The Ancients

The Last Roman Emperors


Listen Later

No grand battle. No final blaze of glory. In 476 AD, the Western Roman Empire collapsed not with a roar, but with a quiet abdication. A boy emperor - Romulus Augustulus - handed over the regalia of power in Ravenna, signalling the end of an empire that had once ruled the known world. But how did it come to this?


In this episode, the finale of our Fall of Rome miniseries, Tristan Hughes is joined by historian and bestselling author Adrian Goldsworthy to chart the chaotic final decades of the Western Roman Empire. From puppet emperors and ruthless kingmakers like Ricimer to the meteoric rise of Odoacer, discover how political infighting, military mutiny, and foreign ambition brought the Roman West to its knees - and ushered in the age of kings.


MORE: Roman Emperors with Mary Beard: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7C7wRHjSPeif9pLD2UZJyY?si=5226c8e7f9584336


Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.


All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds


The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 


You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The AncientsBy History Hit

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

12 ratings


More shows like The Ancients

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,412 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,196 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,905 Listeners

The History of Egypt Podcast by Dominic Perry

The History of Egypt Podcast

1,850 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,694 Listeners

Historic Royal Palaces Podcast by Historic Royal Palaces

Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

449 Listeners

The English Heritage Podcast by English Heritage

The English Heritage Podcast

230 Listeners

History of the World podcast by Chris Hasler

History of the World podcast

908 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,058 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

13,109 Listeners

Gone Medieval by History Hit

Gone Medieval

1,764 Listeners

Not Just the Tudors by History Hit

Not Just the Tudors

1,983 Listeners

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society by History Hit

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

1,220 Listeners

Echoes of History by History Hit & Assassin's Creed

Echoes of History

258 Listeners

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal by History Hit

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

908 Listeners