Bruh I was chilling in my elaborate marble bath and then some gibberish speaking hairy men wearing pants started shouting at me and began stealing my furniture. Can’t have shit in Rome
Patrick Wyman's Fall of Rome podcast spends many many many hours detailing this. TL;DR - Depends on where you were living. Britain or Northern Gaul? Pretty much a Mad Max level of social disintegration within your lifetime. Southern Gaul or Italy? A slow-boil decline you'd have barely noticed, until Belisarius shows up and everything falls off a cliff.
Well Italy got worked over a bit between 401-411, with the invasions of Alaric's Goths and Radagiasus, as well as from instability that resulted in defections of foreign (German?) troops to the Goths. Having hostile armies moving up and down a peninsula like that is never good for civilian life. And, Rome was taken. Suspect pretty much the same four decades later, when the Huns invaded northern Italy, and the Vandals raided the coastline and sacked Rome.
@@michaeldunne338 The importance of Rome proper was vastly diminished by that point, though. The sack(s) had immense psychological impact, but the fact that Alaric's sack didn't kill off the entire Empire right then and there is testament to its reduced material significance for the broader population. Raids and an increased barbarian influence had already been a fact of life in those areas for generations anyway. What really made the difference was that frontier provinces were far more artifically reliant on the presence of legions to sustain their economies. If you were a trader or a craftsman in Britain and suddenly no longer had soldiers around to buy your products or receiving the supplies needed to make your products, you're SOL. Closer to the interior the pretense of sucessor states maintaining Roman-like governance and the presence of older better-established trade routes made the fall much less precipitous - until the Gothic Wars annhiliated that structure and replaced it with a power vacuum the Byzantines couldn't properly fill, stripped the land clean with endless back-and-forth exchanges of territory, and added in a devestating bout of plague for good measure.
@@tomservo9254 Rome was still one of the larger cities of the Empire at that time, and the run up to the sack and aftermath involved hostile armies of foreigners, with deserters and slaves, moving up and down the peninsula of Italy, a core territory of the Empire. Could say "reduced" importance given the wealth and/or stability of other areas (Africa, the East), but important all the same, contributing to the downward spiral of more disruption and mayhem, less taxes, and less resources for the Western Empire to defend itself. Your right about the frontiers, but the situation got even worse following the invasion of Radagaisus and maneuvers of Alaric's Goths - the Rhine frontier collapsed around AD 406/407, and barbarians tore across Gaul pretty rapidly, ravaging the landscape (AD 407 - 409 time period), reaching Iberia by AD 409/410. So much was going down right when Rome was actually taken and Goths were roving up and down the Italian peninsula. It was quite amazing that Roman forces held (as well as Honorius' imperium) under those circumstances.
Right now, we have a pretty good feel for what it's like to be living in a former empire (Superpower) going down the tubes right in front of our own eyes. Right, now more bread and circuses, order up some doordash and binge watch TIS.
thist last standing garrison that went over the alp and got ambushed and killed - do you have some good searchterms to find out more about it? it sounds so interesting.
I read an account of a Roman lord in the countryside. He feared the Goths coming and that they would kill him and his family. Instead, a Goth came knocking on his door and asked to buy his farm. The Roman gladly agreed. He then left and joined a monastery. Not all Goths were blood thirsty savages. Many wanted the comforts afford from the Empire.
Haham yeah. The Goths in my RTW 1 campaign sieged my territory, send a diplomat, asked me that I should give up the town their siegin or they will attack and I gave it to them. Good thing the Goths took the heaviest brunt of the Hun and Vandal raids, lending me to crush both in turn.
That must have been during the osthrogoth kingdom of Theoderic the Great. During that period, they were still enforcing something resembling the roman way of life. It was even a prosperous time. It only lasted until the Lombards arrived. Or maybe it was during Visigothic hospitalitis period, when they settled in Gaul after paying military service for rome in Hiberia, pushing the vandals out of the peninsula. It was a period of accommodation and a degree of assimilation, until they broke peace in 469
@@christophzeit6282 Good question. Probably the same source that had Julius Caesar descended from the family of Aeneas. We take our myths and legends often seriously. No harm. They are entertaining and often serve to instruct the generations in duty, selflessness, and proper behavior.
@@christophzeit6282 Oh, that I can't say. It was from another correspondent . Virgil sounds plausible but for the fact that he was a client of Gaius Maecenas who was a close friend and advisor to Octavian, the later Augustus Caesar. I think it would have been politically wise for Virgil to write quite favorably about the family of Caesar. I do like the quote. It has the feel of being uttered by some Oracle, and the ancients took that quite seriously. For me it can be a bit tricky to tease out fact from myth concerning the ancient civilizations. Rome is endlessly fascinating but I wouldn't care to live at a time when antibiotics and modern medicine were unknown.
*Fun fact:* There's an amazing comic about the Fall of the Western Empire called "Amiculus", in which the byzantines, after re-conquering Rome during the reign of Justinian, try to find out the fate of Romulus Augustulus while the last days of the boy as emperor are shown through flashbacks. Loved the way Orestes was portrayed here as a maniac obsessed with maintaining the Empire no matter what
Cool idea for a comic actually, since the fate of Romulus Augustus is one of the bigger historical mysteries out there. Going to check it out if I stumble upon it.
@@marvelfannumber1 There are some really crazy theories out there about his fate. For example, the book "The Last Legion" reveals he fled to England and became the father of King Arthur
Boethius's book, the Consolation of Philosophy, was incredibly influential in the Middle Ages. In England alone, it was translated into the vernacular by King Alfred the Great, Geoffrey Chaucer and Queen Elizabeth I.
As Boethius was a Catholic and as Theodoric and his advisors were Arian Christians attempts have been made to make Boethius a Catholic saint in the mold of Sir Thomas More and Thomas Becket.
Great video. I'll be watching this one several times since I really want to retain some of it. You've had a string of videos recently with great subjects. You are on the top of your game.
