Life Of The Caesars: Recent Episodes
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This episode we go deep on the hilltop fortresses still holding out in Judaea after the fall of Jerusalem, which turns into a very long detour through Pliny the Elder's chapter on menstrual blood.... which is, it turns out, absolutely packed with practical tips you can use at home. Don't let your pregnant horses anywhere near a menstruating virgin, obviously. We also get to Machaerus, the fortress where John the Baptist allegedly lost his head, and a magic root that will kill your dog but cure demonic possession, so swings and roundabouts.
The post Pliny’s Guide to Menstrual Magic – Vespasian #25 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We're covering the triumph of Vespasian and Titus, and our eyewitness is Josephus.... a Jewish priest who watched Rome parade the looted contents of his own temple down the street and somehow managed to keep it together enough to write one of the most vivid accounts of a Roman triumph we have. The menorah, the multi-storey floats, rivers of gold and ivory, Jewish prisoners dressed in finery to hide how emaciated they were. It's an extraordinary document from an extraordinarily compromised man.
The post A River of Gold – Vespasian #24 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This episode we're deep in the Temple of Isis - which turns out to be exactly where Vespasian and Titus had to spend the night before their joint triumph, for reasons both boring and genuinely weird. We also cover Decius Mundus, a man so obsessed with a married woman that he bribed priests to let him dress up as Anubis and have sex with her.... which Josephus drops right after his suspiciously glowing account of Jesus, purely by coincidence. And we take a hard look at whether Nero actually blamed the Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, or whether Tacitus just made that up fifty years later.
The post The God in the Dog Mask – Vespasian #23 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Titus wraps up the Jewish War with a five-month tour of the region, dropping in on city after city with two legions at his back and thousands of Jewish captives in tow.... who he then has killed, in as many creative ways as possible, as entertainment. Meanwhile he's sleeping with Berenice, Jewish princess and co-ruler of the very territory he just levelled, which is complicated. And somewhere in Syria, Josephus spots a river that only flows on the Sabbath, spawning a legend that runs for 2,000 years.
The post Titus’ Victory Tour – Vespasian #22 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Vespasian is finally making his way back to Rome and apparently every city he passes through absolutely loses its goddamn mind.... according to Josephus who is, of course, completely unbiased. Meanwhile Domitian is talking a big game about personally crushing the Batavian revolt until Mucianus very firmly tells him to go back to his room.
The post The Last Man Standing – Vespasian #21 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
On this episode, the siege of Jerusalem is over and Titus is handing out medals, melting down temple gold to crown his best soldiers, and carving up his legions for their next postings around the empire. We dig into what happened to the early Christian community in Jerusalem — spoiler: nobody really knows, and that's the fascinating part. Then Cam and Ray pause to take in the sheer scale of what just happened: a 2,200-year-old city, wiped off the face of the earth.
The post CROWNS FROM THE TEMPLE – Vespasian #20 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
On this episode, Cameron and Ray wrap up the fall of Jerusalem in September 70 CE — Titus strolls into the ruins, declares Yahweh helped him destroy Yahweh's own temple, and the boys go deep on the genuinely wild linguistic coincidence that the Roman sky-god Jove and the Hebrew God share the same name. Then it's grim accounting time: survivors get sorted into gladiators, mine slaves, and beast-fodder, Josephus rescues some mates, and rebel leader Simon Bar-Gioras emerges from a tunnel dressed in a white robe trying to pass himself off as a ghost. Plus Cameron's AI fact-checker contradicts itself mid-episode, Ray declines to answer questions about his Michael Jackson glove, and somehow it all makes sense.
The post YHWH v JOVE – Vespasian #19 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This week we finally reach the end of the Siege of Jerusalem — and it's brutal. Titus storms the upper city, the rebels' back is broken, Simon and John have vanished into the tunnels, and by September 25th, 70 CE, the city is rubble and the Temple is gone forever. We also dive into the fate of the sacred Menorah — where it went, what it meant, and why nobody knows where it is today.
The post UNLEASH THE CARL – Vespasian #18 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It's August 70 CE, and the siege of Jerusalem is entering its apocalyptic final act. In this episode, Cameron and Ray pick up where the last one left off — starving rebels launching desperate sorties against exhausted Roman legionaries, Titus ordering his men to burn down the silver-coated temple gates to finally crack open the last Jewish stronghold, and the mounting pressure on one of the ancient world's most sacred structures. Before the walls even fall, Cameron takes a deep dive into the remarkable cast of Jesuses and Ananiases haunting Josephus's account of the war — including a wild-eyed plebeian prophet named Jesus son of Ananias, who spent seven years and five months wandering Jerusalem's streets howling "Woe to Jerusalem!" until a Roman siege engine stone ended his career mid-prophecy. Cameron draws pointed connections between this forgotten street-prophet and the Gospel accounts of Jesus of Nazareth, noting that the Gospel of Matthew — written around 75–80 CE, after Jerusalem had already fallen — may owe more to Josephus's war stories than to genuine prophecy. Then history's most consequential act of arson takes centre stage: against Titus's explicit orders, an unnamed Roman soldier — dubbed "Carl" by Cameron and Ray in an extended bit of comedy gold — hurled a burning torch through a golden-framed window of the Temple, setting in motion a conflagration that consumed one of the ancient world's greatest buildings while Titus himself was still inside the Holy of Holies. The looting that followed was so spectacular it caused a gold glut across Syria, halving the price of the metal. Titus freed roughly 40,000 non-combatants into the smouldering ruin of their city — good news delivered alongside very bad news. The end of the siege is now finally within sight.
The post Goddamn it, Carl! – Vespasian #17 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It's 70 CE, the walls of Jerusalem are crumbling, and the city is eating itself alive — literally. In this episode of Life of Caesar, Cameron and Ray wade deep into Josephus's harrowing account of the final, grinding assault on the Antonia Fortress and the Temple Mount, where the siege of Jerusalem has reached a level of horror almost beyond comprehension. Titus is still trying to take the city intact, still offering surrender terms that rebel leader John of Gischala keeps refusing, even as 600,000 corpses have been thrown out of the gates and the starving population has been reduced to eating dung, leather belts, and — in one unforgettable episode — a widow named Mary from Perea who roasts and eats her own infant son, leaving even Jerusalem's most hardened killers staggering into the street in shock. Meanwhile, the Roman assaults keep producing their own gruesome catalogue of disasters: brave volunteers like Sabinus the Syrian and the Abian centurion Julian charge the walls in spectacular solo acts of courage, only to be undone by the cruel physics of hobnailed caliga boots sliding out on blood-slicked marble floors. A trumpeter and sixteen centuries break into the Antonia in a daring pre-dawn raid, a legionnaire named Longus cuts his own throat rather than surrender or burn, and a soldier called Artorius survives a sixty-foot jump by landing on — and killing — his tentmate Lucius, who had agreed to catch him in exchange for his inheritance. Through it all, Josephus insists it wasn't the Romans but God himself who condemned the Jews, a theological contortion Cameron links to the writing of the Gospel of Mark and the birth of Christianity from the ashes of the Temple. There's also a lengthy and highly entertaining detour into medieval witch trials, broomsticks, and the surprisingly pharmaceutical origins of flying — Cameron has been reading Carlo Ginzburg, and he has things to tell you about salves and sticks that will change how you watch Wicked forever.
The post Slip, Trip, and Slit – Vespasian #16 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
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The post Vespasian #9 – Blessed Are the Cheesemakers… and the Siege Engines appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The post Vespasian #8 – Batavians Dance, Romans Sink, Goodbye Tacitus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The post Gallienus: The Pragmatist Who Kept Rome Alive appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The post Vespasian #7 – Birds, Betrayal, and the Birth of Christianity appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The post Vespasian #6 – Bitumen, Blood, and Bias appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The post Vespasian #5 – Circumcision, Sabbath, and Salt appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The post Vespasian #4 – Marc Hyden, author, “Emperor Titus” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The post Vespasian #2 – Big Dick Imperium: Vespasian’s Real Power Brokers appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The post Vitellius #20 – Despite Everything, I Was Your Emperor appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
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The post Vitellius #18 – “Sword in One Hand, Paranoia in the Other” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
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The post Vitellius #9 – STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE HARD, NO MERCY appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
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.
Friend of the show, Lindsay Powell, has a new work of investigative history, “Bar Kokhba, The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome”. Like Lindsay’s other books on Agrippa, Augustus, Drusus the Elder and Germanicus, this new book peels away the layers hidden in the dust of history to help us understand […]
The post Review: “Bar Kokhba, The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might 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.
We often get asked “Who the hell are Barry & Stan?” And, of course, that is the question that people have been asking for thousands of years… the names Barry and Stan turn up in hieroglyphs in Egyptian temples, in the mystery cults of Ancient Greece, even in ancient Chinese legends….. it seems like every […]
The post Who are Barry & Stan? 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.
Hey folks – because I’ve decided to take a few weeks off from late June (I’m actually driving down to Sydney and Melbourne to do some QAV events), we are going to take a break before we start the Claudius series. We’ll be back with Claudius around mid-July. But we will have one more special […]
The post Back in July 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.
In March 37 CE, aged seventy-seven years, four months, and nine days, of which time he had been emperor twenty-two years, seven months, and seven days, Tiberius Caesar Divi Augusti filius Augustus fell ill and died.
