Over the centuries, the fall of the Roman Empire has become something of a myth. It's a bit like the master standard of the death of civilizations. The causes of this fall are numerous: it begins with a political crisis which causes, in domino, other economic, social, migratory, religious and moral crises. American historian Kyle Harper, author of the book How the Roman Empire Collapsed, mentions two other causes that would have caused the fall of Rome: climate change and pandemics. What is it really ?

2023-01-21T04:04:40.921Z

INTERVIEW - To dig into the real reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire, Virginie Girod receives Dimitri Tilloi-d'Ambrosi, associate professor and doctor in Roman history. He is the author of "24 hours of life under Néron" (University Press of France). Over the centuries, the fall of the Roman Empire has become something of a myth. It's a bit like the master standard of the death of civilizations. The causes of this fall are numerous: it begins with a political crisis which causes, in domino other economic, social, migratory, religious, moral crises. American historian Kyle Harper, author of the book How the Roman Empire Collapsed, mentions two other causes that would have caused the fall of Rome: climate change and pandemics. What is it really? What influence could the climate have had? "What Harper defines as the Roman climatic optimum is a period which is between the second century BC and up to the Antonine dynasty, which is traditionally considered a golden age for Roman antiquity. This period corresponds, from a geopolitical point of view, effectively to an expansion of the Empire without taking place in the second century BC. It is the time of the victory over Carthage, of expansion in the East. This period of expansion and apogee of Rome corresponds to particularly favorable climatic conditions for the Roman world, with rather warm temperatures, humidity and therefore sufficient rainfall and obviously, which is fundamental for the agriculture and therefore obviously natural conditions favorable to economic growth and also for the production of food". What is the situation in Egypt in antiquity, in this civilization where the flooding of the Nile is so fundamental? And how to analyze what Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the 6th century, said, who considered that the climatic catastrophes he observed, particularly in Italy, announced the end of the world? Topics covered: Rome - Italy - Roman Empire - Julius Caesar - Egypt - Antiquity - climate - drought - Nile - Gregory the Great - epidemic - plague - Jesus Christ - New Testament in this civilization where the flooding of the Nile is so fundamental? And how to analyze what Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the 6th century, said, who considered that the climatic catastrophes he observed, particularly in Italy, announced the end of the world? Topics covered: Rome - Italy - Roman Empire - Julius Caesar - Egypt - Antiquity - climate - drought - Nile - Gregory the Great - epidemic - plague - Jesus Christ - New Testament in this civilization where the flooding of the Nile is so fundamental? And how to analyze what Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the 6th century, said, who considered that the climatic catastrophes he observed, particularly in Italy, announced the end of the world? Topics covered: Rome - Italy - Roman Empire - Julius Caesar - Egypt - Antiquity - climate - drought - Nile - Gregory the Great - epidemic - plague - Jesus Christ - New Testament