In this third and final episode focusing on the historian Josephus, ⁠Dr Jon Davies⁠⁠ of Copenhagen University explores the presentation of Claudius in Books 19 and 20 of the Jewish Antiquities.

As the earliest source for the life and rule of the Emperor Claudius, this is a particularly interesting and important source for the ⁠⁠⁠Ancient History A Level syllabus.⁠⁠⁠

To find further episodes of our Roman History series⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram.

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In this second episode focusing on the historian Josephus, Dr Jon Davies⁠ of Copenhagen University explores the presentation of Caligula in Book 19 of the Jewish Antiquities, an important source for the ⁠Ancient History A Level syllabus.⁠

Jon discusses with James Renshaw the events leading to Caligula's assassination, the key players and conspiracies he faced, and Josephus' assessment of his character.

To find further episodes of our Roman History series⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram.

To access exclusive classical benefits, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join the Classical Association⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Dr Jon Davies, Copenhagen University, gives a comprehensive overview of the life and times of Josephus, who wrote during the first century CE and is an important source for the Ancient History A Level syllabus.

Jon describes how a prophecy changed Josephus' fortune, explores why he wrote in Greek, his early role as a rebel commander, his purpose in writing history and some of the content of his key works - the Jewish War and the Jewish Antiquities.

To find further episodes of our Roman History series⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram.

To access exclusive classical benefits, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join the Classical Association⁠⁠⁠.

What is the best thing about being a Classics teacher? Why is Classics important? Would you rather be mates with Ovid or Catullus? These are just some of the questions that Lee answers in this introductory episode and he's looking forward to answering your questions in the next episode. Ask him here!

Lee is a Classics teacher at St Aloysius’ College in Glasgow and the chair of the Scottish Classics Teachers’ Network; he also works closely with the Classical Association of Scotland and Classics for All and serves as the Principal Assessor for National 5 Classical Studies at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Read Lee's blog for us here.

Additionally, he has been involved in various Classics outreach programmes, such as the Iris Project, and mentors teachers upskilling in Classical Studies. You can find him on X @MrBaker79AD.

Enter our Prize Draw!

All good things have to come to an end and this is our last episode with ⁠⁠⁠Dr Christopher Burden-Strevens ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(University of Kent). We're going out with a bang, though, with some expert analysis of Dio's treatment of the Emperor Nero, with all of his proclivities and dastardly behaviour.

Huge thanks to Christopher and James for a brilliant mini series on Cassius Dio.

To find further episodes of our Roman History series⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram.

To access exclusive classical benefits, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join the Classical Association⁠⁠.

Beginning with the assassination of Caligula and Claudius' accession, ⁠⁠Dr Christopher Burden-Strevens ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(University of Kent) and James Renshaw discuss Dio's character study of Claudius.

To find further episodes of our Roman History series⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram.

To access exclusive classical benefits, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join the Classical Association⁠.

"He’s at once very conventional and yet also extremely distinctive - Dio repeats all of the standard criticisms we might find of Caligula, but, in this account, he tries to make his horse a priest, not a consul!"

⁠⁠Dr Christopher Burden-Strevens ⁠⁠⁠⁠(University of Kent) and James Renshaw discuss the third Julio-Claudian emperor in this episode.

To find further episodes of our Roman History series⁠ ⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠ and follow the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram.

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"Dio gives us a Tiberius that is extremely shrewd - and that's not necessarily a criticism!" ⁠Dr Christopher Burden-Strevens ⁠⁠⁠(University of Kent) and James discuss the second Julio-Claudian emperor in this episode.

To find further episodes of our Roman History series⁠ ⁠⁠click here⁠⁠ and follow the ⁠⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠⁠on Instagram. To access exclusive classical benefits, ⁠⁠⁠join the Classical Association

First up in this week's episodes, ‘the big Daddy of them all’ - Augustus - gets the Dio treatment in Books 53-56 and, as Dr Christopher Burden-Strevens ⁠⁠(University of Kent) tells us, it makes for fantastic reading!

“It’s a sham...but Dio thinks it’s essential” - listen now to find out what this is referring to!

To find further episodes of our Roman History series⁠ ⁠click here⁠ and follow the ⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠on Instagram. To access exclusive classical benefits, ⁠⁠join the Classical Association

We've made it to the last of the Julio-Claudians! ⁠Professor Catharine Edwards⁠⁠⁠ (Birkbeck, University of London) talks to James Renshaw about Suetonius' biography of Nero, his interest in games, his 'quinquennium' and how things take a turn for the worse in the second half of the narrative...

To find other episodes of our Roman History series⁠⁠⁠ click here!⁠

Follow ⁠⁠⁠Catharine on X⁠⁠⁠, and the ⁠⁠⁠Classics Podcast ⁠⁠⁠on Instagram. To access exclusive classical benefits, ⁠⁠⁠join the Classical Association