Interesting how Britain disintegrated. An economy completely tied up with export to Rome, and with the legions vital to hold things together economically and militarily, if I understand correctly. Collapse of Pax Romanus left no warrior class to defend against the chaps coming over in longboats etc. So interesting. Thank you 😁
It seems some of the frontier forts, manned by auxiliaries with families present, even when the imperial pay cheques stopped continued as communities. Rather poor but with solid defences they were not really worth trying to take and probably came to some sort of arrangement in order to survive a bit longer, but they were essentially isolated.
It's basically post-ww2 Britain & France such as the Suez canal crisis & the First Indochina War, the deindustrialization, and long economic recession.
If the U.S. falls in my lifetime, I won't be sad. I'll never haveca good life no matter how hsrd I work. I came from nothing, and I still have nothing. So, I don't give a shit what happens to my country. My cou try doesn't care about me. Why should I care about my country?
Study reincarnation and earlier lifetime ancient memories of earlier lives. Earlier lifetime reincarnation studies can provide much history of ancient times.
I really wish that Rome hadn't fallen, not because it was such a great empire or that the times after were so harsh, but rather because people haven't stopped comparing it to their own times for the past 1,500 years
@@Unknown-jt1jo It's not the Romans who are inconveniencing me at all, it's modern day Brits/Yanks who like to draw tenuous parallels with themselves and the Romans
Hearing the sacking or destruction of people just makes my heart ache. What a terrible sight and psychological impact that all had to have been. Your videos are really good. Please make more. And make more on the economics, valuable trade goods, coins, precious metals, and the elites. Please make more, thank you for all your hard work
Jesse Dawg sacking, pillage, plague have been our fortunes since recorded history. With the exception of early Genesis there never was a time when all was paradise. Edward Gibbon in his massive work on " The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" ( I cheated. I read only a one volume condensation) believed that if ever there was a time when mankind was happy and the affairs of man were wisely guided it was that time from the reign of emperor Nerva to the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius, approximately 85 years. A relatively long period in the history of the Empire. There were no homicidal lunatics ruling during that time span. So set your time machine for 96 A.D.
@@johkkarkalis8860 Human brains haven't changed in over 300,000 years. The trauma of pillaging and sacking and plague would still have the same impact then as it does today. Even chimpanzees get PTSD and mental issues from violent conflicts.
@@metoo3342 I agree, the size of our present day brain hasn't changed in 200,000 - 300,000 years based on what paleontologists tell us, but shape has apparently changed with development of our frontal cortex (so I have read). Pillaging, all manner of depredation has certainly been with us since we evolved into homo sapien, but so has cooperation as the principal tool of our survival. We are a witches brew of contradiction, yet we survive. I won't prognosticate how long we can keep going. For the Roman's of the 5th century things must have seemed grim. For the poor souls of the mid 14th century enduring the horrors of the Black Death it must have seemed like the end of the world; yet here we are 7 centuries later. Don't know whether it's resilience or just dumb luck. This gets into speculation that is way over my pay grade.
There's a very good book by Robin Fleming, 'Britain after Rome', and the first few chapters cover the 5thC. Her conclusion, based on archeology - mainly of burials - is that there was no formal invasion (there are no battlefields dating from that time, and precious few weapons in graves); that eastern England was considerably depopulated, starting from the last 4th C; that the towns were deserted; and that, based on the nature of the burials, a sparse, culturally-mixed population of very poor people lived there during that century. By the time of the 6thC, regional differences are emerging (brooches, for example, which leave traces in graves), the range and quality of grave goods has improved, and there are the first indications of local elites. All in all, in eastern England first, then in the rest of the former Roman provinces of Britannia, the slow fall of the western empire was a cataclysm. it destroyed society, which was eventually remade in a very different way over the next century and a half.
Supercool stuff, and I have read that literature. I don't suppose is have a job otherwise. The main thing about those years is that not much had survived, and that tells one something. The video was addressing the immediate aftermath of the Roman withdrawal, and that's what I was addressing.400 years later is a different story and a different topic, but that's the cool thing about it. My apologists, but what you have written above is extremely worth discussing
@@Hmfirestormz It depends what you mean by poor. By today's standards, the majority of people in the Roman Empire were poor. As mentioned elsewhere in this feed, there is little evidence of large-scale war in Post-Roman Britain. There may have been, but this idea is based on the assumption that everything collapsed after the Romans left. In fact, most of the local societal structures such as the Church, legal system, magistrates and other government officials were already native Britains before the Romans left, and probably would have remained in place after they left.
It depends where in Britain you were. There's evidence that Britain was considered a safe haven for rich landowners prior to the imperial withdrawal. The cities and trade declined the villas raided and the slaves would swell the ranks of these raiders. After the carnage the land formally owned by Romano elites would be essentially not farmed, many of the population wouldn't have the knowledge or the inclination when roving bands could take whatever you produced. So the Saxons,Angles Jutes kinda moved into and utilised an empty land, and were prepared to defend it or take more. But in West Britain the Romans had took taxes and resources but the British essentially just carried on as they had. So the collapse was not quite so catastrophic. So called Tintagel Ware pottery and trade goods were still being imported presumably exchanged for metals wool and other traditional trade goods perhaps via Amorica. A tin mining community in Cornwall would have more direct communications and more in common with Brittany than any Roman city in Britain.
thank you for making this one... and to be honest for all the other videos you have done as well. it is widely taught that darkness descended on the day that the city of Rome fell. but like all empire falls, the daily life of the average joesephus and johanna would go on much as before until, as you say, they started to notice the absence of some things that would have formerly been readily available. and then, being human, they would shrug their shoulders and make do with what they had to hand.
The Consolation of Philosophy is an unbelievably brilliant book. The language in it is so advanced that I had to hear it read by people who understood its context (free on Librivox) to get my head around what it was conveying, but it’s absolutely under-appreciated and under-read.
The quote by Apollinaris really sticks in my head. To the common Roman citizen on the frontier the barbarian invasions must’ve felt like their world was coming to an end.
