Monty Python’s Life of Brian: The Greatest Movie about Ancient Rome?

Hadrian’s Wall, Part IV: Walking from Birdoswald to Bowness-on-Solway

Emily and Cam wrap up their series on hiking Hadrian’s Wall Path with a discussion of the final 31 miles of the Wall. Follow along as they explore medieval monuments made of wallstone, find themselves treed by some cows, and are regaled with tales of cannibals (human and otherwise!). Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: 1. https://havetogawilltravel.com [https://havetogawilltravel.com/] Read the first post in our series of blog posts on Hadrian’s Wall here: 1. Hiking Hadrian’s Wall, Part I [https://havetogawilltravel.com/blog/hiking-hadrians-wallpart-i] If you’re interested in hiking the Wall, you’ll find the following resources helpful: 1. Walking Hadrian’s Wall Path, by Mark Richards (Cicerone Press) [https://www.cicerone.co.uk/hadrians-wall-path?srsltid=AfmBOooKaThgYe2HCCL1VjytbV5NQbDPJWfb8Nj3tAq-NF_Yl9KFU1De] 2. Hadrian’s Wall Path, by Anthony Burton (National Trails Official Guidebook) [https://thetrailsshop.co.uk/products/hadrians-wall-path?_pos=1&_sid=17da385f3&_ss=r] 3. Harvey Maps, Map of Hadrian’s Wall Path [https://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/Hadrian-s-Wall-Path-YHWRHA.html#SID=4] Finally, you’ll find the rest of the episodes in this series at the following links: 1. Hadrian’s Wall, Part I: The Romans in Britain and the Imperial Frontier [https://havetogawilltravel.com/podcast/have-toga-will-travel/episode/hadrians-wall-part-i-the-romans-in-the-britain-and-the-imperial-frontier] 2. Hadrian’s Wall, Part II: Walking from Wallsend to Carrawburgh [https://havetogawilltravel.com/podcast/have-toga-will-travel/episode/hadrians-wall-part-ii-walking-from-wallsend-to-carrawburgh] 3. Hadrian’s Wall, Part III: Hiking the Crags (Sewingshields to Birdoswald) [https://havetogawilltravel.com/podcast/have-toga-will-travel/episode/hadrians-wall-part-iii-hiking-the-crags-sewingshields-to-birdoswald] ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 1. 00:24 - Episode overview 2. 01:11 - Housekeeping and Summer vacation 02:41 - Birdoswald to Haytongate 1. 03:16 - The character of the trail and the last visible elements of the Wall 2. 05:44 - Honesty Boxes and the Haytongate Hut 06:56 - Lanercost Priory 1. 07:22 - A priory built of wallstone: the history of Lanercost 2. 10:52 - Exploring Lanercost (and our encounter with Max) 12:24 - Haytongate to Carlisle 1. 12:46 - An unpleasant encounter with cows 2. 14:37 - “Where’s the Wall,” or the perils of starting in the west 3. 15:55 - Crosby on Eden, haggis, and black pudding 4. 17:59 - The Wall at the River Eden: Uxelodunum and Milecastle 66 18:27 - Carlisle 1. 18:56 - Carlisle Castle: Luguvalium becomes the old Norman keep 2. 21:31 - Richard III, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Jacobites: Carlisle Castle’s long history 3. 24:52 - Another encounter with Max 4. 27:00 - Carlisle Cathedral (and more plundered wallstone) 5. 28:47 - Carlisle’s Guildhall 6. 30:06 - Misadventures in Carlisle dining 31:46 - Carlisle to Bowness on Solway 1. 32:14 - Burgh by Sands: Aballava, Africans in Roman Britain, and Edward I’s unpleasant bout with dysentery 2. 34:53 - The Tidal Flats: Dykesfield, Drumburgh, and the dangers of high tide! 3. 37:45 - Bowness on Solway and a gathering at Fort Maia: Billy No-Mates and a man obsessed with cannibals! 43:02 - Logistics of the Hike 1. 43:07 - Where to begin? In the west at Bowness, or in the east at Newcastle? 2. 45:38 - Resources for planning: books and maps 3. 47:10 - Lodging, adventure companies, luggage, and the AD 122 bus 4. 50:53 - Food: full English breakfasts and pub fare 5. 53:16 - Tips for the trail: rain, sunburn, and blisters, oh my! 56:56 - Final Thoughts 58:02 - Wrap-up

Hadrian's Wall, Part III: Hiking the Crags (Sewingshields to Birdoswald)

