Autocrat- A Roman History Podcast
A relaxed journey through Roman history and mythology, hopefully with plenty of tangents, sidebars and interesting distractions along the way. Our goal- even if it ends up being unrealised- is to journey from the Theogony all the way to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and beyond. This show is just for fun, and we hope you have fun with it too!
118- An Offer the Latins Can't Refuse
Tarquinius Superbus is king now- and for him, that's going to involve intimidating a bunch of Latins to get them to subordinate themselves to Rome. Let's watch Turnus Herdonius get framed for a crime he didn't commit, as well as the start of a two-hundred year war with the Volscians. Also, how do you pronounce that word? And what even is a Zeuspiter?
Time period: 530 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, 7th King of RomeTurnus Herdonius, Latin dissidentOctavius Mamilius, ruler of TusculumTarquinia III, daughter of Superbus and husband of Mamilius<...
117- Tarquin and Tullia's Excellent Conspiracy
Murder! Patricide! Carriage-based violence and political coups! It's all happening on Autocrat today. Lucius Tarquinius, eldest son of king Priscus, finally decides he's had enough of living in the shadow of Servius Tullius. Joined by his wife Tullia, he will commit a crime that the Romans will be shocked by, and begin his reign with violent purges of the Senate. Also, Tullia's Ferrari.
NOTE: Mild spoiler warning between 21:07 and 21:35 for those who don't know what's coming.
Time period: 534 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Servius Tullius, 6th King of...116- The Reign of King Firehead
Servius Tullius is on the throne! We had an exciting start last time, but today it's all a bit slower-paced with tax reform, property classes and admin. Still, let's watch the first census be conducted, discuss Roman money, and examine quite why Servius hates tortoises.
Time period: 578- 534 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Servius Tullius, 6th King of RomeSources for this episode:
Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.Carr, J. L., Riedle, D...Bonus XXII- In Other News: Cyrus the Great (feat. So You Think You Can Rule Persia?)
We are joined by Sariel and Umberto from So You Think You Can Rule Persia to discuss Cyrus the Great. At about the time that Servius Tullius is ruling as the sixth (or perhaps seventh) king of Rome, Cyrus is busy unifying the Persians, Medians, Babylonians, Lydians and Ionians into the Achaemenid Persian empire.
Our thanks to Umberto and Sariel for joining us! You can find So You Think You Can Rule Persia wherever you find your podcasts.
Time period: 559-530 BCE
Relevant individuals<...
115- Tarquinian Succession Carnage
The sons of Ancus Marcius are back for revenge- a story which will end with Lucius Tarquinius Priscus getting an axe in the head. But who will succeed him? His sons are still too young! Enter Servius Tullius- a boy from Corniculum, son of Ocrisia and Spurius Tullius... or Publius Tullius... or the god Vulcan... and is he called Servius Tullius or Mastarna? Lots of questions about his identity, but you can be sure that Tanaquil has got plans for her new son-in-law- plans that end with a crown.
Time period: 578 BCE<...
114- The Golden Age of Priscus
War, war and more war today. But not just that! We will also see Priscus make some grisly reforms to the Vestal Virgins, get himself some shiny royal regalia, enmesh his royal family into Roman society, and start a whole lot of building projects. Also, which Hogwarts house was Numa Pompilius?
NOTE: A bit of a content warning at around 10 minutes and 19 minutes. We don't go overboard as per usual, but there's only so many ways you can dress up punishments for Vestal Virgins and people taking drastic steps to get out of things.<...
113- Priscus Riggs an Election
Once Lucumo son of the Corinthian exile Demaratus, Lucius Tarquinius decides that he wants more from life than being a rich Roman Senator, commander and trusted friend of the king- and his wife Tanaquil has the same idea. When Ancus Marcius dies and his sons are still underage, I'm sure Tarquinius can be trusted to be completely honest and above board. Right?
NB: Lucius Tarquinius gets the epithet Priscus later during the reign of the seventh king of Rome, but we're going to be referring to him as Priscus throughout to make everything clearer.<...
112- Bridgebuilder
We look at the reign of Ancus Marcius a second time- this time around from a civil perspective rather than all the punching. Join us for bridges, forcible deportations leading to city growth, hills being added, and a man called Lucumo who claims descent from Hercules/Heracles.
Time period: 640- 616 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Ancus Marcius, 4th King of RomeLucius Tarquinius, commander of the cavalrySources for this episode:
Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge...Vince has written a book!
Vince here- I've written a historical fiction book set in Constantinople in 1081! Well, kind of. The first draft of the manuscript is complete at about 59,000 words across 34 chapters. I am planning to to do a reading of the prologue as it currently stands on this feed, and after that prepare the book for publication as an eBook.
