The Stoic Life of Marcus Aurelius | Boring History For Sleep

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,800
Welcome back, my weary dumplings
tonight. 

2
00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,700
Your settling into the world of 
ancient Rome in the second 

3
00:00:05,700 --> 00:00:08,200
century. 
Where marble columns catch the 

4
00:00:08,208 --> 00:00:12,500
afternoon light and philosophy. 
Mingles with power, you're about

5
00:00:12,508 --> 00:00:15,700
to follow the life of a man who 
ruled an Empire while trying to 

6
00:00:15,700 --> 00:00:19,600
rule himself. 
So get cozy, dim those lights. 

7
00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,700
And if you are feeling it before
we begin, let me know how your 

8
00:00:23,700 --> 00:00:25,900
day was. 
And if we can make it better by 

9
00:00:25,900 --> 00:00:29,600
simply responding back to you. 
Let's now begin with something 

10
00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:37,100
warming to the heart. 
Your standing in a Roman Garden 

11
00:00:37,100 --> 00:00:41,300
in the year. 100 and 138, yes, 
smells of Rose Marie and turned 

12
00:00:41,300 --> 00:00:45,300
Earth mixed with the faint, 
sweetness of flowering, Jasmine 

13
00:00:45,300 --> 00:00:49,200
that climbs the Villas brick 
walls somewhere beyond these 

14
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,600
private grounds, the city of 
Rome hums with its usual chaos 

15
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,800
of cartwheels grinding, over 
cobblestones Street vendors 

16
00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,800
shouting about fresh fish, and 
imported Olive's construction, 

17
00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,200
Crews hammering, at yet another 
Temple or bath house. but here 

18
00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,300
in this enclosed Courtyard, the 
world Narrows to the sound of 

19
00:01:09,308 --> 00:01:13,400
water trickling from a bronze 
Fountain, and the quiet voice of

20
00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,100
a tutor explaining, the 
difference between things you 

21
00:01:16,100 --> 00:01:20,600
can control and things, you 
cannot The boy sitting on the 

22
00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,400
stone. 
Benches 17 years old. 

23
00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,000
His name is Marcus. 
Annius verus though. 

24
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,200
History will eventually know him
as Marcus. 

25
00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,500
Aurelius Emperor and 
philosopher. 

26
00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:35,300
Right now, he wears the simple 
undyed tunic of a serious 

27
00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:38,200
student. 
Not the purple, silk of Imperial

28
00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,000
power. 
His knees show scrapes from 

29
00:01:41,008 --> 00:01:42,600
wrestling practice earlier that 
morning. 

30
00:01:43,500 --> 00:01:45,900
The Romans believed physical 
training, builds character 

31
00:01:45,900 --> 00:01:47,500
alongside intellectual 
development. 

32
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,400
A philosopher should be able to 
defend himself to endure, 

33
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,400
discomfort to know his own 
body's limitations and 

34
00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,500
possibilities. 
A stylus rests in his ink 

35
00:01:57,500 --> 00:02:01,100
stained fingers, the wooden 
Implement feels familiar after 

36
00:02:01,100 --> 00:02:04,900
years of daily Writing, Practice
his handwriting tilts to the 

37
00:02:04,900 --> 00:02:07,200
left. 
A quirk that will persist 

38
00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,700
throughout his life visible in 
every document, he signs every 

39
00:02:11,700 --> 00:02:15,300
letter he composes every 
private, thought he commits to 

40
00:02:15,300 --> 00:02:19,900
wax or papyrus. 
Tutor speaking to him, is named 

41
00:02:19,900 --> 00:02:23,200
a Polonius of Caledon. 
He arrived in Rome from the 

42
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,500
Eastern provinces several years 
ago, carrying nothing but a 

43
00:02:26,500 --> 00:02:30,400
walking stick, a single change 
of clothing and a reputation for

44
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,900
caring more about wisdom than 
worldly comfort. 

45
00:02:34,100 --> 00:02:38,100
Apollonius refused all payment 
for his teaching when Marcus's 

46
00:02:38,100 --> 00:02:41,400
Family First approached him. 
He considers it beneath the 

47
00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,100
Dignity of philosophy to treat 
knowledge like olives or 

48
00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:46,700
Pottery. 
Something bought and sold in the

49
00:02:46,708 --> 00:02:50,400
marketplace. 
Philosophy is not commodity, it 

50
00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,900
is a way of life. this refusal, 
initially puzzled Marcus's 

51
00:02:54,900 --> 00:02:58,700
wealthy relatives, everything in
Rome can be purchased if you 

52
00:02:58,700 --> 00:03:02,600
have enough money, Influence 
entertainment, education, 

53
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,800
loyalty. 
But Apollonia stood firm, he 

54
00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,900
would teach the boy because the 
boy seemed genuinely interested 

55
00:03:10,900 --> 00:03:13,800
in learning not because someone 
paid him to do it. 

