Last time, we saw Agrippina the Younger survive her exile AND a jealous young empress, only to marry her uncle Claudius and become empress herself. What a comeback! What will she do, now that she's finally achieved the kind of power she's always dreamed of? You can be sure she's about to shatter some imperial glass ceilings, but her position will also force her to make difficult and dangerous choices, and confront unimaginable loss. For a transcript of this episode, images, and more, check out my website. To become a patron, head over to my Patreon page: you'll find a special bonus episode there full of Agrippina insights from our special guests, Dr. Rad and Dr. G. Make sure to listen to their The Partial Historians podcast. If you're looking for a good book about ancient Roman women, browse my Bookshop.com curated bookshelf. 

Last time, we saw Agrippina the Elder making some big power plays for her children, but ultimately she lost the imperial game. Her daughter Agrippina the Younger watched as half of her family was murdered, her remaining brother Gaius sent off to the island of Capri to hang out with Tiberius in what has to have been a very tense situation. But that’s all over now. Tiberius has died, and brother Gaius has become emperor. In the years to come, Agrippina will face exile and heartbreak, power and prestige, threat and conspiracy. Ever resilient and ambitious, she will achieve feats that no imperial woman has before. Grab a golden cloak, a sharp tongue, and your best swimming stroke. Let’s go traveling. For a transcript of this episode, images, and more, check out my website. To become a patron, head over to my Patreon page. Hear more from Dr. Rad and Dr. G on the Partial Historians podcast. If you're looking for a good book about ancient Roman women, browse my new Bookshop.com curated bookshelf.   

When we last left Agrippina the Elder and empress Livia, both had hit a real high point in terms of their personal power. But things are about to get pretty messy. Let's explore the end of Livia's life, the rest of Agrippina's, and the fraught beginnings of the legend that is her daughter, Agrippina the Younger. For a transcript of this episode, images, and more, check out my website. To become a patron, head over to my Patreon page. Hear more from Dr. Rad and Dr. G on the Partial Historians podcast. If you're looking for a good book about ancient Roman women, browse my new Bookshop.com curated bookshelf. Support an independent bookstore AND give me a little kickback: win-win!

The story of the American suffrage movement is long and complex, filled with noteworthy characters, highlights and shadows, and plenty of paths we could get lost wandering down. I want to explore some of the more haunting aspects of the fight for suffrage, and the dark consequences that come when you don’t have a public voice. For a transcript, images, and a list of suggested reading/podcasts/movies on this issue, check out my website.

Daughter of Rome’s most venerated war hero, favorite granddaughter of its first emperor, wife of one of its most shining stars, Agrippina the Elder was born to be famous, thrust into the spotlight, whether she wanted to bask in it or not. But she also made her own spotlight, always fighting for what she believes in - and against those who would do her family harm. Let's explore the beginnings of Agrippina's story and bask in the latter half of Livia's.  For a transcript of this episode, images, and more, check out my website. To become a patron, head over to my Patreon page. Hear more from Dr. Rad and Dr. G on the Partial Historians podcast. Music courtesy of Michael Levy. If you're looking for a good book about ancient Roman women, browse my new Bookshop.com curated bookshelf. Support an independent bookstore AND give me a little kickback: win-win!

Love them or hate them, bras have always been with us in one form or another. They've squashed us down, lifted us up, and shaped our silhouettes, a constant part of our day to day. Let's take a trip through time to see how - and why - it took shape and meet some of the women who shaped its evolution. For a transcript of this episode, images, and more, check out my website. To become a patron, head over to my Patreon page. If you're looking for a good read, go and browse my new Bookshop.com curated bookshelf. Support your local bookstore AND give me a little kickback as part of your order: win-win!

When we last left our Roman ladies, Octavia and Livia, their lives were changing fast. After all that bloodshed and drama, Octavian has finally been left as the last man standing in the fight for control over Rome. What happens now? Octavian becomes Augustus, Rome’s very first emperor, and the ladies become the imperial legends. Let's explore the extreme highs (and sometimes very low lows) of the women in his life. For a transcript of this episode, images, and more, check out my website. To become a patron, head over to my Patreon page. Listen to Dr. Evans on the Emperors of Rome podcast. Music courtesy of Michael Levy. If you're looking for a good read about ancient Roman women, go and browse my new Bookshop.com curated bookshelf. Support your local bookstore AND give me a little kickback as part of your order: win-win. 

Let's trace the paths of some of ancient Rome’s first imperial superstars: the wives, sisters, and daughters who rose with Octavian (later Augustus) to become Rome’s first family: Livia, Octavia, Julia, Messalina, both Agrippinas. In a time of great change, these women had to navigate both public love and hate. They had access to power in ways that few women had before them, but to grasp it was a delicate and dangerous game. For a transcript, images, and more, check out my website. To become a patron, head over to my Patreon page. Listen to Dr. Evans on the Emperors of Rome podcast. Music courtesy of Kevin MacLeod, Damiano Baldoni, and Michael Levy.

Cleopatra maneuvered her way through Egyptian, Greek, and Roman politics, defying the odds to keep the Ptolemaic dynasty – and Egypt’s independence – going. But what of all the Cleopatras who came before her? In delving into Cleo’s life, I found a host of interesting women in the family that shaped her. But only one amongst them truly set the tone for the dynasty, creating a mold that had royal Ptolemaic women ruling not from behind their husbands, but beside them. That woman is Arsinoë II. Let’s dive into the wild and crazy ride that was her life. This episode is sponsored by Hank Green, whose new book A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is out as of July 7, 2020.

Cleopatra died more than 2,000 years ago. And yet stop any person on the street today and ask them who she was, and they’ll know – at least her name. That name has been attached to soaps and bath balms, to slot machines and casinos, to a popular brand of cigarettes. As an asteroid - 216 Kleopatra – the Egyptian queen has even made it to the stars. What is it about Cleopatra that has captured our imaginations for millennia? Why do we remember her the way that we do? Let's travel through the years from her death to the present, exploring the shapes her legacy has taken. Special guests Dr. Rhiannon Evans, The Partial Historians, Queens Podcast, Vulgar History Podcast, and Ancient History Fangirl.