The Partial Historians

This episode, we are dealing with 422 and 421 BCE. The previous year had been a very dramatic for Rome. They seem to have come perilously close to a disastrous military defeat. Luckily, they had the four horsemen on their side...

“The Four Horsemen” is our affectionate name for the group of cavalry commanders who dismounted and led the Roman army on foot when everything turned against them during the battle against the Volsci in 423 BCE. The most notable amongst them was a plebeian hero Sextus Tempanius.

In 422 BCE, these men were elected to serve as plebeian tribunes. But will they continue to be exalted by the Roman people? Or will they demand change from the patricians and become just as troublesome as many of their predecessors?

Join us as we explore the fallout from the Volscian conflict.

Episode 138 – The Four Horsemen

Things to Listen Out For:

• Bad Italian accents
• Aequians coming out of nowhere
• Angry patricians acting like your parents
• Too many interreges to count (or name apparently)
• Moderatio everywhere

Need a more detailed recap of Sempronius’ misdeeds? Check out our previous episode on 423 BCE.

Our Players 422 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• L. Manlius – f. – n. Capitolinus (Pat)
• Q. Antonius (T.f. – n.) Merenda
• L. Papirius (L.?f. – n.) Mugillanus (Pat) Cos. 427

Tribunes of the Plebs

• (Ti.) Antintius
• (M.) Asellius
• (Ti.) Spurillius
• Sex. Tempanius
• L. Hortensius

Ex-Consul

• C. Sempronius – f. – n. Atratinus (Pat)

Our Players 421 BCE

Consuls

• Cn. (or N.) Fabius Q.f.M.n. Vibulanus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 415, 407
• T. Quinctius T.f.L.n. Capitolinus Barbatus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 405

Interrex

• Lucius Papirius Mugillanus

The “Horses of Saint Mark”, also known as the “Triumphal Quadriga” or “Horses of the Hippodrome of Constantinople”. The bronze sculptures are thought to date to the second or third centuries CE and modelled on much earlier statues from classical Greece c. fourth century BCE. The precise date is uncertain. Photo credit to Tteske via Wikimedia Commons.

Our Sources

• Dr G reads Fasti Capitolini for 422 and 421 BCE; Festus 174L; Tacitus Annals 11.22; Val. Max. 6.5.2.
• Dr Rad reads Livy ab Urbe Condita 4.42-43.
• 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)
• Drogula, Fred K (2015). Commanders & command in the Roman republic and early empire. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1-4696-2314-6. OCLC 905949529.
• Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press)
• Holloway, R. Ross (2008). “Who Were the Tribuni Militum Consulari Potestate?”. L’Antiquité Classique. 77: 107–125. doi:10.3406/antiq.2008.3716. ISSN 0770-2817. JSTOR 41812945. Archived from the original on 2022-03-17.
• Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Another decade is gone and it’s time for a Partial Recap! We run through what the ancient sources tell us about this decade. There are some real highs and lows!

The Partial Recap 420s BCE

If you are keen to for some more detail, you can jump into our narrative episodes at 134 – A Dry Period.

A view to the East over the Roman Forum with the Temple of Saturn on the left and the Palatine Hill on the right, showing the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Arch of Titus, Santa Francesca Romana, and the Colosseum. Detail from the photograph by Nicholas Hartmann, June 1976. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons. Used under license.

Sound Credits

Our music was composed by the fabulous Bettina Joy de Guzman.

Automated Transcript

Dr Rad:

Welcome to the Partial Recap for the 420s BCE!

Dr G: I’m Dr G

Dr Rad: and I’m Dr Rad

Dr G: and this is our highlights edition of the 420s in Rome. We’ll take you through from 429 to 420 in an epitome of our normal episodes.

Dr Rad: Perfect for those mornings when you don’t want some lengthy rhetoric with your coffee – but please be warned – the Roman world is a violent one.

Dr G: Get ready for a recappuccino.

