#25 - Climate Collapse: Fall of Rome episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 18, 2026 · 32 MIN

#25 - Climate Collapse: Fall of Rome

from Continuity Quest · host District Podcasts

Did climate change destroy Rome? Discover how ancient empires collapsed from sudden climate shifts and deadly plagues.In this episode, we explore the terrifying reality of the Late Bronze Age systems collapse and the fall of the Roman Empire. We dive into the science behind the history, revealing how a 150-year megadrought, disrupted copper supply chains, and massive volcanic winters brought highly globalized ancient superpowers to their knees. Using evidence from deep-sea pollen, ice cores, and tree rings, we uncover why the year 536 CE was the worst time to be alive and how the Justinianic Plague wiped out a massive portion of the population. Ultimately, we ask: is our modern, hyper-connected society just as fragile?If you enjoyed this deep dive, please follow the show and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help others find us!00:00 - Hitting the reset button on human civilization01:15 - The Late Bronze Age systems collapse03:40 - The international bronze supply chain crisis06:05 - Dead Sea pollen and the 150-year megadrought09:20 - Year 536 CE and the Roman climate optimum ending12:10 - Volcanic winters and the failure of the Nile floods14:45 - The deadly Justinianic Plague strikes the empire17:30 - The fragility of modern globalized societiesancient empires, climate change, roman empire, bronze age, ancient history, how the roman empire fell, climate change in ancient history, late bronze age collapse causes, year 536 worst year alive, justinianic plague and rome, #HistoryPodcast, #ClimateChange, #AncientRome, #BronzeAge, #PodcastSEO, #HistoryBuffs, #EmpireCollapse

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 18, 2026

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#25 - Climate Collapse: Fall of Rome

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