Domination

De: Alice Roberts

Narrado por: Alice Roberts

This is the story of the fall of an Empire – and the rise of another.

Who spread Christianity, how, and why? In her quest to find the answer, Professor Alice Roberts takes us on a gripping investigative journey. From a secluded valley in south Wales to the shores of Brittany; from the heart of the Roman Empire in a time of political turmoil to the ancient city of Corinth in the footsteps of the apostle Paul; from Alexandria in the fourth century to Constantinople.

As the Roman Empire crumbled in Western Europe, a shadow of power remained, almost perfectly mapping onto its disappearing territories. And then, it continued to spread. Unearthing the archaeological clues and challenging long-established histories, Professor Roberts tells a remarkable story about the relationship between the Roman Empire and Christianity.

Lifting the veil on secrets that have been hidden in plain sight, this story is nothing short of astonishing.

Domination is a page-turning exploration of power and its survival.

Reseñas de la Crítica

'The story of how the Roman Empire became the Christian Empire has never been better explained. Alice Roberts's narrative energy and readability makes Domination a historical thriller of the highest quality' (Stephen Fry)

‘An incisive, provocative and sometimes polemical account of one of the most important organisations in human history’ (New Scientist)

‘Domination blasts new light into the seemingly dark moments when Christianity emerged as the predominant religion of empires. Sweeping across texts, objects, individuals, and putting material culture and archaeological revelations centre stage, this is an epic reevaluation of a time that still defines so many across the world to the present day. Robert’s captivating writing takes you on a journey back through time, unravelling mysteries by plunging into the earth to see the echoes left by people, their beliefs and their systems of power' (Janina Ramirez)

‘A wonderfully accessible slice of archaeological history’ (i)

Dr. Roberts continues her brilliant chronological dig through England's history

Personal Bias: I fall asleep to Digging for Britan most nights.

Alice Roberts is simply the best living communicator of history. She achieves the same sense of wonder, understanding, and human connection Carl Sagan achieved by beckoning us to look up to the stars. Dr. Roberts does so by beckoning us to look down into the dirt and back into the past.

With enough evidence, a good Osteologist can provide an incredible level of detail into the lives and culture of any given people. They will reveal the expected brutality that too often paints our history but also the deep compassion that we generally elevate as a defining aspect of our modern, enlightened brand of humanity. It actually exists as a through-line that drove our distant ancestors to great acts of kindness.

In her previous books, it was such a revelation to me to learn about how some ancient people actually cared for their disabled and how their bones provided irrefutable evidence. If it's the bronze age and you have a genetic disorder that prevents you from being able to walk and your tribe or village is pseudo-nomadic, but it looks like you managed to die of "old age," that says a lot about not only the person who that skeleton belonged to, but it may even reveal more about the people around them.

Dr. Roberts' analysis is firmly rooted in secular humanism and this is why her work resonates so strongly with me. She looks at the evidence with the eye of a skeptic but never fails to see the humanity when it's there.

The big revelation in Domination for me was in understanding the logistical part of why so much of the Roman and Pagan world transitioned to Christianity. It was essentially a corporate business transaction that, in some ways was more about developing a bureaucratic structure than a philosophy. Religious pilgrims brought business back to a dead Rome and revitalized it as a religious center that would also oversee trade and matters of governances. It's fascinating and really helps put a massive and difficult to comprehend historic transitional period into a context and perspective that makes so much sense. It clarifies a lot of muddy water.

I can't recommend this book more highly. I've already finished it twice and can't wait for her next work.