The apocalyptic collapse of the Roman borders: How was life during this dark time?

🔴 YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL? 🔴
🤗 Join our Patreon community: / maiorianus
Or become an official Maiorianus member on KZbin: / maiorianus461
In this video, we shall explore the collapse of the border defenses of the western Roman Empire in the 430s-470s AD, and how life must have been during these dark times. Luckily, the monk Eugippius has written an extensive account, the Vita Sancti Severini, in 511 AD, that tells the tale of the Saint Severin, and his doings in Raetia and Noricum of those times. We learn how life was in these last decades of the western Empire, that it really was an apocalypse, and that the people living there during those times, suffered greatly from repeated barbarian invasions.
🤗 One-Time Donation?
- PayPal: paypal.me/Maiorianus
- Bitcoin: bc1qv4lsfsplvfecrrgvmfclhga28we7mvh9563xdj
🔗 Share the video with anyone who might be interested (it helps a ton!)
👍 Subscribe to our videos FOR FREE: kzbin.info...
📚 The "Vita Sancti Severini" by Eugippius:
English translation: amzn.to/3GhJkgA
Latin original: amzn.to/34EcdWl
📚 One of our favorite books about the Fall of the Roman Empire, "The Fall of Rome" by Bryan Ward-Perkins: amzn.to/3FXeDNg
📚 BEST BOOKS ON THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF ROME: 📚
1. "History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages" by Ferdinand Gregorovius amzn.to/3yOvjEd
2. "Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308" by Richard Krautheimer amzn.to/3yyChgp
3. "Rome: An Urban History from Antiquity to the Present" by Rabun Taylor amzn.to/322ClsZ
These are all excellent books if you are like me, absolutely fascinated by the transition of Rome from late antiquity to the early medieval period.
The wonderful background music is by Adrian von Ziegler: • Relaxing Roman Music -...
🎦 FILMING EQUIPMENT WE USE: 🎦
Webcam: amzn.to/3yFSFvu
Microphone: amzn.to/3e2ZFsW
Disclosures: Some links in the description are affiliate links which means that if you purchase something by clicking on one of them, your host Sebastian will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. In this way you will be supporting the channel to improve the video production quality at no extra cost to you.
📬 Contact us: [e-mail]
#Maiorianus

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

🎁 The full list of perks we offer to our patrons: www.patreon.com/Maiorianus

[@logicaredux5205]

Much respect to these brave monks who labored to be points of light in a very dark time.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Absolutely, Severin, Eugippius and the other monks in Raetia and Noricum deserve massive respect. They were truly self-less and this was Christianity at its best.

[@dusk6159]

They were heroes and they achieved their adventure, a-la Rinascimental humanists.

[@henripentant1120]

Imagine being one in say 476 or 600 before it was such an established life choice before the full regulation of monasteries. Really forward thinking people with real conviction.

[@andrewpestotnik5495]

They were part of the problem

[@vendomnu]

@@andrewpestotnik5495 How were they part of the problem?

[@slop123456789]

Your content scratches an itch that no other channel can. I am deeply fascinated in this era of history and you bring it to life in a such a vivid and engaging way. Keep on doing what you’re doing!

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Salve Amicus! Thank you very much, i am deeply honored to read such praise and am also extremely happy that many people seem to be as fascinated by this era, as I am. I will be very happy to continue producing many many more videos for many years to come :)

[@kimphilby7999]

Maiorianus,you did it again! Not a stiff chronological agenda,but a tale, a transfer of the flavour of the era!

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello Kim, thank you very much, that is exactly what I'm trying to achieve. I was always thinking: How would it have felt to, what would one have seen back then? I am glad that I am apparently able to convey how it (probably) must have been like.

[@laughsatchungus1461]

Why are you the only channel that covers stuff like this? Most history channels dont even cover MAJORIAN, despite the fact he was undoubtedly the best of the big three (Stilicho, Aetius, Majorian)

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Salve Amicus ! Well, because they are lazy XD It is easy to only cover things that others have talked about. The known stuff, the famous stuff. Like Stilicho, like the Vandals, etc. But the nuances, the intricacies, the unknown things, they require extensive study. Many just don't know about Majorian, heck, even Anthemius is a total unknown to many. That is my life's mission, my goal now: To bring light into this unknown era of history, and to tell the tales of the great unsung heroes like Majorian, like Constantius III, like Gallienus, like Anthemius, like Marcellinus. They deserve to be remembered. They gave everything for their empire, against all odds, and that deserves massive respect. We must spread the word about them, until they have become so famous that even other channels will start covering them :)

[@septimiusseverus343]

@@Maiorianus_Sebastian You are truly the best new Roman history channel I have come across, no lie. Thankyou for shedding light on the last great figures of the Western Roman Empire. It was slowly dying, yet they gave it their best and went out fighting.

