How Far Did Rome Explore?

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Written and Researched by Dr Raoul McLaughlin: / @drraoulmclaughlin7423
Edited and Image Curation by Manuel Rubio - check out his amazing channel: @ArtandContext
Original Art by Alex Stoica
Narrated and Script Edited by David Kelly
Music from Epidemic Sound and Artlist
Thumbnail Art by Ettore Mazza
References:
McLaughlin, R. Rome and the Distant East (2010)
McLaughlin, R. The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean (2014)
McLaughlin, R. The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes (2016)
McLaughlin, Kim & Lieu, Rome and China: Points of Contact (2021)
Image Credits:
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00:00 The Edge of The Empire
06:38 West: Beyond Carthage (146 BC)
17:34 East: Hunting Mithridates (65 BC)
28:11 South: The Incense Trails (25 BC)
37:53 Further East: The Counterlanders (52 AD)
49:17 Further South: The Source of the Nile (61 AD)
01:04:35 North: The Forests of Germania (61 AD)
01:14:48 Further North: Advance and Engage! (43 - 85 AD)
01:23:46 Onward To Thule! (84 AD)
01:35:16 The Map (150 AD)

[@VoicesofthePast]

Use code VOICE50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/47DiKwo!

[@CubicPlanets]

First

[@CubicPlanets]

Hi

[@arnijulian6241]

Simply Marvellous! I knew a fair bit about this subject concerning Rome's exploration but such a complete well explained summery is impressive. You make the tosh they call documentaries on public television look as if rambled babblings by comparison.

[@justadildeau]

I'm dreaming in Latin, please help

[@johndeacon1496]

The folly and senseless brutality of war is still with us.

[@dumbrpgideas]

Explores the north: “Too cold” Explores the south: “Too hot” Explores the east: “How is it both cold and hot??”

[@yourguard4]

And the west was to wet :P

[@maxis5427]

​@@yourguard4Yes, the ocean is pretty wet indeed

[@augustoreyes6031]

Funny 😅

[@Ulfrich_Stormcock]

That poor Roman soldier in the video thumbnail hating his life lol. He’s seen some stuff and regrets military life

[@macnico9987]

*Shaq bursts through the door

[@vynvalor3723]

Its incredible how similar these frontiers are to those found in fantasy books. The world must have been so mystical back then.

[@ItIsBlank.]

I was just thinking that. That's so true.

[@xxxxxx5868]

Sometimes I wish I was born in the age where I could be a frontiersman and explorer. Dangerous but so worth it

[@squintz21four]

Mystical = death

[@MsBrookeWilcox]

​@@squintz21fouryou have no sense of adventure, Squintz. The mystical comes from the unknown. Someone will always forge a path towards the unknown, in the search of knowledge, power, or freedom.

[@optimusprinceps3526]

​@@xxxxxx5868I'd prefer Imperator

[@HarvestMoonHowl]

A 1 hour and 45 minute long documentary about exploration of the Roman frontiers? Why yes, yes I will.

[@-Patrick_Bateman]

😂

[@GodwynDi]

Indeed

[@johntrimble8335]

I'm saving it for my next walk

[@jamess3241]

Me too, but you forgot the best part: ITS FREE!!!

[@jonbaxter2254]

@@johntrimble8335 listening to it wfh.

[@ManiusCuriusDenatus]

I really appreciate how this channel mixes in primary sources. I've read a lot of the Roman primary sources, but listening to them opens up the stories to a much wider audience. Well done!

[@gothicgolem2947]

Where did you read those sources?

[@ManiusCuriusDenatus]

@@gothicgolem2947 Oxford World Classics puts out well translated paperbacks of all sorts classic literature as well as the literary Roman and Greek sources. Harvard prints the Loeb classics too, but those can be a bit pricey per volume. They are really nice hardcovers though. You can also find them for free online, but I prefer owning the books.

[@Dkthearn]

The Vatican probably 😅

[@speedyx3493]

@@gothicgolem2947 If you are looking to find them: 99% of times you can just google the name of a text and the 1st or 2nd result will be a page with just the text and nothing else, maybe some footnotes sometimes. If this doesn’t work you can just ask at some history forum, there are tons of really passionate experts that take their free time and help people find stuff. If you find a text so obscure that you can’t just google it and no one on the forums can link it then you get in contact with someone who specializes in that certain period and place and you start digging thru whatever uncategorized stuff you can get your hands on and pray you find something useful. Thankfully that doesn’t really happen nowadays, most of the hard work has already been done by other

[@NuncNuncNuncNunc]

@@gothicgolem2947 Discussion of amber is in part taken from Pliny's Natural History chapter, Amber: The many falsehoods that have been told about it.

[@mr_metal.]

imagine living in an age where you can't tell for sure, where does the world end, and in which direction still lays what. which treasures, landscapes, creatures, folks can be found there where nobody ever from your nation walked... such an amazing feeling one might have amongst all perils, just the mere thought amber could have come further from a northern tropical territory passing albion and the northern frost, amazes me. the possibilities and the excitement these people have felt.. thanks also for this video. it is always a journey beyond time, morals, memories, emotions.

