The White Album

We leave behind the outraged censors of 434 BCE and move forward into some troubled domestic times for Rome. The solution? Fashion, darling. White togas are out, so we suggest you find something appropriate to wear for this one.

Episode 132 – The White Album

Problems Plague the Romans

433 BCE begins like many other years: irate tribunes, obstinate patricians. However, political disputes come to a screeching halt when an epidemic breaks out. How will Rome handle this crisis? The past decade has not been easy, and now a plague? Perhaps a temple will solve everything.

Image of the remains of the Temple of Apollo Medicus Sosianus.
Courtesy of Anthony Majanlahti via Flickr.

The White Album

In 432 BCE, the tribunes of the plebs are feeling well enough to start complaining. Why have no plebeians been elected to office? They pushed for the creation of military tribunes with consular power so that plebeians could hold the most elite positions in the state, but no one is electing them into power.

The tribunes decide to put forward a law that would ban the wearing of the toga candida. This garment was an especially white toga, worn by those seeking political office. This is an odd move so early in the Republic, but Livy assures us that the law was passed.

Is the banning of white togas enough to get a plebeian into power? Join us to find out!

Things to Listen Our For:

• The Flaccinator
• Apollo Medicus
• Books of prophecy
• Secret meetings
• White togas

Looking to catch up the decade of the 430s and where this chaos all began? Jump back in time to the drama of 439 BCE with Episode 127: The Assassination of Spurius Maelius.

Our Players 433 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• M. Fabius (Q. f. M. n.) Vibulanus (Pat) Cos. 442
• M. Folius – f. – n. Flaccinator (Pat)
• L. Sergius C. f. C. n. Fidenas (Pat) Cos. 437, 429, Mil. Tr. c. p. 424, 418

Our Players 432 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• L. Pinarius – f. – n. Mamercinus (Pat)
• L. Furius Sp. f. – n. Medullinus (Pat) Mil. Tr. c. p. 425, 420
• Sp. Postumius (Sp.?f. A.? n.) Albus (Regillensis) (Pat)

Our Sources

• Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus 12.58.1, 12.60.1
• Dr Rad reads Livy ab Urbe Condita 4.25.
• Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)
• Chase, G. D. 1897. ‘The Origin of Roman Praenomina’ Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 8: 103-184.
• Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis)
• Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press) 

Sound Effects

Fesliyan Studios, Orange Free Sounds and BBC Sound Effects. Thanks to the highly talented Bettina Joy de Guzman for our theme music.

Where can you buy our book?

We're thrilled to announce that we have a written a book together!

We delve into the history, myth, and complexities of the ancient Roman kings. You can support our work and get a very cool ancient Roman history book in return by pre-ordering a copy of Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome from the Highlands Press. Due for release in late January 2023.

Highlands Press is an independent publisher supporting historians and we're excited to be pairing up with an indie producer for our debut book together.

This is the artefact unedited from the top of this post. Marble statue of a togatus (man wearing a toga), 1st century CE. While this sculpture is from a little later than the action of this episode, the draping of the toga gives us an insight into what the early republicans may have worn as well.
Image courtesy of the Met Museum.

Automated Transcript

Generated by Otter AI

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

patrician, plebeians, power, plague, vote, romans, rome, military, people, consoles, tributes, year, bit, magistrates, temple, episode, candidates, reference, etruscans, flags

SPEAKERS

Dr Rad, Dr G

Dr Rad  00:16

Welcome to The Partial Historians,

Dr G  00:20

we explore all the details of ancient Rome.

Dr Rad  00:23

Everything from the pol