Sat, 27 February 2010
The early years of Tiberius's reign were defined by his growing
jealousy of his nephew/adopted son Germanicus. After winning victories
on the far side of the Rhine, Germanicus was sent east, where in 19 AD
he died under mysterious circumstances.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
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Sat, 27 February 2010
The Julio-Claudian family was rife with conflict, but nothing compared
to the battle fought against the Germans in the Teutoburg Forest.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
Augustus promoted his steps sons Tiberius and Drusus to high office
long before they were technically eligible. He hoped they would share
power with him until Gaius and Lucius Caesar came of age, but Drusus
died young and Tiberius went into self-imposed exile.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
After attaining power, Augustus set about reforming the Empire.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
The Senate bestowed upon Octavian the title Caesar Augustus during the constitutional settlement of 27 BC. Four years later Augustus and the Senate altered their power sharing agreement.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
On Sept 2, 31 BC Octavian defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium.
Antony and Cleopatra fled back to Alexandria where they committed
suicide the next year, following Octavian's invasion of Egypt.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
After Antony failed to conquer Parthia, the Triumvirate partnership broke down, leading to a declaration of war.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
After winning the Battle of Philippi Antony and Octavian divided the
empire into two halves. Antony took control of the east where he formed
an alliance with Cleopatra, while Octavian commanded the west.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
In 43 BC Marc Antony, Octavian and Marcus Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate. After initiating proscriptions to raise funds and purge their enemies, the Triumvirs headed east, where they defeated Brutus and Cassius at Philippi. |
Sat, 27 February 2010
Caesar posthumously adopted his great nephew Gaius Octavius and the
19-year-old was thrust into the center of Roman politics. In the months
following the assassination Octavian and Mark Antony vied for the
support of the legions.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
In the last months of his life, rumors swirled about Caesar's
monarchical ambitions. On the Ides of March 44 BC, a group of Senators
put the issue to rest by assassinating Caesar during a session of the
Senate.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
Caesar took the overland route back from Egypt back to Rome and along
the way pacified what little resistance he came across. After a brief
stay in Italy he sailed for North Africa where he defeated the
regrouped Republican army. Having emerged from the Civil War triumphant
he returned to Rome and began his ambitious reform programs.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
Following a setback at Dyrrachium, Caesar decisively won the Battle of
Pharsalus in 48 BC. After defeating Pompey, Caesar sailed for
Alexandria, where settled a civil war by placing Cleopatra on the
throne.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
In 49 BC Caesar led a single legion across the Rubicon River, sparking
a civil war that would lead to the death of the Roman Republic.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
While Caesar was fighting the Gallic Wars, events in Rome and beyond
exacerbated the political tensions that would eventually lead to Civil
War.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
From 57-52 BC Caesar slowly conquered Gaul. Along the way he crossed
into Germania twice and led the first Roman expedition to Britain.
Finally, the last Gallic army was forced to surrender at Alesia.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
After beginning his proconsulship of Cisalpine Gaul in 58 BC Caesar was
asked to halt the advance of a migrating Celtic tribe. He managed to
turn them around, but was immediately called to face an even deadlier
threat at the banks of the Rhine River.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
In 59 BC Julius Caesar served a controversial year in the consulship.
He pressed for land and administrative reforms the conservative Senate
opposed.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
Julius Caesar had an eventful career on his way up the Cursus Honorum. He won the Civic Crown in Asia, was captured by pirates on his way to Rhodes, and served as Governor of Hispania Ulterior. |
Sat, 27 February 2010
In 63 BC an embittered two-time consular candidate named Catiline
conspired to overthrow the Roman government. He was stopped by Rome's
greatest politician and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Direct download: 38-_The_Catiline_Conspiracy-_The_History_of_Rome.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 7:58pm CDT |
Sat, 27 February 2010
After clearing the Mediterranean of pirates in 67 BC Pompey was put in
charge of the war with Mithridates. He promptly conquered his way to
Jerusalem.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
From 73-71 BC a gladiator named Spartacus led a slave revolt in
southern Italy. Despite defeating the Romans on numerous occasions, the
slave army was eventually defeated by Marcus Crassus (with an
unsolicited assist from Pompey).
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Sat, 27 February 2010
After Sulla's death two men emerged as the vanguard of Rome's new
political generation: Marcus Crassus who would become Rome's richest
man and Pompey the Great, who would become Rome's greatest general. In
a few years these two men would join forces with Julius Caesar to form
the first Triumvirate.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
Sulla returned from the east and after winning a short Civil War was
made Dictator for Life. After purging his enemies and reorganizing the
consitution he inexplicably stepped down in 80 BC.
