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The History of Rome

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Language: en Education History

Activity Overview

Episode publication activity over the past year

Last Checked: 2025-07-08 16:08:50

Ad-Free History of Rome Patreon

Tue, 05 Nov 2024

Become a patron and get the entire History of Rome backcatalog ad-fre, plus bonus content, behind th...

The Storm Before The Storm: Chapter 1- The Beasts of Italy

Thu, 27 Jul 2017

Audio excerpt from The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mik...

Revolutions Launch

Mon, 16 Sep 2013

Available at revolutionspodcast.com, iTunes, or anywhere else fine podcasts can be found.

Update- One Year Later

Thu, 30 May 2013

Next show coming soon!

179- The End

Sun, 06 May 2012

The history of The History of Rome...Why the Western Empire Fell when it did...Some thoughts on the ...

178- Not With A Bang But A Whimper

Mon, 30 Apr 2012

In the last few years of the Western Empire a series of Emperors came and went. The cycle finally en...

177- The Burning Ships

Sun, 22 Apr 2012

In 468 the two halves of the Empire combined forces to dislodge the Vandals from North Africa.They f...

176- The Quote Unquote Emperor

Mon, 16 Apr 2012

From 461-465 the Western Empire was ruled by Ricimer through a puppet Emperor named Libius Severus. ...

175- Trying to Take It All Back

Mon, 09 Apr 2012

From 457-461, Majorian marched around trying to reassert Imperial authority over the provinces while...

174- The Sack of Rome Part II

Mon, 02 Apr 2012

Following the death of Valentinian III there was an Imperial power struggle in the West. In the mids...

173- The Broken Bow

Sun, 25 Mar 2012

In the early 450s a string of deaths changed the political dynamic of Roman world. Between 450 and 4...

172- Showdown

Mon, 19 Mar 2012

In 451 Atilla the Hun invaded the West. He was repelled by a coalition of forces lead by the General...

171- The Gathering Storm

Sun, 11 Mar 2012

After placating Atilla with yet another indemnity, Theodosius II fell from his horse and died in 450...

170- Atilla Cometh

Sun, 19 Feb 2012

In the 440s, the Huns began to direclty attack the Roman Empire. 

169- Huns and Vandals and Goths, Oh My

Sun, 12 Feb 2012

In the 430s the Romans dealt with increasingly agressive and confident barbarian tribes living both ...

168- The Rise of Aetius

Sun, 05 Feb 2012

In the late 420s AD, the Roman General Flavius Aetius connived and backstabbed his way up the chain ...

167- Exploiting the Opportunity

Sun, 29 Jan 2012

The Emperor Honorius died in 423, leading to a brief civil war between the Theodosian dynasty and a ...

166- As Long As She's Nice To Look At

Sun, 22 Jan 2012

Constantius III continued to lead the Western Empire as its defacto Emperor until 421, when he was o...

165- Reviving the Roman Name

Sun, 15 Jan 2012

Between 412 and 415 relations between the Romans and Goths shifted back and forth between alliance a...

164- The Sack of Rome

Mon, 09 Jan 2012

After failing to secure a deal with Honorius, Alaric sacked Rome in August of 410. It was the first ...

163- Theodosius's Walls

Sun, 18 Dec 2011

Following the death of Eudoxia, the Praetorian Prefect Anthemius took control of the Eastern Empire ...

162- Opening the Floodgates

Mon, 12 Dec 2011

On New Year's Eve 406 a horde of barbarians crossed the lower Rhine into Gaul. Their arrival would h...

161- The Swamps of Ravenna

Mon, 05 Dec 2011

Alaric and his Goths invaded Italy in 402. After they were pushed out, Stilicho moved the seat of th...

160- East vs. West

Mon, 28 Nov 2011

In the late 390s, the generals and ministers who dominated Arcadius and Honorius battled with each o...

159- The Divine Winds

Mon, 21 Nov 2011

After winning the Battle of the Frigidus River, Theodosius stood alone as the last sole ruler of the...

158- An Imperial Suicide

Mon, 14 Nov 2011

In 392 Valentinian II was found hanged in his bedchamber, paving the way for another Roman Civil War...

