Shows / The Partial Historians
The Partial Historians
Dr Fiona Radford is an expert on Rome on film and wrote her thesis on Kubrick’s Spartacus. Dr Radford is exponent of not only Ancient History, but also Reception Studies. Dr Peta Greenfield is an expert on the Vestal Virgins. Dr Greenfield’s research interests include: religion and politics in Rome, the late republic and Augustan period, and the role of women.
Episodes
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 178 – Marcus Manlius Capitolinus, Plebeian Hero
After nothing but the uber-patrician Camillus for a long time, a plebeian hero seems long overdue. Welcome to what is essentially the first part in our…
The Partial HistoriansMark Antony with Alex Gough
We sit down with author Alex Gough to learn more about his latest historical fiction series on Mark Antony which spans four volumes and takes a look at…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – A Day in the Life of a Roman Gladiator
Ever wondered what it would be like to walk in the calcei of a Roman gladiator? How did gladiators pass their days? Join us and our special guest to find out…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – You Are Odysseus with Laura Jenkinson-Brown
In this special episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Laura Jenkinson-Brown (aka Jenks), teacher, writer, lover of Odysseus, and – most famously…
The Partial HistoriansEtruscan Evil Plans
What is Rome to do when they gaze out from the top of the Capitol and all they can see are the neighbours they don’t like or the neighbours that don’t like…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Servus: How Slavery Built the Roman Empire with Dr Emma Southon
Dr Emma Southon is no stranger to this show, but just in case you have somehow missed her many previous appearances, here’s what you need to know! Emma holds a…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 176 – Throwing the Standard
It is 386 BCE (maybe?) in Ancient Rome and once more Livy is providing our underlying narrative for events. The timeline is pretty confusing in this decade…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Fatal Second Helen with Josh Cannon
In this special episode we’re joined by Josh Cannon who holds a PhD in near eastern languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago. Prior to this…
The Partial HistoriansOf Mars and Marshes
It’s 387 BCE and Rome is working on getting back of her feet. What’s even happening in Rome? It can be hard to tell because of the nature of the extant sources…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - The Lost Voices of Pompeii with Dr Jess Venner
We feel extremely fortunate to sit down and talk to Jess Venner and her debut book, The Lost Voices of Pompeii. This book takes you through the final…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 174 - We Built This City on Big Hewn Stones
Welcome back to Rome’s rebuilding era! It’s a year of reasserting dominance, crafting fancy hewn stones for building works, and getting the citizen body back…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - The Emperor Julian with Jeremy Swist
We are thrilled to welcome Assistant Professor Jeremy Swist back to the show to discuss all things emperor Julian! Julian’s rule as Roman emperor was short…
The Partial HistoriansNobody Beats Camillus
We return to 389 BCE to see just how Rome recovered from the Gallic Sack. Camillus is dictator in Rome and Ahala is his trusty master of the horse. It’s time…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Septimius Severus with Dr Simon Elliott
We were very fortunate to be joined by the delightful Dr Simon Elliot in this special episode about his latest book, The African Emperor: The Life of Septimius…
The Partial HistoriansThe Partial Recap 390s BCE
The 390s were an action-packed decade. Join us for a partial recap of what the ancients sources told us was really going on in Ancient Rome. Sound Credits Our…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 172 - An New Republic?