56
00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,800
This distinction matters to the 
Greek philosopher in ways that 

57
00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,300
Roman Aristocrats found 
difficult to understand markers 

58
00:03:21,300 --> 00:03:23,400
writes down something. 
His teacher has just said about 

59
00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,100
the nature of virtue. 
The wax, tablet, feels warm from

60
00:03:27,100 --> 00:03:30,200
the afternoon sun that Slants 
through the olive trees, planted

61
00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:34,200
around the garden's perimeter. 
He presses the stylus carefully 

62
00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,900
into the soft surface. 
Forming Greek letters with 

63
00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:39,800
concentration. 
Greek is the language of 

64
00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,200
philosophy, the tongue in which 
the great thinkers, expressed 

65
00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,700
their ideas about how to live 
well, Marcus reads and writes it

66
00:03:47,700 --> 00:03:50,400
as fluently as Latin. 
Perhaps more fluently, when 

67
00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,600
discussing abstract Concepts, 
The household slaves, move 

68
00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,000
through the Garden on practiced 
feet, that make almost no sound.

69
00:03:58,900 --> 00:04:02,700
They were simple tunics darker 
than Marcus's student, Garb 

70
00:04:02,700 --> 00:04:06,100
fabric, that will not show every
stain and spot from their work. 

71
00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:10,000
They carry terracotta jugs of 
watered, wine and wooden 

72
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,800
platters loaded with bread 
cheese and dates. 

73
00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,300
These offerings are for Marcus 
and his tutor refreshment 

74
00:04:16,300 --> 00:04:18,100
sustain their afternoon of 
study. 

75
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,300
One of the slaves, a young man, 
perhaps, only a few years older 

76
00:04:22,300 --> 00:04:25,600
than Marcus himself. 
Trips slightly on the edge of a 

77
00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,100
Paving stone that has worked 
loose from its mortar bed. 

78
00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,600
The stumble is minor quickly 
corrected but it makes a small 

79
00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,300
scraping sound that draws 
Marcus's attention. 

80
00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,300
He looks up from his writing his
eyes, meet the slaves for just a

81
00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:42,600
moment. 
The slave expects. 

82
00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,000
Nothing from this brief contact.
He is property. 

83
00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,100
A piece of the household 
furniture that happens to 

84
00:04:49,100 --> 00:04:52,400
breathe and move. 
Roman's of Marcus's class 

85
00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,300
really. 
Truly see their slaves as 

86
00:04:54,300 --> 00:04:59,200
individual human beings their 
tools Investments background 

87
00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:03,400
elements of daily life. 
Slave quickly lowers his gaze 

88
00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,300
and continues moving toward the 
fountain where he will place the

89
00:05:06,300 --> 00:05:09,900
refreshments on a side table. 
But Marcus nods to him. 

90
00:05:09,908 --> 00:05:14,000
The gesture is small almost 
imperceptible but it 

91
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,600
acknowledges the slaves presence
of something more than 

92
00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,500
Furniture. 
It says you are a person and I 

93
00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:24,800
see you the slaves eyes widened 
slightly and surprise. 

94
00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,800
Before he hurries on with his 
task, he will think about that. 

95
00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,700
Not later lying on his palate in
the slave quarters wondering 

96
00:05:31,700 --> 00:05:34,600
what it meant. 
This tiny moment reveals 

97
00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,900
something fundamental that will 
Define Marcus's entire life. 

98
00:05:38,700 --> 00:05:42,600
He already understands that 17, 
that philosophy is not just 

99
00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,700
theories discussed in 
comfortable Gardens. 

100
00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,800
It is something you practice in 
the small interactions, when no 

101
00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,800
one important as watching. 
How you treat people who have no

102
00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,100
power over you reveals your 
actual character? 

103
00:05:55,100 --> 00:05:58,600
Not the character you perform 
for equals and superiors. 

104
00:05:59,900 --> 00:06:04,100
Marcus turns back to his teacher
AppleOne is explaining that true

105
00:06:04,100 --> 00:06:07,500
Freedom has nothing to do with, 
whether you wear chains or a 

106
00:06:07,500 --> 00:06:09,700
crown. 
Freedom lives in the part of 

107
00:06:09,708 --> 00:06:12,300
your mind, that no external 
force can touch. 

108
00:06:12,300 --> 00:06:16,700
No prison can contain no Tyrant 
can control. 

109
00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,300
You can be a slave with a soul 
as free as the wind or you can 

110
00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:25,700
be an emperor with a mind locked
in bondage to fear, anger and 

111
00:06:25,700 --> 00:06:28,200
desire. 
The boy absorbs. 

112
00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,200
This idea the way parched Earth 
drinks, summer rain. 

113
00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:36,600
Something about it, resonates in
his chest feels true at a level 

114
00:06:36,608 --> 00:06:38,500
deeper than intellectual 
agreement. 

115
00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:42,300
He does not yet know that he 
will spend the next 40 years 

116
00:06:42,300 --> 00:06:45,600
testing whether these beautiful 
theories can survive contact 

117
00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,500
with actual power and 
responsibility. 

