Ahve, and welcome to Emperor of Rome, a Roman history podcast from Latrobe University.

I'm your host Matt Smith and with me today is Dr.

Caylin Davenport, senior lecturer in Roman history at Macquarie University and

Humboldt Research Fellow at Gertha University in Frankfurt, Germany.

This is episode CXX,

Ephician Annette.

When Alexander Severus leads the Roman armies east, he meets Arderserxes and the Sasanians in battle,

but he is ultimately unprepared.

Arderserkies attacked unexpectedly with his entire force and trap the Romans like a fish in a net,

firing their arrows from all sides at the encircled soldiers. The Persians massacred the whole army.

He is Kalin Davenport. So how old would he have been at this time then? This is 231.

Yeah, Alexander would be 23 at this point in time. So he's young, but you know, he's old enough to command an army and this is what you know Roman emperors are supposed to do.

And so there's this expectation that he needs to be there in person to defend the empire just as Max Aurelius had done with the incursions

on the Ryan and Danube frontiers.

So he gives his troops a rousing speech which is always good which is what you want from an emperor and we've got

heradian quoting him here. Yes so he addresses the soldiers as his fellow men.

According to Herodian, he stands up and says,

and this is 6.3.3.

Fellow soldiers, I would have preferred

to make the usual kind of speech to which you would

be accredit my ability as a speaker and a pleasure for you to listen to.

After enduring peace for many years, you may possibly be astounded to hear something novel on this occasion coming unexpectedly in my speech.

...