Gregory Aldrete

Musa seems to have pleased the king of Parthia because she becomes one of his concubines. And then she gives birth to a son by the king, and eventually she becomes upgraded to the level of a wife. And Musa eventually murders the Parthian king. arranges it so that her son becomes the king of Parthia, and she's really ruling the whole empire behind the scenes as his mother.

So this is a literal rags-to-riches story of a slave, someone who starts out a slave and becomes the queen of an empire almost as large and powerful as Rome. Okay? But yet, how often do we hear about Musa? And when you look in traditional histories of Roman-Parthian relations, and I went and looked at this because I was just writing this lecture, most of those histories didn't even mention her.

So this is a literal rags-to-riches story of a slave, someone who starts out a slave and becomes the queen of an empire almost as large and powerful as Rome. Okay? But yet, how often do we hear about Musa? And when you look in traditional histories of Roman-Parthian relations, and I went and looked at this because I was just writing this lecture, most of those histories didn't even mention her.

So this is a literal rags-to-riches story of a slave, someone who starts out a slave and becomes the queen of an empire almost as large and powerful as Rome. Okay? But yet, how often do we hear about Musa? And when you look in traditional histories of Roman-Parthian relations, and I went and looked at this because I was just writing this lecture, most of those histories didn't even mention her.

They just talked about her son, like he had just come out of nowhere and become the new heir to the Parthian throne when it was all her doing, clearly. Now, that's selective editing of history by historians to downplay the role that this woman played. And there's a lot of examples like that.

They just talked about her son, like he had just come out of nowhere and become the new heir to the Parthian throne when it was all her doing, clearly. Now, that's selective editing of history by historians to downplay the role that this woman played. And there's a lot of examples like that.

They just talked about her son, like he had just come out of nowhere and become the new heir to the Parthian throne when it was all her doing, clearly. Now, that's selective editing of history by historians to downplay the role that this woman played. And there's a lot of examples like that.

She got overthrown after a few years. There was a revolution against her. We don't know what happened to her then. But she's a really interesting figure. Oh, and by the way, Augustus did negotiate the return of the Parthian standards and got them back. And he was so proud of this that this is what he constantly boasted about.

She got overthrown after a few years. There was a revolution against her. We don't know what happened to her then. But she's a really interesting figure. Oh, and by the way, Augustus did negotiate the return of the Parthian standards and got them back. And he was so proud of this that this is what he constantly boasted about.

She got overthrown after a few years. There was a revolution against her. We don't know what happened to her then. But she's a really interesting figure. Oh, and by the way, Augustus did negotiate the return of the Parthian standards and got them back. And he was so proud of this that this is what he constantly boasted about.

And the most famous statue of Augustus, the Augustus from Prima Porta, which is in the Vatican today, he's wearing a breastplate. And on the breastplate, right in the middle of the stomach, is a Parthian handing over a golden eagle, legionary standard to a Roman. So this is what Augustus thought of as his greatest achievement.

And the most famous statue of Augustus, the Augustus from Prima Porta, which is in the Vatican today, he's wearing a breastplate. And on the breastplate, right in the middle of the stomach, is a Parthian handing over a golden eagle, legionary standard to a Roman. So this is what Augustus thought of as his greatest achievement.

And the most famous statue of Augustus, the Augustus from Prima Porta, which is in the Vatican today, he's wearing a breastplate. And on the breastplate, right in the middle of the stomach, is a Parthian handing over a golden eagle, legionary standard to a Roman. So this is what Augustus thought of as his greatest achievement.

And that embassy that arranged that was the one that sent Musa to Parthia.

And that embassy that arranged that was the one that sent Musa to Parthia.

And that embassy that arranged that was the one that sent Musa to Parthia.

Well, I mean, I think Octavian slash Augustus, it's the same guy, is one of the most influential people in history because he did found the Roman Empire. So he's the one who oversaw this transition from republic to empire, and he sets the template which every future emperor follows.

Well, I mean, I think Octavian slash Augustus, it's the same guy, is one of the most influential people in history because he did found the Roman Empire. So he's the one who oversaw this transition from republic to empire, and he sets the template which every future emperor follows.

Well, I mean, I think Octavian slash Augustus, it's the same guy, is one of the most influential people in history because he did found the Roman Empire. So he's the one who oversaw this transition from republic to empire, and he sets the template which every future emperor follows.

So just in the most obvious way, for the next either 500 or 1,500 years, depending how long you think the Roman Empire lasted for, everyone is trying to be Augustus. They all take on the same titles. Every Roman emperor after him is Caesar Augustus, Imperator, Pater Patre, all these titles he has, they take two. And so he's hugely influential for Western civilization and all this.