[@ewittkofs]

This is a really insightful episode. I was stationed in Augsburg, as a modern “Wall Soldier” in the early 1980’s and became very interested in Roman provincial life. I always wondered how the end came, and this provided great insight. I currently use Legio III Italica, who were stationed in Regensburg as the backdrop to teach sixth graders at a private school about provincial life in the army in a second century AD border Provence. This is very helpful to tel the students about the aftermath.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello Edward, wow, thanks, I would feel very honored if you could teach students about the life in the dying years of the western roman empire, based on this humble video you have found on youtube. Thank you very much !

[@John_Fugazzi]

I read the life of St. Severinus years ago as a rare source on Noricum and its account of daily life, of people fleeing to ever higher ground, made a lasting impression. I'm glad you reminded me of it. I believe the letter to a "Romulus" by Theodoric himself concerning a pension is very likely the former emperor. Odoacer did grant him a pension as well as the villa of Lucullus, and how many people named Romulus (not a common name) could there have been who would have deserved the attention of Theodoric himself, and about a state pension at that.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello John, I am happy to see that others share the same interests. Not many people read the Life of St. Severinus, it is truly a fascinating account from a dark time. Yes indeed, Romulus was being addressed by Theoderich himself and it is indeed very likely that it was Romulus Augustus himself, for the reasons pointed out by you.

[@theicepickthatkilledtrotsk658]

Cultural decay, terrible policy decisions, and internal conflicts were the main reason for the fall of Rome. Even as late as the beginning of the crisis of the 3rd century with a weakened empire Emperor Maximinus Thrax waged a campaign deep into Germany and almost reached today's Berlin. Compare this to the 5th century where the near-invisible legions of the Pax Romana were reduced to a near militia powerless to stop the mighty Germanic warriors.

[@killerrockguitar1845]

Cultural decay is the number 1 reason.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Yes, those are very good reasons, also rank among my top ones. I would also add the unsolved succession system, which led to constant civil wars, the extreme inequality and unfair social system and the splitting of the empire. I cannot agree however on your statement of the powerless legions in the 5th century. Stilicho, Constantius III, Aetius and Majorian had some really astounding military success against the germanic invaders. The problem was just the constant civil wars, they didn't only have to fight external threats, but usurpers would pop up all the time, and their own kinsmen would often plot against them behind their backs. Stilicho, Aetius, Majorian all died by treachery. So they weren't defeated in the field, but by treachery. Even very late, the western empire had some pretty good chances of surviving. But yes, by 468, it was basically over. The last chance was the battle of Cape Bon, invading Africa, but they blew it :/

[@theicepickthatkilledtrotsk658]

@@Maiorianus_Sebastian True I misspoke I wanted to compare the legions in the imperial golden age to the abandoned soldiers you discussed in the video. The Roman army was still capable of great things as your channel`s namesake proved.

[@matthewsutton3682]

It would be interesting to see info on how the late Empire started suffering manpower shortages either through desertion, declining birth rates, apathy and low morale among the serfs, malfeasance or fraud by the landowners, and how the Roman military in the west started to evaporate between the Frigidus and Catalaunian Plains.

[@babelhuber3449]

Basically, Diocletian had to enlarge and re-structure the army to 600000 men at the end of the 3rd century. Also he had to increase the size of the cavalry on top of that. This was necessary because of the Sassanid empire, the Germanic tribes and whatnot were a more capable thread than anything the empire had seen before. Of course such an army is very expensive - and tends to kill the emperor if not paid enough. Hence taxes had to be raised. From this point on, the empire's enemies grew stronger, the empire had to invest more in the army and raise taxes further. At some point you start to lose territory - and hence taxes - and have to raise the taxes to such a high level that you actually shrink your economy. Game over. The Bagaudes in this video sometimes were taxed so high that they had to starve or even sell their kids into slavery. No wonder they revoltet and joined the barbarians!

