What can we learn from the fall of Rome?

What can the fall of Rome teach us about the decline of the west today? That’s the question at the centre of political economist John Rapley and historian Peter Heather’s new book Why Empires Fall. Peter and John join Ellie Cawthorne to discuss comparisons – and differences – between the two cases, and explore whether lessons from the ancient past could be applied to the future of the west.

Peter Heather and John Rapley are the authors of Why Empires Fall: Rome, America and the Future of the West (Penguin, 2023)