The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of the Empire

About This Novel

Combining a grand historical narrative with cutting-edge climate science and genetic research, Kyle Harper shows that the fate of the Roman Empire was determined not just by emperors, soldiers, and barbarians, but also by volcanic eruptions, solar cycles, unstable climate, and deadly viruses and bacteria. He recounts the story from the height of the Roman Empire in the second century to the fragmentation of the Byzantine Empire in the seventh century. Harper describes how the Romans recovered under enormous environmental pressures and faced crises again, until they could no longer withstand the blows of the "Little Ice Age" and recurring plague outbreaks. "The Fate of Rome" profoundly reflects the close relationship between human beings and the environment, and comprehensively describes how one of the greatest civilizations in history faced and endured the pressure of the environment, and ultimately collapsed. The example of the Roman Empire reminds us of the surprising ways in which climate change and bacterial evolution have shaped the world we inhabit.

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