OR DID HE?
The post Tiberius Caesar #40 – I’M NOT DEAD YET appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The death of Agrippina came soon after that of her son. There are more majestas trials, trouble with the Parthians, and, despite the assurance from his favourite astrologer that he had many years left, Tiberius addresses his own mortality. With Drusus dead, the only remaining heirs to the throne were Gemellus, son of Drusus, and Gaius, son of Germanicus – aka Caligula.
The post Tiberius Caesar #39 – The Death Of Agrippina appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Tiberius runs amok. Usury runs rampant. Drusus chews the stuffing.
The post Tiberius Caesar #38 – The Crash Of Rome appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We go into more detail about Tiberius’ sex palace than you ever wanted or needed to know. Honestly, you’ll probably regret listening to this episode. Maybe skip this one if you have a sensitive disposition. Who am I kidding? We weeded out the pussies a long time ago. With Sejanus gone, and his betrayal having cut Tiberius to the core, he goes on a massive purge that terrifies Rome for several years.
The post Tiberius Caesar #37 – Secret Orgies 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.
Sejanus decided to remove the next in line of Germanicus’ heirs, Drusus, and finally married Livia Julia, the widow of the other Drusus, son of Tiberius. He also became Tiberius’ official partner in power – in 31CE Tiberius took his fifth consulship, with Seianus as his colleague. But before the year 31 would come to a close, Sejanus and all his […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #36 – The Fall Of Sejanus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Shortly after Livia’s death, Tibbo wrote a letter to the senate attacking both Agrippina and Nero. They were prosecuted by Aulus Avillius Flaccus – the future prefect of Egypt, which leads Cam into a sidenote about Flaccus’ treatment of the Jews in Alexandria – and were both sent into exile. Then in 30, Tibbo finally […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #35 – Unnatural Passions appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
With Tiberius safely ensconced in his sex dungeon on Capri, Sejanus goes after more friends of Agrippina, starting with one of Germanicus’ generals, Titius Sabinus. About the same time, Julia The Younger, Augustus’ grand-daughter, finally died, after being in exile for 20 years. And Livia finally died in 29 CE, aged 86.
The post Tiberius Caesar #34 – Vale Livia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In the year 26, Sejanus went after Agrippina again, this time by attacking her close friend and cousin, Claudia Pulchra, who was accused of adultery and treason. Agrippina loses her shit and gets all up in Tiberius’ face in public. In the same year, Tibbo finally decided to leave Rome and finally retired to his […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #33 – Tibbo Out! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Even as late as 24 CE, Tiberius seems to be mostly rational, although his view on majestas was hardening. He refused to allow Further Spain to erect a temple to himself and his mother. And when Sejanus asked for permission to marry Livia Julia, Drusus’ widow, Tibbo turned him down. Here’s a short clip from […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #32 – The Cck Blck appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s the year 24 CE. Sejanus is trying to convince Tiberius that the sky is falling. His advice: sweep the leg.
The post Tiberius Caesar #31 – Sweep The Leg appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Sejanus and Livilla conspire to murder her husband, Drusus, son of Tiberius. At least that’s the story according to Sejanus’ ex-wife Apicata. With Drusus out of the way, Sejanus next plots the demise of Germanicus’ kiddies and widow, Agrippina.
The post Tiberius Caesar #30 – Lucky Longy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Tacitus seems to think Sejanus was the manipulator of Tiberius and that Sejanus wanted the power for himself. But of course he has things in his way. Drusus, the adult son of Tiberius, who is about 37. And Drusus also had sons of his own. Tiberius Gemellus and his twin brother, Tiberius Germanicus II Gemellus, are […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #29 – “Going Deep” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Some good/bad news on the Pompey statue mentioned in Tiberius episode 28! One of our Italian listeners, Jacopo Novelli, dug up this site: http://www.100kmdamilano.it/villa-arconati-al-castellazzo-…/ Which makes the following claim: “A study conducted in 1810 by the painter Giuseppe Bossi showed instead that it was not Pompey, but Tiberius, and that the statue was probably commissioned by […]
The post “Pompey” Statue at Villa Arconati. appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
According to Tacitus, 23 CE is the turning point in Tiberius’s reign. He blames it on Lucius Aelius Sejanus. Suetonius, on the other hand, blames Sejanus on Tiberius. On this episode, we tell the story of the rise of Sejanus – the man who ruined Rome.
The post Tiberius Caesar #28 – Scapegoatse appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Tiberius, unlike Augustus, was only generous with financial help on rare occasions. And he stopped the urban development in the provinces. Because these are things you do if you want to make people like you. Tiberius didn’t seem to care. The hard work had been done by Augustus. Tiberius is in caretaker mode. He left good […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #27 – The Son Of God appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In 21 there was a revolt by a number of Gallic tribes under the leadership of Julius Florus and Julius Sacrovir. And in 28, there was another revolt. This time by the Germanic Frisii tribe – all because their cows weren’t large enough.
The post Tiberius Caesar #26 – Florus, Sacrovir & the Frisii appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The one about the military situation during Tibbo’s reign, Jesus murdering a herd of pigs in cold blood, Rhescuporis and Cotys battle for Thrace, Uppity Softy, Uppity Pussylips and Pappy Sabs – and Camerinus.
The post Tiberius Caesar #25 – The Battle For Thrace appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Tiberius’ position on maiestas (treason) started to harden over time. By the year 22, according to Tacitus, the charge of maiestas was pretty standard in most trials. Meanwhile, Aemilia Lepida tried Barry & Stan’s Virgin Birth Defence.
The post Tiberius Caesar #24 – The Virgin Birth Defence appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
TIbbo bans the Druids and loves to sit in on court cases, giving his opinion on the guilt or innocence of the accused, even when nobody asked him. We go into some details on the origins of the Maiestas laws, which leads us to talk about the Gold of Tolosa. Amazing story!
The post Tiberius Caesar #23 – Gold Of Tolosa appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Listen to me read the INTRODUCTION to my new book THE PSYCHOPATH ECONOMY. And you only have until 20 March to pre-order your copy!
The post The Psychopath Economy – Introduction appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s a very special episode! Cam is joined by hilarious fellow Aussies Dr Fiona Radford and Dr Peta Greenfield from The Partial Historians podcast to discuss the epic question – who wore it best? Augustus or Tiberius? No Ray on this episode due to timezone issues. And racism.
The post Tiberius Caesar #22 – Partial Party appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
More stories from the ancient sources about what a nice guy Tibbo was. Most of the time. In the early years. Before he went all sex-dungeon-y. And more stories about how the Senate became increasingly spineless.
The post Tiberius Caesar #21 – Nice Guy Tibbo appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In the year 21 CE, Tacfarinas, the African Arminius, is still causing trouble for the poor old Romans. So Tibbo, who is busy, off building his sex dungeon, asks the Senate to deal with it. They, of course, wet themselves, because it means doing some actual work.
The post Tiberius Caesar #20 – Tacco Is Backo appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We’re still looking at stories showing how moderate Tiberius was in the early years – and how the Senate gradually became more and more useless. One great example is the inability to appoint a proconsul of Africa to deal with Tacfarinas, the African Arminius.
The post Tiberius Caesar #19 – The Tacfarinas Conundrum appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We look at some of the controversies that Drusus had to deal with when he was sole consul in the year 21 CE. For example – Caecina Severus made a strong case that the wives of provincial governors should no longer be allowed to accompany their husbands abroad. Nice try, Chachinga! And Annia Rufilla liked using the ultimate […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #18 – The Sensitive Clutorius appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Claudius, son of Drusus and Antonia Minor, grandson of Livia and Mark Antony, was born in 10 BCE. He’s so disabled, his mother refers to him as a monster and uses him as a synonym for stupidity.
The post Tiberius Caesar #17 – I, Claudius 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, and a great book about Hypatia. He’s got a great new book out about the collapse of the Roman Republic, MORTAL REPUBLIC. Get your copy today!
The post Tiberius Caesar #16 – Edward J Watts Interview appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Abandoned by everyone, Piso walks off the stage. Plancina gets a pardon. Tiberius pulls a Trump and says Piso betrayed his trust. And then there’s this how thing about erections and electrocution that we are slightly ashamed about.
The post Tiberius Caesar #15 – ‘Pisoff’ appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Agrippina and Piso arrive (separately) back in Rome. And the trial of Piso begins.
The post Tiberius Caesar #14 “Do Your Farking Job!” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Meanwhile in Rome, people are just getting news that Germs is ill and they are furious at Tibbo and Livia. Aha! They said. Now we know why he was sent into the middle of nowhere. He has probably been poisoned like his father Drusus was, because they both wanted to restore the Republic! And then […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #13 – “Infected” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
I just launched my second and last Kickstarter campaign for the Jesus film! Check it out, promote it, support it, lick it, rub yourself all over it!