Best way to describe the Fall of the Roman Empire is "It depends." If you're in the Eastern Empire, you'd probably be well off and life continues with minimal interruptions. In the Western Empire, it depends on location and circumstance. But in most areas, it was a transitional period from a Roman elite rule to a Germanic turned Roman rule.
There was plenty of disruption in parts of the Eastern Roman Empire tbf, just mostly those parts near the balkans. And if you were living in Syria and the surrounding area your life had already felt under threat since the rise of the Sassanids.
If u were living in the east unless you were in Anatolia you were still getting raided. Around this time one of the emperors of the east allowed some Slavic tribes to live in Illyria to help protect them from the goths in the west. That’s the start of what we know today of places like Croatia and other Slavic countries. These Slavs betrayed the Romans tho and took the lands that the Romans gave them and created there own lil kingdom. The east was also invaded by Huns who marched all the way to Athens I believe
Yep invasion of other countries immigrants breakdown in legal system lawlessness violence states separating economically and by ethics woke bullshit yeah America will be split in two Washington DC is finished
The seamless transition to the commercial endorsement is a bit disorienting as though I’ve been lifted from Ancient Rome into modern day and then back via an errant time machine. The momentary discombobulation makes it difficult to skip through the ad placement. Nicely done.
I’m trying to wrap my head around the scale of Roman power and authority during these times to be able to grasp what it really felt when Rome was sacked. The Roman Empire may have been huge but I’m thinking the farthest provinces from Rome surely would’ve had separatist sentiments and given how historically, these provinces were conquered states that only came into Roman control. If anything, the fall would’ve probably just been horrific the closer you are to Rome if not only within Rome.
Virtually all provinces at the time of Rome decline (obviously the newest provinces were given up or lost first, thus didn’t experience the slow decline) had been part of the empire for centuries, usually around 300 to 400 years. That is, for example, longer than the US has existed. Much longer than Germany or Italy. As long as Scotland has been in a union with England. Many provinces like the Iberian provinces, Greek provinces, north African provinces, Balkan or souther Gaullic provinces had been part of the empire for over 500 years, and as much as 600 or 700 years. 700 years. Now think of how Texas became part of the US in 1845 (not even 200 years ago). It was Mexican before that.
After being under Roman control for centuries most of the local elite would have considered themselves Roman nobility. The idea of the heart of the country being sacked I imagine would have been frightening.
@@leonardodavid2842 US will end up like Rome too with the woke culture. So many weak men, a lot of men end up being transgenders, boys end up being transgender, women hate men, a lot of homosexuals, masculinity is attacked, family unit is attacked, family values are attacked, promote individualism and greed, a handful of elites control the mass. we are in the era of the western decline. it will slowly go down and within 100-200 years or maybe a little a bit later US will collapse, then west along with that.
I've dedicated a substantial part of my life to gaining a nuanced and precise understanding of the fall of Rome. Honestly, instead of arriving at a definitive answer, I've uncovered certain insights that I believe are essential for truly grasping what transpired. Think of these insights as keys that unlock a deeper understanding. 1) Rome didn't truly collapse. While the Roman elite, the emperor, and the idea of identifying oneself as "Roman" may have faded, remnants of ancient Roman culture persist to this day. Look no further than the capitals of Europe, North and South America, adorned with majestic Greco-Roman columns and white sculptures. Above all, consider our alphabet; it remains identical to that of the Roman Empire. In essence, when we mention "Western society," we are essentially referring to the legacy of the Romans but in a transformed context. 2) It's more accurate to view it as 'barbarians versus barbarians' rather than 'Romans versus barbarians' when analyzing the empire's decline. In the later stages of the Roman Empire, Romans often dressed, fought, and consisted of individuals we might classify as 'barbarians.' Indeed, distinguishing between the two groups is quite challenging. We often fail to make this distinction because art, media, movies, and our imagination tend to depict half-naked men rampaging as barbarians while portraying Romans as both civilized yet decadent. To some extent, we still adhere to the rhetoric and "racist" imagery of a world dominated by a "white" empire besieged by "inferior" races seeking dominance. This imagery can, in turn, justify certain actions in the name of civilization and averting a second "fall." 3) The fall of the empire is frequently perceived as the total obliteration of a culture. However, the truth, eloquently conveyed in the video, is that diverse people with distinct cultures united to overthrow an antiquated and tyrannical authority. I've read numerous chronicles of people in Italy opening their cities to the barbarians and expressing gratitude for liberating them from burdensome and unjust taxation. These two cultures accomplished something extraordinary, reshaping the essence of European culture and Western civilization in Western Europe. For the first time, Europeans truly became Europeans, and the Middle Ages splendidly exemplified this explosion of melting pot creativity, art, culture, religion, and much more. (If you're well-versed in history, you know that the medieval era wasn't a 'dark age' but a flourishing period during which people invented many of the concepts and innovations we still use today). 💀☠💀☠☠
There is a pretty decent book on this. “Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark ages” Basically things got worse, but people managed. Remnants of Rome lived on in local traditions, titles and and customs.
I really like the life of Severinus by Eugippius (circa 510). It has some pithy pieces, like "So long as the Roman dominion lasted, soldiers were maintained in many towns at the public expense to guard the border. When this custom ceased, the squadrons of soldiers and the border were blotted out together."
I read the consolation of philosophy and in some ways it sounds very modern even though nobody writes in that exact style. He didn't sound worried either, I think, because he had a voice in the court in Cassiodoris. He knew when to keep his mouth shut and lived to be 93.
Modern: The year 476 AD marked the end of the greatest empire of the ancient world when Romulus Augustulus was deposed, the world turned dark for half a millenium and returned to barbaric times... People at the time: "did you know that the young usurper just got replaced 🤓??" "I don't care about nerdy politics smartass talk go clean your room"
Garret, just a point of information, The graphic used to illustrate the 'British monk' of a century after the fall of Britannia is wearing the habit of a Franciscan friar, an Order founded in the 13th century.