[@tjwhitley5284]

We are similar to that with space

[@satanwithinternet2753]

I feel like thats what ppl living in north korea feel

[@literallynothinghere9089]

its same for us, just replace earth with space and it was as hard and challenging to become a master voyager with royal grants in those days as its to study in uni and become an astronomer today. So its not like 'anyone can do it' Voyagers needed massive royal grants for resources, mini armies for security and above all, some symbol showing that they were under the protection of X monarch

[@jonbaxter2254]

And then you fight a Gorilla...

[@mr_metal.]

@@jonbaxter2254 can't be much worse than 2m tall Germans with big ass axes

[@intiorozco5063]

Those final words by Seneca sent shivers down my spine. Imagine if they had explored across the Western Ocean and contacted the Preclassic or Classic Maya civilisation.

[@Damc_94]

Well maybe they have

[@portland9880]

​@@Damc_94they didn't lol

[@Damc_94]

@@portland9880 I said maybe, I don't have evidence to prove that it happened, although I believe that in 400 years an unrecorded contact is not impossible. I'm not interested in changing other people's mind

[@anirudh177]

@@Damc_94 Unlikely, naval technology was simply not developed enough to facilitate a safe crossing of the atlantic during the ancient period.

[@abruemmer77]

@@Damc_94 Ancient sailors may have been surprised by storms while traveling in the Atlantic and driven westward by currents to the Caribbean or South America.

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

I fear to imagine how fundamentally traumatizing it must have been for someone to understand and process the fact that they were being enslaved by a mortal enemy.

[@longhairdontcare122]

​@@MA_KA_PA_TIEI dub thee lord of the edge 😮.

[@mikesmnell414]

@@MA_KA_PA_TIE🤓

[@Goldenself]

Considering it was a common and accepted practice on both sides most of the time, it might not have been as traumatic as you'd think, though it would also depend on what status you had before capture and what kind of slavery you had to look forward to. In any case, it didn't necessarily come with the assumption that slaves were less than human. That's more of an American and European imperialism thing.

[@afn42]

amor fati

[@optimusprinceps3526]

Where's my reparations ? 💰🌿🙂🌿

[@stoopidapples1596]

I wonder if when Scipio saw Carthage ruined, knowing it existed for 700 years, he realised the mortality of his own empire.

[@optimusprinceps3526]

No

[@nuckingfuts811]

Didn’t give two shits.

[@crockstonyt]

Maybe

[@ecthelionnoldo876]

Yes he did, read Polybius who was there with Scipio. Scipio cried and recounted a line from the Iliad, reflecting on the decay of all things and how this would happen to Rome as well

[@optimusprinceps3526]

@@ecthelionnoldo876 Carthago delenda est !

[@namuzed]

2:17 It honestly sounds like he's describing icebergs. While he would have seen ice and snow in parts of Italy, seeing massive sheets of it over water might have been too strange for him to see it as the same thing.

[@someoneelse3456]

To see icebergs that large to the point he describes it as "the land, sea and air merging together" he must have travelled pretty far north.

[@exoticfanta]

​@@someoneelse3456Thule was probably iceland and iceland is pretty Colt and traveling further is near antactica

[@yoloswaggins7121]

​@@exoticfanta I think it was Norway, not Iceland.

[@alasdairhicks6731]

Probably the Norwegian coast

[@imean5399]

​@@someoneelse3456 I'm from the North East and this sounds like pack ice. Not an iceberg. Its basically when the iceberg melts into a bunch of chips that float in clusters. They're pretty large, heavy chunks of glacial ice individually. But when they're floating together along the waves... I can see it

[@peekaboo1575]

The narration is always so well spoken. This plus the fascinating subject means I can watch these videos all day.

[@---nu4ed]

Eh, I find the narration too dramatic and drawn out like it's trying to fill the time. I'd prefer the same topic but in a normal speaking voice and without all the narrative flourish.

[@adivshtein2054]

I watched the entire video in one breath. It is fascinating how the world used to be much bigger and much more mysterious and scary back then. It is really humbling to know the shape and approximate size of the world ,but despite that and all the conquests and expeditions understand that you know only a fraction of it.

[@jeremytitus9519]

Dude your lung capacity is friggin CRAZY

[@adivshtein2054]

@@jeremytitus9519 I know, right?💀 I meant like, without stopping it or getting distracted, but maybe I should marvel at my lung capacity.

[@carloscifuentes5656]

I've never seen "approximate" spelled so wrong

[@elilachappa3330]

​@@carloscifuentes5656took me a minute to figure out what he was spelling ngl

[@adivshtein2054]

@@elilachappa3330 bruh stop bullying me I was tired💀💀💀

[@acchillin6813]

Romes warlike nature, and their reputation may have played a huge part in their inability to expand further. According to these accounts, they didn’t know and no one told them key information on surviving away from the Mediterranean and Greek colonized areas.

[@JMEYER2090]

They didn't want them to know I bet lol

[@jekyle1980]

"Their warlike nature"... I mean, I don't think they were any more warlike than the Gauls, Germans, Parthians, or Dacians. They were just BETTER at it.

[@acchillin6813]

@@jekyle1980 oh absolutely. The countless adaptations and strategies they incorporated to not only fight on the field but organize at home was unmatched. True stability, which is why they lasted so long. Right? But, there’s a question that should be asked. If they transitioned to a more economically driven diplomatic approach, how would they have faired? Such as Britain, France or Portugal during their colonial phase. Hard to say I think, since most cultures in Roman times valued martial prowess.

