Best Reese Roper Podcasts (2026)

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Episode 190 - Pickle & Boot Shop, the Champagne of Podcasting 18:38

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5h ago18:38

18:38

In this penultimate freebie—thrown together amid holiday chaos—the guys blame high prices and bad weather on the president (Obama still takes heat), Joe sips and praises Michigan's maple-finished Ice Storm Whiskey, and Reese deals with family roasts and cat bites. Light tangents on kids, gifts, and life stuff fill the low-energy void as they admit …

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How Alexander the Great's Soldiers Spent Their Money 33:55

7d ago33:55

33:55

Let's imagine a Macedonian soldier during the time of Alexander the Great. How did this man, whom we'll call Red Cleitus, spend the vast amounts of coin he plundered and earned as he and his comrades fought their way across Asia? Patrick launched a brand-new history show! It’s called Past Lives, and every episode explores the life of a real person …

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Two Murders at the Dawn of History (Lost Worlds Audiobook Preview) 27:07

14d ago27:07

27:07

Patrick's new book, Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World, launches May 5th, 2026! Check out this audiobook preview chapter on two murders around 5,300 years ago, hear about everything we can learn from Otzi the Iceman in the Alps and Gebelein Man in Egypt, and be sure to preorder the book in your medium of choice th…

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Past Lives: Nanaya'ila'i and the Bleeding Edge of the Assyrian Empire 24:21

17d ago24:21

24:21

Check out a scripted episode of Patrick's new show, Past Lives! Nearly 2,700 years ago, a woman and her daughter were ripped away from their homes in what is now Iran by the soldiers of the Assyrian Empire. Nanaya'ila'i was one of thousands upon thousands of people to experience the violence that accompanied conquest, but she's one of the very few …

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Episode 189 - Podcast Boners & Final Rambles 48:28

11d ago48:28

48:28

In this near-end episode of Joe & Reese's Pickle & Boot Shop, the duo kicks off with five-second "ab" workouts and Reese's mustache cop perks before Joe recounts his trailblazing fight for roofing mustaches, tattoos, and beards (complete with a suspension and tattoo-removal orders). They roast bad Christmas movies like Santa Claus Conquers the Mart…

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The Economic Life of Megakles, Farmer of Classical Athens 35:40

21d ago35:40

35:40

We've talked about how rich classical Athens was, but what did that mean for an average person living at the time? In this episode, we follow the life of a composite character, an Athenian citizen farmer named Megakles, to see how the economic developments of the classical age shaped daily life in Athens. Patrick launched a brand-new history show o…

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Doing History through Movies: Interview with Dr. Jason Herbert 48:25

28d ago48:25

48:25

Like many of you, I first fell in love with history through the movies. Dr. Jason Herbert hosted a podcast called Historians at the Movies, now retitled Reckoning with Jason Herbert, that focuses on films depicting the past and what historians think about them. We have a delightful conversation about some of our favorite history movies, what makes …

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Listen to Patrick's New History Podcast, Past Lives 19:56

29d ago19:56

19:56

Patrick has a new history podcast, Past Lives! It's all about the experiences of real, everyday people throughout the human past, people just like you. Listen to the first full episode, "On Historical Storytelling," right here, and then go subscribe to the Past Lives feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast platform of choice. Past Lives is…

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Why Was Classical Athens So Rich? 38:17

1M ago38:17

38:17

Ancient Greece was rich compared to other ancient societies, and Athens was the richest place of all within ancient Greece. But why? The answer lies not just in the silver lodes of Attica or access to the sea; it was about democracy, law, and institutions, which made people feel safe doing business in Athens. Patrick is launching a brand-new histor…

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Patrick's New History Show, Past Lives, Launches December 3rd! 2:37

1M ago2:37

2:37

From Patrick Wyman (host of Fall of Rome and Tides of History) comes Past Lives, a brand new podcast! Every week, we’ll focus on the lived experiences of real people from the past, bringing their stories to life. The first season of Past Lives is available December 3rd! Be sure to subscribe to the feed now (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/pas…

