The Partial Historians

In this episode we tackle the years 413 and 412 BCE. These years come hard on the back of the murder of the patrician Postumius. Rome is facing challenges that seem to be bound up in the spolia in times of war and the broader annalist focus on the idea of the Struggle of the Orders which has been the defining feature of the early republic in Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus. To catch up on the unfortunate fate of Postumius, check out Episode 142 – A Wrongheaded Man.

Episode 143 – Special Victims Unit

Onwards and Upwards?

Murder is not something to be overlooked lightly, especially when the victim is a Roman patrician. It might be time for an investigation! And not just any investigation, but a special taskforce is assembled to consider all the evidence and follow the clues wherever they lead.

Livy mentions this group as a quaestio perpetua, but there’s good reason to be suspicious of this classification for the investigators. Strong evidence for the quaestio perpetua doesn’t emerge until the second century BCE over 250 years on from 413 BCE!

Agrarian Reform

Will Rome find a way to reform its practices around conquered land? This topic comes back to the fore as we have the name for a of the tribunes of plebs. Roman conquest of new lands also brings this thorny subject back into the public discourse. How historical could the issue be at this point in the early republic? And will the patricians finally offer the plebeians something on this matter? Time will tell!

Issues with the Volscians

Rome’s perennial tousle with their neighbours, the Volscii, continues in 413 BCE. The Hernicians seek Rome’s aid against the Volscian forces and Rome is happy to oblige. The city of Ferentinum comes to our attention through this situation. We learn about the location of Ferentinum as likely corresponding with modern Ferentino, which is to the southeast of Rome, and likely part of the territory of the Hernicians at this time. What happens next to the city of Ferentinum? Tune in to find out!

Is that Ferentinum way down to the southeast of Rome in the territory of the Hernicii? It surely is! Source: https://www.heritage-history.com/

The Return of the Icilii

Perhaps Rome’s most famous plebeians gens at this point in early republican history is the Icilii. And in 412 BCE, we see another member of the Icilii gens come into the role of tribune of the plebs. Famously, the Icilii are connected with the Lex Icilia de Aventino Publicando which our annalist tradition places as early as 456 BCE. Looking to brush up on this? Check out our Episode 104 – Aventine, Aventine. Another Icilius is also connected with the second decemvirate on account of being engaged to Verginia. To revisit Verginia's tale, see Episode 114 – The Tale of Verginia.

Things to Listen Out For

• Ancient sources? What sources?
• Leniency for those found guilty
• Land redistribution in Bolae?
• Does Rome even have ager publicus to redistribute???
• Volero returns!?
• The introduction of later sources Florus and Zonaras
• The Latin League
• Is Rome entering an expansionist phase?
• A history of the Icilius gens
• Pestilence!
• The Hernician Federation

Our Players 413 BCE

Consuls

• Aulus (or Marcus) Cornelius – f. – n. Cossus (Pat.)
• Lucius Furius (L. f. Sp. n.?) Medullinus (Pat.)

Interrex

• Quintus Fabius Vibulanus (Pat.)

Our Players 412 BCE

Consuls

• Quintus Fabius – f. – n. Ambustus Vibulanus (Pat.)
• Gaius Furius – f. – n. Pacilus (Pat.)

Tribune of the Plebs

• Lucius Icilius

Our Sources

• Dr Rad reads Livy 4.51.1-4.52.1
• Dr G reads Diodorus 13.43.1, 14.54.1; Florus 1.17.1-2; Zonarus 7.20
• Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)
• Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis)
• Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press).

Sound Credits

Our music was composed by Bettina Joy de Guzman. Sound effects courtesy of Freesounds.

The Roman remains at Ferentino (ancient Ferentinum) include a first-second century CE archw...

Content warning for this episode: violence, sexual violence, removal of children

We sit down to chat with Genn and Jenny, the fabulous cohosts of the Ancient History Fan Girl podcast. They have recently published Women of Myth: From Deer Woman and Mami Wata to Amaterasu and Athena which examines fifty women and femme presenting figures from cultures across the globe.

While Women of Myth is the centre of this conversation, there’s no way to discuss ancient ideas about women without considering how that might reflect upon the contemporary issues that women face. This also leads into consideration of the challenges faced by women throughout history.

We wrap up with a discussion of looking beyond the ancient Greco-Roman world – the value of doing that and what that can look like in podcasting.

Special Episode – Women of Myth with Ancient History Fan Girl

What makes a book?

