Special Episode – Exploring Place in Regal Rome with Neil, The Ancient Blogger – Part 2

Neil returns to discuss more about some of the major sites of interest in the regal period of Rome. We recommend his podcast Ancient History Hound to you. You can also find out more details about Neil's work at his website: The Ancient Blogger. Special Episode - Exploring Place in Regal Rome with Neil, The Ancient Blogger - Part 2! When Life Gives You Lemons? It's time to take a tour of Rome's most infamous subterranean chamber, the Tullianum, aka the Carcer. * What did Livy know about the place? And what that might tell us about the site in its earliest history? * Does the archaeological structure make sense with the historiographical timeline? * Possible connections to Tullius Hostilius or Servius Tullius? Other potential etymological possibilities? The Essential Precursor to Rome’s Success? Of course, we're talking about the Cloaca Maxima! Water, human waste, rats, and methane - is the Cloaca Maxima just a little more dangerous than generally thought? We take a tour with Neil to find out. The Circus Maximus - Older is Better? There aren't many flat places in Rome, so the natural valley that is home of the Circus Maximus marks it out as special. The natural contours shape the space and set the scene for how the Romans then adapted that space into an early sporting arena. Major sporting events included horse racing (in various configurations) and boxing, though in a very different style than you’d see today. It wasn't just about the sports though - it was also about being seen. Social standing takes on a new meaning when only some people get chairs. Why Does Rome Need Ostia? Well, a harbour can be a great asset to a developing city! Neil takes us through some of the important details associated with the site of Ostia, as the location of the early castrum, and the engineering modifications of the salt lagoons. Horrea (storehouses) at Ostia Antica. Photograph by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra via Flickr. Sound Credits Our theme music was composed by the amazing Bettina Joy de Guzman Automated Transcript Lightly edited for Latin terminology and to support our wonderful Australian accents! Dr G 0:15Welcome to The Partial Historians. We explore all the details of ancient Rome. Dr Rad 0:23Everything from political scandals, the love affairs, the battles wage, and when citizens turn against each other. I'm Dr. Rad. Dr G 0:33And I'm Dr. G. We consider Rome as the Romans saw it by reading different authors from the ancient past and comparing their stories. Dr Rad 0:44Join us as we trace the journey of Rome from the founding of this city. Dr G 0:57Hello, and welcome to this very special episode of The Partial Historians. I am Dr. G. Dr Rad 1:06And I am Dr. Rad. Dr G 1:08And we are really, really excited to welcome back, Neil, for what is part two of our extravaganza exploration of regal Rome in terms of its layout and what's going on with like, the landscape and things like this. So as you know,