As we emerge, bleary-eyed and slightly peckish from the Gallic Sack of Rome, we find ourselves in a new era – a new Republic, one might say! It is 389 BCE and Rome is in its rebuilding era.

A Turning Point?

Livy would like us to see 389 BCE as a turning point. He has more sources, better sources than ever before, just you wait! Historians are less confident than he is about how reliable his material is, but there is no doubt that this century is going to see Rome enter a new phase in its history. In spite of the many battles we covered so far on the pod, it is really in this century that Rome’s territorial control will start to expand in a meaningful way. This journey will lead to other exciting political, social and military developments along the way, and we might find Rome starting to look more recognisable by the end of the 300s BCE.

The Clash of Historians

It depends on whether you believe Diodorus or Livy as to what unfolded in 389 BCE. The dating is still shaky, in spite of Livy’s grand promises. However, we certainly get a sense that Rome suffered a crushing blow at around this time, and their neighbours, including their allies, tried to take advantage of that. It would the logical move. Thank God Camillus is still around to make sure that Rome hangs in there!

Things to look out for:

·        Horrific behaviour from Dionysius ‘They-don’t-call-me-a-tyrant-for-nothing’ of Syracuse against the Rhegians

·        The launch of our bizarro world podcast – The Objective Historians

·        The suspicious death of one of the Foolish Fabians  

·        The publication of some Roman laws – but only some!

·        Some calendar redesign – partly due to some dodgy sacrificing by Quintus Sulpicius Longus

·        Evil Etruscan plotting at the Shrine of Voltumna

·        An interregnum

·        Slick thinking from a lower-class lady named Tutula 

For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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