Hey, if you liked this video and want to spend more time obsessively thinking about the Roman Empire, check out these other videos! The Empire crashes and burns as soon as Augustus dies: ruclips.net/video/UBfWzZiYxsI/видео.html Augustus' rival in the East goes on adventures with Cleopatra: ruclips.net/video/EZYjOz7vzrk/видео.html Caesar and Pompey's civil war appears in this (very old) video: ruclips.net/video/2GuglnMJdfc/видео.html Crassus and his firefighter cartel makes an appearance here: ruclips.net/video/mpyux9pZO6c/видео.html This May I'll be showing a group of you around Japan, and the waitlist is still open! You'll be notified as soon as a spot becomes available, and it's the best way to learn about our next trip before anyone else! trovatrip.com/trip/asia/japan/japan-with-jack-rackam-may-2025
@JackRackam I really wanted to watch it, but I was put off immediately by the AI art at the start. It feels like you're better than that, plus the art style was kinda like bad mobile games and had Augustus looking like offbrand Jake Gyllenhaal. Felt like an intro I'd see on a channel with 20 subs that started a week ago, not an established respectable channel. You are better than that.
The thing to keep in mind is that all of this political chaos was mostly centered around *Rome* itself. A lot of stupid stuff can go on in the capitol so long as it doesn't spill out into the rest of the Empire. When it started to do so, that's when the problems started to get really severe.
You know, the more one studies about Rome, the more one is left with a paradoxical array of emotions: impressed by its lofty institutions and ideals, simultaneously disgusted by its corruption and brutality, then shocked that this entity (in one form or another) lasted from the Classical Era all the way to the late Medieval period, and left finally wondering, "How?! How did they so long?"
reminds me of WH40K's imperium of man in a way, the emperor's dream of imperium everlasting has been dead ever since the horus heresy, an in-universe civil war which after the fact the imperium has known nothing but corruption and stagnation. yet in spite of all that is against it, its kept alive by the bottom line of people toiling away to keep it going, and the fact that people were still trying to keep the failed imperium going is reason enough to keep trying Rome was a clusterfuck FAR before its collapse, but throughout its expansive history there were always people who in spite of how imperfect and flawed Rome was, really did want to keep it thriving and it is these people that allowed it to survive for over a thousand years
Proper organization. They recorded everything, created infrastructures and laws that would work for centuries. It took some real messed up rulers to break down everything with their silly civil wars.
rome, ottoman empire and colonial empires all were loot/pillage economies when their conquests and expansions stopped they gradually lost their hegemony.
3:38 "You see, killbots have a preset kill limit. Knowing their weakness, I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their limit and shut down."
I genuinely think that this is the best video to introduce this channel with. It's decently funny, and the story of Rome is a very easy one to make interesting. I'm hesitant to call this the best one overall, but it's a good introduction, both to Roman history and the channel. Keep it up, Jack.
kinda surprised the "he would be just as good invading the atlantic ocean" didnt give us a prompt to a video on caligula (given how he declared war on the sea once)
Holy shit that “At least we’re not actors” line hits so hard when you know about Plato and his feelings towards theatre lol Another conesseuir of dramaturgy I see
8:10 Ain’t that just the way? The obscenely-rich going ballistic at the prospect of losing the tiniest fraction of their wealth, even if it would benefit them and the whole nation in the long run. It’s frustrating to see Americans prop up these types of people as heroes or visionaries, when all they really are much of the time is insecure kids who got lucky at the casino.
To my understanding, Rome was never a democracy, it was a republic. “Republic” being defined as “any system of government that is not a monarchy, theocracy, or democracy,” though it can have aspects of all of those. The Roman republic only enfranchised a small class of people to vote, and this small class did not vote directly, but had representatives voting for them.
The miltias that formed after ww1 in germany, italy and much of eastern and central europe as a result of all the instabily that followed, and were a huge part of the reason weimar collapsed and mussolini took powers were also basically gangs. I would go as far as to say that if you remove the racist aspect of it (which is still a lot) Fascism is essentially running the state like a mafia (feudalism too kinda, except its the non centralized version of it, i guess)
So it basically came down to the Roman system had broken down so much, and with so many attempts to fix it, Octavian comes along and says “well, it’s mine now and I’m running the whole thing… only with the pretense of the system still in place, but it’s not an autocrat running it… me”
Just a small note, the art at the begging of the video. Not sure if it’s AI, but if it is please refrain from using it in the future. It’s not a good look to have it in these videos, especially with how enjoyable they otherwise are.
