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In this special episode I chat with LJ Trafford who has written books covering AD 69 and the four emperors. LJ Trafford has a new book out titled 'How to Survive in Ancient Rome' and we talk about what Rome would have been like for the average person as well as how the turmoil of AD 69 came about and what happened. Join us as we discuss this as well as whose eels had makeovers, a truly goth banquet and why alcohol and sieges don't mix. LJ Trafford's 'How to Survive in Ancient Rome' is out now! Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental).  

It's Halloween so time for the third NOTLD episode. In this episode I talk about hauntings and instances of ghosts in Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome. From festivals aiming to placate them through to reports of hauntings and even ways to counter a ghost. There's even a very dangerous trick with a walnut. Episode notes at www.ancientblogger.com. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

In this Olympic length episode I discuss the origin of the games and how both they and the site developed over time. I'll also be picking up the wider aspects of it all from politics to nudity and even foul play. Episode notes at www.ancientblogger.com Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

In this episode I discuss four mountains which featured in ancient Greece. How did they feature in the local myths? What happened on them? I cover this as well as the more obscure mountain associations, from bizarre marital advice, singing competitions to very bad family cooking. Notes to the episode can be found at www.ancientblogger.com Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental) Modified picture courtesy of https://theblogofdimi.com/  

It's time to turn my attention to the references made to eclipses in antiquity. They appear in palace records, poems and historical writings and across the Mediterranean (including Mesopotamia). How where they understood? What rituals were observed and how can they be used to date and locate an event? Join me to find out more. Notes to the episode can also be found at ancientblogger.com Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

It's time for the final King, Tarquinius Superbus. I chat about his reign, the expulsion and the emergence of the Republic. Tarquin was a King who did as much inside Rome as outside of it. Plenty to talk about. (content includes reference to sexual assault). Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

Reform, negligent chariot driving and mild pyrotechnics. It's the turn of Servius Tullis, Rome's 6th King to feature. Servius' rise, his fall, reforms and a few puns are all included so get listening. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

Rebranding, tyrants, clothes, racing, omens, hydraulic engineering, formal wear and possibly a very long held grudge. The story of Rome's 5th king is certainly entertaining and in this podcast I talk about some of the aspects of his reign. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

It's time for Rome's fourth King, Ancus Marcius to come into the spotlight. I discuss what he did and didn't build as well as play detective in a murder mystery. Spoiler alert, he probably did it. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

Continuing my examination of the Roman kings I talk about Tullus Hostilius, the third Roman king. Tulls was primarily associated with Rome's military exploits and had a hand in a famous myth. He also had more than a hand in a death which shocked even Livy. From war to religious problems and a bizarre death. It's all here. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

In this podcast I run the rule over the Roman Saturnalia a festival which started around the 17th December. What did it involve exactly, how did these elements appear and why? Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai instrumental)

In the second episode it's the turn of Greece and Rome to come under the spotlight. To what extent did both cultures engage in this and how did their myths and rituals reflect their attitudes? All with a few puns thrown in to lighten the mood. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai instrumental)

In the first of two episodes I chat about the instances of human sacrifice in ancient Mesopotamia and Carthage. Archaeology, forensics and the books of the Old Testament combine to throw some light on this chilling topic. Given the subject the content is strong at points and involves reference to child sacrifice, just to let you know.   Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai instrumental)

In this podcast I discuss three aspects of Pompeii. I start with how it developed and grew. I then look at the mechanics of the eruption. This includes considering the evidence which supports the major cause of deaths there. Finally I'll deal with what the remains tell us and how they might mislead as much as inform. The sources I reference: Mary Beard. Pompeii. The Life of a Roman Town. Giuseppe Luongo,Annamaria Perrotta,Claudio Scarpati,Ernesto De Carolis,Giovanni Patricelli,Annamaria Ciarallo. Impact of the AD 79 explosive eruption on Pompeii. Causes of the deaths of the inhabitants inferred by stratigraphic analysis and areal distribution of the  human casualties. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal research.  Vol 126. L, Giacomelli. A, Perrotta. Scandone, Roberto. Scarpati, Claudio. The eruption of Vesuvius of 79 AD and its impact on human environment in Pompeii. Giuseppe Mastrolorenzo. Pierpaolo Petrone. Lucia Pappalardo. Fabio M. Guarino. Lethal Thermal Impact at Periphery of Pyroclastic Surges: Evidences at Pompeii. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai instrumental)    

In this episode I continue the theme of early Rome by looking at its second King. Numa Pompilius. I talk about how he came to the throne, what religious initiatives he set in place and how the sources handled their accounts of him. As ever there are some curious tangents involving dancing, possible magic, thunderstorms and stinking charms. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

Please note that this includes references to the Rape of the Sabine Women and sexual references. In this episode I take a look into Rome's foundation myth and how Livy, Dionysus and Plutarch handled the various elements within it.  Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

In the second episode on Spartan Women I look at what an adult woman might have got up to. From quite a curious marriage ceremony through to the terrifying prospect of a Spartan mother. It's all here. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

The first of two episodes where I discuss the experiences a Spartan woman had throughout her life. Part one includes a general overview of Sparta before I recount what it might have been like for a Spartan as she grew up. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

In this episode I am looking at how Carthage expanded into the Iberian Peninsula and how this location furnished Hannibal with the means to march on Rome.   Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)

In this episode I discuss how Thersites, Scamander and Sarpedon shape the way we understand the Iliad, other characters in it and even wider themes. Music by Brakhage (Le Vrai Instrumental)