429 BCE

• In 429 BCE, the consuls were Hostius Lucretius Tricipitinus and Lucius Sergius Fidenas
• Who could forget this year? Well, apparently a lot of people could – nothing was recorded in some of our sources
• For others, it might be an issue of confused dates and actually LOTS of things happened that sound very similar to the events of 428

428 BCE

• In 428 BCE, the consuls were Aulus Cornelius Cossus and Titus Quinctius Poenus Cincinnatus
• Or maybe Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus and Aulus Sempronius Atratinus
• Come on Romans, get your consuls straight!
• Veii started muscling in on Roman turf, perhaps with some help from the Fidenates
• The Romans assembled an elite task force to look into their involvement and some men from FIdenae found themselves banished to Ostia for being decidedly shifty
• For a bit of extra security, more settlers were sent to the colony of Fidenae
• Rome was then hit by a severe drought, which led to the spread of disease amongst cattle and the citizens
• In desperation, some superstitions started to spread amongst the populace and had to be reined in

427 BCE

• In 427 BCE, the consuls were Caius Servilius Structus Ahala and Lucius Papirius Mugillanus
• Putting the tough times behind them, the ROmans felt well enough to seek revenge against Veii
• But there’s a procedure to this people! Someone call the fetiales so they can call on Jupiter and get this ball rolling

426 BCE

• In 426 BCE, the military tribunes with consular power were Titus Quinctius Poenus Cincinnatus, Caius Furius Pacilus Fusus, Marcus Postumius Albinus, and Aulus Cornelius Cossus – whew!
• The military tribunes with consular power set about this war with Veii – but they didn’t play well together, leading to some humiliating results on the battlefield
• Crushed and angry, the Romans turned to their favourite solution – a dictator!
• Mamercus Aemilius was chosen by Cossus, and he chose Cossus to be his Master of the Horse – making them the cutest couple in Rome
• Meanwhile, Veii was bragging about their recent success to anyone who would listen, and Fidenae agreed to join forces with them once again.
• Lucky the Romans had Mamercus to whip them all into shape. He and his band of trusty helpers worked together like a well-oiled machine to grind their enemies into the dust!
• Once more, Cossus was a standout in the battle and Mamercus received a triumph
• If this all seems very familiar, it is. Suspiciously so!
• Compare the events yourself by revisiting our episode on 437 BCE

425 BCE

• In 425 BCE, the military tribunes with consular power were Aulus Sempronius Atratinus, L. Quinctius Cincinnatus, Lucius Furius Medullinus and Lucius Horatius Barbatus.
• Nothing much happened!
• The Veientes and the Aequians were each granted truces

424 BCE

• In 424 BCE, the military tribunes with consular power were Appius Claudius Crassus, Spurius Nautius Rutilus, Lucius Sergius Fidenas, and Sextus Iulius Iullus.
• Games were held and the Romans were exceedingly polite hosts.
• The tribunes of the plebs found the whole scene in the city far too peaceful and started haranguing the pop...

In this episode we dig into the details (or lack thereof!) of 425 and 425 BCE. Good news for the plebeians is that when there’s not much going on in Rome, they get a chance to just live life a little!

Episode 136 – How the Plebeians Got Their Groove Back

What’s in a tribune?

What’s the deal with military tribunes with consular power? We consider the etymology of tribune (the Latin tribunus) to better understand this facet of the political structure. This also means tackling the big question of: who were the magistrates in this period of history and how much can we take from our later writers like Livy and Dionsysius of Halicarnassus?

Games, glorious games!

The time is ripe for Rome to hold games in honour of the gods. There’s no battle to be had and diplomacy in the local region seems to be taking a turn for peace. What better time to invite everyone over for some sport and festivities?

Jean-Léon Gérôme 1876. Chariot Race.
This is an imagined scene of a Roman chariot race at the Circus Maximus at the height of Rome’s power (we’re not up to that point in Rome’s history in this episode!). The Circus itself is thought to be significantly old – dating back potentially as early as the kings.

Things to listen out for

• The horrifying lack of detail from the sources Dr G has to study
• Livy writing a history of peace rather than war
• Shocking revelations about Igor’s (our resident eagle) paycheck
• The return of the Claudii.

Our Players 425 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• Aulus Sempronius L. f. A. n. Atratinus (Pat) – Cos 428b
• Lucius Quinctius L. f. L. n. Cincinnatus (Pat) (Broughton Cin. *3) – Cos 428b, military tribune with consular power 438
• Lucius Furius Sp. f. – n. Medullinus (Pat), Military tribune with consular power in 432
• Lucius Horatius M. f. M. n. Barbatus (Pat)

Our Players 424 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• Appius Claudius Ap. f. Ap. n. Crassus (Pat)
• Spurius Nautius Sp. f. – n. Rutilus (Pat)
• Lucius Sergius C. f. C. n. Fidenas (Pat) – previously cos. 437, 429; military tribune with consular power 433
• Sextus Julius – f. – n. Iullus (Pat)

Our Sources

• Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus 12.81.1, 12.82.1
• Dr Rad reads Livy ab Urbe Condita 4.35.
• 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)
• Drogula, F. K. 2017. ‘Plebeian Tribune and the Government of Early Rome‘ Antichthon 51: 101-123

Sound Effects

Thanks to the fabulous Bettina Joy de Guzman for our theme music. Additional sound effects from BBC Beta.

