The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization by Bryan Ward-Perkins

He also looks at how and why successive generations have understood this period differently, and why the story is still so significant today. Attacking new sources with relish and making use of a range of contemporary archaeological evidence, he looks at both the wider explanations for the disintegration of the Roman world and also the consequences for the lives of everyday Romans, in a world of economic collapse, marauding barbarians,Īnd the rise of a new religious orthodoxy. Or did it? The dominant view of this period today is that the 'fall of Rome' was a largely peaceful transition to Germanic rule, and the start of a positive cultural transformation.īryan Ward-Perkins encourages every reader to think again by reclaiming the drama and violence of the last days of the Roman world, and reminding us of the very real horrors of barbarian occupation. Instead of seeing Rome as what it was, a disaster and a cataclysm for Europe, modern historians like to see it as a mere transition. Historians love to change viewpoints on matters and recently, we have seen such a change.

with the dramatic title: The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization. His main concern is to debunk a notion, apparently fashionable among historians, which Im not sure many other people ever shared - the idea that the Fall of Rome wasnt such a big deal. Very good book taking a realistic stance on the fall of Rome. In 2005, the British archaeologist and historian Bryan Ward-Perkins published a. Vicious barbarian invasions during the fifth century resulted in the cataclysmic end of the world's most powerful civilization, and a 'dark age' for its conquered peoples. Professor Ward-Perkins has done an interesting, if short, book on a majestic theme - the fall of one of historys greatest empires, and its aftermath.

The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization by Bryan Ward-Perkins