The Partial Historians

We return to 389 BCE to see just how Rome recovered from the Gallic Sack.
Camillus is dictator in Rome and Ahala is his trusty master of the horse. It’s time for Rome to make things right in their immediate area. There are a bunch of neighbours to deal with, including the Etruscans, the Volscians, and the Aequians.
We’re in a hazy period where our sources appear out of sync with each other. Livy offers the most fulsome narrative that has survived for this period whereas sources like Diodorus Siculus and Dionysius of Halicarnassus are fragmentary or have their focus elsewhere.

The Power of Camillus
By this time, Camillus’ reputation is so cemented in the region that his mere presence at the head of a military is enough to leave their enemies shaken if not stirred. The Volscians are certainly not happy when Camillus and crew turn up on their doorstep. When Camillus turns up at the city of Bolae of the Aequians, will they also fall at his feet?

Things to listen out for
Burning ramparts!
Booty and payment of soldiers?
Seventy years of conflict with the Volscians?
Deditio - total and unconditional surrender
Central Italy as the site of a zombie apocalypse
A very fast back and forth of city taking - hello, Sutrium!
The survival of the scared hut to Mars on the Palatine
The Tyrant of Syracuse is back for our ‘Meanwhile in Sicily’ segment
Philoxenus, the dithyrambic poet
Plato’s sojourn to Sicily

For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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We were very fortunate to be joined by the delightful Dr Simon Elliot in this special episode about his latest book, The African Emperor: The Life of Septimius Severus.
Dr Elliott (now forever known as Dr E) is a historian, archaeologist and broadcaster. His PhD is in Classics and Archaeology from the University of Kent. Dr E is the author of nineteen books (yes, nineteen!) on the ancient world, including Early Imperial Romans, Pertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor, and Roman Britain’s Missing Legion. To find a full list of his many endeavours, check out his website.

However, it is Septimius Severus, ruler of the Roman Empire from 193 to 211 CE, who we want to focus on today. You may not be particularly familiar with this emperor, but if you have seen Gladiator 2, you have met his children. Severus was the father of Caracalla and Geta who do not have the best reputation. But there is much more to his story than his disappointing children.
Dr Elliott takes us through the remarkable rise of this man: from Leptis Magna to the imperial purple. In this interview, we tackle the following questions:
· How did Severus emerge victorious from the chaos of The Year of Five Emperors?
· What made him the most successful Severan emperor? (Aside from not being murdered with his mum)
· Was Septimius Severus responsible for a genocide during his campaign in Britain?
· Is there a case to be made that Septimius Severus deserves to rank alongside the likes of Augustus and Trajan?
· When is Netflix going to make I, Julia – a series revolving around all of the Julias from the Severan dynasty? (Copyright, The Partial Historians, 2026)

Join us for the fascinating life story of the founder of the last dynasty before the near collapse of the Empire in the third century CE. And don’t forget to grab yourself a copy of the book, currently a Sunday Times bestseller.

Please note: at around 39:11, when Dr E is discussing the women in the Severan dynasty, he makes reference to Julia Domna's sister as Julia Soaemias. A slip of the tongue, as Julia Domna's sister was Julia Maesa, and her daughters were Julia Soaemias (mother of Elagabalus) and Julia Mamaea (mother of Severus Alexander).

Sound Credits
Our music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman
For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome
Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire
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Welcome to the Partial Recap for the 390s BCE!
I’m Dr G
And I’m Dr Rad
This is our highlights edition of the 390s in Rome. We’ll take you through from 399 to 390 in an epitome of our normal episodes.
Perfect for those mornings when you don’t want some lengthy rhetoric with your coffee - but please be warned - the Roman world is a violent one.
Get ready for a recappuccino.

For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome
Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire
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As we emerge, bleary-eyed and slightly peckish from the Gallic Sack of Rome, we find ourselves in a new era – a new Republic, one might say! It is 389 BCE and Rome is in its rebuilding era.

