Episode #249 - Who Built Rome? (ft. Dr. Emma Southon)

Episode #249 - Who Built Rome? (ft. Dr. Emma Southon)

From Our Fake History by PodcastOne

April 21, 2026 · 1h 24m

About this episode

Dr. Emma Southon discusses the role of slavery in the construction of Rome and its historical implications.

The Roman Empire is often remembered for it's grand works of architecture and formidable military. However, for most of its history Rome's economy was underpinned by the labour of millions of individuals who had been forced into slavery. Despite the fact that enslaved people quite literally built Rome, their lives were rarely recorded by the ancient historians. In her new book Not Built In a Day historian Emma Southon seeks to bring new attention to Rome's relationship with slavery. Dr. Southon joins Sebastian for a wide ranging chat about Rome's addiction to bondage and the lives of people caught up in the this brutal institution. Tune-in and find out how fake speeches, bogus Bithynians, and heartwarming graffiti all play a role in the story. Pre-order Not Built In a Day here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Not-Built-in-a-Day/Emma-Southon/9781668089552 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Emma Southon

Topics covered

  • history
  • slavery
  • Roman Empire
  • architecture
  • economy

Keywords

  • Not Built In a Day
  • Roman architecture
  • enslaved people
  • ancient historians
  • bondage
  • brutal institution
  • fake speeches
  • bogus Bithynians
  • heartwarming graffiti

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Not Built In a Day

Books & works: Not Built In a Day

Places: Rome, The Roman Empire

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