Watch The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire. Lecture 1 of 6. 1776: Gibbon Frames the Question

The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire is a documentary series that focuses on the historical events surrounding the fall of the Roman empire. The series is hosted by Dr. William J. Neidinger, who takes the audience through the complex and nuanced history of the Roman empire. The first lecture, titled "1776: Gibbon Frames the Question," sets the stage for the rest of the series by exploring the central question of why the Roman empire fell. Dr. Neidinger begins by discussing the work of Edward Gibbon, a historian who wrote extensively about the decline and fall of the Roman empire in his seminal work The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Throughout the lecture, Dr. Neidinger uses Gibbon's work as a starting point to explore the broader historical and social factors that contributed to the decline of the Roman empire. He examines the role of factors such as political corruption, economic instability, social inequality, and military overstretch in the collapse of the empire.

Dr. Neidinger also delves into the cultural and intellectual shifts that contributed to the fall of the Roman empire. He discusses the rise of religions such as Christianity and Islam and how they challenged the traditional Roman belief system. He also explores the intellectual and philosophical developments that threatened to undermine the social and political order of the empire.

Throughout the lecture, Dr. Neidinger presents a nuanced and complex view of the factors that led to the fall of the Roman empire. He interrogates traditional narratives that place blame on individual rulers or specific events and instead emphasizes the systemic and structural factors that contributed to the decline of the empire.

Overall, the first lecture of The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire provides a comprehensive overview of the broad historical and social factors that contributed to the collapse of one of the world's most powerful empires. This sets the stage for the rest of the series, which promises to explore these themes in greater depth and detail.

The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire. Lecture 1 of 6. 1776: Gibbon Frames the Question is a documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 13 minutes.