[@jekyle1980]

@@acchillin6813 You partially answered your own question. You can't really compare how nations treated other nations during say, the 16th - 18th century colonial phase compared to the Roman period precisely because the world was a very different place then. During the Roman period, might very much made right (and that's still not far from reality today), and EVERYONE was trying to expand. National identities didn't really exist (it was all tribal based) and even today, borders are always being disputed (look at Ukraine and Russia right now). So to fully and quickly answer your question- how would Rome have faired if, during the 1st century period, they had tried to focus on diplomacy and DIDN'T also have a powerful military? I think Carthage or the Gallic tribes would have erased them before they ever got a chance to become the superpower they became.

[@acchillin6813]

@@jekyle1980 Right. Carthage and Gaul were major threats. On their own borders and then sphere of influence. I was thinking if they had transitioned post Trajan. Traditionally, once a “people”, nation or otherwise develop a hegemony, in Rome’s case post Trajan, they had choices. And Rome chose to continue its dogmatic view of the world. And again, you’re right. It my comments thus far have been very rhetorical. But it’s still important to ask the question to remind ourselves where “we” are going. Your example of Russia, and others like China and even the United States.. have core principles in their leadership style that dictate domination of others stemming from dogmatic views that they are better and know better.

[@ronkledonkanusmoncher564]

Being the first person from your civilization to see such things would bring a feeling of bewildered wonder and amazement that is surpassed by no other, I feel that it is in a humans heart to want to explore, to go out and seek new things and new places, new experiences and peoples and cultures.

[@rvanhees89]

That, and greed

[@calcifiedinnerbaldur]

No it's not in a human heart to experience "new people and cultures", the opposite is true. Anyone who was born & raised in a single culture doesn't want to deal with alien, foreign people's over being with their own people. On that note, not all cultures are created equally lol. Many cultures are objectively worse than others.

[@papasexy76]

This came out right at the daily time I contemplate the glories and downfalls of the Roman Empire. Thank you

[@optimusprinceps3526]

and you know why that happened, right ?

[@ZhangK71]

@@optimusprinceps3526People watched too much KZbin

[@justadildeau]

​@@optimusprinceps3526ad fidelitatum

[@je-freenorman7787]

They rule the entire world now Why dont you do this? Go look at the Besty Ross, the first Flag of USA and you might notice there are 13 stars? One for each colony? right , so , now go check the etymology of the word Colony and notice that it is referring to a Roman establishment, outside of Italy So, you really are not sure where you are and if you are in USA, then you are also in the Holy Roman Empire

[@optimusprinceps3526]

@@je-freenorman7787 Especially since the USA is a Constitutional Republic, based upon the laws, foundations, and principles of ancient Rome

[@chungusdisciple9917]

Pompey was not killed by his own officers as stated in the video, but by a Roman mercenary who was in the employ of the King of Egypt

[@optimusprinceps3526]

You are correct 👍

[@Georgieastra]

Technically correct... The best kind of correct

[@isidroramos1073]

If I remember correctly he was an old officer of his, and his position in Egypt was... ambiguous. Pompey left a Roman contingent in Egypt, the so called Gabinians (because his original commander was called Aulus Gabinius) to support Roman interests, including supporting the Roman approved King Ptolemy XII Auletes. But after a seven years long stay in Egypt their loyalties became increasingly mixed and their status, unclear. They certainly seem to have fought for Ptolemy XIII against Caesar.

[@Sirxchrish]

If only titus pullo and lucius vorenus did their damn duty...

[@optimusprinceps3526]

@@Sirxchrish " He was a Consul of Rome ! "....

[@johnnychico7052]

The logistics to be able to do this is what I’ve always found the most interesting.

[@v.ra.]

Yes! It would be curious to discover more of the material history aspect of conquest

[@tavish4699]

Legions on the move lived of the Land what they couldnt forage thmeselves they bought from the acompanying civillians Behind the Legion was a train of civillians like smiths doctors professional hunters fishermen and so on

[@BillGreenAZ]

I've wondered this as well. Not just the Romans, but some of the European powers that moved throughout the continent.

[@GunBreaux]

It's amusing to imagine the four pictures are the same poor Roman soldier on a miserable roadtrip.

[@malegria9641]

“Ferrisius Buhlerum’s day off”

[@williams.vincent4235]

At age 62 I'm far more interested in history than I was in high school. Lol. The old saying that if one doesn't learn the harsh lessons of history, it's bound to be repeated. How true, even in the year 2023. I took notice that as Scipio watched Carthage burn, he wondered if this was the fate of all great empires. The answer is an emphatic yes! Great channel.

[@BillGreenAZ]

Our history books were so much more boring back then.

[@albetroz_]

This documentary is a work of art. The narration, the background art, the sources. Everything here is beyond fantastic.

[@pendragon2012]

And here I was trying to get through the weekend without thinking about the Roman Empire for a change....

[@thebigksmoosey]

3 times a week at least

[@ToyInsanity]

impossible

[@juliusnepos6013]

Yeah

[@NarlepoaxIII]

A full, feature-length documentary? Talking about moments in Roman history that are rarely covered these days? Providing plenty of primary sources? And having moments to talk about what it was like to be a Roman at the time in question? This is _such_ a good video. It's really hard to overstate just how good it is.

