The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome

by Gregory S. Aldrete

When Octavian, who took the title of Augustus as the first emperor of Rome, defeated Mark Antony to become the sole ruler of the Roman world, it was a major turning point in Western civilization. Not only did his decades-long rule completely transform the old Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, but it also profoundly shaped the culture and history of our world today. The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome traces this breathtaking history from the empire's foundation by Augustus to its Golden Age in the 2nd century CE through a series of ever-worsening crises until its ultimate disintegration.

Taught by acclaimed Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, these 24 captivating lectures offer you the chance to experience this story like never before, incorporating the latest historical insights that challenge our previous notions of Rome's decline. You'll examine the major events and familiar figures of the Roman Empire, including:

The political innovations of Augustus
The mental instability and cruel acts of Caligula and Nero
Writers such as Ovid, Horace, and Virgil
The stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
Constantine's startling conversion to Christianity

You'll also look beyond the famous figures and delve deeply into the lives of ordinary Roman citizens. You'll hear the messages they left on tombstones or scribbled on walls as graffiti; examine what life was really like for average city-dwellers and the hazards they faced every day; spend a day at Rome's spectacular public entertainments, such as gladiator games and chariot races; and explore some of the city's marvelous architectural and engineering works, including the Pantheon and the aqueducts.

We cannot truly understand ourselves unless we comprehend the vital influences of Rome on the modern world - and the lessons the empire can still teach us. The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome is an excellent guide to one of the most important periods in world history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Ancient History, Ancient, Roman History, Military History

13 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 11, 2019

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

All roads lead to Rome, right?
I've been reading a lot of stuff about European Medieval history lately, and the decline of the Roman Empire is the catalyst that set off what most people call the Dark Ages in that part of the world. And that got me interested in learning more about ancient Rome.



This was an interesting overview of a massive chunk of time, starting with the first emperor Gaius Octavius, known as Augustus Caesar, to the slow decline and eventual "fall" of the empire.
I don't even know if you can call it a fall really. More of a contraction.
We were BIG. Now we're just Italy.



Also, if you haven't looked up ancient graffiti, you should.
It's nice to know that people don't really change.

Severus: Successus, a weaver, loves the innkeeper’s slave girl named Iris. She, however, does not love him. Still, he begs her to have pity on him. His rival wrote this. Goodbye.

Successus: Envious one, why do you get in the way. Submit to a handsomer man and one who is being treated very wrongly and good looking.

Severus: I have spoken. I have written all there is to say. You love Iris, but she does not love you.



Obviously, there's just too much to cover anything in real detail but I thought this was very well done as a rundown of the more flashy and important bits.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who, like me, is curious about the history of this incredibly influential empire.

[Michael Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having listened to many Great Courses, I have to admit I did not have high expectations for Aldrete's course. While the topic is high on my interest list, I figured this professor would bring a slanted, arrogant view to the study of Roman history. But I was very surprised to enjoy the course (admittedly at a speed faster than 1.0) and glad to see a straightforward view of history. There was almost no cynicism towards Christianity and no "potty jokes" that other GC lecturers often make at the activities of ancient civilizations. Aldrete's organization of the course should be praised too, as he does not bog the listener down with boring details of Roman life but also he does not give such an overview that it feels as if you learn nothing. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Greco-Roman history.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best in this series. I reserve my 5 stars for books I can read over and over but this is close.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregory Aldrete brilliantly manages to present a vast amount of material in a clear, insightful, and attractive way. His model of teaching is worthy of emulation. His material on Rome that gives us a better understanding of the life of the everyday Roman citizen is especially helpful. I recommend this lectures series as well as his other series, History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective.

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
Trumpai ir aiškiai.