In this interview, we explore some of the details of the book including

• The ideas that shaped the concept for Women of Myth
• The role of Sara Richard’s illustrations in expanding representation
• What it was like to co-write a book together

Listen out for discussions about

• Amba/Shikhandi – The Vengeance-Seeking Genderqueer Warrior of the Mahabharata
• Atalanta – The Ancient Greek Warrior, Athlete, and Argonaut
• Ītzpāpālōtl – The Skeletal Warrior Goddess of the Aztecs
• La Llorona – The Wailing Woman of Mexican Mythology
• Medea – Dr G draws parallels with La Llorona and Medea’s stories
• The Morrigan – The Ancient Irish Goddess of War and Battle Frenzy
• Oya – The Yoruba Warrior Goddess and Orisha of the Wind

Interested in Women of Myth?

Consider these retailers:

• Booktopia (Australia)
• Bookshop.org (US)
• Bookshop.org (UK)
• Contact your local indie bookstore
• Contact your local library

The book cover!

Sound Credits

Our music was composed by Bettina Joy de Guzman.

An illustration by Sara Richard from Women of Myth of Ītzpāpālōtl, the Aztec Skeletal warrior goddess.
She appears as a crown skull with green feathered hair surrounded by flames.

Automated Transcript

Dr Rad 0:16
Welcome to The Partial Historians.

Dr G 0:20
We explore all the details of ancient Rome.

Dr Rad 0:23
Everything from the political scandals, the levels as the battles waged, and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr. Rad.

Dr G 0:34
And I'm Dr. G. We consider Rome as the Romans saw it, by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories.

Dr Rad 0:43
Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of the city. Welcome to a very special edition of The Partial Historians. I am Dr. Rad.

Dr G 1:00
And I'm Dr. G.

Dr Rad 1:02
And Dr. G, we are joined today by two extra special guests. I know this is very exciting for us two extra special people are with us. And the mystery of way shall soon be revealed. I know what I mean, this is this is really a treat because we are joined by two members of the unofficial lady pod squad. And that is right we are joined by Jenny and Genn, who are the hosts of the extremely popular Ancient History Fan Girl podcast. And we are both fan girls of that podcast. Are we not Dr. G?

Dr G 1:39
We are so it's like super, super exciting. It's like ancient history girls unite.

Dr Rad 1:43
Exactly, exactly.

Jenny 1:45
The feeling is mutual.

Genn 1:46
Very mutual.

Dr Rad 1:50
It's actually it's actually really shocking that we have not had you on our show before this because it was many, many moons ago that we recorded Spartacus together. And I feel like it's because we're constantly in contact in terms of I constantly see what you guys are up to on Instagram and constantly listen to your show. And I kind of forget th...

We are in shock that it has taken us this long to cover the cult classic that is Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979). We have Rslaugesen over on Patreon to thank for pointing out this glaring oversight.

Special Episode – Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)

Once we got started, it was hard for us to stop talking about the Life of Brian. British comedy was a staple of our childhoods and Monty Python was one of our favourites. It was a treat to follow the development of this movie from Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory to a Sliding Doors-style story of Brian Cohen, born in the manger over from Christ.

A still from Life of Brian showing Brian’s followers admiring his sandal, one of the sacred objects he unwittingly bestows upon them. Courtesy of FM Cinema.

Whilst Monty Python were probably trying to make a parody of 1970s Britain rather than a historically accurate portrait of first century CE Judea, we still found this film intriguing. From wolf’s nipples to imperialism, we take you through all the best Roman scenes... and perhaps a few non-Roman scenes as well. Who can resist talking about the Virgin Mandy?

Part of the appeal of Life of Brian is the fact that it is not afraid to make fun of the Romans (or anyone) and shows a much less glamorous side of the empire. Quite the contrast to the epics of the 1950s and 1960s.

Things to Look Out For:

• Far too many ‘reenactments’ of our favourite moments
• The Biggus Dickus scene
• What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us? Not as much as this scene claims!
• The People’s Front of Judea in action!
• The famous BBC2 interview with John Cleese and Michael Palin
• The hilarious parody of the BBC2 interview on Not the Nine O’Clock News
• Dr G’s excitement upon spotting the frescoes from the Villa of the Mysteries

Comedies don’t always stand the test of time. We can spot some awkward moments in the film, but overall, we think Life of Brian stands the test of time. Forty-five years after it’s release, we would love to know whether you agree!