[@mrbiscuits001]

I definitely think those "hairy humas" they encountered where chimpanzees or Bonobos. One of the giveaways was them throwing stones. I also think this because chimpanzees look much more human like than gorillas, who themselves look eerily human.

[@josephbianco8405]

To think back in the day a video like this would’ve been a huge special event on the history channel

[@juliusnepos6013]

Yeah

[@simos7024]

I rarely comment on videos but I just have to say that this was an amazing watch and I really appreciate the effort you put into making these videos. Not just all the the information, but the visuals that go along with it were really well put together! Thank you.

[@kochiyama]

There is something so incredible about the Roman explorers describing gorillas like they're some sort of alien society. Must have felt like it.

[@normal1209]

The gorillas he was referring to were a tribe or something of africa. The animal was named after them.

[@Titancameraman64]

We don't know their gorilla they could be chimpanzee or bonobows

[@mrstopanimationguy]

The original use of gorilla that Hanno uses is in reference to human beings…The animal was named thousands of years after this excerpt.

[@GreoGreo]

@@wewuzaryans Where's twin towers?

[@aurex8937]

The four legionnaires all look pretty miserable, which is probably historically accurate for explorers!

[@hoonterofhoonters6588]

"My feet hurt. This weather is far from temperate Italy. These barbarians have no garum."

[@einbenutzenderbenutzer]

​@@hoonterofhoonters6588 Imagine having no garum... so uncivilized

[@munckintattoolover24]

Imagine if the Roman’s kept going east or south east and setting foot in Australia! But in the sceam of things they got kind of close. I never knew they met with people from Sri Lanka too, fascinating video!

[@juliusnepos6013]

Absolutely

[@fafafafafafa6879]

I would like to see Romans thought about Austronesians. Seafarers people beyond Counterland.

[@gangstalkerofgangstalkers]

Once again outstanding content. Real-life lore beats any fantasy lore hands down.

[@nbeutler1134]

Other than Tolkien

[@marbleporphyry]

@@nbeutler1134 That is real life lore

[@GenericName23]

​@@marbleporphyryschizo thinking

[@theviniso]

Real life lore sure could use more dragons though

[@je-freenorman7787]

They rule the entire world now Why dont you do this? Go look at the Besty Ross, the first Flag of USA and you might notice there are 13 stars? One for each colony? right , so , now go check the etymology of the word Colony and notice that it is referring to a Roman establishment, outside of Italy So, you really are not sure where you are and if you are in USA, then you are also in the Holy Roman Empire The truth is more bizzare than fiction

[@jasonstanley7326]

My favorite content creator, right here. These videos make me feel like I am sitting by a fireside at a Roman camp, listening to great stories passed on by older soldiers about the world at large. A true journey into the past indeed

[@tldr7730]

Wow! So much fascinating stories, that went missing in school. Imagine Roman troops exploring the the south Sudan, almost hitting the equator. A gem in history is the arrival of an embassy from Sri Lanka to Rome, well >1000 years before the "age of exploration".

[@crapwithanopinion2919]

I have and never will get past Nero’s neck beard. You know that mf was unbearable to deal with just that.

[@horsebear1986]

Hanno’s account is EXTREMELY bizzare. Gorillas don’t use stones as weapons, their muslce structure doesnt lend itself to throwing things. Chimps, however, are stellar at throwing. So what Hanno saw was likely some kind of homonid not fully ape, chimp, or man!

[@tabithiajones2511]

wild shit

[@Rabbi-Jill-kews]

Lol can’t say I blame him! They do look alike

[@TheHadMatters]

What's more bizzare to me than what the creature *is* is how they interacted with it. Let's not be KZbin crackpots here and just stick to it being some sort of ape/chimp/monkey: Did the Romans really try to talk to them and tell them to cooperate after capturing them? And get disappointed when they did not listen to their words? They had their own translators there, so they must have fully understood the limitations of language barriers. So did they mime co-operation? Must have been such an absurd scene to watch. And likely reveals a lot about ancient thought processes/ideologies.

[@heinrichb]

@@TheHadMattersIt wasn't Romans who encountered them, but Carthaginians. Hanno was one, and this happened three centuries before the fall of Carthage.

[@beardedgeek973]

Apart from the fact that it is hearsay (what the Romans wrote, that is), there are (and has just within a few decades been confirmed by capture) wild gorilla-chimpanzee hybrids. If the genes randomizes the correct way I am sure they would be larger than chimps while being able to throw stones.

[@dianaavellanet8794]

I'd subscribed sometime ago. But, you're most current uploads, have taken this channel to new heights.🔥 Thank you for that! 🙌Many blessings.🙏🏻

[@FragwellFam]

Such magnificent storytelling! What a mysterious and fantastical time it must have been to be an explorer. It almost feels like I am there, especially with the primary sources!

[@johnrichards7337]

Congratulations on a great piece of work. Well researched and well produced. Having written extensively about Rome myself, I am very familiar with most of the primary sources, but I am not ashamed to admit I learned something watching this.

[@robertbobbypelletreaujr2173]

North:theres a penguin in my boot. South: theres a snake in my boot. West: theres a Canary in my boot. East: theres a scorpion in my boot.

[@TheSaneHatter]

". . . .these are the continuing voyages of the Imperium Romanum. Its ongoing mission: to explore strange, new lands, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no Roman has gone before!"

