The Pax Romana Podcast

This episode explores whether Emperor Aurelian broke or fixed the Roman monetary system during the 3rd century crisis, examining public trust, inflation, and the symbolic aspects of Roman currency.

This episode examines the economy during Constantine's era, exploring agriculture, urbanization, money, state finances, and the Christian church's economic role in late antiquity.

This episode examines Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity, analyzing whether it was genuine and how it transformed Christianity from a persecuted religion to a dominant force in Roman society.

This episode examines whether Rome's grain dole system during the Pax Romana was ultimately beneficial or burdensome to society.

This episode explores when Rome first built its navy, tracing it back to the mid-Roman Republic and the First Punic War against Carthage.

This episode explores how Aurelian reunified the fractured Roman Empire during the third-century crisis, focusing on the collapse into separatist states and his rise to power.

This episode examines the political and economic crisis of the 3rd century AD in the Roman Empire, focusing on coinage debasement, usurpers, and short-lived emperors.

This episode examines whether the Roman senator Cassius Dio's proposed reforms could have prevented the crisis of the third century in the Roman Empire.

This episode explores the turbulent period after Marcus Aurelius's death, focusing on Emperor Elagabalus's rise to power through civil war against Macrinus and his portrayal as a degenerate ruler.

This episode explores the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, examining Emperor Constantine's role and how this gathering influenced both Christianity and the Roman Empire through the collision of political and spiritual forces.

This episode explores the 390 AD massacre at Thessalonica, detailing its causes, the riot and killing of a Roman general, and the subsequent imperial response involving a Christian bishop's influence over Emperor Theodosius.

A Roman historian critically reviews Gladiator 2, analyzing its filmmaking flaws and historical inaccuracies while comparing it to the original film.

This episode explores the events leading to the Battle of Adrianople, a pivotal defeat for the Roman army that marked the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire.

This episode explores the brief but significant reign of Emperor Jovian, who took over after Julian the Apostate's death and made crucial compromises to preserve the fragile Roman Empire in the 4th century AD.

This episode explores the collapse of Diocletian's Tetrarchy system and the emergence of Constantine as a dominant Roman emperor in the 3rd-4th centuries AD.

This episode examines the further decline of Emperor Caracalla, focusing on his emotional instability, violent actions, and legacy as one of Rome's worst rulers.

This episode explores how early Christians in the Roman Empire blended their new faith with existing cultural practices, from syncretic art merging Jesus with sun gods to conflicts over sexuality and military service, revealing a complex, adaptive religious landscape.

This episode explores the historical motives behind Rome's conquest of Gaul, focusing on Julius Caesar's role and the political context before the Pax Romana.

This episode explores the violent rise of Emperor Caracalla, who murdered his brother Gita to seize power and initiated sweeping reforms in the Roman Empire.

This episode examines a recent academic article challenging the assumption that smallpox was prevalent in ancient Rome, particularly during major pandemics like the Antonine Plague.

This episode explores how the Roman military gradually replaced the senatorial elite during the Pax Romana period due to elite decadence and complacency.

This episode explores the final year of Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate's life, focusing on his failed military campaign into Persia and his efforts to reverse the Christianization of the Roman Empire.

This episode examines the final years of Emperor Septimius Severus's reign, exploring his role as a transitionary figure during the Pax Romana and the challenges facing the Roman Empire.

This episode examines Julian the Apostate's brief reign as Roman emperor and his ambitious attempt to reverse decades of Christian dominance through a pagan revival.

This episode concludes a five-part series on Christianity in the Roman Empire by exploring the story of Perpetua, a Christian martyr whose prison journal provides rare personal insights into her faith and willingness to die for it.

This episode explores the humiliating defeat and fragmentation of the Roman Empire in the 250s-270 AD, leading to the rise of breakaway states and setting the stage for a future savior figure.

This episode examines a recent historical article about a conspiracy under Constantius II, questioning the reliability of Ammianus Marcellinus's account through evidence of forged letters.

This episode explores how the Roman Empire became increasingly militarized by the late 3rd century AD, affecting all aspects of society from governance to daily life.

This episode explores the Plague of Cyprian during the crisis of the 3rd century in the Roman Empire, detailing political instability, military rebellions, and external threats following Rome's 1000th anniversary celebrations.

This episode explores the Tetrarchy, a system where four Roman emperors ruled together, focusing on its propaganda and potential to stabilize the empire after decades of civil war.

