Clifford Ando | The Long Defeat: The Fall of the Roman Empire

Clifford Ando, David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor; Professor of Classics, University of Chicago speaks at third lecture in our four-part series: Why Did Civilizations Collapse: Internal Decay or External Forces? The Long Defeat: The Fall of the Roman Empire in East and West.

The Roman Empire remains one of the world's longest lived polities. Its collapse has therefore endured as a great historical puzzle. Was it barbarians or internal decay? Or was Christianity to blame? The lecture will explore a range of theories and consider in detail why the two famous theories, those of St. Augustine and Edward Gibbon, have found so little favor.

Free and open to public thanks to the generous support of the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Members and Archaeological Institute of America.

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