Greek black figure vase of a charioteer with four horses.
This Athenian vase is obviously not a Roman artefact, but it’s thought to date to c. 410-400 BCE which is very close to the period we explore in this episode. Gathering together for games and chariot racing was common across the Mediterranean. The Roman were likely inspired or influenced by ideas for games and races from the Greeks and the Etruscans.

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 love affairs, 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.

Hello, and welcome to a brand new episode of The Partial Historians. I’m Dr. Rad and this intelligent, ravishing creature next to me is

Dr G 1:06
Dr. G. Yay, I feel very complimented. Is it my sequined dinosaur t shirt?

Dr Rad 1:12
I mean, if that doesn’t scream, intelligent and ravishing, I don’t know what

Dr G 1:16
Ah, you’re so kind!

Dr Rad 1:19
So I’m thrilled to be back that back again, in the studio, talking about Ancient Rome with you.

Dr G 1:26
Yeah we’ve been exploring Ancient Rome from the foundation of the cit...

This episode we return to the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ with a classic sword and sandal epic, Quo Vadis (1951). This film is available through many streaming platforms and we highly recommend revisiting it.

In Part One of two episodes on Quo Vadis, we examine the context for the film and the plot.

Quo Vadis (1951) helped to ignite Hollywood’s passion for ancient epics in this decade. It was a smash hit with some of the legendary stars of the era, including Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov. This film is not only epic in terms of length, but in terms of all the aspects that you could discuss in connection with it.

Special Episode – Quo Vadis (1951) – Part One

Resistance

The tale itself has a lengthy backstory which takes us all the way back to 19^th century Poland. Henryk Sienkiewicz wrote the book in a serialised format between 1894-1896. Poland had been going a through a tough time over the course of the preceding century, in the sense that it did not exist independently between 1795 and 1918. During this period, the Catholic Church was crucial in preserving Polish culture. Sienkiewicz often wrote historical novels that would lift the spirits of his fellow poles, and Quo Vadis was no exception. For Sienkiewicz, the triumph of Christian characters such as Lygia and Ursus (meant to be from Lugii, i.e. Poland) represent the ultimate triumph of Poland over its cruel oppressors, with Nero representing nations such as Russia, Austro-Hungary and Prussia.

Sienkiewicz’s novel was well-received, and was therefore adapted into toga plays, operas, and several films. The earlier film versions were made in Europe, including the notable 1912 silent classic.

Join us for the fascinating background of the 1951 film and stay tuned for Part Two!

Quo Vadis – Roll Call!

There are a LOT of characters to keep track of in a film of this length, so if you need a handy reference, check out the cast list on IMDB.

The main people that you need to know for our episode include:

Lygia

Fictional main lady love interest. Christian, hostage-turned-adoptive daughter of Roman general Aulus Plautus, and his wife, Pomponia Graecina.

Marcus Vinicius

Fictional main manly love interest. Roman, not Christian (yet). Militaristic, aggressive to start, turns all moral as the film progresses.

Lygia (Deborah Kerr) and Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor) in the courtyard of her adoptive parents’ home in Rome.
Source: FilmAffinity.

Emperor Nero

Historical figure. Really was Roman emperor from 54-68 CE. Known as the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Really was terrible, although maybe not quite as unrelentingly awful as many suggest – including this film. Probably not as amusing as Peter Ustinov!

A gold coin showing the obverse portrait of Nero. Bust of the historical Nero Peter Ustinov as Nero in Quo Vadis (1951) Poppaea Sabina

Historical figure. Elite Roman lady. Complicated love life. Winds up as Nero’s second wife. Called beautiful but awful in the surviving sources. We say – the jury is out on that one. Typical fun, adulteress type character used to contrast to the ‘good girl’, Lygia. Historically, she is murdered by Nero while pregnant with their child. In Quo Vadis, Nero strangles her. An awful demise in reality and in film.

