#443 – Gregory Aldrete: The Roman Empire – Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome

At a Glance

• Importance of Empathy in Historical Reconstruction - “We should do this all the time with just the people we encounter, but this is what we’re doing with ancient civilizations.” The conversation highlights the significance of empathy in understanding past societies and cultures.

• Challenges in Writing History - “You attempt to reconstruct an image of the past that is faithful to the evidence you have…” Gregory Aldrete emphasizes the challenges historians face when trying to accurately represent the past, including biases and limited information.

• The Value of Progress and Learning from the Past - “I’d like them [future historians] to say… in this civilization, I can detect progress that they have advanced in some way…” The conversation underscores the importance of learning from history and striving for progress.

• Hope for Humanity’s Future - “Our ability to store up knowledge and pass it on is our special power as human beings.” Gregory Aldrete identifies curiosity as a key aspect that gives him hope for humanity’s future, highlighting the significance of knowledge accumulation and passing it down through generations.

• Inspiring Curiosity in Others - “I think your being a curious being and emanating that throughout is inspiring a lot of other people to be curious…” The conversation highlights the impact one person can have on encouraging curiosity and learning in others.

What to Do

• Empathize with people who are not yourself - “Empathy is a great human thing, to empathize with people who are not yourself. We should do this all the time with just the people we encounter…”**

• Be aware of biases and problems in historical reconstruction - “…that’s what you do as a professional historian…attempt to reconstruct an image of the past that is faithful to the evidence you have, as filtered through what you can perceive of both the biases and the problems.”**

• Approach history with curiosity and empathy - “It’s a mystery. You’re being a detective and trying to reconstruct and to understand a society…Empathy is a great human thing, to empathize with people who are not yourself…”**

• Look for progress and learning in history - “…in this civilization, I can detect progress that they have advanced in some way, whether in moral terms or in self-awareness or have learned from what’s come before…That’s all you can try and do is do a little bit better than whatever came before you…”**

• Encourage shameful things to avoid and noble things to imitate - “…it provides you an infinite variety of experiences and models, noble things to imitate and shameful things to avoid…”**

• Value curiosity as a human characteristic - “I think the human impulse to want to learn new stuff is one of our best characteristics…Curiosity is a great thing that you want to learn something new…”**

• Recognize the importance of passing on knowledge and learning from the past - “…we’re the accumulation of the knowledge of infinite generations that have come before us. And everything we do is based on that…”**

What to Get

• History of Rome by Titus Livy - The utility and purpose of history as providing an infinite variety of experiences and models, noble things to imitate and shameful things to avoid.

• The Long Shadow of Antiquity: What Have the Greeks and Romans Done for Us? by Gregory S. Aldrete - Amazon

• Ancient Rome on the Silver Screen: Myth versus Reality by Gregory S. Aldrete - Amazon

• Gestures and Acclamations in Ancient Rome (Ancient Society and History) by Gregory S. Aldrete - Amazon

Summary

Episode Summary

In this engaging podcast episode, the host has an enlightening conversation with a professional historian about the nature of historical reconstruction and its relevance to our understanding of ancient civilizations. The historian emphasizes that their job is not to provide definitive answers but rather to reconstruct an image of the past based on available evidence, acknowledging both biases and limitations. This process, much like science, involves constant reevaluation as new information becomes available.

The conversation then takes a fascinating turn when the historian is asked what historians four thousand years from now might say about our time. The response suggests that these future historians would likely focus more on commenting on the state of society at that point rather than providing an accurate depiction of reality. This highlights how historical interpretations are often shaped by the context and biases of the present.

The episode concludes with a thought-provoking discussion about what gives us hope for our future as a humanity. The historian suggests that our capacity for curiosity is a key characteristic, driving us to learn new things and accumulate knowledge across generations. This shared understanding is underscored when the host expresses appreciation for the historian’s example of curiosity and inspiration.

Key Points

• Historical Reconstruction: The process involves reconstructing an image of the past based on evidence, acknowledging biases and limitations.
• Interpretation Over Accuracy: Future historians might focus more on commenting on societal context rather than providing an accurate depiction of reality.
• Curiosity as a Hopeful Sign: Our capacity for curiosity gives us hope for our future, driving us to learn and accumulate knowledge across generations.

Context and Relevance

This conversation is relevant in today’s world where historical interpretations are often subject to political or social biases. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding these complexities when engaging with history and how it might shape our perspective on contemporary issues. Moreover, the emphasis on curiosity as a hopeful sign for our future resonates in an era where technological advancements and global challenges underscore the need for continuous learning and adaptation.