The post Help Jesus! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Why did Germanicus go to Egypt? To get to the other side. His real motive, according to Tacitus, was tourism HOWEVER a couple of papyrus fragments discovered in Oxyrynchus in the 20th century, contains a fragment of a speech to the Alexandrians And it confirms that the visit was also an official one and makes […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #12 – Tears for Germanicus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
To Germanicus, Piso’s appointment will have been clear proof that Tiberius still did not trust him. To some extent it followed the pattern whereby a tried and trusted man was sent to watch over a young and inexperienced prince. But Germanicus was neither so young nor by any means so inexperienced as Gaius Caesar had […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #11 “Father of the Legions” appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Problems in the East. It had started back in 15, when the Parthians expelled their king, Vonones. Although I’ve also read 12. Vonones was the eldest son of Phraates iv and had been handed over to Augustus as a hostage in the 20s BCE along with his three brothers. After the assassination of Orodes III […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #10 – Piso Shit appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The other problem Tibbo had in 16 was a belated consequence of the removal of Agrippa Postumus. As soon as he heard of Augustus’ death, Clemens, one of Agrippa’s slaves, had decided to sail to Planasia and engineer Agrippa’s escape to the German armies, where he obviously expected to gain the support of Germanicus and […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #9 – Happy Fish appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Meanwhile, while Germs was off in Germany fighting Germans… Tibbo had major problems to deal with. SILK CLOTHING. CASSIUS DIO: Tiberius forbade any man to wear silk clothing and also forbade anyone to use golden vessels except for sacred ceremonies. And when some were at a loss to know whether they were also forbidden to […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #8 – The Libo Shuffle appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We are very excited to welcome back to the show our favourite history detective Lindsay Powell, author of several terrific books on Agrippa, Augustus and Germanicus.
The post Tiberius Caesar #7 – Lindsay Powell, Germanicus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Germs got a FULL triumph and a triumphal arch, which was erected the following year only 150 yards from the arch erected by Augustus to celebrate the return of the standards from Parthia. This suggests Tibbo wanted people to think about the campaign as about retrieving a lost standard – not as an attempt to […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #6 – Pulling Out appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
After witnessing the Varus killing fields, They were furious and wanted revenge against Arminius and the Cherusci. Maybe Germs had calculated this? Or maybe it was an accident? With the Bructeri out of reach Germanicus set out in pursuit of Arminius, who skillfully led him deeper into the pathless forests. I feel like I’ve seen […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #5 – Lèse-majesté appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Remember Arminius, the leader of the Cherusci tribe of Germans? The complete bad-ass who took down Quinctilius Varus at the Varian Disaster aka the Clades Variana aka The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ? Well around 14 he’s having some issues with his father-in-law, Segestes. He was always suggesting things. Every night he was all […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #4 – The Return of Herman appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Poor Tiberius has to live up to Augustus! He’s already rich. He’s inherited Augustus’ fortune. He could just retire, get a nice little house by the beach, with a pool, some pretty girls, Netflix and chill for the rest of his life. Why should he deal with all of the stress of running the show?? Where’s the upside? […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #3 – The Troops Are Revolting appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
As you might recall from our last series, Tiberius came from several impressive families. He was, of course, the adopted son of Augustus, and therefore a Caesar. He was also a Claudian via his father. The Claudians were one of the most prominent patrician houses at Rome. The gens traced its origin to the earliest […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #2 – The Confirmation appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
And so it was that in the year 767 Ab Urb Condita, 14 AD if you’re a Christian, or 14 CE if you’re secular Or, if you were living in Rome at the time, you would called it the year of the consulship of Sextus Pompeius and Sextus Appuleius Caesar Augustus died. What would happen to Rome […]
The post Tiberius Caesar #1 – Killing Aggy P appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus is feeling pretty chipper so he and Livia join Tiberius on his trip to the east. It’ll be the princeps’ last trip. Meanwhile Augustus asked people to just leave him the fuck alone. In 12 CE Germanicus read a speech out in the Senate where he said the princeps wanted senators to stop formally greeting […]
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Before the news of Varus’ defeat had reached Rome, one of Augustus’ main concerns in 9 CE was how unpopular his legislation encouraging marriage and raising of children was. Click on the banner and use the coupon code LOC to get 25% off your first three months! It’s a new law, which is an extension to […]
The post Augustus Caesar #99 – Papa Don’t Preach appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
News of Varus’ defeat reached Rome only five days after the victory celebrations from the Balkan war. Click on the banner and use the coupon code LOC to get 25% off your first three months! At least Augustus could now transfer troops back to the Rhine. But this was Rome’s biggest defeat since Carrhae in 53 […]
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The downfall of Ovid and the rise of Arminius. Another person who got caught up in all this was the poet Ovid. He of the Ars Amatoria, in Engligh, the Arse of Love. Remember him from ten episodes back? The one who wrote beautiful poems about love and seduction and rape? Well he’s told to […]
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The downfall of Julia’s surviving children, Agrippa Postumus and Julia the Younger. Click on the banner and use the coupon code LOC to get 25% off your first three months! * The food shortages lasted for several months. * Including Augustus’s birthday, so he refused permission for public feats to be held to celebrate. * […]
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- While all this is going on with the Dalmatians, there are problems in other provinces as well. * We hear of campaigning going on in….. Africa. * And also this is the period when Herod’s son Archelaus is so unpopular in Judaea that he’s stripped of his throne and forced into retirement, and Judaea […]
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- Apparently this kind of pride was enough for Augustus to decide they had to go. * Bodacious must have seen it coming, because he built up his forces to prepare. * Which of course the Romans noticed, so they thought he was even more of a threat. * The Romans had a large army […]
The post Augustus Caesar #94 – The Great Illyrian Revolt appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
And overnight, Tibbo goes from being invisible to being the Number Two man in Rome again! * WHO DOES NUMBER TWO WORK FOR * Oh he knows. * Now all of Aug’s successors are either Livia’s sons or her grandsons. * This would lead to rumours that she had organised the deaths of Caius and […]
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- By the time news of Caius’ death had reached Rome it was some time in late March, 4 CE. * Aug mourned but also hurried to plan for the future. * Of course, he didn’t have many options left. * Julia and Agrippa had one son left – Agrippa Postumus. * Or Aggy P […]
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- Keep in mind that by the standards of the day, jokes about deformities were pretty mild. * Remember those speeches Cicero gave about Mark Antony? The Phillipics? * Here’s just one example: * Let us speak rather of his meaner descriptions of worthlessness. You, with those jaws of yours, and those sides of yours, […]
The post Augustus Caesar #91 – All By Myself appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus stayed in Rome more now, no longer going out on long tours of the provinces, probably because he’s in his sixties, probably because he doesn’t have someone like Agrippa to leave in charge while he’s away. * On his birthday in 2 CE, he wrote an interesting letter to Caius Ninth day before the […]
The post Augustus Caesar #90 – The Trouser Defense appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
- It’s the year 1 BCE * Caius Caesar, biological son of Agrippa and Julia, adopted son of Augustus, is 19 years old. * And what do you get for the 19 year old who has everything? * A military command. * In a distant land. * There was a power struggle going on in […]
The post Augustus Caesar #89 – Days of our Lives 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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- Claudius was encouraged to take up writing history by the man who himself wrote one of the greatest histories during Aug’s reign – Titus Livius, aka Livy. * He was a local aristocrat from Northern Italy and never sought a career in public life. * His history – Ab Urbe Condita Libri (Books from […]
The post Augustus Caesar #88 – Ab Urbe Condita Libri appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Having listened to both the Napoleon podcast and Rays WW2 podcast for some time I couldn’t believe my lucky when these to blokes teamed up for this podcast. There chemistry and humour make history fun and informative. It’s also forced me to question how I personally label people. For instance having listened to Cam sit […]
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- Caius and Lucius presided over games including one where 260 lions were killed in the Circus Maximus which was built by the first Etruscan king of Rome Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. * BTW if you go to Rome today, you can see The Obelisco Flaminio, now in the Piazza del Popolo, which was once part […]
The post Augustus Caesar #87 – Killing Lions appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
- Caius and Lucius seem unaffected by Julia’s exile. * She probably hadn’t had much to do with their upbringing for quite a while. * She was too busy having drunken orgies. * Both of them were adults and were assuming more of a public role. * They presided over the the games for the […]
The post Augustus Caesar #86 – The Genius Of Augustus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
A quick hello from our hotel room in Durham, North Carolina.