[@septimiusseverus343]

_Things sure had changed a lot around the old place since I departed for the Fields of Elysium... :(_

[@causantinthescot]

You saw Honorius reigned 30 years and married a chicken after the death of Maria, his wife. Thanks to him, this soon doomed not only his empire, but also Majorian himself. Moreover, this idiot let Anthemius lived long enough to see himself was another Trajanus Decius, who cried because he never saw the good old Antonine age...... RIP Severus, Majorian, Anthemius and Trajanus Bradius Decius.

[@craigmason9893]

​@@causantinthescot are u joking or is that something people legitimately think. I'm asking out of good faith. nothing ever turned up when I googled it. there is a kernel of truth to everything after all.

[@LordWyatt]

I’ve been hungering for info on Rhaetia and the late Western Roman Empire. Thank you 🙏

[@richardsmith2879]

A known story magnificently presented. We live in horribly changing times and your descriptions are in a strange way a comfort. Thank you.

[@barnabaszu]

Best channel on late Roman Empire. Thank u Maiorianus, amazing work

[@stepanpytlik4021]

I am glad I've discovered this channel. The late Western Roman period is a very interesting era in my opinion but there sadly aren't many books, documents or other KZbin channels covering this period.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Thank you Amicus ! Yes indeed, there aren't enough books about this fascinating period, and hopefully I can shed some light onto this fascinating but also sad era of humanity. I will try my best :)

[@yaboyed5779]

I’m so glad I found his channel. I was randomly searching for Ricimer out of boredom and I’m so glad I did. Please cover AGGIDIUS (I can’t spell his name) and his kingdom and Julius Nepos’ own kingdom in 480 I believe

[@HistoryTime]

Hi mate. I’ve been loving your channel. Do you have an email address I can contact you on? Cheers, Pete

[@samwisegamgee8318]

Gotta love seeing a channel completely focused on late roman history! Love it! Leaving a comment as a sacrifice for the algorithm

[@PompadourSamurai]

Mad Maximus

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Heheheh good one !

[@cesaramarilla7031]

Great episode sr. mad max like situación, thats brilliant, I never thought of it like that but it totally makes sense!!

[@sergioacevedo2254]

I truly appreciate you covering so many lesser known topics/details about the Romans. Thank you!

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Thank you Amicus, and I really appreciate your kind words :) I am very glad that there seem to be a lot of people who also find these topics fascinating.

[@jamesashley9127]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALL OF YOUR STUFF! Thank you very much for sharing.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello James, thank you very much, amicus romanus, I really appreciate it :) That motivates me to see that apparently some people even like my videos, haha! Motivates me to keep going on and make many many more videos.

[@BrendanRiley]

I've been to Passau. Can't imagine how terrifying that situation must have been for last remaining Roman troops there.

[@vendomnu]

'So...uhh...should we just go home?' 'Well, if we do I think we will die.' 'Stay here, then?' 'Probably better, yeah.'

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

Odoacer not only spared the life of Romulus Augustulus but granted him a pension!

[@matthiassteck4009]

Thanks a lot for your interesting work, I really like your channel a lot. Being born and raised at Regensburg (Castra Regina or Reginum at Roman Times) where the remains of the late antiquity are still visible, this period always fascinated me (though I'm very glad to not have lived back then). At Casta Regina with the heavy fortified castle of the Legio III Italica still more or less intact in the 5th century, things probaly went a bit different as at Batavis or other places in Noricum Ripense. On one side the excavated Roman coins at Castra Regina (clear evidence or payed Roman soldiers or foederati) stop quite early around 420 B.C. On the other hand there is archeological evidence that Casta Regina was continuously populated and never entirely abandoned. Pottery was found there that was made for the taste of Germanic people, but with Roman techniques like the pottery wheel. As much as I know, there have not been found major traces of destruction from the 5th century, unlike the layers of destruction from the 3rd oder 4th century caused by the raids of the Alemanni and Juthungi). The Vita St. Severini - as much as I know - does not tell us details about Casta Regina, but despite there must have been Roman population at the end of 5th century, it obviously was no choice for the people of Batavis (120 km away) to flee there. I think it was simply too dangerous and Castra Regina was not under Roman control any more. To my opinion the most probable theory about Castra Regina is, that sometimes in the first half of the 5th century some Germanic foederati (not payed any more), took over the city without greater fighting and some Roman population stayed there. This population later in the 6th century became one of the cores of the arising Bajuwar tribe. Probably even Christianity survived at Casta Regina, but I do not know if there is archeological evidence for this, as large parts of the main necropolis has been destroyed by the railroad works in the 19th century and the rest is inaccessible below the St. Emmeram Basilica and monastery. So it seems that not all Roman population was killed, fled or was evacuated from Raetia or Noricum Ripense, but some survived at places like Castra Regina or Iuvavum (Salzburg) and became part of the Bajuwar people.