118
00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:53,000
He does not know about the wars 
waiting for him, the plagues 

119
00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,400
that will depopulate cities the 
personal betrayals. 

120
00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:00,000
The cold nights in military 
camps along the Danube Frontier,

121
00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:05,000
where Barbarian tribes test, 
Roman defense's He knows only 

122
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,700
that something in stoic 
philosophy, speaks to him with 

123
00:07:07,700 --> 00:07:11,700
unusual Clarity, make the world,
feel both more comprehensible 

124
00:07:11,700 --> 00:07:15,500
and more mysterious. 
At the same time, the afternoon 

125
00:07:15,500 --> 00:07:19,300
length and the Shadows of the 
olive trees, stretch across the 

126
00:07:19,300 --> 00:07:22,500
garden paths. 
Apollonia's continues his 

127
00:07:22,500 --> 00:07:26,100
instruction moving from freedom 
to the topic of death. 

128
00:07:27,100 --> 00:07:30,900
The stoics believed that fearing
death is a rational death is 

129
00:07:30,900 --> 00:07:33,700
simply the dissolution of the 
elements that temporarily 

130
00:07:33,700 --> 00:07:37,000
compose your body. 
Those elements return to the 

131
00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,900
universe to be recombined into 
new forms. 

132
00:07:39,900 --> 00:07:42,400
Nothing is truly destroyed in 
nature. 

133
00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,800
Only transformed understanding. 
This should free you from 

134
00:07:46,808 --> 00:07:48,700
anxiety. 
About your own mortality. 

135
00:07:49,900 --> 00:07:54,200
Marcus listens and writes. 
Tries to imagine his own death 

136
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,200
with the calm Detachment that 
apollonius describes. 

137
00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:01,100
It feels difficult. 
The instinct to cling to life 

138
00:08:01,100 --> 00:08:04,400
runs deep. 
But perhaps that instinct can be

139
00:08:04,408 --> 00:08:06,000
acknowledged without being 
obeyed. 

140
00:08:06,700 --> 00:08:09,800
Perhaps you can feel fear and 
still act, according to reason. 

141
00:08:10,700 --> 00:08:13,300
The lesson continues until the 
light begins to fade 

142
00:08:13,300 --> 00:08:16,000
apollonia's. 
Finally dismisses, his student 

143
00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,400
with an assignment. 
To read a particular passage 

144
00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,400
from epic Titus and meditate on 
its meaning. 

145
00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,400
Marcus gathers his writing 
materials and stands. 

146
00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,000
His legs of stiffened from 
sitting in one position for so 

147
00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,000
long. 
He stretches discreetly feeling 

148
00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,100
his muscles protest and then 
release. 

149
00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,500
Later that same evening you 
follow markers to the small room

150
00:08:38,500 --> 00:08:41,799
where he sleeps it, occupies a 
corner of the family, Villa 

151
00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:45,700
simple and deliberately sparse. 
the walls are bare plaster, 

152
00:08:45,700 --> 00:08:49,700
painted white, but showing water
stains from last Winter's, heavy

153
00:08:49,700 --> 00:08:53,700
rains, Single shelf, holds his 
most treasured possessions 

154
00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:57,700
Scrolls of Homer's epics Warren 
from repeated reading. 

155
00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:02,900
Copy of Epic titus's, discourses
borrowed from his teacher, a 

156
00:09:02,900 --> 00:09:05,800
collection of stoic maxims that 
he copies out in his own hand. 

157
00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:10,200
Practicing both his writing and 
his philosophy simultaneously. 

158
00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,200
He could afford elaborate 
decorations, his family, 

159
00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:18,000
possesses considerable wealth, 
derived from Land Holdings in 

160
00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,900
Spain and political Connections,
in Rome. 

161
00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:23,900
His grandfather served as 
consul. 

162
00:09:24,500 --> 00:09:27,000
His relatives move in the 
highest Circles of Roman 

163
00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:31,200
society, money is not a 
constraint for Marcus, but he 

164
00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,800
has chosen Simplicity for his 
private spaces. 

165
00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,700
The bed is a hard couch. 
With minimal. 

166
00:09:36,700 --> 00:09:40,000
Cushions far less, comfortable 
than he could easily afford. 

167
00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,800
This is intentional. 
Marcus is training himself to 

168
00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:49,200
need less to find contentment 
with basic rather than luxuries.

169
00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:52,300
Apollonia's taught him. 
That depends on Comfort. 

170
00:09:52,300 --> 00:09:55,700
Makes you vulnerable. 
If you need soft, beds and rich 

171
00:09:55,700 --> 00:09:59,000
food, and perfect temperature to
be happy, you have made yourself

172
00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:03,100
a prisoner of circumstances, but
if you can sleep on hard, 

173
00:10:03,100 --> 00:10:06,700
surfaces and eat simple, fare 
and endure, heat and cold. 

174
00:10:06,700 --> 00:10:09,800
You possess a kind of Freedom 
that wealth alone. 

