The Partial Historians

The politics starts with some agitation from Titus Pontificus (aka Tiberius Pontificius) the tribune of the plebs who seeks some movement on the stalled agrarian reform, but you may already be able to guess how that turns out! We delve into the perspective offered by the sources and discuss what that may mean in terms of the events narrated, but also how we go about reading and interpreting the sources.

Central to the year is Rome’s conflict with her neighbours and particularly Veii. Without giving too much of the detail away (since we wouldn’t want to ruin the episode for you!), it is fair to say that this battle is devastating for all concerned.

So let us take you on a journey through the signs from the gods read by the Roman augurs and the Tyrrhenian* augurs, the escalating to-and-fro between the forces of Rome and Veii, the moment plebeian farmer Marcus Flavoleius finds fame, and the point when the tide turns on the plan of legate Titus Siccius (aka Titus Sicinius).

It’s all here: glorious details of battle, politics on the edge of sword, and speeches with more rhetorical flourish than you can find in a seasoned orator!

The Battle Against Veii 480 BCE

Episode 78: The Battle of Veii 480 BCE

*’Tyrrhenian’ ~ this term pops up in Dionysius of Halicarnassus and tends to refers broadly to the people of Veii and to the north of Veii. These peoples are also known as the Etruscans.

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We dive back into the history of Rome from the founding of the city and end up right in the challenges of 481 BCE. This means that we’re in the hazy early period of the Republic where the conflict between the patricians and plebeians dominates the narratives offered by Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus.

How consulships are chosen seems to be getting a little more complicated. There are tussles over how elections should proceed. The use of the interrex to manage the electoral process comes into play suggesting the increasing political complexity in the system. Speaking about complexity, we discuss just how likely a struggle of the orders really is in this period of the republic by considering the names of consuls.

482 BCE marks the consulships of Quintus Fabius (cos II) and Gaius Julius Iulus, but, as the title of the episode gives away, the events of 481 BCE, and the consulships of Caeso Fabius (cos II) and Spurius Furius take centre stage.

As domestic politics becomes more strained, Rome continues to (wait for it) have trouble with her neighbours…

The tribune of the plebs Spurius Licinius draws attention to the failure of the movement on the agrarian policy to measure up the ager publicus (public land) and redistribute it to the citizens. The dramas of this continuing situation sets the scene for Rome’s problems with the people of Veii, the Aequians, the Tyrrhenians, and their own soldiers…

Episode 77: The Troubles of 481 BCE

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We continue recording in the library, so advance apologies for potential moments of poor editing!

Episode 76 – Plebeian Struggles and the Vestal Oppia

We return to the podcast fray launching into the elections of c. 483 BCE. The conflict between patrician and plebeian sets the tone. And it turns out that our sources don’t agree right from the start! One of the consuls this year is definitely Marcus Fabius Vibulanus and the identity of the other is a little more of a mysterious Lucius (Valerius? Verus? Publicola? Potitus?)

By this stage the struggles between the patricians and plebeians is in full flight. The plebeian demand for the redistribution of public land (ager publicus) is taking off and there is only one tribune of the plebs, Gaius Maenius, who is willing to support the people’s perspective on this issue.

Threats of violence and coercion ensue. Dr Radness goes so far to liken the extent of conflict in Rome at this point as tantamount to civil war. We are in the midst of a Rome in crisis internally while still trying to face down threats in broader Italy. Follow us into the dangers as the plebeians continue to fight for their share of public land even from the battlefield.

As Rome’s strife continues, they turn their gaze inwards and the pontifical college offers the knowledge that there may be an issue with one of the Vestal Virgins, Oppia. What an action-packed episode!

An imagined vision of the Vestal Virgins (note there should only be six!) – from
“Woman Triumphant; the story of her struggles for freedom, education, and political rights. Dedicated to all noble-minded women by an appreciative member of the other sex” by Rudolf Cronau. (1919). Courtesy of wikimedia commons

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The Doctors return with a brand new episode! We are tracing the history of Rome from the founding of the city! At this stage of the narrative, the plebeians and the patricians continue to tussle. And trouble in Rome wouldn’t be much without trouble with her neighbours. Tension is also rising between Rome and the Volscii.

Quintus Fabius Vibulanus and Servius Cornelius Maluginensis are the consuls of c. 483 BCE. In the wake of Spurius Cassius’ demise, Rome’s attention turns inwards. The plebeians and the patrician conflict continues to escalate and the some of the consequences begin to play out with Rome’s foreign policy.

• How do you get soldiers to enlist when everyone is hungry?
• How do you maintain yourself in the field when morale is low?
• How do you defeat your foes when your forces do not want to fight?
• How does the voting system of the comitia centuriata work?

We tackle them all in this episode!

Trouble in Rome, Trouble with the Volscii

Episode 75: Trouble in Rome, Trouble with the Volscii

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Episode 74: Gla!

In this very GLAmorous episode, Drs R and G return with a special treat for you, our listeners. Step away from Rome with us for a brief time as we travel further back than we’ve ever gone before!

Gla is a huge Mycenaean fortress in Boeotia, Greece. There’s no mention of the place in Homer’s Iliad and it’s more than ten times larger than Athens during the Bronze Age…

So what is Gla exactly and what do we really know about this structure?

Let’s dive in!

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We return to the fray to consider the late career of Spurius Cassius! The conflict between the the patricians and plebeians continue and Cassius appears to be running a populist campaign…

In this episode we’ll consider how the political machinations between these groups play out under a new year and new consuls.

Episode 73: The End of Spurius Cassius

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Our narrative returns to the fray of Spurius Cassius’ political machinations while consul!

Can he find a way to distribute Rome’s bounty three ways with the inclusion of the Latins and Hernicians? Find out as Drs R and G compare the narrative sources!

Episode 72: Spurius Cassius and c. 486 BCE

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A birth of a republic seems midwived by a lot of local conflict.

In this episode, the Doctors return to explore Rome’s continued struggles with her most estimable neighbours, the Volscians, the Hernicans, and the Aequians. The intricacies really start to come to the surface in the consulship of Proculus Verginius and Spurius Cassius.

Hear it all here!

Episode 71: Proculus Verginius and Spurius Cassius

Artwork Credit: Francesco Salviati c. 1543-5. The Rout of the Volscii with thanks to the Google Art Project

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The Doctors are back! And celebrating reaching our seventieth episode no less! We dive right back into the narrative of Rome’s history from the founding of the City with an examination of the years just following the death of Coriolanus.

Rome, perhaps unsurprisingly, doesn’t really know how to get along with her neighbours…

Episode 70: The Volscians, The Aequians and the Hernicians

Artwork: A compilation of Drs R and G hanging about being excellent podcast co-hosts in the real world 😉

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It’s time for a special episode!

After such a tumultuous life, it comes as no surprise that Coriolanus goes on to have a legacy that spreads after his literal death. So Coriolanus dies, but he lives!

In this episode, the Doctors turn their roving eye on how the story of Coriolanus has been transformed by his reappearance into the cultural mind of the West through Shakespeare’s play and the centuries that follow.

Find out all the details below: 

Episode 69 – The Reception of Coriolanus

Artwork: Act V Scene 3 of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus by Gavin Hamilton 1803. Attribution is also given to Adam Cuerden as per Wikimedia Commons

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