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Why the Hundred Years War Actually Lasted Two Hundred Years: Interview with Professor Michael Livingston 39:34

1M ago39:34

39:34

The Hundred Years War was the defining conflict of the Middle Ages, but today's guest - Professor Michael Livingston of the Citadel - argues that it actually lasted for 200 years. That's just one problem with the way we've learned about the Hundred Years War, and Livingston's new book, entitled Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Years War,…

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Episode 188 - Night Wad Nights 49:05

1M ago49:05

49:05

In this near-final episode of Joe & Reese's Pickle & Boot Shop, the hosts lament unrecorded pre-show laughs and kids blasting Futurama before sharing "winged" desperation dinners: Reese's "night wad" nails the old food pyramid, while Joe's "turkey apples onions" skillet—later boosted with spuds—turned into a kid-requested birthday hit born from lea…

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The Phoenicians, the Greeks, and the Iron Age Mediterranean 38:02

2M ago38:02

38:02

As the Bronze Age gave way to the Iron Age, the economy of the Mediterranean shifted dramatically. It expanded to encompass the entire sea for the first time, everywhere from the Levant to Iberia, and laid the foundations for what would eventually become the Roman Empire. Patrick's new book - Lost Worlds: The Rise and Fall of Human Societies from t…

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Episode 186 - Booger Sugar Blues 46:57

2M ago46:57

46:57

Freebies - here's the news you've been dodging: this is the first non-paywalled episode where Joe and Reese drop the bomb—they're wrapping the podcast by January 1st (or possibly ghosting it at Thanksgiving, true to their history of abrupt exits). Patronizers heard it in the last bonus episode; the rest of you are just catching up. With holidays ar…

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Episode 187 - Lot of Beef, Just a Lot of Meat 43:19

2M ago43:19

43:19

In this wheezing freebie homestretch episode of Joe & Reese's Pickle & Boot Shop, the duo slurps soup on-mic, spirals into a soup-stew-chili taxonomy war that ends with "Uncle Pete" meat smoothies for the jaw-wired-shut crowd, and debates Halloween costumes that'd get you fired from a nursing home. Reggie's ghostly foot-washing antics haunt the cha…

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Love, War, and Diplomacy in the Late Bronze Age: Interview with Professor Eric Cline 53:44

2M ago53:44

53:44

Professor Eric Cline, author of the outstanding book 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed, returns to the show to discuss his new book: Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed. We talk about the dynamics of Bronze Age states, how such an extraordinary treasure trove of texts was disco…

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Building the Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings 43:55

2M ago43:55

43:55

Millions of people called ancient Egypt home, and the vast majority of them weren't kings or high priests; they were humble farmers and laborers making their living from the rich black soil surrounding the Nile. That extraordinary land produced so much surplus grain that thousands upon thousands of people could be spared from agricultural labor and…

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The Story of Carbon Dioxide is the Story of Everything: Interview with Journalist Peter Brannen 42:33

2M ago42:33

42:33

Carbon dioxide is central to the story of Earth from its beginning more than 4 billion years ago all the way up to the present. Peter Brannen joins me to discuss his new book - The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World - an extraordinarily long-term view of the planet's past and future, and why our current path …

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Episode 185 - The Spread Eagle Diaries 59:22

2M ago59:22

59:22

In today’s episode of the Pickle & Boot Shop, Reese reflects on the realities of co-parenting and navigating teenage emotions, drawing from recent family challenges and a personal story of past anger that reshaped his approach to relationships. Joe shares highlights from his anniversary trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and his renewed love for hi…

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Living and Working in Imperial Babylonia 40:40

3M ago40:40

40:40

We don't usually think of the Neo-Babylonian Empire as one of the economic powerhouses of the ancient world, but this short-lived state actually oversaw one of the most stunning periods of economic growth anywhere before the Industrial Revolution. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook t…

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The Ancient Economy from Assyria to Augustus 40:08

