This episode follows Caligula from “Little Boots,” the adored son of Germanicus, to one of the most infamous rulers in Roman history: his rise under Tiberius, the illness that changed his reign, the deaths of rivals and family members, the war with the Senate, and the assassination that ended his dynasty.

In AD 37, Rome welcomed a young emperor from one of its most famous bloodlines, the son of Germanicus and heir to the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Less than four years later, Caligula was dead—cut down by his own guards in a palace corridor after a reign marked by executions, humiliation, divine pretensions, and growing terror at the center of imperial power.

.............................................

Links:

Website: timeandtalespodcast.com

Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com

Video Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere

.............................................

Sources:

Suetonius. “The Life of Caligula.” The Twelve Caesars.

Cassius Dio. Roman History, Book 59.

Philo of Alexandria. On the Embassy to Gaius.

Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19.

“Caligula.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Barrett, Anthony A. Caligula: The Abuse of Power. Routledge, 2015.

Winterling, Aloys. Caligula: A Biography. University of California Press, 2011.

Katz, Robert S. “The Illness of Caligula.” The Classical World, 1972.

Charry-Sánchez, Jorge D., et al. “Caligula: A Neuropsychiatric Explanation of His Madness.” Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 2021.

Shotter, David. Caligula. Routledge, 2004.

In Prague’s Old Town Square, a skeleton pulls a cord, the apostles pass behind tiny doors, the rooster crows, and one of Europe’s most famous clocks marks another hour. This episode follows the dark history and folklore of the Prague Astronomical Clock, or Orloj: a medieval marvel tied to legends of a blinded clockmaker, ghostly warnings, broken gears, and the belief that Prague will suffer if the clock ever stops.

We trace the Orloj from its construction in 1410 through war, religious upheaval, fire, WWII damage, restoration, and modern controversy—asking why this beautiful mechanical wonder has been linked for centuries to curses, disaster, and blood in the square below it.

...............................

Links:

timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com

timeandtalespodcast.com

https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere

................................

Sources:

• Prague City Tourism. “The Astronomical Clock.”
• Prague City Tourism. “Old Town Hall with Astronomical Clock.”
• CzechTourism. “Prague Astronomical Clock Returns After Restoration.”
• Radio Prague International. “Prague’s Astronomical Clock Removed for Repairs.”
• Radio Prague International. “Was the Reconstruction of Prague’s Famous Astronomical Clock Botched?”
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Prague.”
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hussite.”
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Thirty Years’ War.”
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Battle of White Mountain.”
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Austro-Prussian War.”
• Charles University. Historical materials on Jan Šindel and medieval Prague.
• Prague City Archives. Materials on Old Town Hall and the Prague Astronomical Clock.
• “Prague Astronomical Clock.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation.

In the final chapter of this three-part series, Time and Tales examines the leading suspects in the Cleveland Torso Murders, including Dr. Francis Sweeney, Frank Dolezal, and Willie Johnson. LaNae and CJ break down Eliot Ness’ investigation into the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, the evidence tied to the murders, the links between victims Florence Polillo and Rose Wallace, theories involving morphine trafficking and organized crime, and why the case remains one of Cleveland’s most infamous unsolved serial killer mysteries.

...........................................

Links:

timeandtalespodcast.com

timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com

LaNae's Books: lmriviere.com

..............................................

Sources:

Cleveland Police Museum. Torso Murders.

Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Torso Murders.

Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Ness, Eliot.

Federal Bureau of Investigation. A Byte Out of History: Eliot Ness and the FBI.

Cleveland Historical. Ness’ Burning of Kingsbury Run.

Collins, Max Allan, and A. Brad Schwartz. Eliot Ness and the Mad Butcher: Hunting America's Deadliest Unidentified Serial Killer at the Dawn of Modern Criminology. William Morrow, 2020.