The Partial Historians

In our latest special episode, we were positively tickled to be able to chat to Dr Jane Draycott about her latest historical biography Fulvia: The Woman who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome (published with Atlantic Books). For the uninitiated, Fulvia is one of the more notorious characters from the Late Roman Republic. If you’ve heard of her, it is probably as the wife of Mark Antony – the one...

It’s 395 BCE and we explore the events that are the result of the epic year of 396 BCE. The Romans ended 396 BCE on a high with their military success against the southern-most city of the Etruscans, Veii. But is all well in the Roman world? That may depend on which god you talk to… An incomplete victory? The defeat of Veii leaves the northern peoples - the Capenates and Faliscans - open to Rome’s...

Rounding out our trilogy of special episodes on Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II , we are joined by gladiator expert, Alexandra Sills. Alexandra holds a BA in Classical Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London and a MA in The Classical Mediterranean from the University of Leicester. Alexandra’s MA dissertation was awarded the Mark Pluciennik prize in Archaeology & Ancient History. Alexan...

We return for the final instalment on the fall of Veii in 396 BCE. In our previous episode, we witnessed the actual conquest of the great Etruscan city. Now it’s Camillus’ time to bask in the glory! He's a Real Trip Camillus has managed to secure victory for Rome, and one of the advantages now that it’s all over is that sweet, sweet booty. Everyone knew that Veii was wealthy, but Camillus is stagg...

WARNING! This post and episode both contain spoilers! We are back to discuss Gladiator II , the sequel to Ridley Scott’s smash hit Gladiator (2000). Gladiator II is set in the joint reign of Caracalla and Geta. These emperors were brothers in real life, but not the creepy twins shown in the movie. However, let’s not get caught up in historical detail! After all, Lucilla should have been executed b...

The Fall of Veii is finally upon us – or perhaps we should say it was finally upon them! After a shameful defeat early in 396, the Romans decided to appoint a dictator. It is time for a Republican hero to burst into the spotlight. Welcome to the stage, Marcus Furius Camillus! Episode 159 – The Fall of Veii: Part II A Hero is Born Camillus is a legendary figure of Rome, possibly in more...

We are super excited for this conversation. Owen Rees is the founder of the website badancient.com and we’ve been lucky enough to write a couple of articles over there on some misconceptions about the ancient Romans. So when we heard that Owen had a book coming out, we absolutely wanted to have a chat. Special Episode – The Far Edges of the Known World with Owen Rees The Far Edges of the Kno...

396 BCE is finally here! Rome and Veii have been locked in a competition for space and resources for quite some time and it seems like the tide is about to turn. The year 396 BCE is perhaps one of the most significant years for Rome’s history in the early republic. Given the events at play, this episode is considering how the year begins and it might not be quite the thrills you might expect… Epis...

WARNING! This post and episode both contain spoilers! In case you somehow missed it, the hotly anticipated sequel to Gladiator (2000) hit the cinemas in November 2024. Gladiator II follows the story of Lucius Verus, the child of Lucilla and the hero from the first film, Maximus. Nope, we did not know that was a thing either. Poster for Gladiator II, Source: https://deadline.com After being separat...

We were titillated to speak to the scintillating Jenny Freaking Williamson. Jenny is one of the co-hosts of Ancient History Fangirl , which we like to consider part of the unofficial but highly exclusive #ladypodsquad. Jenny and Genn have been on our show before to discuss their fabulous book, Women and Myth , which was released in 2023. However, today Jenny is here to discuss a solo venture. She...

We are thrilled to sit down in conversation with Professor Joel P. Christensen to discuss some of the ideas explored in his forthcoming book Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things (Yale University Press). Special Episode – Storylife with Professor Joel P. Christensen Joel Christensen is Professor of Classical Studies at Brandeis University. He received his BA and MA from Brandeis i...

In 398, the Romans received some worrying signs from the gods, and now we return with a special message for them: From Delphi, With Love. Episode 157 – From Delphi, With Love In 397 BCE, the Romans were waging war on all fronts. On top of their ongoing siege at Veii, they were contesting their hold on Anxur with the Volscians, and their colony at Labici against the Aequians. Never ones to sh...