Statue of the historical Poppaea Sabina found in Olympia, Greece Patricia Laffan as Poppaea Sabina in Quo Vadis (1951) Petronius (Gaius Petronius Arbiter)

Historical figure. Served as governor of Bithynia and was consul in either 62 or 63 CE. Did a decent job, but in his personal life seems to have made pleasure his main goal. Dubbed the ‘Arbiter of Elegance’ by Nero. Accused of being part of a conspiracy against Nero and suicided whilst chatting casually to friends. Thought to be the author of the novel, The Satyricon, which is a very unusual piece because it does NOT focus on the elite and is pretty ... eye-opening. Possibly makes fun of Nero through the gross figure of Trimalchio, a freedmen who has become a wealthy show-off with no taste. Close associate of Nero. In the movie, Petronius is Vinicius’ uncle and an elegant, witty, intelligent member of Emperor Nero’s inner-circle. He also has a weird obsession with the enslaved Eunice...

From left: Petronius (Leo Genn) attempting to advise Nero (Peter Ustinov) in a scene from Quo Vadis (1951).
Image source: FilmFanat...

This episode we return to the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ with a classic sword and sandal epic, Quo Vadis (1951). This film is available through many streaming platforms and we highly recommend revisiting it.

In Part Two of two episodes on Quo Vadis, we delve into our analysis of the film. If you have not listened to Part One, you might want to check it out for the context.

Special Episode – Quo Vadis (1951) – Part Two

The Wars That Shaped the Movie

Hollywood loves a sure bet and MGM started working on their own adaption after WWII. The legacy of that war can be seen in the depiction of Nero and the Roman people. Nero seems to be a mixture of Mussolini and Hitler, and the use of eagles, fasces and the ‘Roman salute’ must have also dredged up unpleasant memories.

The newly emerging Cold War also had an impact on this movie, with the plot dealing largely with the clash of freedom (Christians) vs tyranny (Romans). The immoral, irreligious Romans could easily be seen as the ‘godless Communists’, whereas the Christians and converts stand for the American way of life. The film was made during the hunt for Communists in Hollywood itself. The first round of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) had started in 1947 and round two was destined to begin in 1951. These were dark days for many in the industry.

Black and white portrait photo of Peter Ustinov as Nero in Quo Vadis.
He sits in a thoughtful pose and appears unhappy about something.
Source: Pinterest.

HUAC arrives in Hollywood

The head of MGM (Louis B. Mayer) and the male lead of Quo Vadis (Robert Taylor) were intimately connected with the HUAC hearings. Mayer had testified in 1947. Robert Taylor may not be a familiar name, but he was a massive star for MGM in the 30s and 40s. He was also known for his conservative politics and would be the only prominent Hollywood star to name names in front of the Committee. This might all seem to add up, but his testimony had just as much to do with his loyalty to Mayer, a fellow conservative, and MGM as his anti-communism.

Taylor had been forced by MGM and the Office of War Information to star in Song of Russia (1944), a pro-Russian film designed to promote friendly feelings about wartime alliance. Taylor had been dead against starring in the film in the first place, but he eventually went through with it so that he could be released by the studio to fulfil his military service.

Taylor’s Testimony

Taylor was asked to testify in closed door sessions in front of HUAC early in 1947. He was quite frank regarding his political views, and Song of Russia might have come up. Taylor did not hold back as he thought this testimony would be kept private. When it was used to bolster the presence of HUAC, Taylor was less than pleased. Taylor and his wife Barbara Stanwyck were conservatives, but they did want to abuse their position as celebrities. They never wished to discuss politics in public again.

Black and white portrait photo of Robert Taylor as Marcus Vinicius in Quo Vadis.
He wears a Roman style military brestplate and gazes into the middle distance thoughtfully.
Source: Pinterest

Taylor would have to make one more notable exception on that front. Louis B. Mayer, like so many other studio heads, wanted to protect the movie industry. This was business, and with television on the rise and the 1948 ruling against studio-owned theatres, the ‘biz’ was facing enough obstacles in the late 1940s and early 1950s. They did not need the public thinking that Hollywood was spreading Communist ideology. More significantly, there is a distinctly antisemitic tone to the HUAC hearings, which must have made the largely Jewish heads of studios nervous, no matter how politically conservative they were.

Specifically, Mayer needed Taylor to testify a second time so he could back up MGM’s official line regarding Song of Russia. It was just a romance! Certainly not wartime propaganda.... HUAC also really wanted Taylor to appear again, purely for the publicity. They were correct: the press (and a lot of female fans) flocked to see Taylor’s testimony.

Taylor seemed to be uncomfortable when asked to name any suspected Communists in the industry. He was hesitant, but he did it. In the atmosphere of Hollywood at the time, Robert Taylor was celebrated by most for his patriotism. Whilst the best days of his career would soon be behind him after Quo Vadis and his testimony, this had nothing to do with his appearance before HUAC. However, these days, Robert Taylor is largely forgotten or remembered as a ‘friendly witness’.

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