This episode explores how Constantius II, the sole surviving son of Constantine the Great, unified the Roman Empire in the 350s AD while facing external threats from Germanic tribes and Persia, as well as internal religious divisions.

This episode explores the violent power struggle among Constantine's sons after his death in 337 AD, examining the mysterious purge of relatives, their division of the empire, and the resulting conflicts.

This episode examines whether the third century AD in Roman history should be viewed as a crisis or a transformation, exploring the period's tumultuous events and institutional changes.

This episode explores Diocletian's rise to power during the crisis following Aurelian's assassination and his efforts to reshape the Roman Empire through a new system of government.

This episode examines the reign of Alexander Severus and the decline of the Severan dynasty, contrasting him with previous problematic Roman emperors like Elagabalus and Caracalla.

The host, a Roman historian, shares a curated list of 11 accessible and enjoyable books for understanding Roman history, based on personal reading and scholarly expertise.

The host reveals Claudius as his favorite Roman emperor, explaining his appreciation for Claudius's pragmatic leadership and underdog status despite not being the longest-reigning or most moral ruler.

This episode examines the debate over whether Seneca, a first-century Roman philosopher and advisor to Nero, was a true Stoic or a hypocrite due to his wealthy lifestyle and alleged involvement in political violence.

This episode explores Diocletian's Edict on Maximum Prices, an ambitious ancient Roman economic policy aimed at controlling hyperinflation through price controls and severe penalties.

This episode examines the final years and death of Constantine the Great, focusing on his legacy, succession issues, and the challenges facing the Roman Empire as it transitioned into the Byzantine era.

This episode explores whether Roman emperors employed spies, focusing on the Frumentarii as a key intelligence group during the Pax Romana period.

This episode explores why Constantine the Great founded Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire, how he developed it, and how his Christian identity influenced the city.

This episode examines whether Jesus was a real historical figure using Roman sources, set against the backdrop of Roman Judea during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius.

This episode analyzes whether the assassination of Julius Caesar by Roman senators in 44 BC was justified from historical, moral, and constitutional perspectives.

This episode explores whether ancient Romans trusted their own coinage, examining daily economic practices, debasement issues, and the practical workings of the Roman monetary system.

This episode explores the formative experiences and rise to power of Julian the Apostate, the last pagan Roman emperor, examining his rejection of Christianity and political ascent in the 4th century AD.

This episode explores how early Christian apologists like Justin Martyr and Tertullian defended their faith against Roman accusations of atheism, sedition, and immorality.

This episode examines cultural Christians in the Roman Empire and the accusations against early Christianity, using limited sources to explore persecution and religious conflict during the Pax Romana period.

This episode explores the brief reign of Macrinus, who became Roman emperor after engineering Caracalla's assassination in AD 217.

This episode explores the collapse of the Roman monetary system during the crisis of the third century by tracing its origins from Augustus's reign and examining the stability of the silver denarius.

This episode explores the division of the Roman Empire after Theodosius's death, focusing on the rivalry between East and West and the challenge of Gothic invaders.

This episode covers Emperor Theodosius and the final years of a unified Roman Empire before the permanent East-West split.

This episode explores the growth of Christianity during the 2nd century Pax Romana, focusing on its conflicts with Roman authorities and the persecution under Trajan.

This episode discusses the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus after his victory in the Roman civil war, highlighting his harsh treatment of the Senate and the shift away from the Pax Romana.

This episode covers the chaotic Year of the Five Emperors in 193 AD, following the assassination of Commodus and the ensuing civil war.

This episode discusses the aftermath of Emperor Commodus's death and the decline of the Pax Romana, as described by historian Cassius Dio.

The Pax Romana Podcast examines Marcus Aurelius's Meditations as a record of an emperor facing the Marcomannic War and personal decline.

Historian Colin Elliott examines the letters between Emperor Trajan and Governor Pliny to reveal how the Roman Empire was managed.

The Pax Romana Podcast examines Augustus's reign from 31 BC to 14 AD through famine, illness, conspiracy, and political image-making.

This episode explores how Augustus used religious reformation to consolidate power and become a messianic figure in Rome.

Historian Colin Elliott explains how Octavian consolidated power after defeating Antony, reshaping Rome into an autocratic empire.

This episode covers the aftermath of the Battle of Philippi, the division of the Roman Empire among the triumvirs, and the beginning of Antony's relationship with Cleopatra.