175
00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:13,200
Cannot purchase. 
He lies down still wearing his 

176
00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,200
tunic. 
The fabric has gone soft for 

177
00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,700
many Washings. 
He stares at the ceiling, 

178
00:10:18,700 --> 00:10:20,600
studying the patterns in the 
plaster. 

179
00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,900
There was a crack running from 
one corner toward the center of 

180
00:10:23,900 --> 00:10:26,200
the room, branching, like a 
river Delta. 

181
00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:31,400
He has watched it slowly extend 
over the months entropy at work,

182
00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:36,200
everything material, gradually 
breaks down his mind, turns over

183
00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,800
the days lessons. 
Apollonius said something about 

184
00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:41,700
how we each given a handful of 
years? 

185
00:10:41,700 --> 00:10:44,900
No more than a candle flame 
measured against the vast. 

186
00:10:44,900 --> 00:10:48,600
Darkness of time the universe 
existed for an eternity. 

187
00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,100
Before your birth, it will exist
for an eternity after your 

188
00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:54,100
death. 
Your life, is an 

189
00:10:54,100 --> 00:10:57,000
infinitesimally. 
Small Moment In The Cosmic span 

190
00:10:57,700 --> 00:11:00,600
Understanding this should humble
you but it should also Focus 

191
00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,600
your attention on what matters. 
If you only have a brief time, 

192
00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,900
why waste it on trivialities? 
Marcus thinks about what matters

193
00:11:08,900 --> 00:11:12,500
and what does not. 
Fame seems less important when 

194
00:11:12,500 --> 00:11:17,100
viewed from this perspective, 
political power, wealth, social 

195
00:11:17,100 --> 00:11:21,200
status, all the things that 
Romans typically pursue, they 

196
00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,400
all dissolve when measured 
against eternity. 

197
00:11:24,300 --> 00:11:27,500
But virtue remains meaningful. 
How you treat other people, 

198
00:11:27,500 --> 00:11:31,000
whether you act, according to 
reason, whether you fulfill your

199
00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,800
duties These things have wait 
even in a temporary life. 

200
00:11:35,700 --> 00:11:39,800
Sleep takes him slowly, his mind
keeps turning over philosophical

201
00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:43,700
questions like hands smoothing 
River, Stones examining them 

202
00:11:43,700 --> 00:11:46,900
from different angles, testing 
their weight and texture. 

203
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,300
Does virtue really matter if the
universe is indifferent to human

204
00:11:51,300 --> 00:11:55,000
concerns. 
Can you maintain Integrity while

205
00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,900
participating in the brutal? 
Machinery of Roman politics? 

206
00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,700
How do you balance contemplative
withdrawal with active 

207
00:12:01,700 --> 00:12:04,800
engagement in the world? 
He does not know that this 

208
00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,600
Restless intellectual work. 
Will never really stop that 40 

209
00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:09,700
years from now. 
He will lie. 

210
00:12:09,700 --> 00:12:13,700
Awake in army, tents asking 
himself, variations on the same 

211
00:12:13,700 --> 00:12:17,500
fundamental question. 
The young student and the Aging 

212
00:12:17,500 --> 00:12:20,300
Emperor will share this habit of
late night philosophical 

213
00:12:20,300 --> 00:12:23,200
examination. 
Turning print supports over and 

214
00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,900
over. 
Testing them against experience,

215
00:12:25,900 --> 00:12:29,300
looking for truth in the space 
between theory and practice. 

216
00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,900
But for now in this moment, he 
is just a 17 year old boy trying

217
00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:39,100
to understand how to live well. 
The fountain continues its 

218
00:12:39,100 --> 00:12:41,700
gentle Splash in the courtyard 
outside his window. 

219
00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,400
The night air carries the 
cooling center of Jasmine, mixed

220
00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,900
with the Earth ear smell of the 
Tiber River, that flows through 

221
00:12:47,900 --> 00:12:51,800
Rome, a few miles distant. 
Somewhere in the city, other 

222
00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,900
young Aristocrats are drinking 
wine and pursuing entertainments

223
00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:57,100
Marcus knows about those 
Pleasures. 

224
00:12:57,100 --> 00:13:01,100
He is not unaware of what he is 
choosing not to do but 

225
00:13:01,100 --> 00:13:04,400
philosophy has captured him more
thoroughly than wine or theater 

226
00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,400
or the other diversion of 
available to wealthy Roman 

227
00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,600
youth. 
He wants to understand the 

228
00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:14,000
nature of reality, the proper 
use of reason the path to Human 

229
00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,000
Excellence. 
These questions feel more urgent

230
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,700
than pleasure seeking, they 
promised something deeper than 

231
00:13:19,700 --> 00:13:24,100
mere entertainment. 
Sleep finally claims in his 

232
00:13:24,100 --> 00:13:28,700
breathing slows and evens out. 
The stylus holding hand relaxes 

233
00:13:28,700 --> 00:13:32,300
on his chest. 
Dreams Come fragments of the 

234
00:13:32,300 --> 00:13:34,700
day's discussion's mixed with 
wordless images. 