[@Argacyan]

Just as a safety fyi: It is not safe to go amber-hunting along the east sea coast (aka the baltic sea) nowadays as there is amber-lookalike pieces of phosphorous WW2 incendiary bombs still left. The use of phosphorous bombs in WW2, while not technically permanently, still has made this hobby & trade dangerous to human life at threat of being set on fire. Due to the nature of chance & lack of information on every piece of debris left in the wild, that threat will decrease over time, but never reach zero.

[@felicityc]

nice, it's like amber roulette

[@markcreemore4915]

It's channels like this that explain why I'm always thinking about the Roman Empire.

[@See_That_Game]

People used to live like in an elder scrolls game. When you reach the edge of the known world it tells you: "You cannot go that way".

[@1wor1d]

2:26 That was fascinating, Strabo's comments on the "sea lung which suspends itself over the ocean". I interpreted it as one of those tales that was told by someone who had never actually gone to where they claimed, but when it was explained that this "merging and binding elemental matter" could be sea ice, wow I never interpreted that statement as that, but it makes a lot of sense.

[@ghinion]

Thank you for including the cut-out parts of the script and dialogue in the captions! I know it was removed for the sake of time, but for people like me who appreciate minute details, it was a nice surprise to see them hiding in the CC. It's a great video too! While I was sketching I had to pause sometimes just to appreciate the backgrounds and story of it. Very informative, as most videos covering Rome choose to prioritize Rome's conquests and internal events. This was my first time seeing such an in-depth video of the external influence of Rome. Cheers!

[@devinosland359]

I guess i never realised that romans didn't know what monkeys and gorillas were, thats gotta be a weird thing to see. You would think they were genuinely a different species of humans

[@adammercer6004]

Well it's even more crazier than that considering that in antiquity that the term "Carried off the women" referred to taking women into enforced marriages and sexual slavery like how the Roman carried off the Sabine Women and they carried off 3 female Gorrilas so....

[@RuthvenMurgatroyd]

​@@adammercer6004 Think you're reading into that a bit. All the source says is that Hano and his men slaid them and skinned their hides.

[@RuthvenMurgatroyd]

Also, Hanno was Carthaginian (the name should have been a clue if you happened to miss the context - Hanno, like Hannibal, is a Carthaginian name).

[@markmuller7962]

It's so amazing that they didn't believe the Indian man story because India was considered too far and inaccessible, one of the most fascinating stories I've ever heard

[@sciencefliestothemoon2305]

I think one of the interesing parts would be, that population density was relatively low during Polybius days that the risk of picking up malaria or yellow fever along the African coast must have been a lot lower then it was 1700 AD onwards.

[@AmadeusHortfrick]

Few years ago was discovered a roman purple factory in the Canary islands. This shows how far west and south they stablished. But more incredible is the recently finding of a phoenician farm from 1000 BC in one of the islands...

[@ohlangeni]

There were no Phoenicians in Africa in 1000BC. Carthaginians first arrived in Africa in 753BC.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

@@ohlangeni Carthage was itself a colony of the Phoenicians, and a late one. Gadir (Cádiz) has a traditional founding date 1104 BCE and lies beyond the Strait of Gibraltar. Tingis (Tangier), on the African side, has been settled since 10th century BC. An early Phoenician colony on the Canary Islands is not that hard to believe.

[@ohlangeni]

@@eljanrimsa5843 If Cadiz in Spain was founded before Carthage then I am inclined to believe they could have discovered Canary Islands earlier

[@budalanemac3115]

We credit ourselves more than we should. They were way smarter then we think. We know so little beyond pur phones. I bielove that knowledge was gained and lost with each empire gain and rise, and every empire fall and burn. Most of them are overlapping and always rediscovered with new empire or forgotten in between to be relearned again...

[@bboi1489]

The canary current has been a burden for many years (A Malian emperor apparently was drowned by it, resulting in Mansa Musa's coronation). So I wouldn't give them too much credit.

[@mathiass1999]

This is why I think about Rome multiple times a day

[@PersonalityMalfunction]

I love the idea of anber being chunks of solidified sunsets! And amazingly they were correct in that if you continue far enough north you'll eventually end up in hot jungle again, this time in Central America!

[@warrenny]

This is probably the best video I've seen from this channel and his other channels. All of his work is outstanding, but this was so captivating.

[@Psychol-Snooper]

Pompey did not add Nabatea to the Roman Empire. It did not yet exist in 64 BCE. He added it to the control of the Roman Republic. Pompey was the one who fought Caesar to prevent him from turning the Republic into his family's personal property. Generally we don't consider the Roman Empire to have existed until the reign of Octavian/Augustus in 31 BCE.

[@kw8831]

There’s a difference between Rome’s Empire & THE Roman Empire… The latter is simply a term to differentiate between when Rome was an oligarchy vs more of a monarchy, but the Roman Republic was certainly an Empire, arguably from the moment they conquered their first neighbouring Italian city-states…

[@Psychol-Snooper]

@@kw8831 Yes, in a way, but isn't that semantical? The concept of imperialism in this sense is I believe a 20th century contrivance. The idea that it might be applied to any expansionist body politic is not really appropriate. When it was a kingdom we call it the Roman Kingdom. When it was a republic we call it the Roman Republic. When it became an empire we call it the Roman Empire. Each of the titles convey a great deal of information in them, and given that Pompey died fighting the creation of an empire, and in defense the Republic his conquests deserve to be known for what they were. It's the least we can do for him now IMHO.

