Ravenna and the Fall of Rome
The Ancients
History Hit
4.7 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 8 June 2023
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The fall of the Western Roman Empire stands as one of the most monumental moments in ancient history, symbolising the end of centuries of Roman dominance in the Mediterranean. However, amidst the crumbling of Rome, the city of Ravenna emerged as a prominent center, eventually surpassing Milan as the new capital. This begs the question: how did Ravenna attain such significance, and what insights can we glean from the art and architecture that remain there today, particularly from the 5th and 6th centuries?
In this episode, Tristan invites Professor Judith Herrin on to the podcast, to delve into the rise and fall of Ravenna's prominence. Together, they explore its intricate connections with the Western Roman Empire, its interactions with notable entities like the Goths, and the awe-inspiring Christian architecture that adorned its landscape. What can we learn from uncovering the secrets of Ravenna, why did it hold such immense importance?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's the Entrance on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes your host. And in today's episode |
| 0:15.4 | where we're going quite late in ancient history today, some might even argue that we are |
| 0:20.2 | dipping our toes into early medieval history too. We're going to the 5th and 6th centuries |
| 0:27.4 | of Italy, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the fall of Rome, but also at this time, |
| 0:34.2 | the rise of another city, of Ravenna. Ravenna becomes the last capital of the Western |
| 0:42.7 | Roman Empire. It's where the Western Roman Empire reaches, arguably its end in 476 with |
| 0:49.4 | the abdication of the last Roman Emperor. It's a really interesting time because Ravenna |
| 0:55.7 | doesn't replace Rome as the capital straight off because first that title goes to Milan. And |
| 1:02.0 | then from Milan, as you're going to hear, the title of capital of the Roman Empire is passed |
| 1:07.0 | on to Ravenna. What is so interesting is that Ravenna during this period and even following |
| 1:14.2 | 476 when you see the emergence of agothic kingdom led by figures such as Ottoacca and Theodoric |
| 1:21.8 | The Great. Well, Ravenna, rather than entering a decline, it enters its golden age, filled |
| 1:30.2 | with beautiful churches and amazing early Christian art. It's one of the greatest centers |
| 1:36.9 | of early Christian art in the world. Now to explain Ravenna's story during these centuries, |
| 1:44.9 | I was delighted to head up to Oxford a couple of weeks back to interview the wonderful professor |
| 1:51.1 | Judith Heron. Judith knows all things about Ravenna at this time. She's written a very detailed |
| 1:57.8 | book all about it, a highly praised book too. I really do hope you enjoy and here's Judith. |
| 2:10.3 | Judith, it is wonderful to have you on the podcast today. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. |
| 2:15.1 | Not at all. And for a topic like this, Ravenna, I did not know how much early Christian art there |
| 2:22.3 | was in this town. And it almost feels as if you almost get this perception of other cities |
| 2:27.1 | and the Western Roman Empire, they're starting to decline during that period. But actually, Ravenna, |
| 2:32.4 | it stands out. This is the start of its golden age, almost. Yes, this is the most extraordinary thing. |
... |
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