Messalina: sex, slander & scandal in imperial...

You may think of King Arthur as a chivalrous ruler, surrounded by noble knights, living in splendour in Camelot and setting out on amazing quests. However, that story originates from a late medieval account. Much more interesting is an earlier telling of the story, which is both ...  Show more

Which battlefield victory did Napoleon rank as his most brilliant? How did Julius Caesar squeeze that extra one per cent commitment out of his soldiers? And what cunning ruse did George Washington implement to outfox the British at Yorktown? In this episode, Iain MacGregor talks ...  Show more

In this episode of The Ancients, host Tristan Hughes speaks with historian Honor Cargill-Martin about the notorious Empress Messalina, third wife of Emperor Claudius. A lot has been said about Messalina over two millennia: that she was a nymphomaniac who organised orgies and e ...

Messy Messalina has not gone down in history with the tidiest reputation. In fact, we may even say her reputation is kind of messy. Empress Messalina was the wife of Roman Emperor Claudius, who ruled from AD 41 to 54. She is infamous for her promiscuity and extravagance. But, was ...  Show more

How sexually depraved were the Romans?Whilst they were a civlised, stoic and innovative bunch, they were also a promiscuous bunch with very questionable morals.Joining us today is friend of the show Emma Southon, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women.How did the Rom ...  Show more