Our Sources

• Blanshard, A. J. L., Shahabudin, K. 2011. ‘Satirising Cine-Antiquity – Monty Python’s Life of Brian 1979’ in Classics on Screen: Ancient Greece and Rome on Film (Bristol Classical Press), 172-193.
• James G. Crossley (2011) ‘Life of Brian or Life of Jesus? Uses of Critical Biblical Scholarship and Non-Orthodox Views of Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian.’ Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception 1 (1): 93-114.
• Cyrino, M. S. 2005. ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’ in Big Screen Rome (Blackwell), 176-193.
• Ehrman, B. (2015). Brian and the Apocalyptic Jesus: Parody as a Historical Method. In Jesus and Brian (pp. 141–150). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. https://doi.org/10.5040/9780567665362.ch-011
• Horsley, Richard A. 2014. Jesus and the Politics of Roman Palestine (University of South Carolina Press)
• Keddie, A. 2019. Class and Power in Roman Palestine: The Socioeconomic Setting of Judaism and Christian Origins (Cambridge University Press)
• Levine, A.-J. (2015). Beards for Sale: The Uncut Version of Brian, Gender and Sexuality. In Jesus and Brian (pp. 167–184). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. https://doi.org/10.5040/9780567665362.ch-013
• Stiebel, G. D. 2015. ‘‘Romani Ite Domum’ – Expressions of Identity and Resistance in Judaea’ in Taylor, Joan E. (ed). Jesus and Brian: Exploring the Historical Jesus and his Times via Monty Python’s Life of Brian (Bloomsbury), 107-112.
• Taylor, J. E. (Ed.). (2015). Jesus and Brian exploring the historical Jesus and his times via Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Bloomsbury T&T Clark.
• Telford, W. (2015). Muggeridge/Stockwood interviewMonty Python’s Life of Brian and the Jesus Film. In Jesus and Brian (pp. 3–18). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. https://doi.org/10.5040/9780567665362.ch-001

Sound Credits

Our music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman.

Automated Transcript

Dr Rad 0:15
Music. Welcome to the partial historians.

Dr G 0:18
We explore all the details of ancient Rome,

Dr Ra...

In this episode, we tackle the years 415 and 414 BCE and the downfall of Postumius, a very wronghead man.

Episode 142 – A Wrongheaded Man

Did you remember to RSVP for the war?

In 415 BCE, the Romans were gearing up for war with Veii and the Aequians... but neither of their dance partners turned up! It takes two to tango and in this case, neither the people of Veii or the Aequians felt ready to get down and boogie.

A Wrongheaded Man Indeed!

War against the city of Bolae kicked off in 414 BCE. One of the military tribunes with consular power, Postumius, was placed in command against this Aequian tribe. Whilst the Romans enjoyed success in battle, their internal problems overshadowed the victory.

How do you create chaos in Rome? Simply take a tribune of the plebs, add a dash of agrarian reform, then stir in an arrogant patrician. Livy described Postumius as a wrongheaded man, and a questionable comment certainly had serious repercussions. Will sticks and stones, or words, do the most damage?

Quote courtesy of Teacher's Corner.

Join us for another tale of disaster with one of the Postumii at the centre.

Need to catch up on the previous conflict with the Labici? You can find our previous episode here.

Things to Look Out For:

• Dr G accidentally skipping over 415 BCE
• Various attempts at agrarian reform
• What is #trending amongst the elite
• A snide aside with very dramatic consequences
• Several important lessons from the Romans that could also be applied to parenting

Our Players 415 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• P. Cornelius A. f. P. n. Cossus (Pat)
• C. Valerius L. f. Volusi n. Potitus Volusus (Pat) Cos. 410, Mil. Tr. c.p. 407, 404
• N. (or M.?) Fabius Q. f. M. n. Vibulanus (Pat) Cos. 421, Mil. Tr. c.p. 407 *
• Q. Quinctius L. f. L. n. Cincinnatus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 405

Tribune of the Plebs

• L. Decius

Our Players 414 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• Cn. Cornelius A. f. M. n. Cossus (Pat) Cos. 409
• L. Valerius L. f. P. n. Potitus (Pat) Cos. 393, 392, Mil. Tr. c.p. 406, 403, 401, 398
• Q. Fabius Q. f. M. n. Vibulanus (Pat) Cos. 423, Mil. Tr. c.p. 416
• P. Postumius A. f. A. n. Albinus Regillensis (Pat)

Tribune of the Plebs

• M. Sextius

Quaestors

• P. Sextius (or Sestius)

Our Sources

Dr G reads Virgil, Aeneid, 6.771-776; Diodorus Siculus 13.34.1, 13.381, 13.42.6; Dio Cassius, Roman History, 6.23; and the Fasti Capitolini.

Dr Rad reads Livy ab Urbe Condita 4.49-50.

Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)

Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis)

Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press)

Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674919938. ISBN 978-0-674-65965-0. S2CID 239349186.

Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press).

Sound Credits

Our music was composed by Bettina Joy de Guzman. Sound effects courtesy of BBC and Orange Free Sounds.

Automated Transcript.

Courtesy of Otter AI.

Dr G 00:12

Welcome to the partial historians.

Dr Rad 00:15

We explore all the details of ancient Rome. Everything from political scandals to love affairs, the battles waged, and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr. Rad.

Dr G 00:30

And I'm Dr. G. We consider Rome as the Roman saw it by reading different ancient authors and comparing their accounts.

Dr Ra...