The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome traces the breathtaking history from the empire's foundation by Augustus to its Golden Age in the 2nd century CE through a series of ever-worsening crises until the empire's ultimate collapse. Over 24 lectures, Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-reen Bay offers you the chance to experience a new history of Rome, incorporating the latest historical insights that challenge our previous notions of the empire's decline.
The Roman Empire: From Augustus to The Fall of Rome
Follow a renowned history professor as he uncovers five hundred years of the Roman Empire.
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Flash__ from
A Worthy Great Course, Like its Predecessor
Like its predecessor, Professor Aldrete’s “Rise of Rome,” this is a worthy example of a Great Course; I largely agree with the favorable reviews here. It is too is well-organized and largely chronological (with a few sociological interludes which I partly skipped). I again mostly watched the video — some maps were helpful, though I would have liked more detail. The most glaring video omission was the lack of photographs of the walls of Constantinople. The most glaring historical omission was the absence of the Pirenne Thesis from the lectures on the empire’s fall, though of course the omission may well have been prudent.
Date published: 2024-10-01
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Connie C from
Very Good - Here is where AI can add something
Very good. Some reviewers say this isn't college level? but it depends on what level of college one is perceiving from. This course equals or betters any basic or advanced undergrad history course I ever took at U.S.C. or Stanford.
To answer the age-old question of why historic Rome fell, might be to employ an AI program (which you could write yourself) in which you can remove a given factor, such as barbarians and Christianity - then have the AI program create a step-by-step progressive enactment of how history would have progressed. But as you say, Rome never really fell, we live in the continuum of it today.
Date published: 2024-09-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Clifton from
One of best teachers
This course is a wonderful brief survey of the Roman Empire. The teacher is one of the best I have enjoyed. He is concise and does an excellent job.
Date published: 2024-01-16
Rated 5 out of
5
by
BigWally from
Superb course!
Gregory Aldrete, PhD is a master teacher. His 2 courses on Roman history are absolutely splendid. He nice boils down concepts so that one comes away from his courses actually learning and understanding the history and not just a mind-numbing set of varied facts. Interestingly, he gesticulates so that it makes it easier to follow what is very important from less relevant information.
Date published: 2024-01-15
Rated 2 out of
5
by
LAYL from
Dull series
I got a trial subscription to Wonderium/Great Courses because I was going to Rome. I really wanted to like this course but there is something about Professor Aldrete's delivery that ruins the lectures for me. He reads robotically as if from a sheet of paper whose and the lectures seem like a laundry list of facts with no sense of the overall significance of the emperors, wars and other people and events and scant humor, irony or passion.
Date published: 2023-08-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
OldToby from
This was an excellent course and was exactly what I expected it to be; it provides a cursory understanding of the history of the Roman Empire. As the other reviewers have noted it is more or less a freshman level history course; and perhaps it is more suited to a community college; but that being said Dr. Aldrete should know that the quality of lecturer at community colleges, on average, is orders of magnitude better than those which can be found at big name universities.
Date published: 2023-07-08
Rated 5 out of
5
by
rich1837 from
Another Captivating Journey with Prof. Aldrete
I had the privilege of embarking on yet another stimulating educational experience with Professor Aldrete, in the form of his sequel course titled "The Continuation of Ancient Rome: From the Rise to the Fall."
Structure and Content:
Following the tried and tested structure of its predecessor, the course adopts a chronological approach to exploring the annals of Rome, emphasizing the reign of emperors and major historical events. However, what sets this course apart is the inclusion of intricate details and specific facets of Roman life, such as Roman literature and the thrilling world of chariot racing.
In the segment dedicated to historical exploration, Professor Aldrete skillfully avoids a mere recitation of emperor names and epic battles. Instead, he artfully infuses the content with captivating storytelling elements. While the majority of the course is expertly paced and immersive, I did find myself yearning for a slightly more explanation of the period from end of Five Good Emperor to Rome's fall in 476. It seemed as though some critical moments such as Rome's retreat from Britain were somewhat rushed, leaving me craving for more stories.
On the other hand, the examination of Roman lives was a true highlight of the course. Professor Aldrete's meticulous selection of content and engaging delivery style successfully captured the attention of even those, like myself, who tend to shy away from excessive perusal of historical primary sources. Throughout this segment, my interest remained unwavering as I absorbed the rich tapestry of Roman culture, customs, and daily life.