[@stanpski5442]

Your work is fascinating. I love history because I see it as cycles that just keep coming back and we never learn. There was many empires in the past and they all ended up in similar fassion. So I can see the Mad Max scenario in the future. Maybe even not that distant.

[@robertbricker]

A wonderful direction in the history of the (late) Western Empire. The perspective of what it would have been like as the 'civilized' world unraveled and collapsed inwards is nicely told. Thank you.

[@kayharker712]

Superb video - really gave me a taste of these strange and inscrutable times.

[@justinian-the-great]

Could you do a video on your view of reasons why did the Eastern Roman Empire, totally opposite from the Western Empire, survive and even thrive in the 5th, not to mention that by the beginning of the 6th century it became so powerful that it was able under the rule of emperors Justinian and Maurice to even expand on a scale not seen since the conquests of Trajan? The paradox of the Roman 5th century, where the West is crumbling and eventually falls and the East is just becoming stronger, is very interesting topic and yet so underrated.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello Justinian ! Nice that you have come back from the dead and are now watching youtube videos and writing comments :) Joking aside, yes, I do have exactly that topic on the agenda, one of around 200 topics that I have collected since I started the channel. It will take some years to go through them all, but exactly that topic, why the east thrived when the west fell, shall be answered in exquisite detail. I hope I will be able to show that there was a lot of luck and geopraphy involved, and not better military decisions or commanders. In fact, the east often messed up, and the west had to pay the price, see Adrianople 378, Frigidus 394, and most importantly Battle of Cape Bon 468.

[@alessandrogini5283]

@@Maiorianus_Sebastian you Will make a video about the third century crisis?i think that if Alexander severus survived at his murderes, half of the problems of the Roman Empire could be vanished

[@southface6684]

the raeson is the Greeks took over the eastern Roman Empire and gave new life for 1000 years ! I am a Byzantine Anatolian Greek my grandfathers used to call themselves Romans or better in Greek language Romioi

[@FlvAet421]

Good topic for sure and very controversial. I’m sure the answer is something like Egypt was not harassed and paid for the army while Anatolia/Armenia provided a steady stream of new soldiers. They had to be weary of the Sassanids but war did not erupt on that border. There was also a great effort by the ERE to stubbornly resist the Huns in the bulkans that often had disastrous results but proves they had some fight in them and I think is forgotten.

[@zaferzaferoglu978]

@@southface6684 Anadolu da hangi şehirde yaşıyordunuz

[@jacopoteodori7283]

Amazing Channel! Greetings from Rome

[@DMMarch]

Love the channel, cheers

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello Dm March, and thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it :)

[@BrendanRiley]

In Austria today, the locals still say "Servus" when greeting people, which I believe means "I am at your service" in Latin, or ""[your] most humble servant, [my] noble lord". Must be something the local Roman population said at the time.

[@jach99]

Completely unrelated. It comes from a medieval Latin formula that commoners said to their feudal masters. It's also still used in Hungary, Western Romania, Czechia and Slovakia and pretty much perfectly corresponds to the borders of the former Austrian realm, not any Roman stuff. For example, in Romanian you might use it if you're trying to emulate a Transylvanian accent for comedic effect(or if you are actually Transylvanian). It used to be servus tum (your servant) or servus humillimus(most humble servant), but it got shortened to just servus and is simply a colloquial greeting devoid of any deeper meaning.

[@BrendanRiley]

@@jach99 Fascinating!

[@therockmanguy241]

Sadly the third century crisis started what seemed a normality to nomadic tribes by the 5th century - Rome's limits could, and would inevitably be breached. I imagine that after all the wars and battles that occured over the years, Gaul and Raetia et Noricum would have been made devoid :(

[@sirchromiumdowns2015]

Americans are experiencing this right now.

