How often do you think about the Roman Empire? If that question left you confused, it means you haven’t been on TikTok much, and thankfully, you are one of the few sane ones left. Over the past two weeks, the #RomanEmpire has gotten 1.3 billion views on TikTok. What sparked the trend, and what impact has it had so far? No need to run to Tiktok. Here’s all you need to know about this new trend.
What Is The Roman Empire Trend?
On August 19, Gaius Flavius, a Román reenactor, made an Instagram post: “Ladies, many of you do not realize how often men think of the Roman Empire. Ask your husband/boyfriend/father/brother- you will be surprised by their answers.”
Trust us, the ladies were definitely surprised! They got unbelievable responses like: “I guess, like every day” to “It’s a big part of history.” The #romanempiretrend has since then garnered over 35 million views.
How Often Do Men Think About The Roman Empire?
According to TikTok, as a man, you’re supposed to think about this at least once a week. One guy says he thinks about it once every seven hours. That’s a lot for something that happened almost 1,500 years ago.
Some other guy has a list of some of the main characters during this time in history on his phone. He writes down his opinions and can’t believe that not everyone thinks of that time as often as he does.
Why Do Men Think About The Roman Empire So Much?
It’s hard to nail down the reason why men seem obsessed with this era, but one guy said, “Every time I fight people, I think about walking in the Colosseum” while another remembers the Romans each time he thinks about sewers.
Experts say it has to do with men’s attraction to a time when male aggression was glorified. One man even said, “Men, I think to our core, are warriors… and the Roman Empire is all about battle,” corroborating this theory.
What Is The Female Equivalent of The Roman Empire?
Behind the camera of many of these videos, you can hear women exclaiming in disbelief, shocked at this revelation of the workings of their boyfriends’/fathers’ minds. Since the women have no obsession with Marcus Aurelius, what is their equivalent?
There have been theories. One woman is convinced that the answer is murder: “Maybe it’s fear about own murder, maybe it’s about how other people were murdered… the answer is murder.” Another insists that women’s ex-best friends are the equivalent.
Is There More To It?
While this TikTok trend will likely blow over soon, it drives us to think about society and the disparities in the thought processes between the two genders. Are the differences in our expressions and thoughts so huge?
Experts say it may be because women express their aggression more politically and emotionally, while men tend to do it more physically. It forces us to realize that there really is more to the human mind than meets the eye.