[Read By Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good overview of the Roman Empire. My only complaint is that there is SO much going on in the Empire that it should have been longer, most topics got extremely brief mentions. If you just want a general idea of this period, not a bad choice at all.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Organised and well explained. I learned so much. I love how he closes with the various arguments on what caused the fall of Rome and isn’t too prideful as to insist on one or another but to present the information and invites us to decide.
Hearing some of the stories and names from Pompeii made me wonder if J.K. Rowling was inspired by some of these for her Harry Potter series.
The only complaint I have isn’t probably something he can change. It is the inconsistency of his voice in tempo. Keeping the audio sped up helped overcome that. 1.3 was my favorite speed.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second part of Aldrete's comprehensive lecture series on Ancient Rome, picking up where the first left off. This one takes the listener from the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire and through the centuries until the its fall. Once again, Aldrete provides a wealth of fascinating information, engagingly presented.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad that I have to relearn what I’ve studied so many time!! I really wish I had perfect memory! 😅 This curse is light and presents big historical figures but also some of the daily life of the inhabitants of the empire. The depiction of the filthy streets of Rome, full of feces thrown from windows was pretty poignant. I did not know that the extinction of wild animals in North Africa was due to the Roman circus where thousands of animals were sacrificed in one day 😳.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vast overview, a couple of micro errors.

[Andrés · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong 3.5, for a good course that puts emphasis on rather strange bits (or maybe bits I wasn't very interested).

It's a little bit high level, and I thought 24 lectures would allow a bit more detail on several emperors (1 lecture for all 5 good emperors, but 2 on Constantin). I learned a few very good pieces of information:

- The true hellenization of Rome began with the Fall of Syracuse during the First Punic War because of all the loot they brought back to Rome
- Diocletian's whole story is quite fascinating and it's a pity it's overshadowed by the obsession to recount the persecution of Christians

A good listen all in all.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good concise introduction to the subject. Government, culture, religion and daily life are discussed.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not a college level lecture and this is why I knocked off one star. It is a very well done and engaging set of lectures from the start of the empire until its fall. If you havent read a ton on this subject this is the perfect starting point. The professor is smart, engaging and enjoyable to listen too. Just go in knowing that this is slightly above HS level in depth and Mr. Aldrete sometimes states for facts things that are most definitely not settled from a historians POV.

Recommended with the above caveats.

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

There has been endless debate about when the Roman Empire truly fell and what caused it. After the republic slowly began to evolve into a dictatorship, that system evolved and advanced across three continents, continuing to envelop and homogenize the thinking of the peoples who joined or were forced Roman culture. In the end, it seems to never have truly fallen. For over two thousand years, the consciousness and intentional idolization and implementation of Roman engineering, military, legal, and political systems have been propagated across all of the governments of the western civilized world.

For me, western history has always been pretty well accounted for up to the life of Jesus, with a couple of references to Augustine and Constantine and a thousand year jump forward to a time when reformation and then renaissance ideas began to promulgate across Europe. If you suffer from the same history black hole, wondering what really took place under all those emperors and how a pagan Mediterranean gladiator culture evolved into the Catholic European feudalism, this course will be an invaluable tool. In the first part, we go through the history of Roman under each of the early Emperors. Here we get a detailed explanation of how a well established republic submitted itself to a dictatorship by inches, eventually completely comfortable with and even desirous of such a form of government in many ways. With the rise and frequent fall of emperors of all sorts, the role of the military in legitimizing, dethroning (assassinating), and even declaring new emperors rose to equal influence. From understanding how the empire outgrew manageable borders and brought a culture that even outsiders desired, we begin to see that most of the barbarians, Huns, and Germanic tribes who came against them began to emulate them. This has never ceased throughout history, as most new governments throughout modern history have based most of their military, legal, and political systems on Rome. Everyone from Napoleon to the Founding Fathers to Hitler and Mussolini have based their symbols and systems on either Roman republican or Roman imperial ideals and imagery.

Along with an exhaustive and fascinating look at the many stages and styles of imperial rule in Rome and Constantinople, the course also attempts to explore the daily lives and common experiences of Romans at various stages and in various aspects of life. Rome was the first city in the west to reach a population of near a million people and no other came close again for another 1,500 years. In so doing, they discovered and dealt with dozens of the problems urban dwellers and city planners, and works depts. continue to face today, like sanitation, public safety, welfare programs, and litigation. The public bath culture and the Roman games are explored as fascinating elements that are both different and highly familiar.