[@kw8831]

@@Psychol-Snooper “Yes, in a way, but isn't that semantical?” Tbh that’s what I thought about the comment I replied too… The hard distinction between Roman Republic & Roman Empire is more a modern convenience rather than something the Romans themselves thought. Similar to how historians invented the term “Byzantine empire”. Also, the idea that ‘imperialism’ is uniquely a 19th/20th century thing is by no means universally accepted…

[@Psychol-Snooper]

@@kw8831 We get the term "republic" from "Res publica Romana," and everything etymologically related to "empire" from "Imperium Romanum." There is nothing modern about them. The Roman's not only coined the terms, they were them.

[@SensationalMr.Grayson]

Great visuals , captivating narration, hefty video length AND its topic is that of the far reaches of the Roman Empire?? Men of culture. We’ve stumbled upon a treasure. Subscribed.

[@emperorofpluto]

Awesome video. Unfiltered historical accounts from primary sources - in their own words. This channel is one of the best.

[@deewesthill1213]

The fascinating details in this superb documentary have filled in gaps in my knowledge about the far-flung Roman Empire contacts that I'd been wondering about for many years. I'd read about something of this and watched other videos on Roman and world history, but yours had far more details, and I really loved the narration and artwork too. Thank you so very much.

[@jonwarland272]

Awesome! All of these explorers had incredible courage to leave behind the familiar comfort of home to pursue knowledge beyond the hostile frontiers.

[@ClannCholmain]

What a great time to be alive, a golden age of information and my favourite narrator.

[@juliusnepos6013]

Yeah

[@unclebully1871]

You tube videos like this are pretty cool… but the way society is… well I don’t know how much longer you can say that for 😂

[@ClannCholmain]

@@unclebully1871 went for a walk on the beach today, greetings from the west coast of Ireland 🇮🇪

[@unclebully1871]

@@ClannCholmain I’m a kiwi 🇳🇿 should be a good game on the weekend if you follow rugby 🇳🇿 vs 🇮🇪 World Cup Quarter final… I have a feeling a lot of Guinness may be consumed after the game… 😂

[@ClannCholmain]

@@unclebully1871 yes, being from Limerick originally means I absolutely won’t be doing anything else. Played my first game at tighthead in 1984, with Keith Wood at scrum half. Realistically, if history repeats itself, Ireland will disappoint again, but it probably will be a close run thing. Either way, let’s hope it’s a classic, and may the best team win on the night and best of luck for the remainder of the competition if it’s NZ. 🥃 🥃

[@Raao1]

Can you imagine if Rome much more interest in exploring and support from locals, how far they could reach? I can see them reaching the jungles of central Africa, and sailing arround the whole continent, also reaching the Philippines or even Australia with some luck. Imagine how epic would feel to be there while these discoveries were made!

[@Tom-2142]

The maritime technology for a crossing of the Indian Ocean to the indo pacific just wasn’t there, they would have had to hug the coastline of India and south east Asia, relying on friendly states there.

[@aaronmarks9366]

@@Tom-2142 If a Roman merchant ship of the Julio-Claudian era did hug the coasts and made frequent stops, how long would it take to get from Egypt to, say, Singapore?

[@jacoblas1371]

How do you explain people colonizing Hawaii and other Pacific islands ?

[@hollyjaw3303]

@@aaronmarks9366luckily, four months more or less. But the point is that they had no idea where to go, the people living across the shores, the climate etc. a hell of a journey I bet. Not different from a journey in outer space for scale, an almost 100% probability of not coming back home

[@PalmettoNDN]

This was a magnificent video. Thank you for all of the hard work that went into it!

[@davidsurtees4439]

This is the part of ancient roman history I never knew in school that I would have loved to know, and maybe spurred me into a new path towards being a historian. This is so fascinating to me now than learning about the Romans back when I was back in school.

[@beefymario88]

You can say what you want about Nero but if it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t have half this amazing video!

[@claudiusraphael9423]

Topic at Prime Time level presentation and so focused and enfocusing the viewer on the actual content, guiding/gliding through the factettes of the wild waters of history .. just lovely. Thanks for sharing!

[@theDEADLIESTwarrior7]

Getting a notification that this channel has a new upload literally turned my bad day around, thank you 😊

[@XlrationMedia]

Man, I love seeing Ettore's work on so many channels I sub to. Great work.

[@BlueBaron3339]

What a tour de force this is, and this channel has become over time. Outstanding!

[@lordjimbo2]

The German part is kind of misleading. In fact, after the disaster outside of the Netherlands, Germanicus returned the next campaign season and smashed the German tribes at Adistaviso and the Angrivarian Wall. Obviously hard numbers are tough to come by but archaelogy and the eradication of several tribes suggest that at minimum tens of thousands and possibly a hundred thousand German warriors and civilians were killed in three years. Every territory Rome ever took control of eventually rebelled with catastrophic casualties all around, but what made the German one different wasn't superstition or fear. Rather, it seems like the reasons for not reconquering Germania Superior were more mundane - a.) the Germans were decentralized, fought like hell and had to be exterminated piecemeal and great cost, b.) unlike other areas that attacked Rome with asymmetrical warfare like the Balkans or Judea, Germania was extremely underdeveloped and the conquest wouldn't reimburse that cost, and c.) most importantly Tiberius was a deeply unpopular emperor and Germanicus was a major threat to his rule. Germanicus surrendering his command and going to Syria to be assassinated is a thus a major inflection point in history.

