The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome

De: Gregory S. Aldrete, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Gregory S. Aldrete

When Octavian, who took the title of Augustus as the first emperor of Rome, defeated Mark Antony to become the sole ruler of the Roman world, it was a major turning point in Western civilization. Not only did his decades-long rule completely transform the old Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, but it also profoundly shaped the culture and history of our world today. The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome traces this 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 its ultimate disintegration.

Taught by acclaimed Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, these 24 captivating lectures offer you the chance to experience this story like never before, incorporating the latest historical insights that challenge our previous notions of Rome’s decline. You’ll examine the major events and familiar figures of the Roman Empire, including:

• The political innovations of Augustus
• The mental instability and cruel acts of Caligula and Nero
• Writers such as Ovid, Horace, and Virgil
• The stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
• Constantine’s startling conversion to Christianity

You’ll also look beyond the famous figures and delve deeply into the lives of ordinary Roman citizens. You’ll hear the messages they left on tombstones or scribbled on walls as graffiti; examine what life was really like for average city-dwellers and the hazards they faced every day; spend a day at Rome’s spectacular public entertainments, such as gladiator games and chariot races; and explore some of the city’s marvelous architectural and engineering works, including the Pantheon and the aqueducts.

We cannot truly understand ourselves unless we comprehend the vital influences of Rome on the modern world - and the lessons the empire can still teach us. The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome is an excellent guide to one of the most important periods in world history.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 The Great Courses (P)2019 The Teaching Company, LLC

Superior speaker

Of all the great courses books I have been through, Gregory Aldrete is of the top two speakers, without question. This is my favorite book so far on this subject.

Don't Miss

Professor Aldrete has created an interesting, well organized and very well delivered course. He covers the high points of history and life for the ordinary person. I appreciated his lectures on what lead to the fall of Rome, including the arguments that the date may not be what you thought it was! I bet Professor Aldrete's courses are "don't miss" even for non-history majors.

GREAT OVERVIEW OF LATER ROMAN HISTORY

As a student of history this series of lectures is a great overview of Rome's empire and culture. Progrssor Aldrete gives the listener a look inside life in Rome from the reign of Augustus to the fall of Byzantium. Interesting insights into how rvents shaped the lives of all stratas of Roman Society. Dr. Aldrete's performance was clear and concise, with a good mix of drams and humor.

An Engaging Listen

I really loved this series on Rome, learned a lot, the reader had a great intonation and expressed himself well, kept me awake and laughing, I didn't expect that!

Great!!!

Great course and great teacher. It is the fourth course from Prof. Aldrete and all of them have been amazing.

Excellent lecture series.

I really enjoy Prof. Aldrete's lectures. Great Courses were keen to add his considerable talent for teaching to their C
catalogue.

great audiobook!

truly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I learned so much from it and I recommend that people listen to it so they can be knowledgeable about Rome and it's downfall.

Professor Aldrete Delivers Again

Professor Aldrete Delivers Again

I just love Professor Aldrete's style. From his clear and easy to understand delivery to his great storytelling to how he keeps every lecture engaging and exciting to how he gets us to think and join the discussion and debate, he is easily in the top 1% of Great Courses lecturers.

He delivers another spectacular work of art with "The Rise of Rome". It has excellent historical narration on the Roman Empire from its first emperor Augustus to its last (in the west) covering the empire’s rise to its high point in the 2nd century to its fall in the west in the 4th. There was even a surprising (if short) history of the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire through 1453 AD.

He is thorough in his approach: the first 33 Emperors (until 238 AD) were covered in depth until the heavy turnover during the Crisis of the 3rd Century made this exercise difficult. Relating the story of one emperor after another can get tedious but the professor keeps things fresh and intriguing. Although I have to admit I was a little surprised there wasn’t more time spent on Marcus Aurelius and his reputation as a stoic philosopher.

Lecture 10 is one of the most unique lectures you’ll find in a course on ancient history: a discussion on the various forms of graffiti found in Pompeii---giving you insight into the thoughts of the common person. And they aren’t very different at all from today’s common graffiti (lecture 11 was also unique in describing tombstone epitaphs---in this case much different from today’s counterparts). Of the thousands of TGC lectures I've listened to these two are perhaps the most offbeat, unexpected but entertaining.