Professor Aldrete does a good job of addressing different explanation and assessments of contexts from historians at different times, but he rarely addresses anything with his own opinion, apart from a sense of political correctness that downplays the records from the intellectuals and elites and prefers any random information we can accrue from other sources. It is always in vogue to question the perspectives held by the current school of historians, but to assume that surviving examples of bathroom graffiti and roadside advertising are more accurate to the general population than the history books or literature of the educated is probably an exaggeration. If some alien was trying to figure out what my life was like from the outside, I wouldn’t want him to assume things about me because the the bathroom stall graffiti or from the pop fiction. Even so, it’s nice to have both things represented here.

Enlightening and fascinating, it is a revelation to see how many aspects of all of our customs, laws, culture, and perspective are defined by the Roman outlook.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who really needs 'J', 'U', and 'W'?

Professor Aldrete adroitly presents a very good survey set of lectures covering the period in classical Rome, from Augustus to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in the 15th century CE. His command of the subject matter is suburb...if he's reading from a teleprompter, he's doing it well! This course is a continuation of his 'The Rise of Rome' that extends from the mid 8th century BCE to the fall of the republic later in the 1st century BCE. While neither is a thorough, standalone history of this time period within the Roman republic and empire, they (the lectures) present a series of snapshots into, not only the conquests, but the more mundane, everyday lifestyles (including art, architecture and religion) of Rome and its peoples.
This type of anecdotal history I find both entertaining and informative. The lectures blend well with other Great Courses (particularly those by Harl, Fears and Fagan) that may have the same format, but differ by professor biases and approach. By listening to several of these presentations, I'm able to reach my own interpretations of the time period by accumulating multiple points of view.
I found the guidebook particularly good, perhaps making up for any visuals that might be lost on the audio only crowd.

Very good set of lectures and guidebook...audio can be obtained via Audible, as I did. Recommended!

[Joseph St Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A traditional telling of the history of the Roman Empire. Aldrete incorporates a bit of archeology and delves into what we can learn about regularly people from graffiti. However, this is mostly a story of the emperors, with a heavy reliance on the classical sources & little incorporation of the social sciences. For example, many historians question some of the crazy stories told about the bad emperors and propaganda released after their assassinations to justify that act. Aldrete only hints at that critique. However, this is a solid straightforward history.

[Dave McCracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author & narrator Professor Georgy Aldrete is a well-known expert on the history of the Roman Empire, his style of lecture and smooth narration of this epic story is gripping. As the title suggests this story begins with the establishment of Rome and its first Emperor Augustus. Diving into all aspects of Roman governance, commerce, warfighting, and daily life of both famous Romans and common people.

In total 24 lectures spanning the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire covering almost every Emperor their achievements and disasters. Professor Georgy Aldrete deep dives into the customs, traditions, and daily lives of slaves, gladiators, senators, engineers, soldiers, and much more exposing a surprising wealth of history in which so many aspects remain part of modern societies today.

This lecture series although detailed in many respects is still an overview focused mainly on the first 500 years during the rise of Rome, and lesser attention to the 1000 years of the Eastern Roman Empire and eventual decline. Professor Georgy Aldrete covers the breadth of this history with such enthusiasm it compels one to consider taking on the challenge of reading the epic, “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” by Edward Gibbon.

Highly recommended listening to these lectures on the Roman Empire before a decision to explore further into the many avenues to study this fascinating period. I now have a clearer understanding of which periods were most significant in terms of change, tragedy, and prosperity, piquing my interest in the Golden Age where a succession of five “good” emperors propelled the Roman Empire to greatness.

[EB · Rating 4 out of 5]

The DVD set from MCPL comes with a 270 page companion book. I'm referring to the book as I watch the episodes. The book, tho, is an abridged version of the script Aldrete is reading in the lectures (it's not unique info) so it's kind of more like following along while listening to an audiobook? Watching a videobook?

I've been watching "Wondrium" (i.e., Great Courses) sample videos on YouTube abt ancient Rome; for whatever reason of all the lecturers Aldrete's style is the most accessible to me. Glad his is one of the few DVD sets available at MCPL! (I can also watch *some* Wondrium vids on MCPL's version of Kanopy, using a ticketing system.) As of 5/25 I've watched 4 of 24 episodes from these DVDs.

