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Home > Reflecting History > Episode 84: The Fate of Rome Part I-Climate Change and the Roman Empire


	Podcast:		Reflecting History
	Episode:		Episode 84: The Fate of Rome Part I-Climate Change and the Roman Empire
	Category:		Society & Culture
	Duration:		00:50:12
	Publish Date:		2020-11-30 23:30:00
	Description:		The fall of the Roman Empire is one of the great stories in all of history. Wars, political turmoil, barbarian invasions, moral decay, and economic decline are often some of the reasons given as the chief causes of the fall of the western empire in 476 AD. However, historian Kyle Harper would argue that climate and disease play a pivotal role in the story as well. Climate change seems to be a difficult topic to discuss in the modern day, so perhaps taking a look at the history of climate change during one of the key moments in human history will prove useful. This is the first part in a four part series on how climate change impacted the fall of the Roman Empire in significant ways. It discusses how climate and human interactions play off of each other, and how the Roman Empire during the Pax Romana benefited from the stability of the Roman Climate Optimum. This series of episodes is based in large part on Kyle Harper's recent book "The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease and the End of an Empire." Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Reflecting History on Twitter: @reflectinghist If you like the podcast and have 30 seconds to spare, consider leaving a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts...It helps! Try my audio course: Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does Fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? And what lessons can history teach us about today? My audio course 'A Beginners Guide to Understanding & Resisting Fascism: Nazi Germany and the Battle for the Human Heart' explores these massive questions through the lens of Nazi Germany and the ordinary people who lived, loved, collaborated and even resisted during those times. Through exploring the past, I hope to unlock lessons that all learners on the course can apply to the present day - from why fascism attracts people to how it can be resisted. I'm donating 20% of the proceeds to Givewell's Maximum Impact Fund, and the course also comes with a 100% money back guarantee. Check it out at https://avid.fm/reflectinghistory
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