The Partial Historians

n this special episode we’re joined by Josh Cannon who holds a PhD in near eastern languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago. Prior to this, Josh was a member of the US Marine Corps and served in two tours of Iraq as an Arabic cryptologic linguist. We sat down with Josh to chat about his book Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad which brings together his lived experience of military service with the ideas that emerge from Homer’s epic poem.

Things to listen out for
Modern versus ancient conceptions of glory
The power of translation to inspire
Connections between near eastern mythology and Homer’s Iliad
The shared stories of the Hittites and the Ionian Greeks
The way the consequences of modern warfare can help us understand the depictions of warfare in the ancient world better

Books and scholars mentioned in this interview
Epic of Gilgamesh - There are many translations of this epic, one of the most recent is that of Simon Armitage

Translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey
Robert Fagles - The Iliad (1998)
Robert Fagles - The Odyssey (1996)
Richard Lattimore - The Iliad
Stanley Lombardo - The Iliad (1997)
Emily Wilson - The Odyssey (2017)
Emily Wilson - The Iliad (2023)
Spartan poet Tyrtaeus
Bachvarova, M. R., From Hittite to Homer: The Anatolian Background of Ancient Greek Epic (2016, Cambridge University Press)
Carolina López-Ruiz, When the Gods Were Born: Greek Cosmogonies and the Near East (Harvard University Press, 2010)
Patrick Shaw-Stewart’s untitled poem “I saw a man this morning”
Jonathan Shay, Achilles in Vietnam: combat trauma and the undoing of character (2004, Scribner)
Martin West, The East Face of Helicon: West Asiatic Elements in Greek Poetry and Myth (1999, Oxford University Press)
For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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The late republic of Rome is a tumultuous time in more ways than one and it opens up the possibility for elite women to be part of Rome’s political project in more overt ways than previously recorded in the ancient evidence. It is this milieu which is the launching point for Kaarina Parker’s debut novel Fulvia, which takes us into the world of the elite Roman women through the eyes of one of the biggest movers and shakers, Fulvia.

As the wife of several high profile Roman men during her life, Fulvia's place in history is significant and by offering a fictionalized account of her world, Parker provides a gateway into the extremely interesting political machinations that were part of the last century of the Roman republic.

Fulvia’s marriage stand as a record of her influence… Parker’s novel navigates Fulvia’s arrival in Rome and her first marriage to Publius Clodius Pulcher. The next novel
in the duology will explore Fulvia's life as she goes on to have marriages with Gaius Scribonius Curio and Marcus Antonius.

Join us as we consider the historical sources that have inspired Parker’s novel as well as the important idea of maintaining separation between history and historical fiction.

Texts mentioned in this interview:
Parker mentions Dr Jane Draycott’s book on Fulvia: Fulvia: The Woman Who Broke All the Rules in Ancient Rome and we also have an interview with Draycott on Fulvia, which we recommend you check out to if the details of Fulvia’s life intrigue you.
Dr G mentions Colleen McCullough's Master of Rome series as a point of comparison with Fulvia.

For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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It’s 387 BCE and Rome is working on getting back of her feet. What’s even happening in Rome? It can be hard to tell because of the nature of the extant sources and just how much seems to be missing. The Gallic Sack casts a long shadow over Rome, it was just a couple of years ago but the consequences of the situation linger. Livy notes that Rome is continuing its rebuilding program.

Land Allotment Anyone?
If there’s one thing you can count on in this era, it’s the cyclical focus on war and land allotment. And we have a tribune of the plebs on the record, which is a hint that there’ll be agitation for agrarian reform. We know this has a literary legacy for our late Republican writers like Livy, but that’s not to say that there wasn’t a need to reform in the middle republic. Enter stage right: the Pomptine Marshes!

A Temple to Mars
Back during the conflict with Gauls, the Romans had vowed to establish a temple to Mars. And we’re finally up to the dedication of the temple in 387 BCE. This is an exceptionally important event for the Romans as it is way of cementing their relationship with Mars. A temple requires some specific activities to establish and seems to have involved the duumvirs for the sacred things.

