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 HistoriansFactional Foibles
We jump into the year of 402 BCE and Rome and Veii are tooth and nail in siege mode. In addition to this, Rome is rapidly approaching the end of the 5th…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Ovid's Metamorphoses with Professor Stephanie McCarter
It is not often that we get to say that there is a new translation of a classical text that has taken the world by storm. But that was exactly what happened…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 150 - Rhetorical Fireworks
It is 403 BCE and we’re about to be blinded by some rhetorical fireworks. The situation between Rome and Veii is getting more serious. Episode 150 –…
The Partial HistoriansExploring Place in Regal Rome with Neil, The Ancient Blogger - Part 1
We are thrilled to sit down with Neil, The Ancient Blogger and host of the Ancient History Hound podcast to explore space and place in the Roman regal period…
The Partial HistoriansThe Brief Life and Times of Servius Romanus
Who is Servius Romanus you might ask? Well, in this episode we’re about to find out. But when we tell you it’ll be brief – we are telling only the truth!…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Augustus' Mausoleum with Dr Victoria Austen
It is not often that we are fortunate enough to get to chat to one of our amazing guests a second time, but sometimes the gods are just that kind. We sat down…
The Partial HistoriansIt's All About the Money, Honey!
Money, money, money! We’re in 406 BCE and although its well before ABBA’s pop hit, let’s this be a small hint of things to come. Rome finds itself…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - The Roman Military with Dr Bret Devereaux
This is a very exciting special episode all about the Roman military. We were incredibly fortunate to speak to an expert in the field about the Roman army in…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 147 - The Fall of Verrugo
Back in 409 BCE, the Romans had captured the fortifications of Verrugo from their Volscian foe. Unfortunately, in this episode we must discuss the bloody fall…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 146 - Nobody Calls Me Chicken
In this episode, the people of Antium start provoking the Aequians and the Volscians into war with Rome by calling them COWARDS. How else could they respond…
The Partial HistoriansRoman Naming Conventions
It’s here! We delve into the wonderful world of Roman names. How do we understand who’s who? How did the Romans understand who was who? We’re here to…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 145 - Power to the Plebs
We’ve all been waiting for YEARS for this… more power to the plebs! Yes, you heard us correctly. For once, the patricians will not get exactly what…
The Partial HistoriansThe Partial Recap – 410s BCE
What a confusing decade the 410s have been. It’s definitely time for a Partial Recap! We run through what the ancient sources tell us about this decade…
The Partial HistoriansWhere in the World is Carventum?
Carventum enters the annalistic narrative of Rome and raises some questions. But in order to get there, we need to consider what Rome faces in 411 BCE. And it…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women with Dr Emma Southon
In this special episode we sit down with Dr Emma Southon to discuss her brand new book A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women. This is the Roman antidote to…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Victims Unit
In this episode we tackle the years 413 and 412 BCE. These years come hard on the back of the murder of the patrician Postumius. Rome is facing challenges that…
The Partial HistoriansA Wrongheaded Man
In this episode, we tackle the years 415 and 414 BCE and the downfall of Postumius, a very wronghead man. Episode 142 – A Wrongheaded Man Did you…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Disney's Hercules (1997)
This may be the best podcast episode you’ve ever heard, and that’s the gospel truth. We’re munching on protein bars and raw chicken as we discuss Disney’s…
The Partial HistoriansDivide and Conquer
We return to the 410s BCE to explore some classic Conflict of the Orders. This one will end with an evil patrician plan (mwahahaha) to divide and conquer their…
The Partial HistoriansClassical Reception in Lil Nas X with Yentl Love
We sit down with Yentl Love to talk all about classical reception in Lil Nas X’s 2021 music video for ‘Call Me By Your Name’. Yentl Love is the…
The Partial HistoriansThe Commonwealth of Slaves
After the kerfuffles of 420 BCE, it’s time for a brand new year or two! In this episode we consider 419 and 418 BCE. These two years are packed with exciting…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Women of Myth with Ancient History Fan Girl
Content warning for this episode: violence, sexual violence, removal of children We sit down to chat with Genn and Jenny, the fabulous cohosts of the Ancient…
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The Partial Recap - 420s BCE
Another decade is gone and it’s time for a Partial Recap! We run through what the ancient sources tell us about this decade. There are some real highs…
The Partial HistoriansThe Trials of Sempronius and Postumia
The Partial Historians are back in the 420s BCE and we are wrapping up the decade with some first-class DRAMA! At the centre of it all are the trials of…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Quo Vadis (1951) - Part Two
This episode we return to the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ with a classic sword and sandal epic, Quo Vadis (1951). This film is available through many streaming…
The Partial HistoriansThe Four Horsemen
This episode, we are dealing with 422 and 421 BCE. The previous year had been a very dramatic for Rome. They seem to have come perilously close to a disastrous…
The Partial HistoriansQuo Vadis (1951) - Part One
This episode we return to the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ with a classic sword and sandal epic, Quo Vadis (1951). This film is available through many streaming…
The Partial HistoriansThe Tenacious Tempanius
Welcome to 423 BCE and your introduction to the one and only Sextus Tempanius! You may not know his name just yet, but we’re pretty sure you’ll be…
The Partial HistoriansHow the Plebeians Got Their Groove Back
In this episode we dig into the details (or lack thereof!) of 425 and 425 BCE. Good news for the plebeians is that when there’s not much going on in…
The Partial HistoriansThe Robe (1953)
The Robe (1953) is a cinematic classic of Golden Age Hollywood. With its mix of ancient Rome and early Christianity, it was a winner with audiences around the…
The Partial HistoriansBuilding the Bromance
What do you get when Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus and Aulus Cornelius Cossus return in our source material? The continuation of a beautiful bromance. After an…
