‘And When Rome Falls, Falls the World’: The Fall of Rome and Western Esotericism
Aug 29, 2023
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Exploring the impact of the fall of Rome on Western esotericism, the podcast discusses the competing narratives of progress and decline in Western culture. It examines the historical background leading to the fall, including the arrival of the Huns and the movement of Germanic tribes. The podcast also explores occultists' concerns about collapse scenarios and the intersection with decline narratives in esotericism. Additionally, it delves into the prophecy of a non-Athenian Hierophant and Augustine's arguments against polytheism influenced by the fall of Rome.
The sack of Rome in 410 CE was interpreted by polytheists as a result of divine anger towards Christianity's impious customs, while Christians like Augustine saw it as a validation of their faith.
The fall of Rome became a symbol of mortal grandeur and hubris, contrasting with the true grandeur of Christianity's eternal kingdom, shaping the perception of Rome as a representation of the world's inevitable decline in the Catholic Church and Western thought.
Deep dives
The Fall of Rome as a Sign of Decline
The sack of Rome by the Goths in 410 CE was seen as a symbolic turning point for many. For polytheists, it was a sign of divine anger and a consequence of the impious customs of Christianity. On the other hand, Christians like Augustine saw it as a confirmation of Christianity's power, as Christian churches had provided refuge and were spared during the sack. Both viewpoints wove the material circumstances of the sack into larger narratives of meaning and the decline of Rome, leading to complex interactions between polytheist and Christian worldviews.
Rome's Fall and the Narrative of Inevitable Decline
Augustine's work on the city of God refuted polytheism and framed the fall of Rome within a broader narrative of Christianity's eternal kingdom versus the perishable world. The fall of Rome became a symbol of mortal grandeur and hubris, contrasting with the true grandeur of Christianity's message and the kingdom of heaven. This perception, based in part on Augustine's work, ingrained the idea of Rome as a representation of the world and its inevitable fall, coexisting with the ongoing significance of Rome in the Catholic Church.
Rome's Fall and the Myth of Decline vs Progress
The narrative of Rome's fall and decline coexists with the modern myth of progress, creating a tension between ideas of inevitable decay and improvement. The fall of Rome, along with the decline and collapse of the Western Empire, has become ingrained in the Western psyche as a myth of decline, failure, and entropy. This narrative continues to influence Western thought and is often intertwined with broader discussions of societal and cultural decline, both within and outside the realm of esotericism.
Complex Interactions Between Polytheist Platonism and Christianity
The fall of Rome and the decline of the Western Empire had significant impacts on Western esotericism. Polytheists interpreted the fall as a consequence of divine anger and the impiousness of Christianity, while Christians like Augustine saw it as a confirmation of their faith. These interpretations and their relationship to broader narratives of decline and spiritual meaning had long-lasting effects on Western esotericism and the contrasting themes of polytheistic and Christian worldviews.
The sacking of Rome by Alaric and his Visigoths in the year 410 was an ideologically-charged event that left a permanent imprint on the culture of the west. We discuss two contemporary readings of what this event meant – one a polytheist and one a Christian – and, starting from these case-studies, a few of the crucial themes set in motion by the ‘Fall of Rome’ in the history of western esotericism.
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