Fabulous vistas and amazing artifacts await eager hikers along the central section of Hadrian’s Wall Path. Listen as Emily and Cam chat about them all in this installment of their series on the Wall. Get ready for Roman Army re-enactors, the world’s oldest surviving document written by a woman, and the tree that stole the show from Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman—but watch out for the cheesecake! Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: * https://havetogawilltravel.com [https://havetogawilltravel.com/] ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 01:19 - Dialects: Cumbrian and Geordie * 02:05 - What's a dialect, anyway? * 02:26 - The Cumbrian Dialect * 04:18 - The Geordie Dialect 05:30 - Sewingshields Crag * 06:38 - Views of the North Ditch * 07:40 - Preserved lengths of Wall along the Great Whin Sill * 09:31 - The summit of Sewingshields, gale warnings, and Joe the Dog 13:02 - Housesteads Roman Fort * 13:39 - History, layout, and garrison of Vercovicium * 14:51 - Exploring Housesteads * 16:52 - The Ermine Street Guard: a modern Roman Legion 19:51 - Hotbank and Highshields * 20:27 - The Clayton Wall * 21:22 - Milecastle 37 and its impressive North Gate 22:51 - Sycamore Gap * 23:27 - The Sycamore that starred in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves * 25:07 - The senseless destruction of the tree (and some original Roman masonry) 26:33 - Twice Brewed and Vindolanda * 26:44 - The Twice Brewed Inn: beds and beer! * 27:33 - Vindolanda and its history: the forts of the Stanegate * 29:08 - Exploring Vindolanda (and practicing your Latin!) * 29:57 - Vindolanda's anoxic soil and archaeological treasures * 31:17 - The Vindolanda Tablets: Sulpicia Lepidina receives a birthday party invitation, and Maculus wants beer! 35:31 - Peel Crags to Walltown Crags * 36:51 - The Peel Crags and Castle Nick (or Milecastle 39) * 38:10 - The literal high point of the trail: Windshields Crag * 38:52 - Views of the Vallum * 40:16 - An encounter with a real-life snooty professor * 41:52 - The Carvoran Roman Army Museum, and some cool archaeology 45:26 - The Irthing River Valley * 46:18 - Thirwall Castle and plundered wallstone * 47:01 - The Roman bridge at Willowford * 47:41 - Milecastle 49 and the junction of the turf and stone Walls * 48:24 - The walk to Birdoswald: Centurion Stones and Apotropaic Stones 49:20 - Birdoswald Roman Fort * 49:36 - The history of Banna and its residents * 50:19 - Exploring Birdoswald and points nearby * 51:26 - Cocidius: a “Romanized” Celtic war god * 52:41 - Birdoswald's afterlife: warbands, reivers and Henry Norman * 55:19 - A misadventure with English cheesecake 56:05 - Wrap-up

Hadrian’s Wall, Part II: Walking from Wallsend to Carrawburgh

Curious to know what it’s like to walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England and experience the monument the way the ancient Romans did (on foot!)? Join Emily and Cam as they describe what there is to see and do along the first 38 miles of Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail. You’ll hear about Roman soldiers from Mesopotamia, a Smell-o-Rama (yes, really!), the modern worship of the ancient god Mithras, and what Cam thinks about Real Ale (spoiler: he loves it!). Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: 1. https://havetogawilltravel.com [https://havetogawilltravel.com/] ---------- 00:10 - Introduction 00:44 - Hadrian’s Wall Path 1. 01:34 - Our experience on the Trail 2. 02:12 - The history of the Trail and the English footpath system 3. 03:32 - How we came to walk the Wall 4. 05:00 - The three main sections of the Wall 06:20 - Arbeia (South Shields) 1. 06:49 - The fort and its garrison: the Tigris rivermen 2. 10:43 - Some fun on the Newcastle Metro 11:53 - Wallsend and Segedunum 1. 12:02 - Latin everywhere! 2. 12:44 - Exploring Segedunum Roman Fort 3. 15:35 - The Wall Passport and Segedunum’s guest book 16:53 - Newcastle and Newburn 1. 16:59 - Tyneside and its industries 2. 18:26 - The bridges of Newcastle 3. 19:49 - Newburn: Keelman’s Lodge and Big Lamp Brewery 4. 21:48 - Cam’s digression on Real Ale 22:58 - Heddon on the Wall 1. 23:19 - Blackberry season! 2. 24:06 - The wall re-emerges 3. 25:36 - Living with livestock along the Wall 27:19 - The Portgate and Dere Street 1. 28:25 - A digression on Sticky Toffee Pudding 29:50 - Corbridge and Corstopitum 1. 30:25 - A strategic junction: Dere Street, the Stanegate, the Tyne 2. 31:50 - The Roman site and the museum 3. 33:43 - Getting to Corbridge from the Wall 4. 33:47 - Making friends along the trail 37:00 - Heavenfield 1. 37:13 - St. Oswald’s Way 2. 37:39 - Bede and the Battle of Heavenfield 38:38 - Planetrees 1. 39:06 - The Broad Wall meets the Narrow Wall 2. 39:45 - Why does the Narrow Wall exist? 40:55 - The North Tyne, Chollerford, Chesters 1. 41:22 - The Roman bridge across the North Tyne 2. 42:26 - Chesters Fort: the site and its inhabitants 3. 45:54 - Greencarts, the AD122 bus, and why doing the Trail in 2 days is a bad idea 48:15 - The Mithraeum at Carrawburgh 1. 49:34 - Mithras: the Romans reimagine an Iranian god 2. 50:07 - Mithraism and other mystery cults 3. 51:19 - The Mithraeum and its remains 4. 52:14 - An encounter with a modern devotee of Mithras 54:55 - Wrap-up