3M ago40:08

40:08

What was the ancient economy? Can we even speak of such a singular thing? Today, I introduce the next block of episodes on Tides, an in-depth examination of the cutting edge of knowledge on the ancient economy in the first millennium BC. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World i…

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Episode 184 - Giblets on Crocs & Pitchy Notes 44:30

3M ago44:30

44:30

Yo, episode one-eighty-four, we back in the zone, Joe and Reese, faded stars, whinin’ on the phone. Talkin’ pickles, boots, gigs, they diss with a grin, Tyler Childers, Elvis C, pitchy, can’t win. Hare Krishnas droppin’ chants, these fools just smirk, Stage sound’s trash, man, they vibe don’t work. Joe’s got a roofin’ tale, too raw for the mic, Pro…

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Interview with Dr. Owen Rees (Book, The Far Edges of the Known World releases 9/30/25) 47:18

3M ago47:18

47:18

The ancient world was a lot bigger than Greece and Rome. Dr. Owen Rees joins me to discuss his new book on this broader conception of antiquity - The Far Edges of the Known World - and we traverse the globe from Africa to Vietnam to the Black Sea, tracking the contours of a stranger, more diverse, and far more interesting world than we ever knew ex…

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Episode 183: Clumps, Chaos, and Catastrophe 32:52

3M ago32:52

32:52

Strap in for Episode 183, where Joe and Reese stumble through technical gremlins like they're broadcasting from a haunted Radio Shack. The duo dives deep into the glamorous world of cat litter, with Joe scooping enough clumps to rival a kitty crime syndicate and Reese ready to launch his deck-defiling felines into orbit. They toss in wild tangents …

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Thucydides, the Greatest Historian of All Time: Interview with Robin Waterfield and Professor Polly Low 41:17

3M ago41:17

41:17

Thucydides is perhaps the greatest historian to ever live, a man whose work on the Peloponnesian War has been read, digested, and debated for more than 2400 years. Robin Waterfield and Professor Polly Low have produced a wonderful new translation of Thucydides, and we dicuss the historian, his life and times, and why his history has exercised so mu…

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Episode 182 - The Civil War Pregnancy Conspiracy 44:11

3M ago44:11

44:11

Episode 182 is basically a free community college biology class, only with more musket balls, jalapeño “meat donuts,” and crunchy socks. Joe and Reese debate whether Civil War gunfire can make babies, explain why shark eggs look like pure hatred, and identify the exact thigh-to-butt zone where human pheromones thrive. Along the way, Joe’s wrist inj…

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Episode 181 - The Catio Catastrophe 36:55

3M ago36:55

36:55

In episode 181 of Joe & Reese's Pickle & Boot Shop, Reese and Joe dive into their usual chaotic mix of grumpy rants along with a wild tale of a cat named Ugly Betty nearly hanging herself in a catio catastrophe. Joe shares his glamping adventure where a spider monkey in jeans and a hoodie steals the show, leaving everyone in awe. Reese geeks out ov…

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The Celts Invade Greece 40:52

4M ago40:52

40:52

The Celts invaded Greece in 280-279 BC, an entirely unforeseen breakthrough of a nearly unknown people into the mainstream of the Hellenistic world. Tens of thousands of Celts poured through the passes of the Balkans, killed a Macedonian king in battle, and ravaged huge swathes of the heart of the Greek world. How and why did this happen Patrick's …

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Alexander's Successors and the Danube Frontier 41:09

4M ago41:09

41:09

While Alexander the Great's successors were fighting over control of his empire, Celtic-speaking migrants were moving east along the Danube River, mostly unseen and unnoticed by the Greeks to their south. The Macedonian kings should've been paying more attention, because soon, those Celts would launch one of the largest invasions of Greece in recor…

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The First Cities North of the Alps: Interview with Professor Manuel Fernandez-Götz 41:46

4M ago41:46

41:46

The European Iron Age is known almost solely through archaeology, and the material record of the period is still showing us fascinating new aspects of ancient life. Professor Manuel Fernandez-Götz of Oxford joins me to talk about his incredible research on the Iron Age and the first cities to ever appear north of the Alps. Patrick's book is now ava…