[@paulcapaccio9905]

Another great one. Bravo ! Almost done with vol 1 of Gregorvius. Awesome

[@fedecano7362]

I enjoy your content, well done!

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello Fede, thank you very much Amicus !

[@LisaHutchins-zu4yy]

Excellent information!

[@aalexander928]

Fascinating history and well-composed. Thank you so much.

[@stannisTheMannis214]

Your channel is the best!! I am very interested in this period and you make a great research for these videos

[@oliviermosimann6931]

Always a pleasure to watch your videos.

[@paulcapaccio9905]

You could never do too many videos on this period. Never stop please ! Bravo

[@buckwylde7965]

The history of the slow implosion of Rome is just as an important history lesson, if not more so, for modern people as is its rise. One can only hope that the leadership of the Western Democracies understands the history you so concisely present to us. Thank you!

[@thadtuiol1717]

How so, exactly? What are the lessons of this decline for us today?

[@buckwylde7965]

@@thadtuiol1717 Protect the value of your currency, keep taxes reasonable, plan your cities, just for starters.

[@vendomnu]

@@thadtuiol1717 Also, remember how the worst off in the society were eager to help the barbarians? Maybe having a ruling elite is not wise for longevity of a civilization - especially one that pretends to be based of democracy.

[@HamBones13]

Brother, just found your channel this morning loving it!!! Do you have any information on prisoners of war during this time?

[@oddsavage]

I'm liking your channel more and more with every post!

[@QPRRhino]

Really enjoy your content, Thank you

[@pilgrim42]

Like all your other content, this was outstanding!

[@juanzulu1318]

Great vid. That time period is so interesting due to the apokalyptic situation.

[@caylarabdk8389]

Very good channel, you deserve a lot more subs!!

[@christinewenner1508]

Thanks for the heads up about channel. I too am a bit curious about the Roman Empire.

[@licmir3663]

I wonder how it must have been for the very last soldier in a garrison to depart, looking back and seeing an empty barracks.

[@henripentant1120]

Intense boredom chased with intense horror severinus’ vita paints a pretty good picture

[@Jolynmanymeafy4449]

This is some of the best content on the entire internet

[@nathanpangilinan4397]

There once was a dream. A dream that fell. And this is how the dream falling must have felt like for those who lived through it.

[@tehjarr4373]

I love your channel so much. :) Thank you. :)

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Thank you amicus for the kind words, I really massively appreciate it :)

[@antoniotorcoli702]

Amazing content. It is worthwile to mention Pierius ,Comes domesticorum, who on Odoacer's behalf, conducted the evacuation of the Romans from Noricum. He was himself a Roman and one of the most trusted generals of Odoacer. We do not know that much about his career, but he is mentioned by different sources and by an exceptional document: a donation of land to him by the rex Italiae himself. Pierius received land in Sicily and Dalmatia. It is therefore not impossible that he fought against the Vandals and partecipated in the inasion of Dalmatia after Nepos death. He fought against the Rugii and fell in the battle of Adda in 490 . His funerary inscription survived the centuries.

[@lukang72]

Mad Max with horses !

[@sergeigen1]

horse power!

[@antoniotorcoli9145]

Congratulations for your exceptional work. I am glad that you brought to the attention of the general public the Vita Sancti Severini, an extremely valuable document. I hope you will continue your fascinating serie. As you rightly say, the fall of the Empire occurred with different speeds in the various regions with some degrees of “roman”continuity. The so called “Arthurian” Britain is one of the brightest examples.When Saint Germanus of Auxerre went to Britain in order to extirpate Pelagianism, he found there some “tribunes”.even the events in Gaul an Germania are fascinating: according to Procopius, the surviving roman troops in the Loire region,,after the defeat of Syagrius, marched against the Franks, but ,after negotiating, they were incorporated in Clovis ‘s army. On the other hand, the scarce sources and archaeology seem to indicate that comes Arbogast managed to retain the control of Colonia probably as late as the 497 CE.The stubborn defence of Alvernia by Sidonius and Ecdicius deserves to be narrated as well. The same goes for the gradual conquest by the Suebi and the Visigoths of Lusitania and Hispania. Thank you again , your channel is a precious stone.

