The Fate of Rome Book Summary - The Fate of Rome Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

The Fate of Rome summary

Kyle Harper

Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire

4.4 (350 ratings)
20 mins
Table of Contents

    The Fate of Rome
    summarized in 7 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 7

    An unusually favorable climate contributed to the Roman Empire’s prosperity.

    Life in the Roman Empire, even when that empire was flourishing, was rough. Infant mortality rates were high. Life expectancy, in general, was only around 25 years. There were no motorized vehicles or telecommunications devices, so travel and communication were incredibly slow. 

    Despite these limitations, the Romans were able to form a unified empire that stretched across Western Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. As the empire and the cities within it expanded and the population exploded, the Romans were forced to extract more and more resources from the surrounding environment. Yet they never experienced a major food shortage, nor were they forced to farm on hard or difficult soil in desperation. 

    Why? Well, in part, the Romans got lucky: they happened to be living in a particularly hospitable moment in Earth’s climate history.

    The key message here is: An unusually favorable climate contributed to the Roman Empire’s prosperity.

    By the second century AD, the Roman Empire had slowed its expansion and achieved widespread peace across its vast territory. For the most part, conditions were very good: economic productivity was high, there was enough food for everyone, and wages were growing even for the most unskilled laborers.

    Rome’s expansion and flourishing were linked to a climate regime known as Roman Climate Optimum, or RCO. Characterized by a stable, warm, and wet climate, the RCO began in the last two centuries BC and stretched into the first two centuries AD.

    During the RCO, the sun warmed the earth more than usual – temperatures during the first century AD were even higher than those in the last 150 years of our own era. At the same time, volcanic activity was almost absent. This meant that the period saw none of the lower temperatures caused when volcanic ash blocks the sun.

    These conditions were huge boons for the Roman Empire. Thanks to the warm and wet climate, farmers could cultivate wheat and olives on mountains – territory where they could never grow today! North Africa was exceptionally fertile, providing grain for huge swaths of the empire. By contrast, today, that region is a major importer rather than an exporter of grain.

    Climate conditions helped Rome to prosper. But that prosperity came at a cost: the Roman Empire’s large number of trade routes and high connectedness created a perfect breeding ground for infectious diseases.

    Want to see all full key ideas from The Fate of Rome?

    Key ideas in The Fate of Rome

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is The Fate of Rome about?

    Over the years, countless historians have theorized about the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. The Fate of Rome (2017) tells this story from a slightly different angle, taking into consideration new information about the climate and epidemiological events that played a major role in the prosperity and downfall of one of the largest empires in history.

    Who should read The Fate of Rome?

    • Roman history enthusiasts
    • Environmentalists and others interested in climate change
    • Anyone curious about the causes of the Roman Empire’s fall

    About the Author

    Kyle Harper is a scholar of Roman history who currently serves as Professor of Classics and Letters at the University of Oklahoma, where he is also Senior Vice President and Provost. He has written two other award-winning books: Slavery in the Late Roman World, AD 275–425, and From Shame to Sin: The Christian Transformation of Sexual Morality.

    Categories with The Fate of Rome

    Books like The Fate of Rome

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    26 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial