What Happened in Rome? The Fall Of The Roman Empire

 Links from this Episode:

• Podcast Consultation Form 
• The Fall of the Roman Empire Podcast Website 
• The Fall of the Roman Empire Podcast on Apple Podcasts   

Nick Holmes, the host, describes his show like this. Ever wondered why the Roman Empire fell? Find out in this podcast from British historian Nick Holmes. He tells the extraordinary story of Rome’s decline and fall and how its legacy is still central to the world we live in today. The length of each episode is 15 to 20 minutes. 

Podcast Consultations

I’ve been able to talk to some amazing podcasters about their shows while doing interviews for the friendly podcast guide. Along the way, I’ve learned so many tips and tricks on how to start a podcast from personal experience and from the hosts I’ve interviewed. I’ve talked to them about what made their launch successful and what made it more difficult. I for sure know what I would do differently if I could go back and launch my show again.

Now I want to share my knowledge with you. I’m offering podcast consults and I have a couple of spots open in the next month. If you need help nailing down your podcast idea, figuring out your niche, or any other podcast questions, I would love to work with you to make your show’s launch the best it can be.

If you’re interested in working with me, fill out the intake form in the show notes. I can’t wait to make a podcast plan that is tailored to you and your podcast, and we’ll make your launch as smooth and successful as possible.  

Hear from the Host 

My name is Nick Holmes, and if you’re looking for a podcast about the Romans and why their empire fell, you’ve come to the right place. Let me kick off with a brief overview. This podcast will be weekly and about 20 minutes long. It’ll be what I hope is an exciting narrative of Rome’s decline and fall.

If you’ve listened to my other podcast, which is called Byzantium and the Crusades then you’ll be familiar with the format. It is very straightforward and about telling incredibly exciting history. What’s so good about the story of Rome’s fall is that it is one of the greatest stories in history. 

It’s also one of the most important in my view, because the legacy of the Roman Empire is still with us today in so many ways. For example, European languages used the Roman alphabet. Christianity was a Roman religion. Indeed, it became their state religion very closely linked with the authority of the emperor. A lot of the ideas we have today about government politics, the army, as well as philosophy, art, drama and literature come from the Romans. Also from the Greeks, since the Romans were great admirers of Greek civilization and adopted so much of it.

Origins of the Roman Empire

Let’s get on with some history. I’m actually going to start at the very beginning of the story. To understand how it fell, you really need to know what it was that fell. So to start with, this will sound more like a history of Rome than the fall of Rome. We will soon get to the third century in the massive crisis that the Romans faced then. For now, let’s start at the beginning,

Rome began as a small settlement perched upon a few hills surrounding the river Tiber about 50 miles from the sea. Its true origins will never be known for sure. Roman historians like Pliny and Virgil, writing centuries afterwards, embellished entirely fictional legends born centuries before they wrote them down.

These legends appealed to the Romans as much as to us today. The most famous of all was that the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, abandoned at birth and suckled by a she wolf founded the city. Greek writers embellished this by linking the twins to the legend of Aeneas, a Trojan refugee who fled to Rome and married Lavinia, the daughter of the King of latam. It claims this is where Rome would later be founded, thereby romantically, suggesting that Romans had Trojan blood in their veins.

But what really happened? Archeological evidence points to a native Italian settlement on the hills of ancient Rome in about 1000 BC. 

Want to Hear More About the Roman Empire? 

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