In today's episode we discuss an enigmatic funerary inscription, from a husband to a wife, that has been in the process recovery in bits and pieces throughout Italy. It tells an epic, harrowing tale of love, selfless acts and heroics. Ironically, we don't know the identities of the husband and wife. We're talking about just how dangerous this woman was,, and we're also talking about educated guesses from the pro's on identities.

To read the full translated text of this remarkable ancient love letter and historical document, you can explore the Laudatio funebris quae dicitur Turiae English translation provided by the Université Grenoble Alpes. For a deeper academic breakdown of the text, historical context, and the turbulent era in which it was written, refer to the Escholars Open Access Study.

In todays episode, Maddie and I are joined by Engineer Boy Nick and Jackie. We're ranking 10 insane Roman imperial flexes. We're also making a couple of big announcements about the future of the podcast. Spoiler alert: Big things are coming!

In today's episode we're talking about the Roman general Flavius Belisarius. When the emperor Justinian hatched a bold plan to reconquer the Western Roman Empire, he turned to Belisarius. Follow the remarkable journey that ended in reconquest of 2 of the West's 5 major provinces. For more on Belisarius, pick up Procopius' histories. It's a wild story.

Today's episode centers on the remarkable life of Galla Placidia. For further reading on this intriguing late Roman character, we encourage you to read Zosimus and Olympiodorus of Thebes. You will not be disappointed.

In this episode we discuss in the intertwined narrative of Theodosius the Great, Stilicho and Alaric the Goth. We'll take you through a series of choices that ended with the Gothic sack of Rome in 410 AD.

To read more about these fascinating figures, please check out the following:

Zosimus

The Poet Claudian

Procopius

Ambrose of Milan

The Codes Theodosianus

In today's episode we talk about the life of Julian the Apostate: Rome's last pagan emperor. We want to thank Dan Rodgers who provided an engaging cold open for us. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

For more information on Julian's life, we encourage you to read Books 20-25 of Res Gestae by Ammianus Marcellinus. For more of Julian's own thoughts, please check out Julian's Letters, Orations and his famous satire, aimed at the city of Antioch: Misopogon. Finally, you can take a look at Libanius' letters to Julian.

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Thanks for tuning in!

In today's episode we're giving you a 30 minute TLDR on the life of Constantine the Great from the death of his father, Constantius Chlorus through the aftermath of his own death many years later in Constantinople. For a more detailed telling of Constantine's life, we encourage you to pick up a decent translation of Eusebius of Caesarea (Vita Constantantini) or Lactantius (De Mortibus Persecutorum). Both sources are positiviely biased, but they make up a great deal of what we know about Constantine today.

While we're here: Please check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HistoryinZoomer

In today's episode we're talking about Zenobia's rise to power and narrow defeat at the hands of Aurelian. A genuinely dangerous woman.

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In today's episode we give a brief overview of the Crisis of the Third Century. We will now begin transitioning to late imperial figures and think that those stories wouldn't make a lot of sense without some background on this critically important transformational period for the Empire.

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This episode is dedicated to the chickens who were senselessly thrown overboard by the despicable Publius Claudius Pulcher. May the rest in peace.

• Maddie

While we're here: Please check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HistoryinZoomer