Now reading: “Julius Caesar and the Roman People” Rejecting the image of Caesar the ever-aspiring autocrat, Morstein-Marx presents a man working within the traditional (mostly functioning) framework of the Republic, but whose successes also conflicted with other powerful actors in that same system.

Now reading: “Julius Caesar and the Roman People” Rejecting the image of Caesar the ever-aspiring autocrat, Morstein-Marx presents a man working within the traditional (mostly functioning) framework of the Republic, but whose successes also conflicted with other powerful actors in that same system.

As per my latest episode, I’m happy to announce that I have collaborated with Imperial Wares to produce a shirt inspired by the podcast and the Seleucid Empire! You can find the shirt available via ImperialWares.com and the link to the store page below: www.etsy.com/listing/4514...

123: The Seleucid Empire - Wrath of the Goddess Demetrius II returns from Parthian captivity, but nobody is happy to see him. The Syrians support a new claimant Alexander II Zabinas, and his (former) Queen Cleopatra Thea makes her own bid for power tinyurl.com/ywuzp2v8

123: The Seleucid Empire - Wrath of the Goddess Demetrius II returns from Parthian captivity, but nobody is happy to see him. The Syrians support a new claimant Alexander II Zabinas, and his (former) Queen Cleopatra Thea makes her own bid for power tinyurl.com/ywuzp2v8

Now reading: “Creating a Hellenistic World” - Ed. by A. Erskine and L. Llewellyn-Jones A collection of essays focusing on the early Hellenistic Age, from the development of Koine Greek to the cementing of court life and monarchy. Thank you to my anonymous donor for the book!

Every once in a while, Facebook Marketplace produces something unexpected and magical, like Miss Piggy as “Cleopigtra”

I hope you enjoyed our latest episode! Next time, Demetrius II returns to Syria after ten years in Parthian captivity, much to the chagrin of his (former) wife Cleopatra Thea. As civil war grips the realm once again, Thea is determined to keep her long-held position at any price Stay tuned!

New Episode! 122: Ptolemaic Egypt - The Good, the Bad, and the Fatty Ptolemy VIII returns to Egypt in 145 and launches a wave of terror against his enemies, including his own family, as the manipulation of his two wives Cleopatra II and III leads to civil war in 132. tinyurl.com/4pjvr33e

New Episode! 122: Ptolemaic Egypt - The Good, the Bad, and the Fatty Ptolemy VIII returns to Egypt in 145 and launches a wave of terror against his enemies, including his own family, as the manipulation of his two wives Cleopatra II and III leads to civil war in 132. tinyurl.com/4pjvr33e

Now reading: “Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt” - G. Pinch An introductory but comprehensive account of the Ancient Egyptian pantheon, worshipped from the time of the first pharaoh Narmer (3100 BC) until Late Antiquity (400 AD).

It’s the summer of Egypt: Tonight’s first film is “The Mummy” (1999), and while highly fantastical, I’m sure has inspired as many Egyptologists as “Gladiator” did for ancient historians. Such an awesome movie.

You know, with Ptolemy VIII Physcon, the more I learn about that guy, the more I don't care for him

New edition with commentary of Callimachus' epigrams. Callimachus: The Epigrams Edited with Introduction, Translation, and Commentary Edited by: Susan A. Stephens and Benjamin Acosta-Hughes www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

Now reading: “A Noble Ruin” by W.J. Tatum This recent biography tackles the life of Mark Antony, one of antiquity’s most controversial figures, whose battles with Octavian and union with Cleopatra VII fascinated later writers for centuries. So far it’s a great read, really delves into the period

Hope you enjoyed our latest episode! Next time, Ptolemy VIII returns to Egypt after his brother’s death in 145, enacting a wave of political violence and a ménage à trois with the mother-daughter pair of Cleopatra II and III. Is it any wonder that civil war followed suit? Stay tuned!

Now reading: “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny” - E.J. Watts A recent introductory overview of the Late Roman Republic from the Gracchi to the rise of Augustus. We’ve finally reached the Late Republic in the podcast, time to do a deep dive this summer

121: The Seleucid Empire - The Man They Called Sidetes With the Seleucid Empire on its last legs, all hope lay in the hands of Antiochus VII Sidetes, who manages to reunite Syria and gambles everything on one last anabasis to reconquer Babylonia in 130 B.C. tinyurl.com/s7ctw9vd

"Your courage and drunkenness have ruined you, O Antiochus; for you hoped that, in your great cups, you would be able to drink up the kingdom of Arsaces.” - Athenaeus, 10.439d-e A silver tetradrachm of Antiochus VII Sidetes (r. 138-129) Episode 121 is slated for release in the next few days!