157- Only the Penitent Man Shall Pass

Mon, 31 Oct 2011

After defeating the usurper Maximus in 388 AD, Theodosius found himself facing an even greater oppon...

156- Jockeying for Position

Mon, 24 Oct 2011

From 383-387 the tense quasi-partnership of Maximus, Valentinian II and Theodosius ruled the Roman E...

155- The New Bishop of Milan

Sun, 16 Oct 2011

In 383 the General Magnus Maximus rose up in revolt against Gratian. The power sharing agreement tha...

154- The Gothic War

Mon, 10 Oct 2011

Following Adrianople, Theodosius was brought in to salvage the situation. After determining that he ...

153- Adrianople

Sun, 02 Oct 2011

Operating with faulty intelligence and desperate to defeat the Goths on his own, Valens forced the d...

152- The Storm Before the Storm

Sun, 25 Sep 2011

In 375 the Huns exploded into Gothic territory, sending refugees fleeing for the saftey of the Roman...

151- Bursting a Blood Vessel

Sun, 11 Sep 2011

Valens spent the late 360s and early 370s dealing with hostile Goths in the north and hostile Persia...

150- The Perils of Mismanagement

Sun, 04 Sep 2011

in the late 360s and early 370s AD Roman mismanagment of three different regions in the Western Empi...

149- The Great Conspiracy

Mon, 29 Aug 2011

In the winter of 367 Britannia was hit from all sides by a coordinated barbarian invasion. It would ...

148- The Cousin's Cousin

Mon, 22 Aug 2011

Shortly after Valentinian and Valens ascended to the throne, one of Julian the Apostate's maternal c...

147- Capitulation

Mon, 15 Aug 2011

Jovian extracted the Roman legions from the east at a heavy price. He then ruled the Empire for eigh...

146- The Spear of Destiny

Mon, 08 Aug 2011

In 363 Julian launched an invasion of Sassanid Persia. He would die in battle just three months late...

145- Julian the Apostate

Sun, 31 Jul 2011

Julian came to power in late 361 and immediately set about trying to turn back the clock on both Chu...

144- The Road to Constantinople

Mon, 25 Jul 2011

Once he was established as a force to be reckoned with in the west, Julian revolted against Constant...

143- Julian the Pre-Apostate

Sun, 10 Jul 2011

After a childhood spent mostly in exile, Juian was elevated to the rank of Caesar in 355. His first ...

142- You've Earned It

Mon, 04 Jul 2011

After two years of sporadic war, Constantius II defeated the usurper Magnentius in 353. Following hi...

141- Blood and Water

Mon, 27 Jun 2011

Constantius and Constans shared the Empire for a decade until Constans was overthrown by a rebel gen...

140- My Three Sons

Mon, 20 Jun 2011

The three sons of Constantine took control of the Empire following the death of their father and the...

139- Wash Away Your Sins

Mon, 13 Jun 2011

Constantine was baptized on his deathbed after arranging a plan for succession.

138- The New Rome

Mon, 30 May 2011

Live and direct from Old Rome!

137- The Christian Emperor

Sun, 15 May 2011

This episode brought to you live and direct from Constantinople! After defeating Licinius, Constanti...

136- Let This Be Our Final Battle

Sun, 01 May 2011

War between Licinius and Constantine flared up again in 324 AD. This time Constantine would finish t...

135- Brothers in Name Only

Mon, 25 Apr 2011

Constantine and Licinius split up the Empire following the death of Maximinus Daia in 313. It did no...

134- And Then There Were Two

Mon, 18 Apr 2011

In 313 AD, Maximinus Daia and Licinus fought for control of the Eastern Roman Empire.

133- The Milvian Bridge

Mon, 11 Apr 2011

On October 28, 312 AD Constantine and Maxentius fought a battle at Rome's doorstep for control of th...

132- In This Sign

Mon, 04 Apr 2011

Prior to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge Constantine experienced visions and dreams that promised h...

131- The New Game in Town

Mon, 28 Mar 2011

With the Tetrarchy in shambles, Diocletian will be called out of retirement in 308 AD to help broker...

130- Lost in Transition

Mon, 14 Mar 2011

Less than two years after Diocletian's abdication, the Tetrarchy was left in shambles following the...

