What I would like to see is a presentation (or even better, a whole book) on how the Republic seemed to collapse so quickly, after lasting for centuries. In contrast, and as presented in both Fall of the West and Pax Romana, the principate/dominate had a fairly brief peak - and then took centuries of slow decline by sheer momentum. While people like to smugly point out "East Rome lasted until 1453", if you plot anything from territory to wealth to military, you end up with a graph like a slowly dying patient on really long life support. Or, as I like to glibly put it "Byzantium was going to last until Gunpowder and Cannon plus 50 Years". Because they were able to hunker down behind the Walls when everything else was lost, and regroup, recover (at a lower level) and keep things going. If Khosroe had cannon, Constantinople and the Eastern Empire would have been gone a mere couple centuries after the West. 😉 The Republic, on the other hand, seemed to go from centuries of stability to vicious civil wars in a matter of decades. Or is that misleading and the rot in the Republic has lingered for hundreds of years as well and was bound to pop eventually? From the above books, it sounds like the conquests and the corrupting influence of untold plunder, slaves and riches pulled out the rug from underneath. But as that's been a trope, even bemoaned and written about by Roman authors back then, it seems too simple.
@@AdrianGoldsworthytheAuthor By next month would be great, as I'm almost done with all your other books and then what will I do?! :) (good timing on Rome and Persia, that's why it's next month and not next week!)
Perhaps another video on the 'collegia' (trade guilds) operating as rival thug factions..which by Dr.Goldsworthy's description sound a bit like violent militant union bodies.
If Dr. Goldsworthy were to write a book on Roman politics, I'd buy it instantly.
Excellent and informative video !
Currently reading your book on Augustus, it’s great!!!! And these videos are super informative!! Keep up the good work
Fascinating
These are always great.
What I would like to see is a presentation (or even better, a whole book) on how the Republic seemed to collapse so quickly, after lasting for centuries. In contrast, and as presented in both Fall of the West and Pax Romana, the principate/dominate had a fairly brief peak - and then took centuries of slow decline by sheer momentum.
While people like to smugly point out "East Rome lasted until 1453", if you plot anything from territory to wealth to military, you end up with a graph like a slowly dying patient on really long life support. Or, as I like to glibly put it "Byzantium was going to last until Gunpowder and Cannon plus 50 Years". Because they were able to hunker down behind the Walls when everything else was lost, and regroup, recover (at a lower level) and keep things going. If Khosroe had cannon, Constantinople and the Eastern Empire would have been gone a mere couple centuries after the West. 😉
The Republic, on the other hand, seemed to go from centuries of stability to vicious civil wars in a matter of decades. Or is that misleading and the rot in the Republic has lingered for hundreds of years as well and was bound to pop eventually? From the above books, it sounds like the conquests and the corrupting influence of untold plunder, slaves and riches pulled out the rug from underneath. But as that's been a trope, even bemoaned and written about by Roman authors back then, it seems too simple.
Not sure when it is likely to happen yet, but a wider Fall of the Republic book is one that I do want to write someday.
@@AdrianGoldsworthytheAuthor By next month would be great, as I'm almost done with all your other books and then what will I do?! :) (good timing on Rome and Persia, that's why it's next month and not next week!)
Would love to see a hefty book on the first Civil War. Your synopsis of it in Caesar was great.
@@andersd5311 This one is rather good.
Sulla : The Last Republican
Keaveney, Arthur
Perhaps another video on the 'collegia' (trade guilds)
operating as rival thug factions..which by Dr.Goldsworthy's
description sound a bit like violent militant union bodies.
We'll see. Still early days for the channel and it has to fit in with research and writing.
The word "bonny" is very Brit; not used in the US. Interesting talk. Respectfully. P.