In this special Life of Caesar episode, Cameron and Ray step out of their usual Roman timeline to talk with Matthew and Matteo Storm from The Lost Roman Heroes Podcast about Emperor Gallienus — one of the most underrated rulers of the Roman Empire. Together, they explore the chaos of the third-century crisis, when the empire faced simultaneous invasions, economic collapse, plagues, and political chaos. The conversation dives into Gallienus’s overlooked brilliance as a reformer — his creation of Rome’s first mobile cavalry corps, his pragmatic religious tolerance, his restructuring of the military and Senate, and his remarkable 15-year effort to hold the empire together while surrounded by enemies on every front. The guests make a compelling case for Gallienus as the emperor who bought Rome the time it needed to survive. Expect equal parts history, humour, and heresy as the gang compares the late Roman world to modern America, unpacks the political spin of ancient sources, and riffs on everything from Nero to Napoleon to Tupac.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