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The Partial Recap - 430s BCE
We recap the confusing details of the 430s BCE. Be careful – there’s a lot of dictators about! This is a short, sharp, scripted overview of all the…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode - Our Top Ten at Ten
On the 1st March 2013, something momentous happened. We published our first episode of the Partial Historians podcast! Clearly, this is an event akin to…
The Partial HistoriansA Dry Period
Prepare yourself, dear listener, for a drought or two! After spending several episodes on individual years, we are speeding ahead in our latest episode. We are…
The Partial HistoriansPostumius Tubertus, Dictator
It’s around 431 BCE and Rome is busy contending with her neighbours in pretty much every direction. Turns out that it’s not easy trying to establish yourself…
The Partial HistoriansEnslaved Women During Slave Revolts with Assistant Professor Katharine Huemoeller
We were thrilled to sit down and talk with Assistant Professor Katharine Huemoeller about her research into the representation of enslaved women during slave…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 132 – The White Album
We leave behind the outraged censors of 434 BCE and move forward into some troubled domestic times for Rome. The solution? Fashion, darling. White togas are…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 131 – Dictators by the Dozen
In this episode, we delve into the craziness of the mid-430s BCE. The Romans are feeling the pressure, so they order dictators by the dozen. Episode 131…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – The Ara Pacis and Livia’s Villa with Dr Victoria Austen
Understanding ancient monuments requires a careful eye as well as detective work to delve into the representations and their layers of meaning. In this…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 130 – The Cossus Controversy
We return to the year 437 BCE and the exploits of Aulus Cornelius Cossus. Cossus came to our attention in the aftermath of the colony of Fidenae’s decision to…
The Partial HistoriansSeneca's Medea with MythTake
Medea is one of the most memorable characters in Greek mythology. She is powerful, has associations with magic, and capable of taking drastic action. Most…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 129 – Lars Tolumnius and the Fate of Fidenae
Vengeance for Rome It’s 437 BCE and Rome finds itself challenged by the king of the Etruscans Lars Tolumnius. But how did Rome get into this situation?…
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The Partial Recap – The 440s BCE
This is our short scripted summary of what the ancient sources tell us about the events of the 440s BCE. If you would like more detail and analysis, be sure to…
The Partial HistoriansMopping Up Maelius
The Aftermath of a Murder Rome has just experienced a scandal like no other. A terrible famine had hit in the years 440-439 BCE, and this had caused political…
The Partial HistoriansThe Assassination of Spurius Maelius
Famine Strikes After a peaceful year in 441 BCE, the Romans are in for nasty shock over the course of 440 and 439 BCE. It all begins with a crippling famine…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Ancient Athenian Women with Associate Professor Rebecca Futo Kennedy
We sat down recently with Associate Professor Rebecca Futo Kennedy to talk all about Ancient Greek women, specifically in relation to Athens. Futo Kennedy…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 126 – How to Win Land and Influence Ardea
In around 443 BCE Rome is navigating its relationships with its neighbours. Last time we caught up with Rome they became involved in the affairs of the nearby…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Roman Republican Coinage with Professor Liv Yarrow
We were absolutely delighted to sit down recently with Professor Liv Yarrow to talk all about ancient Roman coinage from the republican period. Special Episode…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 125 – Big Trouble in Little Ardea
Do you get excited by a trip to the office supply store? Is The Home Edit your favourite show on Netflix? Then this is the episode for you! The Romans are in…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Early Rome with Emeritus Professor Tim Cornell
There is much less scholarly work on the early Roman Republic than there is on periods like the late Republic or early Empire. This is understandable as there…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 124 – The Military Tribunes with Consular Power
The role of the Military Tribune with Consular Power (tribuni militum consulari potestate) is very particular. It seems to have been created out of the need…
The Partial HistoriansMini Episode – Beware the Ides of Jon Snow…
The most famous assassination in Roman history took place during the Ides of March. Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, was stabbed to death in Pompey’s…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 123 – The Turning Point
Rome seems to be an impasse. Facing war on all fronts and with escalating crisis between the patricians and the plebeians the place of Rome in the Italian…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 122 – The Right to Rule Rome
Who has the right to rule Rome? Who should have the right? In this episode, we tackle one of the major developments of the so-called ‘Conflict of the…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Classical Reception in Metal Music with Dr Jeremy J. Swist
We are thrilled to bring you an exploration of the relationship between the ancient world and metal music. We’re joined by Dr Jeremy J. Swist an expert in the…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 121 – Strength in Unity
The year 446 BCE has it all – battles, civil strife, virtus, dynamic leadership… Rome is certainly on a better path after the mysterious and seemingly…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 120 – Rebels Without a Cause
After spending many, many episodes on the events of 449 BCE, we are now flying through multiple years in ONE episode! Ah, the ups and downs of the early…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 119 – The Triumphant Return of the Consulship
Rome is still in the depths in 449 BCE, but there’s been an epic turn of events. Appius Claudius may be dead, but what happens next? We’re here to…
The Partial HistoriansSpecial Episode – Women and Money with Professor Karen Carr
We sat down recently to have a conversation with Professor Karen Carr who is Emerita at Portland State University. She holds a doctorate in Classical Art and…
The Partial HistoriansEpisode 118 – The Death of Appius Claudius
Appius Claudius: what a man, what a couple of decemvirates! But while the title of this episode might have given some things away, it’s all about how it…