The last 5 lectures were the highlights of the course for me: the barbarian peoples overwhelming the western empire (20), brief history of the Byzantine Empire (21), debate on when and how the Roman Empire fell (22), scholar re-interpretation of the period now known as Late Antiquity (23), and influences of Rome on today’s societies (24). All were excellent choices for inclusion in the course and executed with brilliance.

The professor takes every opportunity to say something about the common Roman or give him or her a voice. Most if not all of the written sources we have are from upper class men so to have the perspective of the everyday man or woman was enlightening. We know about the long shadow of Rome's legacies impacting us today but what struck me was just how alike we are to the Romans. Whether it was their obsession with sporting events or their enjoyment in relating stories of haunted houses, the professor calls out the similarities that make us feel connected to a people that have lived 2,000 years ago.

The fall of the western empire has always fascinated me and I thought the professor did a great job relating it in the latter lectures. However, there were questions that (to me) were just begging to be answered but weren’t touched:
o Where was the Roman army when the numerous barbarian migrations were overwhelming the western empire? I know it was a shadow of itself but did it stop some of the migrations/loss of land? Or was it helpless to provide any resistance at all? When did it reach that helpless point? One seemed to exist since Odoacer was part of the Roman army when he deposed the last western Emperor
o What lands of the empire were lost first? Next? A visual depiction of the contraction of the Roman Empire land over time would’ve helped see how this story progressed
o What happened to the Senate? There is no mention of the continuance or dissolution of this and other Roman institutions

While everyone brings their own perspectives and viewpoints on how to define the when and why of Rome's fall, to me I see it as a question of when the Roman authorities could no longer protect its people, it had lost enough land to cease being a world power, and its sovereignty lost all meaning both to the barbarians who migrated/invaded (choose the term that fits your interpretation) and to Romans themselves. Sure there was a long fall spanning perhaps centuries but I see that more as the decline. The actual "moment" of fall itself is the great topic of debate.

In my view this occurred in the 5th century AD when shifting alliances made it difficult to tell "barbarians" from "true Romans", invasion from migration, and confrontation from assimilation. But the precise moment of no return in which the barbarians could carve out kingdoms at will due to the weakening of the imperial system is the big mystery. This is why my earlier questions about pinpointing when the Roman army lost its effectiveness and when certain lands were lost would help narrow this down. But I think the chaos/transformation (again pick your word) of this century makes that impossible which is why this debate will rage on for as long as there are people to debate.

The controversy is inherent in the question itself. No one will ever be able to definitively say when Rome fell...because not everyone agrees it did indeed fall! There was no one great battle that saw Rome conquered by a unified powerful enemy nor the rise of a new people or culture that supplanted it either militarily, politically, or socially. Heck most of the barbarians wanted to BE Rome and imitate it. Yet despite the lack of such a climatic moment, what can be termed the most powerful and influential empire the world has ever seen had disappeared from the world scene. No wonder why the debate has enraptured so many people.

It should go without saying but I highly recommend this and his other courses: "History of the Ancient World - A Global Perspective", "The Decisive Battles of World History", and "The Rise of Rome". If you're going to listen to only one history lecturer it has to be Professor Aldrete. Time well spent.

Good synopsis

Good for what it is as a quick outline for those just wanting a basis or dipping their toes in before further readings. Lecturer is clearly knowledgeable and picks out the most important facts for an broad understanding of an even more broad era in time. Love the last few chapters. Aldrete analyzes the historical debate between opinions on our understanding of Rome. Also he breaks down how Rome’s legacy lives through till this day. Definitely should pair with his lecture series on the era of the republic to get a better sense of the overall story.

A truer view of the Roman Empire

I truly have enjoyed this audiobook because it is not only opened my understanding and knowledge of the Roman empire but the key concepts how that world was how did worked and what truly the emperors where like!
I definitely recommend it for anyone!