Date published: 2023-05-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Prof Bard from
Excellent Introductory Overview
Professor Aldrete once again delivers a thoughtful and thorough course in this survey history of the Roman Empire. While it is an overview of the Roman Empire, it is rich in topics that are often not generally featured in Roman histories focused on the military history, political history, and personalities of the empire. It is worth noting that Professor Aldrete does address these topics while providing source-based descriptions that highlight these commonly taught topics. Through these sources, he is able to reshape and debunk commonly help misperceptions that have been shaped by later historians and by Hollywood. A good example here is the discussion of Antony and Cleopatra.
While the discussion is chronological, there are lectures devoted to the topical and the thematic such as Lecture 17_Gladiators and Beast Hunts and Lecture 18 - Chariot Racing Spectacles, and Theater. For a look at the realities of life in the the Roman Empire, look to Lecture 7 - The Hazards of Life in Ancient Rome: The Five Fs (Floods, Fires, Famines, Filth, Fevers) and Lecture 10 - The Ordinary Roman Speaks: Graffiti.
These lectures and others are particularly useful in thinking about Rome as it was and not as has been portrayed in art, literature, and in civic religion.
Professor Aldrete is a passionate, knowledgeable, and engaging lecturer. Enjoy the journey!
Date published: 2023-04-22
Overview
About
Gregory S. Aldrete is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. He earned his PhD in Ancient History from the University of Michigan. He has been honored with numerous awards for his research and teaching and has received five fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is also a prolific scholar whose books include Gestures and Acclamations in Ancient Rome, Daily Life in the Roman City, and The Long Shadow of Antiquity: What Have the Greeks and Romans Done for Us?
Trailer
01: Dawn of the Roman Empire
Your course opens by setting the stage for Rome’s transition from a Republic to an Empire. Octavian, overlooking the Ionian Sea after the ferocious Battle of Actium, has just secured victory in a civil war against Mark Antony. He will soon achieve what Julius Caesar could not: one-man rule over Rome. Delve into this major turning point in world history.
35 min
02: Augustus, the First Emperor
Meet the man who became Rome’s first emperor: Octavian, who took the title of Augustus, was relatively short and sickly, but clever and astute. His great political innovation—taking the title Augustus, gaining control of the military, and ruling Rome without inspiring his own assassination—is one of history’s most astonishing feats.
32 min
03: Tiberius and Caligula
Augustus may have been a tremendous emperor, but he failed in one key area: choosing a successor. After an almost comical series of events, he secured a male heir (a son of his wife’s by a previous marriage) to take the throne. Witness the debacle of Roman leadership under Tiberius and then Caligula.
32 min
04: Claudius and Nero
The succession after Caligula continued to be a problem for the Roman Empire. Claudius, though physically challenged, was a good administrator. Nero, however, was depraved and self-aggrandizing, and nearly bankrupted the empire. Trace the strange, sad, and bloody story of their rule.
31 min
05: The Flavian Emperors and Roman Bath Culture
Following Nero, a quick series of emperors took power, ultimately ending with Vespasian, the first in the line of Flavian family emperors. After reviewing the story of these emperors, their accomplishments, and their shortcomings, Professor Aldrete offers insight into Roman bath culture and what it meant for the city.
31 min
06: The Five Good Emperors
Round out your survey of the early Roman emperors with a look at the rulers of the 2nd century, including Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius. Get to know their stories; their approach to ruling; and their achievements, such as Trajan’s military conquests and Marcus Aurelius’s philosophical meditations.
33 min
07: Hazards of Life in Ancient Rome: The Five Fs
You might think of Rome as a grand city filled with shining marble and peopled with decadent-toga-clad citizens. In reality, the city was a swampy, stinking, disease-ridden mess with filth in the streets and a fire nearly every night in one of its buildings. See what life would have been like for Rome’s ordinary citizens.
31 min
08: Roman Art and Architecture
Two of the great legacies of the Roman Empire are its art and architecture. You will reflect on the Etruscan and Greek influences on Roman portraits and sculptures, see how Augustus used art as propaganda, and learn about some of the many architectural and engineering innovations—including the Pantheon and the aqueducts.
32 min
09: Roman Literature
Roman literature had its roots in Greek influences, but by the time of the Empire, Roman writers had come into their own. The works you will study include the fiery rhetoric of Cicero; the poetry of Horace and Ovid; and Virgil’s epic about Rome’s founding, the Aeneid. You’ll also review histories, technical works, and writings on Christianity.
