To dig into the real reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire, Virginie Girod receives Dimitri Tilloi-d'Ambrosi, associate and doctor in Roman history. He is the author of "24 hours of life under Nero" (University Press of France). Over the centuries, the fall of the Roman Empire has become something of a myth. It is a bit like the master standard of the death of civilizations. The causes of this fall are numerous: it begins with a political crisis that causes, in domino, other economic, social, migration, religious and moral crises. American historian Kyle Harper, author of How the Roman Empire Collapsed, points to two other causes that caused the fall of Rome: climate change and pandemics. What is it really?

2023-05-19T03:08:47.484Z

Highlights: Over the centuries, the fall of the Roman Empire has become something of a myth. The causes of this fall are numerous: it begins with a political crisis that causes, in domino, other economic, social, migration, religious and moral crises. What is the situation in Egypt in antiquity, in this civilization where the flooding of the Nile is so fundamental? And how can we analyze what Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the sixth century, says when he considers that climatic disasters he observes, particularly in Italy, announce the end of the world?

To dig into the real reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire, Virginie Girod receives Dimitri Tilloi-d'Ambrosi, associate and doctor in Roman history. He is the author of "24 hours of life under Nero" (University Press France). Over the centuries, the fall of the Roman Empire has become something of a myth. It is a bit like the master standard of the death of civilizations. The causes of this fall are numerous: it begins with a political crisis that causes, in domino, other economic, social, migration, religious and moral crises. American historian Kyle Harper, author of How the Roman Empire Collapsed, points to two other causes that caused the fall of Rome: climate change and pandemics. What is it really? What could have been the influence of the climate? " What Harper defines as the Roman climatic optimum is a period that 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. This is the time of victory over Carthage, of expansion in the East. This period of expansion and apogee of Rome corresponds to climatic conditions particularly favorable for the Roman world, with rather warm temperatures, humidity and therefore sufficient rainfall and obviously, which is fundamental for agriculture and therefore obviously natural conditions favorable to an economic boom 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 can we analyze what Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the sixth century, says when he considers that the climatic disasters he observes, particularly in Italy, announce 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 " At the heart of the story" is a Europe 1 Studio podcast. Writing and presentation: Virginie Girod - Production: Adèle Humbert / Camille Bichler- Artistic direction: Adèle Humbert and Julien Tharaud - Director: Clément Ibrahim - Original music: Julien Tharaud - Additional music: Julien Tharaud and Sébastien Guidis - Communication: Kelly Decroix - Visual: Sidonie Mangin