视听文本

In segment 14c: East versus West,
14章 第三部分 东罗马vs西罗马
the Roman Empire split once and for all in 393 AD by the Emperor Theodosius, although both of the sons Theodosius installed as Emperors, of the east and of the west were nincompoops.
在393年，狄奥多西一世把罗马帝国一分为二，虽然他的两个儿子都继位称帝，分任东西罗马皇帝但两个人都昏庸无能，碌碌无为。
There really wasn't much Theodosius could do to save the western half of the Empire.
其实狄奥多西皇帝早已经无力挽救西罗马帝国了。
By great Barbarian invasions of the 5th century AD soon stripped the Western Empire of almost all its territory and resources.
等到了公元5世纪，蛮族大举入侵时，西罗马其实已经丢了差不多所有领土和资源。
The only partially successful way to defend the west was with German mercenaries and even that didn't work for long.
唯一对保卫西罗马起到多少作用的方式就是利用日耳曼的雇佣军，即使这种方法也没能持续多长时间。

On the other hand the eastern half of the Empire, the Greek speaking half had numerous advantages.
另一方面，罗马帝国的东部地区也就是使用希腊语的地区，占据颇多优势。
These included Constantinople's choice location, its closeness to trade routes, a more highly urbanized society and most importantly the knack of diverting Barbarian invasions away from them and towards the Western Empire.
例如，君士坦丁堡的地理位置接近东西贸易要道，社会高度城市化，更重要的是，他们能够避开蛮族入侵，并且把蛮族引向入侵西罗马帝国。
In segment 14d: Fall of the Western Empire,
14章 第四部分 西罗马帝国的灭亡
the Roman Empire, the Western Roman Empire definitely falls, but when?
西罗马帝国无疑灭亡坍塌了，但是具体是什么时间呢?
The Germanic king Odovacar, whose name would really be a great name, I think, for a heavy metal rock band,
日耳曼蛮族国王奥多亚克，我认为这个名字很适合重金属摇滚乐队，
Odovacar, deposed Romulus Augustus in 476 and he ruled Italy as a subordinate of the eastern Emperor Zeno.
他在476年废黜了罗慕路·奥古斯都路斯，意大利宣布效忠东罗马帝国皇帝芝诺。
He claimed only the title King of Italy. The Ostrogoth king, Theodoric, who displaced Odovacar,
奥多亚克声称只做“意大利的国王”。东哥特国王迪奥多里克取代奥多亚克之后，
showed the same restraint and the same regard for the ancient Roman ways that Odovacar actually did.
也和奥多亚克一样，表现出同样的克制，同样也尊重古罗马文化。
It's doubtful that the average Bubbacus or Jethra living in the Western Roman Empire noticed any major difference.
居住在西罗马帝国的百姓也几乎不会注意到二人的统治，有什么太大的不同。

视频及简介

课程介绍:

本课程对罗马帝国和前苏联的兴衰进行回顾，探讨它们历史变迁的内在规律，并将现代的超级大国——美国与它们进行比较，从而作出对未来可能的一些预测。

原声视频：