129- Abdication

Mon, 07 Mar 2011

In 305 AD, Diocletian and Maximian voluntarily abdicated the throne, handing power over to Galerius ...

128- The Great Persecution

Mon, 28 Feb 2011

In 303 AD Diocletian initiated the last and greatest of the Christian persecutions.

127- Commanding The Economy

Mon, 21 Feb 2011

Rome's economy was in disarray when Diocletian came to power and he initiated major overhauls to get...

126- All The King's Men

Mon, 14 Feb 2011

Over the course of his reign Diocletian overhauled the government, transforming it into a centralize...

125- The Best Defence is a Good Defence

Mon, 07 Feb 2011

Over the course of his reign Diocletian instituted a number of reforms to the military structure tha...

124- The Tetrarchs at War

Mon, 31 Jan 2011

In the mid-to-late 290s the Imperial Tetrarchy was at war on multiple fronts. In the west Constanti...

123- The Tertrarchy

Mon, 24 Jan 2011

In 293 AD Diocletian and Maximian invited Constantius and Galerius to share in their Imperial burden...

122- Jupiter and Hercules

Sun, 16 Jan 2011

Immediatly after becoming the undisputed Emperor in 285, Diocletian elevated Maximian to serve as hi...

121- Phase Three Complete

Mon, 10 Jan 2011

The Crisis of the Third Century finally ended with the mini dynasty of Carus and his two sons. In 28...

120- Interregnum

Mon, 20 Dec 2010

After Aurelian's death, an old Senator named Marcus Cluadius Tacitus briefly reigned before the thro...

119- Restitutor Orbis

Mon, 13 Dec 2010

Aurelian defeated the breakaway western provinces and reunified the Empire in 274 AD. The next year ...

118- The Palmyrene Wars

Mon, 06 Dec 2010

In 272 Aurelian finally managed to bring the east back under Roman control by defeating Queen Zenobi...

117- Aurelian's Walls

Mon, 29 Nov 2010

Aurelian became Emperor in 270 and immediatly faced an invasion of Italy by the Juthungi. After succ...

116- Here Come the Illyrians

Mon, 22 Nov 2010

Claudius Gothicus became Emperor in 268 and promptly lead the legions to victories against the Goths...

115- Phase Two Complete

Mon, 08 Nov 2010

The near simultaneous deaths of Gallienus, Odenathus and Postumus upset the political equilibrium in...

114- The Nadir of Our Fortunes

Mon, 01 Nov 2010

The 260s AD were bad for the Romans, but they could have been a whole lot worse had not Gallienus, P...

113- Three Empires

Sun, 24 Oct 2010

112- Captured Alive

Mon, 18 Oct 2010

Valerian and his son Gallienus did their best to hold the Empire together through the 250s AD, but a...

111- Phase One Complete

Mon, 04 Oct 2010

After the Battle of Abrittus, Trebonianus Gallus was proclaimed Emperor. After reigning for two year...

110- A Gothic Horror

Mon, 27 Sep 2010

In 249 AD Decius ousted Philip the Arab and ascended to the Imperial throne. Two years later though,...

109- The New Millenium

Mon, 20 Sep 2010

Gordian III died in 244 AD and was succeeded by his Praetorian Prefect Philip the Arab. While Philip...

108- Gordian's Knot

Mon, 13 Sep 2010

By August of 238, the other five men who had claimed a share of the purple were dead, leaving 13-yea...

107- The Year of the Six Emperors

Mon, 30 Aug 2010

In 238, a revolt in Africa sparked a revolution in Rome that would eventually lead to six different ...

106- Barbarian at the Gate

Mon, 23 Aug 2010

After bungling a campaign in the east, Alexander headed to the Rhine where he was assassinated by Ma...

105- The Last Princeps

Mon, 16 Aug 2010

Alexander was only 13 when he ascended to the throne in 222. With the help of his mother and a few k...

104- Here Comes the Sun

Mon, 09 Aug 2010

Elagabalus became Emperor in 218 AD at the tender age of 14. His short reign was defined by a scanda...

103- The Equestrian

Mon, 02 Aug 2010

Carcalla was killed by his Praetorian Prefect Macrinus in 217 AD. Macrinus then spent a troubled yea...

