Fall of Civilizations: the Roman episodes reviewed

Cooper works on this full time and spends two to three months writing and recording a single episode, most of which run past three hours. Alexey Sibikin does the sound design, the theme is John Bartmann's Home at Last, and for each civilisation Cooper commissions musicians who play that tradition: the Vijayanagara episode carries original music composed and performed by Aruna Sairam. The result has the sound of a film and the reading list of a thesis, and it exists because one person decided to make it at that standard. Available as video and worth the video.

Where to start. Roman Britain: The Work of Giants Crumbled.

Carthage and the Punic Wars 814 – 146 BC · 1

3h 38m17. Carthage - Empire Of The Phoenicians Fall of CivilizationsEssentialPodcast

Three and a half hours on Carthage as a civilisation in its own right, with the sound design Cooper is known for. Carthage is the subject here and Rome the visitor.

The Fall of the West AD 395 – 565 · 2

3h 27m11. Byzantium - Last of the Romans Fall of CivilizationsEssentialPodcast

Three and a half hours on the Eastern empire from Constantine to the walls falling in 1453. If you have ever wanted the argument that Rome did not fall in 476 laid out properly, this is it.

1h 03m1. Roman Britain - The Work of Giants Crumbled Fall of CivilizationsEssentialPodcast

The episode that started the series: an hour and a quarter on what it felt like when the empire stopped coming, built out of the archaeology of villas going quiet and coins running out. Alexey Sibikin's sound design carries the last ten minutes almost alone.