We're turning 90 and it's time for a special episode on the reception of Spartacus! What better way to do this than to examine the history of Spartacus, the ballet. Dr Rad is our expert on the ground on all things Spartacus and reception. Dr G brings a wild curiosity and a small knowledge of ballet.

The post Episode 90 – Spartacus, the Ballet appeared first on The Partial Historians - Ancient Roman History with smart ladies.

It's a brand new edition of the Partial Historians covering the Early Roman Republic™! And as the title 'A Fabian Abroad' hints, the Fabians are back in the political scene!

There's nothing we enjoy more than some controversy in the source material and oooo boy does the narrative get hazy with the return of a Fabian back in the scene. We explore some of the challenges with this situation in order to get a better sense of what might be happening in the family history.

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What kind of drama could follow the career of uber patrician Appius Claudius? As it turns out, those Romans are really all about battle after battle! We've reached a hazy period in our historiography where the narratives of Livy and Dionysius start to diverge on specifics; some events play out over different years depending on the author.

The post Episode 88 – Battle After Battle! appeared first on The Partial Historians - Ancient Roman History with smart ladies.

We are deep in the conflict between between patricians and plebeians. We jump back into the narrative part way through c. 471 BCE. Our consuls are Titus Quintius Capitolinus Barbartus and Appius Claudius Sabinus and they represent different approaches to political engagement with the plebeians.

The post Episode 87 – The Rise and Rise of Appius Claudius appeared first on The Partial Historians - Ancient Roman History with smart ladies.

Our jaunt through the history of ancient Rome continues apace! In this episode we cover c. 472-1 BCE. Dr Radness is reading Livy and Dr G is reading Dionysius of Halicarnassus and the comparisons of our sources is quite something! The main stars are the tribunes Volero and Laertorius.

The post Episode 86 – Volero and Laetorius appeared first on The Partial Historians - Ancient Roman History with smart ladies.

When we left you at the end of the last episode, there was some major events afoot - there's nothing like a murder in the city, particularly when the people turning up dead are Romans who hold a public magistracy! In this episode we consider the mystery concerning Gnaeus Genucius and the stories connected with Volero Publilius!

The post Episode 85 – Murder and Volero! appeared first on The Partial Historians - Ancient Roman History with smart ladies.

In this episode, Drs R and G discuss the exploits of the Romans between c. 475-3 BCE. There's plenty to consider: battles, consular successes, and looming ever larger in the narrative the call for agrarian reform which builds on the back of a grain crisis.

The post Episode 84 – The Romans Are Manly Men appeared first on The Partial Historians - Ancient Roman History with smart ladies.

After the tragic demise of the Fabii gens, what happens next? The rivalry between Rome and her northern neighbour Veii continues! 'If Only I Had Some Grain' captures the spirit of this episode. We cover the years c. 476 BCE and part of c. 475 BCE. Is this a sign that our narrative is quickening up? Quite possibly! We face two strands of narrative: The developing grain crisis in Rome and the military consequences of the forces of Veii (aka the Tyrrhenians) on the Janiculum.

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We return to the history of Rome from the founding of the City and that can only mean one thing - the Fabian family are back front and centre. And, yes, that episode title is a bit of a spoiler! We're talking about the Fabian demise.

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Would any Ancient Roman podcast hosted by two women be complete without a very special episode on one of the most famous women in the City's history, Livia Drusilla? Obviously not and here we are :)

The post Episode 81 – Livia Drusilla appeared first on The Partial Historians - Ancient Roman History with smart ladies.