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- In 2 BCE, Aug turned 60 and was made consul for the 13th time. * Lucius Caesar turned 15 and became a man. * He was made an augur and joined his brother as a leader of the youth. * He was also permitted to attend the Senate and marked down to be Consul […]
The post Augustus Caesar #85 – Ovid & Julia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
- Augustus is left all alone to run the empire. * In 5 BCE he becomes consul for the 12th time – 18 years since the last time he held the post. * As consul, he led out his oldest adopted son, Caius, on the day he first donned his toga virilis. * Not long […]
The post Augustus Caesar #84 – Herod’s Pig appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Sorry folks. I messed up the first file. Here’s the correct episode. Tiberius suddenly declared he wanted to withdraw from public life. Something happened. Behind the closed doors of the imperial court, there must have been an argument, and Tiberius lost it. He said he was tired. OH POOR YOU. He wanted to live a […]
The post Augustus Caesar #83 – Tiberius Quits (fixed) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Tiberius is riding high, the last man standing – until he starts to be overshadowed by Gaius and Lucius Caesar, Augustus’ adopted sons. It is declared that both will become Consul when they are 20 years old. Meanwhile Tiberius is sent away to Parthia. Cam is coming to the US! Check out events in LA, […]
The post Augustus Caesar #82 – The Rise Of Gaius and Lucius appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Livia is the Melania Trump of Rome. Julia falls pregnant to Tiberius but the baby is stillborn, which is the beginning of the end for them. Tiberius crosses the Rhine in case the Germanic tribes think the death of Drusus means they are free. To make him feel special, Tiberius is given the first triumph […]
The post Augustus Caesar #81 – Tiberius’ Triumph appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We’re back after a short break. To be fair, this episode started off pretty simple. But quickly it went to some pretty dark places. We’re sorry. You might want to listen to this alone, in a dark room, with a shower handy. Don’t forget to check out our new series The Renaissance Times and book […]
The post Augustus Caesar #80 – Slave Children Pets appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Hey folks, I’m trying to gauge interest in a 2018 tour of Europe. I’ve had a bunch of people email me over the last six months asking for details – well, here they are. It’s hard to come up with exact dates or costs until we have a much better idea of how many people […]
The post Want to come to Europe with us in 2018? appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
10 BCE – Drusus barely escapes from Germany. Augustus celebrates his 52nd birthday. Octavia dies. Antonia gives birth to Tiberius Claudius Drusus – the future emperor Claudius. 9 BCE – Drusus becomes consul. Then he goes back to Germany where he is warned by a giant woman to return home or die. So he returns […]
The post Augustus Caesar #79 – Drusus Breaks A Leg appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In 12 BCE, Drusus completed a census in the three Gauls. The other thing Drusus was responsible for during this period was getting ready to cross the Rhine. Around the winter of 13-12 BCE, there was another raid by German warriors into the Roman provinces. It was repulsed by Drusus and then in the spring […]
The post Augustus Caesar #78 – Drusus Goes Deep appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
A very special episode. Over the last 12 months, there’s been a ton of articles in the media comparing Donald Trump to Julius Caesar. A recent Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar in New York depicted Caesar as Donald Trump. We decided that as WE are the world’s leading experts on Caesar, we […]
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A concise history of both Julius Caesar & Augustus. Take from reputable sources with added humour (much needed sometimes as Ancient Rome can get somewhat tedious). Both Cam the Australian guy & Ray the American fella (Thought I’d specify as many get you both mixed up with hilarious consequences) work well together. Well, when I […]
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The loss of Agrippa was a huge blow, but Tiberius and Drusus stepped up. However, now Augustus’ daughter Julia was now single again. Who could he find to marry her? Also – what kind of board games did they play in Rome?
The post Augustus Caesar #76 – Immortal Glory appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus buries Agrippa. After the funeral, attention turned to the matter of Agrippa’s will and the disbursement of his enormous estate. Work began on the Ara Pacis Augustae, a temple dedicated to the Augustan peace, that featured the Princeps, his family and Agrippa. We have Mussolini to thank for it being excavated and reconstructed in […]
The post Augustus Caesar #75 – The Wind Beneath My Wings appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Agrippa returned to Rome in 13, stayed a few months, long enough to knock Julia up again, then left to deal with some military problems in Illyricum. On his way back to Rome he fell ill – and died.
The post Augustus Caesar #74 – Agrippa Dies appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
When Lepidus finally died in 13 BCE, Augustus finally accepted the title of Pontifex Maximus, the chief priest of Rome. It gave him the responsibility for the entire Roman state cult. Only emperors would hold that role until Rome fell and the pope took the title In the 15th century, when the Renaissance stirred up […]
The post Augustus Caesar #73 – Pope Augustus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus brought better roads, wine and a taste for the nicer things in life to the Gauls. He also brought other aspects of Roman culture, like their religions, their amphitheatres, and he banned human sacrifices. But one of his appointees took advantage of the new Roman calendar. For that, he is the first recipient of […]
The post Augustus Caesar #72 – #DBAC appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus goes back to Gaul and brings his stepsons, Drusus and Tiberius, to help conquer the hilltop tribes in the Swiss Alps.
The post Augustus Caesar #71 – Drusus Goes Up The Aenus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In 17 BCE Augustus decided to throw a huge party, The Secular Games, which was held only once every 110 years. Somehow this gets us talking about sex, animal sacrifices, holy trinities, Barabbas and Leviticus. Don’t ask me. I just work here.
The post Augustus Caesar #70 – Fight For Your Right To Party appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
And Im not ashamed to admit it! This isn’t going to be one of the usual witty and funny reviews Ray and Cam usually get, this is just a big thank you to these guys for igniting my love and passion for history, especially roman history. Ray and Cam tell the story of JC and […]
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There’s a story about how Augustus dined one night with an old friend, Vedius Pollio, an equestrian known for his wealth, love of luxury, cruelty – and his pet lampreys.
The post Augustus Caesar #69 – The Lamprey appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus was a pretty approachable guy (like us!). We tell some stories about how he made himself readily available to everyone from Senators to the general public. And yet they weren’t trying to assassinate him, which says a lot about his popularity by 18BCE. But he was concerned that the elite weren’t getting married and having […]
The post Augustus Caesar #68 – Mr Nice Guy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Julia the Elder, the only legitimate biological child of Augustus (which makes her the daughter of the son of god), was definitely hot stuff. She had what you might politely call “a reputation”. We don’t know much about Julia’s childhood or early teenage years. But by her late teens she had become a popular figure in […]
The post Augustus Caesar #67 – Julia The Elder appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In this episode, we’re dealing with events around 18 BCE: The most important innovation Aug created around this time was his new small council, the consilium principis (advisers to the princeps). Another thing he did to reduce the numbers of the Senate was to raise the amount of wealth you had to have from 400,000 sesterces […]
The post Augustus Caesar #66 – Consilium Principis appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
A quick break from the Augustus story and the usual frivolity to have one of our long-time listeners on to tell us his incredible story. Arsen Nisanyan has just graduated from the Classics department at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and has been accepted to both Oxford and Cambridge to continue his studies to become an Ancient […]
The post Augustus Caesar #65 – Arsen Nisanyan appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus returns to Rome and he comes up with a cunning plan. He also fires the entire Senate. And Cam finds out who Vanna White is.
The post Augustus Caesar #64 – The Cunning Plan appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
When we started this show, we never thought we’d see the day when the Princeps himself would appear on the show as a guest. I guess we’ve made it.
The post Augustus Caesar #63 – The Princeps Live appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Aeneas reflects Augustus in many ways – they both place duty and piety before their own comfort and interests. Both have to endure great hardships and struggles for many years before final victory is won and the greater community can enjoy peace and prosperity. Sometimes they needed to do dreadful things for the greater good and […]
The post Augustus Caesar #62 – Virgil & The Aeneid Part 3 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It would be a mistake to see Virgil’s poetry as purely political propaganda. It was a matter of self-respect for Augustus to allow artists to do their art. He genuinely wanted to be admired for what he did for Rome – not for what he could do to you. His victory and the peace it […]
The post Augustus Caesar #61 – Virgil & The Aeneid Part 2 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
“I sing of arms and the man”. Get ready for that classical education you missed out on because your parents couldn’t afford to send you to a real school (in the 19th century)! We’re going to spend the next THREE EPISODES talking about Publius Vergilius Maro, aka Virgil, and his masterpiece, The Aeneid. Why? BECAUSE […]
The post Augustus Caesar #60 – Virgil & The Aeneid Part 1 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus does a deal with the Parthian King Phraates IV to return the standards and prisoners from their previous encounters with Crassus and Antony. And Lucius Cornelius Balbus gets a triumph – the last one awarded to a private citizen (eg who wasn’t a member of the Emperor’s family) – for five and a half centuries.
The post Augustus Caesar #59 – The Last Triumph appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
While Augustus is out in the provinces, he tends to give his speeches in Greek rather than Latin, to show how much he respects their regional cultures. He also treats them fairly magnanimously – except when he doesn’t.
The post Augustus Caesar #58 – It’s All Greek To Me appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
One of the client rulers who is best known during these years is Herod The Great. He was brutal, but the Romans didn’t mind, as long he paid his respects and kept his people under control. He built the Second Temple in Jerusalem but it didn’t buy him much love from his main constituency – the […]
The post Augustus Caesar #57 – Herod The Great appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
For the people in the provinces, Augustus was just the latest in a long line of foreign rulers, like the Greeks and the Persians before him. For Augustus, the provinces provided him with the opportunity to let it all hang out.
The post Augustus Caesar #56 – Let It All Hang Out appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In the year 22 BCE, Augustus went to Sicily, Rome’s oldest overseas province. But the people aren’t prepared to let him go that easily. They start burning shit down and breaking the furniture, until he pays them attention – and sends Agrippa home.
The post Augustus Caesar #55 – Augustus Goes To Sicily appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Gary Arndt has been everywhere. Which is why his blog is called Everything Everywhere. Since 2007 he’s been travelling nearly non-stop, taking photos – and has been named Travel Photographer of the Year three times. He joined us on Skype from an undisclosed location recently to discuss Caesar-related travel destinations.
The post Augustus Caesar #54 – Gary Arndt appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The Primus Affair continues. Shortly after, there’s another scandal – the Fannius Caepio conspiracy. It’s time for Augustus to crack down.
