While I’m away, please keep helping out with the Twitter
Follows, the Facebook Likes and – especially – the iTunes Reviews. And for anyone listening to the show on iTunes
outside the US, I’d really appreciate if you could copy and paste my
written iTunes reviews (for your country) and e-mail them to stches@ancientworldpodcast.com. I can’t access my foreign reviews from the US and would like to check them out.
Thanks again and I’ll see you all in a month or so! – Scott C.
http://s407341505.onlinehome.us/Off_Again.mp3
Friday, September 30, 2016
Off Again
Just a quick note to say that the latest Episode, “The Black
Stone,” will be the last one for the next month or so, due to Vacation and a
few other things. Around the end of
October, I’ll be back with the final three episodes of the Severan story arc, which
should wrap up just before the Holidays.
At that point, I’ll be over three-quarters done with “The Ancient World
– Bloodline” - and’ll be rounding the corner toward home. And by the way, the next episode – Episode
B37 – will officially make Bloodline my longest series to-date!
Friday, September 23, 2016
Episode B36 - The Black Stone
Synopsis: Elagabalus
spearheads a religious revolution in Rome, but his unpopular rule drives Julia
Maesa to enact a back-up plan.
“To this temple, as to the common center of religious
worship, the Imperial fanatic attempted to remove the Ancilia, the Palladium,
and all the sacred pledges of the faith of Numa. A crowd of inferior deities attended in
various stations the majesty of the god of Emesa; but his court was still
imperfect, till a female of distinguished rank was admitted to his bed. Pallas had been first chosen for his consort;
but as it was dreaded lest her warlike terrors might affront the soft delicacy
of a Syrian deity, the Moon, adorned by the Africans under the name of Astarte,
was deemed a more suitable companion for the Sun.” – Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire, Volume 1, Chapter 6
http://s407341505.onlinehome.us/Episode_B36_The_Black_Stone.mp3
Friday, September 9, 2016
Episode B35 - Bassus
Synopsis: Deception,
good fortune, and Macrinus’ failings allow the Severans to retake the Roman
throne. As Emperor, Elagabalus makes
plans to install the black stone of Elah Gabal in the Capital.
“(Elagabalus and Severus Alexander) were priests of the sun
god, whom their countrymen worship under the Phoenician name Elagabalus. A huge temple was erected to this god,
lavishly decorated with gold, silver, and costly gems. Not only is this god worshipped by the
natives, but all the neighboring rulers and kings send generous and expensive
gifts to him each year. No statue made
by man in the likeness of the god stands in the temple, as in Greek and Roman
temples. The temple does, however,
contain a huge black stone with a pointed end and round base in the shape of a
cone. The Phoenicians solemnly maintain
that this stone came down from Zeus; pointing out certain small figures in
relief, they assert that it is an unwrought image of the sun, for naturally
that is what they wish to see.” – Herodian, History
of the Roman Empire from the Death of Marcus Aurelius to the Accession off
Gordian III, Book V, Chapter III
http://s407341505.onlinehome.us/Episode_B35_Bassus.mp3
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