YAY - WE ARE BACK FROM OUR SUMMER BREAK, just in time to meet a young boy named Constantine, yet another of Illyrian stock, born to Helena the barmaid and Constantius, member of the Imperial bodyguard, steps into the light. Dad is making all of the right moves and finds himself rising fast in Diocletian's administration, from Praetorian Prefect, to Caesar, and finally to Augustus. But some people - especially the Emperor Galerius - are threatened by Constantius' success, and worry (rightly) that the son Constantine will follow in dad's footsteps, and upset their well laid plans for domination. Can Constantine survive the intrigue against him?

To our amazing listeners! After one full year of research, writing, recording and releasing one episode a week, we are going to take a little vacation for the month of August 2024 (we hope you guys are too!) and we will be back on September 1st, with batteries recharged, ready to dive into Constantine the Great! Happy summer everyone....

Join Diocletian as he ups the ante, and continues his bold experimentation to reform the Imperial system to deal with the new world of threats that have overwhelmed Rome for the last one hundred years. But will this new system, that we know as the Tetrarchy, survive the biggest threat of all, human ambition?

Diocles, son of a slave. WHAT?? Say that again. Diocles, who assumed the regnal name of Diocletian, was the first Roman Emperor to be born the son of a former slave. He would rise from dirt to the pinnacle of Roman power, yet another of the Illyrian cabal, hellbent on restoring Rome to her former glory. But rather than focusing simply on military brilliance to accomplish that objective, like his immediate (really all) predecessors had, Diocletian decides to experiment with the hallowed structure of the Roman imperial system to see if he can build a better, more sustainable, mousetrap.

Probus, Aurelian's prodigy and friend, rose to the purple shortly after Aurelian's murder just like his mentor had, through sheer grit and merit. In five short years he pursued Aurelian's policies brilliantly, with a deftness of touch perhaps that Aurelian lacked. He was everywhere at once, East and West, North and South, campaigning north of the Rhine like Germanicus and Drusus, showing the Persians that Rome was no longer afraid, in short, helping to reinforce Aurelian's miracle. To friend and foe alike, lest there be any doubt, thanks to Probus all knew - ROME WAS BACK.

Emperor Claudius Gothicus is dead. Aurelian is dashing around Thrace, chasing a Goth horde, while Claudius' weakling brother Quintillus is elevated to the purple. Rome is still broken in three, with the Gallic Empire going strong in Gaul, Britannia and Germania. While the East is increasingly independent, and anti-Roman, under Odaenathus' widow Zenobia. What Aurelian accomplishes next is difficult to fathom, and will bestow upon him the most extraordinary and well deserved of honorary title: RESTITUTOR ORBIS.

Aurelian. Farm boy. Born in the dirt somewhere near Sirmium, son of a soldier, and a priestess of Sol Invictus. He entered the army at the very bottom and fought his way to the top of the military hierarchy, the old fashioned way - he earned every bit of it. By the time Claudius Gothicus died, he was the number two to the emperor, the general in charge of the entire army. But this was a reduced Empire, split in three, overrun by barbarian enemies on the frontiers, and devastated by the Plague. What is Rome in 270AD? And who is Aurelian? Does any of it matter when the world as we know it no longer exists?

In the heart of darkness that was the Crisis of the Third Century, Postumus was one of those super talented generals cherry picked by the supreme talent scout that was the Emperor Gallienus. A Roman through and through, as Juthungi and Frank warriors poured across the Rhine, Postumus rode a wave of discontent, was declared emperor of a new world that would be known as the Gallic Empire, killed Gallienus' son, and would build a new regime dedicated to holding the line on the Rhine frontier. Villain or hero? Emperor or usurper? Tune in to Episode 44 to find out....