[@crose1466]

Accounts of miracles should be taken as seriously as any other historical account and should be treated with the same level of scrutiny.

[@scythianrabbit3977]

I wonder if Majorian could've been a second Aurelian and restored the empire from the brink of collapse. His problem was that he had rely on barbarian mercenaries and he had a tiny tax base. Could he have even taken back Africa from the Vandals? They were led by a very intelligent king in Gaiseric and had formidable forces. Perhaps with support from the Eastern Empire it might've been done. But would it have been enough? Eventually, more invaders like the Lombards and Avars would come. The Franks would still grow ever stronger in the north and Rome still would've been mired in Feudalism, lack of eagerness to fight and corruption.

[@theicepickthatkilledtrotsk658]

Splitting the empire was a massive mistake in my opinion. Rome was an overextended superpower, but the spit created two rival states, both with neighbors that posed an existential threat. The tribes would have had a much harder time even crossing the Rhine if Rome stayed united.

[@Sandderad]

IF he had been more suspicious of Ricimer, with his planned reforms and strong leadership, i believe he could've achieved the full reconquest of the west.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

@@theicepickthatkilledtrotsk658 Completely agree here. The splitting of the empire was imho a big mistake, as the east would get the better provinces and higher tax revenue, weakening the west. Also, the east and west often rivalled as you correctly said, even clashed as in the battle of Frigidus 394AD, which had disastrous consequences for the west. Had the empire been left united, the odds of survival would have been much better.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

@@Sandderad Yes, agreed. I often wonder how he could have been so naive about Ricimer. Really strange, he saw so many other things, how could he not see the treachery of Ricimer coming?! Argh !

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

@Scythian Rabbit I will make an episode about exactly that. An alternate "what if" scenario, how Majorian might have been able to reconquer Africa, and what that would have meant for western rome. Could it have survived? It would have been surely not easy, a lot harder than during the times of Aurelian, and could only have happened, if Majorian would have lived long enough for his reforms to take hold, so we are most likely talking 20+ years here. But let's see if I can make a good video on that :)

[@thegroovee]

Such a powerful video

[@DarkBuddhist]

Love your videos

[@Kurtsova]

Your Channel is amazing

[@teslaoliveira2195]

Super!

[@GarfieldRex]

I want a The Last Samurai like movie about this. So sad and terrible 😔

[@rockstar450]

Great video! I keep seeing videos “downplaying” the fall of the west when really it collapsed as they knew it to the point The Eastern Romans were shocked at how quick things had fallen apart. Can’t wait for you to cover the gothic wars!

[@ancientfalmer4341]

I like this channel. Thanks

[@josephpercente8377]

This begs the question could the conquest of the roman empire have been possible without the aid of romans? Was it more of a civil war with foreign aid? Like our revolution?

[@bioliv1]

I don't think so, I see society falling apart rapidly, people are of another kind now than 10 years ago, and Sam Vaknin under pills my observations. So I try to watch as many videos on history and philosophy now as possible, so that I can carry this information with me into the coming Mad Max - society, as I then have to spend all my time protecting my three girls from the barbarians, as I see this new human race that developed here in Norway the last decade.

[@ne0nmancer]

Yeah, but nowadays we have the internet, nations are much more reliant on international trade, etc. All of these things make it for any societal collapse to have a very rapid domino effect today. Back then, your country could be under another ruler and you probably wouldn't even know for months, unless you lived in some big city.

[@Paracelsus93]

What is the source of 3D graphics used in this video, for example in 15:00? Is it a video game?

[@lordnicholasbuzanthefearle2155]

Hello friend of Rome, I really enjoy your content. Could you please to a video about a chronological fall of WRE Provinces. Currently, I am playing Attila Total war as WRE and I would love to now which teritories can I ceed to Foederati Tribes and in which time frame. I only know that I need to recall my Legions in Britain in 410 A.D.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Salve Amicus ! Ah yes, nice, Attila Total War is a really nice game that I of course also played, and I am sometimes using footage from Total war for the videos. Yes, don't worry, I have so many topics for this channel here, 200+, and the history of how the western provinces fell, will be complete at some point. I will go through each territory :)

[@Rick-dt9mv]

Excellent video as always !. When you can, try to make other references precisely to different religious from Gallia, Africa and Hispania who acted in a similar way to Severinus. Greetings from a latin country of the south of world

[@Anaris10]

Those were likely actual Batavii as that tribe had been part of a larger Germanic tribe (The Chatti) at one time and immigrated to the west bank of the Rhine under Roman protection and became staunch Roman vassals for many years.

