The Fall of Rome Podcast
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.
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- Update frequency
- every 14 days
- Average duration
- 41 minutes
- Episodes
- 34
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2023
13: The Unraveling of the Roman World
The Roman world was more than just an empire; it was a cultural, social, economic, and political space built on the easy movement of goods, people, beliefs, and practices from place to place. It was…
00:46:04 |
Thu 02 Mar 2017
12: The Fall of the Roman Economy
The Roman economy was a marvel, the powerhouse that produced surpluses big enough to support huge cities, maintain an enormous standing army, and construct monumental buildings that stand to this day…
00:43:57 |
Fri 17 Feb 2017
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 ninetee…
00:42:39 |
Fri 03 Feb 2017
10: The Late Roman Army, Barbarians, and the Frontier
The Roman army was the central institution in the late Roman world. It had changed dramatically from the classic legions of Augustus and Marcus Aurelius, adapting itself to the much different world o…
00:55:46 |
Fri 13 Jan 2017
9: Attila and the Empire of the Huns
Attila the Hun is the best-known barbarian from antiquity, but the Hunnic Empire he inherited and expanded hasn't gotten the credit it deserves for its complexity and organization. This episode explo…
00:55:12 |
Tue 13 Dec 2016
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 …
00:49:16 |
Wed 23 Nov 2016
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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00:19:24 |
Sun 30 Oct 2016
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 line…
00:55:34 |
Thu 20 Oct 2016
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 we…
00:48:51 |
Sat 01 Oct 2016
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 tha…
00:46:08 |
Thu 15 Sep 2016
4: The Gothic Sack of Rome
In 395, the barbarian Goths rebelled against the Romans and fought a campaign that culminated in the sack of Rome in 410. But were the Goths really barbarous foreigners, or are they better understood…
00:46:51 |
Sat 03 Sep 2016
3: The Goths and the Beginning of Rome's End
In the third episode of The Fall of Rome, we explore the Goths' migration into the Roman Empire and their desperate war for survival against the forces of the Empire. This conflict culminated in the …
00:41:55 |
Sat 27 Aug 2016
2: The Barbarian World
We explore the barbarian world beyond the frontiers, focusing on the fearsome Goths who would one day leave an emperor dead on the battlefield, sack Rome itself, and found a kingdom of their own insi…
00:39:49 |
Fri 12 Aug 2016
1: Introduction
Barbarians, political breakdown, economic collapse, mass migration, pillaging and plunder. In the introduction to this series, PhD historian Patrick Wyman takes you through the broad outlines of the …
00:36:46 |
Fri 05 Aug 2016
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