The Fall of Rome Podcast
Patrick Wyman / Wondery
Barbarians, political breakdown, economic collapse, mass migration, pillaging and plunder. The fall of the Roman Empire has been studied for years, but genetics, climate science, forensic science, network models, and globalization studies have reshaped our understanding of one of the most important events in human history. PhD historian and specialist Patrick Wyman brings the cutting edge of history to listeners in plain, relatable English.Binge all episodes of The Fall of Rome ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-fall-of-rome-podcast/ now.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 2, 2017 • 46min
13: The Unraveling of the Roman World
Explore the easy movement of goods, people, and beliefs in the Roman world and how its collapse affected individuals. Delve into the patterns of travel and communication, the impact of political boundaries on communication, and the journeys of real people during the unraveling Roman world. Wrap up with the collapse of the empire and the politics of post-Roman states.
Feb 17, 2017 • 44min
12: The Fall of the Roman Economy
Explore the marvel of the Roman economy and how it supported monumental buildings and a large army. Discover the reasons behind its decline, including a shift in trade, restricted travel, and the role of infrastructure. Learn about the impact on different regions, such as Roman Britain and its collapse of market towns. Understand the consequences of the fall of the Roman state on the economy and the contraction of trade networks.
Feb 3, 2017 • 43min
11: The Roman Economy Before the Fall
The economy of the Roman Empire was surprisingly modern, featuring commercial markets, large-scale production, and agricultural sophistication that wouldn't be matched until the middle of the nineteenth century. In this episode, we explore how it was organized, how it functioned, and what it had come to look like just before it all went south.
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Jan 13, 2017 • 56min
10: The Late Roman Army, Barbarians, and the Frontier
Explore the diverse interactions between the Roman army and barbarians on the frontiers, including fighting, joining, trading, and living together. Learn about the massive scale and economic impact of the late Roman army, its defense strategies, and the recruitment of barbarians into the military. Follow the life of Flavius Arbogastes, a Roman soldier, and the major defeats that weakened the army. Discover the consequences of the Frigidus battle and its role in the downfall of the Western Roman Empire.
7 snips
Dec 13, 2016 • 55min
9: Attila and the Empire of the Huns
Explore the complex and organized empire of the Huns, stretching from Russia to Germany. Learn about the origins and connections of the Huns, their migration patterns, and their impact on the Roman Empire. Discover Attila's invasion and consolidation of power, as well as the collapse of the Hunnic Empire.
Nov 23, 2016 • 49min
8: The Vandals and the Fall of Roman Africa
North Africa was the most prosperous region of the western Roman Empire, the agricultural heartland that fed the city of Rome, and the barbarian Vandals' conquest of the region was the final nail in the coffin of the Western Empire as a whole.
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Oct 30, 2016 • 19min
Special Episode: The End Of The Gladiators
Gladiators are one of the defining characteristics of the Roman Empire in popular culture. How and why did they disappear? We explore the topic in this special episode.
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Oct 20, 2016 • 56min
7: The Three Transformations Of Roman Gaul
Gaul was one of the heartlands of the Roman Empire, and it encompassed a tremendous amount of diversity within its borders. Over the course of the fifth century, the region split along its fault lines, with three different paths emerging for its constituent parts. The north became a playground for Frankish warlords, while in the two southern locales, life went on much as it had before.
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17 snips
Oct 1, 2016 • 49min
6: The Catastrophic Fall Of Roman Britain
In 350, Britain was a thoroughly integrated province of the Roman Empire, full of prosperous, Latin-speaking cities, luxurious villas, and all the other trappings of Roman life. By 500, the cities were gone, the economy had collapsed, and the island was split among an innumerable number of petty kingdoms. What happened? How did everything go so wrong?
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42 snips
Sep 15, 2016 • 46min
5: Just How Screwed Up Was the Later Roman Empire?
One of the fundamental questions about the later Roman Empire is just what a mess it really was. Did the barbarians topple a fundamentally healthy, functional state? Or were they merely the straw that broke the camel's back of a diseased, rotten, empire that could no longer hold itself together? In this episode, we discuss just how things had changed between the peak of the Roman Empire in the second century and the beginning of the end in the fourth.
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