Hadrian’s Wall, Part I: The Romans in Britain and the Imperial Frontier

Join Emily and Cam as they discuss the Romans in Britain from the time of Caesar to the emperor Hadrian, and then talk about Hadrian’s monumental wall—what it was, how it was built, what it was for, and why some bits of it still survive today. Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: 1. https://havetogawilltravel.com [https://havetogawilltravel.com/] Links 1. David Keys, “Roman Invasion Beach Found in Kent” [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/roman-invasion-beach-found-in-kent-949717.html], The Independent (Friday October 3, 2008). ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 01:58 - The Romans in Britain, from Caesar to Hadrian 1. 02:22 - Caesar’s campaigns in Gaul and Britain, and their aftermath 2. 03:35 - Claudius “defeats” Caratacus and conquers southern England 3. 13:37 - Boudicca’s Rebellion 4. 18:54 - Vespasian and the governorship of Agricola 5. 22:05 - Hadrian visits the frontier 23:31 - Building Hadrian’s Wall 1. 23:25 - The route: from Segedunum to Maia 2. 25:41 - The wall and its features: stone, turf, milecastles, turrets, and outworks 3. 28:57 - Why build part in stone and part in turf? 4. 29:28 - The legions and the process of building the wall 5. 32:25 - Changing plans: wall gauges, wall forts, and turf replaced by stone 37:56 - The Purpose of Hadrian’s Wall 1. 38:25 - Some puzzling features of Rome’s northern frontier 2. 39:07 - A zone of transition: the Roman Empire and British social structures 3. 44:22 - The Romans, the Wall, and the transformation of Britain 46:24 - The Wall after Hadrian 1. 46:42 - The Wall from Antoninus Pius to Septimius Severus 2. 49:04 - The Wall in the time of Bede 3. 51:17 - The 17th and 18th centuries: Hadrian’s Wall and the Military Road 4. 53:19 - John Clayton 5. 54:39 - The National Trust and UNESCO 55:20 - Wrap-up

Monty Python’s Life of Brian: The Greatest Movie about Ancient Rome?

Emily and Cam chat about whether Monty Python's Life of Brian is truly the greatest movie about ancient Rome (as Cam claimed in the last episode). They also explore what "truths" the movie might expose about life under Roman occupation, and contemplate the Pythons’ love for Aristophanes. Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email: 1. https://havetogawilltravel.com [https://havetogawilltravel.com/] Cover photo adapted from an image by Grufo (Wikimedia Commons) [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Romanes_eunt_domus.svg]. ---------- 00:11 - Introduction 01:54 - Monty Python: A Primer 1. 02:25 - Five Brits and an American: Monty Python comes together (probably at a bar) 2. 04:00 - The Pythons venture into feature-length films 06:56 - Production, Release, Reception 1. 06:58 - On location in Tunisia 2. 08:00 - The man they call Brian: the basic plot of the movie 3. 09:52 - George Harrison to the rescue! 4. 11:13 - Brian banned! 5. 12:08 - The peculiar case of Aberystwyth, Wales 13:38 - Some cringey bits: viewer beware! 1. 13:53 - Blackface and ethnic slurs 2. 15:20 - Stan / Loretta: mildly transphobic, or surprisingly progressive? 3. 16:56 - Some ableist-seeming jokes 19:02 - The Pythons do history hilariously 1. 20:45 - Women and agency 2. 22:59 - Businesspeople and professional pride 3. 24:36 - Gladiator games, Python-style 4. 28:10 - British and Roman imperialism, or what have the Romans ever done for us? 5. 32:54 - Ridiculous resistance groups (Splitters!) 6. 37:33 - Everyday acts of genuine resistance 7. 41:21 - Prophets, saviors, and messiahs—in Roman Judea and elsewhere 45:08 - The Pythons as PhDs of Comedy 1. 45:42 - Learned spoofs of literature and film: The Iliad and Spartacus 2. 48:15 - Silly costumes, silly names, silly plots: the Pythons pay homage to Plautus and Aristophanes 3. 54:39 - Romanes eunt domus! 4. 56:55 - The art of nudity: the Pythons spoof Zeffirelli 59:14 - Wrap-up