Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
Here’s something to look out for the next time you see footage on a documentary of the concentration camps in the Second World War. You often see people being dusted with a powder.
Two Very Different Revolts: Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 13 Part 2
A coin from the Britannic Empire of Carausius - Wth thanks to Wikipedia In Gaul, early in the reign of Diocletian the peasants rose in revolt. Hang on, peasants? In…
Diocletian, the Tetrarchy: Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 13 Part 1
Diocletian - Humble Birth, Great Achievements (thanks to Wikipedia for the image) There are just over a hundred recorded Roman emperors but few of them had as much impact as…
Debunking Myths about Hadrian’s Wall
Was the Roman Empire stopped in its tracks by the Scots? (Hint: No) The Internet being what it is, there are probably quite a few walls blogging nowadays. But I…
Tiber and the Potomac: How did Rome survive the Crisis of the Third Century?
Brennus - A Gaulish Chief who sacked Rome in 390 BC How did the Roman Empire survive the huge problems it faced during the crisis of the Third Century? In…
How the West Was Lost by Dambisa Moyo
'That's how China could finally finish off America, give them aid!' 'They are pretty much doing that already' Exchange between Niall Ferguson and Dambisa Moyo I don't want to get…
Was the fall of the Roman Empire caused by Climate Change?
The idea that climate change has played a role in the fall of the Roman Empire has a long history itself. Gibbon mentions it as a possibility in Chapter 9…
Carus: Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 12 Part 3
Following the assassination of Probus, the Praetorian prefect Carus was on hand and was well placed to succeed. He rapidly took over and he seemed to know what he was…
Probus: Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 12 Part 2
Probus was a career soldier who had risen through the ranks, so we are back to the pattern established by Claudius and Aurelian. Both those emperors came originally from the province of Illyricum, just over the Adriatic from Italy. Probus also came from the same region. It may have been that there was an Illyricum network in operation favouring people from a similar background, but given that the emperors from Illyricum all showed a high degree of ability it is more likely just to be a coincidence. Probus at least, got his first big break from the distinctly Roman emperor Valerian. He quickly justified an early promotion by defeating a Samartian invasion and saving the life of a near relative of the emperor while he was at it.
Tacitus: Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 12 Part 1
"The crime of one man, and the error of many, have deprived us of the late emperor Aurelian. May it please you, venerable lords and fathers to place him in…