The Roman Empire, which existed from 27 B.C. to A.D. 476, has recently gained popularity on social media platform TikTok.
Women have taken to social media to ask the men in their lives how often they think about ancient Rome. The responses have been varied, with one husband saying he thinks about it constantly and a boyfriend admitting to thinking about it every day. The Twitter thread on this topic has garnered over 1,679 messages so far.
The posts have sparked skepticism about whether men are truly obsessed with ancient Rome and what draws them to it. This curiosity has left many seeking answers.
Kevin Feeney, a faculty fellow at New York University who teaches a class on Roman history, expressed his frustration with being asked about this topic. He pointed out that ancient Roman society was extremely patriarchal and dominated by alpha males like Julius Caesar and Augustus.
However, there is more to Rome and its scholars than just its patriarchal history. Roman society has had a significant influence on various aspects of modern life, including government, language, and architecture. Scholars like Mary Beard have extensively studied and written about Roman history.
Despite the social media trend suggesting that men care more about history, Dr. Feeney dismisses this notion as complete nonsense.
Nevertheless, many women have been surprised by the enthusiasm men display for ancient Rome. The trend gained traction after Kelsey Lewis Vincent of Wilson, N.C., shared her husband’s response to her question about how often he thinks about the ancient civilization. His answer, “Every day,” has been viewed millions of times.
When asked about their fascination with ancient Rome, men have provided various answers. Some delve into the impact of Roman innovations on daily life, while others ponder about the daily lives of Romans. However, there are also men who are not interested in ancient Rome at all, associating it only with ordering pizza from a particular chain.
This trend of men and ancient Rome is reminiscent of other online phenomena that assign gendered experiences to things that are not inherently gendered. It reflects the ongoing questioning of gender roles and norms in society.
Ancient Rome was a place where masculinity had various definitions, according to Judith Hallett, an emeritus professor of classics. Many men continue to consume Roman history through mass media, such as movies like “Gladiator” and TV shows like “Spartacus,” which often appeal to male audiences.
Some argue that ancient Rome is intriguing to Americans because they see parallels between the decline of Rome and the current state of the United States. However, this kind of status anxiety is not exclusive to the United States or the present time.
It’s important to note that ancient Rome is not the only topic that men discuss. They also engage in conversations about fictional matchups, such as a gladiatorial fight between characters like Thanos and Captain America.
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