I love your channel and can’t wait to order your book in a few more days.

But my question is. What are some typical daily items romans would have used and carried around, I assume it wouldn’t be exactly the same as ours but they certainly must carry some daily use items?

I think I heard you say on your youtube you were a Rome: Total War fan. If you could change one thing to be more historically accurate about the series, that would make it still fun to play, what would you change?

Out of the first triumvirate: Shag, Marry, Kill?

How do the works written by ancient roman authors still survive? If copied and passed down by scribes, can we trust them?

What are some Roman/Greek Books that survived? (I mean original copies written thousands of years ago.)

How long did it take to write your book?

And yeah Garett, I love your videos. Looking forward to ordering your book.

I was in Istanbul some years ago and in the museum they have what is claimed to be the sarcophagus of alexander the great, its my understanding that this was a spare sarcophagus or something. Could you shed some light on this? Your youtube channel is great

Great title!

What’s the biggest misperception most people have about the Ancient Greeks and Romans?

Hi Dr. Ryan. I’m a big fan of the synthesis between romanticism and good history that you utilize in your travel blog posts on your website. Is there a particular under-visited archaeological site that you would recommend a visit to?

What were the main challenges you faced when you started your Youtube channel? As an actual historian was it difficult "competing" with all the pop historians on Youtube? And would you recommend other historians to follow in your footsteps and start their own channels?

How do you deal with a major lack of primary literary sources during a lot of the time period/places? How much do you rely on writers from the period vs archeological data?

love your channel, i only just discovered it this week!

- are there any surviving Greek dialects/cultures in Central Asia, as some articles have claimed?

- what's the latest information on what the Greco-Romans knew of the Celts, Brittania and Stonehenge?

- is it true that a meteor strike triggered the mass migrations of the various Celtic populations, including Brennus's sack of Rome? if not, why was there so much mass movement?

- have you ever wondered what might have happened if the Veneli shipbuilding knowledge wasn't wiped out by Julius Caesar?

- favourite Asterix & Alix comic(s)?

I found you on Youtube and i really like your videos.

I guess i have three questions.

•Will your book be available to European readers?

•Do we know how many literal works were destroyed when the ancient world became Christian, due to them being seen as pagan and heathen?

•How sure can we be that the ancient works which survived has not been altered, either by a copyist making mistakes, misunderstanding, not being able to read a deteriorated parchment etc, or because he felt like he could improve it or that it was offensive to him? I have read about Pompeiian works of art being destroyed in the 19th century because it was of sexual nature, for instance.

I've heard that garum, a fermented fish sauce, was very popular in the Roman empire. The empire lasted for a long time, do we have any idea of its origins, how long it was popular, why it fell out of favor?

Recently I heard that we know now from forensic science that male and female diet was different in ancient Rome. The men were much more likely to get their protein from animal origin, and the women more likely from plant sources. How can this be explained?

Would you drink the water from Roman aqueducts?

Big fan of your channel. My dad and I watch you in the regular! My question is what fun facts or topics did consider for this book, but ultimately did not make the cut? I like learning about early drafts and ideas for books, shows, video games, etc. It gives a lot of insight into the development of these works.

Thank you for your time! I have a two-part question actually.

First, is your book written in a way to accomodate children/young teens? (This seems like a great and historically accurate gift for smaller kids in my family who adore everything slightly Roman)

Second, how do you think we as historians within our field can interact better with the general public?

Hello. What was the main reason for the Roman and Greek nobility to convert to Christianity during II-III centuries? How much did their worldview and morals changed, if that's correct to ask? Was it sometimes similar to the way some vikings converted a few times back and forth thinking of Jesus as one of many gods, etc.? Thank you in advance.

Hi. Just wanted to ask how are you doing? Hope all is well!

Can you tell us more about how halteres/jumping weights were used? Modern weightlifters often speak about these as the origin of the sport (for example: the French word for weightlifting is haltérophilie), but is that a fair characterization? Were they using them for strength training in any form we would recognize?

How sophisticated was gambling back in ancient Rome? Were they against it as a society? Was it legal? Are there areas that had good reputations to gamble and actually get paid? (an ancient Las Vegas or Macau)

I know that they probably bet at the coliseum or among friends but how organized/accepted was it?

My understanding of religion in Rome is that it was a bit of a free for all, with the religions of conquered peoples generally being allowed to survive in the Empire. Among these religions were there any common themes among the religions that became more popular in the Empire?

I've been trying to get into the dei rei militaris and I'm finding it pretty difficult to digest. Do you have any recommended companion reading to fully understand the context or provide visual aids?

I hear Romans painted and clothed their statues, and the pale marble we have today is just what survived; paint rubbed off, clothes were lost. Have I been hearing things?