[@EndOfSmallSanctuary97]

This is one of the most impressive and fascinating historical videos I've ever seen on KZbin. Amazing work!

[@Pfuhler455]

You are my favorite history channel. This is incredible as always. Keep up the good work my man. You got my support

[@malainfluencia126]

Pompey really liked doing side quests!

[@philiprife5556]

Quite educational. I didn't know that the Romans had explored so extensively.

[@grandmoff.alligator]

Absolutely amazing video, would love to see some more longer videos like that. Very interesting too, learned quite a lot

[@angusarmstrong6526]

These are just so well put together. Brilliant presentation utterly captivating and enlightening.

[@leightonolsson4846]

Superlative content and, as ever, beautiful narration. A joy to the mind and the ear.

[@OTDMilitaryHistory]

Another great video. I love that the videos are based on primary sources. That warms my historian heart.

[@chug5136]

This channel is one of a kind, people who can truly appreciate your video’s will understand please never stop 💚

[@Andy_Babb]

This is freaking awesome. I love the vids where we can hear the actual words written by the ancients but these full Length documentary are exceptional.

[@tommy-er6hh]

I find odd that the title of the video is "How Far Did Rome Explore?", but when you go west beyond Carthage/west africa you give a whole tale of Hanno from Carthage, instead of Romans like - 19 BCE, the Roman proconsul Cornelius Balbus from Libya conquered the oasis southward, then went SW until he found a great river (the Niger river?) 41 CE Suetonius Paulinus who went from Morocco to the Senegal River. 50 CE a general named Septimius Flaccus who went from Libya to Lake Chad, or Septimius Flaccus and Julius Maternus during the 1st century who again reached Lake Chad or the Festus expedition who again went to the Niger in 70 AD. odd.

[@kudjoeadkins-battle2502]

Thanks, I actually watched the video to hear about the events you mentioned.

[@kudjoeadkins-battle2502]

@@misternoname I can’t recall a video that speaks of it I’ll check my notes and give you the book, or article

[@JimIBobIJones]

Lion headed gods wouldn't have been strange to the Romans. By this point they had already incorporated Egyptian and Mesopotamian gods - many of whom were Andromorphic deities. As romantic as it is to project later Christian sensibilities onto the Romans, lets not forget that at this period in antiquity they had a very diverse, pluralistic pantheon which was much more able to osmotically "absorb" different types of religions.

[@holypaladin4657]

Mesopotamians did not have many such “animal-like” gods. However the point about the Egyptians is correct. I would also say you make the mistake of overestimating the extent to which they incorporated and assimilated these foreign cults and deities. The Romans were generally xenophobic. Elagabalus, a Syrian, was very poorly understood and painted as an absolute lunatic (his self castration may have been part of one of his native cults, similar to the priests of Ishtar in Mesopotamia, however the Romans did not understand this and did not accept or tolerate it). The Romans were not averse to looking down upon foreign peoples and their savage, uncivilised, or unmanly customs. Easterners are too feminine in bearing and manner, with dishonest and distinctly un-Roman character, Germanics and Celtics too primitive and barbaric, Southerners treacherous and foreign, etc.

[@JimIBobIJones]

@@holypaladin4657 Literally what are you on about. Mesopotamian gods were extremely anthropomorphic. That is one of the qualities they are famous for. Dagan/Dagon was half fish, Nergal was half lion etc etc. Even the more "human" gods display anthromorphic qualities, such as the wings on Marduk and Ishtar. And as far as the incorporation of "foreign cults" went, they ended up eclipsing the traditional Roman gods. By late antiquity eastern and Egyptian gods were far more popular than the Roman pantheon. The mesopotamian gods are less integrated because Parthia controlled the centres of the faith - who were an enemy empire. Rome much more eagerly incorporated the Gods of conquered people's. None the less, many mesopotamian gods were identified or hybridised with Roman ones. Marduk and Jupiter being a prime example.

[@holypaladin4657]

@@JimIBobIJones In what world is Nergal a half lion? Almost all iconography of Nergal is a normal male with a sword or axe. There is also no mention of Nergal looking like a lion. Nergal is associated with the lion and bull and often depicted with accompanying imagery (ie with a lion next to him, etc), there’s a difference. Shamash is depicted as a normal human in iconography. Ashur is depicted as a normal human, typically within a solar disk. Marduk is again depicted as a normal human in iconography. Adad a normal human. Enki a normal human. Dagon is a Canaanite and Syrian deity, not a Mesopotamian one… I have also not seen any iconography where he is depicted as a half fish. SOME lesser deities like the Lamassu are animal-like. Maybe these are the “famous” animal deities you are thinking of? I would ask you to revise your facts. Please. In basically everything you wrote in your comments. Identifying a god with another is a far cry from integrating the cults and hybridising them, which is a far more involved affair and would simply not have been possible with every single god the Romans encountered. There was no such thing as a Mega-Jupiter who incorporated every single sky god’s cults and absorbed them, their characteristics, and their holy sites. Such a thing would have been impossible. What happened is that Roman and Greek religion were to an extent hybridised (within Rome, not within Greece), while all other regions kept their gods and accepted Roman religion. If they kept their gods their local cults remained and were left alone to worship like they always had been… Romans from an EXTERNAL perspective would have identified these gods with their own, however they would NOT have been involved in the local cults and religious traditions unless they lived in the area. Certain major cults and gods were brought back to and accepted within Roman (the city) society both low and high by travellers (ie Cult of Mithras) however these were not integrated and syncretised into the traditional Roman mythological structure or vice versa. These deities kept their own traditional characteristics.

