[SPQR – Epic Roman Music]
DOES THAT MUSIC RING A BELL? NO? WELL WHAT ABOUT IF I THROW THIS IN THERE:
[TikTok Sound Effect]
OKAY, MAYBE NOT. BUT IF YOU’VE BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR A FOR YOU PAGE RECENTLY, YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN THE VIRAL TREND OF WOMEN ASKING MEN THEY KNOW HOW OFTEN THEY THINK OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
[Various TikTok clips]
THOSE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE TREND IN ACTION. IN ANY CASE, IT HAS A GRIP ON TIKTOK AND IT’S LEFT MANY NON-CAESAR FANBOYS WONDERING…WHY DO PEOPLE THINK SO MUCH ABOUT ANCIENT ROME? IT’S A WORTHWHILE QUESTION AND ONE THAT I WANTED ANSWERS TO.
NATURALLY, I WENT AND FOUND PROFESSOR TACO TERPSTRA — NORTHWESTERN’S RESIDENT ROMAN HISTORIAN. IN MY INTERVIEW WITH HIM, I HOPED TO GET ANSWERS ABOUT THE SOCIAL MEDIA TREND AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHY ROMAN CIVILIZATION SO EASILY GRABS OUR SOCIETY’S ATTENTION.
[Gregorian Chants]
[Taco Terpstra] Greco-Roman history is seen as kind of the crucible in which the West was forged, now there’s things wrong with that idea, but there seems to be this continuous line from antiquity to us, and think that is one of the reasons why it has such an appeal.
I ALSO PROBED TERPSTRA ON THE THEMES OF ROME AND ITS HISTORY THAT MANY WESTERNERS FIND SO APPEALING.
[TT] Gladitorial games and the destruction of Pompeii; these are things that have attracted people since forever. There’s something I think innately interesting about these stories. What I do seem to notice is a different focus on Roman history, more on the collapse of Roman power, and that seems to be kind of a theme. Also, drawing comparisons with the supposed decline of global powers.
AND OF COURSE, I COULDN’T LET HIM OFF THE HOOK WITHOUT GAUGING HOW OFTEN HE THINKS HIS STUDENTS THINK ABOUT ANCIENT ROME.
[TT] Well, all the time. Well, only when I’m in front of them talking about it. — I hope a lot.
[SPQR – Epic Roman Music]
MY INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR TERPSTRA ENLIGHTENED ME ON A FEW CONCEPTS: PEOPLE LOVE GLADIATOR FIGHTS, EVERYONE WANTS TO COMPARE THE UNITED STATES AND ANCIENT ROME, EVEN STUDENTS STUDYING THE EMPIRE PROBABLY AREN’T THINKING ABOUT IT OUT OF TERPSTRA’S CLASS.
SO WE KNOW THAT NOT *EVERYONE* THINKS ABOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE. BUT THE SECOND FACET TO THE TIKTOK TREND HAS BEEN PEOPLE SHARING THEIR OWN ROMAN EMPIRES — OR THEIR NICHE INTERESTS THAT THEY THINK ABOUT A LITTLE TOO MUCH.
TO GET A BETTER PERSPECTIVE ON THE TREND FROM SOMEONE WHO’S TAPPED INTO SOCIAL MEDIA, I SPOKE WITH SENIOR LILY TORRES. TORRES SAYS SHE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND HAS HER OWN TAKE ON THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
[LT] I think of the Roman Empire, probably, like, once a month.
AND TORRES HAD THIS TO ADD ABOUT WHAT, OR *WHO*, HER OWN ROMAN EMPIRE IS:
[LT] This guy named Guten, and Japanese logic puzzles. He is like my Roman Empire in the sense that like, I think about who he is what he stands for, and I want to be him.
[Gladiator Quote]
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. A COMPREHENSIVE BREAKDOWN OF WHY THE ROMAN EMPIRE HAS BECOME A FIXTURE OF PEOPLE’S IMAGINATION AND HOW IT’S BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH PEOPLE SHARING THEIR OWN HOBBIES.
OH, AND I ASKED PROFESSOR TERPSTRA WHAT HIS ROMAN EMPIRE WAS ASIDE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL ROMAN EMPIRE.
[TT] Well, I’m an economic historian. Very boring answer. But you know, I think about that in terms of the Roman Empire and think about it outside that too.
FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M JOHN FERRARA.
[GREGORIAN CHANTS]
