Gregory Aldrete

They were good at record-keeping. So the Romans – I mean the census is a Roman word. They're the ones that came up with that. Yeah.

They were good at record-keeping. So the Romans – I mean the census is a Roman word. They're the ones that came up with that. Yeah.

Yes. So in certain ways, yes, they were extremely sophisticated. And of course, the biggest thing about people in the ancient world and today is that they weren't stupider than us. I mean, sometimes you get this assumption, oh, well, in the ancient world, they just weren't as smart or something. No, no, no. They were fully as intelligent as we were.

Yes. So in certain ways, yes, they were extremely sophisticated. And of course, the biggest thing about people in the ancient world and today is that they weren't stupider than us. I mean, sometimes you get this assumption, oh, well, in the ancient world, they just weren't as smart or something. No, no, no. They were fully as intelligent as we were.

Yes. So in certain ways, yes, they were extremely sophisticated. And of course, the biggest thing about people in the ancient world and today is that they weren't stupider than us. I mean, sometimes you get this assumption, oh, well, in the ancient world, they just weren't as smart or something. No, no, no. They were fully as intelligent as we were.

They didn't have access to the same technology as we do. But that doesn't mean they were any less smart.

They didn't have access to the same technology as we do. But that doesn't mean they were any less smart.

They didn't have access to the same technology as we do. But that doesn't mean they were any less smart.

Yeah. So, I mean, after Rome starts to go downhill, as you enter the third century, so the 200s, so we're moving out of the golden era now. I mean, a famous Roman historian, Cassius Dio, who lived right at that moment, very famously wrote of the transition of Marcus Aurelius to what follows, "'Our kingdom now descends from one of gold to one of rust and iron.'"

Yeah. So, I mean, after Rome starts to go downhill, as you enter the third century, so the 200s, so we're moving out of the golden era now. I mean, a famous Roman historian, Cassius Dio, who lived right at that moment, very famously wrote of the transition of Marcus Aurelius to what follows, "'Our kingdom now descends from one of gold to one of rust and iron.'"

Yeah. So, I mean, after Rome starts to go downhill, as you enter the third century, so the 200s, so we're moving out of the golden era now. I mean, a famous Roman historian, Cassius Dio, who lived right at that moment, very famously wrote of the transition of Marcus Aurelius to what follows, "'Our kingdom now descends from one of gold to one of rust and iron.'"

So even people who were alive at the time had a distinct sense something is going downhill here. And that's interesting because, you know, usually great historical moments are retroactive. And I mean, here's a guy who said, oh, something's going wrong. Something's really going badly now.

So even people who were alive at the time had a distinct sense something is going downhill here. And that's interesting because, you know, usually great historical moments are retroactive. And I mean, here's a guy who said, oh, something's going wrong. Something's really going badly now.

So even people who were alive at the time had a distinct sense something is going downhill here. And that's interesting because, you know, usually great historical moments are retroactive. And I mean, here's a guy who said, oh, something's going wrong. Something's really going badly now.

And a lot of it becomes that the secret is out, that what makes an emperor is who commands the most swords, right? And so you start to get rebellions by various Roman generals, each declaring himself emperor. So you'd always had this to a certain degree, but they had kept it in check during the second century AD.

And a lot of it becomes that the secret is out, that what makes an emperor is who commands the most swords, right? And so you start to get rebellions by various Roman generals, each declaring himself emperor. So you'd always had this to a certain degree, but they had kept it in check during the second century AD.

And a lot of it becomes that the secret is out, that what makes an emperor is who commands the most swords, right? And so you start to get rebellions by various Roman generals, each declaring himself emperor. So you'd always had this to a certain degree, but they had kept it in check during the second century AD.

But in the third century, you sometimes get three or four generals in different parts of the empire all declaring themselves emperor. And then they all rush off to Rome to fight a multi-way civil war. And of course, while they're doing this, the borders are undefeated. So barbarians start to see opportunity and come across and start raiding. They start burning and pillaging farms.

But in the third century, you sometimes get three or four generals in different parts of the empire all declaring themselves emperor. And then they all rush off to Rome to fight a multi-way civil war. And of course, while they're doing this, the borders are undefeated. So barbarians start to see opportunity and come across and start raiding. They start burning and pillaging farms.

But in the third century, you sometimes get three or four generals in different parts of the empire all declaring themselves emperor. And then they all rush off to Rome to fight a multi-way civil war. And of course, while they're doing this, the borders are undefeated. So barbarians start to see opportunity and come across and start raiding. They start burning and pillaging farms.