Plagues, an Ice Age, and Romes Decline (with Kyle Harper) Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-08-25 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Kyle Harper and I discuss how climate and disease shaped Roman history. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 The Roman Warm Period6:30 Proxies for ancient climate10:34 The stakes of a cooling climate18:40 Tropical diseases in the Roman Empire24:55 The Antonine Plague32:23 The Plague of Cyprian41:57 The Plague of Justinian47:40 Impacts of the plague56:58 Collapse of the Western Roman Empire59:32 Talking about climate and history1:03:57 New research
This bust was listed for $300. Its worth 100K. Toldinstone Footnotes 2025-01-17 | Discussing a remarkably well-preserved bust of Titus at the offices of Harlan J. Berk in Chicago. It was listed for $300 at an estate sale before being recognized as a genuine Roman sculpture. Thanks to @coinman.ancient for allowing me to film!Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
Endymion: the dreaming god Toldinstone Footnotes 2025-01-02 | A visit to a Roman sarcophagus in Chicago, and discussion of the myth of Endymion. To see a high-resolution scan, check out the Toldinstone Museum: patreon.com/toldinstone Thanks to @coinman.ancient for making this video possible!
Travel with Toldinstone in 2025 Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-12-17 | Eastern Turkey: https://tri.ps/uHpzBItaly: trovatrip.com/trip/europe/italy/italy-with-garrett-ryan-jun-07-2025Add yourself to the Greece waitlist: trovatrip.com/trip/europe/greece/greece-with-garrett-ryan-oct-2025If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments or by email. I hope to meet some of you soon!
Caracalla in Egypt Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-12-11 | Reflections on a statue of Caracalla as pharaoh in the Egyptian Museum at Cairo. Visit the Toldinstone Museum to view a hi-res digital scan: patreon.com/toldinstoneTravel with Toldinstone: toldinstone.com/tripsCheck out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
What Japan taught me about Ancient Rome Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-12-03 | Although there was no direct contact between Ancient Rome and Japan, certain features of modern Japan are uncannily reminiscent of antiquity. Travel with Toldinstone: trovatrip.com/host/profiles/garrett-796zoCheck out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
The Tomb of a Roman Overachiever Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-10-30 | Quintus Sulpicius Maximus, a gifted poet in Latin and Greek, lived only 11 years. His tombstone tells the tragic story. You can visit a detailed scan of this artifact in the Toldinstone Museum: patreon.com/toldinstone
The Bikini Venus of Pompeii Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-09-10 | This first episode of "Artifact of the Month" explores the so-called Bikini Venus of Pompeii, a statuette showing the love goddess in a revealing golden outfit. You can see a high-resolution 3-D scan of this statue and many others in my virtual museum. For full access, join the Toldinstone Patreon: patreon.com/toldinstoneChapters:0:00 Description 1:02 What's in a bikini?2:03 Painting statues2:51 Tracing meaning3:52 Goddess of beauty4:17 The Toldinstone Museum
Leonidas to Wonder Woman: Ancient Greece in Comics Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-07-25 | Comic book author Matthew Blair and I discuss the uses (and abuses) of ancient myth and history in comics. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Introduction1:54 The origin story of comics6:43 Comics and the ancient world13:20 Wonder Woman18:38 DC vs. Marvel23:24 Outside the classics29:37 Greek history31:53 Frank Miller's 30037:06 Roman history42:18 The future...
The Erotic Art of Pompeii Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-07-11 | The "Secret Room" in the National Archaeological Museum at Naples allows a glimpse into Roman norms surrounding sexuality and nudity, which were very different from ours...Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
Reading the Herculaneum Papyri Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-07-05 | On this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Dr. Federica Nicolardi and I discuss the challenges of reading scrolls charred and buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Discovery of the scrolls3:23 Opened and unopened5:17 How to handle charred papyrus9:11 New texts13:17 Philodemus of Gadara16:04 Epicurean philosophy20:20 The library in the Villa of the Papyri24:05 The Vesuvius Challenge25:56 Progress so far...28:44 The newest text30:06 What comes next34:20 What's still buried?
Exploring North Africas Roman Ruins Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-06-15 | I spent two weeks exploring the Roman ruins of Algeria and Tunisia. By my best estimate, I covered about 2,000 kilometers by car, van, and local flight....Learn more about my trips here: toldinstone.com/tripsCheck out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters0:00 Introduction1:09 The Roman ruins of Algeria2:45 Timgad and Djemila3:56 Other sites in Algeria4:57 The Roman ruins of Tunisia6:35 Dougga7:28 El Jem and other sites7:55 The ruins of Carthage
Mussolini and the Ruins of Rome Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-05-23 | The ruins of Rome as we know them were shaped - almost entirely for the worse - by Mussolini's nationalist vision of ancient history. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
Surprising Finds from Romes New Subway Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-05-16 | The construction of Rome's new Metro Line C is uncovering ancient artifacts by the tens of thousands. Some of these took archaeologists by surprise...Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
What would Pompeii look like today? Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-05-10 | What would Pompeii look like now, if the city had not been destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 AD? What - in other words - if Pompeii had continued to develop like other Roman cities? Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
The Ancient Architecture of New York City Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-03-08 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Elizabeth Macaulay and I discuss her book "Antiquity in Gotham."Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Neo-antique architecture in NYC2:48 Greek Revival9:06 Egyptian Revival15:04 "Pompeiian" Rooms20:53 The Roman City Beautiful 25:43 Penn Station29:51 Lobster palaces34:55 New Roman baths39:09 Classical tombs43:36 New York vs. the world, architecturally 45:30 Neo-antique or American?47:18 Classical no more
Did Ancient Rome have Organized Crime? Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-03-01 | This edition of the Toldinstone subscriber Q&A explores left-handed people in ancient Rome, the rise of Macedon, and intriguing hints of organized crime in the ancient world. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters: 0:00 Was there a stigma against left-handed people in ancient Rome?2:02 Did the Romans have botanical gardens?4:00 Why did Macedon only rise to power after the Peloponnesian War?5:19 Why don't the Basques speak a Romance Language?6:37 Did Roman cities have organized crime?
What would a Roman think of New York? Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-02-02 | If a time-traveling Roman found himself in NYC, would he be impressed? Or horrified? Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
Real Doctor Reacts to Roman Medicine Toldinstone Footnotes 2024-01-01 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Dr. Athalia Pyzer and I discuss whether Roman and modern medicine have anything in common. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Introduction1:48 Leeches and maggots3:51 Schools of (mal)practice7:00 Hippocratic oaths10:13 Diet and exercise11:46 Causes of disease14:10 Standing on eels16:42 The efficacy of dunking in pools18:05 Willow bark and myrrh 20:12 Opium22:01 Iron and beeswax in pills24:29 Closing wounds with honey, etc.27:15 The benefits of urine28:52 Surgical woes32:30 Does ancient medicine still matter?
Did the Romans use Soap? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-12-26 | This edition of the toldinstone Q&A explores why there was never a German Roman emperor, the dog tags worn by legionaries, and whether the Romans ever got around to using soap.Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Were there any German Roman emperors?3:13 Did Western Roman families flee east when the empire fell?4:42 Did Roman soldiers wear dog tags?5:50 Did Roman soldiers live longer than civilians?8:52 Did the Romans use soap?
The Rules of Gladiatorial Combat Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-12-17 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Michael Carter and I discuss the rules and rituals that governed the lives - and deaths - of Roman gladiators. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters0:00 Introduction0:38 Becoming a gladiator2:13 Gladiatorial schools5:54 Types and armaments8:22 How often they fought9:42 Paying for the games13:56 Advertising the games15:58 Promotional merchandise17:56 The rules of gladiatorial combat25:24 Merciful gladiators28:12 Were matches ever fixed?32:06 The crowd36:34 Arena music38:43 Thumbs up, thumbs down40:41 Fatality rates45:43 Prizes and awards48:27 Financial matters50:27 Ranking gladiators53:48 Female gladiators56:22 Freeing gladiators59:18 The end of the games1:01:46 The fascination of the gladiators
Did Dark Age Rome look like Detroit? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-12-08 | Using some abandoned buildings in Detroit to illustrate how ancient Rome decayed.Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
The Siege and Fall of Constantinople Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-12-04 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Roger Crowley and I discuss the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453. Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstonefootnotes and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Constantinople3:46 Mehmed II7:04 Comparing the armies11:00 Weaknesses in the walls13:00 Source criticism17:33 The Ottoman cannons21:55 The defenders' strategy24:04 Mehmed takes the Golden Horn29:21 Undermining the walls37:14 The final assault48:09 What if the assault had failed?50:22 Mehmed II as a Byzantine emperor
Understanding the Roman Antiquities Market Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-11-24 | Aaron Berk of Harlan J Berk Coins discusses the market for Roman antiquities: what people buy, how much they pay, and how they avoid supporting illegal digs. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Avoiding looted antiquities2:42 Detecting fakes4:35 Roman nails6:43 Roman glass7:31 Terracotta lamps8:53 Egyptian beads9:38 Weapons10:43 Vases12:14 High-end artifacts
Were there Doomsday Preppers during the Fall of Rome? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-11-09 | This edition of the Toldinstone Q&A explores public transportation in ancient Rome, ancient life expectancy, whether Romans purged after meals, and doomsday preppers during the fall of Rome. Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Did ancient Rome have public transportation?2:42 How much do we know about Roman life expectancy?4:37 Did Romans really purge after feasts?6:03 Were there doomsday preppers during the fall of Rome?
What happened to Greece under the Romans? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-11-03 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Sue Alcock and I discuss the fate of Greece after its conquest by Rome. Chapters: 0:00 The neglect of Roman Greece3:05 Romans on the decline of Greece5:56 What archaeology tells us9:10 Survey archaeology13:14 Where did all the people go?22:00 The cities of Roman Greece26:59 Imperial cult30:53 Why wasn't Roman Greece rich?35:33 Late antique Greece40:43 New research
Did Romans Wear Swimsuits at the Beach? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-10-27 | This Q&A explores how to furnish a Roman apartment, why rich Romans feared revolution, ancient humor, and whether Romans wore swimwear.Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @toldinstonefootnotes
The Strangest Scenes on Trajans Column Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-10-13 | Mysterious machines, dragons, skulls on spikes...there's a lot going on in the details of Trajan's Column at Rome. Check out my other channels: @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
Do any Roman Cults still exist? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-09-22 | This Q&A video tracks down the only Roman cult that still exists today. It also considers who the legal heir of the Roman Empire would be.[Also - though this should go without saying - don't ACTUALLY try to sue anybody if you stub your toe on a Roman milestone. Just get better shoes.]Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Did the Romans build sandcastles? 0:58 Who is the legal heir of the Roman Empire?3:26 Why are ancient sculptures more realistic than ancient paintings?5:19 Do any Roman cults still exist?
Why Men Think About Rome: a historians view Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-09-17 | Why do so many men apparently think about Rome every day? After a few years of making videos about Roman history on YouTube, I have some ideas...All of my history videos can be found on my main channel, @toldinstone
Were there Opium Addicts in Ancient Rome? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-09-08 | This latest Q&A video explores Roman traitors, the hobbies of Roman emperors, and the use - medicinal and otherwise - of opium in the classical world.Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Did Romans ever fight against Rome?2:37 Did the Romans have hobbies?4:18 How were pagan priests chosen?6:42 Were there opium addicts in ancient Rome?
