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Hey folks! We’re very excited to announce our brand new kick-ass history series – THE LIFE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT. It’s going to be our wildest and best series yet! This is the guy that both Napoleon and Caesar admired and studied, so it only makes sense for us to tell his story next in […]
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