A conversation with the bestselling author, classicist and the military and naval historian Barry Strauss about his latest book Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire.
We explore:
- Why Julius Caesar became a key patron of the Jews and how his support shaped Jewish life in the Roman Empire
- The pivotal moment when Antipater (Herod's father) saved Caesar in Egypt, and how it changed Jewish-Roman relations
- Caesar's assassination: the personal ambitions and fears that drove the conspirators beyond Republican ideology
- Herod the Great's extraordinary political survival skills: switching allegiances from Antony to Octavian and always landing on his feet
- The ruthless pragmatism of Herod's reign, including the execution of his own talented sons
- The historical plausibility of the "slaughter of the innocents" story and what it reveals about Herod's character
For Barry's previous appearance, check out episode 81.
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