Julius Caesar and the Rhine Frontier Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-08-11 | Nico Roymans and I discuss Rome's frontier on the Lower Rhine, in what is now the Netherlands. Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Introduction4:02 Caesar's massacre9:46 Romanization on the Lower Rhine13:50 The Batavian Revolt17:31 The Netherlands in the Roman economy21:30 Roman influence beyond the Rhine24:00 The Tetrarchs and the Lower Rhine28:00 The settlement of the Franks33:26 Why Dutch isn't a Romance Language
Did Christians really face Lions in Roman arenas? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-07-19 | Investigating the (surprising lack of) evidence for martyrdoms in the Colosseum. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
The Evolution of the Roman Frontiers (with David Breeze) Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-07-07 | David Breeze and I discuss the Roman frontiers: how they were defended, where they stopped, and why they collapsed. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 How the Romans understood frontiers4:32 Development of the frontiers10:46 Border fortifications15:00 Initiative for expansion20:03 Defense in depth26:05 Hadrian's Wall42:40 The Antonine Wall47:22 Abandoning the Antonine Wall51:35 How the frontiers worked
How Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg SHOULD fight in the Colosseum Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-07-02 | A classicist's advice on the most historically accurate ways for Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to hold their cage match in the Colosseum. Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast You might be interested in my book, "Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants":amazon.com/Naked-Statues-Fat-Gladiators-Elephants/dp/1633887022Special thanks to my girlfriend for assistance with the illustrations. Chapters:0:00 Introduction0:29 A note on arenas1:47 Boxing2:54 Wrestling3:34 Pankration4:20 Gladiatorial combat
Fake Emperors on Roman Coins Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-06-30 | A few Roman emperors are known only from coins. Sometimes, these are forgeries. But they can also be fascinating historical footnotes. Special thanks to Kevin at Noble Roman Coins for providing some excellent issues from Colonia Viminacium.Check out my other channels @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Introduction0:39 Sponsianus2:20 Dryantilla2:54 Uranius Antoninus3:42 L. Domitius Domitianus
Rome and Persia: 700 years of rivalry (with Adrian Goldsworthy) Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-06-16 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Adrian Goldsworthy and I discuss his forthcoming book on the long rivalry between the Roman and Persian Empires. You can preorder "Rome and Persia" on Amazon or through your favorite bookstore. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters: 0:00 Introducing Persia4:55 Comparing Rome and Persia10:36 Contrasting political institutions22:57 Border zones30:20 The Battle of Carrhae43:23 Caesar's Parthian plans49:27 Trajan's Parthian war1:02:28 The armies of Rome and Parthia1:09:54 Why were the Sassanians so successful? 1:17:29 Dura-Europus and Sassanian siege warfare1:24:49 The role of religion1:29:52 Centuries of limited warfare1:40:10 The final war1:48:55 The Arab Conquests
Did the Romans have Ethnic Stereotypes? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-06-09 | This edition of the Toldinstone Q & A answers four more of your questions about the Greeks and Romans. If you have questions you'd like to ask, or want more detail about some aspect of my answers, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments!Check out my other channels @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 How much did the average Roman know about Parthia?3:31 What did the Romans know about the city of Babylon?5:33 What were the most stable periods in Roman history?9:24 Did the Romans have ethnic stereotypes?
Building a LEGO Model of Ancient Rome Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-05-26 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Rocco Buttliere and I discuss his new LEGO model of imperial Rome.You can follow the progress of the model on Rocco's YouTube channel @RoccoButtliere and his website roccobuttliere.com.
An Ancient Coin worth $6,000,000 Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-05-12 | Numismatica Ars Classica kindly allowed me to visit their London office and view a few of the Greek coins that would be sold at their next auction - including the fabulous Panticapaeum Stater, the most expensive ancient coin ever sold.Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 Introduction0:42 A tetradrachm of Rhegium1:46 A tetradrachm of Amphipolis3:20 A decadrachm of Syracuse 5:52 A stater of Panticapaeum8:00 The famous stater of Panticapaeum
When was Rome founded? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-05-05 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Paolo Carafa and I discuss the archaeology of Rome's Palatine Hill. Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast You can find the Toldinstone Podcast at toldinstone.com and on every major podcasting platform.
How muscular were the Ancient Greeks? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-04-13 | This video answers subscriber questions ranging from "What was the average Roman apartment like?" to "How did the Greeks get so fit?" If you have questions about the classical world, ask them in the comments!Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast 0:00 What if the Tetrarchy had lasted longer?4:57 What were Roman apartments like?7:31 What was the literacy rate?9:56 Why were the Spartans thought to be invincible?13:14 How muscular were the ancient Greeks?