The post Augustus Caesar #53 – The CrackDown appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The people try to convince Augustus to become dictator. He refuses. Then the proconsul of Macedonia, Marcus Primus, is brought up on serious charges of ruining the reputation of Rome. He blames his actions – on Augustus!
The post Augustus Caesar #52 – The Primus Affair appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s late 23 BCE. Agrippa leaves Rome and makes his home in Lesbos. Rumours fly. Meanwhile there are still plagues, famine and natural disasters in Rome. The dark shadow of death lies over at least one member of Augustus’ inner circle.
The post Augustus Caesar #51 – Dark Shadow appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
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!
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In 23 BCE Augustus fell very sick with man flu once again. It was so bad, everyone thought he was going to die. When he miraculously recovered, he decided he’d had enough of the stress of being consul – and he resigned. This time – for good. Which caused some problems.
The post Augustus Caesar #50 – Imperium appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
When Augustus finally returns to Rome late in 24, he travels along newly restored roads that he had mostly paid for himself. They were adorned with statues of him. But how much did those statues, and those that survive today, actually resemble his true likeness? Also, Marcellus and Tiberius, the young guns, are being prepped […]
The post Augustus Caesar #49 – Covered With Spots appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We’re back! First show of 2017! On his way back from Spain, Augustus falls deathly ill with man flu, which forces him to think about his future. It doesn’t stop him from becoming consul for the 10th time where his new colleague is a guy with an unfortunate name that leads us into some dark […]
The post Augustus Caesar #48 – Man Flu appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s in Spain where we first see the new cautious Augustus. Instead of taking crazy risks, like he sometimes did when he was younger, now that he’s 38, his favourite slogans are now: “festina lente” or “make haste slowly.” This doesn’t mean he isn’t fully aware of his own mortality.
The post Augustus Caesar #47 – Festina Lente appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Augustus needed to decide on the size and shape of the army. How many soldiers would he need to maintain the borders and to expand them when desired? And now that the civil war is over, what kind of new discipline is needed?
The post Augustus Caesar #46 – Milites appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Before Augustus leaves Rome, the gates of the Temple of Janus were re-opened, which means the peace is officially over. He’s going to war, to restore Roman order to his regions. But these are good old fashioned wars against foreign tribes. They aren’t civil wars. And Rome loved a good old war against barbarians.
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With great reluctance, Octavian allows the Senate to refuse his resignation. It’s a brilliant piece of political theatre. And to celebrate, he gets a new name.
The post Augustus Caesar #44 – The Reluctant Dictator appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
On the 1 January 27 BCE, Octavian started his seventh consulship. On the 13th Jan, the Senate convened with Octavian as presiding consul. And it was that day, that Octavian quit his job.
The post Augustus Caesar #43 – I QUIT! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Just this one time, we ignore Augustus and Rome to do a special edition about what just happened.
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Apart from reviving the traditional institutions, Octavian also starts rebuilding the physical infrastructure of Rome. He ordered the restoration of 82 temples within Rome. So he’s working hard to bring back a sense of religious order and a return to traditional values. The Temple of Apollo on the Palatine Hill was opened and on the […]
The post Augustus Caesar #42 – Making Rome Great Again appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Octavian gives a speech to the Senate, inviting each senator to look at his own reputation, wealth and ancestry and decide whether he was truly fit to belong to Rome’s most prestigious body. He reduces the number of senators and he is made ‘princeps senatus’ – the principal senator, “first among equals”. It was also […]
The post Augustus Caesar #41 – Princeps appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Octavian is trying to restore some kind of normality to Rome. He hands out large wads of cash, opens the Temple to the Divine Julius and on 1 January 28 BCE begins his sixth consulship – this time with Agrippa – which they hold for the entire year, taking turns, month on, month off, just […]
The post Augustus Caesar #40 – The Restoration appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Octavian is running around settling affairs in the Middle East before he returns to Rome. Herod in Judaea visited Octavian to win his support. Octavian then does a peace treaty with the Parthians. Finally, in 29 BCE, Octavian finally returns to Rome to celebrate his three triumphs.
The post Augustus Caesar #39 – Knee Deep In The Hoopla appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It was a whole year after the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra before Octavian returned to Italy. Octavian captured the city of Alexandria on August 1, 30 BCE. Egypt now lost the independence it had enjoyed for thousands of years and would not regain for another 2000 years.
The post Augustus Caesar #38 – A Load Of Bull 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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Rome had never seen anything like the three—day celebration of Octavian’s three-fold triumph — for his victories in Illyricum, Actium, and Alexandria — held in August of 29 BC. He was granted a range of new powers, some he even refused as being too much. But there was one that he apparently relished. The […]
The post Augustus Caesar #37 – Victor appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The poets of Rome vilify Cleopatra and yet also are in awe of her. Antony’s name and memory is wiped from the official records. And a Cicero gets to rejoice in the news of Antony’s suicide. But of course the question on everyone’s lips is – what happens now?
The post Augustus Caesar #36 – Fatale Monstrum appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This is one of those episodes that feel like major turning points in the narrative. Ever since Julius Caesar was assassinated, way way back in 44 BCE, Mark Antony has been one of our main characters. He bestrode the Roman world like a colossus. And today we kill him off – along with the mother […]
The post Augustus Caesar #35 – The Death Of Antony & Cleopatra appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The Battle of Actium begins. Octavian (& Agrippa) versus Mark Antony (& Cleopatra) fight to see who will be the last man standing in Rome.
The post Augustus Caesar #34 – The Showdown (Part 2) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
After 13 years of being frenemies, shit finally comes to a head between Octavian and Antony (and Cleopatra) as they throw down gauntlets that will lead them to the Battle of Actium on 2 September, 31 BCE.
The post Augustus Caesar #33 – The Showdown (Part 1) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We’re back! On this episode, Octavia and Livia are made sacrosanct and granted unprecedented honours. We talk about “pater familias”, something Ray is trying hard to bring back. Then Antony gets back on the horse and captures Slartibartfast aka King Artavasdes II of Armenia. He holds a fake triumph in Alexandria and grants huge tracks […]
The post Augustus Caesar #32 – Donations of Alexandria appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Agrippa rolls up his sleeves and gets shit done (literally) and we talk about the woman who ruled a country, wrote a book about make-up, and could talk 27 languages – including the language of love – Cleopatra.
The post Augustus Caesar #31 – Cleopatra & Cloaca appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Octavian fights in Illyricum (Croatia) where he reportedly is a brave and daring leader of men (cough cough bullshit). When he gets back to Rome, he and Agrippa start MAKING ROME GREAT AGAIN. They don’t build a wall – but they do build a few aqueducts and sewers. And they did get Mexico to pay for them […]
The post Augustus Caesar #30 – Making Rome Great Again appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Meanwhile back at Rome, Octavian decides he will now be known as Imperator Caesar. He crucifies 6000 slaves, creates Rome’s first public police and fire brigade and is made Tribune For Life. Not bad for someone who is still under 30. Then he decides to rescue 101 Dalmations.
The post Augustus Caesar #29 – Imperator appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Let’s talk some more about Antony’s Parthian campaign.
The post Augustus Caesar #28 – Parthia Pt 2 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Let’s talk about Antony’s Parthian campaign.
The post Augustus Caesar #27 – Parthia Pt 1 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In this episode we say goodbye to two members of the triumvirate – Sextus Pompeius and Lepidus.
The post Augustus Caesar #26 – Bye Bye Sexy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
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 […]
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Our guest today is Lindsay Powell, history detective, and the guy who wrote the book about everyone’s favourite right-hand man, Agrippa!
The post Augustus Caesar #25 – Lindsay Powell appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
How much does Agrippa know about naval battles? NADA! But what he does know about is GETTING SHIT DONE RIGHT. And so that’s what he does on today’s episode. Meanwhile, Ray get’s his sweet, sweet revenge.
The post Augustus Caesar #24 – Battle of Naulochus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Sextus defeats Octavian’s fleet with the help of Neptune, god of the sea. Octavian invites Antony to come to Brundisium but then stands him up because he’s too busy banging the new bride. But they meet again six months later and hug it out. Agrippa gets married to the daughter of Cicero’s old friend. Octavian […]
The post Augustus Caesar #23 – The Son Of Neptune appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
There is peace in Italy. So why is Octavian building so many ships? And why did he have to have his first shave ever to impress Livia – his new squeeze? Maybe Octavian has a plan?
The post Augustus Caesar #22 – Relax, Guy! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We finally get to spend some time talking about Octavian’s right-hand man, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. Antony and Octavia (his new wife) both went east to spend the winter of 39 – 38 BCE in Athens, where they are worshipped as gods.
The post Augustus Caesar #21 – Get Agrippa! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Back when we were in Vegas in January, we recorded an interview with author Steve Saylor about his latest Gordianus book “THE WRATH OF THE FURIES“. Unfortunately, we had some technical issues during the recording. We’ve done our best to salvage it but… well… it’s a little…. weird.
The post Augustus Caesar #20 – Steven Saylor appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This episode is all about Sextus Pompey, aka Sexy P, how he held Italy to ransom and his eventual negotiations with the triumvirs.
The post Augustus Caesar #19 – Sexy P appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The one where Octavian and Antony sit down to hash out their differences, forget to invite Lepidus and Salvidienus Rufus fucks up big time.
