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)