Now reading: the Poems of Propertius One of the great poets of the Augustan period, Propertius composed works lauding Augustus’ achievements, but is more well known for his dramatic love poems centered around his mistress and muse, Cynthia Thank you to my anonymous donor for gifting me this book!

Now reading: “Time and Its Adversaries in the Seleucid Empire” - P.J. Kosmin A study on one of the most novel inventions of the Seleucid dynasty: the creation of the Seleucid Era, the world’s first continuous linear calendar, inspiring the Christian Anno Domini and Islamic Hijri systems

We’ve still got a hundred years left to cover in the podcast, meanwhile I’ve spent a lot of my recent walks planning the last episodes in my head. Even though her story has been done to death, I think the episodes around Cleopatra VII’s life are going to slap. There’s too much good material not to.

We’ve still got a hundred years left to cover in the podcast, meanwhile I’ve spent a lot of my recent walks planning the last episodes in my head. Even though her story has been done to death, I think the episodes around Cleopatra VII’s life are going to slap. There’s too much good material not to.

I hope you enjoyed the newest episode! Next time, Antiochus VII "Sidetes" takes the stage as he attempts to wrangle the chaos in Syria by battling the usurper Diodotus Tryphon and the Hasmoneans in Judea, before setting his sights on recovering Babylonia and Iran from the Parthians. Stay tuned!

The latest known copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh dates to 130 BC, made by a Babylonian scribe-in-training named Bel-ahhe-usur. Coincidentally, this would also be during the last year a Seleucid was recognized as king in Babylon, before it fell permanently to the Parthians.

120: The Seleucid Empire - Writing on the Wall The civil war of Demetrius II, Antiochus VI, and Diodotus Tryphon destabilizes Syria and the west, allowing Mithridates I of Parthia to conquer Babylon in 141 and forcing Demetrius to command a (botched) expedition to retake it. tinyurl.com/2etbwhua

120: The Seleucid Empire - Writing on the Wall The civil war of Demetrius II, Antiochus VI, and Diodotus Tryphon destabilizes Syria and the west, allowing Mithridates I of Parthia to conquer Babylon in 141 and forcing Demetrius to command a (botched) expedition to retake it. tinyurl.com/2etbwhua

Now reading: “A History of the Ptolemaic Empire” - G. Höbl Perhaps the best single-volume account of Ptolemaic Egypt, one I’ve relied upon for years, covering the dynasty’s 300 year history from Ptolemy I to Cleopatra VII. It’s nice to finally have a copy as I plan the messy end of the 2nd cent. BC

Now reading: “Cleopatra’s Daughter: From Roman Prisoner to African Queen” by J. Draycott (@jldraycott.bsky.social) This biography covers the life of Cleopatra Selene II, who despite being overshadowed by her famous parents enjoyed successful reign as queen of Mauretania in post-Hellenistic world.

Now reading: “Cleopatra’s Daughter: From Roman Prisoner to African Queen” by J. Draycott (@jldraycott.bsky.social) This biography covers the life of Cleopatra Selene II, who despite being overshadowed by her famous parents enjoyed successful reign as queen of Mauretania in post-Hellenistic world.

Heracles of Behistun: a stone carving on the face of Mt. Behistun in Iran. Dating to June/July of 148, the statue and inscription are in honor of Cleomenes, a Seleucid satrap who battled the Parthians in Media. Ironically, the region would be conquered by Mithridates I of Parthia in the next year.

