1. Roman Britain - The Work of Giants Crumbled

A vast ruined bath house, a fire-damaged poem and a world teetering on the brink of collapse.

In this episode, we look at the collapse of Roman Britain. Find out how a great civilization grew up almost overnight on the island of Britannia, how it endured the test of centuries against barbarian invasions and foolish rulers, and what happened after its final dramatic collapse.

Credits:

Voice Actors:

Shem Jacobs
Jacob Rollinson
Jake Barrett-Mills
Old English read by Dr. Rebecca Pinner

Title theme: Home At Last by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.

Sources:

Bédoyère, Guy de la. Roman Britain: A New History. United Kingdom, Thames and Hudson Limited, 2013.

Birley, Anthony. The People of Roman Britain. United Kingdom, University of California Press, 1980.

Dio Cassius. Roman History, Volume IX: Books 71-80. Translated by Earnest Cary, Herbert B. Foster. Loeb Classical Library 177. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1927.

Fleming, Robin. Britain After Rome: The Fall and Rise, 400-1070. United Kingdom, Allen Lane, 2010.

--------------- The Material Fall of Roman Britain, 300-525 CE. United States, University of Pennsylvania Press, Incorporated, 2021.

Harper, Kyle. The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire. United Kingdom, Princeton University Press, 2017.

Herodian. Herodian of Antioch's History of the Roman Empire. Trans. Edward C. Echols, 1961.

Historia Augusta, Volume I: Hadrian. Aelius. Antoninus Pius. Marcus Aurelius. L. Verus. Avidius Cassius. Commodus. Pertinax. Didius Julianus. Septimius Severus. Pescennius Niger. Clodius Albinus. Translated by David Magie. Loeb Classical Library 139. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921.

Jackson, Ralph, and Hobbs, Richard. Roman Britain: Life at the Edge of Empire. United Kingdom, British Museum Press, 2010.

Jones, Michael E. The End of Roman Britain. Greece, Cornell University Press, 1998.

Laycock, Stuart. Britannia - The Failed State: Tribal Conflicts and the End of Roman Britain. United Kingdom, History Press, 2012.

Marcellinus, Ammianus. The Roman History of Ammianus Marcellinus. Trans. C. D. Yonge, 1911.

Opper, Thorsten. Hadrian: Empire and Conflict. United States, Harvard University Press, 2008.

Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives with an English Transl. by Bernadette Perrin in 11 Vol..... United Kingdom, W. Heinemann, 1954.

Procopius. History of the Wars - Volume III. N.p., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015.

Pryor, Francis. Britain AD: a Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons. United Kingdom, Harper Perennial, 2005.

Russell, Miles, and Laycock, Stuart. UnRoman Britain: Exposing the Great Myth of Britannia. United Kingdom, History Press, 2011.

Salway, Peter. The Frontier People of Roman Britain. Kiribati, Cambridge University Press, 1965.

Alan Bowman and David Thomas, The Vindolanda Writing Tablets (Tabulae Vindolandenses II), London: British Museum Press, 1994.

Tibbs, Andrew. Beyond the Empire: A Guide to the Roman Remains in Scotland. United Kingdom, Robert Hale Non Fiction, 2019.

[thomaswilkinson]

Christ I wish all history documentaries were formatted like this. No infuriatingly condescending exposition, no loud sound effects or nonsensical hyped-up character drama. Just an excellent voice actor reading excellently written history with a calm, ambient background. Fantastic bloody work; this is the standard for me now.

[lachlanmclennan]

This series just proves that talent and passion is far more effective than having a huge budget or a professional production team

This is way better than anything I've seen on Netflix

[Will-tnkq]

"That is history's spell. It teaches us lessons while convincing us those lessons don't apply to us." That is a brilliant line.

[Grgrrr]

Visited London for the first time with my wife and two young sons. Took the tour to see Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath. Was amazed at the extent of Roman ruins in Bath and how they were covered over and lost in time. I appreciate your professionalism. The poetry was especially impactful.

