Copyright 2009 Rob Cain
Episode 1 -- "What have the Romans ever done for us."
Introduction to the series Ancient Rome Refocused.
MP3 File
Episode 2 --"Time Travel is Easy, History is Hard."
A look at the difficulties of living in 51 B.C.
MP3 File
Episode 3 --"Stay for the Servile Wars or visit Mother in Sperlonga."
Why did Spartacus turn back from the Alps?
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Episode 4 -- "Save Me a Seat at the Triumph, and Let's Throw a Cabbage at the Gaul."
A study of the Roman Triumph. The author Steven Saylor is interviewed.
MP3 File
Episode 5 --"The 24th Shitkickers Were Never The Same After The Peloponnese."
If you talk about the Romans you have to talk about the Greeks. This episode explores the ancient Greek play AJAX written by Sophocles. Included in this episode are interviews with Bryan Doerries, director and translator for the New York based THEATER OF WAR acting troupe.
MP3 File
Rob Cain has traveled extensively through Europe, Italy, and Egypt. He is now currently on active duty with the United States Army. He is a fan of history, and enjoys reading books on the history of Rome. He currently has a podcast presentation on itunes. The blog is for the free and open discussion of Ancient Rome based on Mr. Cain's observations noted in his podcast. Comments are welcome.
This blog site is protected by the muse Calliope (epic poetry), and her sister Clio (muse of history).
Professors that wish to be a guest editor on this blog are invited to submit articles. Please contact Mr. Cain at: Rob@ancientromerefocused.org.
There are some simple house rules:
1. Educate through ideas
2. Share with us what you know
3. No profanity
4. Cite your sources if possible
5. Attack ideas not people
And more importantly if you hear or see something on the blog or podcast that you know to be inaccurate or you disagree with let's hear from you. Don't let it pass by, make a comment.
1. Ghosts of Vesuvius by Charles Pellegrino. Sub title: A new look at the last days of Pompeii, how towers fall, and other strange connections. Copyright 2004.
2. A.D.62: Pompeii by Rebecca East. A book about a time traveler and her experiences back in ancient Pompeii. Copyright 2003.
3. Spartacus by Howard Fast. Copyright 1951.
4. The Triumph of Caesar by Steven Saylor. Copyright 2008.
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FROM THE ANNE IS THE MAN BLOG SITE:
Ancient Rome Refocused is a new history podcast that deserves the highest acclaim. This podcast seems to be about Roman history, but in fact is about much more. This is because it is a podcast both of history narrative, which obviously is concentrated on Rome, and of history musings. On account of the last quality, already, the podcast has been widely compared with Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. I would also like to compare the show with Nate DiMeo's Memory Palace.
Host and maker of the podcast Rob Cain is off on a magnificent start with his series and even now, three episodes into the feed, we must grant him his own ground and assure that he is making something unique, something very good and in addition to that, I am absolutely sure, the history podcast audience is going to adore. The comparisons with Dan Carlin and Nate DiMeo serve here only as a characterization and not as some example of what Cain is trying to emulate. Cain combines the history musings, like Dan Carlin, with the astonishing narrative qualities of Nate DiMeo. Cain is telling Roman history with a quality of narrative immediacy that equals the impressive standard of DiMeo's Memory Palace and continues to engage in thoughts about that history in the compelling way of Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. Thus he establishes an impressive combination of styles that both work extremely well in podcast and he does so with his own voice, his own style that bears only comparison, but not similarity with the mentioned predecessors.
First of all, I'd simply urge you to go and listen without letting me spoil the surprises in particular and the fun in general (feed). Allow me to highlight just these three identifiers for the first three issues. The first makes excellent use of Monty Python's scene in Life of Brian 'What have the Romans ever done for us'. The second lays out the basics of the Roman reality by projecting time travel. The third delivers a subtle expose on slavery in Rome (that dwarfs Dan Carlin's adventure into slavery) which is both history, audio drama, a poignant contemporary critique of low wage labor and prostitution as well as the most balanced analysis of Spartacus' slave revolt I have encountered ever. With even more lines to current times.
Even if Rob Cain stops now, he has produced a podcast classic. The idea he is about to deliver a fourth, and likely more episodes has me both reel in anticipation and yet also a bit worried: can he keep up with the towering standard he has set off with?
Click here to go to the review on Anne is the Man Blog Site.
FROM THE FORGOTTEN CLASSICS BLOG SITE:
Walk This [Roman] Way
I did make one hypothesis while I was there. Just one. I wish I could share with you more than that. It was something I noticed. As I stood close to the location to the Temple of the Vestal Virgins I could see the collossium. In fact it is in walking distance. It was not that far from the Senate building where the laws were made, and the emperors sat, and I could imagine that when the wind was good, and the conditions right, 50, 000 voices shouting in their blood lust could be heard through the windows.
I wonder what laws were passed based on that sound?
I've been thoroughly enjoying the Ancient Rome Refocused podcast. It has the informality and "outside the envelope" thinking that puts one in mind of Hardcore History (I have a feeling that Rob Cain is going to get very tired of that comparison). Now I see that his blog is just as entertaining, informative, and thought provoking. Check it out.
Click here to go to Forgotten Classics and see the blog site and the review.
This blog site was created by Rachelle Cunliffe and Stephen Merriman at cre8d design.
Click here to go to this web site.
"To Romans I set no boundary in space or time. I have granted them dominion, and it has no end."
Virgil, The Aeneid