114- The Nadir of Our Fortunes

FromThe History of Rome

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114- The Nadir of Our Fortunes

FromThe History of Rome

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Length:

28 minutes

Released:

Nov 1, 2010

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

The 260s AD were bad for the Romans, but they could have been a whole lot worse had not Gallienus, Postumus and Odenathus each done their part to defend their respective corners of the Empire.

Released:

Nov 1, 2010

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

A weekly podcast tracing the history of the Roman Empire, beginning with Aeneas's arrival in Italy and ending with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Now complete!

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055- Teutoburg Nightmares: The Julio-Claudian family was rife with conflict, but nothing compared to the battle fought against the Germans in the Teutoburg Forest. by The History of Rome
25 min listen
006- The Twelve Tables: 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... by The History of Rome
16 min listen
007- The Roman Washington: 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. by The History of Rome
12 min listen
001- In the Beginning: 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... by The History of Rome
12 min listen
004- The Public Thing: 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. by The History of Rome
15 min listen
003b- The Seven Kings of Rome: 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... by The History of Rome
18 min listen
043- Insert Well Known Idiom Here: 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. by The History of Rome
27 min listen
054- All in the Family: 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... by The History of Rome
25 min listen
015a- The Second Samnite War: 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. by The History of Rome
18 min listen
010: Barbarians at the Gates: 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. by The History of Rome
16 min listen
008- Decades of Gloom: 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. by The History of Rome
15 min listen
002- Youthful Indiscretions: 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... by The History of Rome
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015b- The Second Samnite War: 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... by The History of Rome
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009- A Trojan War: 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. by The History of Rome
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012- The First Samnite War: 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... by The History of Rome
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057- Germanicus: 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. by The History of Rome
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033- Marius and Sulla by The History of Rome
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003a- The Seven Kings of Rome: 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. by The History of Rome
16 min listen
014b- A Phalanx With Joints: The Roman army abandoned the Greek phalanx in favor of a new system based on a three line deployment organized by age and experience. by The History of Rome
17 min listen
005- Trials and Tribunlations: 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. by The History of Rome
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013- The Latin War: 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. by The History of Rome
14 min listen
048- The Second Triumvirate: 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. by The History of Rome
24 min listen
011- The Morning After: 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... by The History of Rome
17 min listen
044- Caesar Triumphant: 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. by The History of Rome
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049- Apollo and Dionysus: 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. by The History of Rome
27 min listen
046- Sic Semper Tyrannis: 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. by The History of Rome
22 min listen
014a- A Phalanx With Joints: 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. by The History of Rome
11 min listen
056- The King is Dead, Long Live the King by The History of Rome
21 min listen
016- The Third Samnite War: 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. by The History of Rome
16 min listen
051- Actium: 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. by The History of Rome
24 min listen

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175- Trying to Take It All Back: From 457-461, Majorian marched around trying to reassert Imperial authority over the provinces while Ricimer remained in Italy. by The History of Rome
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174- The Sack of Rome Part II: Following the death of Valentinian III there was an Imperial power struggle in the West. In the midst of this struggle, the Vandals sacked Rome in 455 AD. by The History of Rome
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173- The Broken Bow: In the early 450s a string of deaths changed the political dynamic of Roman world. Between 450 and 455 Galla Placidia, Aelia Pulcheria, Atilla the Hun, Flavius Aetius and Valentinian III would all die- leaving the stage wide open for the next... by The History of Rome
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172- Showdown: In 451 Atilla the Hun invaded the West. He was repelled by a coalition of forces lead by the General Aetius. by The History of Rome
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171- The Gathering Storm: After placating Atilla with yet another indemnity, Theodosius II fell from his horse and died in 450, leaving the Eastern throne vacant. by The History of Rome
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170- Atilla Cometh: In the 440s, the Huns began to direclty attack the Roman Empire. by The History of Rome
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169- Huns and Vandals and Goths, Oh My: In the 430s the Romans dealt with increasingly agressive and confident barbarian tribes living both inside and outside the traditional borders of the Empire. by The History of Rome
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168- The Rise of Aetius: In the late 420s AD, the Roman General Flavius Aetius connived and backstabbed his way up the chain of command. by The History of Rome
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167- Exploiting the Opportunity: The Emperor Honorius died in 423, leading to a brief civil war between the Theodosian dynasty and a self-proclaimed Imperial regime in Ravenna. by The History of Rome
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166- As Long As She's Nice To Look At: Constantius III continued to lead the Western Empire as its defacto Emperor until 421, when he was officially elevated to the rank of Augustus. Unfortunately, this elevation was not recognized by Cosntantinople. by The History of Rome
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165- Reviving the Roman Name: Between 412 and 415 relations between the Romans and Goths shifted back and forth between alliance and antagonism. by The History of Rome
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164- The Sack of Rome: After failing to secure a deal with Honorius, Alaric sacked Rome in August of 410. It was the first time the Eternal City had been sacked in 800 years. by The History of Rome
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163- Theodosius's Walls: Following the death of Eudoxia, the Praetorian Prefect Anthemius took control of the Eastern Empire and ran it wisely for the next decade. Meanwhile in the West, anti-barbarian policies will lead to the invasion of Italy by Alaric. by The History of Rome
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162- Opening the Floodgates: On New Year's Eve 406 a horde of barbarians crossed the lower Rhine into Gaul. Their arrival would have severe consequences for the Western Empire. by The History of Rome
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161- The Swamps of Ravenna: Alaric and his Goths invaded Italy in 402. After they were pushed out, Stilicho moved the seat of the Western Imperial Court to the city of Ravenna. by The History of Rome
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160- East vs. West: In the late 390s, the generals and ministers who dominated Arcadius and Honorius battled with each other for control of the Empire. by The History of Rome
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159- The Divine Winds: After winning the Battle of the Frigidus River, Theodosius stood alone as the last sole ruler of the Roman Empire. He would be die just four months later. by The History of Rome
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158- An Imperial Suicide: In 392 Valentinian II was found hanged in his bedchamber, paving the way for another Roman Civil War. by The History of Rome
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154- The Gothic War: Following Adrianople, Theodosius was brought in to salvage the situation. After determining that he could not beat the Goths in battle, the new Emperor was forced to sign a peace with the barbarians that treated them as, gasp, equals. by The History of Rome
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107- The Year of the Six Emperors: In 238, a revolt in Africa sparked a revolution in Rome that would eventually lead to six different men claiming the title of Augustus. by The History of Rome
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109- The New Millenium: Gordian III died in 244 AD and was succeeded by his Praetorian Prefect Philip the Arab. While Philip dealt with internal revolts and external invasion, he found time to celebrate Rome's 1000th birthday in 248 AD. by The History of Rome
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104- Here Comes the Sun: Elagabalus became Emperor in 218 AD at the tender age of 14. His short reign was defined by a scandalous private life and an obsession with the eastern sun god El-Gabal. by The History of Rome
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114- The Nadir of Our Fortunes

114- The Nadir of Our Fortunes

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from The History of Rome

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