As we emerge, bleary-eyed and slightly peckish from the Gallic Sack of Rome, we find ourselves in a new era – a new Republic, one might say! It is 389 BCE and…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Archaic Roman Religion
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, one of our lovely Patreons requested that we talk about archaic Roman religion. Religion is Dr G’s favourite topic…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 171 – The Gallic Sack of Rome – Part 6
We have finally reached the LAST part of our coverage of the Gallic Sack of Rome. Once again, whilst there are similar elements in our sources, it is…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Swords and Cinema with Dr Jeremiah McCall
You know that the Partial Historians can’t resist talking about Ancient Rome on film, so we were thrilled to chat to Dr Jeremiah McCall about his book, Swords…
The Partial HistoriansThe Gallic Sack of Rome - Part 5
The sacred geese have attempted to save Rome, but the siege of the Gauls is still not over! What could possibly happen next? We continue our deep dive into the…
The Partial HistoriansThe Emperor Titus with Marc Hyden
Marc Hyden returns to the show to discuss the life and times about the second Flavian emperor Titus. The Flavians were the second dynasty of the imperial…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 169 – The Gallic Sack of Rome – Part 4
We’re back with more exciting episodes from the infamous Gallic sack of Rome. If you haven’t listened to our previous eps, make sure you go back to the…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 168 – The Gallic Sack of Rome – Part 3
In this episode, we discuss one of the more tragic episodes from the Gallic sack of Rome. Want to know how we got here? Check out our previous coverage! We Who…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Camillus with Marc Hyden
Marcus Furius Camillus is an ancient Roman that it is hard to ignore, especially in the early days of the 4th century BCE. He has been regularly popping up in…
The Partial HistoriansThe Gallic Sack of Rome - Part 2
We rejoin the Romans and the Gauls in 390 BCE at the place where the Tiber river intersects with the Alia river. Turns out that when a bunch of Fabians upset…
The Partial HistoriansThe Gallic Sack of Rome - Part 1
We’re about to embark on a stunning period of Rome’s history in the middle Republic. Strap yourself in, this one is going to a take more than a couple of…
The Partial HistoriansCentral Italy and the Emergence of Rome with Dr Francesca Fulminante
We are thrilled to sit down with Dr Francesca Fulminante to chat all about the development of settlements in central Italy from the Bronze Age to the Archaic…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 165 - Surf the Celtic Wave
391 BCE is jam-packed with action, but the event that stands out is the arrival of the Gauls in centre stage. It’s time to surf the Celtic Wave! Revenge is…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Cleopatra (1963) – Cleopatra and Antony
In this special episode, we tackle the second half of the 1963 epic, Cleopatra. In the first part of this double-header, we tried to keep our focus on…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 164 - A Campaign in No Way Memorable
392 BCE, the year that went down in history for “a campaign in no way memorable”. Ah, that Livy, he paints quite a picture, doesn’t he? All About the Consuls…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Cleopatra 1963 – Cleopatra and Caesar
Cleopatra was released in 1963 and has gone on to herald the end of the golden age of the historical epic in Hollywood. Known as one of the most expensive…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 163 – Camillius’ Conniptions
We’re still in the year 394 BCE and we’ve seen Camillus has had a run in with the Falsican Schoolmaster. In this episode we move on further into the action of…
The Partial HistoriansShirts Off for Virtus!
In this episode, we continue to follow the adventures of that most amazing of Romans: Marcus Furius Camillus! This is one of his real shining moments of…
The Partial HistoriansFulvia with Dr Jane Draycott
In our latest special episode, we were positively tickled to be able to chat to Dr Jane Draycott about her latest historical biography Fulvia: The Woman who…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 161 – ¿Por Qué No Los Dos?