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It was inevitable that the Romans and Cartheginians would run into each other one day.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
Many of the traditions that surround modern Christmas have their roots in Saturnalia and the Feast of Sol Invictus.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
The Greek cities of southern Italy called on King Pyrrhus of Epirus to
protect them from Roman encroachment. Though Pyrrhus was undefeated in
battle, his victories were so costly that he was forced to withdraw
from Italy in 275 BC, leaving Rome in control of Magna Graecia.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
Rome battled a combined army of Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians and Gauls
for control of Italy. At Sentinum, the two sides fought the largest
battle in Italian history up to that point.
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Sat, 27 February 2010
After a five year break, hostilities resumed between the Romans and
Samnites. Despite early setbacks, Rome eventually emerged victorious in
304 BC. During these years a controversial politician, Appius Claudius,
initiated a series of ambitious public works projects that advanced
Roman civilization.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
After a decade of peace, the Romans and Samnites returned to war. The
early years of fighting went well for Rome, but in 321 BC they were
handed a humiliating defeat at Caudine Forks.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
The Roman army abandoned the Greek phalanx in favor of a new system
based on a three line deployment organized by age and experience.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
For hundreds of years the Roman Army used the Greek phalanx, but during
the Samnite Wars they were forced to develop a new distinctly Roman
system.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
The Romans fought a final war against their Latin neighbors from
340-338 BC. The Romans won a decisive victory and the Latin League was
abolished once and for all.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
From 343-341 BC Rome fought a brief war against the Samnites, a
powerful hill tribe who would plague the Romans for the rest of the
century. The Romans won an inconclusive victory, but the war was only
the opening salvo in a long running struggle between the two peoples.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
In the decades after the Gauls abandoned Rome to its fate, the Romans
were forced to battle both external threats and internal sedition. The
Plebes, saddled with debt from the reconstruction, forced through
reforms in 367 BC that finally gave them access to the most powerful
office of state: the Consulship.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
Soon after the war with Veii, Rome was sacked by invading Gauls. The
event traumatized the Romans and left their city in ruins. It would be
the last time a foreign army breached the walls until the fall of the
empire 850 years later.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
Economic necessity forced a final conflict with Veii, Rome's Etruscan
rival to the north. After years of inconclusive fighting, Marcus Furius
Camillus was appointed dictator and lead the Romans to victory.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
The years after the creation of the Twelve Tables were hard. Political
discord, grain shortages and famine all conspired to weaken the city,
but the Romans soldiered on in the face of seemingly insurmountable
adversity.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
Cincinnatus was famously appointed dictator of Rome in 458 BC and then
resigned soon after, securing his place in history as a paradigm of
republican virtue.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
In 451 BC a committee was ordered to compile and then condense Roman
law into a single text called the Twelve Tables of Law. Despite
tyrannical machinations by the committee, the Twelve Tables secured an
objective rule of law for all Roman citizens regardless of wealth or
class.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
The infant Roman Republic faced many challenges as it grew into
adolescence, both internally and externally. Most significantly class
divisions led to a confrontation between patricians and plebs that
resulted in the creation of the office of Tribune.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
The monarchy had been overthrown and the Roman Republic was now
established. Despite the appearance of a free democratic republic, the
Romans were beset with economic and political divisions that threatened
the unity of the young State.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
The last days of the Roman Kingdom were ruled over by the three members
of the so-called Tarquin Dynasty: Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius
and Tarquinius Superbus. The last proved to be such a tyrant that he
was overthrown and monarchy was forever outlawed by the Romans.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
This week we cover the first three of Romulus's successors to the
throne: Numa Pompulius, Tullus Hostilius and Ancus Marcius, who they
were and what affect they had on the evolution Roman law and culture.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
Last time we discussed the events that lead to the birth of Rome,
covering the arrival of Aeneas in Italy and the story of the twins
Romulus and Remus. Today we will cover the remainder of Romulus's life,
his questionable morality and ultimate disappearance from the world of
men.
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Wed, 24 February 2010
Welcome to The History of Rome, a weekly series tracing the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Today we will hear the mythical origin story of Rome and compare it with modern historical and archaeological evidence. How much truth is wrapped up in the legend? We end this week with the death of Remus and the founding of Rome. |