I'm learning abt Roman history b/c the deeper I get into learning abt history in general (Western European in particular but also Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and to some extent Asia) the more it seems like EVERYTHING is built on Rome. Or traces back to Rome. Which was getting frustrating b/c I know NOTHING abt Rome! So I'm trying to fill in this knowledge gap so the context of other histories are more accessible to me. It's also helping me understand U.S. culture better, since Roman culture is so deeply interwoven with our own.

UPDATE at end: LOVE LOVE LOVE. Dr. Aldrete is a fantastic speaker and meticulous storyteller. He's clearly passionate abt this topic and also extremely knowledgeable. He has a dry sense of humor that I appreciate! I wasn't interested in EVERY lecture topic (the ones abt military strategy were the most tedious) but even the topics I wasn't interested in I was happy to listen to b/c Dr. Aldrete delivered them so masterfully. Def looking forward to watching more of his lectures!!

[Joy]

Dr. Aldrete covers the events of a very long historical period. Even so, fully a third of the lectures are about the minutiae of daily Roman life for the average Roman. The teacher’s speaking style may be a little distracting for some people. For others, it may make him especially easy to follow. I recommend taking the latter viewpoint.

He takes the position that the lives and cultures of the 2nd through 6th centuries have been over-generalized and simplified; there is much more variation between locations, social classes, and individual lives than most histories tend to recognize. Historical interpretations, he posits, tend to stem from cultural preoccupations felt by the historians, rather than from the events about which they write.

[Mary Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to know what to expect -- this is a little of a grab-bag on the Empire. It is a bit short, so you're going to get only a high-level view of the specific emperors (and I don't particularly like him quoting Suetonius, but whatever). The parts I found most interesting was getting into aspects of "everyday" Roman Imperial culture, though sometimes he doesn't give a good idea of the years in which the specific items were active. You get a flavor of Pompeian graffiti, gladiatorial entertainment, drama, poetry, and even some of late antiquity life in the dissolving Western Roman empire.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Gregory Aldrete provides an informative and entertaining overview of the history of the Roman Empire. He does an excellent job of mixing political and social history. His analysis of sports and spectacles, from Gladiator fights to chariot racing, was illuminating. His political lectures on Augustus, Aurelius, and Constantine stood out. He also did a good job outlining the various historical interpretations of Rome's decline.

I recommend this lecture series to anyone looking for a balanced introduction to this period or planning a trip to Rome.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief series of lectures. Beginning with Augustus to the Byzantine Empire. What an awesome summary. There are a lot of longer and more descriptive books on the subject of Rome, but this was of moderate length that seemed perfect for me. I may actually go on to read longer and more specific entries of Roman culture thanks to Aldrete's lectures

[Heather Lynn Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great lectures, although right there at the end I would say that the slavery would make the US even more like Romans. Saying them being cruel and cold with calling slaves property makes us different is just untrue, our country did this also but just with what I heard here I would say the US was worse.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick romp through the Roman Empire. It is a nice overview with a mix between lectures about the Emperors and what life was like for the common people. There are also lectures about art and culture. The scope is almost too ambitious, but it is well worth watching.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable lecture series on history of Rome. My favorite parts were the discussions of ordinary life of the romans and how similar and different we are today. Also that the Romans faced many similar challenges we have today

[Rik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough. Its ok as a recap or introduction but its feels very bare bones. Stands out as less in-depth than the previous series probably because we know how much we know about the post-republic era.

[JR Snow]

Not particularly deep, and not connected by an overarching narrative that I think would have improved it, nevertheless it is an interesting series that alternates between narrative (focusing on the policies/lives of the emperors) with topical lectures.

[sid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great survey course that provides just the right level of detail for most facets of the topic. It provides little information about the engineering and technology of the Roman Empire, however.

[David Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. I have read Gibbons, and listened to other lecture series, but there is always more to learn. Prof. Aldrete goes into a lot more detail on the life of the common Romans and brings out aspects of some of the Emperors that I had not learned from others.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOOD. Digestible. Wanted more discussion re: the dynamics between the senate and the emperors tho. Wanted more discussion on battles and military negotiations. It was covering a broad swath of time tho.