153- Adrianople
Operating with faulty intelligence and desperate to defeat the Goths on his own, Valens forced the disasterous Battle of Adrianople in August 378.
Episodes
The History of Rome
A weekly podcast tracing the history of the Roman Empire, beginning with Aeneas's arrival in Italy and ending with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Now complete!
Episodes
152- The Storm Before the Storm
In 375 the Huns exploded into Gothic territory, sending refugees fleeing for the saftey of the Roman Empire.
151- Bursting a Blood Vessel
Valens spent the late 360s and early 370s dealing with hostile Goths in the north and hostile Persians in the east. In 375 he would be left to face these threats alone when Valentinian suddenly died.
150- The Perils of Mismanagement
in the late 360s and early 370s AD Roman mismanagment of three different regions in the Western Empire led to armed conflict.
149- The Great Conspiracy
In the winter of 367 Britannia was hit from all sides by a coordinated barbarian invasion. It would be more than a year before the Romans were able to reassert control over the island.
148- The Cousin's Cousin
Shortly after Valentinian and Valens ascended to the throne, one of Julian the Apostate's maternal cousins seized control of Constantinople.
147- Capitulation
Jovian extracted the Roman legions from the east at a heavy price. He then ruled the Empire for eight months before suddenly dying on his way to Constantinople in early 364.
146- The Spear of Destiny
In 363 Julian launched an invasion of Sassanid Persia. He would die in battle just three months later.
145- Julian the Apostate
Julian came to power in late 361 and immediately set about trying to turn back the clock on both Church and State.
144- The Road to Constantinople
Once he was established as a force to be reckoned with in the west, Julian revolted against Constantius II in 360 after the Emperor ordered half the Gallic army redeployed to the eastern frontier.
143- Julian the Pre-Apostate
After a childhood spent mostly in exile, Juian was elevated to the rank of Caesar in 355. His first assignment was to clear Gaul of Germanic invaders.
142- You've Earned It
After two years of sporadic war, Constantius II defeated the usurper Magnentius in 353. Following his victory the Emperor let his advisors talk him into executing first Gallus in 354 and then Claudius Silvanus in 355.
141- Blood and Water
Constantius and Constans shared the Empire for a decade until Constans was overthrown by a rebel general named Magnetius in 350 AD.
140- My Three Sons
The three sons of Constantine took control of the Empire following the death of their father and the murder of most of their extended family.
139- Wash Away Your Sins
Constantine was baptized on his deathbed after arranging a plan for succession.
138- The New Rome
Live and direct from Old Rome!
137- The Christian Emperor
This episode brought to you live and direct from Constantinople! After defeating Licinius, Constantine found his dream of a united Christian Empire foiled by a very disunited Christian Church.
136- Let This Be Our Final Battle
War between Licinius and Constantine flared up again in 324 AD. This time Constantine would finish the job.
135- Brothers in Name Only
Constantine and Licinius split up the Empire following the death of Maximinus Daia in 313. It did not take long for relations betweent the two Emperors to turn sour.
134- And Then There Were Two
In 313 AD, Maximinus Daia and Licinus fought for control of the Eastern Roman Empire.
133- The Milvian Bridge
On October 28, 312 AD Constantine and Maxentius fought a battle at Rome's doorstep for control of the Western Empire.
132- In This Sign
Prior to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge Constantine experienced visions and dreams that promised him victory if he embraced Christianity.
131- The New Game in Town
With the Tetrarchy in shambles, Diocletian will be called out of retirement in 308 AD to help broker a settlement. But the new new order will prove as bad as the old new order.
130- Lost in Transition
Less than two years after Diocletian's abdication, the Tetrarchy was left in shambles following the power plays of Constantine and Maxentius.
129- Abdication
In 305 AD, Diocletian and Maximian voluntarily abdicated the throne, handing power over to Galerius and Constantius.
128- The Great Persecution
In 303 AD Diocletian initiated the last and greatest of the Christian persecutions.
127- Commanding The Economy
Rome's economy was in disarray when Diocletian came to power and he initiated major overhauls to get the system running again.
126- All The King's Men
Over the course of his reign Diocletian overhauled the government, transforming it into a centralized bureaucracy run by career civil servants.
125- The Best Defence is a Good Defence
Over the course of his reign Diocletian instituted a number of reforms to the military structure that helped transform the legions into a new kind of army.
124- The Tetrarchs at War
In the mid-to-late 290s the Imperial Tetrarchy was at war on multiple fronts. In the west Constantius undertook the reconquest of Britain, while in the east, Galerius fought a newly hostile Sassanid Empire.