Episode
Why Rome actually fell: plagues, slavery, & ice age — Kyle Harper
Dwarkesh Podcast · Apr 24, 2025 · 1 h 23 min
800 years before the Black Death, the very same bacteria ravaged Rome, killing 60%+ of the population in many areas. Also, back-to-back volcanic eruptions caused a mini Ice Age, leaving Rome devastated by famine and disease. I chatted with historian Kyle Harper about this and much else: * Rome as a massive slave society * Why humans are more disease-prone than other animals * How agriculture…