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The Celts of the East and the Iron Age Balkans 39:32

4M ago39:32

39:32

We're most familiar with the Celts of the west, the people who eventually fought Julius Caesar in Gaul and left their languages along the Atlantic fringe. Yet thanks to mass migrations to the east, the Celtic world also extended all the way to the Black Sea. Today, we'll try to understand the world these Celtic migrants found in the Balkans, full o…

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Episode 180 - Reese Played Acquire the Fire. He Didn't Light It, But He Tried To Fight It 47:36

4M ago47:36

47:36

After a multi-week hiatus, episode 180 of Joe & Reese's Pickle & Boot Shop sees Joe and Reese storming back to recount the wild 1998 gig where Reese’s band, Five Iron Frenzy, played at Acquire the Fire, a spectacle so culty it snagged a mention in the Netflix special Shiny Happy People. They pocketed a "princely" $12,000 (split eight ways) to perfo…

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Rome's Deadliest Enemies: The Gauls of Italy 38:42

4M ago38:42

38:42

When we think of Rome's most dangerous foes, our attention usually turns to Hannibal and his ilk, but it was really the Gauls of northern Italy who troubled Romans the most, and for the longest period. Who were they, and what made them such a consistent threat to the safety of the Roman Republic? Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Refo…

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Celts and the European Iron Age 39:30

5M ago39:30

39:30

We have long thought of the Celts (or Gauls) as the antithesis of the ""civilized"" cultures of the Mediterranean, but new research shows that they were building cities and states at the same time as cities like Rome and Athens were becoming the places we know today. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Fort…

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The Forgotten Power-Broker of the Roman Republic: Interview with Professor Douglas Boin 46:32

5M ago46:32

46:32

Most people today remember the Roman aristocratic woman Clodia as the target of one of Cicero's nastiest works, but Douglas Boin has written a wonderful new book - Clodia of Rome - that recovers just how central she was to the political networks of the late Roman Republic. Clodia was a woman in a world of men and a truly principled reformer, and ex…

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How the Horse Changed the World: Interview with Author David Chaffetz 40:08

5M ago40:08

40:08

David Chaffetz, author of the recent and truly outstanding book Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires, joins Tides to talk about the long and intertwined history of horses and people in Central Asia and beyond. The trade in horses, not silks and spices, was the true connective tissue joining together the ancient and mediev…

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Episode 179 - From ELO to Oh No 43:38

5M ago43:38

43:38

In today’s bonus episode of Joe & Reese’s Pickle and Boot Shop, Joe shares his deep love for Jaws, only to declare the original novel a steamy pile of shark chum featuring affairs, mafia real estate schemes, and a plush-looking shark on the cover. Meanwhile, Reese returns from Detroit with tales of sketchy merch inspections, beef-heart chili, and p…

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Episode 179.28 - The Origin Story (Part 2) 1:14:11

5M ago1:14:11

1:14:11

Here is Part 2 of the iconic three-hour chat with Reese from Joe’s former podcast, The Average Jerks. In this episode, Joe and Reese dive even deeper into their '90s misadventures, trading gut-busting tales of nut-crushing injuries—like Reese’s childhood bee sting at soccer practice and Joe’s brutal wake-up call from his toddler daughter at Disney’…

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Episode 179.28 - The Origin Story (Part 1) 1:17:46

5M ago1:17:46

1:17:46

Joe and Reese have been swamped these past couple weeks, so we’re diving deep into the archives to bring you a freshly remastered gem from Joe’s former podcast, The Average Jerks. This is Part 1 of their legendary three-hour conversation that ignited the spark for the Pickle & Boot Shop. Joe and Reese reminisce about their '90s ska band adventures,…

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Why Did Rome Win? 42:51

5M ago42:51

42:51

Why did Rome win? It's a simple question, but the answer is anything but. To figure it out, we have to look not only at what made Rome special but also at its adversaries. Only then can we understand how, in such a short time, the Republic conquered the entire Mediterranean, a feat that had never been accomplished before and never would be again. P…

