The History of Rome

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A weekly podcast tracing the history of the Roman Empire, beginning with Aeneas's arrival in Italy and ending with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Now complete!

Mike Duncan

  • podcastawards.com
    2010 Education


  • Jul 27, 2017 LATEST EPISODE
  • infrequent NEW EPISODES
  • 23m AVG DURATION
  • 192 EPISODES


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Latest episodes from The History of Rome

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

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2017 55:41


Audio excerpt from The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan. Forthcoming Oct. 24, 2017. Pre-order a copy today!  Amazon Powells Barnes & Noble Indibound Books-a-Million Or visit us at: revolutionspodcast.com thehistoryofrome.com

Revolutions Launch

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2013 0:16


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

Update- One Year Later

Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2013 1:40


Next show coming soon!

179- The End

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2012 31:19


The history of The History of Rome...Why the Western Empire Fell when it did...Some thoughts on the future...Thank you, goodnight.  

178- Not With A Bang But A Whimper

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2012 28:22


In the last few years of the Western Empire a series of Emperors came and went. The cycle finally ended in 476 with the exile of Romulus Augustulus. 

177- The Burning Ships

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2012 26:41


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

176- The Quote Unquote Emperor

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2012 25:01


From 461-465 the Western Empire was ruled by Ricimer through a puppet Emperor named Libius Severus. Not everyone in the west was supportive of the new regime. 

175- Trying to Take It All Back

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2012 24:51


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

italy imperial ricimer
174- The Sack of Rome Part II

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2012 24:20


Following the death of Valentinian III there was an Imperial power struggle in the West. In the midst of this struggle, the Vandals sacked Rome in 455 AD. 

173- The Broken Bow

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2012 28:55


In the early 450s a string of deaths changed the political dynamic of Roman world. Between 450 and 455 Galla Placidia, Aelia Pulcheria, Atilla the Hun, Flavius Aetius and Valentinian III would all die- leaving the stage wide open for the next generation of leaders.  Also, an announcment. 

172- Showdown

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2012 25:39


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

171- The Gathering Storm

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2012 18:07


After placating Atilla with yet another indemnity, Theodosius II fell from his horse and died in 450, leaving the Eastern throne vacant.

atilla theodosius ii
170- Atilla Cometh

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2012 24:25


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

169- Huns and Vandals and Goths, Oh My

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2012 24:38


In the 430s the Romans dealt with increasingly agressive and confident barbarian tribes living both inside and outside the traditional borders of the Empire. 

168- The Rise of Aetius

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2012 24:57


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

167- Exploiting the Opportunity

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2012 25:40


The Emperor Honorius died in 423, leading to a brief civil war between the Theodosian dynasty and a self-proclaimed Imperial regime in Ravenna. 

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

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2012 27:19


Constantius III continued to lead the Western Empire as its defacto Emperor until 421, when he was officially elevated to the rank of Augustus. Unfortunately, this elevation was not recognized by Cosntantinople.

165- Reviving the Roman Name

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2012 25:44


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

164- The Sack of Rome

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2012 25:56


After failing to secure a deal with Honorius, Alaric sacked Rome in August of 410. It was the first time the Eternal City had been sacked in 800 years. 

163- Theodosius's Walls

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2011 26:27


Following the death of Eudoxia, the Praetorian Prefect Anthemius took control of the Eastern Empire and ran it wisely for the next decade. Meanwhile in the West, anti-barbarian policies will lead to the invasion of Italy by Alaric.

162- Opening the Floodgates

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2011 28:12


On New Year's Eve 406 a horde of barbarians crossed the lower Rhine into Gaul. Their arrival would have severe consequences for the Western Empire. 

161- The Swamps of Ravenna

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2011 24:27


Alaric and his Goths invaded Italy in 402. After they were pushed out, Stilicho moved the seat of the Western Imperial Court to the city of Ravenna. 

160- East vs. West

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2011 24:46


In the late 390s, the generals and ministers who dominated Arcadius and Honorius battled with each other for control of the Empire. 