32 min
10: The Ordinary Roman Speaks: Graffiti
The traditional understanding of Rome was based on accounts by upper-class males, who wrote the primary sources historians relied on for generations. More recent historians have looked at new sources to gain a fuller sense of the city’s history. You will examine graffiti preserved at Pompeii in order to hear directly from everyday Romans.
31 min
11: Final Words: Burial and Tombstone Epitaphs
Continue your study of everyday Romans with a look at the epitaphs on their tombstones. While elaborate tombs were reserved for the very rich, people of all social classes had their thoughts and stories inscribed on tombstones. You will also explore how the Romans buried their dead.
30 min
12: From Commodus to Caracalla
Marcus Aurelius may have been a wise philosopher, but he didn’t act wisely when appointing his son Commodus as heir; who turned out to be a throwback to the megalomania of Caligula and Nero. Emperor Septimius Severus provided a short period of stability, but his son, Caracalla, was yet another unbalanced ruler.
32 min
13: The Crisis of the 3rd Century
The empire hit a low point with Elagabalus, who was arguably the worst Roman emperor of all—which is saying quite a lot. Then Rome teetered on the brink of total collapse due to a deadly combination of civil war, barbarian invasions, economic collapse, and natural disasters.
31 min
14: Diocletian and Late 3rd-Century Reforms
Just when the Roman Empire seemed on the verge of collapse, a series of hard-headed, practical emperors managed to rescue it. Follow the astonishing story of how these men, led by the reformer Diocletian, drove back the barbarians and stabilized the faltering Empire.
32 min
15: Early Christianity and the Rise of Constantine
Stability never lasted long in the Roman Empire. At the dawn of the 4th century, Christianity emerged as a major world force—made manifest by Constantine’s dramatic and unexpected conversion. Find out how and why Christianity developed and spread, and the role it played in subsequent political events.
32 min
16: Constantine and His Successors
Take a closer look at Constantine and explore his motivations for converting to Christianity. Learn about the Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicaea, which codified key aspects of Christian theology. Then see why Constantine founded a new capital city at Byzantium, and the state of the empire at the end of his life.
32 min
17: Gladiators and Beast Hunts
Gladiators dominate today’s popular imagination when it comes to ancient Rome—and indeed, the Romans loved their spectacles and sports. As you will find out here, gladiator combat was only one of many popular entertainments in the empire. Find out who the gladiators were and what their lives were like. Then turn to another popular contest: the beast hunt.
32 min
18: Chariot Racing, Spectacles, and Theater
Although gladiators dominate Hollywood films, chariot racing was actually the most popular sport in the Roman Empire. Go inside the Circus Maximus and learn about the factions and teams of chariot racers. Then shift your attention to the world of the theater, where plays, mimes, and music entertained the masses.
32 min
19: The Roman Army
No survey of the Roman Empire would be complete without a detailed look at one of its most central institutions: the military. Take a look at the organization of Rome’s fighting forces. See what kind of equipment soldiers were outfitted with, how they trained, and what joining the military meant for farm boys in the provinces.
32 min
20: Barbarians Overwhelm the Western Empire
Administration is only half the battle in maintaining a tremendous empire. You also have to defend the borders, and from the 3rd to the 5th centuries, Rome experienced an increasing wave of invasions by outsiders. Here, Professor Aldrete introduces you to the Huns, the Visigoths, the Vandals, and other invaders who penetrated Rome’s borders and plundered the empire.
31 min
21: The Byzantine Empire
While the western half of the Roman Empire had clearly collapsed by the end of the 5th century, the eastern Romans in the Byzantine Empire flourished for another thousand years. Visit the world of Constantinople, meet fascinating figures such as Justinian and Theodora, and see what made the Byzantine Empire so successful.
32 min
22: When and Why Did the Roman Empire Fall?
Generations of historians have struggled over—and disagreed about--the fundamental questions of when and why the Roman Empire fell. This lecture critically evaluates a wide range of possible answers to these complex and enduring questions.
32 min
23: Late Antiquity: A New Historical Era
Traditionally, historians have viewed the years 200 to 600 as a time of collapse and stagnation, the end of Rome and the arrival of the “Dark Ages.” Recent historians have taken another look at this era and seen a time of invigorating change, a vibrant mingling of cultures, and an exciting transition between antiquity and the Middle Ages.
34 min
24: Echoes of Rome
In this final lecture, consider the legacy of the Roman Empire, which influences us in innumerable ways, from our language to our legal codes. Because history is ultimately about people, Professor Aldrete closes with a few final voices to keep everyday Romans alive, and a reflection on what they might tell us today.
38 min