Dr. Ryan, You mentioned an upcoming video about Roman mosaics. Is that still in the works or did I miss it? I'm really looking forward to it. Also, would an episode on Epicurus and his followers be possible? Your videos are always a springboard for further reading. Thank you.
No, the mosaic video is still in the works. I have a video on popular philosophy in the Roman Empire planned for later this year, which will explore the Stoic and Epicurean schools.
I’m starting to believe that these paintings we witness are not the scene of a particular moment, but scenes of moments that all come together to express what happened during those times. The paintings were a movie all in one shot.
Boethius' poem reminds me of the beginning of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical epic set during the collapse of another empire: The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been.
Actually these are the moments I am waiting for: Who is the sponsor this time and how is the sponsor integrated into the storyline? PS: Liked to see the kitchen of an historian making wedges :-)
@Baby Blue Rue I’m no expert but I wonder if the bread and circuses and decadence distracted people or made them so complacent to the coming trauma. Most are so trusting in government they probably think they’ll be saved
@@benchippy8039 The bread and circuses was pretty much limited to the capitols (Rome and Constantine). The 80 to 90 percent of the population that was rural, out in the country side working at agriculture, forestry, etc. probably didn't benefit from such largess, although maybe a number of those within the vicinity of the above mentioned capitols could travel to the circuses/shows.
@@michaeldunne338 that’s a good point, they didn’t exactly have a colosseum in every town! I personally see the collapse as necessary and possibly a good thing in the long term. We live in a very broken system
Brand new to the channel. Please keep up your "Strait Take" on the ancient topic stuf. I'm commenting at 5:45 and sooooo greatful you went with cooking advertising, and not Curiosity Brainwash Dream
I once read a pretty interesting article on an Austrian Newspaper's Archeology Blog that e.g. in Noricum's more remote valleys and in the Areas where Germanic tribes did not constantly move through, but also in areas such as Flavia Solva some people where kinda relieved not having to pay taxes to dysfunctional central authorities anymore, which had been proven in the previous Germanic raids. of course under the presumption that these people had survived in reestablished hill forts (mostly by repurposing temples on hills) which then turned into new settlements.
Its happening right now, digitalization is destroying the physical economy/infrastructure. Mass migration, political instability & plague, fertility crisis, stagnation/breakdown of arts and culture, droughts, starvation and climate change etc.
Pretty rough, I'd wager
Sums it up yea
Not great.
Pretty tough, I bet
Bruh I was chilling in my elaborate marble bath and then some gibberish speaking hairy men wearing pants started shouting at me and began stealing my furniture. Can’t have shit in Rome
Not for the goos
Patrick Wyman's Fall of Rome podcast spends many many many hours detailing this.
TL;DR - Depends on where you were living. Britain or Northern Gaul? Pretty much a Mad Max level of social disintegration within your lifetime. Southern Gaul or Italy? A slow-boil decline you'd have barely noticed, until Belisarius shows up and everything falls off a cliff.
Well Italy got worked over a bit between 401-411, with the invasions of Alaric's Goths and Radagiasus, as well as from instability that resulted in defections of foreign (German?) troops to the Goths. Having hostile armies moving up and down a peninsula like that is never good for civilian life. And, Rome was taken. Suspect pretty much the same four decades later, when the Huns invaded northern Italy, and the Vandals raided the coastline and sacked Rome.
@@michaeldunne338 The importance of Rome proper was vastly diminished by that point, though. The sack(s) had immense psychological impact, but the fact that Alaric's sack didn't kill off the entire Empire right then and there is testament to its reduced material significance for the broader population. Raids and an increased barbarian influence had already been a fact of life in those areas for generations anyway.
What really made the difference was that frontier provinces were far more artifically reliant on the presence of legions to sustain their economies. If you were a trader or a craftsman in Britain and suddenly no longer had soldiers around to buy your products or receiving the supplies needed to make your products, you're SOL. Closer to the interior the pretense of sucessor states maintaining Roman-like governance and the presence of older better-established trade routes made the fall much less precipitous - until the Gothic Wars annhiliated that structure and replaced it with a power vacuum the Byzantines couldn't properly fill, stripped the land clean with endless back-and-forth exchanges of territory, and added in a devestating bout of plague for good measure.
@@tomservo9254 Rome was still one of the larger cities of the Empire at that time, and the run up to the sack and aftermath involved hostile armies of foreigners, with deserters and slaves, moving up and down the peninsula of Italy, a core territory of the Empire. Could say "reduced" importance given the wealth and/or stability of other areas (Africa, the East), but important all the same, contributing to the downward spiral of more disruption and mayhem, less taxes, and less resources for the Western Empire to defend itself.
Your right about the frontiers, but the situation got even worse following the invasion of Radagaisus and maneuvers of Alaric's Goths - the Rhine frontier collapsed around AD 406/407, and barbarians tore across Gaul pretty rapidly, ravaging the landscape (AD 407 - 409 time period), reaching Iberia by AD 409/410. So much was going down right when Rome was actually taken and Goths were roving up and down the Italian peninsula. It was quite amazing that Roman forces held (as well as Honorius' imperium) under those circumstances.
Right now, we have a pretty good feel for what it's like to be living in a former empire (Superpower) going down the tubes right in front of our own eyes.
Right, now more bread and circuses, order up some doordash and binge watch TIS.
thist last standing garrison that went over the alp and got ambushed and killed - do you have some good searchterms to find out more about it? it sounds so interesting.
I read an account of a Roman lord in the countryside. He feared the Goths coming and that they would kill him and his family. Instead, a Goth came knocking on his door and asked to buy his farm. The Roman gladly agreed. He then left and joined a monastery. Not all Goths were blood thirsty savages. Many wanted the comforts afford from the Empire.
Haham yeah. The Goths in my RTW 1 campaign sieged my territory, send a diplomat, asked me that I should give up the town their siegin or they will attack and I gave it to them.
Good thing the Goths took the heaviest brunt of the Hun and Vandal raids, lending me to crush both in turn.
People forget that the Gauls, Goths, Huns, etc etc. the *_Other_* as painted by the Romans were just as human as you and I today.