235
00:13:34,700 --> 00:13:39,100
A garden, a fountain, a 
teacher's voice explaining the 

236
00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:43,000
difference between what you can 
control and what you do not Rome

237
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:47,600
sleeps around him enormous and 
in different, it's million 

238
00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,100
inhabitants, rest in their 
various quarters. 

239
00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:55,100
Slaves on hard pallets. 
Merchants in modest Apartments 

240
00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:59,900
Aristocrats and elaborate Villas
Senators dreaming of political 

241
00:13:59,900 --> 00:14:03,300
advancement. 
The city has no idea that this 

242
00:14:03,300 --> 00:14:06,000
particular student. 
In this particular room will one

243
00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:10,200
day hold its fate in his hands. 
That the boy studying stoic 

244
00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,900
philosophy and a spare bedroom, 
will eventually rule an Empire 

245
00:14:12,900 --> 00:14:17,600
while trying to rule himself. 
The night deepens, the fountain 

246
00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,300
keeps flowing. 
The Jasmine keeps blooming. 

247
00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:25,000
And Marcus sleeps gathering 
strength for tomorrow's lessons 

248
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,200
for the years of study ahead for
a life that will test every 

249
00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,500
principle. 
He is now learning in the 

250
00:14:31,508 --> 00:14:36,000
protected Garden space where 
philosophy seems possible and 

251
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,100
the world feels Noble. 
You're in the Imperial Palace. 

252
00:14:40,100 --> 00:14:45,000
Now, seven years later. 
The year is 138 and everything 

253
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:49,200
has changed. the marble halls 
Echo with footsteps, and 

254
00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,000
whispered conversations that 
stopped abruptly when someone 

255
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,300
important approaches Courtiers 
Glide passed each other like 

256
00:14:56,300 --> 00:14:57,700
fish. 
And Aquarium. 

257
00:14:57,700 --> 00:15:00,300
Always watching. 
Always calculating. 

258
00:15:00,300 --> 00:15:02,400
The shifting currents of power 
and favor. 

259
00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,200
The surface is here are polished
to perfection. 

260
00:15:07,100 --> 00:15:10,300
Flaws of colored marble imported
from quarries across the empire.

261
00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:15,400
Columns of Egyptian, porphyry 
walls adorned with frescoes 

262
00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,800
showing the gods at their 
various labors and pleasures. 

263
00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,000
The emperor Hadrian has been 
dead for nearly a year. 

264
00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,900
His Reign was long and 
culturally rich though it ended 

265
00:15:24,900 --> 00:15:28,800
in bitterness and suspicion. 
Hadrian loved Greek culture. 

266
00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,600
Built walls across Britain 
traveled constantly through his 

267
00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,900
territories. 
He also executed Senators on 

268
00:15:35,900 --> 00:15:39,200
thin pretexts and lettuce 
suspicious nature poison. 

269
00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:43,700
His final years. his successor 
and tonight's Pious sits on the 

270
00:15:43,700 --> 00:15:47,000
throne now, The transition 
happened more smoothly than many

271
00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,200
expected. 
Marcus is 24 years old. 

272
00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,300
He is just learned something 
that will fundamentally alter 

273
00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:54,900
the entire trajectory of his 
life. 

274
00:15:55,700 --> 00:15:57,800
And tonight's as formally 
adopted him. 

275
00:15:58,700 --> 00:16:01,600
Not as a simple gesture of 
affection though, there is 

276
00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,600
genuine warmth between the older
man and the young philosopher. 

277
00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,200
The adoption is political a 
carefully constructed 

278
00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,100
Arrangement that Hadrian 
engineered in his final months. 

279
00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:16,200
Marcus is being groomed to 
someday rule the world or at 

280
00:16:16,208 --> 00:16:18,500
least the Roman portion of it 
that considers itself. 

281
00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:22,400
The world, you watch him receive
this news in a private chamber 

282
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:26,500
of the main Palace complex, the 
room serves as antonin's 

283
00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:29,800
personal study line with 
document cases and writing 

284
00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,100
tables. 
Face remains carefully neutral 

285
00:16:33,100 --> 00:16:35,200
as he hears the formal 
announcement. 

286
00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:38,800
He has learned to control his 
expressions in the years since 

287
00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,300
that Garden conversation with 
apollonius caught life. 

288
00:16:42,300 --> 00:16:45,500
Teaches you to mask your 
reactions showing too much 

289
00:16:45,508 --> 00:16:47,300
emotion. 
Makes you vulnerable to people 

290
00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:49,900
who collect weaknesses the way 
other people collect coins. 

291
00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:54,200
But his hands betray him. 
The shakes slightly as he 

292
00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,300
accepts the formal documents, 
heavy Scrolls sealed, with 

293
00:16:57,300 --> 00:17:01,100
Imperial stamps. 
The Tremor is barely visible but

294
00:17:01,100 --> 00:17:04,000
it is there. 
His body knows what his mind is.

295
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,800
Trying to process. 
Everything is just changed. 