The post Augustus Caesar #18 – The Golden Years appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Well the tensions between Octavian and Mark Antony are heating up again in this episode. Only one thing stands between them – FOOFIKINS! Today’s episode is again brought to you by HILLSDALE COLLEGE and their free online course on WINSTON CHURCHILL. Get on that today!
The post Augustus Caesar #17 – FOOFIKINS! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Octavian pursues Lucius Antonius and traps him in the city of Perusia (modern Perugia) for several months. Lucius eventually surrenders, some people are forgiven, others are executed, and the entire city is burned to the ground.
The post Augustus Caesar #16 – The Battle Of Perusia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
After the battle of Philippi, Antony went east to squeeze money out of various kings and just to squeeze Cleopatra, while poor Octavian got the shittiest job in Rome – taking land away from Italian citizens and giving it to retiring soldiers. This made him no friends. Was he set up to fail? And why […]
The post Augustus Caesar #15 – Carpe Diem appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Here it is – and it’s a big one (that’s what she said). Four men enter – two men leave. The showdown to determine the fate of Rome. It’s the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (of the Second Triumvirate) and the forces of […]
The post Augustus Caesar #14 – The Battle/s of Philippi appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The Triumvirs go on the offensive and prepare to engage Brutus and Cassius, and their massive army, in Macedonia. The triumvirs and the assassins control the two biggest armies Rome has ever produced, way bigger than any army that either Caesar or Pompey ever had – and they are mostly new recruits, with hardly a […]
The post Augustus Caesar #13 – The Build Up To Philippi appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
On January 11 2016, Ray & Cam met for the first time in the flesh – in Las Vegas. On January 12, they sat down in front of a live audience with Sir J. David Markham, Cam’s co-host from the Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast and President of the International Napoleonic Society, for 70 minutes to discuss […]
The post The Vegas Sessions – Part One appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS! Again! but this time… we’re a little worse for wear. On this episode we discuss more stories from the proscriptions but also delve deeply into the economics behind it, and discover that in a very brief period Rome found itself with a brand new class of nouveau riche – which changed […]
The post Augustus Caesar #12 – The New Roman Elite appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS! The first thing the Second Triumvirate did was a little bit of the ol’ mass murder aka THE PROSCRIPTIONS. One of the first people to meet their end was our ol’ mate Cicero.
The post Augustus Caesar #11 – Cicero’s Finale appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
On 19 August 43 BCE, Octavian was elected consul at the age of 19, ten months and 26 days. No-one so young had ever held the office. Decimus, Caesar’s friend, colleague and assassin, finally finds out karma’s a bitch. And then, the unbelievable happens – Octavian, Antony and Lepidus surprise everyone to create the Second Triumvirate.
The post Augustus Caesar #10 – The Second Triumvirate appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Battles continue between Antony, Octavian and the consuls, Hirtius and Pansa. By the end of the episode, two of the four are dead. Decimus escapes from Mutina and is awarded a triumph back in Rome. HE’S ONE OF THE CAESAR’S ASSASSINS! Antony gets reinforcements. And Cicero makes his last fatal mistake by saying of Octavian: “laudanum aduluscentum, […]
The post Augustus Caesar #09 – Cicero’s Fatal Mistake appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Today we are joined by the one and only Robert Harris – author of many bestsellers, including FATHERLAND and his CICERO trilogy. The final chapter of the Cicero trilogy, DICTATOR, is available now. You can buy it as an audiobook from Audible. Get your free copy today by using our signup page!
The post Augustus Caesar #08 – Robert Harris appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Hirtius, Octavian and Pansa march to Mutina to support Decimus and fight Antony. At the battle of Forum Gallorum, Octavian and Antony’s respective praetorian guards go at it mano-a-mano: Being veterans they raised no battle-cry, since they could not expect to terrify each other, nor in the engagement did they utter a sound, either as […]
The post Augustus Caesar #07 – The Praetorian Guard appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Cicero realises that the only way to stop Antony is for the Senate to align themselves with the young Caesar. He delivers his Third Philippic against Antony, praises Octavian and the Legio Martia, and convinces the Senate to make the 19 year old kid a Senator and the commander of the military of the Roman Senate.
The post Augustus Caesar #06 – Cicero’s Big Gamble appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Shit gets real in this episode! Two of Mark Antony’s legions desert to Octavian and Antony finally confronts one of Caesar’s assassins with force – Decimus Brutus. There’s some ABBA and Public Enemy but at the end of this episode, we get serious (for once) and talk for a little while about the recent Paris attacks.
The post Augustus Caesar #05 – Another Civil War Begins appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Redbubble have launched full frontal graphic shirts! Check out how gooood we look? The rear of the women’s leggings look better too with the full size graphic! You know you’ve always wanted to sit on our faces….
The post Finally! A full size graphic shirt! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In this episode, Octavian throws a party, the Ludi Victoriae Caesaris, Antony is growing more powerful, Cicero delivers his First “Philippic”, Antony’s army from Macedonia starts arriving in Brundisium, Octavian tries to buy Antony’s men out from under him – and Octavian turns 19. Links: Spotify Playlist
The post Augustus Caesar #04 – Antony v Cicero appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We discuss the other key players who are playing a role in Rome in 44/43 BCE – Marcus Antonius, Dolabella and Lepidus, Brutus and Cassius. There’s another civil war brewing – it smells like 49 BCE all over again. Links: Spotify Playlist
The post Augustus Caesar #03 – The Featured Players appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Octavius changes his name to Gaius Julius Caesar – but we call him Octavian so as not to confuse him with the other guy. He makes his way to Rome to meet with Mark Antony and get his cash – but it’s not going to plan. So he goes to visit Cicero near Naples, who also […]
The post Augustus Caesar #02 – Going Rome appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
On the 19th August, 14 CE, 767 years after the founding of Rome, nearly exactly 2001 years ago, the first Emperor of Rome, Augustus, finally died, at 75 years of age. His great-uncle and adoptive father, Julius Caesar, the most brilliant and successful general in Rome’s history, had been assassinated aged 56 after being the […]
The post Augustus Caesar #01 – Introduction appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
THIS IS THE END. SERIOUSLY THIS TIME. WE MEAN IT. We cover the events of March 18 – 20, 44 BCE. Brutus & Cassius invite the plebeians up to the Capitoline Hill and give another speech. The Senate votes to give Caesar a public funeral, to be held in the Forum on 18 March, and to a public reading of this will. Both are really, really bad ideas. They are probably thinking “hey we’ve killed the […]
The post Julius Caesar #48 – The Aftermath, Part II appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Okay so… we screwed up. We thought Episode #46 was going to be our last episode but it looks like it might take another couple to finish this part of the story properly. We tried to start the Augustus story but he doesn’t turn up for another week or so in the timeline. And it just didn’t […]
The post Julius Caesar #47 – The Aftermath, Part I appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The REAL very last episode! Date: 15 March, 44 BCE. Location: Rome, Italy. Event: The assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, brutally stabbed to death by his closest friends and colleagues, including people he had recently forgiven and promoted, including one who he made an heir in his will.
The post Julius Caesar #46 (Take 2) – The Ides Of March! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The very last episode! Date: 15 March, 44 BCE. Location: Rome, Italy. Event: The assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, brutally stabbed to death by sixty of his closest friends and colleagues, including people he had recently forgiven and promoted, including one who he made an heir in his will.
The post Julius Caesar #46 – The Ides Of March! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Our second last episode! Probably. We talk about the main conspirators and their possible motivations. Decimus Junius Brutus. Galba. Trebonius. Basilus. Cassius. And, of course, Marcus Junius Brutus.
The post Julius Caesar #45 – The Conspiracy, Part II appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Enter Octavius! He’s only 18 years old in 44 BCE. And he isn’t JC’s sister’s son, as Ray mistakenly says in the opening to the show, he’s JC’s sister’s grandson, her daughter’s son. That’s why I’m here folks. Fact checkin’ Ray’s white hairy ass. We go into detail about Octo’s lineage which is actually pretty interesting. We […]
The post Julius Caesar #44 – Enter Octavius appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Well we have FINALLY hit the milestone of 2000 likes on our Facebook page! And to celebrate, I put together something a little special for you. Have you ever wanted to have a quiet private conversation with Ray Harris? Would you like to be able to lie alone in the dark, with your earbuds in, and […]
The post Julius Caesar – 2000 Likes Special Edition appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
As we near the end of our little tale, Caesar is being granted unprecedented honours, including being declared a GOD and the SAVIOUR of Rome. We also talk a little about the SON OF GOD – Caesarion.