That must have been during the osthrogoth kingdom of Theoderic the Great. During that period, they were still enforcing something resembling the roman way of life. It was even a prosperous time. It only lasted until the Lombards arrived.
Or maybe it was during Visigothic hospitalitis period, when they settled in Gaul after paying military service for rome in Hiberia, pushing the vandals out of the peninsula. It was a period of accommodation and a degree of assimilation, until they broke peace in 469
@@Alkis05 Thanks for the info. You're quite knowledgable Alkis. I wish more internet chats were professional like this.
@@rabbit251 This dude has no clue what the hell he is talking about
"Oh, city of Rome, enjoy your existence, as you shall fall ruled by a man named Romulus..."
*-Last words of shepherd Remus*
Prescient fellow, that Remus.
Hardly brotherly love!
Source?
@@christophzeit6282 Good question.
Probably the same source that had Julius Caesar descended from the family of Aeneas.
We take our myths and legends often seriously.
No harm. They are entertaining and often serve to instruct the generations in duty, selflessness, and proper behavior.
@@johkkarkalis8860 Just asking the exact source for the quote. Vergil?
@@christophzeit6282 Oh, that I can't say. It was from another correspondent .
Virgil sounds plausible but for the fact that he was a client of Gaius Maecenas who was a close friend and advisor to Octavian, the later Augustus Caesar.
I think it would have been politically wise for Virgil to write quite favorably about the family of Caesar.
I do like the quote. It has the feel of being uttered by some Oracle, and the ancients took that quite seriously.
For me it can be a bit tricky to tease out fact from myth concerning the ancient civilizations. Rome is endlessly fascinating but I wouldn't care to live at a time when antibiotics and modern medicine were unknown.
*Fun fact:* There's an amazing comic about the Fall of the Western Empire called "Amiculus", in which the byzantines, after re-conquering Rome during the reign of Justinian, try to find out the fate of Romulus Augustulus while the last days of the boy as emperor are shown through flashbacks. Loved the way Orestes was portrayed here as a maniac obsessed with maintaining the Empire no matter what
Is there a way one can read it online?
Cool idea for a comic actually, since the fate of Romulus Augustus is one of the bigger historical mysteries out there. Going to check it out if I stumble upon it.
@@marvelfannumber1 There are some really crazy theories out there about his fate. For example, the book "The Last Legion" reveals he fled to England and became the father of King Arthur
@@Taukingur Nop, sorry. You will have to buy it if you want to enjoy it
@@TetsuShima Maybe later.
I promise I will support you in Patreon as soon as I get some money. Greetings from Colombia, this channel has been the best.
Your little jokes for the captions for the pictures crack me up. Again, another fun and interesting topic and a top notch video! Thanks!
For a moment i was like “wait a minute” until i realized it was a joke.
Gordonius Ramsius always knew where the lamb sauce was.
Boethius's book, the Consolation of Philosophy, was incredibly influential in the Middle Ages. In England alone, it was translated into the vernacular by King Alfred the Great, Geoffrey Chaucer and Queen Elizabeth I.
As Boethius was a Catholic and as Theodoric and his advisors were Arian Christians attempts have been made to make Boethius a Catholic saint in the mold of Sir Thomas More and Thomas Becket.
"By" the monarchs, or by scholars who politely dedicated them to their Monarchs and wrote that name on the cover?
Boethius is still taught to every student at the Jesuit high school in New Orleans.
Boethia
@@FrJohnBrownSJ Excellent - in English, or Latin?
Great video. I'll be watching this one several times since I really want to retain some of it. You've had a string of videos recently with great subjects. You are on the top of your game.
I was half way through Hello Fresh bit before I realized it wasn't a service offered during the Roman collapse by Saint Whatisname.
😄
Interesting how Britain disintegrated. An economy completely tied up with export to Rome, and with the legions vital to hold things together economically and militarily, if I understand correctly. Collapse of Pax Romanus left no warrior class to defend against the chaps coming over in longboats etc.
So interesting. Thank you 😁
It's happening again right as we speak
@brandovlogs nothing cooler than an emo weeb.
Good for you kid 💪
It seems some of the frontier forts, manned by auxiliaries with families present, even when the imperial pay cheques stopped continued as communities.
Rather poor but with solid defences they were not really worth trying to take and probably came to some sort of arrangement in order to survive a bit longer, but they were essentially isolated.
@brandovlogs Why do Asian Women love European men so much?
@@samss6090 Because the overlords are promoting race mixing.
Kinda getting that feeling living in modern day USA. Love your videos man. Reminds me a lot of Felton WW2 videos with the level of quality.
It's basically post-ww2 Britain & France such as the Suez canal crisis & the First Indochina War, the deindustrialization, and long economic recession.
Internet: Modern? Bad.
If the U.S. falls in my lifetime, I won't be sad. I'll never haveca good life no matter how hsrd I work. I came from nothing, and I still have nothing. So, I don't give a shit what happens to my country. My cou try doesn't care about me. Why should I care about my country?
Study reincarnation and earlier lifetime ancient memories of earlier lives. Earlier lifetime reincarnation studies can provide much history of ancient times.
I’m on a boat on my way to work. Thank you for this, much needed
Where do you work lol?
What
there's a lot of water right underneath you then
@@ryz8 around 50 metres apparently, as shallow as 12 in some places though. I work on a wind farm
@@Nathan-jt8zt Well that's uncommon.
I really wish that Rome hadn't fallen, not because it was such a great empire or that the times after were so harsh, but rather because people haven't stopped comparing it to their own times for the past 1,500 years
I'm sure the Romans would weep at inconveniencing you.
Slavery and fascism are not a good thing, bruh.
No matter how fascinating the history is 😐
@@Unknown-jt1jo It's not the Romans who are inconveniencing me at all, it's modern day Brits/Yanks who like to draw tenuous parallels with themselves and the Romans
@@darrynmurphy2038 Aww, poor guy.
@@SobekLOTFC go back to reddit!