[@mattc9998]

Are those screenshots from Assassin's Creed Valhalla? The ruins in that game are absolutely incredible, but somewhat exaggerated for certain areas.

[@alrengamao2577]

These very Dark Age ,the Monks were the guiding light of the people there....

[@valmarsiglia]

If portions of the empire resembled the Mad Max movies during the fall of the western empire, I really hope there was at least one barbarian tribal chief like Lord Humungus with a herald who announced him as "The Ayatollah of Rock-n-Rolla!"

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hahahahha! Yes, and hopefully there was also a guitar player amongst the barbarians, who mounted on a horse, spewing out flames while playing :)

[@Notaghost603]

Kind of like being on the US Southern border for the last 10 years

[@paulcapaccio9905]

The imperium could gave continued if the Roman’s were more understanding of the germanics

[@Mercury29477]

15:14 is that ac Valhalla I see because nice

[@daguroswaldson257]

Thanks for being such a huge nerd on late antiquity! This is doing wonders for the book I am writing! I'm very passionate about this book I have been writing. However, how can you not take the miracles performed by these monks and missionaries seriously? Jesus Christ granted the same powers to His disciples and even today, there is healing and exorcism going on throughout Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox churches where their hearts are right with the Lord. Are you not a believer? It's funny that you should mention Mad Max because in Mad Max Furry Road, they seem to have adapted to a Germanic pagan worldview and that's where I am getting some inspiration for some of the warlike behavior of many Saxons and probably even the Franks as well.

[@DrTarrandProfessorFether]

End last 12 years of the Soviet Union was a slow,gradual decline. Starting in 1979… the wars in Afghanistan drained the Army… and in 1985, Gorbachev tried to get the USSR back on track but the Rot was deep. By 1992, CCCP dead and internal fighting in 1990 to 1995 lead to mini-civil wars. Rome to me, died when Rome was sacked in 455… no resistance. The massive attempt to take back North Africa under Majorian’s 460 fleet that failed with the last support from Eastern Empire that that really ended the western Empire. The last 16 years was just a slow rundown of all government.

[@sekeriyasharif6593]

Diocleatians idea of an emperor being a God has killed off the quality of the emperors especially after Theodosius I

[@compota334]

And his economic and social reforms were the ruin of Roman society. Worst emperor ever. Yes he kept control of the empire, but he did it by turning it into North Korea

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Diocletian is really an overrated emperor, yes. But the quality of position of emperor already started to decline a lot earlier, even as soon as Commodus. Diocletian was just the crowning of the ice cake or how you say it, a trend that had been going on for 100 years before him.

[@septimiusseverus343]

No, if anything, he revalued the office of the emperor greatly. He got rid of the outdated notion of the emperor being as merely first among equals (that had convinced any idiot with delusions of grandeur the idea of marching on the capital during the 3rd Century, and increased the mortality rate for the princeps). It was the fact that Honorius and Valentinian III aka Dumb and Dumber, were children when they came to the throne, that allowed the generals to take charge and engage in costly civil wars when they weren't needed. By elevating the emperor above all mortals, Diocletian greatly reduced the number of usurpers and civil wars during the 4th century, although when said civil wars did occur, they were on a larger scale. He did what Augustus and his successors didn't have the stones to do and pretty much bluntly stated "The Republic is dead, get over it." I get that it's trendy and cool to bash Diocletian nowadays because "MUH PERSECUTIONS, MUH FAILED TETRARCHY, MUH FEUDALISM, MUH DOMINATE REEEEEEE," but I'm sure there were _plenty_ of Romans who were grateful at getting a 20 year respite from all the 50 years of prior bullshit. With the benefit of hindsight, we fail (or choose to fail) to see what a true visionary Diocletian was at the time.

