Severus Alexander was a young boy when he came to power in Rome in 222CE, in the wake of the death of his unpopular cousin, Elagabalus. He would reign for 13 years but struggle to assert authority, bringing the once proud Severan dynasty to a chaotic ending. Guest: Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

Spartacus is an epic historical film based on the life of a Roman gladiator who led a slave rebellion against Rome in the 1st C BCE. In this episode we’ll take a fond look at this cinematic classic, in memory of its leading man, Kirk Douglas. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Lupercalia was a Roman festival which took place in the middle of February, and had the effects of purifying and cleansing the city. Participants would take part in a blood sacrifice, strip off their togas, and run naked through the streets of Rome. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

The Romans had some strange ideas when it came to medical practice, but you have to give them some leeway, and a lot has changed in 2000 years. Some of the thoughts and techniques showed forward thinking, but you might have to ignore the cabbages. Guest: Dr Leanne McNamara (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Rhiannon Evans, Caillan Davenport and Matt Smith each share three Roman topics of interest for three minutes! You will hear: - Scaurus and the marble columns - The 206 fragments of the Portland Vase - The paranoia of Emperor Claudius - The Roman perception of Ireland (featuring exploding sheep) - The vanity of the Alexander the Sophist - An early example of chemical warfare - Living it rough with Seneca - Goldflake and Innocence - The nazi fascination with Tacitus' Germania Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University) Dr Caillan Davenport (Senior Lecturer, Roman History, Macquarie University/Humboldt Research Fellow, Goethe University, Frankfurt)

For the fifth time, listeners provide questions and Rhiannon and Matt answer! In this episode: - How the orders of Roman society worked - The materials Romans used in clothing - How Romans marked years by Consul - Augustus adopting his wife, Livia - The truth about the Cantabrian warrior Cococotta - How to actually pronounce ‘Pompey’ - Is the Roman salute accurate? - How much of Latin is Greek? - How did the Romans say their own numbers? - How did the relationship change between Patricians and Plebs? - Which Roman figure do we wish we knew more about? Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Gaius Gracchus - awe-inspiring and passionate to exaggeration, a demagogue pure and simple, seemingly shunned the family business, at least to begin with. But however much you may try to defer your fate, sometimes decisions are made for you. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Tiberius Gracchus had introduced property laws that, while unpopular with the ruling elite, went down well with the people of Rome. You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time. But that’s just politics, isn’t it? Nothing to lose your head over. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Any system of government that has been around for long enough is going to develop its problems, and that is definitely the case with the Roman republic. There was inequality between the ruling class and the common people, and if young Tiberius Gracchus decides to take up the cause, what’s the worst that could happen? Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

What we do know about Cornelia is mostly through the lens of her famous sons, but to the Romans she was much more than that. She was put on a pedestal, in bronze, no less, as the ideal mother for Romans to aspire to, and may have been quite influential in politics at the time. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)