[sam-pfcs]

15:09
"Despite their colorful pantheon of gods, the real religion of the romans was the religion of urbanism"
I feel like i learned a lot from that sentence

[edwardsmith]

As a forever history lover, even once a history major at CSULA before switching to Business at CSUN [History would not pay nearly enough], I am estatic to find your incredible podcast. I listen/view your series when working-out my 82 year old I know once all are heard/viewed, I will re-cycle & start again + telling everyone about your EXCELLENT series!!!

[willzsportscards]

"History doesn't repeat itself. Events are so complex that nothing happens the same way twice." Finally, an intelligent and nuanced discourse on a fascinating topic. Fantastic series.

[waltspencer]

This production is simply superb. much better than anything on TV or on Amazon, Netflix, etc. No dramatic music crashing down, no ridiculous re-enactments, no superfluous flummery. Excellent writing, exceptional narration, beautiful cinematography, re-enactment shots which are thoughtful and rather elegantly presented. Just simply superb. I cannot wait to watch the others in the series. Thank you!

[matthewwhitton]

I’m almost appalled that it’s taken me so very long to stumble across this superlative series of productions. Simply marvelous. Your work ought to serve as a template for other producers.

[johndavies]

I'm 71 and a bit of a student of British history. This is fascinating and beautifully produced. Hoping for a lot more.

[dexstewart]

So we Welsh people have a kind-of 2nd National Anthem - Y'ma O Hyd - 'Still Here'. It basically talks about outlasting all the Invaders, including the Romans and the English. The opening line :


You don't remember Macsen, ( Magnus Maximus )
Dwyt ti'm yn cofio Macsen,


Nobody knows it;
Does neb yn ei nabod o;


A thousand and six hundred years
Mae mil a chwe chant o flynyddoedd


Too long for memory;
Yn amser rhy hir i'r cof;


When Magnus Maximus left Wales
Pan aeth Magnus Maximus o Gymru


In the year three-hundred-eight-three,
Yn y flwyddyn tri-chant-wyth-tri,


And leaving is a whole nation
A'n gadael yn genedl gyfan


And today: behold!
A heddiw: wele ni!
We're still here,
Ry'n ni yma o hyd,


Despite everyone and everything,
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth,

[christinemartin]

The editing is also terrific with these episodes--as well as the exquisite lyrical tone throughout. How wonderful is the inclusion of poetry! Beautiful.

[PL]

I watched this in the morning and in the afternoon I went shopping into York, like I have, thousands of times before.
It looks a little different today.

[russelladams]

Extraordinary sceries in a time when the History channel would prefer to cater to alien conspiracies and monster hunts.

[rossdavies]

I am just discovering these podcasts. Came to this by watching the Sumerian episode, I am now starting from the beginning. I would recommend this to anyone.

[lawsliveby]

Best history lesson I ever heard. Had my school classes been taught like this, I never would have dropped out.

[robertlee]

This is the future of podcasting: an excellent audio track from which listeners can effectively learn, even without visuals; then overlaid with visuals that provide enhanced learning, for students that can use both their eyes and ears.

[yourapocalypse]

If *you*, lucky Youtuber, have just stumbled upon this channel, and you're wondering if this is worth your time, then hear me as a ghost of the (recent) past… this series is *excellent*. Intelligent, informative, entertaining, it's perfectly pitched. The sort of thing the BBC did fifty years ago, with modern production values. Absolutely top-notch stuff.

[adamfrazer]

Most of the time, I'm quick to condemn 99% of YT for being far more obnoxious than TV, but I need to keep channels like this in mind - that remaining 1% is filled with some truly enjoyable channels such as this one.

Many thanks for your massive efforts and devotion to spreading knowledge and keeping the past close at hand.

[GerardBeaubrun]

This podcast breaks my heart each time. Each time! I find myself myself basking in a cradle of melancholy, history, wisdom and cautionary tales and the cold cold wind roaming around of deserted ruins