Anyone else Listen to these to help get to sleep 🙌🏻

i enjoyed this so much, i never lost interest. your voice is so soothing and you have a good sence of humour. wish there were teachers like you when i went to school. i love ancient history and the court politic. thank you so much

Powers Boothe acted flawlessly as Flavius Aetius.

The part at 1:06:26 was actually really good. The dragging out of the Roman Empire to this point really does start feeling like the sort of ridiculous nonsense that happens when a show goes on for way, way, way longer than it should have. And it starts getting too chaotic and messy to really enjoy going through it the same way I got with the first 2/3rds of this amazing series. This isn't for a lack of Mike Duncan's talent, he just aptly describes how messy and unoriginal it all starts to feel at some point with a bajillion different dynasties.

Congrats on the baby. Thanks for making this series man!

Around 1 hour, 7 minutes in, Mr. Duncan refers to how it was incumbent that this show end at 476 AD, as opposed to 1453, citing how he needed to be better than the "crappy 14th season of some sitcom you can't believe is still on the air." I immediately thought of "The Simpsons," and how it should have ended 17 May 1998, back in my childhood, with the end of Season 9. That bloody thing continues (nothing like the hilarious show it once was), and I've learned from Wikipedia that season 34's finale is coming in a few days from now. Today, interestingly enough, is 17 May 2023, exactly a quarter century after what should have been the end of that cartoon. The sad part is that it has already been renewed for a 35th and even a 36th season, not that I have any intention whatsoever of watching it. Sometimes it is better to bow out gracefully and to leave the audience begging for more, rather than overstay one's welcome and fade off into obscurity.

I use these podcast to get to sleep. Usually will take me 4 or 5 nights to finish 1 episode

I love the trope of eternal rivals joining together to fight a bigger threat.

It never fell.. It lives to this day in Vatican City, the "City of London," and the District of Columbia. Empire of the City

love this series! YOU DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB

He got me with the Vampire loving sod sack, that was great line.

During the pandemic, I listened to this entire series. Sometimes I would fall asleep with it on. Did I just dream about a red wedding involving the Romans and Goths? I can't find it on Google.

April 1st, 457 AD: Majorian is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor. This is one of the most interesting April Fool's jokes of all time. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but truth is often stranger than fiction. Perhaps this is why I like dark comedies so much; they mimic my interests in history and the social sciences in general.

I've really enjoyed your Roman History episodes! Thank you!

God i'm almost ready to get to listen this all over again yay

I have commanded my most loyal slave to plunge my dagger deeply into my heart as the strains of Timeaus lyre fade away.

Vandals today: Yo, we draw da graffiti and stuff on walls! Vandals in the 5th century: Yo, we burn Roman ships! (Based on a comment I have seen elsewhere)

I totally enjoy listening to your podcast, even tho I jump around. It's simple and easy to understand history. While it is all fact(ish) it comes out like modern day drama of never ending family. As I listened I began to wonder if I came for the story or to hear that guitar solo

50:59 She was the daughter of an emperor, the brother of an emperor, the wife of an emperor and the mother of an emperor. Wait a second... one of them doesn't quite fit.

1:34:30 can you hear that?

Mike is mad chill and then he drops a body blow “vampire loving sad sack” low-key stupid funny

Love the shade throwing @Dan Brown's hack ass.

Herculanus: "the worst she can do is say 'no'" they told me...

I'm in 2022 and it's only this series helps me to sleep

1:42:21 -1:42:30 Sounds familiar?

3:20 THANK YOU! 🙏🫡 ♥️

what happened to the two Hun guards that killed Vallentinian ?

After listening to this from the first episodes, I hate hearing about romes collapse. Seeing them go from underdog to rulers of Italy to controlling the Mediterranean, to conquering Greece, to the fall of the republic and the buildup to the golden age, hearing about how they skirted by the disastrous third century by the skin of their teeth only to emerge as strong as ever, it is just sad to hear about the collapse. It’s like watching a movie where you know the outcome. You know it’s gonna be bad. But you’re still hoping against all odds that somehow the hero pulls through.

Bring it back :( it took months and I caught up driving and now all I have is silence

I've heard it suggested that what happened to the Romans was the rest of the tribes were learning from them. The Roman's couldn't change their society and didn't really want to. The Roman's had the high overhead life and the tribes had the low overhead life. Costs just kept rising for the Romans and the tribes could only get richer. There was no happy middle ground. The Romans had such a high value way of life (but very unevenly applied, and standard of living (also very unevenly applied) and the tribes were so much lower (yet more or less uniform overall) . But the average between them all was so appalling low and it took at least 500 years to rise again to reach a more adequate standard of civilization for all. And another 500 years, approximately, to reach the standard of living the romans once enjoyed. But that is hard to gauge: like what's a standard of civilization? Luxury is a very subjective standard. What's really important in life? I read Petronius's Satyricon last year and watched all the movies and I can't forget that the Roman's had art galleries in their cities. That is something I don't think anywhere in Europe will see again until the 18th century.

Thanks

Things are really getting grim

nice just in time

I wonder where all those thousands of pounds of gold ended up. Burial mounds? Mongol loot?

This podcast series is excellent.....so is the humor.I am immersed in Gibbon and follow the timetable along with you.....I hear you reference modern historians but I wonder what your opinion of Gibbon's work is....?

