104- An Interregnum and a Divine Acclamation

About this episode

This episode discusses the interregnum period in Rome between 716 and 715 BCE and the election of Numa Pompilius as king.

Between 716 and 715 BCE, Rome undergoes what becomes known as an interregnum- an inter regnum, or period between kings. Senators take five-day turns ruling the country, and then one year into it, Numa Pompilius becomes elected king! However, our Sabine protagonist just refuses to become monarch until all sorts of hoops have been jumped through... Sources for this episode: Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press. Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd. Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Selincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd. Plutarch (1938), Plutarch's Lives (Volume I). London and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. and E. P. Dutton & Co. Inc. Sextus Aurelius Victor (TBA). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Olympiad (online) (Accessed 27/10/2025).

People in this episode

Hosts: Vince, Cassie

Topics covered

• interregnum
• Roman history
• Numa Pompilius
• senatorial rule
• ancient Rome

Keywords

• interregnum
• Numa Pompilius
• Roman history
• senators
• ancient Rome

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dio, Dionysus of Halicarnassus, Livy, Plutarch, Sextus Aurelius Victor, Wikipedia

Books & works: Dio's Roman History, The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus, The Early History of Rome, Plutarch's Lives

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