Hearing the sacking or destruction of people just makes my heart ache. What a terrible sight and psychological impact that all had to have been. Your videos are really good. Please make more. And make more on the economics, valuable trade goods, coins, precious metals, and the elites. Please make more, thank you for all your hard work
Jesse Dawg sacking, pillage, plague have been our fortunes since recorded history.
With the exception of early Genesis there never was a time when all was paradise.
Edward Gibbon in his massive work on " The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" ( I cheated. I read only a one volume condensation) believed that if ever there was a time when mankind was happy and the affairs of man were wisely guided it was that time from the reign of emperor Nerva to the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius, approximately 85 years. A relatively long period in the history of the Empire. There were no homicidal lunatics ruling during that time span.
So set your time machine for 96 A.D.
@@johkkarkalis8860 Human brains haven't changed in over 300,000 years. The trauma of pillaging and sacking and plague would still have the same impact then as it does today. Even chimpanzees get PTSD and mental issues from violent conflicts.
@@metoo3342 I agree, the size of our present day brain hasn't changed in 200,000 - 300,000 years based on what paleontologists tell us, but shape has apparently changed with development of our frontal cortex (so I have read).
Pillaging, all manner of depredation has certainly been with us since we evolved into homo sapien, but so has cooperation as the principal tool of our survival.
We are a witches brew of contradiction, yet we survive.
I won't prognosticate how long we can keep going.
For the Roman's of the 5th century things must have seemed grim. For the poor souls of the mid 14th century enduring the horrors of the Black Death it must have seemed like the end of the world; yet here we are 7 centuries later.
Don't know whether it's resilience or just dumb luck.
This gets into speculation that is way over my pay grade.
Do you think Gordon Ramsey is related to Gordonius Ramsius? That would be a wild coincidence that both were/are famous chefs!!! 🤣
probably
Amazing the things some people believe.
Does reincarnation count as "related"?
There's a very good book by Robin Fleming, 'Britain after Rome', and the first few chapters cover the 5thC. Her conclusion, based on archeology - mainly of burials - is that there was no formal invasion (there are no battlefields dating from that time, and precious few weapons in graves); that eastern England was considerably depopulated, starting from the last 4th C; that the towns were deserted; and that, based on the nature of the burials, a sparse, culturally-mixed population of very poor people lived there during that century. By the time of the 6thC, regional differences are emerging (brooches, for example, which leave traces in graves), the range and quality of grave goods has improved, and there are the first indications of local elites.
All in all, in eastern England first, then in the rest of the former Roman provinces of Britannia, the slow fall of the western empire was a cataclysm. it destroyed society, which was eventually remade in a very different way over the next century and a half.
I’d imagine they all went poor and were culture less for about 200 years until the local warlords became kings
Supercool stuff, and I have read that literature. I don't suppose is have a job otherwise. The main thing about those years is that not much had survived, and that tells one something. The video was addressing the immediate aftermath of the Roman withdrawal, and that's what I was addressing.400 years later is a different story and a different topic, but that's the cool thing about it. My apologists, but what you have written above is extremely worth discussing
It was the beginning of the 1000 years of the dark ages.
@@Hmfirestormz It depends what you mean by poor. By today's standards, the majority of people in the Roman Empire were poor. As mentioned elsewhere in this feed, there is little evidence of large-scale war in Post-Roman Britain. There may have been, but this idea is based on the assumption that everything collapsed after the Romans left. In fact, most of the local societal structures such as the Church, legal system, magistrates and other government officials were already native Britains before the Romans left, and probably would have remained in place after they left.
It depends where in Britain you were.
There's evidence that Britain was considered a safe haven for rich landowners prior to the imperial withdrawal.
The cities and trade declined the villas raided and the slaves would swell the ranks of these raiders.
After the carnage the land formally owned by Romano elites would be essentially not farmed, many of the population wouldn't have the knowledge or the inclination when roving bands could take whatever you produced.
So the Saxons,Angles Jutes kinda moved into and utilised an empty land, and were prepared to defend it or take more.
But in West Britain the Romans had took taxes and resources but the British essentially just carried on as they had.
So the collapse was not quite so catastrophic.
So called Tintagel Ware pottery and trade goods were still being imported presumably exchanged for metals wool and other traditional trade goods perhaps via Amorica.
A tin mining community in Cornwall would have more direct communications and more in common with Brittany than any Roman city in Britain.
thank you for making this one...
and to be honest for all the other videos you have done as well.
it is widely taught that darkness descended on the day that the city of Rome fell.
but like all empire falls, the daily life of the average joesephus and johanna would
go on much as before until, as you say, they started to notice the absence of some things that would have formerly been readily available.
and then, being human, they would shrug their shoulders and make do with what they had to hand.
A new toldinstone video? Ave Professor, we who are about to watch, salute you!
Thank you for making these videos. Honestly love you keep it up thanks for the entertainment and detailed insight. Your Unmatched my guy.
it's always a good day when toldinstone uploads. love what you do man, don't stop.
The Consolation of Philosophy is an unbelievably brilliant book. The language in it is so advanced that I had to hear it read by people who understood its context (free on Librivox) to get my head around what it was conveying, but it’s absolutely under-appreciated and under-read.
The quote by Apollinaris really sticks in my head. To the common Roman citizen on the frontier the barbarian invasions must’ve felt like their world was coming to an end.
Best way to describe the Fall of the Roman Empire is "It depends." If you're in the Eastern Empire, you'd probably be well off and life continues with minimal interruptions. In the Western Empire, it depends on location and circumstance. But in most areas, it was a transitional period from a Roman elite rule to a Germanic turned Roman rule.
There was plenty of disruption in parts of the Eastern Roman Empire tbf, just mostly those parts near the balkans. And if you were living in Syria and the surrounding area your life had already felt under threat since the rise of the Sassanids.
