In our last episode, we finished on June 9, 68. Nero was 30 years and six months old. He had ruled for 13 years and 8 months. On June 10, 68, while he was still in Spain, The Senate declared the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, northern Spain, 73 year old Servius Sulpicius Galba, to be the new Emperor. He was the first person from outside of the…

Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace. The post NERO #24 – The Pisonian Conspiracy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace. The post NERO #23 – The Great Fire Of Rome appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace. The post NERO #22 – CONSTANTINE AT THE BRIDGE appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace. The post NERO #21 – PROMISCUOUS THONG appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace. The post Nero #20 – BEAST OF BURDEN appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Nero has some freedmen executed but the stories are murky. The Parthians decide to try their luck taking back Armenia while Corbulo tries to keep the peace. The post Nero #19 – OH NO MENS appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

This is part two of a massive two-and-a-half-hour chat we had recently Edward J. Watts, a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, and author and editor of several prize-winning books, including THE FINAL PAGAN GENERATION, a great book about HYPATIA, a book out about the collapse of the Roman Republic, MORTAL REPUBLIC, and h…

Edward J. Watts is a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, and author and editor of several prize-winning books, including THE FINAL PAGAN GENERATION, a great book about HYPATIA, a book out about the collapse of the Roman Republic, MORTAL REPUBLIC, and his latest book is THE ETERNAL DECLINE AND FALL OF ROME. This is part …

With Seneca out of the way, Tigellinus brings down the other prefect, Rufus. To strengthen his relationship with Nero, he increases his paranoia about the two men Nero had recently exiled for being threats to his power - Plautus and Sulla. Poppaea, not happy with Nero just divorcing Octavia, makes sure she gets rid of her forever. The post Nero #16…

In the year 61, Nero deals with riots, treason, Stoics and the death of one of his key advisors. The post Nero #15 – 400 Slaves appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Boudicea wins round one. But Suetonius has bloodshed and destruction on his mind. The post Nero #14 – Bloodshed And Destruction appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Corbulo finishes round one in Armenia and gets a promotion. Meanwhile in Britain, a certain queen decides to take on the Romans - Boudicea. Exactly why, though, is a bit of a mystery. The post Nero #13 – Badass Boudicea appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Agrippina is dead and Nero decides to party. Tacitus disapproves. He doesn’t like Nero’s parties and he doesn’t like his poetry. But then a comet appears, and everyone assumes it means the end of Nero’s reign - so they start looking for a replacement. The post Nero #12 – Filthy Rabble appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

Stephen Dando-Collins is an Australian historical author, who, like me, once sold his soul to the gods of marketing and advertising but has been redeeming himself ever since. His new book is about the great Jewish - Roman war of 66CE, entitled "Conquering Jerusalem". The post Nero #11 – Stephen Dando-Collins appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

We examine the circumstances and theories surrounding the death of Agrippina. The post Nero #10 – All Manner Of Depravity appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Nero likes hanging out under bridges where he could “take his pleasures more freely” and this leads to trouble for Sulla’s great-great-great grandson. But Nero also wants to abolish taxes because he’s a dirty commie. Then the Germans start some shit and find out why he was called “ONE CHANCE NERO”. The post Nero #9 – When In Rome appeared first on …

Nero likes hanging out under bridges where he could “take his pleasures more freely” and this leads to trouble for Sulla’s great-great-great grandson. But Nero also wants to abolish taxes because he’s a dirty commie. Then the Germans start some shit and find out why he was called “ONE CHANCE NERO”. The post Nero #8 – “Abominations And Wickedness” a…

Tacitus shares some Salacious Stories from Nero's Rome in the year 58 CE - mostly about ambitious women. The post Nero #7 – Salacious Stories appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

There’s a war with Parthia, Rome’s boogeyman since they cut off the head of Crassus in 53 BCE, a hundred years earlier, and Nero sends Corbulo to deal with it. He whips his troops into order and kicks ass, wearing a mankini while his troops’ hands fall off from the cold. The post Nero #6 – ARMenia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