After 50 hours, I finally completed AC: Origins. There are major flaws with the story and pacing, but I absolutely love the way they portrayed Ptolemaic Egypt. The map is so detailed and varied, and there are a lot of little nice touches that I was able to catch. Some of the locations were gorgeous

Now reading: “The Architecture of Alexandria and Egypt: 300 BC - AD 700” - J. McKenzie A thorough examination of the visual and architectural landscape of Egypt from the Ptolemaic dynasty through Late Antiquity, particularly the city of Alexandria, the most renowned in the Hellenistic period

One amusing thing I’ve noticed with British classical studies is the pervasiveness of physiognomy, esp. in numismatics. Peter Green in “Alexander to Actium”: “The early kings of Pontus resemble nothing so much as a family of escaped convicts: Pharnaces I has the profile of a Neanderthal…”

119: The Rise of the Parthian Empire - From Arsaces to Mithridates I As Rome consolidated the Mediterranean under her hegemony, the Parthians were poised to conquer Iran and Mesopotamia. This episode explores how the Arsacids forged their empire that they'd rule for 500 years. tinyurl.com/sr6hkcrx

Hope you enjoyed our newest episode! Next time, we return to Syria, as the recently enthroned Demetrius II Nicator contends with another usurper, Diodotus “Tryphon”. Meanwhile, the instability in the west allows Mithridates I of Parthia to launch an invasion of Media and Babylonia Stay tuned!

119: The Rise of the Parthian Empire - From Arsaces to Mithridates I As Rome consolidated the Mediterranean under her hegemony, the Parthians were poised to conquer Iran and Mesopotamia. This episode explores how the Arsacids forged their empire that they'd rule for 500 years. tinyurl.com/sr6hkcrx

One year ago today, I was exploring the ruins of Petra in Jordan, one of the greatest and awe-inspiring experiences of my life. No major trips are on my immediate horizon, but perhaps at the end of the year I’ll be somewhere with a little more…pyramids

Looks like the pretense of protecting Iranians from the abuses of their government has gone fully out the window by this point. Even if this is the president blustering, it is utter madness, no matter whether you’re right or left. My heart goes out for the people of Iran affected by this chaos.

Hope you enjoyed our newest episode! Next time we’ll turn back east to chronicle the earliest years of the Arsacid Parthian Empire, which by 141 BC was poised to conquer the Iranian Plateau and Mesopotamia in the face of Seleucid civil wars. Stay tuned!

118: Graecia Capta - The Roman Conquest of Greece The Achaean League seeks to assert its autonomy by waging war against Sparta. The frustrated Romans intervene in the Achaean War of 146 and sack Corinth, making it clear that they will be the only ones to determine the destiny of Greece.

Ancient History 101 has launched! Find out where to listen and subscribe here: linktr.ee/ancienthistory101podcast

Now reading: “Beyond Alexandria: Literature and Empire in the Seleucid World” by M.S. Visscher Overshadowed by their Ptolemaic rivals, the Seleucid dynasty was just as committed to the patronage of the literary arts, using poetry and historical works to help articulate their imperial vision

I hope you all enjoyed our newest episode! Next time we meet, we’ll cover the final days of an independent Greece as the Roman Republic and Achaean League butt heads, leading to the destruction of Corinth and a permanent Roman presence. Stay tuned!

117: Antigonid Macedon - The Vergina Sun Never Sets... Fifteen years after the death of King Perseus, a man named Philip VI Andriscus claims to be a lost Antigonid prince and invades Macedonia in 150 to re-establish the monarchy. Rome does not approve, and takes permanent measures to stop it.

117: Antigonid Macedon - The Vergina Sun Never Sets... Fifteen years after the death of King Perseus, a man named Philip VI Andriscus claims to be a lost Antigonid prince and invades Macedonia in 150 to re-establish the monarchy. Rome does not approve, and takes permanent measures to stop it.

Now reading: “Polybius” by F.W. Walbank A concise but illuminating landmark study of Polybius of Megalopolis, the greatest historian of the Hellenistic period and among all Greek historians perhaps only second in rank among Thucydides, written by one of his foremost experts.

I hope you enjoyed our newest episode! Next time, we return to Greece to learn that Macedonia, having been deprived of a king for seventeen years, is taken over by a pretender named Andriscus who claims Antigonid heritage and briefly restores the monarchy. Understandably, Rome does not approve.

116: The Third Punic War - Dido's Lament While the Romans expect an easy victory, the Carthaginians valiantly defend their city for nearly three years. Through the command of Scipio Aemilianus, the Romans finally eradicate the once-mighty Carthage. tinyurl.com/4wv6mwbp

Now reading: “Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route” - S.E. Sidebotham A survey of Berenike Troglodytica, one of the most important Ptolemaic (and later Roman) ports situated along the coast of the Red Sea, famed for its role in the Indo-Roman trade network that emerged in the 1st cent BC