If u were living in the east unless you were in Anatolia you were still getting raided. Around this time one of the emperors of the east allowed some Slavic tribes to live in Illyria to help protect them from the goths in the west. That’s the start of what we know today of places like Croatia and other Slavic countries. These Slavs betrayed the Romans tho and took the lands that the Romans gave them and created there own lil kingdom. The east was also invaded by Huns who marched all the way to Athens I believe
I love this topic. I find the late Roman empire to be incredibly fascinating, especially the shift in culture to the medieval era, amazing video!
We are doing it right now. It feels like this.
Yep invasion of other countries immigrants breakdown in legal system lawlessness violence states separating economically and by ethics woke bullshit yeah America will be split in two Washington DC is finished
That ad transition was SMOOTH
The seamless transition to the commercial endorsement is a bit disorienting as though I’ve been lifted from Ancient Rome into modern day and then back via an errant time machine. The momentary discombobulation makes it difficult to skip through the ad placement. Nicely done.
I’m trying to wrap my head around the scale of Roman power and authority during these times to be able to grasp what it really felt when Rome was sacked. The Roman Empire may have been huge but I’m thinking the farthest provinces from Rome surely would’ve had separatist sentiments and given how historically, these provinces were conquered states that only came into Roman control. If anything, the fall would’ve probably just been horrific the closer you are to Rome if not only within Rome.
Virtually all provinces at the time of Rome decline (obviously the newest provinces were given up or lost first, thus didn’t experience the slow decline) had been part of the empire for centuries, usually around 300 to 400 years.
That is, for example, longer than the US has existed. Much longer than Germany or Italy. As long as Scotland has been in a union with England.
Many provinces like the Iberian provinces, Greek provinces, north African provinces, Balkan or souther Gaullic provinces had been part of the empire for over 500 years, and as much as 600 or 700 years.
700 years.
Now think of how Texas became part of the US in 1845 (not even 200 years ago). It was Mexican before that.
After being under Roman control for centuries most of the local elite would have considered themselves Roman nobility. The idea of the heart of the country being sacked I imagine would have been frightening.
@@leonardodavid2842 US will end up like Rome too with the woke culture. So many weak men, a lot of men end up being transgenders, boys end up being transgender, women hate men, a lot of homosexuals, masculinity is attacked, family unit is attacked, family values are attacked, promote individualism and greed, a handful of elites control the mass. we are in the era of the western decline. it will slowly go down and within 100-200 years or maybe a little a bit later US will collapse, then west along with that.
I've dedicated a substantial part of my life to gaining a nuanced and precise understanding of the fall of Rome. Honestly, instead of arriving at a definitive answer, I've uncovered certain insights that I believe are essential for truly grasping what transpired. Think of these insights as keys that unlock a deeper understanding.
1) Rome didn't truly collapse. While the Roman elite, the emperor, and the idea of identifying oneself as "Roman" may have faded, remnants of ancient Roman culture persist to this day. Look no further than the capitals of Europe, North and South America, adorned with majestic Greco-Roman columns and white sculptures. Above all, consider our alphabet; it remains identical to that of the Roman Empire. In essence, when we mention "Western society," we are essentially referring to the legacy of the Romans but in a transformed context.
2) It's more accurate to view it as 'barbarians versus barbarians' rather than 'Romans versus barbarians' when analyzing the empire's decline. In the later stages of the Roman Empire, Romans often dressed, fought, and consisted of individuals we might classify as 'barbarians.' Indeed, distinguishing between the two groups is quite challenging. We often fail to make this distinction because art, media, movies, and our imagination tend to depict half-naked men rampaging as barbarians while portraying Romans as both civilized yet decadent. To some extent, we still adhere to the rhetoric and "racist" imagery of a world dominated by a "white" empire besieged by "inferior" races seeking dominance. This imagery can, in turn, justify certain actions in the name of civilization and averting a second "fall."
3) The fall of the empire is frequently perceived as the total obliteration of a culture. However, the truth, eloquently conveyed in the video, is that diverse people with distinct cultures united to overthrow an antiquated and tyrannical authority. I've read numerous chronicles of people in Italy opening their cities to the barbarians and expressing gratitude for liberating them from burdensome and unjust taxation. These two cultures accomplished something extraordinary, reshaping the essence of European culture and Western civilization in Western Europe. For the first time, Europeans truly became Europeans, and the Middle Ages splendidly exemplified this explosion of melting pot creativity, art, culture, religion, and much more. (If you're well-versed in history, you know that the medieval era wasn't a 'dark age' but a flourishing period during which people invented many of the concepts and innovations we still use today).
💀☠💀☠☠
Well said..!
Love it- keep up the great work, Garrett!
There is a pretty decent book on this. “Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark ages”
Basically things got worse, but people managed. Remnants of Rome lived on in local traditions, titles and and customs.
There's no garum in this damn house!
Thai fish sauce is very close.
Love the captions.
We are all about to find out
Amazing how seamlessly you segue into the ad!
Top notch stuff. I canceled my cable subscription recently because channels like this exist
If you are interested in that, i can suggest the channel Maiorianus and the channel History in 3D.
I really like the life of Severinus by Eugippius (circa 510). It has some pithy pieces, like
"So long as the Roman dominion lasted, soldiers were maintained in many towns at the public expense to guard the border. When this custom ceased, the squadrons of soldiers and the border were blotted out together."
I love this channel! 👍
Good seagueway. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for yet again another upload!!
This may be the smoothest work in of a paid promotion I've ever seen on RUclips 🎉
Watching this excellent video it occurred to me that it would generally suck to live in that time period.
"Gordonius Ramsius"
My guy almost got me, nice job
At least they had a photo of the cookery of Gordonius Ramsius
I read the consolation of philosophy and in some ways it sounds very modern even though nobody writes in that exact style. He didn't sound worried either, I think, because he had a voice in the court in Cassiodoris. He knew when to keep his mouth shut and lived to be 93.
It was kind of like living through today's collapse, just without electricity, TV, or internet.
i love watching your videos, i love getting high and watching your videos, and i love falling asleep to your videos. thank you.
