Death of the Roman Republic

Returning to Julius Caesar, Caesar’s success as a politician was not guaranteed.  He still had a lot of debt, and he had some unpopular stances that were recently brought to bear.  Will Caesar be able to recover, and continue a viable career in politics? What will Caesar have to do to succeed? Listen and find out! Our essential question to keep in mind throughout the episode is: What is the benefi...

Marcus Tullius Cicero’s claim to fame is that he was Rome’s greatest orator, and in this episode, we see how the power of his words, shapes the minds of Romans, and shapes the Republic.  This episode, we also see how Cicero deals with a conspiracy: a hostile takeover of the Republic.  Will Cicero be able to save the Republic? What roles do Crassus, Caesar, and Cato the Younger play?  Listen to fin...

Pop the sparkling cider, we finally meet Gaius Julius Caesar! We’re going back in time a bit, to see how Caesar had been a background character in Roman politics - a small fish in a big pond.  We see Caesar’s early career, and how he tries to make a name for himself, and some of his misadventures, in the wacky world of the Roman Republic. Our essential question to keep in mind throughout the episo...

With the end of Sulla’s vicious civil wars and dictatorship, the Republic can hopefully recover.  We follow the careers of two of Pompey’s most able subordinates: Gnaeus Pompey Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus.  Both men served Sulla well, and became very powerful with his help.  Now, without Sulla, they throw themselves into the Republic’s politics.  The two rivals have their strengths and weak...

Lucius Cornelius Sulla was a former lieutenant of Marius, and was a strong commander in the Social War.  With a new threat facing the Republic in the East, it’s Sulla’s time to shine! But just as it’s about to go so right, it goes so wrong… In fact, a lot goes wrong for the Republic this episode! Our essential question to keep in mind throughout the episode is: What is the benefit of controlling a...

The Optimate Senate successfully killed the Populares Gracchi, but the Republic is now suffering under Optimate leadership.  A new man, Gaius Marius, will rise to lead the Republic through this crisis, and gain unprecedented power.  Additionally, Rome also goes to war with its eldest allies. Our essential question to keep in mind throughout the episode is: What allowed Marius to stay in power? Out...

This is where the fun begins! We meet our first two power players in the Death of the Roman Republic.  Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus enter the Republic’s politics, and they aren’t playing the political game the way it had always been played.  They were not great generals who went to war to win fame and acclaim, but populists.  Tiberius began the Populares faction of Roman politics, and was opposed b...

The Roman Republic was built on a broken foundation; Roman culture, society, and government would, and did, poison the Republic.  We see how the Republic structured its government so no one person held all the power, the role of competition in Roman politicians and generals, the value of a politician’s auctoritas, why Romans loved war, and how the Republic (badly) governed its provinces. Our essen...

The Roman Republic is established!  In a few centuries, Rome blows up from a small settlement in Italy surrounded by enemies, to the master of the Mediterranean.  How did the Romans do it? Listen to find out! Our essential question to keep in mind throughout the episode is: How did the Roman Republic become so powerful? Outro Music: “ Into Uncertainty ’’ from  Jay Man - OurMusicBox .  Thumbnail ma...

The Roman Republic was led by elected leaders, who checked and balanced each other.  However, a lot changed over the nearly 500 years it existed; the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire, ruled by a single Roman Emperor.  How did this happen, and how has your own country changed since its foundation? Outro Music: “ Into Uncertainty ’’ from  Jay Man - OurMusicBox .  Thumbnail made with Bannersnac...