296
00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:09,400
The future. 
He imagined while one of 

297
00:17:09,407 --> 00:17:13,300
continued study and perhaps 
modest, political service has 

298
00:17:13,300 --> 00:17:15,099
been replaced by something much 
heavier. 

299
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,099
He is now heir to an Empire that
spans from Britain to Egypt from

300
00:17:20,099 --> 00:17:24,400
Spain to Syria. 
The room smells of beeswax, from

301
00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,000
the numerous writing tablets 
stacked on shelves. 

302
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,400
Mixed with a faint. 
Trace of incense from the nearby

303
00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,200
Temple of the day of firefight 
emperors. 

304
00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:36,400
Like slanted through Highway 
windows, The Illuminating dust 

305
00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,700
Motes. 
The drift like lazy snowflakes 

306
00:17:38,700 --> 00:17:42,200
through the still air. 
The quality of light in the 

307
00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:43,800
palace is different from 
anywhere else. 

308
00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:48,800
It seems to Glow rather than 
simply illuminate, court, and 

309
00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,100
reflected, by all that polished 
marble. 

310
00:17:52,100 --> 00:17:55,600
Antoninus stands across from 
Marcus studying. 

311
00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,700
The young man who will someday 
inherit everything he currently 

312
00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:04,000
controls. 
Antoninus is in his early 50s, a

313
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,200
man who radiates competent calm 
the way a well-built house 

314
00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,600
radiates shelter. 
He has a broad face slightly 

315
00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,800
fleshy with the look of someone 
who enjoys his meals, but does 

316
00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:16,300
not yet. 
Let physical pleasure become 

317
00:18:16,300 --> 00:18:19,200
excess. 
His hair is graying at the 

318
00:18:19,208 --> 00:18:22,900
temples, but still thick. 
He moves with deliberate 

319
00:18:22,900 --> 00:18:24,600
economy. 
Never rushing. 

320
00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:28,600
Never wasting motion. 
He did not ask for the throne. 

321
00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:32,600
Hadrian chose him from among the
available candidates because he 

322
00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,100
seemed unlikely to cause 
problems. 

323
00:18:34,100 --> 00:18:38,200
A safe Pair of Hands to guide 
the Empire through a transition 

324
00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,300
period. 
Hadrian's. 

325
00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:43,400
Actual preferred are died. 
Young forcing this alternative 

326
00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,800
arrangement. 
Antoninus accepted the role out 

327
00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:50,500
of Duty, not ambition. 
Now, he must prepare Marcus for 

328
00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:53,400
a burden that will eventually 
Crush, most men who carry it, 

329
00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:58,200
grinding them down into paranoid
Tyrant, or broken shells of who 

330
00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,200
they want. 
Were Over the following months, 

331
00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,600
You observe Marcus learning the 
Machinery of power. he sits in 

332
00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,600
on Senate meetings and The 
Courier that ancient building 

333
00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,200
where Rome's wealthy men 
gathered to debate legislation 

334
00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,400
and jockey for position, He 
observes how laws are debated 

335
00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,300
with elaborate rhetoric while 
the actual decisions are made in

336
00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:20,200
private conversations 
beforehand? 

337
00:19:21,100 --> 00:19:24,700
He watches how votes are bought 
with promises and favors how 

338
00:19:24,700 --> 00:19:28,900
factions form and dissolve how 
personal grudges masquerade as 

339
00:19:28,900 --> 00:19:31,200
policy, disagreements. 
He reviews. 

340
00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,300
Financial reports from 
provincial Governors, learning 

341
00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:37,600
the Staggering complexity of 
keeping an Empire functioning 

342
00:19:38,500 --> 00:19:41,300
grain shipments from Egypt that 
feed Rome's population. 

343
00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:46,100
Tax collection from Gaul that 
pays for the Army. mining 

344
00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:48,800
operations in Spain, that 
produce silver for the current 

345
00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:52,700
sea trade routes that bring silk
from the distant Eastern Amber 

346
00:19:52,700 --> 00:19:56,300
from the far north The numbers 
are almost incomprehensibly 

347
00:19:56,300 --> 00:20:01,500
large, millions of people, 
thousands of tons of goods, vast

348
00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:04,800
flows of money and resources, 
all requiring coordination and 

349
00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,900
oversight. 
None of this fills him with 

350
00:20:07,900 --> 00:20:10,500
excitement. 
He approaches Imperial 

351
00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:13,600
Administration the way a dutiful
student approaches homework. 

352
00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,600
That must be completed but holds
no, inherent interest. 

353
00:20:17,500 --> 00:20:20,800
Necessary. 
Work certainly important work. 

354
00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:22,800
Absolutely. 
But not what? 

355
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,100
His soul craves. 
In the evenings, when official 

356
00:20:26,100 --> 00:20:28,800
duties release him, he still 
retreats to his philosophy 

357
00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,100
books. 
He still reads epic Titus and 

358
00:20:31,108 --> 00:20:34,700
meditates on the proper use of 
reason he still wrestles with 

359
00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:36,600
questions about virtue and 
mortality. 

360
00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,500
The purple robes waiting for him
in some future moment. 

361
00:20:40,500 --> 00:20:44,500
Feel less like a prize to be won
and more like a sentence to be 

362
00:20:44,500 --> 00:20:47,300
served. 
Antoninus notices, this 

363
00:20:47,300 --> 00:20:49,800
reluctant. 
He is a perceptive man. 

364
00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,800
Who pays attention to what 
people do not say as much as 

365
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,700
what they do say. 
He finds Markus one often in the

366
00:20:57,708 --> 00:21:01,700
palace library of vast room, 
filled with Scrolls, organized, 

367
00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:05,900
by subject and author. 
Markus sits surrounded by texts 

368
00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:09,300
of stoic philosophy. 
Making notes on a wax tablet, 

369
00:21:09,300 --> 00:21:12,700
completely absorbed in ideas, 
about the nature of the good 

370
00:21:12,700 --> 00:21:15,300
life. 
The older man sits down across 

371
00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:18,100
from him without asking 
permission or announcing his 

372
00:21:18,100 --> 00:21:20,800
presence. 
The wooden chair creaks and his 

373
00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,900
weight. 
Marcus looks up, startled to 

374
00:21:23,900 --> 00:21:26,900
find the empress studying him 
with those calm assessing eyes. 

375
00:21:26,900 --> 00:21:30,900
They talked for a long time 
about Duty and power and the 

376
00:21:30,900 --> 00:21:33,500
difference between wanting 
something and being suited for 

377
00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:37,700
it. antoninus explains that the 
men who most crave the throne 

378
00:21:37,700 --> 00:21:40,900
are, usually the worst people to
give it to They see the Empire 

379
00:21:40,900 --> 00:21:44,400
as a tool for their own Glory. 
The stage on which to perform 

380
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,700
their greatness, they make 
decisions based on how those 

381
00:21:47,700 --> 00:21:51,100
choices will enhance their 
reputation rather than whether 

382
00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:53,200
those choices actually serve the
common good. 

383
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,700
But a man who understands that 
ruling means serving, who sees 

384
00:21:57,700 --> 00:22:01,300
the throne as a burden to carry 
rather than a price to seize 

385
00:22:01,300 --> 00:22:04,300
that man might actually do some 
good with the power placed in 

386
00:22:04,300 --> 00:22:08,100
his hands. 
Marcus, listens absorbing these 

387
00:22:08,100 --> 00:22:10,500
ideas. 
He wants to believe this. 

388
00:22:11,300 --> 00:22:14,200
The thought that his reluctant 
might actually make him better 

389
00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,300
suited for leadership and 
someone who actively wants power

390
00:22:17,300 --> 00:22:19,600
carries a certain appealing 
logic. 

391
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,800
But he also remembers What epic 
Titus wrote about the necessity 

392
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,500
of examining your own motives 
with brutal honesty. 

393
00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:32,200
Self-deception is easy. 
Flattering yourself with Noble, 

394
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:35,400
interpretation of your own 
psychology is one of the most 

395
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,500
common human failings. 
Is he reluctant? 

396
00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:42,800
Because he truly prefers wisdom 
to power or is he simply afraid 

397
00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,600
of the responsibility? 
Distinction matters more than he

398
00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,900
wants to admit. 
Years passed in this pattern of 

399
00:22:49,900 --> 00:22:54,000
gradual preparation. 
Antoninus teaches Marcus how to 

400
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,300
govern without becoming 
corrupted by governing. 

401
00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,900
He demonstrates through daily 
example that you can hold 

402
00:22:59,900 --> 00:23:04,700
absolute power and still treat 
people with basic decency and 

403
00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:07,300
respect. 
When petitioners come before the

404
00:23:07,300 --> 00:23:10,600
emperor with grievances about 
local officials or legal 

405
00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,700
disputes, or request for tax 
relief and tonight's listens to 

406
00:23:14,700 --> 00:23:18,400
them with genuine attention. 
He does not dismiss their 

407
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,500
concerns or delegate everything 
to subordinates. 

408
00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:24,400
He engages directly with the 
messiness of actual governance. 

409
00:23:25,300 --> 00:23:28,100
When Senators scheme against 
each other, in their endless 

410
00:23:28,100 --> 00:23:32,500
games of political advancement. 
Antoninus refuses to turn their 

411
00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:35,000
conflicts into Bloodsport for 
his own entertainment. 

412
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,800
Previous Emperors, sometimes 
enjoyed watching, rival 

413
00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,300
factions, destroy each other, 
seeing political chaos as 

414
00:23:42,300 --> 00:23:45,900
amusing, theater, antoninus 
finds no pleasure in such 

415
00:23:45,900 --> 00:23:49,800
spectacles, immediate where 
possible reminds people of their

416
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,100
duties when necessary and 
generally tries to minimize the 

417
00:23:53,100 --> 00:23:54,900
damage. 
That ambitious men can do to 

418
00:23:54,900 --> 00:23:59,400
each other and to the state 
Marcus absorbs these lessons 

419
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:03,400
through observation. 
He watches antoninus handle a 

420
00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,700
grain shortage in Rome, by 
personally overseeing, the 

421
00:24:05,700 --> 00:24:09,400
distribution system, rather than
simply delegating the problem to

422
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,900
corrupt officials who might 
steal half the supply. 

