The House of Julius Polybius is one of the best preserved residences in the town of Pompeii. Not only do we know about the family that lived there, a number of household goods have been excavated, giving insight to the life and workings of a Roman house.

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Guest: Dr Lily Withycombe (Curator, National Museum of Australia).

Rome had an extensive road network, stretching from one end of the empire to the other. It aided travel, communications, movements of army and trade, and to this day has helped funnel a steady stream of visitors back to the mighty city.

Guest: Professor Catherine Fletcher (History, Manchester Metropolitan University).

Professor Fletcher is the author of 'The Roads to Rome'

The Saepta Julia began with a noble intention - a defined place for citizens to meet, debate and vote. It was built at the instruction of Julius Caesar, at a time when the ideals of voting were still being upheld.

Guest:

Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

In the outer suburbs of Rome is a well preserved late Roman mausoleum, built for the daughter of Constantine the great. While late Roman in nature it shows the influences of early Christian architecture.

Guest: Dr Christopher Gribbin (Adjunct Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University).

In Pompeii there is a House of the Baker - a strangely designed dwelling with a famous mosaic of a man handing out bread that gives it its name. But perhaps the image indicates a different scene.

Guest: Professor Steven Tuck (History and Classics, Miami University).

The Temple of Bel in Palmyra mixed the religions of Rome with beliefs in the east, providing the residents of the city with their own unique deities. While significant as a Roman temple, it had a long history in the years that followed, and has played an important part in Syria’s recent tragic events.

Guest: Dr Peter Edwell (Senior Lecturer, History and Archaeology, Macquarie University).

Founded as a Phoenician city, Utica became an important Roman colony on what is now the Tunisian coast, but it never managed to get past a healthy rivalry with nearby Carthage.

Guest: Assistant Professor J. Andrew Dufton (Archeology, Dickinson College)

No structure says ‘Crisis of the Third Century’ more than the Aurelian Walls. The city of Rome had long been at peace and largely untouchable, but Aurelian realised that times had changed, and the capital of the empire needed defending.

Guest: Associate Professor Caillan Davenport (Head of the Centre for Classical Studies at the Australian National University).

Cyprus was in an excellent position for trade in the mediterranean, not just for the Roman empire but later for the Byzantine empire as well. In the old capital of Neo Paphos, one of the richest and most extensive residences is the Villa of Theseus.

Guest: Dr Christopher Gribbin (Adjunct Lecturer, Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Paestum is a city on the western coast of Italy, founded by Greeks and known in the modern day as the site of impressive temples and elaborately painted tombs.

Guest: Dr Tiziana D'Angelo (Director, Archeological Park of Paestum and Vella).

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