159- The Divine Winds

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2011 23:41


After winning the Battle of the Frigidus River, Theodosius stood alone as the last sole ruler of the Roman Empire. He would be die just four months later.

158- An Imperial Suicide

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2011 22:11


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

roman civil war
157- Only the Penitent Man Shall Pass

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2011 27:11


After defeating the usurper Maximus in 388 AD, Theodosius found himself facing an even greater opponent in Ambrose of Milan.

156- Jockeying for Position

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2011 27:47


From 383-387 the tense quasi-partnership of Maximus, Valentinian II and Theodosius ruled the Roman Empire. During those years Bishop Ambrose and Nicean Christianity pushed themselves to dominance over their Arians rivals.

155- The New Bishop of Milan

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2011 27:05


In 383 the General Magnus Maximus rose up in revolt against Gratian. The power sharing agreement that followed Maximus's victory would be negotiated in part by St. Ambrose, the influencial new Bishop of Milan.

154- The Gothic War

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2011 29:58


Following Adrianople, Theodosius was brought in to salvage the situation. After determining that he could not beat the Goths in battle, the new Emperor was forced to sign a peace with the barbarians that treated them as, gasp, equals. 

153- Adrianople

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2011 23:56


Operating with faulty intelligence and desperate to defeat the Goths on his own, Valens forced the disasterous Battle of Adrianople in August 378.

152- The Storm Before the Storm

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2011 25:36


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

151- Bursting a Blood Vessel

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2011 25:34


Valens spent the late 360s and early 370s dealing with hostile Goths in the north and hostile Persians in the east. In 375 he would be left to face these threats alone when Valentinian suddenly died.

150- The Perils of Mismanagement

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2011 24:40


in the late 360s and early 370s AD Roman mismanagment of three different regions in the Western Empire led to armed conflict.

149- The Great Conspiracy

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2011 26:22


In the winter of 367 Britannia was hit from all sides by a coordinated barbarian invasion. It would be more than a year before the Romans were able to reassert control over the island.

148- The Cousin's Cousin

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2011 26:54


Shortly after Valentinian and Valens ascended to the throne, one of Julian the Apostate's maternal cousins seized control of Constantinople.

147- Capitulation

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2011 25:13


Jovian extracted the Roman legions from the east at a heavy price. He then ruled the Empire for eight months before suddenly dying on his way to Constantinople in early 364.

146- The Spear of Destiny

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2011 25:39


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

145- Julian the Apostate

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2011 27:31


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

144- The Road to Constantinople

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2011 26:35


Once he was established as a force to be reckoned with in the west, Julian revolted against Constantius II in 360 after the Emperor ordered half the Gallic army redeployed to the eastern frontier.

143- Julian the Pre-Apostate

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2011 26:00


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

142- You've Earned It

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2011 25:41


After two years of sporadic war, Constantius II defeated the usurper Magnentius in 353. Following his victory the Emperor let his advisors talk him into executing first Gallus in 354 and then Claudius Silvanus in 355.

141- Blood and Water

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2011 27:25


Constantius and Constans shared the Empire for a decade until Constans was overthrown by a rebel general named Magnetius in 350 AD.

140- My Three Sons

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2011 23:58


The three sons of Constantine took control of the Empire following the death of their father and the murder of most of their extended family.

139- Wash Away Your Sins

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2011 23:23


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

138- The New Rome

Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2011 27:23


Live and direct from Old Rome!

137- The Christian Emperor

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2011 23:08


This episode brought to you live and direct from Constantinople! After defeating Licinius, Constantine found his dream of a united Christian Empire foiled by a very disunited Christian Church.

136- Let This Be Our Final Battle

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2011 23:39


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

135- Brothers in Name Only

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2011 27:00


Constantine and Licinius split up the Empire following the death of Maximinus Daia in 313. It did not take long for relations betweent the two Emperors to turn sour.

134- And Then There Were Two

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2011 23:53


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

133- The Milvian Bridge

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2011 25:17


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

132- In This Sign

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2011 26:47


Prior to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge Constantine experienced visions and dreams that promised him victory if he embraced Christianity.

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