The Partial Historians

In this episode we tackle the years 413 and 412 BCE. These years come hard on the back of the murder of the patrician Postumius. Rome is facing challenges that seem to be bound up in the spolia in times of war and the broader annalist focus on the idea of the Struggle of the Orders which has been the defining feature of the early republic in Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus. To catch up on the...

In this episode, we tackle the years 415 and 414 BCE and the downfall of Postumius, a very wronghead man.   Episode 142 – A Wrongheaded Man Did you remember to RSVP for the war? In 415 BCE, the Romans were gearing up for war with Veii and the Aequians… but neither of their dance partners turned up! It takes two to tango and in this case, neither the people of Veii or the Aequians felt ready...

This may be the best podcast episode you’ve ever heard, and that’s the gospel truth. We’re munching on protein bars and raw chicken as we discuss Disney’s Hercules (1997) with Professor Alastair Blanshard. Statue of Hercules in Shrewsbury – a copy of the Farnese Hercules. Hercules leans wearily on his club, which is covered by his lionskin. Carrying out all these labours is hard work! Courte...

We return to the 410s BCE to explore some classic Conflict of the Orders. This one will end with an evil patrician plan (mwahahaha) to divide and conquer their plebeian foes. Episode 141 – Divide and Conquer Some Unfinished Business The Romans had been engaged in battle with the Aequians when we last checked in on them . Due to some slappy fighting between the military tribunes with consular...

We sit down with Yentl Love to talk all about classical reception in Lil Nas X’s 2021 music video for ‘Call Me By Your Name'. Yentl Love is the famous Queer Classicist and we recommend checking out her blog for accessible analysis of the ancient world. We are thrilled to have Yentl return to the show – you may remember her from the insightful conversation we had about the reception of...

After the kerfuffles of 420 BCE , it’s time for a brand new year or two! In this episode we consider 419 and 418 BCE. These two years are packed with exciting moments as we get to learn about an uprising from below – we're siding with the slaves! We recorded in a new location for this episode. So if you hear a little bit of crowd noise in the background that's all part of the atmosphere of t...

Content warning for this episode: violence, sexual violence, removal of children We sit down to chat with Genn and Jenny, the fabulous cohosts of the Ancient History Fan Girl podcast. They have recently published Women of Myth: From Deer Woman and Mami Wata to Amaterasu and Athena which examines fifty women and femme presenting figures from cultures across the globe. While Women of Myth is the cen...

Another decade is gone and it's time for a Partial Recap! We run through what the ancient sources tell us about this decade. There are some real highs and lows! The Partial Recap 420s BCE If you are keen to for some more detail, you can jump into our narrative episodes at 134 – A Dry Period . A view to the East over the Roman Forum with the Temple of Saturn on the left and the Palatine Hill...

The Partial Historians are back in the 420s BCE and we are wrapping up the decade with some first-class DRAMA! At the centre of it all are the trials of Sempronius and Postumia. The only question is, can you handle it? Episode 139 – The Trials of Sempronius and Postumia Fake Elections The year began with some classic conflict between the patricians and the plebeians. The tribunes of the pleb...

This episode we return to the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ with a classic sword and sandal epic, Quo Vadis (1951). This film is available through many streaming platforms and we highly recommend revisiting it. In Part Two of two episodes on Quo Vadis , we delve into our analysis of the film. If you have not listened to Part One, you might want to check it out for the context. Special Episode –...

This episode, we are dealing with 422 and 421 BCE. The previous year had been a very dramatic for Rome. They seem to have come perilously close to a disastrous military defeat. Luckily, they had the four horsemen on their side… “The Four Horsemen” is our affectionate name for the group of cavalry commanders who dismounted and led the Roman army on foot when everything turned against them during th...

This episode we return to the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ with a classic sword and sandal epic, Quo Vadis (1951). This film is available through many streaming platforms and we highly recommend revisiting it. In Part One of two episodes on Quo Vadis , we examine the context for the film and the plot. Quo Vadis (1951) helped to ignite Hollywood’s passion for ancient epics in this decade. It was a sma...

