Gregory Aldrete

It's kind of based around the cycle of the Nile flood because it was so predictable and everything depended on it. And their whole religion actually develops around that. And in Mesopotamia, the same thing. The way their religion develops is a reaction to the particular geographic environment that those people grew up in. So that's a very profound influence on civilization.

It's kind of based around the cycle of the Nile flood because it was so predictable and everything depended on it. And their whole religion actually develops around that. And in Mesopotamia, the same thing. The way their religion develops is a reaction to the particular geographic environment that those people grew up in. So that's a very profound influence on civilization.

One of my professors once said to me, the best map of the Roman Empire isn't any of these maps with political borders. It would be a map that shows the zone in which it's possible to cultivate olives.

One of my professors once said to me, the best map of the Roman Empire isn't any of these maps with political borders. It would be a map that shows the zone in which it's possible to cultivate olives.

One of my professors once said to me, the best map of the Roman Empire isn't any of these maps with political borders. It would be a map that shows the zone in which it's possible to cultivate olives.

So if you simply get a map and map onto it where you could grow olives during this time, let's say first century AD, it corresponds exactly, I mean really closely, to the areas that are most heavily Romanized. Now, I'm not going to say that – But there is something to that where Roman culture spread successfully is where people grow the same crops. And that's just one of those fundamental things.

So if you simply get a map and map onto it where you could grow olives during this time, let's say first century AD, it corresponds exactly, I mean really closely, to the areas that are most heavily Romanized. Now, I'm not going to say that – But there is something to that where Roman culture spread successfully is where people grow the same crops. And that's just one of those fundamental things.

So if you simply get a map and map onto it where you could grow olives during this time, let's say first century AD, it corresponds exactly, I mean really closely, to the areas that are most heavily Romanized. Now, I'm not going to say that – But there is something to that where Roman culture spread successfully is where people grow the same crops. And that's just one of those fundamental things.

Yeah, that's become really trendy is to look at history through objects. And I mean, for the Romans, diet is huge. I mean, probably 80% of the people in the Roman world ate basically a diet of olive oil, wine, sugar. and wheat, right? That those three crops are the basic crops that they subsisted on.

Yeah, that's become really trendy is to look at history through objects. And I mean, for the Romans, diet is huge. I mean, probably 80% of the people in the Roman world ate basically a diet of olive oil, wine, sugar. and wheat, right? That those three crops are the basic crops that they subsisted on.

Yeah, that's become really trendy is to look at history through objects. And I mean, for the Romans, diet is huge. I mean, probably 80% of the people in the Roman world ate basically a diet of olive oil, wine, sugar. and wheat, right? That those three crops are the basic crops that they subsisted on.

And just the way you have to grow those crops, where you grow them, that dictates so much, you know, about culture. And the Romans saw it that way. One of my favorite documents from the ancient world, and they defined civilization that way. So the Romans, civilized people ate those crops and non-civilized people ate different food.

And just the way you have to grow those crops, where you grow them, that dictates so much, you know, about culture. And the Romans saw it that way. One of my favorite documents from the ancient world, and they defined civilization that way. So the Romans, civilized people ate those crops and non-civilized people ate different food.

And just the way you have to grow those crops, where you grow them, that dictates so much, you know, about culture. And the Romans saw it that way. One of my favorite documents from the ancient world, and they defined civilization that way. So the Romans, civilized people ate those crops and non-civilized people ate different food.

So there's this letter from a Greek who was serving as an administrator in the Roman government, and he gets posted to Germany, okay, to the far north. And he writes these pathetic letters back home to his family saying, the inhabitants here lead the most wretched existence of all mankind, for they cultivate no olives and they grow no grapes. So to him, that was hell. Yeah.

So there's this letter from a Greek who was serving as an administrator in the Roman government, and he gets posted to Germany, okay, to the far north. And he writes these pathetic letters back home to his family saying, the inhabitants here lead the most wretched existence of all mankind, for they cultivate no olives and they grow no grapes. So to him, that was hell. Yeah.

So there's this letter from a Greek who was serving as an administrator in the Roman government, and he gets posted to Germany, okay, to the far north. And he writes these pathetic letters back home to his family saying, the inhabitants here lead the most wretched existence of all mankind, for they cultivate no olives and they grow no grapes. So to him, that was hell. Yeah.

Being posted to an area where they eat these terrible foreign foods. And of course, the cliche for the Romans of what barbarians eat is red meat. They're herders, so they're not farmers, but they follow herds of cow around, which is a totally different lifestyle. They eat dairy products and they drink beer.

Being posted to an area where they eat these terrible foreign foods. And of course, the cliche for the Romans of what barbarians eat is red meat. They're herders, so they're not farmers, but they follow herds of cow around, which is a totally different lifestyle. They eat dairy products and they drink beer.

Being posted to an area where they eat these terrible foreign foods. And of course, the cliche for the Romans of what barbarians eat is red meat. They're herders, so they're not farmers, but they follow herds of cow around, which is a totally different lifestyle. They eat dairy products and they drink beer.