Do you know much Roman history? I read a great book about the collapse of Rome a few years ago that reevaluated it with new information. The new evidence points to Climate Change and Pandemics.

In 150AD Rome peaked and there were an estimated 75 million people in Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Then it started getting colder.

Then a novel virus showed up in 165AD and kills 7 million in just 15 years. 50% mortality rates in cities that it hit. It doesn't stop burning through Europe for about 150 years.

These hammer blows are what kill Rome.

They also explain a lot of other things going on at that time. It gives context.

Ragnarok for example. Probably folk memory referring to the extreme population crash in Scandinavia from the rapidly cooling Climate.

The Anglo Saxons were Climate Refugees. Northern Germany got a lot cooler. There was mass starvation, people went on the move.

See, what I mean?

When you recast the Fall of Rome from a narrative of social decay and political weakness, and think of it as a Climate Disaster. Lots of things fall into place nicely. It makes so much more sense.

After I read this guy's book. I redid all of my simulations. It gave me a new template to visualize how a society collapses in response to Climate Change.

I review the book in Living in BombTime 04. I'm on meds at the moment and should be asleep. Thanks for the great comment.