I wish he would pick it up were he left off ❤

im loving this but why all the spoilers?

1:05:00 Great statement about "the great narrative".

IF YOU ASK WHAT A ROME IS YOU GET A SLAP IN THE FACE! Then a nice long lecture. :)

1:34:35 I wonder if "disintegration is the best album ever" came from timaeus or the podcast loll

Congratulations, daddy!

1:34:30 "Disintegration is the best album ever!" Wth was that???

What is a 'Rome'? ! once (circa 1978) had a pair of Adidas Rom cross country running shoes, something like that?

At 51:00... " She was the brother of an Emperor.". Oh really?

38:48 Scourge

Is that South Park at 94:30? Lol

The office of Pontifex maximus still remains so is it really dead?

Ricimer has to be one of the most despicable men in human history. I put him right up there with Stalin in terms of villains, as it takes a really uniquely terrible kind of person to torture and kill your friends.

I-tius! Aye-tius! EYE T US!!!!!!

1:07:13 Wait is...That Implying that Byzantine History Devolves into This?

56:40 Thats what i call mission creep

To me, the Byzantines aren't Rome anyway and ceased to be Rome as soon as there was ever such thing as "The eastern empire". At that point I consider them to have seceded so it's fair to mark "The fall of Rome" at Romulus because the eastern half wasn't Rome.

Interesting as always, but I feel the Huns were a little underrepresented. No mention of why they were so effective on the battlefield, or even who they were exactly. One could write a very interesting book on the history of the composite bow and its impact on history. It was an amazing weapon, and even though millions were made throughout history, precisely how they were made remains a mystery. Those things could pierce armor at a quarter mile.

Rome lasted way longer than modern empires

1:18:40 vampire loving sad sack 😂😂😂😂

19:25 Attila the Chad!!

1:34:30 ??!!! lol

Mr. Duncan does show his middle class and modern bias. "unrepentant misogynists"?. Isn't he forgetting that Rome made its living through military domination and rape of surrounding territories? The women didn't have to do that and that is why they tended not to have the same political power. Men and women did tend to have very distinct body types and muscle mass .In fact, when women were too prominent in the public or political life of the empire, even their enemies thought they were getting too soft. The Middle Eastern empires were not bastions of equal rights either. Nobody on earth was, actually. Boadicea is famous for having called Nero "a woman". There is an awful lot of fantasy warfare entertainment today that seems to forget what historical conditions really were. Perhaps how those people were thinking: if men have to risk life and limb for war, women have to risk their lives making more babies. I say "perhaps" because I wonder if any of them at the time actually phrased the situation as clearly as that in their own minds? It might have revealed the real horror and dreadfulness of their lives too baldly? That kind of knowledge tends to get sublimated, doesn't it? Ancient warfare, and to some extent modern warfare, still puts the body in jeopardy. It is about destroying the enemies physical body and anything that supports it. Modern warfare can almost be fought with push buttons (we'll all be toast soon enough) but ancient warfare was really about brute animal treachery and force. I think there is also an unconscious awareness, that as a species, the society at war can't afford to jeopardize all the members but has to protect the womb so there are potentially more warriors. And that is why there tended to be a gallantry and politeness shown to "ladies".

Saying that Jesus was devine, born from a virgin who walked over the water, healed crippled people back to walking, ressurected and ascended to the skies is alright... nothing beyond actuality.. saying that the merovingian kings descended from him is unbelieveble conspiracy theory.. (I dont believe in any of this tho, but I like the descendence thing a lot.. it's just good fiction.. a good fanfiction that makes a lot of sense, you know what I mean?)

I doubt that disease or bribery had anything to do with it. Attila could have taken far more treasure from Rome than any bribe could hope to match, and disease wouldn't drive him out so fast: even with diseases in his army, he could easily have given them at least one day to sack Rome. What probably happened was that Pope Leo told Attila of what had happened to Alaric a short time after he sacked Rome: he died. The Huns were very superstitious and knew that Rome was a holy city now that the Pope was there. While other factors played a role, the meeting with the Pope probably is what turned him away. The whole "they had too much treasure" argument is just stupid. They could have easily stolen more draft animals and even taken people as slaves and used them to carry the extra goods. Yes, Italy had a famine and there was disease, but neither of these things had stopped the Huns from sacking Milan or Aquilea. And the Pope probably had no gold to bribe Attila with, but even if he did, Attila could have taken far, far more from Rome itself.

"Yes,yes, Diocletion tortured and murdered thousands of innocent Christians, but he really was a great guy."

Hearing this guy say "your highness" and simping for the not so impressive Roman Augusta is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. Nice history though Marc.

Goddamn Dude , learn how to pronounce names ! Geiserec is pronounced Guy- sair- ek . And Pulcheria is pronounced Pool- kair-ee- uh .

Man I've loved this series but the narrator is becoming unbearable in these last few videos. More sarcastic jokes than actual history at times so the thread of the story is constantly getting lost.

You should do the reading and let the listeners with the personal coments.

Though I love this series it's so sad to hear the author try so hard to dismiss the existence of God. Atheism is denial of truth.

Everything is beautiful. Disruption of the reading with personal comets is horibble.