In the United States the question has become an obsession: how often do men think about the Roman Empire throughout the day? Women ask for it on social networks. The answer is many times. At least 20 a day. “Constantly,” responds a husband. “Like every day,” says a child.
A thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, last week saw an increase of almost two thousand responses in less than an hour.
In 2023 AD, the Roman Empire goes viral on TikTok and X.
Everything would start from Gaius Flaviusat the registry office Arturo Hulu.
On social media, he relaunched sketches about gladiators and brought the topic to the fore by launching a trend that gained momentum – the hashtag #Romanempire has accumulated 1.1 billion views on TikTok – in the editorial office of New York Times He was born in Washington Post and judged by the commentators of the two newspapers.
From question to question, foreign columnists have wondered whether humans are really obsessed with Ancient Rome.
The question – the power of the algorithm – continues to rage for days. One, ten, a hundred videos. Clips of a few seconds, monothematic. There are those who say they think of Rome for the immensity of the Empire, some for the gladiators, others for the majesty of its architectural works, from the Colosseum to the aqueducts. Or, more simply, “because it’s cool.” Because he is strong.
The examples continue to multiply on TikTok. Here is the reproduction of the Flavian Amphitheater online, in the video game Minecraft. And then a video that alone has reached 1.6 million views.
A group of American boys and girls are sitting on the couch. They watch an American football game. The girls say goodbye and, once alone, the boys leave the game to watch a series about Rome.
Strange, of course. But seemingly overwhelming.
Some Internet celebrities have also jumped on the bandwagon: the Australian singer fire rose she asked her boyfriend the fateful question Billy Ray Cyrus. The answer? “I think about the Roman Empire between 15 and 20 a day.” Especially the gladiators. The companions of the singer and actress Kira Kosarin AND Lisa Rinnastar of The Real Housewives of Beverly HillsI’m on the same wavelength.
An issue that has become so serious that the academy must be brought into play.
The teacher’s opinion. Kevin Feeney from New York University is forceful: “The Roman Empire was extremely patriarchal.” An observation that immediately recalls the exploits of Julius Caesar and Augustus. But there is more: for the professor, the idea of Ancient Rome remains imprinted on the minds of Americans also because of the influence it had on the way the United States shaped its democracy, its language and its architecture.
The trend launched on TikTok has two other aspects. The first leads to gender differences, the second to American history.
Proceed in order, columnists reason New York TimesIt’s true that movies like Gladiator and series like Spartacus, productions full of violence and hand-to-hand confrontations, may have shaped an idea of Ancient Rome more attractive to a male audience. Hence the masculinization of the phenomenon, with the viral question on social networks asked especially by women to their partners.
Then, as we have already mentioned, there is the United States. The NYT has compared the state of health of the United States to the decline of the Roman Empire on at least six occasions (1975, 1999, 2007, 2018, 2021 and just a few days ago). That is why the history lived in the shadow of the Colosseum, reviewed in 2023, would be so interesting.
Parapsychological suggestions, analyzes and doodles aside, the question sweeping social media remains: how often do you think about the Roman Empire?