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Guerrilla Warfare and Insurgency in the American Civil War: Interview with Professor Andrew Fialka 51:23

6M ago51:23

51:23

We usually think of the American Civil War as a conflict fought between massive armies at famous battlefields like Gettysburg, but that's not really accurate: Much of the war was actually made up of guerrilla attacks, insurgencies, and the kind of violence between neighbors that wouldn't be out of place in seminars on the US in Iraq and Afghanistan…

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Episode 178 - Precocialness Precociousness 43:24

6M ago43:24

43:24

Buckle up for Episode 178 of Joe & Reese's Pickle & Boot Shop Podcast, where Joe sips a "nano-brewery" Coors Light, with it’s chocolatey notes and dreams of being a craft beer, while Reese confesses he’s never tasted booze or seen a concert, probably because he’s too busy not seeing colors. The duo dives into a gut-busting tangent about rubbing kit…

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Encore: Jakob Fugger: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived? 52:48

6M ago52:48

52:48

At the end of the fifteenth century, the center of European banking suddenly swung from its birthplace in Italy to south Germany. The key figure in that transition was Jakob Fugger of Augsburg, maybe the richest man who ever lived. Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hard…

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Encore: The Rise and Fall of the Medici Bank 54:19

6M ago54:19

54:19

The Medici name still carries echoes of power and labyrinthine politics. But the Medici got their start as bankers, and built a financial empire that spanned fifteenth-century Europe. Popes, kings, and merchants all did business with the Medici, and the family's power over Florence grew out of its fiscal wizardry - at least until it all fell apart.…

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Episode 177 - Sometimes When We Touch 1:01:28

6M ago1:01:28

1:01:28

In today's episode of Joe & Reese's Pickle & Boot Shop, the dynamic duo delivers a masterclass in wasting time, meandering through Reese’s grueling 32-hour trek from Oklahoma City, a tedious tale of airport delays, and a new Five Iron Frenzy setlist that apparently felt like an eternity. They dive into deep intellectual waters, debating the pronunc…

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The Roman Conquest of the Hellenistic World 43:35

6M ago43:35

43:35

For most of its history, Rome barely bothered with the Greek east. Then, quite suddenly, Rome exploded onto the scene, laying low the two most powerful Hellenistic warrior-kings of the past century. Within ten years, Rome became the undisputed hegemonic power of the Mediterranean world. How did that happen, and why? Patrick's book is now available!…

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Episode 176 - G.I. Joe Up the Butt 1:04:56

6M ago1:04:56

1:04:56

In today's riveting episode of Joe & Reese's Pickle & Boot Shop, Joe regales us with the thrilling saga of his colonoscopy prep, complete with lemon-lime Gatorade-flavored "butt pee" and a sore behind from subpar toilet paper. Meanwhile, Reese chimes in with sage advice about Costco memberships and the joys of setting wasp nests ablaze. They also r…

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Who was Thomas More? Interview with Dr. Joanne Paul 45:04

6M ago45:04

45:04

Thomas More is one of the most fascinating figures of the 16th century: saint, persecutor of Protestants, government official, martyr. But who was he, really? Dr. Joanne Paul has written a wonderful new biography of More, entitled Thomas More: A Life, which explores his origins and the world that shaped him. She joins Tides to discuss More, how the…

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Episode 175 - The Worst Kept Secret 55:15

6M ago55:15

55:15

In today's episode, Joe confesses his long-standing dislike for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, despite repeated attempts to enjoy them. The hosts then take a serious turn to address Contemporary Christian Music’s (CCM) “worst-kept secret” regarding Michael Tait, including his admission of drug and alcohol struggles, homosexuality, and claims of unwan…

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Rome Enters the Hellenistic World 39:57

7M ago39:57

39:57

For most of its history, the Roman Republic had little to do with the Greek East. That changed at the end of the third century BC. As the war against Hannibal reached its conclusion, momentous things were happening in the eastern Mediterranean, as the system of great powers that had defined the Hellenistic world for a century collapsed almost overn…