[@JimIBobIJones]

@@holypaladin4657 Also. Dagan/Dagon was one of the main Sumerian deities. Last I checked Sumeria was mesopotamian.... Just because a god is worshiped in multiple locations doesn't make him or her unique to one culture and exclude them from the other. Ancient Syria and Mesopotamia osmotically shares many cultural aspects, including gods.. I am not going to go through each and every point you made because academia overwhelmingly refutes them already. Read a few articles and books.. here are two to start with: What is a god?: anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic aspects of deity in ancient Mesopotamia Barbara N Porter Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary. Jeremy Black & Anthony Green. I am not going to continue debating you, because your claims are wild, lack historiography and contradict both well established history and archaeology.

[@JimIBobIJones]

@@holypaladin4657At least I can back up my claims with sources...

[@MysteriousSlip]

This was fantastically well done! And the ending quote was so apt.

[@enovasia]

Superb as always, David - bravo! And, a great many thank-yous

[@istvansipos9940]

49:02 "No sea monsters on this one, my lord. Sure, they are artistic and whatnot, but we focused on accuracy this time." - unknown Roman cartographer (probably)

[@FOWST]

Thank you for your dedication. Always a pleasure to listen.

[@coryfritz9198]

Unbelievably great video brother! Your video is what I dream about at night. Picturing the great exploring of the world's unknown. This topic I find fascinating but the sources you use are not looked at much nowadays. I appreciate the effort and voice used for this video. 10 out 10.

[@hernanifarias5356]

I greatly enjoy the detailed information and that you add context as well very informative.

[@aurenugeth]

Thanks! This was an amazing documentary. Very engaging and well done.

[@dM_gH]

Wow! That was fascinating. Thanks so much for an informative and entertaining video.

[@Fvpigpen26]

Wow! What a well done presentation in every aspect, including your ad's.

[@hankogle6858]

My understanding and please correct me if I’m wrong. Rome basically expanded to where olive trees would grow. Anything else was either strategic or transportation. I don’t know why olives were so special back then but they were like oil today

[@basillah7650]

They were oil could make oil or use as food

[@redeye4516]

Olives were seen as a miracle plant by many ancient peoples, often seen as relating to the divine. You see, it's hard to destroy olive trees. Even you burn them, they regrow, seeming to renew themselves over time. Even disregarding the amazement that ancient people would have had for this seeming impossibility taking place before their eyes, a plant that's really hard to destroy that produces food which can also be used for lighting (oil lamps used olive oil, IIRC the only kind of oil they would know of in those times) is a really good thing.

[@ayush21399]

Thx for uploading this, this is great work

[@Hortifox_the_gardener]

This video finally made me understand why finding the source of the nile was so impossible back then when a modern human might just think "follow the flow duh".

[@nibirdtamuli8429]

What an amazing video hands down … Narration was just pure bliss

[@theohyman-bockman3761]

Thank you so much for creating this piece of art. It instills a sense of wonder for a time when we knew so little that today’s ordinary seemed like magic and monsters. You’ve managed to tell a story that compels the viewer to imagine for themselves. I know I’ll be using this video as inspiration for DnD and creative writing. Bravo

[@TrevorsMailbox]

Good grief. I love every single one of your channels. Thanks guys, seriously.

[@lueisred6901]

I do often think of the Roman Empire

[@Reg_The_Galah]

Moist indeed

[@sashaalexander5892]

Awesome! Enjoyed every moment! Thank you!

[@redeye4516]

I wonder why Pompey was silent upon exiting the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem despite spending so long in there. Was it simply because there were no idols or artifacts to loot or destroy due to the fairly iconoclastic nature of their religion, leaving him with only disappointment or confusion? Or did he experience something in there?

[@oak_meadow9533]

At the time of Christ, people often were born, lived, and died within 30 km. People who traveled long distance were a rarity. Roman administrators were often travels, and over a 30 year career might travel from Rome to the edges of a circle 1500 to 2000km in diameter. Sometimes a month or two was needed to get to a destination.

[@nathan_408]

as a legionnaire you could travel a lot too, protecting the borders and living in barracks.

[@markiec8914]

Merchants, diplomats, mercenaries and traveled through all the ancient routes known to the Hellenistic world since 320 BC..

[@KingNoTail]

This video was a good watch. Keep up the great work.

[@LonnieReacts]

Queen Amenirenas story needs a movie asap she’s so underrated and overshadowed by cleopatra it’s absurd

[@RelayerTC]

Excellent presentation! Narration and visuals are very good. You have gained a new subscriber.

[@v.ra.]

Although I find the Roman perspective to be quite dull and a bit brutish I do sincerely appreciate the masterful narrative constructed here. Long live primary source YT creators. We need many more of them.