I asked the same question under your community post when you announced the AMA. What cultures outside the classical period of the mediterranean do intrest you. Since they are the exact area you specialized for. What cultures from all arround the globe and all time periods are the most fascinating to you, and how much dobyou i fact know about them ?

In New Testament stories, tax collectors are often shown to be disliked by the residents of the cities. How often would a commoner interact with a collector? How did taxes work in general? In modern terms we are kind of used it being part of the price of everyday items, and or property tax/ income tax forms.

What would have been the popular attitude toward Crassus' death among "common" Romans? Was his death celebrated because he was a wealthy and cruel man, or was he mourned for being a general killed by Rome's mortal enemy?

Hey! Big fan of your channel, is your book available worldwide? - my question.. overall was Caligula a good emperor and the perception we have of him is terrible or was he as evil as he is commonly known?

Are there other specific areas of history you'd like to delve into deeper some day?

What do we know much about Greek and Roman drug use? I've read articles about finding psilocybin(magic mushrooms) and ergot(similar to LSD) in the tooth enamel of corpses near temples but I've never heard of any first hand accounts. Can't wait to read your book!

Do you think its fair to judge historical figures by today's "modern" standards? For example, do you consider Julius Caesar to be a monster, up there with Stalin and Mao, or do you see him as a great conqueror?

One, the other, both, neither? And why?

If you could choose one Greek or Roman literary work lost to the ages which one would you want recovered?

Like your explanation of Cyclopses being a misinterpretation of pygmy elephant skulls, what other theories so you have to explain origin of Greek myths?

Can I buy you Rome Total War 2? Would you do a modded lets play for the community?

Would the average citizen have a decent idea of how to survive on the land if circumstances force them to do so?

What do you find to be the best way to do your research for the topics? Are you flipping through page after page of old texts at the library or is the internet sufficient enough to find most of the information you're needing? I've been doing a lot of research on Scandinavian culture during the late Roman period and there are points where it seems that the internet just doesn't have the info I'm needing.

Also, who was your favorite fat gladiator?

Can you give some concrete examples of Athenian jobs granted by lot? Was it assumed that all were literate, for example? Was it common for choices to defer, saying they were not fit? Do we have any existing samples of end-of-term submissions on money spent or actions taken?

Hi Garrett I really am enjoying your book and actually just put it down to get on this Reddit.

My question is about something you mentioned in the military information about the male couples in the Greek army. Any idea how many were together just going through the motions for the look of the thing? After all, there are sham marriages, what of sham romances in the army played up to show dedication? Some rulers greived in such an over-the-top manner that it smacks of theater.

Dr. Ryan, in your opinion, does the viewpoint that Antiquity ends and the Middle Ages being with the deposition of Romulus Augustus in 476 by Odoacer, and the Middle Ages in turn end with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 still hold weight?

What do you think is the most interesting period of Roman history? I myself start gravitating more and more to the last centuries of western Rome. It's just so interesting to me that there was a period inbetween when everyone considered themselves Roman citizens and when the majority considered themselves part of some other culture.

How come there isn’t armpit hair carved out in statues but dick pubes are?

E: /u/toldinstone, I’ve always been genuinely curious about this

How influential was greek culture to the average roman (outside of Greece and Greek speaking areas) during the principate?

I'm excited to hear about you! This book sounds like a fascinating read. I have to ask (based on your title) were there fat Gladiators? I know the profession was very physically demanding.

Can you tell us a bit about the Sulla and Marius drama? This ancient rivalry always fascinated me because it seemed to be a relatively personal issue that had major ramifications on the state

What lost work from antiquity would you love to read? Mine would be Okeanou by Pytheas.

And

What is your favorite unsolved mystery?

I asked the question in this sub before but had not recieved an answer. Why is Hannibal' s Crossing the Alps with elephants were considered a great feat?

Wars elephants are a feature in mountain-jungle warfare and rough terrians. Even if they don't fight, they worked great as beasts of burden, like an overpowered mule. Crossing the Alps with elephants is something I can expected from a great general of many amazing feats like Hannibal, not the most extraordinary. Objectively, is it absurdly almost impossible or the event is simply the most iconic?

So cool, congrats! I'm one of those people that realized later in life how different our understanding of the ancient world is from what we are taught and shown.

One thing that has mystified me: The governance of the Roman Republic, and then Roman Empire, itself. Rome was huge, and yet, from what I can tell, the Romans maintained a more or less stable polity for centuries. How? How did such such a huge land and sea empire survive for so long in the ancient world?

Then, of course, the so-called Crisis of the Third Century and eventual downfall of the Western Empire. Why did the empire start to crumble when it had survived for so long?

Finally, what do you believe is Rome's greatest lasting legacy?

What's the best new thing you learnt whilst researching your book?

When and why did the ancient Europa stop using war elephants?