So, what I am here to ask you is- is this something you would be interested in? Please let me know at the show's email address. I would love to hear your feedback.
111- Like Grandfather, Like Grandson?
Ancus Marcius comes to the throne- maybe after murdering his predecessor- and finds himself fighting endless wars with the Sabines, Latins, and whoever else wants to have a go. But Ancus isn't the pacifist Numa reborn; there's plenty of fighting to be getting on with. He does have some other achievements in more domestic setting- but those will have to wait until next time...
Time period: 640- 625 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Ancus Marcius, 4th King of RomeLucius Tarquinius, Roman cavalry commanderSources for...
110- Thunderbolts and Lighting Part II: House Fire or Murder?
Tullus Hostilius' time is drawing to a close. Today, we see a plague overtake Rome, and Tullus himself die alongside his wife and children in a tragic housefire caused by a lightning strike. But- hang on... what's this? Ancus Marcius, what were you doing with that lighter? And why is your sword dripping? Oh, food colouring, you say? All right, carry on...
Time period: 640 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Tullus Hostilius, 3rd King of RomeAncus Marcius, 4th King of RomeSources...
109- Sneaky, Sneaky Mettius
Alba Longa goes out with a bang today. Mettius Fufetius, having been beaten by Tullus Hostilius in the duel between triplets, rises up once again- and this time doesn't get off with a warning. Alba Longa itself will be razed to the ground before this episode is over...
Content warning: if you are sensitive to gore, even if there's not a lot of description, you might want to skip between 13:40 and 14:40.
Time period: Between 672 and 640 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Tullus Hostilius, 3rd King of Rome<...
Bonus XXI- In Other News: The First Emperor of Japan
The reign of Tullus Hostilius includes the year 660 BCE- the same year that, half a world away in Japan, a certain individual named Iwarehiko no mikoto, descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu, invaded the Japanese islands and created an imperial line that is still with us until today.
Time period: 660- 585 BCE
Relevant individuals: Jimmu, 1st Emperor of Japan; Suizei, 2nd Emperor of Japan
Sources for this episode:
TBA
108- Triplets Fighting Triplets
War has come between Rome and Alba Longa, but in a bid to avoid both powers battering themselves into the dust before being swept aside by the Etruscans, they settle it via single combat. Well... more like triple combat. Join us for the We Hate Horatius Club, dictators called Foof, and the origins of walking under the yoke.
Time period: 672- 640 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Tullus Hostilius, 3rd King of RomeHoratii brothersCuriatii brothersMettius Fufetius, Dictator of Alba LongaSources for this episode:<...
107- The War Hero's Grandson
With Numa gone, we now see the election of Tullus Hostilius- the grandson of Sabine war hero Hostius Hostilius- to the Roman throne. He is a lot more belligerent than old Pompilius ever was, and immediately sets about engineering a war with Alba Longa.
Time period: c. 672- 671 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Tullus Hostilius, 3rd King of RomeGaius Clulius, King of Alba LongaSources for this episode:
TBA
Edict- Two Co-Regents
The empire has a Princess Imperial as of 2026, but we do not have a formal regent established. Well, this episode sets up two of them...
106- Numa and the Nymph
The second king of Rome may be dead, but his story isn't quite. Today, we scrape together the crumbs of evidence our primary and secondary sources give us concerning Egeria. Is she a nymph? A goddess? Is she Numa's second wife or his lover? And what's the deal with her maybe turning into a spring? Let the defence and prosecution assemble!
Time period: 716- 627 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Numa Pompilius, 2nd King of RomeEgeria, nymphSources for this episode:
TBA<...
Edict- The Imperial Year Count
In the spirit of having fun with the show, here's another Imperial Edict sorting out the year count for the empire. 2026 is now also Year IV/V...
Sources for this episode:
TBA
105- Religious Reshuffle
Numa Pompilius' rule is a lot less exciting than that of Romulus in terms of warfare. Instead, we get a whole lot of religious restructuring, instilling piety into the rabble that is Roman society, and a mysterious burial with sacred texts the later Republic will never address again... That and calendar administration.
Time period: 716- 672 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Numa Pompilius, 2nd King of RomeSources for this episode:
Cassius Dio (1961), Dio’s Roman History in Nine Volumes. Volume II. Translated by...104- An Interregnum and a Divine Acclamation
Between 716 and 715 BCE, Rome undergoes what becomes known as an interregnum- an inter regnum, or period between kings. Senators take five-day turns ruling the country, and then one year into it, Numa Pompilius becomes elected king! However, our Sabine protagonist just refuses to become monarch until all sorts of hoops have been jumped through...
