Join us for the first episode of our deep dive on the history that inspired the BBC/HBO series Rome (2005-2017). Oh you say you know nothing about the Roman Empire? Perfect, this is the pod for you, citizen.
There’s plenty of
melodrama as we discuss how the familial feuds and incestuous
relationships among the Roman elite led to a critical break point
with the Royal family and Brutus (no, not that one) led a Republican
revolution, expelling the Kings forever.
Rome went from a
series of villages on 7 hills populated by runaway slaves, vagabonds
and women stolen from local tribes to become the most influential
empire in the history of the western world. Through existential
battles against local rivals, raids by savage Gauls and a cataclysmic
war against a Greek King, Rome survived it all.
Hannibal is at the
gates! Find out how Rome’s victory against the man who marched
elephants over the Alps led them to dominate the Mediterranean from
Spain to Greece. But final victory over Carthage was only the
beginning of the story; we wax lyrical about the lower classes rising
up against the increasing power of the rich nobles as societal issues
come to the fore. How does a government designed to run a city rule
over an empire?
Spoiler- Badly. It’s
terrible…people die. A lot.
This is Roman
history 101! We’ll give you an overview of 700 (yes, seven hundred)
years of Roman history, taking you from Romulus and Remus to the man
who’s name looms large over it all: Caesar.
It may have taken
them more than a day but we take about an hour.
SourcesMary Beard- SPQR (2016)Tom Holland- Rubicon (2003)Cassius Dio- Roman History (1989)Livy- The Early History of Rome (2002)Mike Duncan- The Storm Before the Storm (2017)
