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 p...

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...

In this special post-series wrap up episode of Caligula, I'm joined by my fellow Aussie history podcasters, Dr G and Dr R from The Partial Historians. The post Caligula #25 – The Partial Historians appeared first on Life Of The Caesars .

On the last morning of his life, Caligula entered the temporary theatre on the Palatine in a good mood. The conspirators attacked him in a narrow corridor, on his way back to the palace during the lunch break between performances. The lead conspirator, the praetorian guard Chaerea, stabbed Caligula in the neck, shouting "hoc age" - TAKE THAT! Then he was set upon by a crowd of assassins. Then they...

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 &...

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 .

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 Li...

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 L...

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 firs...

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 .

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...

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 .

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 Begi...

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...

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&#821...

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 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 T...

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 Ca...

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...

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 Caesa...