Hello, it is alba from your YouTube comment section. Glad to see that both your channel and book release are going well. My question is: did cereal bars or something similar to them exist in Ancient Rome? Now I know it might sound silly but I was just wondering seeing as oats, berries and honey were all accessible to Romans.

If you could make one piece of Greek/Roman fashion normal to wear in the modern world, what would it be?

Do the Bible stories about Romans ring true from a historical perspective? Was there really a tradition of freeing a prisoner at Passover? Was the crucifixion as depicted in the Bible how it would have been done?

Good Day to you Doctor Ryan,

We all appreciate your calm and funny explanations of southern european hisory during times in which we can't really travel anywhere with ease. <3

My question: Has there been any roman or greek equivalent of Great Britan's Henry the eights(Henry VIII) when it comes to finding it hard to maintain romanic relationships?

Thank you very much

Can you do a video on Maps of ancient Rome or how they would have navigated to far off lands etc? I would assume at some point some roman emperor would have wanted a map of their holdings.

Love your videos been subscribed since around the 5K mark! You're blowing up! You gonna be rich one day lol

Hi, thanks for doing this. What do you think happened to the Ninth Legion?

Also there has been a trend in writing history - and particularly Military History (mainly American Civil War and American Revolution) - where authors tend to be no academics and instead ordinary individuals. But yet, we don't see that in Ancient history scholarship. How should the academic field open up more interest in the ancient world and get the general public interested in the field?

I've just ordered your book on Amazon, and I'm super excited to read it.

My question is about what you think of the book. What are you most proud of? Is there anything you'd change? Or is it your perfect book? I'd love to get some author insight on this.

Love your videos and your work, Garrett.

Thanks!

I've heard that an overuse of lead as both a flavoring and as a liner for aqueducts and pipes led to a gradual decline in both the physical and mental health of Roman citizens and that it was a contributing factor to the fall of the Western Empire. Is there any real truth to this? If this is correct, why was the Eastern Empire seemingly less weakened?

How many Romans could actually read and how many of them actually read the Greek and Roman classics? Or were those books mostly communicated through public performance?

I'll be the one to ask this: How did the book come about? Is this the rare case of posting your way to success? Seems like a great idea for one!

What is something about the Greeks or Romans that you are still trying to answer yourself and want to know more about?

Was Seneca the worst Ethics teacher in history? - Joke

But anyway since you brought up Fat Gladiators, do you think there's a common misconception among the Roman empire about uniform Gladiator status? We all know that Thracian one. But the Gladiators in Rome were not the same as the Gladiators in Gaul. I honestly think some of those Gladiator shows were just slaves fighting each other to the death for fun of their owners.

So Rome proper gladiators were the cream of the crop putting on a good show, but Northern Britain gladiators were just we're bored make some slaves fight for entertainment grab so and so.

Love your channel! Just discovered it this week (seems like you're popping up everywhere) and ordered the book!

Questions:

• How did Romans resolve the problem of identity resolution? How did a guard actually know that person X was who they claimed they were? Did someone always have "remember" the face?

• What's the biggest unsolved mystery with Ancient Rome?

How do you handle (secondary) sources in foreign languages?

OMG! I just found your channel! Keep up the amazing work! I dont want to take up much of your time, but what place do you recommend to see ancient ruins besides Italy and greece?

What are your thoughts on the stone structures being found as we deforest the Amazon?

In your video on assassin's you mention one rather hardy Roman Senator that killed a team of assassin's that came to murder him, and then fled to Persia.

Who was this man? Because he sounds like John Wick.

Lets say we take me, you and 30 other regular redditors from this sub and time travel. For whatever reason language is not an issue, how much of a culture shock would we have? Could we understand each other even though we'd speak the same language? Or would there be hardly a difference?

Thank you for doing this AMA, doctor Ryan, and sticking with it for quite a few hours so far. I have a particular interest in naval history.

1. When I took Latin class way back in the 1970s, the [corvus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvus_(boarding_device)) was described as a "secret weapon" that contributed materially to Rome defeating Carthage in the first Punic war. How does modern historical thought view the corvus? Did it even exist? Was it really secret? Did it really make much difference?

Edit: fixed a broken link with the assistance of u/AyeBraine

2. Modern pop culture (movies, etc.) has made much of criminals being sentenced to slavery in the form of pulling an oar in Roman galleys. My understanding is this is really overblown, and that the Romans rarely if ever used slaves to crew galleys. Can you shed any light on the Roman use of galley slaves, and how it may compare to the use of galley slaves in other places or time periods?

3. Can you comment on how different Roman war galleys were in design and construction from the galleys used in the medieval era? To narrow down the dates a bit, lets say comparing galleys from the second Punic war (208-201 BCE) to galleys from the battle of Lepanto (1571 CE).

4. I fear that if you're not a naval junkie enthusiast like me, my questions may be too specific to answer. Can you perhaps recommend a book that talks in detail about the Roman navies? Recommendations need not be especially accessible, I have a lot of background roaming around my head. Any Roman period info is welcome, from the founding of Rome to the fall of Constantinople two millennia later.

Where does your creative writing influence come from? I find it very inspired and quite unique in terms of YouTube.

Also favourite museum(s)?

Good Day Doctor Ryan, We all appreciate your work.

My Q: Do you know of any greek or roman equivalent of Great Britain's Henry VIII? Any ruler that might have had problems maintaining romantic relationships?

Thank you very much

My question is about the Tunica Molesta. My Roman Civ professor had mentioned it in passing but never elaborated on it further. In what circumstances was someone subject to this type of execution? What type of chemicals were used to make the tunic? And what evidence do we have of its use/existence?

If you've watched the series Rome, could you comment on its main accuracies and inaccuracies concerning the portrayal of everyday life in Rome?

How many fat, naked elephants were killed during the filming of your book?

Where is Sarpedon, and how do I travel there? I'd love to see some statues of animals and humans, undisturbed by nature.....

If you had some magical way to ask a Roman citizen a question, what would you ask?

The Romans and Ireland, what's the skinny ?

There's no real archaeology proving they arrived at all though I imagine that trade existed.

If the Romans could’ve done one singular thing to prevent their collapse, what do you think the best course of action would’ve been to preserve their empire?

Hi Dr Ryan. Do you ever offer trips and tours?

How did you come up with that title? It’s ducking hilarious

Why did Rome's population decline after the fall of the Western Roman Empire?

You keep popping up in my recommended and now i see you here. Definitely going to buy your book when i have some spare money.

Is, “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” Still a great beginners guide to Rome? My local library carries all volumes. Is there a more condensed version for beginners?

No question, but I stumbled across your book and was instantly intrigued. And now I’ve learned you have a YouTube channel! Both should keep me busy for a while, thanks!

Was Alexander the Great a homosexual or bisexual? I watched the famous 4 hour movie about him and it shows, his sexual relationship with his male servant, and also sexual relationship with female servants.

Hello Garrett. I hope you are well. I wanted to say you that I enjoy your videos and hope that you continue your work. I have a question though. I have heard that Christianity facilitated the fall of the Western Roman empire. Is statement really accurate and how do the historians explain it?

The lead poison causing madness was real or a myth?

Was the Easter Roman (Byzantine) Empire Greek or Roman?

Was the Holy Roman Empire German or Roman?

While both, at their time, would vehemently reject anything other than "Roman, only Roman and the only True Roman" what would be the most appropriate label that we should ascribe to them today?

I don't know of your youtube channel, can you link it please?

Has any work of importance been found in the Herculean scrolls? Do you think we will ever find important lost works there? And also is it really possible that there's another section of the library further down? Thank you for your time.

Do you have a podcast?

I’m subscribed to and enjoy your YouTube channel. Thank you for your work.

Hey, I love your youtube channel and I hope to get your book soon!

I'm probably late, but who knows... So my question is about your book. What question in your book do you feel in particular could warrant/benefit from more historical research? Perhaps an odd question, but I'd figured I'd give it a shot.

Ordered the kindle version of your book!

How far south in Africa did romans actually get? Sub Saharan? What were they doing? Looking for? Any info you could shed….. (actually been hoping for a video on your channel for this but I’ll take what I can get) thanks…. Your channel rocks!

Also (who else am I gonna ask this question to)….. where there black people in rome?

Did normal citizen know about all of the different deities and who to specifically worship and at what time?

Hi, huge fan of the channel. My question is; what’s your favourite anecdote(s) about more obscure emperors? I personally find interesting the suspicious circumstances of the death of Numerian and the paint related demise of Jovian. Again, huge fan of the channel. Keep doing what you’re doing man.

Hi, have you watched the show Domina? If so, how historically accurate is it. Were the characters represented well?

Can you speak to Roman relations with 'barbarians'? From the Gauls to the Vandals, there were outlying tribes across Europe that came across the Roman Empire. How did Rome treat the average barbarian? Were there political or militaristic laws pertaining to any or all of these tribes?

I just watched your clip on the colosseum, and was struck by how similar it seems to a modern day Medieval Times or other such show plus dinner. How much of gladiatorship was showmanship, and how much was real? As anyone that follows MMA can attest, real fights are often over in a matter of minutes or even seconds, and it seems that would be pretty counter to what the colosseum was about. Were fights rigged like wrestling? Or was it part choreography for a bit, then real fighting, or…? I hope my question makes sense 😅

History major. Your stuff is great!

I'm curious about the state of Christianity during the 10th century, particularly during Emperor Constantine 7th's reign of Byzantine. What would his bible look like, how would their holy books have been used, how well did he treat pagan people? What books would you recommend for me to learn in greater depth?

Totally just preordered your book!

I love your channel!

Is it in audio yet ?