The Partial Historians

The late republic of Rome is a tumultuous time in more ways than one and it opens up the possibility for elite women to be part of Rome’s political project in more overt ways than previously recorded in the ancient evidence. It is this milieu which is the launching point for Kaarina Parker’s debut novel Fulvia, which takes us into the world of the elite Roman women through the eyes of one of the biggest movers and shakers, Fulvia.

As the wife of several high profile Roman men during her life, Fulvia's place in history is significant and by offering a fictionalized account of her world, Parker provides a gateway into the extremely interesting political machinations that were part of the last century of the Roman republic.

Fulvia’s marriage stand as a record of her influence… Parker’s novel navigates Fulvia’s arrival in Rome and her first marriage to Publius Clodius Pulcher. The next novel
in the duology will explore Fulvia's life as she goes on to have marriages with Gaius Scribonius Curio and Marcus Antonius.

Join us as we consider the historical sources that have inspired Parker’s novel as well as the important idea of maintaining separation between history and historical fiction.

Texts mentioned in this interview:
Parker mentions Dr Jane Draycott’s book on Fulvia: Fulvia: The Woman Who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome and we also have an interview with Draycott on Fulvia, which we recommend you check out to if the details of Fulvia’s life intrigue you.
Dr G mentions Colleen McCullough's Master of Rome series as a point of comparison with Fulvia.

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

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It’s 387 BCE and Rome is working on getting back of her feet. What’s even happening in Rome? It can be hard to tell because of the nature of the extant sources and just how much seems to be missing. The Gallic Sack casts a long shadow over Rome, it was just a couple of years ago but the consequences of the situation linger. Livy notes that Rome is continuing its rebuilding program.

Land Allotment Anyone?
If there’s one thing you can count on in this era, it’s the cyclical focus on war and land allotment. And we have a tribune of the plebs on the record, which is a hint that there’ll be agitation for agrarian reform. We know this has a literary legacy for our late Republican writers like Livy, but that’s not to say that there wasn’t a need to reform in the middle republic. Enter stage right: the Pomptine Marshes!

A Temple to Mars
Back during the conflict with Gauls, the Romans had vowed to establish a temple to Mars. And we’re finally up to the dedication of the temple in 387 BCE. This is an exceptionally important event for the Romans as it is way of cementing their relationship with Mars. A temple requires some specific activities to establish and seems to have involved the duumvirs for the sacred things.

Side Quest: Carthage
Did you know that Carthage invaded Italy in 387 BCE? Neither did we, but here we are. The rivalry between the Carthaginians and the Sicilians is starting to hot up but unfortunately a quick plague makes everything very unpleasant.

Things to listen out for:
Volscians and Aequians just over the horizon
Who can fix it? Bob the Builder
Livy and the post-Gracchan world
An increased interest in ensuring divine favour
It’s time for an interregnum!
The Sibylline Books and their contents
New tribes for the Romans?
A Sardinian and Libyan revolt?
Four new voting tribes: Stellatina, Tormentina, Sabatina, and Arniensis

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

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We feel extremely fortunate to sit down and talk to Jess Venner and her debut book, The Lost Voices of Pompeii. This book takes you through the final twenty-four hours in the lives of several of the residents of the city, from slaves to politicians to business women.

Dr Jess Venner
Dr Jess Venner earned her PhD in Classics, Ancient History, and Archaeology from the University of Birmingham in 2018. She currently holds the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the University of Oxford. Jess is well known for her popular outreach via her channel ‘Life in the Past Lane’, and you can check this out on TikTok, YouTube, Substack and Instagram. You can also find out more about her various achievements at her website.

Thing to Look Out For:
· The importance of material culture in understanding past lives
· The role of critical fabulation in constructing history
· The life of Aulus Umbricius Scaurus – The Ketchup King of Pompeii
· The cult of Isis – we feel a serious case of Egyptomania coming on! Get a doctor, quick!
· The fate of the survivors of the eruption – an oft-overlooked group
· Exciting new projects in the works for Dr Venner – keep your eyes peeled!

We are certain that you will want to grab your own copy of The Lost Voices of Pompeii after hearing all about Dr Venner’s extensive research and huge passion for her subjects. This book manages to combine a compelling story with the lates archaeological evidence from the site. Find it where all good books are sold from April 23!

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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Read our books
Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome
Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire
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Welcome back to Rome’s rebuilding era! It’s a year of reasserting dominance, crafting fancy hewn stones for building works, and getting the citizen body back in order.