102- The Common Enemy of Mankind

Mon, 26 Jul 2010

Septimius Severus died in 211 while campaigning in Britain. He left the Empire to his sons, but thei...

101- And All Was of Little Value

Mon, 19 Jul 2010

After defeating Clodius Albinus, Septimius Severus turned over daily administration of the Empire to...

100- Black and White and Severus All Over

Sun, 27 Jun 2010

Septimius Severus became the undisputed Emperor of Rome after defeating Pescennius Niger in 194 and...

099- What Evil Have I Done?

Mon, 21 Jun 2010

After buying the Imperial throne, Didius Julianus only remained in power for 66 days before being ou...

098- Purchasing Power

Mon, 14 Jun 2010

After Commodus was assassinated, Pertinax reigned for 86 days. He was murdered by the Praetorian Gua...

097- The Fall of Hercules

Mon, 07 Jun 2010

Commodus went off the deep end around 190 AD and was finally killed by his inner circle in 192.

096- The Most Aptly Named Emperor

Mon, 31 May 2010

The reign of Commodus turned on a botched assassination attempt orchestrated by his sister in 182 AD...

095- The Beginning of the End

Mon, 24 May 2010

Marcus elevated Commodus to the position of co-Emperor and then died a few years later while campaig...

094- Revolt and Meditations

Mon, 17 May 2010

In 175 Avidius Cassius led a brief revolt in the east that forced Marcus to postpone his final trium...

093- The Marcomannic Wars

Mon, 10 May 2010

The Romans fought a series of campaigns against a coalition of German tribes from 167-175. They were...

092- The Parthian War

Mon, 26 Apr 2010

After some initial setbacks, Marcus sent Lucius east to deal with a suddenly critical war with Parth...

091- Marcus and Lucius and the Parthians

Mon, 19 Apr 2010

Marcus Aurelius was destined to become Emperor, but his insistence that Lucius Verus share the honor...

090- The Hundredth Episode

Mon, 12 Apr 2010

Big question-time blowout!

089- Provincial Matters

Mon, 05 Apr 2010

In which I talk for way too long about where the best tin deposits in the Roman Empire can be found.

088- A Day in the Life

Mon, 22 Mar 2010

Life in Rome began at dawn and lasted until sunset. Work was done in the mornings while the afternoo...

087- Thinking and Feeling

Mon, 15 Mar 2010

With Roman education leaving much to be desired, many citizens found enlightenment in the eastern my...

086- Wealth and Class

Mon, 08 Mar 2010

The Roman world was divided between slaves, freedmen, and free citizens of every economic class. Gro...

085- Antoninus the Dutiful

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Antoninus's reign is often pointed to as the golden age of the Roman Empire. In many ways the assess...

084- Longing For Death

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

After returning to Italy in 134 Hadrian spent a final few miserable years trying to plan the long te...

083- May His Bones Be Crushed

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Hadrian's relationship with the teenage boy Antinous raised eyebrows even in permissive Ancient Rome...

082- Hadrian's Walls

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Hadrian's reign got off to a rough start following the political murders of four ex-consuls. The new...

081- The Greekling

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Though Hadrian's career had long been guided by Trajan, when the Emperor died in 117 he still had no...

080- Optimus Trajan

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Trajan greatly improved the infrastructure of the Empire and finished his reign by conquering much o...

079- The Dacian Wars

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

After Trajan ascended to the throne in 98 AD he fought two wars against the Dacians, finally annex...

078- Imperial Stop Gap

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Nerva's brief reign was stormy, but his choice of Trajan as heir was inspired.

077- What Time is It?

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

After Saturninus's revolt in 89 AD, Domitian's paranoia increased. In 96 AD court officials afraid f...

076- Mock Triumphs

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Domitian attempted to emulate Augustus, but his heavy-handed treatment of the Senate earned him many...

075- The Forgotten Son

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Domitian had spent his life in the background, but in 81 AD he found himself Emperor and soon demons...

074- Friends I Have Wasted a Day

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Titus succeeded his father to the throne in 79 AD, but ruled for only two years before dying of a su...

073- The Only Man Who Improved

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Vespasian served as Emperor from 69-79 AD, stabilizing the Empire after a year of Civil War.

