The Partial Historians

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...

Medea is one of the most memorable characters in Greek mythology. She is powerful, has associations with magic, and capable of taking drastic action. Most people are familiar with the version of Medea crafted by the Athenian playwright Euripides , but today we turn to a lesser known interpretation. Special Episode – Seneca's Medea with MythTake Seneca's Medea A quick synopsis may be handy be...

Vengeance for Rome It's 437 BCE and Rome finds itself challenged by the king of the Etruscans Lars Tolumnius. But how did Rome get into this situation? In our previous episode , Rome took a break from domestic woes to deal with the execution of four ambassadors. These men had been sent to the colony of Fidenae , which had recently defected to the Etruscan city of Veii. The Romans are quick to enga...

This is our short scripted summary of what the ancient sources tell us about the events of the 440s BCE. If you would like more detail and analysis, be sure to check out our regular episodes from the Foundation of Rome series. The Partial Recap for the 440s BCE To pick up our detailed episodes for this period, we recommend starting with Episode 109 – The First Decemvirate . Although the dece...

The Aftermath of a Murder Rome has just experienced a scandal like no other . A terrible famine had hit in the years 440-439 BCE, and this had caused political chaos. The patrician appointed to secure grain, Lucius Minucius, had not experienced much success. Into the void stepped a wealthy equestrian named Spurius Maelius. Maelius either allowed his newfound popularity as the bringer of grain to g...

Famine Strikes After a peaceful year in 441 BCE, the Romans are in for nasty shock over the course of 440 and 439 BCE. It all begins with a crippling famine, and there seems to have been signs of problems ahead before the food shortage really set in. In Pliny the Elder, there is a reference to an aedile of the plebs (Marcus Marcius) selling grain to the poor at a very low price. Episode 127 &#8211...

We sat down recently with Associate Professor Rebecca Futo Kennedy to talk all about Ancient Greek women, specifically in relation to Athens. Futo Kennedy teaches in Classical Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Environmental Studies at Denison University. Kennedy holds a BA in Classical Studies, an MA in Greek and Latin, and completed her PhD on the representation of Athena in the tragedies...

In around 443 BCE Rome is navigating its relationships with its neighbours. Last time we caught up with Rome they became involved in the affairs of the nearby city of Ardea. The conflict seems to have centred around a very attractive plebeian woman whose name has not been recorded in the annals of history. It’s this meddling in Ardea which sets the scene for 442 BCE… Episode 126 – How...

We were absolutely delighted to sit down recently with Professor Liv Yarrow to talk all about ancient Roman coinage from the republican period. Special Episode – Roman Republican Coinage with Professor Liv Yarrow Liv Yarrow is a professor at the City University of New York (CUNY). She holds a BA from the George Washington University and an MPhil and DPhil from the University of Oxford. Her s...