Time period: 716- 715 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Numa Pompilius, 2nd King of RomeSources for this episode:
Cassius Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E...103- The Silent Tomb?
It's 5th July, 716 BCE. Campus Martius. One way or another, King Romulus of Rome disappears. But how? Did he become a god? Did the Senate do him in? Was there an uprising by the people? Let's pick our way through the different versions of events...
Time period: 716 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Romulus, 1st King of RomeSources for this episode:
Cassius Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University...102- Playing Whack-a-City
We march through the years from 752 to 716 BCE, polishing off the remaining thirty-six years of Romulus' rule. Along the way, we'll watch Rome hit a bunch of opponents until they stay down one after another and Romulus take on some tyrannical airs the Senate don't like. Also, is it Dionysus of Halicarnassus- or is it John?
Time period: 752- 716 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Romulus, 1st King of RomeSources for this episode:
Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of...101- Boy Meets Girl, Boy Steals Girl
Romulus may have founded a city and invited a bunch of criminals who need asylum in, but there's still a problem to overcome. Namely, there are no women in Rome. Well, nothing a good old-fashioned bit of mass kidnapping, brutal warfare and Stockholm syndrome can't overcome! Let's watch Vince decide he can't spell the word 'the' and Cassie decide she can't pronounce... things.
FYI: plea is a word derived from Anglo-French and area from Latin according to Etymology Online. Just in case anyone listened to the episode and thought they could do with that...
Bonus XX- In Other News: China in 753 BCE
Let's take a look at what's going on in China at the time Rome is founded! Today, we give a bit of context for Chinese mythology and history starting in the 27th century BCE and skipping through the Xia and Shang dynasties all the way up until the mess that is the Zhou in 753 BCE. Along the way, we get so many opportunities to mess up the pronunciation of Zhou! Shoe? Joe? Shou? Take your pick! Also, binary numbers.
Sources for this episode:
TBA
Bonus XIX- In Other News: Egypt in 753 BCE
Now that we've reached the founding of Rome, let's see what some areas in the rest of the world look like at this time. Today, we'll be exploring Egypt, which is currently in the middle of it's 22nd and 23rd dynasties. Fair warning- there will be a lot more people called Sheshonq and Osorkon than you might be able to handle...
NOTE: The book we have been working with as a source mentions pharaohs called Sheshonq, while Wikipedia spells it Shoshenq.
Sources for this episode:
TBA
100- And Now, the Beginning!
WE MADE IT! One hundred episodes in and we reached the founding of Rome. Just under thirty-nine hours of content later, we finally get to the point of the podcast. Romulus and Remus set out to found a city, but will it be Rome or Remoria? Will it be on the Palatine or the Aventine hill? Only one combination can win- and only one twin will leave the founding alive...
Time period: 753 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Romulus, 1st king of RomeRemus, twin brother of Romulus99- Summary of Chapter III: After the Fall
We've covered a lot of ground between the 1180s and 754 BCE. So, let's recap that in a bit more of a barebones recap today. Along the way, let's revisit the stories of Camilla, Remulus the hubristic king and Dido of Carthage. We'll also watch the co-hosts sass each other a lot more than necessary and pretend they don't know what a Rome is!
98- Insert Wolf Trop Here
Romulus and Remus have been ejected into the Tiber by their granduncle/possibly father Amulius- but Fate has other plans. The boys wash up near a fig tree and survive by getting suckled by a she-wolf- all of which spells bad news for Amulius of Alba Longa...
Time period: 771- 754 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Amulius, 18th King of Alba LongaNumitor, 19th King of Alba LongaRomulus, grandson of NumitorRemus, brother of RomulusSources for this episode:
Boitani, L., Phillips, M. & Jhala, Y...Edict- The Princess Imperial
Today is a day of great rejoicing. Sometime over the past month, we became parents! Say hello to Her Imperial Highness, the Princess Imperial, Duchess of Constantinople and heiress presumptive to the Roman empire.
We are very excited, but you may have to bear with us in terms of the schedule as we navigate through the waters of early parenthood. Thank you for your patience!
97- Usurpation!
With the reign of Proca in the rear view mirror, we turn our attention to his two sons- Numitor and Amulius. A murderous plot and a usurpation leads to a young woman being condemned to a life as a Vestal Virgin. However, that doesn't stop her getting pregnant somehow. Oh well, let's put those twin boys in the Tiber...
