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Who do we think gets to think about the Roman Empire?

WAMU 88.5 | By Chris Castano
Published September 24, 2023 at 9:51 PM EDT
People dressed as soldiers of the ancient Rome march in front of the Coliseum during a parade to celebrate the anniversary of the legendary foundation of the city of Rome.
People dressed as soldiers of the ancient Rome march in front of the Coliseum during a parade to celebrate the anniversary of the legendary foundation of the city of Rome.

How much do you think about the Roman Empire?

It’s a question that men the world over were asked by friends and loved ones who use the video-sharing app TikTok in recent days.

A recent viral trend asserts that dudes spend a surprising amount of time ruminating on barbarian invasions, Hadrian’s Wall, fights in the Coliseum, and much more.

It’s a fun silly trend. But it illustrates a broader point about how we think about who thinks about history. (We think about this a lot.)

We talk to Angela Watercutter, a senior editor at WIRED, and Doug Boin, a history professor at St. Louis University, about how we think about the Roman Empire. And about how maybe, we could be doing a better job.

Copyright 2023 WAMU 88.5
Chris Castano