072- Vitellius and Vespasian

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Vitellius's reign was underminned by internal squabbling, allowing Vespasian's army to sieze Rome in...

071- Otho and Vitellius

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

After murdering Galba, Otho ascended to the throne in January 69 AD. He immediately had to deal with...

070- Galba and Otho: The History of Rome

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Galba's refusal to pay off the Praetorian Guard came back to haunt him when Otho looked for accompli...

069- As History of Rome Wedding

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Marriage was one of the key institutions of Roman culture and many of the traditions surrounding wed...

068- Three Emperors

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

The personalities of each of the men who vied for the throne in 69 AD had a major impact on how even...

067- What an Artist the World is Losing

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

In 66 AD the Great Revolt broke out in Judaea, leading Nero to appoint Vespasian to crush the uprisi...

066- 666

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Nero's popularity with the people began to wane in the early 60s AD. Things got so bad that after th...

065- Burn It To The Ground

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Between 58 and 63 AD Rome dealt with a major conflict over the Kingdom of Armenia and a revolt in Br...

064- Smite My Womb

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

After Nero came to power he was dominated by Agrippina. But it didn't take long before the 16-year-o...

063- A Farewell to Claudius

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Claudius turned out to be one of the more successful Emperors in Roman history, but unfortunately in...

062- Take My Wife...Please

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Though Claudius had great success in his public life, his private life was a different story. Each o...

061- What, me Claudius?

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Claudius became Emperor after the assassination of Caligula in 41 AD. Far from a bumbling fool, Clau...

060- No Better Slave, No Worse Master

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Caligula was insane. Luckily for the Romans, he wielded absolute power.

059- To the Tiber with Tiberius

Mon, 01 Mar 2010

Tiberius's final years were consumed with treason trials and private licentiousness. After he died i...

057- Germanicus

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

The early years of Tiberius's reign were defined by his growing jealousy of his nephew/adopted son G...

056- The King is Dead, Long Live the King

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

055- Teutoburg Nightmares

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

The Julio-Claudian family was rife with conflict, but nothing compared to the battle fought against ...

054- All in the Family

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

Augustus promoted his steps sons Tiberius and Drusus to high office long before they were technicall...

053- Reigning Supreme

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

After attaining power, Augustus set about reforming the Empire.

052- Caesar Augustus

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

The Senate bestowed upon Octavian the title Caesar Augustus during the constitutional settlement of ...

051- Actium

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

On Sept 2, 31 BC Octavian defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium. Antony and Cleopatra fled back to...

050- The Donations of Alexandria

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

After Antony failed to conquer Parthia, the Triumvirate partnership broke down, leading to a declara...

049- Apollo and Dionysus

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

After winning the Battle of Philippi Antony and Octavian divided the empire into two halves. Antony ...

048- The Second Triumvirate

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

In 43 BC Marc Antony, Octavian and Marcus Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate. After initiating pr...

047- Octavius-Octavian

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

Caesar posthumously adopted his great nephew Gaius Octavius and the 19-year-old was thrust into the ...

046- Sic Semper Tyrannis

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

In the last months of his life, rumors swirled about Caesar's monarchical ambitions. On the Ides of ...

045- The End of the War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

Caesar took the overland route back from Egypt back to Rome and along the way pacified what little r...

044- Caesar Triumphant

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

Following a setback at Dyrrachium, Caesar decisively won the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. After def...

043- Insert Well Known Idiom Here

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

In 49 BC Caesar led a single legion across the Rubicon River, sparking a civil war that would lead t...

042- Meanwhile, Back in Rome

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

While Caesar was fighting the Gallic Wars, events in Rome and beyond exacerbated the political tensi...

041b- The Gallic Wars

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

From 57-52 BC Caesar slowly conquered Gaul. Along the way he crossed into Germania twice and led the...

041a- The Gallic Wars

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

After beginning his proconsulship of Cisalpine Gaul in 58 BC Caesar was asked to halt the advance of...

040- In the Consulship of Julius and Caesar

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

In 59 BC Julius Caesar served a controversial year in the consulship. He pressed for land and admini...

