106- Barbarian at the Gate

FromThe History of Rome

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106- Barbarian at the Gate

FromThe History of Rome

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Length:

30 minutes

Released:

Aug 23, 2010

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

After bungling a campaign in the east, Alexander headed to the Rhine where he was assassinated by Maximinius Thrax in 235 AD.

Released:

Aug 23, 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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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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
056- The King is Dead, Long Live the King by The History of Rome
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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
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050- The Donations of Alexandria: After Antony failed to conquer Parthia, the Triumvirate partnership broke down, leading to a declaration of war. by The History of Rome
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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
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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
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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
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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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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
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
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
15 min listen
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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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
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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
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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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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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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
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039- The Young Julius Caesar Chronicles: 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. by The History of Rome
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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
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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
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023e- The War With Hannibal by The History of Rome
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040- In the Consulship of Julius and Caesar: In 59 BC Julius Caesar served a controversial year in the consulship. He pressed for land and administrative reforms the conservative Senate opposed. by The History of Rome
23 min listen

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177- The Burning Ships: In 468 the two halves of the Empire combined forces to dislodge the Vandals from North Africa.They failed spectacularly. by The History of Rome
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176- The Quote Unquote Emperor: From 461-465 the Western Empire was ruled by Ricimer through a puppet Emperor named Libius Severus. Not everyone in the west was supportive of the new regime. by The History of Rome
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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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157- Only the Penitent Man Shall Pass: After defeating the usurper Maximus in 388 AD, Theodosius found himself facing an even greater opponent in Ambrose of Milan. by The History of Rome
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156- Jockeying for Position: From 383-387 the tense quasi-partnership of Maximus, Valentinian II and Theodosius ruled the Roman Empire. During those years Bishop Ambrose and Nicean Christianity pushed themselves to dominance over their Arians rivals. by The History of Rome
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155- The New Bishop of Milan: In 383 the General Magnus Maximus rose up in revolt against Gratian. The power sharing agreement that followed Maximus's victory would be negotiated in part by St. Ambrose, the influencial new Bishop of Milan. 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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153- Adrianople: Operating with faulty intelligence and desperate to defeat the Goths on his own, Valens forced the disasterous Battle of Adrianople in August 378. 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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108- Gordian's Knot: By August of 238, the other five men who had claimed a share of the purple were dead, leaving 13-year-old Gordian III as the last man standing. by The History of Rome
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118- The Palmyrene Wars: In 272 Aurelian finally managed to bring the east back under Roman control by defeating Queen Zenobia of Palmyra. by The History of Rome
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105- The Last Princeps: Alexander was only 13 when he ascended to the throne in 222. With the help of his mother and a few key advisers, he managed to avoid being the kind of disaster that previous teenage Emperors had been. by The History of Rome
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110- A Gothic Horror: In 249 AD Decius ousted Philip the Arab and ascended to the Imperial throne. Two years later though, Decius was dead after leading the legions to a massive defeat at the hands of the Goths. by The History of Rome
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114- The Nadir of Our Fortunes: 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. by The History of Rome
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106- Barbarian at the Gate

106- Barbarian at the Gate

Description

Titles in the series (100)

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