Everything History Podcast

I highlight a few points that I found interesting in the Res Gestae of Ammianus Marcellinus. 

The end of Marcellinus' Book 14. He discusses the actions of Constantius Augustus against his junior emperor Constantius Gallus, actions that are quick and incredibly violent.  Section 11: Constantius Gallus Caesar is summoned by Constantius Augustus and executed.

Ammianus Marcellinus addresses the Eastern provinces, the trials of innocent men by Constantius Gallus, and a brief conflict with the Alamanni by Constantius Augustus along the Rhine.  Section 8: Description of the Eastern Provinces. Section 9: Of Constantius Gallus Caesar. Section 10: The Alamanni sue for peace, which is granted by Constantius Augustus.

Continuing with Ammianus' Res Gestae, picking up with the sixth section of his fourteenth book.  Section 6: The faults of the Roman Senate and People. Section 7: Atrocities and savagery of Gallus Caesar.

In this episode I take a moment to recognize the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. A program that I have participated in and benefited from. I detail the program in order to spread awareness of the opportunities made available my the scholarship and to encourage college students to apply for the scholarship. gilmanapplication.iie.org I also touch briefly on the history around a series of nineteenth and early twentieth century political crises that had massive ramifications on European politics and the current form of Europe and its nearby counterparts. 

This episode kicks off the beginning of the text reading from Ammianus Marcellinus, specifically Book 14 sections 1-5. If you're curious why this text reading does not begin earlier see Ep. 40. The events described by Marcellinus were written in the late fourth century C.E. and those in this episode date to c. 353-4.  Section 1: Cruelty of [Constantius] Gallus Caesar Section 2: Inroads of the Isaurians Section 3: An Unsuccessful Plot of the Persians Section 4: Inroads of the Saracens; their customs. Section 5: The torture of the followers of Magnentius.

The podcast is shifting to the histories of Ammianus Marcellinus. This is a great shift in time, over three centuries, and in this episode I give a quick overview of the events within the Roman Empire during those centuries. Specifically 14 CE - 337 CE.  

This episode covers the imperial reign of Augustus. Including how he managed the provinces, dealt with Republican problems, managed the economy, looked over a literary golden age, and much more. This is also the final episode on Augustus and the episode concludes with a quoted passage from Augustus' own writing, from his Res Gestae. 

In this episode Octavian Caesar is now atop the Roman world but he is forced to learn how to maintain such a status. As he does so he transforms not only the Roman world but his own personal image. Thus he becomes Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. 

Octavian and Antony finally go to war. The two sides muster two massive forces and loyalties are split between the two former triumvirs. Octavian has made sure to make all of his actions legal in the lead up to the war, and the war is settled in a bizarre engagement off the coast of western Greece, Actium. 

This episode covers 42-36 BCE. Octavian and Antony, not so much Lepidus, begin to put the Roman Republic back together. Octavian manages the West and Antony the East. Along the way Marc Antony meets Cleopatra, loses his wife to jealousy and illness, and gets married again to Octavian's sister Octavia. Caesar also deals with the difficulties of settling his veterans, appeasing the people, and a war instigated by Lucius Antonius--Antony's brother. Caesar calls up his good friend Marcus Agrippa to lead his forces and together they take on Sextus Pompey to solidify Octavian's control of the Roman Republic's West. 

The Second Triumvirate is officially formed and they begin to formulate and enact a plan of action to defeat Brutus and Cassius in the East. The plan includes many deaths along the way, by means of the dreaded proscriptions. The forces of Octavian and Antony finally converge, however, on Brutus and Cassius in the decisive Battle of Philippi in October of 42 BCE. 

The Second Triumvirate of Octavian Caesar, Marc Antony, and Marcus Lepidus is unofficially formed in this episode. To make this happen I detail the story of how Octavian repositioned himself politically in order to regain the advantage from the Senate and the supporters of the Conspirators. 

The title exactly. This episode covers Octavian/Augustus Caesar as he really was, not his great deeds but his naturally daily habits. The primary source for this episode is the ancient biographer Suetonius. 

Marc Antony, Octavian Caesar, and the Roman Senate (led by Marcus Cicero) continue to struggle. Antony and Caesar are at each others throats and Antony desires an early takeover of the province of Cisalpine Gaul. Antony's rashness leads to a civil war and Octavian finally requires an office, but as Octavian and Antony battle the Senate gains the advantage. 

Joining the podcast today is Professor Karen Laurence. She is currently guest lecturing at the University of Illinois with the Classics department. Her full-time occupation is as an archaeologist of ancient Greece. Today I interview her on the material world during the Age of Augustus Caesar. 

In this episode Octavian receives word of his adopted father's assassination and makes his way to Rome to enter public life, gathering forces and allies as he goes. Marc Antony and the Senate wrestle for power and something very interesting occurs during Octavian's funeral games for his father (Caesar). This episode covers March-August 44 BCE. 

This episode introduces the first emperor of Rome, Augustus Caesar. To do so we follow the history of the First Triumvirate and Julius Caesar in particular, Augustus' adopted father. Learn the fascinating historical context of the Roman Republic during its twilight years. 

William III launches his invasion across the English Channel and lands his diverse army at Torbay in southern England. William and James II then organize their forces, will it be a brutal war of revolution or will it be over in a flash? Listen to find out on Everything History.