Nero starts his own Fight Club. Apart from that, the years of 56 - 58 were pretty good. Nero made some wise decisions (no doubt with the help of Seneca), showing moderation and generosity. He was turning out to be an emperor of the calibre of Augustus. The post Nero #5 – Fight Club appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

This is where the story becomes really weird. Nero, up until now the golden child, suddenly becomes a cold murderer with the murder of Britannicus. The post Nero #4 – Nero The Murderer appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

In the first year of his rule, Nero was a big hit. He built a wooden amphitheatre in the Campus Martius, flooded it, and held a naval battle with sea monsters. In his gladiator shows, nobody died, not even criminals. But then… Nero fell in love. The post Nero #3 – Nero In Love appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

Nero becomes emperor on the murder of his step-father. He’s 16 or 17 years old. Why didn’t the Senate stop him? It might have something to do with Seneca and Burrus. Seneca wrote him a speech where he promised to be nice. And, indeed, the first five years of his rule seemed to go well. His mother, Agrippina, ruled by his side. The post Nero #2 – Ni…

This is the story of Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. Known to us as Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Or just “Nero”. On this episode, we ask - how is it possible that a man tutored and guided by one of the most famous Stoic philosophers, Seneca, would end up with the reputation as one of history’s worst tyrants? The post Nero #1 – The Last OG…

Messallina decides the time has come. She has a poison expert released from prison and they prepare a special dish of mushrooms for Claudius’ last meal. But the mushrooms weren’t enough and so they had to finish him off - with a feather. The post Claudius #15 – A Mushroom & A Feather appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

Claudius builds the world’s biggest tunnel and puts on a huge show to celebrate. But things don’t go to plan. Nero gets married and starts to build his political profile - he is only 16. The post Claudius #14 – Digging Tunnels appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Claudius and Agrippina get hitched despite the fact that she was his niece. She immediately starts to get rid of her enemies, reward her supporters, and prepare the ground for the next stage of her plan to make her young son, Nero, the emperor. The post Claudius #13 – Roman Incest appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

It's 48 CE. Messalina is dead. So now Claudius needs a new wife. There are several candidates, including Julia Agrippina, the daughter of Germanicus, making her Claudius' niece. Conveniently, her rich husband had recently died. She is also the mother of a young boy called Domitius Ahenobarbus - but who will soon change his name to Nero. The post Cl…

Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo - brother-in-law of Caligula - is sent by Claudius to Germany to deal with some rebellious tribes. But he's TOO successful, so Claudius calls him home. Messalina decides to get married again - while still married to Claudius. Surprisingly he isn't too happy about it when he finds out. So she has a date - with a sword. The po…

Messalina starts killing off men who refuse her sexual advances or who just have something she wants. Meanwhile, Claudius keeps being a nice guy and the people feel sorry for him. The post Claudius #10 Santa Claudius appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

The invasion of Brittania continues. When Plautius has them nearly finished, he sends for Claudius who turns up to take credit for the final blow. The Senate grant him tons of honours as a result of his victory. But he’s more interested in explaining to Romans how an eclipse works. The post Claudius #9 Vini Vidi Vici Bitchi appeared first on Life O…

In 43 Claudius is consul again. Messalina is setting him up with girls to bang while she’s running sex parties in another part of the palace. Then he invades Britain, finishing the job Julius Caesar started nearly a century earlier. The post Claudius #8 – Invading Britannia appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

While the attempted coup was going on, Claudius had troops in Mauretania under the command of Suetonius Paulinus. One of Paulinus’ officers, Gnaeus Hosidius Geta, chases the Moors over the Atlas Mountains and into the desert - where he has to call on foreign gods to save his legions. The post Claudius #7 – Mauretania appeared first on Life Of The C…

Claudius was a builder and a visionary. Humble and generous. He liked gladiatorial contests a little too much. But then there was his wife. Valeria Messallina. Like Livia, Messallina often gets blamed for some of the deaths that occurred early in his reign. The post Claudius #6 – The Revolt appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

Claudius was a builder and a visionary. Humble and generous. He liked gladiatorial contests a little too much. But then there was his wife. Valeria Messallina. Like Livia, Messallina often gets blamed for some of the deaths that occurred early in his reign. The post Claudius #5 – The Wife appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.…