If Jack Rackham finishes explaining how Rome imploded before I get to the cinema, I have missed the start of Sonic 3. Welp, at least it's good power walking entertainment.
Plunder and thievery were always the economic bases of the Roman state, whether Republic or Empire. The state collapsed when they got too overextended and were no longer able to rob and plunder any more of their neighbors. Ancient Rome is about the WORST example of how to run a nation and an economy.
12:45 All the gold mines in Western Europe are in central France and Britain had silver mines, which was a major reason for Julius Caesar's invasion. There WERE riches to be had in Western Europe
I used to know a narcissistic self-proclaimed philosopher who worshipped Rome (and Stalin, if you want just a slight taste for his real personality). I got so sick of hearing from him about how much better Rome was than everything else. I think a lot of Rome worshippers have an extremely sanitized picture in their minds. I'm glad I live in a relatively functional republic (at least for as long as we can keep it, hrm...)
Fuckin banger video my guy. If you do use AI here and there, fuck it (saw comments goin back n forth). You do you. Your editing is still sharp, and the content still interesting 👍
Hey, if you liked this video and want to spend more time obsessively thinking about the Roman Empire, check out these other videos!
The Empire crashes and burns as soon as Augustus dies: ruclips.net/video/UBfWzZiYxsI/видео.html
Augustus' rival in the East goes on adventures with Cleopatra: ruclips.net/video/EZYjOz7vzrk/видео.html
Caesar and Pompey's civil war appears in this (very old) video: ruclips.net/video/2GuglnMJdfc/видео.html
Crassus and his firefighter cartel makes an appearance here: ruclips.net/video/mpyux9pZO6c/видео.html
This May I'll be showing a group of you around Japan, and the waitlist is still open! You'll be notified as soon as a spot becomes available, and it's the best way to learn about our next trip before anyone else! trovatrip.com/trip/asia/japan/japan-with-jack-rackam-may-2025
Hello Jack! HUGE FAN! Love your content 😊😊😊
Just wanted to say hi
Recently got your channel recommended and then the rest of your videos and have now watched them.
Keep up the good work!
It was not a democracy
@@davidcoquelle3081 why not?
@JackRackam I really wanted to watch it, but I was put off immediately by the AI art at the start.
It feels like you're better than that, plus the art style was kinda like bad mobile games and had Augustus looking like offbrand Jake Gyllenhaal. Felt like an intro I'd see on a channel with 20 subs that started a week ago, not an established respectable channel. You are better than that.
The fact that Rome ever became so powerful and remained relatively stable for so long with all this political chaos going on is nothing but amazing
But it ended in the end like any evil empire.
Like the old saying goes. There's a lot of ruin in a nation
The thing to keep in mind is that all of this political chaos was mostly centered around *Rome* itself. A lot of stupid stuff can go on in the capitol so long as it doesn't spill out into the rest of the Empire. When it started to do so, that's when the problems started to get really severe.
Augustus made them an offer they couldn't refuse.
That’s a nice senate you have there….shame if something happened to it…
Roman Senate, whatever happened there...
Senate: "We are a Republic!"
Augustus: "I am altering the Republic. Pray I don't alter it any further."
You know, the more one studies about Rome, the more one is left with a paradoxical array of emotions: impressed by its lofty institutions and ideals, simultaneously disgusted by its corruption and brutality, then shocked that this entity (in one form or another) lasted from the Classical Era all the way to the late Medieval period, and left finally wondering, "How?! How did they so long?"
Rome actually began in the Pre-Classical Era. Yes, it's absolutely astounding it lasted so long.
reminds me of WH40K's imperium of man in a way, the emperor's dream of imperium everlasting has been dead ever since the horus heresy, an in-universe civil war which after the fact the imperium has known nothing but corruption and stagnation. yet in spite of all that is against it, its kept alive by the bottom line of people toiling away to keep it going, and the fact that people were still trying to keep the failed imperium going is reason enough to keep trying
Rome was a clusterfuck FAR before its collapse, but throughout its expansive history there were always people who in spite of how imperfect and flawed Rome was, really did want to keep it thriving and it is these people that allowed it to survive for over a thousand years
Proper organization. They recorded everything, created infrastructures and laws that would work for centuries. It took some real messed up rulers to break down everything with their silly civil wars.
@@derpidius6306 Honestly, I get the sense the failures of 40K’s Imperium far outdoes actual empires.
rome, ottoman empire and colonial empires all were loot/pillage economies when their conquests and expansions stopped they gradually lost their hegemony.
