The son of a former slave, Pertinax was the Roman Emperor who proved that no matter how lowly your birth, you could rise to the very top through hard work, grit and determination.This previously untold story brings a fascinating and important figure out of the shadows. A self made everyman, a man of principle and ambition, a role model respected by his contemporaries who styled himself on his philosophizing predecessor and sometime champion Marcus Aurelius, Pertinax's remarkable story offers a unique and panoramic insight into the late 2nd century AD Principate Empire. In this episode, Dan is joined by historian, archaeologist and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent Simon Elliot to explore Pertinax's extraordinary biography.
Jamie L.H. Goodall joined me on the pod to discuss pirates of the Chesapeake Bay. The story of Chesapeake pirates and patriots begins with a land dispute and ends with the untimely death of an oyster dredger at the hands of the Maryland Oyster Navy.
I was thrilled to be joined by David Runciman, Professor of Politics at Cambridge University and host of the widely acclaimed 'Talking Politics' podcast. Together we discussed how the great political thinkers of the past 400 years impacted the worlds they lived in, and whether they are still rele...
Rebecca Earle joined me on the pod to talk about spuds. She took me through the story of this a starchy tuber's dramatic career, which has been at the heart of the development of the world we live in today. Jumping from an Enlightenment super-food, to symbol of the British Home Front and even a c...