Side Quest: Carthage
Did you know that Carthage invaded Italy in 387 BCE? Neither did we, but here we are. The rivalry between the Carthaginians and the Sicilians is starting to hot up but unfortunately a quick plague makes everything very unpleasant.

Things to listen out for:
Volscians and Aequians just over the horizon
Who can fix it? Bob the Builder
Livy and the post-Gracchan world
An increased interest in ensuring divine favour
It’s time for an interregnum!
The Sibylline Books and their contents
New tribes for the Romans?
A Sardinian and Libyan revolt?
Four new voting tribes: Stellatina, Tormentina, Sabatina, and Arniensis

For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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We feel extremely fortunate to sit down and talk to Jess Venner and her debut book, The Lost Voices of Pompeii. This book takes you through the final twenty-four hours in the lives of several of the residents of the city, from slaves to politicians to business women.

Dr Jess Venner
Dr Jess Venner earned her PhD in Classics, Ancient History, and Archaeology from the University of Birmingham in 2018. She currently holds the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the University of Oxford. Jess is well known for her popular outreach via her channel ‘Life in the Past Lane’, and you can check this out on TikTok, YouTube, Substack and Instagram. You can also find out more about her various achievements at her website.

Thing to Look Out For:
· The importance of material culture in understanding past lives
· The role of critical fabulation in constructing history
· The life of Aulus Umbricius Scaurus – The Ketchup King of Pompeii
· The cult of Isis – we feel a serious case of Egyptomania coming on! Get a doctor, quick!
· The fate of the survivors of the eruption – an oft-overlooked group
· Exciting new projects in the works for Dr Venner – keep your eyes peeled!

We are certain that you will want to grab your own copy of The Lost Voices of Pompeii after hearing all about Dr Venner’s extensive research and huge passion for her subjects. This book manages to combine a compelling story with the lates archaeological evidence from the site. Find it where all good books are sold from April 23!

Sound Credits
Our music is by Bettina Joy de Guzman.
For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome
Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire
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Welcome back to Rome’s rebuilding era! It’s a year of reasserting dominance, crafting fancy hewn stones for building works, and getting the citizen body back in order.

Camillus in Triumph
After seemingly managing to defeat three of Rome’s enemies at once, Camillus was back in Rome, basking in his glory. Unfortunately, his success seems to have meant a life in slavery for many of the conquered people. Camillus auctioned these prisoners off, using the proceeds to pay back the Roman matrons and buy the city some gold bowls, engraved with his name.

Citizens of Rome
The Romans were trying to get back to business as usual after the Gallic sack. This involved granting citizenship to any people who had switched sides during the conflicts of the past decade or so. Welcome to the cleerrrb. There were also some reluctant Roman citizens still hanging out in Veii, and that just would not do. The senate issued a decree ordering them back to Rome – OR ELSE.

Renovating Rome
The Romans had to do some rebuilding after the Gallic sack, as we know, but why not make some improvements whilst they were at it? Livy records that the Capitol was given a substructure of hewn stone, which he thought was still impressive in his own time.

Spiteful Skirmishes
Never a city that revels in peace, the Romans decided to attack some of the people who had tried to take advantage of their moment of weakness in 390 BCE. The Aequians and some Etruscan towns found themselves the victims of sudden assaults. Payback is a bitch!

Our Players - 388 BCE
Military Tribunes with Consular Power
T. Quinctius (T. f. L. n.) Cincinnatus Capitolinus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 385?, 384
Q. Servilius Q. f. P. n. Fidenas (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 402, 398, 395, 390, 386
L. Iulius -f. -n. Iullus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 379
L. Aquilius -f. -n. Corvus
L. Lucretius -f. -n. Flavus Tricipitinus (Pat) Cos. Suff. 393, Mil. Tr. c.p. 391, 383, 381
Ser. Sulpicius – f. -n. Rufus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c.p. 384, 383, 377?
For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

Support the show
Patreon
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Read our books
Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome
Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.