About this episode

This episode explores the narrative of Rome's kings and their impact on the city's ideas of power and identity.

Before Rome's republic and the age of emperors, there were kings… or so the story goes. Beginning with Romulus, and ending with Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, these rulers loomed large in the Roman imagination – but is their narrative fact or fiction? In this episode, Emily Briffett is joined by ancient historian Christopher Smith, as they sift myth from memory, and uncover how seven legendary figures shaped Rome’s ideas of power and identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More episodes of HistoryExtra podcast

• Was Napoleon III the world's first populist leader? · September 10, 2026 · 56 min
• The Bayeux Tapestry blockbuster at the British Museum · September 8, 2026 · 46 min
• The secrets of our DNA · September 7, 2026 · 38 min
• What's it like to live in a royal palace? · September 6, 2026 · 36 min
• Philip Augustus: the Plantagenets’ greatest rival · September 1, 2026 · 51 min
• Laura Ingalls Wilder: life of the week · August 31, 2026 · 47 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the HistoryExtra podcast podcast page.