Are you ready to have a Totally Chaotic time? We certainly hope so, as we are thrilled to welcome Dr Emma Southon back on the show for the FOURTH TIME (not the third, as incorrectly said by Dr Rad). Emma has released her first children’s book, which was co-authored with Greg Jenner and illustrated by Rikin Parekh. Special Episode – Totally Chaotic History with Dr Emma Southon The cover of To...

In 398 BCE, the Romans were still enmeshed in their siege at Veii. Whilst the Romans waited, worrying portents started to appear. What did they all mean? Episode 156 – Kidnapped! The most concerning portent was a sudden increase in the levels of the lake in the Alban Woods. It was positively spooky. An embassy was despatched to visit the Delphic Oracle so that the mystery could be unravelled...

We love it when we get to chat with some of our podcast friends, and this week we got to catch up with the hilarious Liv Albert from ‘ Let's talk about myths, baby !' to talk about relationships between gods and mortals. Please be warned, this episode does contain references to sexual assault. Special Episode – Gods and Mortals with Liv Albert The lovely Liv Albert herself! When we get...

We sit down with Casie Vogel, VP Publisher at Ulysses Press to talk about the process of bringing an ancient Roman history book into the world and some of the cheeky details about the past that Casie learnt along the way. To celebrate the publication of ‘Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire' this special episode is even in video form! https://videopress.com/v/Pni4vXoO?resizeToParent=true&am...

We are thrilled to release the final cheeky preview from our new book, Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire. The final chapter from our ‘With a Rebel Yell' bonus material is entitled ‘Last Man Standing: Masada'. This bonus episode is coming out on the very same day that our book officially hits the shelves. Huzzah! The Final Cheeky Preview – Last Man Standing: Masada We hope you...

Our new book ‘ Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire ’ has nearly landed! Pre-order your copy via Ulysses Press! It’s happening – the Romans enter the fourth century! In this episode, we compare and contrast the ancient source accounts for the year that was 399 BCE. Rome and Veii are still locked in a siege, with Roman forces outside the gates of the most preeminent Etruscan city to the sout...

Welcome to another cheeky preview from our new book,  Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire. This chapter is a bit of a contrast to our first one on Spartacus. We turn from a rebel from the lowest ranks of society to one from the elite. We are journeying from the Roman Republic to the mid-Empire. Aaaaand we are travelling from Italy to the provinces. For our next instalment, we tell you the t...

The fifth century BCE in Rome is the century that saw the idea of the republic flourish and falter only to flourish again. The plebeians rose up to fight for their rights and to enjoy the fruits of their hard work on the battlefield. The patricians held on to their prestige and power with a vice-like grip and Rome began to expand their influence in the local region. At least that’s what our ancien...

We are in shock that it has taken us this long to cover the cult classic that is Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979). We have Rslaugesen over on Patreon to thank for pointing out this glaring oversight. Once we got started, it was hard for us to stop talking about the Life of Brian . British comedy was a staple of our childhoods and Monty Python was one of our favourites. It was a treat to follow...

The 400s BCE have been a rollercoaster for Rome. It certainly seems to have been a decade of big changes, both in terms of foreign policy and on the domestic front. Join us for the highlights for the last decade of the fifth century BCE! The Partial Recap – 400s BCE Want to hear the full story? Head to Episode 144: Where in the World is Carventum? to start at 410 BCE. Sound Credits Our music...

We are SO excited to share a snippet of our new book with you! That's right, we have a whole section entitled ‘With a Rebel Yell' that will be bonus digital content on the Ulysses Press website and so we thought, why not read it as well? Today, we kick it all off with the section on the rebellious gladiator, SPARTACUS. Ah, this is where it all began for Dr Rad, and here we are at another beg...

We jump into the year 400 BCE which has more excitement than you may have anticipated. Could this be the year we have evidence for a plebeian break-through into the important magisterial position of military tribune with consular power? Episode 153 – The Plebeians Push into Power Now, as always with this period of Rome’s early republican history, we need to keep into mind that the extant rec...

In our latest special episode, we welcomed the talented LJ Trafford to the show to discuss her latest book, Ancient Rome’s Worst Emperors (2023). Special Episode – Ancient Rome's Worst Emperors You may very well have encountered some of LJ’s wonderful earlier works , including her historical novel series: The Four Emperors . These books cover a turbulent time in the early imperial period wit...