Julius Caesar

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Romans built an empire that reshaped the world through brutal wars, brilliant strategy, and even the power of the pen. From the blood-soaked battlefields to the marble halls of Rome, a few towering figures stand out: Pompey, Scipio, Augustus, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius... but who truly deserves the title of the Greatest Roman of All Time?

Many would say Julius Caesar — the bold general who crossed the Rubicon and shattered the Republic. To find out if he truly deserves the title, Dan is joined by renowned Roman historian Dr. Simon Elliott, as they debate Caesar’s legacy and weigh him against Rome’s other titans.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, folks, welcome to Dan Snow's history. They forged a massive empire. They smashed enemies and shaped history. Sometimes, well, often with a sword, sometimes with a steelus, or a pen, if you like. From innumerable battlefields to the marble-clad colonnades of Rome, a handful of leaders emerged.
0:23.0	You got Pompey, Scipio, Augustus, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius,
0:28.5	but who truly deserves the title of the greatest Roman of them all?
0:33.3	A lot of people would say Julius Caesar, the daring general,
0:37.0	who added millions of square miles
0:39.6	to the empire or the republic, before crossing the Rubicon and breaking that republic.
0:45.9	But is that true?
0:46.9	Is there someone more deserving?
0:48.5	The one person who can answer this question for me is the esteemed Dr. Simon Elliott,
0:53.3	expert in all things Roman, and you're about
0:55.2	to hear that conversation right here on the podcast. But before you listen, I have some exciting
0:58.7	news for you. You're going to go crazy. It's all available for you to watch this episode on
1:03.3	YouTube. Yep, Downs Nose History is launched on YouTube. Our Friday podcasts will be available to
1:09.7	watch. So head over to our new YouTube channel and make sure you subscribe.
1:13.8	Now, to make that super easy, you can find the link in our show notes.
1:17.2	But now, friends, now it is time to decide whether Julius Caesar really was the goat.
1:22.9	Let's get into it. Enjoy.
1:26.0	T-minus 10.
1:26.9	The Thomas bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
1:29.3	God save the king.
1:31.0	No black quaint unity till there is
1:33.0	first than black unity.
	...

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