Tom Holland on Rome’s golden age

What's the role that sacrifice has played in the history of Christianity? It's a history that might be more complex, and more surprising, than we think. Jonathan Sheehan's latest book is On the Altar: A History of Sacrifice from the Sacred to the Secular, and in this episode he t ...  Show more

Motherhood has long been considered as something expected, rather than extraordinary. Yet from midwives questioning the status quo to pregnant women predicting their futures, there are plenty of historical stories that reveal this not to be the case. In this episode, historian, w ...  Show more

Tom Holland is the author of half a dozen brilliant books on the ancient world. He has now written three on the Roman Empire. The latest 'Pax' takes the story from the death of Nero to that of Hadrian. It's the golden age of Roman power and yet insecurity and anxiety lie under th ...  Show more

16 January 27 BC is a date sometimes associated with the beginning of the Roman Empire. It was on that day that Octavian received the name Augustus, effectively becoming the first emperor of Rome. Augustus ordered the gates of Janus to be closed, marking an end to the period o ...

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 ...  Show more

In a distinctly Roman start to 2022, Tom sets the scene for Rome's "Year of the four Emperors", while Dominic recounts a battle which was the beginning of the end for the Byzantine Empire. *The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*: Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See t ...  Show more