The hour-long lecture titled ‘A Real Economic Meltdown the End of Roman Britain’ builds on ideas that Dr Ward-Perkins explored in his challenging and controversial book The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization (Oxford, 2005).

In this book Ward-Perkins took issue with the entrenched scholarly vision of the end of the end of the ancient world of Greece and Rome and the dawn of the Middle Ages, that stressed peaceful transformation and the forging of new cultural forms.

On the contrary, Ward-Perkins sought to reaffirm the very real dislocations that occurred in this period, as protracted violence and warfare fatally disrupted the sophisticated interregional economy of the Roman world and led to the emergence of a world characterised by altogether more limited horizons in terms of economy, culture, society, and politics.

His lecture ‘A Real Economic Meltdown: the End of Roman Britain’ explores this narrative of violence and disruption in more detail.

The Callaghan Centre for the Study of Conflict, Power, and Empire is hosting the event. Located in the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH), the Centre was established in 2002, and re-launched in 2009 with a broadened remit as one of the flagship Research Centres of the College of Arts and Humanities.

The Centre regroups a large number of scholars and postgraduate students with research expertise in the areas of conflict, power and empire and produces world-class research, manages major Research Council funded projects, and promotes collaboration between scholars, policy-makers and cultural providers.

Director of the Callaghan Centre for the Study of Conflict, Power and Empire Professor Nikki Cooper said: "Bryan Ward-Perkins’ lecture is a reminder that the connections between conflict, power, and empire are not a uniquely modern phenomenon: his examination of the profound effects of the collapse of the Roman Empire has ramifications for anyone considering the fate of empires at any point in the past or present."

The lecture will be held at Swansea University on Wednesday 14 March. The lecture starts promptly at 6pm and takes place in the Wallace Lecture Theatre, Wallace Building. There will be a wine reception in the foyer after the lecture. Any enquiries should be directed to riah@swansea.ac.uk. 

Everyone is welcome and admission is free.

This RIAH news item has been posted by Bethan Evans, Swansea University Public Relations Office, Tel: 01792 295049, or email: b.w.evans@swansea.ac.uk.