Camillus in Triumph
After seemingly managing to defeat three of Rome’s enemies at once, Camillus was back in Rome, basking in his glory. Unfortunately, his success seems to have meant a life in slavery for many of the conquered people. Camillus auctioned these prisoners off, using the proceeds to pay back the Roman matrons and buy the city some gold bowls, engraved with his name.

Citizens of Rome
The Romans were trying to get back to business as usual after the Gallic sack. This involved granting citizenship to any people who had switched sides during the conflicts of the past decade or so. Welcome to the cleerrrb. There were also some reluctant Roman citizens still hanging out in Veii, and that just would not do. The senate issued a decree ordering them back to Rome – OR ELSE.

Renovating Rome
The Romans had to do some rebuilding after the Gallic sack, as we know, but why not make some improvements whilst they were at it? Livy records that the Capitol was given a substructure of hewn stone, which he thought was still impressive in his own time.

Spiteful Skirmishes
Never a city that revels in peace, the Romans decided to attack some of the people who had tried to take advantage of their moment of weakness in 390 BCE. The Aequians and some Etruscan towns found themselves the victims of sudden assaults. Payback is a bitch!

Our Players - 388 BCE
Military Tribunes with Consular Power
T. Quinctius (T. f. L. n.) Cincinnatus Capitolinus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 385?, 384
Q. Servilius Q. f. P. n. Fidenas (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 402, 398, 395, 390, 386
L. Iulius -f. -n. Iullus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 379
L. Aquilius -f. -n. Corvus
L. Lucretius -f. -n. Flavus Tricipitinus (Pat) Cos. Suff. 393, Mil. Tr. c.p. 391, 383, 381
Ser. Sulpicius – f. -n. Rufus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 384, 383, 377?
For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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The Emperor Julian with Jeremy Swist

We are thrilled to welcome Assistant Professor Jeremy Swist back to the show to discuss all things emperor Julian! Julian’s rule as Roman emperor was short, but it also created quite a stir because Julian was keen to turn Rome away from Christianity and to bring back the paganism. How did he do it? Why did he do it? And what’s the legacy that he left behind? We consider the details.

Jeremy Swist has a PhD in Classics from the University of Iowa, and his research interests include imperial Greek and Roman historiography and rhetoric, late antiquity, classical reception in heavy metal music. He is currently Assistant Professor of Classical Studies at Michigan State University. Jeremy has published and presented extensively, and he has a particular interest in the intersection of heavy metal music and the classical world - we suggest you check out his blog, Heavy Metal Classicist, or our previous episode with him to find out more. In 2024, he translated and produced a dramatic reading of the Emperor Julian's Symposium of the Caesars, which starred some of the finest podcasters and actors in the WORLD! (Maybe us)

The Emperor Julian, who ruled Rome between 361 and 363 CE, is one of Jeremy’s great passions, and we are thrilled to talk to him about his new volume on this unusual ruler. The book is published by Oxford University Press and is entitled Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome.

Abstract from Oxford University Press
“The Roman emperor Julian employed both words and deeds to return the empire to paganism and reverse Christianization, inspired by his conversion to the Neoplatonic philosophy and radical pagan Hellenism of Iamblichus, and promoted by his own production of Greek literature. These works present a coherent vision of the providentially guided history and destiny of Rome as a series of (re)foundations enacted by rulers such as Romulus, Numa, and Augustus. Julian offers an Iamblichean approach to interpreting Roman legends, Platonic allegories, and myths of his own creation to articulate his own role in the refounding of the empire. Approaching the wider examination of Julian’s imperial self-image on these terms ends up nuancing and challenging common assumptions influenced by the rhetoric of his contemporary proponents. In his reverence for the gods and for philosophy, the emperor’s self-construction embraces the identities of a statesman and solider more than philosopher, Roman more than Greek, and mere human rather than semi-divine being. Julian’s unique positionality as emperor let him invert the conventions of panegyric whereby rulers equal and surpass the demigods and heroes of myth and history. While distancing himself from the ideal models of virtue and founding that inspire him, he adopts a different set of exemplary figures as mirrors of himself. Statesmen such as Pericles and Scipio, and especially Augustus, serve as precedents for Julian’s more realistic conception of his role in refounding the empire, as student and champion of philosophers, guardian of law and tradition, and servant of the gods.”

The return to the old gods
Julian's rule was short but it left quite an impact. We chat with Jeremy about some of the ideas Julian put forward about Rome, the foundation stories that underpinned its self-definition, and what might have been if weren't for an unfortunate spear that wounded Julian and ended his life just two years into his reign.

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

Support the show
Patreon
Ko-Fi

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.