When Caligula was assassinated in 41, Claudius hid in a room of the palace called the Hermaeum, and then behind a curtain on a balcony. According to Suetonius, he was discovered by a soldier named Gratus - Gratitude - who said to his colleagues: "This is a Germanicus; come on, let us choose him for our emperor." But many in the Senate wanted to see…

When Caligula was assassinated in 41, Claudius hid in a room of the palace called the Hermaeum, and then behind a curtain on a balcony. According to Suetonius, he was discovered by a soldier named Gratus - Gratitude - who said to his colleagues: "This is a Germanicus; come on, let us choose him for our emperor." But many in the Senate wanted to see…

For most of his life, Claudius was the Rosemary Kennedy of the Caesars. Without the ice pick lobotomy. Hidden from the public. If he wasn’t allowed to participate in Roman affairs, he would look elsewhere. He became a historian, writing a ton of books about his family, the Carthaginians, and about Etruscan history. But he wasn't boring. He was a bi…

The first 50 years of Tiberius Claudius Nero's life was a mixture of wealth, power and cruelty. With symptoms similar to cerebral palsy, the young Claudius was called “a monstrosity of a human being, one that Nature began and never finished" - by his own mother. He was kept out of public life and power by his adoptive grandfather, Augustus, and his…

In this special post-series wrap up episode of Caligula, I'm joined by my fellow Aussie history podcasters, Dr G and Dr R from The Partial Historians. The post Caligula #25 – The Partial Historians appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

On the last morning of his life, Caligula entered the temporary theatre on the Palatine in a good mood. The conspirators attacked him in a narrow corridor, on his way back to the palace during the lunch break between performances. The lead conspirator, the praetorian guard Chaerea, stabbed Caligula in the neck, shouting "hoc age" - TAKE THAT! Then …

There's nothing worse than having a Finicky Anus aka Lucius Annius Vinicianus. According to Josephus, Vinicianus was one of the main conspirators. As we'll see, Vinicianus was a long history of conspiring against the Julio-Claudians - he was complicit in conspiracies to overthrow Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. And his sons tried to overthrow Nero…

The final conspiracy against Caligula involved Cassius Chaerea, an officer of the Praetorian Guard; Callistus, Caligula's wealthy freedman adviser; and the senator Lucius Annius Vinicianus. Over the next three episodes, we'll explore whether or not the conspiracy was about getting rid of Caligula because he was batshit crazy - or because they wante…

Caligula got back to Rome around May 40 but stayed outside of the city until he could celebrate his ovation on his 28th birthday, 31 August. In the meantime he met with delegations from various parts of the world, including Philo's delegation from Alexandria, and Herod Antipas and his wife, Herodias, from Judaea. Conspiracies against him are everyw…

Ray recently interviewed Lindsay Powell about Caligula. I asked Ray for show notes. This is what he gave me. "We talked of keeping the sources in context, considering the times they lived it and agenda. He went deep. Then his analysis of the events in the German border and the coast of Britain. And his apparent fickleness, which in a ruler, effects…

Many historians claim that Caligula’s demand to be treated as a living god is a sure sign of madness. And yet - JESUS claimed the same thing and nobody calls HIM insane. Why does he get special treatment? On this episode, we drill down into the evidence for the claim about Caligula. The post Caligula #18 – Living God appeared first on Life Of The C…

Caligula plans his invasion of Britain. It would have been the first time any Roman solider had been there since Julius Caesar. What motivated his plans? Was he even serious? It's often portrayed as a stupid stunt. But we discover there may be more to it. How did it fit into his German campaign and the conspiracies against him? And how does it fact…

Sometime around the year 40, Caligula executed Ptolemy, the king of Africa Proconsularis and Roman ally. It's usually portrayed as evidence of his insanity and greed - but perhaps there is an alternative explanation. The post Caligula #16 – Bless The Rains appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly

Caligula suspects a grand conspiracy against his person and the sword falls on a variety of people - including the commander in Gaul, his two surviving sisters and his best friend / lover, Lepidus. The post Caligula #15 – The Conspiracy appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.Bởi Cameron Reilly