Life in Rome at the Very Height of Its Power

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2023

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Pax Romana has long been shorthand for the empire’s golden age. Stretching from Caledonia to Arabia, Rome ruled over a quarter of the world’s population. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state in the history of humankind.

Today we are speaking with Tom Holland, author of “Pax: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age” to explore Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, we see ancient Rome in all its glory and cruelty: Nero’s downfall, the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian’s Wall, and the conquests of Trajan. Looking at the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, we see that Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Scott here with another episode of the History Unplugged Podcast.
0:08.1	The Roman Empire was at its wealthiest and most powerful during the Pax Romana, a 200-year
0:12.6	period from the ascension of Augustus in 27 BC to 180 AD with the death of Marcus Aurelius,
0:18.4	when Rome is mostly at peace and it could divert its resources from war fighting to building
0:22.3	up its civilization.
0:23.5	It stretched from Scotland to Arabia when Rome ruled over a quarter of the world's population,
0:27.6	making it the wealthiest and most formidable state in the history of humankind.
0:31.2	Today's episode, we're speaking with Tom Holland, author of Pax, War and Peace in Rome's
0:35.6	Golden Age, about the empire at the absolute height of its power.
0:39.1	When Rome built Hadrian's Wall, inaugurated the Colosseum, and invaded Parthia, giving Rome
0:43.6	a road to India and China.
0:45.6	Romans gained the power and wealth to build temples and theaters, baths and libraries, fresh
0:49.8	water systems and roads.
0:51.4	Focusing on the first and second century of Rome, we're going to look at things for the
0:55.0	decline and long before the fall.
0:57.2	Hope you enjoyed this discussion with Tom Holland.
1:02.0	And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick break for a word
1:05.0	from our sponsors.
1:10.8	Let's begin with the extensive Roman Empire at a tight.
1:14.6	This is the era which a book opens, covers, and you open with Emperor Hadrian commissioning
1:19.0	infrastructure in England that becomes part of the Hadrian's Wall complex in AD 122.
1:25.0	This is what Edward Gebbin calls the period in the history of the world during which the
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