The Turning Wheel Podcast
History Podcasts
The Turning Wheel covers the pivot points of human history, and the fascinating questions that underlie our civilization. Our special emphases are when civilizations made big shifts, without anyone really realizing it. Humans may fight these changes, but they often lose. From Marcus Aurelius's rule during the twilight years of the Pax Romana to city planning errors in the 20th century shaping how we live today, we cover a lot of ground. Support the podcast at: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurningWheel
Location:
United States
Genres:
History Podcasts
Description:
The Turning Wheel covers the pivot points of human history, and the fascinating questions that underlie our civilization. Our special emphases are when civilizations made big shifts, without anyone really realizing it. Humans may fight these changes, but they often lose. From Marcus Aurelius's rule during the twilight years of the Pax Romana to city planning errors in the 20th century shaping how we live today, we cover a lot of ground. Support the podcast at: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurningWheel
Language:
English
Contact:
2034391298
Email:
aperlot@gmail.com
Episodes
E1.13 Q&A For Kingdom of Iron and Rust
6/30/2019
We talk Marcus's notebook, his stereotyped wife, what would have happened if he'd killed Commodus, and whether or not he was a manipulated dupe.
Duration:00:19:35
E1.12 Why The Romans Didn't Notice Their Decline
6/17/2019
Romans of the late empire were well aware that their borders had become porous, that fewer soldiers stood ready to drive out the increasingly bold barbarian tribes, that there was less tax revenue to fund everything, and that they seemed to end every generation a bit worse off than they'd been at the beginning of it.
That is to say that the Romans were very aware of the symptoms of their own decline, but for the most part, they were clueless about the real causes underlying...
Duration:00:49:50
E1.11 Commodus the Antithesis
6/7/2019
Roman history fans know two things about Commodus: First, he was a horribly corrupt, psychopathic emperor. Second, he reigned at the end of the Pax Romana, and helped start Rome's slow decline towards eventual dissolution.
The Roman senator and historian Cassius Dio, who knew Commodus and his father, Marcus Aurelius, personally, tells us that with the ascention of Commodus that, "our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust, as affairs did for the Romans of that...
Duration:00:25:13
E1.10 Finishing What He Started
6/4/2019
Marcus Aurelius decides that he's going to crush that Germanic and Sarmatian tribes once and for all, even if it costs him his life.
Duration:00:21:28
E1.8 Why Marcus Aurelius Didn't Murder Commodus
5/22/2019
Why a great emperor let an immoral tyrant take his throne.
Duration:00:29:52
E1.7 Biting The Hand That Feeds Him
5/13/2019
The one man with the experience, position, and breeding to challenge Marcus Aurelius's claim to the throne decides to take a crack at him, and the Roman Empire is plunged into civil war.
Duration:00:26:34
E1.6 Barbarians of the Frozen North
5/6/2019
With the Roman Empire on its knees, Marcus Aurelius must raise and personally lead an army against the combined might of Germania and Sarmatia. Plague, famine, and economic ruin might have something to say about that.
Duration:00:26:36
E1.5 Plagues Forevermore
4/30/2019
The Roman Empire's first mass epidemic brings a dramatic close to the pax Romona, and Marcus Aurelius struggles to keep everything together, turning ever more to Stoic philosophy to get him through.
Duration:00:16:40
E1.4 What Stands in the Way, Becomes the Way.
4/26/2019
After a talking snake cons their governor into a military disaster, the Romans rush to respond to the military crisis with Parthia as the conflict escalate to a full-scale war.
Duration:00:17:58
E1.3 Never Let Yourself Be Hadrian
4/16/2019
Hadrian's bad example taught Marcus how to avoid being a tyrant. Marcus's philosophy, Stoicism, and the example of his adoptive father, Antoninus Pius, showed him the right path. This episode discusses how a Stoic makes hard decisions.
Duration:00:28:14
E1.2 The 700 Year Stalemate, Round Four
4/5/2019
The Parthians launch a surprise attack on Rome, routing the eastern legions and capturing Parthia. We cover the long history of Rome's entanglement with Parthia, and Crassus's disastrous invasion during the late republican period.
Duration:00:19:09
E1.1 Kingdom of Iron and Rust
4/5/2019
The young philosopher Marcus Aurelius agreed to become ruler of the Roman empire, but he's not happy about it. We discuss why he was so reluctant to be imbued with unlimited wealth and power, and some of the unusual steps he took to keep himself humble, including giving up sole rule.
Duration:00:21:49