Reading the Herculaneum Scrolls (with Brent Seales) Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-03-16 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Dr. Brent Seales and I discuss the fascinating challenge of "virtually unwrapping" the Herculaneum Papyri.0:00 Beginnings3:08 The power of X-rays4:03 The Herculaneum Scrolls7:08 Scanning the scrolls8:45 The En-Gedi Scroll10:10 Papyrus and ink12:21 Enter the particle accelerator14:21 Machine learning 10116:42 Fragments are the key18:33 The Vesuvius Challenge21:40 The other library
This Roman coin cost $10. It’s worth MUCH more Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-02-10 | The coin featured in this video - along with dozens of others in my collection - came from Noble Roman Coins. Check out their uncleaned (and cleaned!) coins here: nobleromancoins.comThis video features the most beautiful Roman coin I have ever cleaned, a mint state dupondius of Trajan. Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
The Byzantines and the Classical Past (with Anthony Kaldellis) Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-01-27 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Anthony Kaldellis and I discuss the complex relationship between the Byzantine Empire and classical Roman history. Professor Kaldellis' "The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium from Constantine to Mehmed" will be released this year by Oxford University Press. You might also enjoy his podcast on Byzantine history, "Byzantium & Friends."Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast 0:00 Introduction1:17 From Roman to Byzantine5:20 The significance of the seventh-century crisis14:15 Changes at Constantinople24:01 Comparing Justinian with Manuel Komnenos 35:17 Byzantine Greek45:21 The uses of classical literature52:27 The Byzantines and early Roman history
Did the Romans make omelets? Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-01-20 | This installment in the Toldinstone Q & A series answers six more subscriber questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Check out my other YouTube channels @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Chapters:0:00 How did the Greeks and Romans access public records?2:36 What did Ancient Greek paintings look like?5:20 Did the Romans use candles? 6:34 What jobs could women do?8:36 What was life like in the countryside?11:10 Did the Romans make omelets?
Jerusalem in the Roman World Toldinstone Footnotes 2023-01-13 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, I discuss Jerusalem's place in the classical world with Professor Simon Goldhill, author of "Jerusalem: City of Longing" and "The Temple of Jerusalem."Chapters:0:00 Thinking about Jerusalem2:38 Alexander the Great4:51 Seleucids and Maccabees7:35 Jerusalem as setting and fiction 9:40 Roman perspectives on the Jews15:41 Herod's Temple as a Roman building20:00 Roman culture and the Jewish elite23:15 Remembering the Temple27:54 The Bar Kokhba Revolt30:21 Christian Jerusalem33:15 Julian and the Temple34:30 The place of Judaism in the Classics
Was Christmas inspired by Saturnalia? Toldinstone Footnotes 2022-12-23 | This latest addition to the Toldinstone Q & A series considers whether the Roman holiday of Saturnalia had anything to do with Christmas.Check out my other YouTube channels, @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast Happy holidays, and thanks for watching!
Trivia, Ancient and Modern (with Ken Jennings) Toldinstone Footnotes 2022-12-22 | In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Jeopardy! legend Ken Jennings and I discuss trivia and esoterica, both classical and contemporary. You'll find links to Ken's books (and to his podcast "Omnibus") on his website, ken-jennings.comSubscribe to the Toldinstone Podcast:podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-toldinstone-podcast/id1435680536?uo=40:00 Introduction2:18 The perennial appeal of Jeopardy!4:59 The first generation of quiz shows9:37 The first American trivia craze13:50 The invention of "trivia"14:56 Classical parallels17:05 Commonplace books23:42 Classical trivia encyclopedias31:30 Trivia competitions42:54 Trivia, mass media, and pop culture47:35 The future of trivia
One Roman coin in this box is worth $1,000 Toldinstone Footnotes 2022-12-16 | This box contains thousands of Roman coins...but only one of them is valuable, and it's my job to find it. I'd like to thank @coinman.ancient and Harlan J. Berk Ltd. for making this video possible. Check out my other videos on ancient coins (and many other topics) at @toldinstone
