A long-form podcast about the lives of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
Latest episodes
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1 h 03
Caligula #22 - The Foot Stomp
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 Vi…
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1 h 45
Nero #47 - THE END
News of Galba’s betrayal makes its way to Nero who is shocked into action. He sends troops to stop Galba - but they switch sides and join the conspiracy. Nero goes into hiding with…
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1 h 01
Nero #46 - The Last Straw
Nero celebrates two official triumphs. Not for military victories, but for singing. It’s the last straw. A new rebellion is formed, lead by Vindex and Galba.
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1 h 39
Nero #45 - Grand Slam
Nero didn’t visit Athens or Sparta while in Greece because he was scared of religious and political retribution. Besides, he was too busy trying to become the periodonikes, the Gra…
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55 min
Nero #44 - Horny Dolphins
The year is 67 CE. Nero is still on his 14 month tour of Greece. He dropped into the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and tickled the Omphalos.
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1 h 17
Nero #43 - To the deuce!
It’s 67 CE. Before he sets out for his World Tour of Greece, Nero first needs to insult the Senate, then he needs to deal with a new conspiracy, this one involving Corbulo. While i…
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53 min
Nero #42 - Dude Looks Like A Lady
Nero gets, not one, but TWO new wives. One of them is a dude.
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1 h 04
Nero #41 - The Stuff of Genius
Nero’s first attempt at building a single property that covered his estates on the Palatine Hill and the Esquiline Hill was The Domus Transitoria, the House of Passage. It burned d…
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42 min
Nero #40 - The Golden House
Nero built his Domus Aurea between 64-68 and, in doing so, revolutionised Roman architecture. He also built a massive statue of himself, because, hey, why not?
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59 min
Nero #39
Nero was a lover, not a fighter. Not a great leader of armies. He thought of himself as an artist. He wanted to be on stage, not on horseback. He was very proud that he closed his…
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30 min
Nero #38 - A Woman Woo'd
If you want to marry a woman, remember to kill her husband first
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43 min
Nero #37
The Stoics Thrasea and Soranus go on trial. And we run out of Tacitus.
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42 min
Nero #36
When you’ve been up to no good, and you get caught out, you have two options. Nero, like Ray, is a Number 2 kind of guy. In this episode, he goes after two significant Stoics, Thra…
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1 h 14
Nero #35 - A Monotony Of Disaster
A family commits suicide together to escape Nero’s prosecution, while others just get stabbed to death. But Tacitus’ explanations for Nero’s behaviour still leave us scratching our…
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30 min
Nero #34 - A Reckless Spirit
Nero launches a series of attacks that results in the demise of certain members of the Roman elite. But why these particular people? And why now? We tease apart Tacitus to try to w…
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48 min
Nero #33 - Michael Tremblay Part 2
This is the second and final part of our interview with philosopher Michael Tremblay, talking about Seneca and stoicism.
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37 min
Nero #32 - Michael Tremblay On Stoicism (part 1)
With the recent demise on our show of Nero's favourite Stoic, Seneca, we wanted to go balls deep on Stoicism. To help us out, our guest Michael Tremblay, who has a PhD in philosoph…
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56 min
Nero #31
In the year 66, Nero gets taken on a wild goose chase, performs some lovely poetry and harp concerts… oh yeah, and he kicks his wife to death.
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44 min
Nero 30 - HIgh Praise
This episode is brought to you by - legal weed!The Pisonian Conspiracy is over. Rewards are handed out to those who remained loyal. The Senate wants to make Nero a living god.
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58 min
Nero #29
Next on the chopping block is Seneca, Nero’s old tutor and adviser and leading Stoic. Historians seem to think he wasn’t directly involved in the conspiracy - but he probably knew…