A Turning Point?
Livy would like us to see 389 BCE as a turning point. He has more sources, better sources than ever before, just you wait! Historians are less confident than he is about how reliable his material is, but there is no doubt that this century is going to see Rome enter a new phase in its history. In spite of the many battles we covered so far on the pod, it is really in this century that Rome’s territorial control will start to expand in a meaningful way. This journey will lead to other exciting political, social and military developments along the way, and we might find Rome starting to look more recognisable by the end of the 300s BCE.

The Clash of Historians
It depends on whether you believe Diodorus or Livy as to what unfolded in 389 BCE. The dating is still shaky, in spite of Livy’s grand promises. However, we certainly get a sense that Rome suffered a crushing blow at around this time, and their neighbours, including their allies, tried to take advantage of that. It would the logical move. Thank God Camillus is still around to make sure that Rome hangs in there!

Things to look out for:
· Horrific behaviour from Dionysius ‘They-don’t-call-me-a-tyrant-for-nothing’ of Syracuse against the Rhegians
· The launch of our bizarro world podcast – The Objective Historians
· The suspicious death of one of the Foolish Fabians
· The publication of some Roman laws – but only some!
· Some calendar redesign – partly due to some dodgy sacrificing by Quintus Sulpicius Longus
· Evil Etruscan plotting at the Shrine of Voltumna
· An interregnum
· Slick thinking from a lower-class lady named Tutula
For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, one of our lovely Patreons requested that we talk about archaic Roman religion. Religion is Dr G’s favourite topic, so we decided it was well and truly time for us to chat about what the Romans were up to in their early days.

As with all aspects of the archaic period, it can be difficult to find reliable and detailed source material for certain aspects of religious life. However, the gods were hugely important to the Romans, so there are a variety of sources that we can use to piece together an accurate picture. This includes:

· shrines, temples and tombs
· inscriptions
· votive offerings
· the religious calendar
· artwork, such as frescoes and sculptures
· coinage
· the priestly colleges
· details of rituals
· Records, including from groups like the Arval Brethren, a group of 12 priests who worshipped Dea Dia, an agricultural goddess
· Roman law
· Extra special sources like the Iguvine Tablets from the mid to late Republic, which were written in Umbrian
· as well as literary sources

Where did religion sit in ancient Rome?
We discuss the nature and role of Roman religion in society, whilst trying to mythbust the belief that the Romans just stole everything from the Greeks.
Archaic Roman religion is fascinating, with deities like Quirinus and Robigo (goddess of grain mildew) seeming to date back a long way. As Rome progressed, the state cults became more formalised and ritualised, and new gods were incorporated. You may recall that when the Romans conquered Veii in 396 BCE, they went to great lengths to coax the resident goddess, Juno Regina, to their city. Roman expansion allowed them to come into contact with a greater variety of deities.

There were several important priestly positions in Rome that we refer to in this episode, so here’s your cheat sheet:
· Rex sacrorum/ Rex sacrificulus – The rex sacrorum was a patrician and seems to have assumed the priestly duties of the kings in the Republic.
· Flamen Dialis (Jupiter)
· Flamen Martialis (Mars)
· Flamens Quirinalis (Quirinus – eventually associated with Romulus)
· Pontifex Maximus (chief pontiff or priest)
· And then there were minor flamens, who served gods such as Vulcan, Ceres and Flora
· And, of course, we also talk about the Vestals! Dr G would never leave these ladies out

Getting Personal
On a more personal level, the Romans were also surrounded by the lares, guardian spirits who were seemingly connected to place, such as the hearth, streets, neighbourhoods and boundaries. If you have been to Pompeii or Herculaneum, you may have seen a lararium, or one of the shrines that people could have in their houses for these deities. Their origin is debated, but no one can deny their presence in the Roman world.

Thinks to Look Out For:
· Augury – and our musings on how the Romans would have responded to kookaburras
· The importance of nature
· The invention of a new dessert: Flamines banana
· The sacred tree house where only patricians are allowed
For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

Support the show
Patreon
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Read our books
Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome
Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.