039- The Young Julius Caesar Chronicles

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

Julius Caesar had an eventful career on his way up the Cursus Honorum. He won the Civic Crown in Asi...

038- The Catiline Conspiracy

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

In 63 BC an embittered two-time consular candidate named Catiline conspired to overthrow the Roman g...

037- Go East Young Man

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

After clearing the Mediterranean of pirates in 67 BC Pompey was put in charge of the war with Mithri...

036- I Am Spartacus!

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

From 73-71 BC a gladiator named Spartacus led a slave revolt in southern Italy. Despite defeating th...

035- Crassus and Pompey

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

After Sulla's death two men emerged as the vanguard of Rome's new political generation: Marcus Crass...

034- No Greater Friend, No Worse Enemy

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

Sulla returned from the east and after winning a short Civil War was made Dictator for Life. After p...

033- Marius and Sulla

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

032- The Social War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

031b- Marius

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

031a- Marius

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

030- Gaius Gracchus

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

029- Tiberius Gracchus

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

028- Taking Stock

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

027- Mopping Up

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

026- The Third Macedonian War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

025- The Syrian War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

024- The Second Macedonian War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

023e- The War With Hannibal

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

023d- The War With Hannibal

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

023c- The War With Hannibal

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

023b- The War With Hannibal

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

023a- The War With Hannibal

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

022- Prelude to the Second Punic War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

021- Interbellum

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

020b- The First Punic War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

020a- The First Punic War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

019- Prelude to the First Punic War

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

It was inevitable that the Romans and Cartheginians would run into each other one day.

018- A History of Rome Christmas

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

Many of the traditions that surround modern Christmas have their roots in Saturnalia and the Feast o...

017- Pyrrhic Victories

Sun, 28 Feb 2010

The Greek cities of southern Italy called on King Pyrrhus of Epirus to protect them from Roman encro...

016- The Third Samnite War

Sat, 27 Feb 2010

Rome battled a combined army of Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians and Gauls for control of Italy. At Sen...

015b- The Second Samnite War

Sat, 27 Feb 2010

After a five year break, hostilities resumed between the Romans and Samnites. Despite early setbacks...

015a- The Second Samnite War

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

After a decade of peace, the Romans and Samnites returned to war. The early years of fighting went w...

014b- A Phalanx With Joints

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

The Roman army abandoned the Greek phalanx in favor of a new system based on a three line deployment...

014a- A Phalanx With Joints

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

For hundreds of years the Roman Army used the Greek phalanx, but during the Samnite Wars they were f...

013- The Latin War

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

The Romans fought a final war against their Latin neighbors from 340-338 BC. The Romans won a decisi...

012- The First Samnite War

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

From 343-341 BC Rome fought a brief war against the Samnites, a powerful hill tribe who would plague...

011- The Morning After

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

In the decades after the Gauls abandoned Rome to its fate, the Romans were forced to battle both ext...

010: Barbarians at the Gates

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

Soon after the war with Veii, Rome was sacked by invading Gauls. The event traumatized the Romans an...

009- A Trojan War

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

Economic necessity forced a final conflict with Veii, Rome's Etruscan rival to the north. After year...

008- Decades of Gloom

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

The years after the creation of the Twelve Tables were hard. Political discord, grain shortages and ...

007- The Roman Washington

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

Cincinnatus was famously appointed dictator of Rome in 458 BC and then resigned soon after, securing...

006- The Twelve Tables

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

In 451 BC a committee was ordered to compile and then condense Roman law into a single text called t...

005- Trials and Tribunlations

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

The infant Roman Republic faced many challenges as it grew into adolescence, both internally and ext...

004- The Public Thing

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

The monarchy had been overthrown and the Roman Republic was now established. Despite the appearance ...

003b- The Seven Kings of Rome

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

The last days of the Roman Kingdom were ruled over by the three members of the so-called Tarquin Dyn...

003a- The Seven Kings of Rome

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

This week we cover the first three of Romulus's successors to the throne: Numa Pompulius, Tullus Hos...

002- Youthful Indiscretions

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

Last time we discussed the events that lead to the birth of Rome, covering the arrival of Aeneas in ...

001- In the Beginning

Sat, 28 Jul 2007

Welcome to The History of Rome, a weekly series tracing the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Today...