The Fall of the Roman Empire in the East: A Tale of Two Empires

The podcast explores the fall of the Roman Empire in the East, highlighting the division between the Eastern and Western halves. The East emerged with a stable political system, a flourishing Christian culture, and a thriving economy, while the West faced continuous calamities and decline. The episode delves into the events and factors that led to the divergence between the two empires, focusing on the experiences of a hypothetical family of soldiers and administrators from the East. It covers the devastating invasions by Attila the Hun and the Vandals, the significance of dynasty and military support, the challenges faced by the civil bureaucracy, and the role of institutional stability in the Eastern Empire's survival.