Author: The Partial Historians

Drs R and G laugh and spar their way through the ancient Roman world!

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UPDATE: REX HAS RETURNED! CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS. Dearest listeners, we have a bit of a surprise announcement. Our publisher, Highlands Press, has made the difficult decision to close. The good news is that nothing terrible has happened; just some unforeseen life developments which make it impractical to continue with the business. What does this mean for us? It means that we will be seeking new avenues for distributing Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome…

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422 and 421 BCE see the fall-out of Sempronius’ military disaster with the Volsci. But things are about to get complicated as four tribunes, previous cavalry leaders, emerge as a political force to be reckoned with…

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We are thrilled to announce the publication of our first book! Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome is an consideration of the history that the Romans and Greeks told about the early days before the republic. There’s plenty of stories, didacticism, and some very suggestive myths.

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This week we were delighted to sit down and chat to one of the most gracious hosts in all of podcast land, Tristan Hughes. Tristan is a historian and podcaster who hosts ‘The Ancients’ on the History Hit network. His show covers a fascinating array of topics. In the latest episode we told him all about the Roman kings and our new book Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome. In this episode, we provide a…

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We were interviewed by Classical Wisdom and the Coffee & Cocktails Podcast! Tune in for Pompeii and Roman sexual practices!

February 10, 2022 /
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Rome is still in the depths in 449 BCE, but there’s been an epic turn of events. Appius Claudius may be dead, but what happens next? We’re here to find out! Importantly, some of our key players in the plebeian set find themselves upgraded to the status of tribune of the plebs. Episode 119 – The Triumphant Return of the Consulship The end of Spurius Oppius It’s not just Appius Claudius who finds himself in…

November 4, 2021 /
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We have been trapped under the tyrannical rule of the Second Decemvirate for too long!

But never fear, listeners. Their day has finally come. In this episode, we finally see the decemvirs overthrown and the office of tribune of the plebs restored. It is a time of non-stop drama!

September 11, 2021 /
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We are very excited to announce that we have TWO new products available in our Gumroad store. In collaboration with artist Bridget Clarke, we have created printable artwork and teacher resources all about our favourite gal, Agrippina the Younger. In the classroom This project started when we noticed that there are some marked differences in the representation of Agrippina the Younger between the ancient historical accounts and the archaeological sources. We wanted to be able…

August 12, 2021 /
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The story of Verginia is an achingly tragic tale central to understanding the Second Decemvirate. Both Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus go into some detail about what happens and how it unfolds and we’ll explore both accounts to compare and contrast them.

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We have been very fortunate regarding the pandemic Down Under, and many restrictions have recently been lifted. This means that all sorts of entertainment is now on offer again, including the smash musical Hamilton. Dr Rad was lucky enough to attend a recent show at the Lyric Theatre. Controversies in American History For those less acquainted with American history, Alexander Hamilton was born around 1755, and in spite of having an inauspicious start in life,…

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At the beginning of this year, we finally got to see The Gladiators vs Spartacus in print. It took a lot of determination and hard work on behalf of Henry MacAdam, as well as co-authors Cooper and Dr Rad, to bring this story to light, so we are delighted to be able to share one of the early reviews with you all. The author of these reviews, Brian Hannan, is a true film buff, with…

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2020 has been quite a year. In our Christmas video we reflect upon the year that was and the connections to the ancient world.

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We had the great pleasure of presenting a paper at the inaugural Australian Educational Podcasting Conference held online on November 19, 2020. Gretchen McCulloch, the co-host of Lingthusiasm, and New York Times best-selling author of Because Internet was the key note speaker. She set the tone for a fantastic set of conversations about public academics, sound pedagogical practices for bringing expert knowledge to wide audiences. It was an absolute pleasure to catch up with Rhiannon…

November 19, 2020 /

It’s 453 BCE and just as Rome seems to be heading towards a legal milestone disaster strikes: it’s a plague! Now plagues are terrible, of that there is no doubt, but how does this influence the path to codification? We’re here to find out. Episode 108 – Plague and Politics The Character of the Plague It is hard to identify the plague with certainty. What is clear from our later written sources is that the…

October 15, 2020 /

We jump into 454 BCE where we start to see the consequences of the events of the previous year play out. It’s hard to get away from our “Roman Achilles” who, in his position as plebeian tribune, levels a charge of “injuring the state” against the former consul Romilius. This sets up a cascade of interesting incidents. Episode 107 – Let the Codification Begin There’s little agreement between our major written sources for this year.…

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We continue to follow the cause of our Roman Achilles–more formally known as Lucius Siccius Dentatus–in 455 BCE. Dentatus is truly the star of the this period of history from the perspective of Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Dr G has a lot to say about that! Episode 106 – Spoiler Alert What can we glean from a history written long after the fact? Dr Rad takes us through some of the key concerns we face…

July 16, 2020 /

There’s nothing quite like learning that there’s a Roman Achilles! In this episode we get to meet the man behind the legend. Episode 105 – The Roman Achilles Before we jump in, let’s find out where things stand. It’s 455 BCE and our narrative sources have put forward the case that the opening up of the Aventine was an important step under the new collective of ten tribunes. But all is not well on the…

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We return to the City of Rome in 456 BCE and follow the ongoing domestic struggles that Rome faces in defining herself in terms of transparency at law. Episode 104 – Aventine, Aventine With a new crop of tribunes come some important consequences. While in previous years the tribunes have focused on the goal of ensuring that there is a clear and public way for any Roman citizen to access the laws in order to…

April 10, 2020 /

It’s c. 457 BCE in Rome and in this episode we explore the state of affairs in the wake of Cincinnatus’ dictatorship. Rome’s affairs with her neighbours are not off to a good start. As the City lifts her gaze outward after recent troubles, nearby peoples have taken matters into their own hands. The Sabines and the Aequians are both making bold moves stretching Rome’s attention both to the north and the south.

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It’s c. 458 BCE and Rome’s troubles culminate in the appointment of a dictator. In this episode we explore the context which leads to the appointment of this emergency position and trace Rome’s progress as she attempts to face enemies on multiple fronts.

February 14, 2020 /

Six – The Musical Warning – this article contains spoilers. We take History seriously at the Partial Historians, in the sense that we believe it is important, illuminating and meaningful. Our lives revolve around it and we have dedicated many years to studying it. However, we don’t think that History and a sense of humour, joy and fun are incompatible with any of this. It was therefore an utter delight to attend a performance of…

February 9, 2020 /

For our 90th episode, Dr G and I decided to record a special episode on the Australian Ballet’s production of Spartacus. We were honoured when we were contacted and asked if we could produce an article for Classicum based on this podcast. The finished product has just been published, and so the Partial Historians has finally made it into print. We have talked about Spartacus in so many ways over the years, from film to…

February 7, 2020 /

Dr Rad pays tribute to the late and unmistakable force to be reckoned with, Kirk Douglas. His role in Spartacus and his legacy for Rome on film and Hollywood are legendary.

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