Julius Caesar: "I love Democracy. I love the Republic"
Octavian: "The Republic will ge reorganised into the First Roman Empire".
I think you should replace Caesar with Cicero. Caesar was the one who wanted to be dictator for life
“For a safe and secure…society!”
@ That part was supposed to be ironic.
Except Octavian did his utmost to avoid publicly saying Rome was an empire (in the modern sense).
@@hansonlee5847 Caesar tried to hide his dicatorial role by showing himself as the hero of the Republic.
3:38 "You see, killbots have a preset kill limit. Knowing their weakness, I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their limit and shut down."
Augustus was very careful to consolidate his power over decades. For most of his career his was merely Rome's First Citizen.
I genuinely think that this is the best video to introduce this channel with. It's decently funny, and the story of Rome is a very easy one to make interesting. I'm hesitant to call this the best one overall, but it's a good introduction, both to Roman history and the channel. Keep it up, Jack.
So when Tony Soprano said “you’re looking at em” in reference to the descendants of the Romans he was correct in more than one way.
Last time I was this early, Rome was still a democracy.
As MAGAtards would say: "It was never a democracy, but a republic."
Same
So…
Never?
Last time I was this early, America was too
You mean a Republic? Rome was never a Democracy. That was Greece
The last "Don Augustus" line was definitely on some level inspired by certain events that unfolded in the last 2 months and 17 days
Except the certain individual you’re referencing got into power by popular vote; not by military coup
Just the video I needed right now, Jack you are a GEM
Rome had elections, of the rich and by the rich. The Democracy they destroyed in Greece had participation, no silly elections.
kinda surprised the "he would be just as good invading the atlantic ocean" didnt give us a prompt to a video on caligula (given how he declared war on the sea once)
When i was last time this early Romulus and Remus were still fed by shewolf!
Rome was doing the "trickle down" trick way before others.
At least rome tried to give the disenfranchised pleb masses welfare and free entertainment so they wouldn't all starve and or rebel lol
YAY! More rome videos! Suggestion: Please consider covering CONSTANTINE the Great
I've made it so quick to anew upload after binging old episode when I discovered this channel! Hurrah!
Holy shit that “At least we’re not actors” line hits so hard when you know about Plato and his feelings towards theatre lol
Another conesseuir of dramaturgy I see
"There is always room in the family." Just don't let Livia know that you are going to be the next head of the family...
"Western half" and "eastern half," hey don't forget about Lepidus like that! He was... there? I think?
What a timely and relevant video.
0:12 Please tell me that isn’t AI art, because it looks A LOT like AI art…
Yeah that annoyed me too. Made it feel like he stolen the start of his video.
Though with the art style ig it was stolen from shitty mobile games?
Alright, here goes "that isn't AI art." There you go, feeling better now?
no cambia nada
@@jeanpierdavidvegachoque6947
I was just thinking the same thing!
Such a weird place to use it too, he can absolutely make a panning shot of Caesar and a few other prominent Romans for an intro
Thanks For this! You always make My day
It was ME Barry!!!!
8:10 Ain’t that just the way? The obscenely-rich going ballistic at the prospect of losing the tiniest fraction of their wealth, even if it would benefit them and the whole nation in the long run. It’s frustrating to see Americans prop up these types of people as heroes or visionaries, when all they really are much of the time is insecure kids who got lucky at the casino.
Caesar loved Clodius like a brother in law.
This video timed perfectly for Oversimplified video on the way
Two videos this month involving Scipio Africanus from my favorite history RUclipsrs?! Hell yeah!
Sextus Tarquinius was a prince, not a king
Hey bud, where ya been?
Can you cover general Sulla? The guy who did everything that Caesar did but first.
To my understanding, Rome was never a democracy, it was a republic. “Republic” being defined as “any system of government that is not a monarchy, theocracy, or democracy,” though it can have aspects of all of those.
The Roman republic only enfranchised a small class of people to vote, and this small class did not vote directly, but had representatives voting for them.
had that exact thought couple of years back :D .... Italia it seems has not changed that much over the past 2,5 Millennia
Best episode yet
1:15 Bruh, one Elon Musk roman salute to that joke.
Augustus is just too good
This video came at the perfect time when I start rewatching the HBO rome show.
The miltias that formed after ww1 in germany, italy and much of eastern and central europe as a result of all the instabily that followed, and were a huge part of the reason weimar collapsed and mussolini took powers were also basically gangs.
I would go as far as to say that if you remove the racist aspect of it (which is still a lot) Fascism is essentially running the state like a mafia (feudalism too kinda, except its the non centralized version of it, i guess)
So it basically came down to the Roman system had broken down so much, and with so many attempts to fix it, Octavian comes along and says “well, it’s mine now and I’m running the whole thing… only with the pretense of the system still in place, but it’s not an autocrat running it… me”
coincides with the release of the 2nd punic war vid by oversimplified someone cooked here
That was an interesting way to look at the end of the Roman Republic
Not democracy but an oligarchy
And this is why I play the miniature war game, Gangs of Rome.
Jack Rackam almost discovers the origins of states:
The whole thing about the army being autonomus from the central government and mostly acting on it's own reminds me of the Japanese army during WW2
0:48 all things considered, this isn't exactly too off from today's society (USA). Almost par for the course
Besides the firemen, everything else applies today
Just a small note, the art at the begging of the video. Not sure if it’s AI, but if it is please refrain from using it in the future. It’s not a good look to have it in these videos, especially with how enjoyable they otherwise are.
Relevant, much?
If Jack Rackham finishes explaining how Rome imploded before I get to the cinema, I have missed the start of Sonic 3. Welp, at least it's good power walking entertainment.
Fry: What killed ancient Rome?
Big Brain: MEEEE!
Plunder and thievery were always the economic bases of the Roman state, whether Republic or Empire. The state collapsed when they got too overextended and were no longer able to rob and plunder any more of their neighbors. Ancient Rome is about the WORST example of how to run a nation and an economy.
Looks like class struggle has already be a thing.
“Rome’s gangs all the way down.”
So nothing's changed in Italy then.
i swear i had a thought like 30 minutes ago:" huh i feel like a jack rackam video is coming soon"
(Looks at surroundings) ...so I've been thinking about the fall of Roman democracy
Interesting time to post this
12:45 All the gold mines in Western Europe are in central France and Britain had silver mines, which was a major reason for Julius Caesar's invasion. There WERE riches to be had in Western Europe
"The pinnacle of western civilization" no dude it was ancient Mexico and it's capital was ancient Chicago
"Ive been thinking of ancient Rome again"
you sound like Blue from OSP
Please tell me that the intro cinematic didn’t use ai
I shouted out “who killed democracy?” When after all, it was you and me.
"CAN YOU DIG IT!!!!!!!"
A lot of this seems... Oddly familiar...
You're using AI slop now?
this isn't even new
Booo bad comment
The lot of you really need to stop assuming any change is AI
So Augustus was the original godfather
I really don't like the new AI art this video have, the old one was much better!
Jack I’m sorry that wasn’t AI art at the beginning of your video was it?
So Italy really hasn't changed much.
I thought this was a Clodius video when I clicked
That's something and with the times now it's really getting in hard and fast anyway could check it out along with heads really rolling now.
Gang shit ❗️❗️‼️ no🧢
The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan
so we are in the early stages of this.
Somewhere between Grachi Brothers and a dictatorship of Sulla.
@@hemidas Hasn't Trump been compared to Ceasar?
@@GefdragoonAt least he doesn’t have a private army.
@KaiHung-wv3ul Why do you think the J6 insurrectionists were pardoned?
@@Gefdragoon Trump is not Caesar.
But I think he could be compared to Gracchi.
Roman veterans got a parcel of land and a cash payout when they retired.
I used to know a narcissistic self-proclaimed philosopher who worshipped Rome (and Stalin, if you want just a slight taste for his real personality). I got so sick of hearing from him about how much better Rome was than everything else.
I think a lot of Rome worshippers have an extremely sanitized picture in their minds. I'm glad I live in a relatively functional republic (at least for as long as we can keep it, hrm...)
Just wanna remind the Romaboos that this is highly accurate
So you're saying Rome was Night City? SPQRpunk?
Fuckin banger video my guy. If you do use AI here and there, fuck it (saw comments goin back n forth). You do you. Your editing is still sharp, and the content still interesting 👍
the more i learn about rome the more i consider. damn we didnt change much did we? lol
Trumpustus?
Glory to Rome!
NICE
Italians…… what are you gonna do?
Like Mussolini, and Gandhi.. Its the Cult of Personality
Topical
Love it!
why does rome sound like Ancapistan
How topic
0:07 thats ai art
Hail to the chief
lol capitoline one...
Democracy? WTF? Way to immediately kill your credibility. Rome rather famously had a Republic. This was not Athens.
I guess Alan Moore was right
America is just this with extra steps.
Nika!!!
How topical
It's all that Shah of Iran's fault.
Phil Leotardo.
roman democracy died with gracchus