[@alessandrogini5283]

@@septimiusseverus343 but at long term,made the senate and landors a thorn in the ass of the emperors, they didn't rule army,they didn't pay taxes,they impose their role and plot against the emperors..what about the difference between the action of the senate against trax,and against the invaders in 5th century? In the crisis of the third century, the senate rally an army to defend Rome against the alemanni

[@grantpenton1850]

The Alamanni specialized in smashing skulls - hundreds of thousands of which dating from the mid third to the late fifth century having been excavated- and burning survivors alive in their buildings as all Roman structures were systematically destroyed. So this ethnic cleansing of the lands west of the Rhine and south of the upper Danube was quite efficient, until Clovis defeated them. 'Mad Max' situation indeed! But was it worse in the balkans 2 centuries earlier when the even more savage Goths during their rampages after massacring the army of Decius provoked a general evacuation of the hinterland?

[@craigmason9893]

really the goths were worse than them?

[@elliottdiaz1687]

How old, then, was Aetius by the Battle of the Catalonian Plain against Attila's Hunnic Confederation, if he was already putting down rebellions and Germanic incursions during the 430s?

[@mercianthane2503]

I have a strange feeling that this is exactly what happened in the Bronze Age: kingdoms became extremely wealthy, but then were managed by incompetent rulers that had no strength at halting the raids of foreigners. Slaves and farmers possibly united with this raiders and launched several attacks and uprisings which broke the power of many strong kingdoms. Certainly, history repeats again.

[@sergeigen1]

yeah, i agree with you. i think it must have happened in more than once place at first, and it created a sort of domino effect that societies reliant on trade could not recover from

[@francisebbecke2727]

Could four musicians from what was later to be Liverpool, Britain sing in Rome in 476 AD which was the real cause of the fall of Rome? Something similar to this happened on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

[@balasaashti3146]

I'm trying to learn how to draw want to do a comic based on the frontier period during this time period.

[@Worldslargestipod]

Any idea by how much rome's population fell when the WRE lost control of north Africa?

[@scottfoster3548]

Yes it already happened BUT MY FRIEND look outside any city RIGHT NOW it is happening NOW. Viva Roma AND my Los Angeles BUT don't forget to pay your Ostrogothic tribute.

[@pelicanus4154]

Were the "Romans" living in this area Italians or some mixture of locals and Italians?

[@raystargazer7468]

This is like the wall in GoT.

[@RandomVidsforthought]

Hadrian's wall inspired that

[@KamikazethecatII]

why shouldn't severin's magical deeds and miracles be taken seriously

[@fortunatusnine2012]

🤔👍

[@trees3987]

Lol was just talking about the crisis of the 3rd century

[@tmuet3653]

well there were cars then... just ones pulled by horses

[@LarsOfMars.]

Please stop including Central and Southern Scotland in your map of the empire, the Antonine Wall was abandoned after only 20 years and never reoccupied, and the Roman frontier remained at Hadrian's Wall.

[@0leandr1]

I think your commentary is quite naive and misleading Especially when comparing Fall of Rome with Mad Max. It was not collapse of infrastructure when everything stopped working but slow decline of power. Which meant that when financing and legions have been withdrawn no enforcement where available. Roman Empire did not consist of tribes with their own military power which could provide it so when Germanic tribes arrived with their own military power their just filled the vacuum. Most of barbarians admired Rome, even if filled with hatred for Roman industry of slavery (they had their own), and when they arrived they took power and let the civilization be and even thrive (like Odoaker in Italy or Gaiseric in Carthage). What we know as conquest was just immigration of small groups which took position left by empire's clerks and soldiers ("Look, I am the captain now"). BTW. "Dark times" means that we have no written sources therefore history is behind dark veil. But history was happening anyway. But nevertheless, keep up good work portraying those times.

[@BFDT-4]

This was good, except in the maps, we needed to locate the Latin named towns with more of the modern locations to gain a better idea of the terrain traversed. And, pull back for a bit so we can see where the details are located. Quite fascinating!

[@Gecko....]

They weren't Barbarians who defeated Rome, they were former Germanic Roman soldiers and lived within the empires borders.

[@darthwizzywizard]

Love the Mad Max references lol

[@oogabooga6219]

Rome never fell, it morphed into what we have today.

[@alejandromolina5645]

A nation falls, but a country and its people always survive. If the USA falls the nation goes away, but never the physical country and its people. Rome as a nation collapsed a long time ago, but the people and cultures transformed or were replaced by others.

[@themaskedman221]

The capital of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th Century was Ravenna, not Rome.