Time period: 796- 771 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Proca, 17th King of Alba LongaAmulius, 18th King of Alba LongaRomulus, grandson of NumitorRemus, brother of RomulusNumitor, heir of ProcaRhea Ilia, daughter...Bonus XVIII- My City For an Olive Tree
In our main narrative, a certain Italian city state is not far away from being founded. So, let's talk today about the myth of another famous city- Athens- and its beginnings. Expect olive trees, salt springs and a half-snake king whose descendants get up to all kinds of divinity-adjacent tomfoolery.
Sources for this episode:
TBA
96- King of the Hill
Aventinus and Proca take us all the way down to the 790s BCE. Along the way, we see another hill of a certain famous city gets its name, the city chugs along quietly in the background, and the Herbology teacher from Harry Potter gets a cameo story in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Wait... What was that last part?
Time period: 856- 796 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Aventinus, 16th King of Alba LongaProca, 17th King of Alba LongaSources for this episode:
Appian (1972), Appian's Roman...95- Thunderbolts and Lightning
This episode is very, very frightning- me! But Bohemian Rhapsody references aside, we continue our story of the kings of Alba Longa down to 856 BCE. Join us for the arrogance of Remulus, earthquakes, divine punishments, and Cassie's intense dislike of an Alban king called Acrota.
Time period: 916- 856 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Agrippa, 13th King of Alba LongaRemulus; 14th King of Alba LongaAcrota, 15th King of Alba LongaAventinus, 16th King of Alba LongaSources for this episode:
Appian (1972), Appian’s Roman Hi...94- River Man
Quite a few reigns come and go as we head towards 916 BCE. Perhaps the most noteworthy of them all is that of Tiberinus- who drowns in the Albula river during a battle and becomes a god...
Time period: 924- 916 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Tiberinus, 12th King of Alba LongaBonus XVII- In Other News: David and Solomon (Christmas Special)
Sometimes we like to pause to reflect on what's going on in the world around us at the time of our narrative. Well, at around about the time our Alba Longan kings are ruling, the narratives of the Old Testament and Josephus have David and Solomon ruling over Israel! Let's examine the shenanigans going on in the courts of Hebron and Jerusalem, starting with David and working through twenty generations until the fall of Judah in 581 BCE...
NOTE: The sources used for the family tree made for our logo are listed in the description...
93- Messy Family Tree Time
From about 1030 BCE, all of our sources about Alba Longa and its kings crumble into disagreement. Get ready for tales of heirs saving puppies in housefires, three kings at once, and whether the recording room of Autocrat is still haunted.
Time period: 992- 965 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Egyptus, 7th King of Alba LongaEpitus, 8th King of Alba LongaAtys, 9th King of Alba LongaSources for this episode:
Appian (1972), Appian’s Roman History in Four Volumes (Vol. I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: Wi...92- A New Aeneas
He's finally here! Aeneas II of Alba Longa! Long may he reign gloriously! Get ready for mighty battles, great conquests, soaring triumphs and... what's that? Ovid, Livy and Cassius Dio want to have a word? Well of course, I- what do you mean the history books are empty?
Time period: 1111- 1081 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Aeneas II, 4th King of Alba LongaSources for this episode:
Appian (1972), Appian’s Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William He...91- I'm An Englishman in New Troy
Pausing our narrative with the death of Silvius in 1111 BCE, we follow his exiled younger son Brutus, who winds up in Britain after a series of Odyssey-style adventures and becomes its first king. His family will rule Britain for centuries according to the mythological narrative of Geoffrey of Monmouth, taking us all the way to the epoch of Rome's founding before we circle back next week to deal with Aeneas II...
Time period: 1126- 770 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Silvius, 3rd King of Alba LongaAeneas II, 4th King of...90- An Alban Fairytale Prince
With Ascanius gone, his half-brother Silvius- the posthumous son of Aeneas and Lavinia- steps into the narrative. This week on Autocrat, a contested royal election, murky regency timelines, and the podcast hosts declaring war on Titus Livius.
Would you be interested in a discussion on what the historical founding of Rome was like outside of its mythological origins? Let us know!
Time period: 1140- 1111 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Ascanius, 2nd King of Alba LongaSilvius, 3rd King of Alba LongaLavinia, Queen of Alba LongaIulus, 1st Pontifex Maximus<...89- Pig City
Alba Longa is here! Pig City! Or Long White City. Or Longtown... The etymology is disputed. As is pretty much everything else from the reign of Ascanius! Join us for revisions of our timeline from episode 77, a wine obsession on the part of Dionysus of Halicarnassus, and far too much of our Auto-cat Felix disrupting recording.
Time period: 1178- 1140 BCE
Relevant individuals:
Ascanius, 2nd King of Alba LongaSources for this episode:
Appian (1972), Appian’s Roman History in Four Volumes (Vo...