#443 – Gregory Aldrete: The Roman Empire – Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome

Podcast Notes Playlist: Latest Episodes

Artificial Intelligence Podcast

Key Takeaways

• The key to understanding Ancient Rome is to understand that it was obsessed with the past
• The Romans were hyper-competitive and cared deeply about their status amongst their peers; their public competitiveness drove them
• One of the secrets to Rome’s success was its ability to absorb and integrate non-Roman ideas
• “If we were to write a realistic textbook of the Roman Empire, nine out of ten chapters should be details of what it was like to be a small-time family farmer, because that’s what 90% of the people in the ancient world did.” – Gregory Aldrete
• Roman law is perhaps the most significant legacy the empire has left on the modern world; about 90% of the modern world uses some derivation of it
• The Great Contradiction: Rome’s very success made almost every group within Roman society deeply unhappy and boiling with resentment
• Caesar succeeded in taking over the state as one man, but he could not solve the problems of ruling Rome as one person and appearing to function as a king
• Augustus is one of the most significant individuals in Roman history given he was the one who founded the Roman Empire; he led the transition from the republic to empire
• Public speaking was an essential aspect of life in Rome; those who were great orators, such as Cicero, had a great advantage in seeking power and influence
• While Gladiators were considered low status – because they performed for others – many of them became wildly popular in Roman culture
• The Five Good Emperors period (96-180 CE) of Roman history is often seen as a high point in Roman history
  • The five emperors were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius
• Eventually, the Roman Empire became too large to effectively govern; a state of constant civil war ensured, which created a vicious downward cycle for the overall Roman economy that left it poorer and more vulnerable to fragmentation
• Different historians attribute the fall of the Roman Empire to different things, citing the barbarians, Christianity, climate, disease, and moral decline

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org

---

Gregory Aldrete is a historian specializing in ancient Rome and military history.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep443-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.

Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/gregory-aldrete-transcript

CONTACT LEX:
Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact

EPISODE LINKS:
Gregory's Website: https://gregorysaldrete.com/
Gregory's Books: https://amzn.to/3z6NiKC
Gregory's Great Courses Plus: https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/gregory-s-aldrete
Gregory's Audible: https://adbl.co/4e72oP0

SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks.
Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex
BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling.
Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex
ExpressVPN: Fast & secure VPN.
Go to https://expressvpn.com/lexpod

OUTLINE:
(00:00) - Introduction
(08:38) - Ancient world
(22:34) - Three phases of Roman history
(25:24) - Rome's expansion
(37:04) - Punic wars
(45:36) - Conquering Greece
(47:14) - Scipio vs Hannibal
(50:21) - Heavy infantry vs Cavalry
(53:57) - Armor
(1:06:48) - Alexander the Great
(1:12:49) - Roman law
(1:22:29) - Slavery
(1:30:09) - Fall of the Roman Republic
(1:33:54) - Julius Caesar
(1:38:33) - Octavian's rise
(1:48:25) - Cleopatra
(1:56:47) - Augustus
(2:24:57) - Religion in Rome
(2:49:03) - Emperors
(2:56:10) - Marcus Aurelius
(3:02:21) - Taxes
(3:05:29) - Fall of the Roman Empire
(3:22:41) - Decisive battles
(3:46:51) - Hope

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
- Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
- RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
- Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
- Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips