Why Rome actually fell: plagues, slavery, & ice age — Kyle Harper — Dwarkesh Podcast

✨ AI Summary

Rome experienced a plague 800 years before the Black Death that killed 60%+ of populations in many regions, plus back-to-back volcanic eruptions triggered a mini Ice Age causing famine and disease
Rome functioned as a massive slave society, and humans became physically smaller due to agriculture (Caesar at 5'5" was considered tall)
Historian Kyle Harper explains why humans are more disease-prone than other animals and how environmental catastrophes shaped Roman decline