Welcome to 423 BCE and your introduction to the one and only Sextus Tempanius! You may not know his name just yet, but we're pretty sure you'll be as impressed with him as we are. Suffice it to say, 423 BCE is one of the more interesting and dramatic years of the decade. After a confusing tangent about the Samnites and Capua brought to us courtesy of Livy, we return to Rome and war with the Volsci...

In this episode we dig into the details (or lack thereof!) of 425 and 425 BCE. Good news for the plebeians is that when there's not much going on in Rome, they get a chance to just live life a little! Episode 136 – How the Plebeians Got Their Groove Back What's in a tribune? What’s the deal with military tribunes with consular power? We consider the etymology of tribune (the Latin tribunus )...

The Robe (1953) is a cinematic classic of Golden Age Hollywood. With its mix of ancient Rome and early Christianity, it was a winner with audiences around the globe. In this special episode, we tap into Dr Rad's expertise in reception in film and come to grips with the power of The Robe ! Special Episode – The Robe A Challenging Context It was tricky to deal with modern political issues in t...

What do you get when Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus and Aulus Cornelius Cossus return in our source material? The continuation of a beautiful bromance. After an unfortunate amount of disease and destruction in our last episode, we return to Rome for some classic political and military action. The Romans are ready to put a year of horrible drought behind them and seek revenge on Veii and the ongoing...

We recap the confusing details of the 430s BCE. Be careful – there's a lot of dictators about! This is a short, sharp, scripted overview of all the big events that defined the 430s BCE. If you’re inspired to delve into more details, all the episodes from this decade can be found in our  Foundation of Rome series starting with Episode 127: The Assassination of Spurius Maelius . The Parti...

On the 1st March 2013, something momentous happened. We published our first episode of the Partial Historians podcast! Clearly, this is an event akin to Hannibal crossing the Alps or the expulsion of the kings. Well, perhaps not quite. But it certainly changed our lives forever in ways that we could not imagine. Therefore, we decided to mark the occasion by getting together and discussing our Top...

Prepare yourself, dear listener, for a drought or two! After spending several episodes on individual years, we are speeding ahead in our latest episode. We are covering not one, not two, but THREE years in a single instalment. Join us as we tackle 430, 429 and 428 BCE. Financial Affairs The Romans enjoy a remarkably peaceful year in 430 BCE. This means that they can turn their attention to financi...

It’s around 431 BCE and Rome is busy contending with her neighbours in pretty much every direction. Turns out that it’s not easy trying to establish yourself as an independent state! It might just be time for a dictator. Enter: Aulus Postumius Tubertus. Episode 133 – Postumius Tubertus, Dictator Rome is taking the need to put troops on the field seriously with a levy of the citizens held und...

We were thrilled to sit down and talk with Assistant Professor Katharine Huemoeller about her research into the representation of enslaved women during slave revolts in ancient Rome. This conversation reveals plenty of food for thought about the representation of women in the ancient world as well as exploring the way women go on to be represented in later eras. Special Episode – Enslaved Wo...

We leave behind the outraged censors of 434 BCE and move forward into some troubled domestic times for Rome. The solution? Fashion, darling. White togas are out, so we suggest you find something appropriate to wear for this one. Episode 132 – The White Album Problems Plague the Romans 433 BCE begins like many other years: irate tribunes, obstinate patricians. However, political disputes come...

In this episode, we delve into the craziness of the mid-430s BCE. The Romans are feeling the pressure, so they order dictators by the dozen. Episode 131 – Dictators by the Dozen Freaking Fidenae In 435 BCE the Romans are once more battling the Etruscans over the issue of Fidenae. Fidenae had once been a Roman colony, until they treacherously switched their allegiances to the city of Veii. Th...

Understanding ancient monuments requires a careful eye as well as detective work to delve into the representations and their layers of meaning. In this interview we are joined by Dr Victoria Austen to consider the representation of foliage on the Ara Pacis Augustae and the Garden Room of Livia’s villa. Both these structures hold a special place for scholars interested in the Augustan period and st...

We return to the year 437 BCE and the exploits of Aulus Cornelius Cossus. Cossus came to our attention in the aftermath of the colony of Fidenae’s decision to switch their allegiances from Rome to the Etruscans. In this stressful time, the Romans had appointed Mamercus Aemilius as dictator. He led the Roman forces into battle, and it was here that the military tribune of the hour, Cossus, distingu...