It’s 395 BCE and we explore the events that are the result of the epic year of 396 BCE. The Romans ended 396 BCE on a high with their military success against…
The Partial HistoriansGladiator II with Alexandra Sills
Rounding out our trilogy of special episodes on Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, we are joined by gladiator expert, Alexandra Sills. Special Episode –…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 160 – The Fall of Veii: Part Three
We return for the final instalment on the fall of Veii in 396 BCE. In our previous episode, we witnessed the actual conquest of the great Etruscan city. Now…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Gladiator II with Professor Martin Winkler
WARNING! This post and episode both contain spoilers! We are back to discuss Gladiator II, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s smash hit Gladiator (2000). Gladiator…
The Partial HistoriansThe Fall of Veii: Part II
The Fall of Veii is finally upon us – or perhaps we should say it was finally upon them! After a shameful defeat early in 396, the Romans decided to…
The Partial HistoriansThe Far Edges of the Known World with Owen Rees
We are super excited for this conversation. Owen Rees is the founder of the website badancient.com and we’ve been lucky enough to write a couple of articles…
The Partial HistoriansThe Fall of Veii: Part I
396 BCE is finally here! Rome and Veii have been locked in a competition for space and resources for quite some time and it seems like the tide is about to…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Gladiator II with Dr Lindsay Steenberg
WARNING! This post and episode both contain spoilers! In case you somehow missed it, the hotly anticipated sequel to Gladiator (2000) hit the cinemas in…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Enemy of My Dreams with Jenny Williamson
We were titillated to speak to the scintillating Jenny Freaking Williamson. Jenny is one of the co-hosts of Ancient History Fangirl, which we like to consider…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Storylife with Professor Joel P. Christensen
We are thrilled to sit down in conversation with Professor Joel P. Christensen to discuss some of the ideas explored in his forthcoming book Storylife: On…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 157 - From Delphi, With Love
In 398, the Romans received some worrying signs from the gods, and now we return with a special message for them: From Delphi, With Love. Episode 157 –…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Totally Chaotic History with Dr Emma Southon
Are you ready to have a Totally Chaotic time? We certainly hope so, as we are thrilled to welcome Dr Emma Southon back on the show for the FOURTH TIME (not the…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 156 – Kidnapped!
In 398 BCE, the Romans were still enmeshed in their siege at Veii. Whilst the Romans waited, worrying portents started to appear. What did they all mean?…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Gods and Mortals with Liv Albert
We love it when we get to chat with some of our podcast friends, and this week we got to catch up with the hilarious Liv Albert from ‘Let’s talk…
The Partial HistoriansYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire with Ulysses Press
We sit down with Casie Vogel, VP Publisher at Ulysses Press to talk about the process of bringing an ancient Roman history book into the world and some of the…
The Partial HistoriansThe Final Cheeky Preview - Last Man Standing: Masada
We are thrilled to release the final cheeky preview from our new book, Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire. The final chapter from our ‘With a Rebel…
The Partial HistoriansA Feast for the Gods
Our new book ‘Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire’ has nearly landed! Pre-order your copy via Ulysses Press! It’s happening – the Romans enter the…
The Partial HistoriansAnother Cheeky Preview - Zenobia's Winning Strategy
Welcome to another cheeky preview from our new book, Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire. This chapter is a bit of a contrast to our first one on Spartacus…
The Partial HistoriansThe Fifth Century BCE in Review
The fifth century BCE in Rome is the century that saw the idea of the republic flourish and falter only to flourish again. The plebeians rose up to fight for…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
We are in shock that it has taken us this long to cover the cult classic that is Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979). We have Rslaugesen over on Patreon to…
- The Partial Historians
The Partial Recap - 400s BCE
The 400s BCE have been a rollercoaster for Rome. It certainly seems to have been a decade of big changes, both in terms of foreign policy and on the domestic…
The Partial HistoriansA Cheeky Preview - With a Rebel Yell: Spartacus
We are SO excited to share a snippet of our new book with you! That’s right, we have a whole section entitled ‘With a Rebel Yell’ that will…
The Partial HistoriansThe Plebeians Push into Power
We jump into the year 400 BCE which has more excitement than you may have anticipated. Could this be the year we have evidence for a plebeian break-through…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Ancient Rome's Worst Emperors with LJ Trafford
In our latest special episode, we welcomed the talented LJ Trafford to the show to discuss her latest book, Ancient Rome’s Worst Emperors (2023). Special…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 152 - Victory at Last!
Whilst 401 BCE was a tense year inside ancient Rome, we can assure you that there will be a plebeian win to close the year. Victory at last! Episode 152…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Exploring Place in Regal Rome with Neil, The Ancient Blogger – Part 2
Neil returns to discuss more about some of the major sites of interest in the regal period of Rome. We recommend his podcast Ancient History Hound to you. You…