Podcast Episode #81 - Espionage in Ancient Rome with Colonel Rose Mary Sheldon

Podcast Episode #81 - Espionage in Ancient Rome with Colonel Rose Mary Sheldon Intelligence collection and analysis during Roman times was vastly different from its modern counterparts. Despite the size and scope of the Roman Empire at its height, there was no centralized intelligence organization for gathering, analyzing, or disseminating any type of strategic or tactical intelligence. Nevertheless, spies and covert operations were used to varying degrees over the long history of the empire, both by the Romans and by their adversaries alike. Speculatores, like the modern reenactor pictured here, gathered information and infiltrated behind enemy lines, and differed from exploratores, who were more conventional military scouts. The Romans may also have used methods that reflected the beliefs of the times, such as divination and the reading of auspices for determining the likely outcome of pending battles. The behavior of chickens would be watched by trained observers named pularii, and some records state that great credence was put into the reading of sheep livers by many leaders and religious figures. The reading of livers was so important that training models were cast from bronze (picture 2). Not all commanders put stock in such methods, but most at least paid a token level of respect as a method of appeasement. Rome’s greatest adversary, Hannibal of Carthage, made great use of intelligence networks as he made his way across the Iberian Peninsula into modern-day Italy during his years-long campaign to conquer the Roman Empire. For episode 81 of the Spycraft 101 podcast I spoke with Colonel Rose Mary Sheldon, a retired professor of history at Virginia Military Institute, and the author of Intelligence Activities in Ancient Rome: Trust in the Gods, But Verify. We discussed both the vast differences and the remarkable similarities between intelligence operations from two millennia ago and modern times. Buy Rose Mary’s book, Intelligence Activities in Ancient Rome, here: Support this podcast on Patreon: Spycraft101 on Instagram: The Ultimate Spycraft and Espionage Reading List: Find the Spycraft 101 book series here: Website: