The BBC's latest foray into the realm of ancient history, 'Civilisation: Rise and Fall', serves as a stark reminder that, despite our best efforts to learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat its mistakes. The series takes us on a journey through four ancient worlds – Rome, Egypt, the Aztecs, and Japan – each of which ultimately succumbed to the same fatal flaws: greed, inequality, war, disease, disaster, and climate catastrophe.
As the show's commentators astutely observe, these calamities are not entirely new phenomena. Valerie Amos succinctly puts it: "The seeds of a society's destruction are sown within it." The series expertly illustrates how the concentration of wealth among the elite and its trickle-down effect can lead to social decay, economic stagnation, and ultimately, collapse.
One particularly striking artefact on display is the ornate silver Projecta casket (AD350-400), which tells the tale of Rome's super-rich 1% hoarding wealth, leading to an insufficiency in imperial coffers that proved disastrous. Luke Kemp, a commentator for the series, emphasizes the crucial role of wealth inequality: "It corrodes the social fabric... hollows out societies, leaving them brittle and susceptible to multiple shocks."
As one watches the programme unfold, it becomes increasingly evident that these ancient civilizations are mirror images of our own society. The same catastrophic factors that led to their downfall seem eerily familiar in today's world – climate disaster, war, pandemic, mass migration, greed-fueled colonialism, and endemic inequality.
The series' greatest strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of the darker aspects of human nature. Take, for example, a 1,875-year-old terracotta theatre mask depicting deep-seated Roman prejudices towards northern peoples. Or the term "barbarian," derived from ancient Greek, which was used to describe foreign languages and cultures that the Greeks couldn't understand or accept.
Civilisations: Rise and Fall is, at times, a heart-wrenching reminder of our own vulnerability. The show's dramatic countdowns – 15 years until Rome falls, eight years... two years... – drive home the inexorable march of history. We're now living through an apocalyptic era in which we seem to crave extreme anxiety and existential dread.
Ultimately, this series serves as a stark warning that we may be heading towards a similar fate unless we heed the lessons of history. Despite its bleakness, it's a potent call to action, urging us to confront our own societal flaws before they become irreparable damage.
As the show's commentators astutely observe, these calamities are not entirely new phenomena. Valerie Amos succinctly puts it: "The seeds of a society's destruction are sown within it." The series expertly illustrates how the concentration of wealth among the elite and its trickle-down effect can lead to social decay, economic stagnation, and ultimately, collapse.
One particularly striking artefact on display is the ornate silver Projecta casket (AD350-400), which tells the tale of Rome's super-rich 1% hoarding wealth, leading to an insufficiency in imperial coffers that proved disastrous. Luke Kemp, a commentator for the series, emphasizes the crucial role of wealth inequality: "It corrodes the social fabric... hollows out societies, leaving them brittle and susceptible to multiple shocks."
As one watches the programme unfold, it becomes increasingly evident that these ancient civilizations are mirror images of our own society. The same catastrophic factors that led to their downfall seem eerily familiar in today's world – climate disaster, war, pandemic, mass migration, greed-fueled colonialism, and endemic inequality.
The series' greatest strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of the darker aspects of human nature. Take, for example, a 1,875-year-old terracotta theatre mask depicting deep-seated Roman prejudices towards northern peoples. Or the term "barbarian," derived from ancient Greek, which was used to describe foreign languages and cultures that the Greeks couldn't understand or accept.
Civilisations: Rise and Fall is, at times, a heart-wrenching reminder of our own vulnerability. The show's dramatic countdowns – 15 years until Rome falls, eight years... two years... – drive home the inexorable march of history. We're now living through an apocalyptic era in which we seem to crave extreme anxiety and existential dread.
Ultimately, this series serves as a stark warning that we may be heading towards a similar fate unless we heed the lessons of history. Despite its bleakness, it's a potent call to action, urging us to confront our own societal flaws before they become irreparable damage.
and I gotta say, it's giving me major anxiety 
. These ancient civilizations were like, totally clueless about the dangers of greed and inequality, and now we're kinda facing the same problems 
. I mean, who needs a dramatic countdown of 15 years until Rome falls? 
It's like we're living in a real-life horror movie! 
The show is so on point though - it's like they're speaking straight to our souls 
. Can't deny that our societies are basically mirror images of these ancient civilizations... climate disaster, war, pandemic, and greed-fueled stuff are all too familiar 
#JusticeForThePlanet #StopGreed #LearnFromHistory
. It's like they're speaking straight to my grandma's generation, you know? Like, back in my day, we didn't have all these fancy documentaries and historians on TV telling us about the past. We just kind of lived it, ya know?
. But in a good way, because it shows us that we're not alone.
I think what really stood out for me was how eerily familiar all these ancient civilizations' downfall stories are to our modern world 
Like, Rome's imperial coffers issues? It sounds like we're seeing a similar problem with wealth inequality and tax avoidance right now 
The way the series highlights how these societies' dark impulses are still with us today? Chilling, man 
. We need to wake up and take heed of these lessons before it's too late 
. Let's be the ones who learn from history, not repeat its mistakes 
it's soooo accurate like we're living in ancient times right now where greed inequality war disease disaster and climate catastrophe are like super common problems 
and can't even look away from how the elite are hoarding wealth and leaving everyone else behind 
.
... but don't hold your breath 
. But at the same time, I'm not sure if this series is all sunshine and rainbows? It feels like a bit of doom-mongering to me... are we gonna sit around waiting for our own downfall or do something about it? 
But hey, at least it's making me think, right? 
Maybe if we learn from history and start addressing our own societal flaws, we can avoid the same fate as those ancient civilizations. Fingers crossed 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to watch a countdown from 15 years until Rome falls? It's like they're ticking away the clock for our own demise 
.