A regular podcast series about place and space in the ancient Roman Empire. “I found Rome built of sun-dried bricks; I leave her clothed in marble.” - Augustus.
Latest episodes
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26 min ↗
The Theatre of Marcellus
The Theatre of Marcellus is a perfect example of the changing tastes of Rome in the late Republic. As plays became more popular, permanent structures were built, in this case in th…
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25 min ↗
The Baths of Diocletian
The Baths of Diocletian was a huge imperial public building, built on the scale that Rome rarely saw during the early years of the fourth century. Designed to outshine previous pub…
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31 min ↗
Caerleon
In this episode When in Rome travels further west than it has ever gone before, to the Roman fort in Caerleon, headquarters of the Legion II Augusta, close to the River Usk in mode…
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30 min ↗
The Paphos Theatre
In the Roman period, Nea Paphos was the capital of Cyprus and a thriving centre of administration, culture, and commerce. Its theatre—first built in the Hellenistic age and later t…
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29 min ↗
Salamis
As a prominent coastal city on the island of Cyprus, Salamis had a lot to offer the Romans. Well situated in the middle of the Mediterranean, it was the perfect location for mariti…
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24 min ↗
Excavating Lepcis Magna
Lepcis Magna, the ancient Roman city on the coast of modern day Libya, has such a long history of excavation and restoration that it deserves its own episode. While much of the cit…
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31 min ↗
Lepcis Magna
Lepcis Magna had much in common with Roman cities in Northern Africa - former colonies, built on the coast next to a river, and a blend of Roman and local cultures. So it would hav…
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30 min ↗
Porta Nigra
To the Romans the Porta Nigra would have been nothing remarkable - while it’s an impressive city gate, there were many like it, offering entrance through the walls into the Roman c…
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39 min ↗
Excavating Pompeii
Pompeii has been excavated for hundreds of years, and in that time techniques, practices and philosophies have changed. We’re now finding out a lot more about the city and the peop…
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26 min ↗
The House of Julius Polybius
The House of Julius Polybius is one of the best preserved residences in the town of Pompeii. Not only do we know about the family that lived there, a number of household goods have…
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29 min ↗
The Roads to Rome
Rome had an extensive road network, stretching from one end of the empire to the other. It aided travel, communications, movements of army and trade, and to this day has helped fun…
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25 min ↗
Saepta Julia
The Saepta Julia began with a noble intention - a defined place for citizens to meet, debate and vote. It was built at the instruction of Julius Caesar, at a time when the ideals o…
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24 min ↗
The Mausoleum of Santa Costanza
In the outer suburbs of Rome is a well preserved late Roman mausoleum, built for the daughter of Constantine the great. While late Roman in nature it shows the influences of early…
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30 min ↗
The House of the Baker
In Pompeii there is a House of the Baker - a strangely designed dwelling with a famous mosaic of a man handing out bread that gives it its name. But perhaps the image indicates a d…
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26 min ↗
The Temple of Bel
The Temple of Bel in Palmyra mixed the religions of Rome with beliefs in the east, providing the residents of the city with their own unique deities. While significant as a Roman t…
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27 min ↗
Utica
Founded as a Phoenician city, Utica became an important Roman colony on what is now the Tunisian coast, but it never managed to get past a healthy rivalry with nearby Carthage. Gue…
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25 min ↗
Aurelian Walls
No structure says ‘Crisis of the Third Century’ more than the Aurelian Walls. The city of Rome had long been at peace and largely untouchable, but Aurelian realised that times had…
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24 min ↗
Villa of Theseus
Cyprus was in an excellent position for trade in the mediterranean, not just for the Roman empire but later for the Byzantine empire as well. In the old capital of Neo Paphos, one…
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28 min ↗
Paestum
Paestum is a city on the western coast of Italy, founded by Greeks and known in the modern day as the site of impressive temples and elaborately painted tombs. Guest: Dr Tiziana D'…
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26 min ↗
Cloaca Maxima
The cloaca maxima is the great sewer of Rome. A tad smelly but highly functional, it funneled water and waste increasing health and sanitation, and earned admiration for its import…