How The Roman Empire Was Built On Brutality & Fratricide | Rome: Empire Without Limit | Timeline
Published 2023-08-05
Mary then travels to Greece, where Rome adopted a complex mix of brute force and cultural cringe, and France, where she finds evidence of war methods akin to outright genocide. In typical myth-busting style, Mary argues that the period of greatest Roman expansion occurred when Rome itself was little more than a provincial backwater, a shanty town of mud and brick. The marble, monumental Rome we know came about because of imperial conquest - not the other way round. And likewise, the creation and possession of an empire transformed the politics of Rome forever, creating the conditions for one-man rule, and ending the centuries-old Roman Republic.
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All Comments (21)
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Dr. Beard has many fans and a few critics. One critic recently posted that “she was too ugly to be on television”. She isn’t a fashionista (except for her phenomenal choice of shoes), doesn’t wear make-up or style her hair, and travels by bicycle most of the time. So, why do we like her? She is genuine, honest, and brilliant. She has opened the history of Rome like no other academician by the thorough presentation of facts and information. We like her because she tells it like it is (or was). She makes us think. Bravo, Dr. Beard, and thank you for helping us learn about ancient Rome, its peoples, and customs.
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I love how casually she just reads Latin. I know very intelligent people who have studied classics (and hence Latin) at uni and they say that almost all graduates really struggle to just read Latin without having to decipher it
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More of this series please. Mary Beard is bloody brilliant, fantastic, engaging, and I love watching her.
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Mary aligns a lot and draws one into each part of each video. Captivating diction and punctuating on character studies. She is truly admirable.
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Mary Beard is an absolute Legend!
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Mary you are a world treasure. You have a way of giving a highly visible imprint in ones mind when you explain past civilizations . Almost like you were their. Your brilliant.
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Love Mary Beard talking about Rome, Joann Fletcher is equally as enthusiastic in her Egyptian documentaries if anyone is interested. Well worth a watch
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Omg awesome narration.....love your voice and the way you explain everything..love it love it love it
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Mary Beard, Joann Fletcher (Miss Frizzle of Egyptologists!) And Suzana Lipscomb are my fave female historians Mary Beard brings you right into the story she's telling you and is so passionate about what she's teaching you.
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IMO one important feature was the Roman mindset. They just never gave up. Best shown in the Punic wars. A fleet was destroyed by a storm? Well, they build another fleet. An army was crushed by Hannibal? They raised a second one. The second army was crushed? They raised an even bigger one. The biggest army in known history until then was destroyed again at Cannae? Well, Rome adjusted - but never gave up. How many cities / empires would have been able to survive such horrendous defeats? And not a single one, but several in short order? The last one on a scale unimaginable, with a death toll and a death ratio rarely - if ever - seen before? Another tale - I am not sure if this is an anecdote that is true or if this really happened - was a siege of a city by a roman general. The city boasted that it had supplies for 10 years. The general said: I'll take the city in 11 years then. The city surrendered, because it knew that this was exactly what the romans would do. Like I said, not sure if this is true or just a tale. Possible elaborated, but the core is definitly plausible. The Romans were determined and stubborn, they just kept going until finally the enemy would crumble. They never doubted that they would be victorious in the end. No matter if you call this stupidity, courage, bravery, determination or insanity - IMO it was what made Rome (a small and insignificant town for a long time) to the most powerful and longest enduring empire in human history. And one that worked very well for most of its inhabitants. Technological advancement, material wealth, security - everything increased through Rome. So overall it was an empire that was very beneficial for those they conquered. Which is the only way an empire can exist for this long.
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The boat rams in the sea were incredible, what an amazing experience.
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The opening 3 minutes offers so much. You must include the whole series! It’s too much of a tease if you don’t.
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Thank you Prof. Beard for a great series.
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Great documentary, grateful it wasn't put behind a paywall!
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All civilizations are built on foundations with blood as mortar.
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Mary Beard is wonderful ❤
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Yes! Thanks to Mary Beard and Joann Fletcher for making history so acessable to all and relevant to our present time. Much appreacated!
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Yet what we all know but fail to learn is . . . empires fall.
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Romulus and Remus is similar to the Cain and Abel story.
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It was an informative and thrilled historical coverage video ...thank you for sharing