Amazing stuff
Germanus in dire need of a red bull. It made me smirk, nice touch
Modern: The year 476 AD marked the end of the greatest empire of the ancient world when Romulus Augustulus was deposed, the world turned dark for half a millenium and returned to barbaric times...
People at the time: "did you know that the young usurper just got replaced 🤓??"
"I don't care about nerdy politics smartass talk go clean your room"
Garret, just a point of information, The graphic used to illustrate the 'British monk' of a century after the fall of Britannia is wearing the habit of a Franciscan friar, an Order founded in the 13th century.
Covered my man Boethius, automatic like from me!
Great recap of the fall and the various transitions from a "ground floor" perspective.
My great great uncle, Gazius, scored a VCR and KitchenAid blender.
I like this channel, keep it up. Just subbed.
Best episode in a while.
If you are interested in that, i can suggest the channel Maiorianus and the channel History in 3D.
@@aka99 thanks. I'll check it out.
must say you have one of the best history channels on the interweb.. good stuff dude ..
I always wanted to know exactly this. Awesome content
If you are interested in that, i can suggest the channel Maiorianus and the channel History in 3D.
Exactly the video I was hoping for this is perfect!
A most splendid episode, thank you for making and sharing. 👍
Dr. Ryan, You mentioned an upcoming video about Roman mosaics. Is that still in the works or did I miss it? I'm really looking forward to it. Also, would an episode on Epicurus and his followers be possible? Your videos are always a springboard for further reading. Thank you.
No, the mosaic video is still in the works. I have a video on popular philosophy in the Roman Empire planned for later this year, which will explore the Stoic and Epicurean schools.
@@toldinstone The future of the mosiacs is blurry. Very apt.
5:46 sounds like the plot to a movie
I’m starting to believe that these paintings we witness are not the scene of a particular moment, but scenes of moments that all come together to express what happened during those times. The paintings were a movie all in one shot.
They're Renaissance paintings that don't reflect reality at all.
Good commentary
I love these videos. Great job
Best transition yet!
Boethius' poem reminds me of the beginning of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical epic set during the collapse of another empire:
The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been.
Thank you as always.
Idk what it's like to live through the fall of the Roman Empire.
But I can tell you what it's like to live through the fall of the West.
Your transition to Hello Fresh is worthy of an Academy Award. Well done!
Smooth AF
Yes. But can't compare with his short career as fragrance model several episodes ago.
Actually these are the moments I am waiting for: Who is the sponsor this time and how is the sponsor integrated into the storyline? PS: Liked to see the kitchen of an historian making wedges :-)
😂😂😂👍
@Stride Always.
Anybody else catch the Gordonius Ramsius kitchen picture? I didn’t realize he got his start in ancient Rome
2:05 Ah yes, the famous Gordonius Ramsius hahahah
It's fookin RAWICUS!
Where can I find the sources of your quotes? Please could you detail them in your video somewhere in future. This is priceless information.
If you are interested in that, i can suggest the channel Maiorianus and the channel History in 3D.
Great video!
I even enjoy your commercial announcements.
Beautiful video. Would be awesome to see the transition, the adaptation of the Romans to the barbarian new rule per region. 👌
My favourite time period . Looking forward to more Late Antiquity videos!
one of your best videos!
Timely video. I’m hearing the fall of Rome being referenced more and more
@Baby Blue Rue I’m no expert but I wonder if the bread and circuses and decadence distracted people or made them so complacent to the coming trauma. Most are so trusting in government they probably think they’ll be saved
@@benchippy8039 The bread and circuses was pretty much limited to the capitols (Rome and Constantine). The 80 to 90 percent of the population that was rural, out in the country side working at agriculture, forestry, etc. probably didn't benefit from such largess, although maybe a number of those within the vicinity of the above mentioned capitols could travel to the circuses/shows.
@@michaeldunne338 that’s a good point, they didn’t exactly have a colosseum in every town!
I personally see the collapse as necessary and possibly a good thing in the long term. We live in a very broken system
I keep hearing Orwell being referenced.
@@kellysouter4381 Orwell must of had a crystal ball
The smoothest seg into an ad.
Brand new to the channel. Please keep up your "Strait Take" on the ancient topic stuf. I'm commenting at 5:45 and sooooo greatful you went with cooking advertising, and not Curiosity Brainwash Dream
Top 5 RUclips channel all time
I literally just thought abt this question?!
We’re about to find out.
The migration period is one of the most underrated periods in history
Can confirm. Visigoths bring the thunder on bass in a metal band.
"Heavy metal bassist..." had me 🤣
When I was done laughing, I had to check if there was a metal band called Visigoths, simply because it sounds heavy. Of course there is :)
We're about to find out
I once read a pretty interesting article on an Austrian Newspaper's Archeology Blog that e.g. in Noricum's more remote valleys and in the Areas where Germanic tribes did not constantly move through, but also in areas such as Flavia Solva some people where kinda relieved not having to pay taxes to dysfunctional central authorities anymore, which had been proven in the previous Germanic raids. of course under the presumption that these people had survived in reestablished hill forts (mostly by repurposing temples on hills) which then turned into new settlements.
Pestilence, collapse of established social orders, persecution by religious bigots, endless wars… no, I can’t picture it either.
You forgot the religious persecution.
At least we still have electricity and running water...
@@kellysouter4381 (edited)
Probably very similar to how it feels to live in majority of Europe or UK now.
Been a subscriber for months and just now realized your name isn’t some exotic European name rather “told in stone” without spaces
A regular watcher from Bangladesh 🇧🇩
just look around...we are living it now
now were attacking the big questions
Its weird thing to ask but how ancient people saw metal oxidizing or any other chemicals reaction
Kind of looks similar to what's happening here in United States I can see our country splitting in half down the middle
Pretty much like living in America now
Western civilization will likely find out first hand again
Its happening right now, digitalization is destroying the physical economy/infrastructure.
Mass migration, political instability & plague, fertility crisis, stagnation/breakdown of arts and culture, droughts, starvation and climate change etc.
We don’t have to imagine…..