This captivating account focuses on the role of climate change in the fall of the Roman Empire, providing valuable insights into its downfall.
By Nick Holmes ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023
A British historian delves into the fall of the Roman Empire in this second installment of a nonfiction series. The book begins with a vivid description of the Battle of Adrianople (378 C.E.), where the Roman legionaries were defeated by the “savage” Goths. This event was followed by the Goths occupying Rome itself just 32 years later. Historians have long been intrigued by the rapid decline of the powerful Roman Empire, and have proposed a variety of explanations, from moral decay to the rise of Christianity. This book agrees with many contemporary scholars in attributing the collapse to “failure of Roman political leadership” and other internal factors, but also proposes a novel explanation. It suggests that a fourth-century “megadrought” in the Asian steppes caused a mass migration of nomadic Huns to Europe, which in turn initiated a “domino effect” that pushed the Germans west and into conflict with Rome. The author is a skilled storyteller, and the book is accompanied by a popular podcast (The Fall of the Roman Empire). It is written in an accessible style, with images, maps, and timelines of the reigns of Roman emperors and major events. Although there are only 88 endnotes, the author has a good grasp of the relevant history and provides a short essay with “essential reading” instead of a general bibliography.
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781739786526
Page Count: 346
Publisher: Puttenham Press Ltd
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2023