The post Julius Caesar #43 – The Divine Julius appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s the beginning of 44 BCE. Caesar is 56. He’s planning to leave in three months to campaign against the Dacians and the Parthians. The Senate and the People bestow upon him unprecedented honours. Yet he remains polite, lenient and generous, even to his slaves. But was it enough to stop his “friends” and “former enemies” from […]
The post Julius Caesar #42 – The Conspiracy, Part I appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Four years of bloody Civil War, with 100,000 Romans dead, all comes down to this place, this day, this battle – The Battle of Munda. Julius Caesar uses his big balls to take on Pompey’s brat sons and his old mate Labienus. According to Plutarch, Caesar later said “In the past I fought for victory – […]
The post Julius Caesar #41 – The War Is Over appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caesar realises that he has to go to Spain in person to deal with Pompey’s two brat sons – Cnaeus and Sextus – and his old bottom bitch Labienus. It quickly turns into a bloody and brutal affair – people are getting slaughtered, beheaded, crucified – and that’s just the people that Ray works with! […]
The post Julius Caesar #40 – The Spanish Campaign 46 BCE appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Our guest this time is James Miller, game theorist and associate professor of economics at Smith College. He invited himself onto the show to talk about game theory and decision theory as they relate to Caesar’s life and Roman history, Republican politics … and the technological singularity. James is also the author of several books, including Game […]
The post Julius Caesar Consul #17 – Jim Miller, Economist appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
As dictator, Julius Caesar initiates a sweeping range of political and social reforms that even his enemies have to concede make a lot of sense, including a colonisation program, reforming the grain dole, building a great library, and reforming the calendar.
The post Julius Caesar #39 – Caesar’s Reforms appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Even while the Greatest Party Ever™ is going on, Caesar is getting down to the business of changing the way Rome works – forever. He’s rewarding his supporters with positions in the Senate, forgiving more of his enemies, creating new settlements in far off lands.. And we talk about lesbians.
The post Julius Caesar #38 – It’s Business Time appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Well we are back with episode 37 and we’re also back to one hour episodes (more or less). Even though we recorded 3.5 hours today, we’re going to cut them up into three episodes. Listen to the show for an explanation. On this episode, we see Julius Caesar return to Rome after the battle of […]
The post Julius Caesar #37 – Caesar’s Four Triumphs appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Our guest on our 16th Consul show is Aussie Sam Wood! Sam is an archaeologist who now is also one of the people behind the Ride And Seek business – they take people on INSANE bike history tours. For example, in July they are following Napoleon’s route from Paris to Moscow – six weeks on a […]
The post Julius Caesar Consul #16 – Sam Wood: Archaeologist, TV Star, Bike Nut appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Nearly three hours of mayhem sees Caesar sail to Africa to finish off Metellus Scipio, Labienus, Cato and the rest of the Pompeians.
The post Julius Caesar #36 – AFRICA appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caesar leaves Cleopatra and Alexandria behind to return to Rome. But before he can deal with Rome, he has to pay some debts, borrow some funds and deal with our old mate Pharnaces, son of Mithridates of Pontus. Meanwhile back in Italy, Mark Antony is getting drunk, Cicero is worried that no-one loves him and […]
The post Julius Caesar #35 – VENI VIDI VICI appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Father forgive us, we have sinned! It’s been nearly 4 weeks since our last episode (Ray took his family to Disney World!) but we’re back with 3 1/4 hours of madcap history! We follow Caesar as he puts on his Sherlock cap and follows Pompey to Egypt, only to discover he is three days too […]
The post Julius Caesar #34 – Alexandria & Cleopatra appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Hang it on your wall to remind yourself! Available at our Zazzle store, along with coffee mugs, t-shirts and other stuff.
The post Keep Calm For Your Wall appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Whew. Another 2.5 hours of mayhem! In this episode, Caesar and Pompey finally face off in the battle to determine the fate of Western civilization. Two men enter – one man leaves! It’s August in 48BCE. Caesar withdraws from Dyrrachium. He arrives at Gomphi who close their doors to him – so he lays siege […]
The post Julius Caesar #33 – The Battle Of Pharsalus appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Julius Caesar resigns his dictatorship after a mere 11 days in Rome and chases Pompey to Greece! Bibulus blockades half of fleet so Caesar spends a few months trying to secure food supplies. Caesar keeps trying to open negotiations with Pompey but gets nowhere (as usual)! It all comes to a head at Dyrrachium […]
The post Julius Caesar #32 – Caesar Goes To Greece appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Stephen Dando-Collins is the author of many books about Ancient Rome including THE IDES. We had a great chat with him about Caesar’s assassination and the civil war. His other books are also available in audio from Audible. Get your free copy today by using our signup page!
The post Julius Caesar CONSUL #15 – Stephen Dando-Collins appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Barry Strauss is a military historian with a focus on ancient Greece and Rome. Strauss is editor of The Princeton History of the Ancient World, a series of books from Princeton University Press. He sits on the editorial boards of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History,Historically Speaking: The Bulletin of the Historical Society, The […]
The post Julius Caesar CONSUL #14 – Barry Strauss, Cornell University appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Steven Saylor is a writer of historical fiction centered around the late Roman republic and early empire. He’s been called “a modern master of historical fiction” by USA Today. If you’re new to his work, Steven recommends you start with his first Gordianus novel “Roman Blood”. His books are also available in audio from Audible. […]
The post Julius Caesar CONSUL #13 – Steven Saylor appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This. Show. Is. Insane. 2.5 hours. A crazy opening courtesy of Jessica Robles. More songs than ever. Caesar lays siege to Massalia (modern Marseilles). Then he heads to Ilerda (modern Lleida) in Spain. Did it rain? Yes. A lot. He fights against Pompey’s legions. His takes care of a mutiny from one of his legions. […]
The post Julius Caesar #31 – The Rain In Spain appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Julius Caesar tries to block Pompey’s departure from Italy but fails. So he heads to Rome for the first time in 9 years. Cicero laments that Pompey is going to destroy Italy and wants to become a tyrant and that Caesar’s clemency is turning the people against the Senate – and Pompey.
The post Julius Caesar #30 – Run Away, Pompey appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Another massive two hour show! In this episode, Julius Caesar advances on Rome. Pompey and the Senate run for the hills. Cicero doesn’t know what to do or who to trust. Caesar keeps begging Pompey to meet with him so they can work out a deal – but Pompey refuses. Caesar shows mercy towards his […]
The post Julius Caesar #29 – The Pardon Of Corfinium appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We go into excruciating detail about the political machinations between Caesar and his enemies in Rome that lead up to the fateful day (10 or 11 January 49 BCE) when Caesar declares “The Die Is Cast” and crosses the Rubicon river that marks the boundary between Gaul and Italy, taking the 13th legion with him.
The post Julius Caesar #28 – The Die Is Cast… Bitches appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We jump back to 54 BCE and talk about what’s been happening in Rome while Caesar has been stomping on Gaul. Massive political corruption. Pompey is made sole Consul. Laws are deliberately passed that make it impossible for Caesar to return to Rome without facing near-certain exile and ruin. After this episode, it’s hard to […]
The post Julius Caesar #27 – Meanwhile Back In Rome… appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
For those of you who haven’t subscribed to our new Life Of Alexander series yet, here’s a free taste test, our Xmas gift to you. It’s the first episode! If you have already subscribed and already heard it, please indulge us…. and listen again!
The post Alexander Free Xmas Taste Test appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
You’d think that after they got their ass smacked HARD (and not in the good way) at Alesia, the rest of Gaul would have just crumbled – but not so. A few tribes still thought they could bring Julius Caesar down and so he spent his winter of 52/51 BCE taking on the Bellovaci, the […]
The post Julius Caesar #26 – Gaul Is Conquered appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Josho Brouwers is the editor of Ancient Warfare Magazine – the only print (and online) magazine focused on the military history of the ancient world, ca. 3000 BC to AD 500. Each bi-monthly edition is centered on a specific theme and beautifully illustrated with custom artwork and photographs. It’s reasonably priced too – the digital […]
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #12 – Josho Brouwers 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 […]
The post Announcing The New Series! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Well…. This is where it all comes together. Arguably the greatest military victory in history. Julius Caesar lays siege to the walled city of Alesia, the stronghold of Vercingetorix, who sends for reinforcements. When they arrive, Caesar is massively outnumbered… He claims 5 to 1. Historian say it was probably more like 3 to 1. […]
The post Julius Caesar #25 – The Siege of Alesia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
A mammoth 2 and a half hour episode! Vercingetorix continues to make trouble for Julius Caesar. Now almost all of the Gallic tribes are his allies. Yet he still avoids a frontal assault and uses a combination of brilliant tactics and treachery to keep Caesar busy. Caesar lays siege to the walled cities of Avaricum […]
The post Julius Caesar #24 – The Sieges of Avaricum & Gergovia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Ray & Cam want to extend a very merry welcome to fans of Jamie Jeffers’ British History Podcast. We hope you enjoy this special episode of our VIP “Consul” series, featuring Jamie as you’ve probably never heard him before. And you should have heard the stuff we edited out! The VIP “Consul” shows are normally […]
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Jamie Jeffers joins us to chat about Caesar and ye olde Britannia! JJ is the host of the excellent British History Podcast. He is not a huge fan of Caesar or the Romans, but he does have a deep knowledge of ancient British history that he shares with us.
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #11 – Jamie Jeffers appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Well it’s all starting to fall apart for Big Julie. Crassus goes to Parthia to meet his maker at the Battle of Carrhae. Rome is falling apart so badly that Pompey is elected sole Consul. And in Gaul, a young man called Vercingetorix betrays Caesar to unite the Gallic tribes and declare himself King of […]
The post Julius Caesar #23 – Crassus, Clodius and Vercingetorix appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Here’s a handy map you can use as a reference when we’re talking about the various Gallic tribes.
The post Gaul In Caesar’s Time appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Back on Sep 6, 2014, we invited our Patrons to join us on a live Skype call to chat about Caesar, Napoleon, WWII, and anything else. A few of them did – a few Aussies and a few Americans – and it was a lot of fun. For your listening pleasure, we now present this […]
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #10 – First Live Show appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caesar spends this episode chasing Ambiorix of the Eburones to revenge the deaths of Sabinus, Cotta and their legion at Atuatuca. We also talk in depth about Caesar’s leadership style and why he was so loved by his troops. We also answer important questions like “what is a yew tree?”, “why does an elk have […]
The post Julius Caesar #22 – The Annhilation Of The Eburones appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Here’s the show you’ve all been waiting for! Mike Duncan, much beloved host of The History Of Rome and Revolutions podcasts, joins us to talk about Julius Caesar. What more could you ask for? The (un)holy trinity of history podcasters right here for your audio pleasure.
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #9 – Mike Duncan appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Our guest on this VIP episode is Tom Holland, author of the excellent book RUBICON. Follow Tom on Twitter, buy a copy of Rubicon by clicking the image below and check out the rest of his books!
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #8 – Tom Holland appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The Romans had a term – vastatio. It meant “laying waste”. Total destruction. That’s what Caesar decided to do to the Gallic tribes that had the temerity to rebel against his control of their lands.
The post Julius Caesar #21 – VASTATIO appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
This just got posted on Facebook and it was such a nice compliment that I wanted to share it!
The post Review of the Day appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Our guest on this VIP episode is Dr Rhiannon Evans from Latrobe University in Melbourne! She joined us to talk about the meaning of latin terms like natio (tribe) and babarus (barbarians), which, she says, don’t have the same implication today as they had back in ancient Rome, and to deliberate on the reliability of Caesar’s Commentaries. […]
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #7 – Dr Rhiannon Evans appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
After he returned from Britain in 54BCE, Julius Caesar learned that his mother and daughter had both died. As his daughter was happily married to Pompey, this is a not only a huge personal blow to both of them (she died during childbirth and the child didn’t survive), but it also does damage to the […]
The post Julius Caesar #20 – Caesar Grows A Beard appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Dr Arthur Keaveney is the author of “Sulla: The Last Republican” as well as being Reader Emeritus in Ancient History at the University of Kent. He was nice enough to join Ray and Cam for a chat recently about one of our favourite dictators – Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix. PULLA SULLA!
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #6 – Dr Arthur Keaveney appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. That was the motto of Julius Caesar. Well… try once more, anyway. After the huge reception he got in Rome after the first invasion of Britain in 54BCE, Caesar decides to try again in 55BCE. And this time he’s taking a LOT of boats. But […]
The post Julius Caesar #19 – Invading Britain AGAIN appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Caesar didn’t sleep and had very pale skin. Was he a vampire? Was that why the senators had to stab him with stakes in the heart? Perhaps we’ll never know. OR WILL WE? Prepare for his return with this original artwork designed for lifeofcaesar.com by Ernest Concepcion (ernestconcepcion.com). BUY YOURS AT THE LIFE OF CAESAR SHOP!
The post Caesar Was A Vampire! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Our VIP guest on Consul #5 is again Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze who joins us to finish our discussion (from Consul #4) about Rome’s #1 enemy in the 1st Century BCE – Mithridates VI of Pontus. Alex is an Associate Professor of History at Louisiana State University. Here’s his short bio: Born in the Soviet Kazakhstan, Dr. Mikaberidze […]
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #5 – Mikaberidze Does Mithridates (PT2) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
With his control over Gaul cemented and the triumvirate’s hold on Rome secure, Caesar decides it is finally time to set foot on the mythical land of tin.
The post Julius Caesar #18 – Invading Britain appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Our VIP guest on Consul #4 (and #5) is Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze who joins us to talk about Rome’s #1 enemy in the 1st Century BCE – Mithridates VI of Pontus. Alex is an Associate Professor of History at Louisiana State University. Here’s his short bio: Born in the Soviet Kazakhstan, Dr. Mikaberidze grew up […]
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #4 – Mikaberidze Does Mithridates (PT1) appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Prof. Bob Packett is known and loved as the Godfather of history podcasting. His “History According To Bob” series was the first of its kind (AFAIK) and he has been enlightening the world about a vast range of historical subjects for the last decade. We were honoured to have him join us today for a […]
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #3 – Prof. Bob Packett appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
One of our very talented artist friends, Ernest Concepcion, has produced this stunning work of everybody’s favourite Roman dictator, Sulla. You can get this on t-shirts, tote bags, stickers and phone cases at our Redbubble shop. Check out Ernest’s site here to see his other work. He’s been very busy lately doing exhibitions around the […]
The post Pulla Sulla Artwork! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Our second guest on the Consul series is Jamie Redfern, history podcaster! You might know Jamie from his acclaimed “The History Of” podcasts, including “The History of Alexander”, “The History of Hannibal” or “The History of the Arab Spring”, among others. He’s also a Latin tutor! He is NOT – repeat NOT – this guy: […]
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #2 – Jamie Redfern appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s now 56 BCE. Caesar has his new 5 year extension to his Proconsulship of Gaul. He returns to find the Gallic tribes planning a rebellion. Then more Germanic tribes cross the Rhine so Caesar decides to cross it himself! Meanwhile he is trying to plan his invasion of Britain. If you want to see […]
The post Julius Caesar #17 – Caesar Crosses The Rhine appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
The first episode of our Consul series is finally here! This is where we interview VIP guests about Caesar and ancient Rome. We are very excited to bring you this series as a value-add to the main show. And our first guest is Dr. Tom Stevenson (bio), Senior Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at […]
The post Julius Caesar – CONSUL #1 – Dr. Tom Stevenson, UQ appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
OMFG. This episode is soooo unbelievably meta that Cameron was actually scared of it for days. We start off in 57BC with the final stages of Caesar’s campaign against the Atuatuci in Gaul. Then we go back in time and explain what’s been happening in Rome during the two years Caesar has been away. Rome has […]
The post Julius Caesar #16 – Clodius v Cicero appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
We are very excited to show off our new custom designed artwork done by our friend, the amazing Per Ove Sleen! We have added this image to our RedBubble shop, so you have have it on t-shirts, hoodies, stickers… and throw pillows. This is just the first in a whole series of Caesar-related art that […]
The post New Caesar Art! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In 57 BCE, during the Winter break in campaigning, Caesar got word that the Belgae (Belgian) tribes to the north were joining forces to attack Caesar, worried that he was coming after them after he’d finished with Gaul. According to Caesar’s Commentaries, they amassed a force of nearly 300,000 warriors. Caesar had a mere 40,000 […]
The post Julius Caesar #15 – The Destruction Of The Belgae appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Hey! Thanks for becoming a Life Of Caesar Consul! The good news is – you’re quick on the ol’ uptake. The bad news is – we haven’t actually recorded any yet! But we’ve got a couple of doozies coming up in the new month, so stick this feed into iTunes (or whatever) and you’ll see […]
The post Coming soon! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
In the next month we’re going to have a bunch of cool new things to give away but they are only going to be available to people who join our email list, so join now and become an official Life Of Caesar Tribune! We promise we won’t spam you and we won’t sell your email list […]
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Ariovistus was a leader of the Suebi and other allied Germanic peoples in the second quarter of the 1st century BC. He and his followers took part in a war in Gaul, assisting the Arverni and Sequani to defeat their rivals the Aedui, after which they settled in large numbers in conquered Gallic territory in […]
The post Julius Caesar #14 – Ariovistus And The Battle of Vosges appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Another enlightening episode of the “myth-busting” podcast! Don’t take our word for it – this is what the official iTunes Podcast Twitter account said! Check it ooooout. And yes, that’s Sammy Hagar BELOW us, just where he belongs (below David Lee Roth). Thanks to James O. Boggs and his iTunes Podcast team for the love and […]
The post Julius Caesar #13 – The Massacre Of The Helvetii appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s time to announce our new competition! Send us a photo of yourself dressed in a toga and you’ll not only go into the running to win a coffee mug and/or t-shirt, but you’ll also get a chance to come on the show! Email your photo to Cameron! Entries have to be received before our […]
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In this episode, Caesar takes up his proconsular role in Gaul. We talk a little about his preparations, his legions, his COMMENTARIES, about the size and scope of his territory and the nature of the Gauls themselves
The post Julius Caesar #12 – Caesar Goes To Gaul appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
It’s the last months of Caesar’s consulship and the first triumvirate and he doesn’t muck about. He delivers for himself and his friends and crushes his enemies.
The post Julius Caesar #11 – Caesar Mounts The Heads 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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The year is now 60 B.C.E. Caesar finally achieves his goal of becoming Consul. He forms the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus. His co-consul, Bibulus, gets a bucket of poo tipped over him and goes home (true!). All this and more on today’s episode of the Julius Caesar. In 1898 the ancient Etruscan town […]
The post Julius Caesar # 10 – The First Triumvirate appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
If you would like one of these coffee mugs, just post a review of the podcast on iTunes, Twitter or Facebook and you’ll go into the running to win one in our next podcast.
The post How To Work Like Caesar appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.
Thanks everyone for the generous iTunes reviews! We really appreciate the support. They stop Ray from pulling a Sulla, too.
The post More Positive Reviews! appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.