423
00:24:12,700 --> 00:24:15,700
He sees the emperor work late 
into the night, reviewing legal 

424
00:24:15,700 --> 00:24:18,700
cases, reading petitions from 
ordinary citizens. 

425
00:24:18,700 --> 00:24:22,200
Ensuring that even the poorest 
person receives something 

426
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,100
resembling Justice, rather than 
being crushed by the wealthy and

427
00:24:26,100 --> 00:24:29,000
Powerful. 
The palace feels different under

428
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:33,400
9 us than it did under Hadrian. 
Less like a Predators Den. 

429
00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:37,100
A more like a workshop where 
serious people do difficult 

430
00:24:37,100 --> 00:24:40,300
work. 
The atmosphere has changed from 

431
00:24:40,300 --> 00:24:44,200
one of constant suspicion to 
something resembling functional 

432
00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:47,900
cooperation. 
A praetorian guard, grumbles 

433
00:24:47,900 --> 00:24:50,300
about the lack of drama and 
intrigue. 

434
00:24:51,100 --> 00:24:54,000
Senators who enjoyed the 
scheming and backstabbing of 

435
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,200
previous Reigns, missed the old 
excitement. 

436
00:24:57,300 --> 00:25:00,800
The Empire functions smoothly, 
it's administrative gears 

437
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,700
turning without requiring 
excessive amounts of blood for 

438
00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:06,600
lubricant. 
You follow Marcus through these 

439
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,800
years of apprenticeship as he 
grows into his role. 

440
00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:13,500
He marries faustina the daughter
of antoninus cementing his 

441
00:25:13,500 --> 00:25:15,500
position within the Imperial 
family. 

442
00:25:16,300 --> 00:25:20,300
Their wedding is a grand public,
spectacle, the kind of event, 

443
00:25:20,300 --> 00:25:24,700
that roam expects for important.
Dynastic unions, musicians and 

444
00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:30,200
dancers, elaborate costumes. 
Sacrifices to the gods feasting 

445
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,900
that lasts for days. 
The entire city participates in 

446
00:25:33,900 --> 00:25:37,600
the celebration receiving Wine 
and Food at public expense. 

447
00:25:38,700 --> 00:25:41,600
But the private moment 
afterwards feels quieter and 

448
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,200
more significant. 
They stand together in their new

449
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,600
Chambers two people who have 
become pieces in a gay much 

450
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:52,100
larger than themselves. 
How Steiner is intelligent and 

451
00:25:52,100 --> 00:25:56,000
well-educated raised in the 
palace understanding the demands

452
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,500
of public life perhaps better 
than Marcus does. 

453
00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:03,100
She knows what it means to smile
through exhaustion to perform 

454
00:26:03,100 --> 00:26:06,900
Grace on the scrutiny, to treat 
trivial matters as important. 

455
00:26:06,900 --> 00:26:08,800
Because other people believe 
they are important. 

456
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,700
They will have 13 children to 
gather. 

457
00:26:11,700 --> 00:26:15,000
Over the years ahead, only a 
handful Will Survive to adult 

458
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,800
hood the ancient world devours 
children with casual cruelty. 

459
00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:24,000
Fevers accidents diseases that 
modern medicine will eventually 

460
00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,300
conquer, but that Roman 
Physicians can only watch 

461
00:26:27,300 --> 00:26:30,800
helplessly. 
Each loss Will carve new lines 

462
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,900
in their faces deepen. 
The reserves of grief, they 

463
00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:36,100
carry through their public 
performances. 

464
00:26:36,100 --> 00:26:40,000
But for now on their wedding 
night, those losses are still 

465
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:45,400
future sorrows. 
Marcus turns 30 then 35 then 

466
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,900
approaches 40. 
His hair begins to thin slightly

467
00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:52,300
at the temples, a development. 
He notices with the stoic 

468
00:26:52,300 --> 00:26:57,100
observation that all material 
things deteriorate with time, he

469
00:26:57,100 --> 00:26:58,800
develops a habit of rubbing his 
forehead. 

470
00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:02,500
When deep in thought a gesture 
that leaves faint but permanent 

471
00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:06,500
creases in his skin, The 
philosophical student has grown 

472
00:27:06,500 --> 00:27:10,100
into a competent administrator, 
some one, who can read Financial

473
00:27:10,100 --> 00:27:13,100
reports, and make reasonable 
decisions about infrastructure 

474
00:27:13,100 --> 00:27:16,400
projects and legal reforms. 
But he has not lost his 

475
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,900
essential nature. 
He still reads epic Titus before

476
00:27:19,900 --> 00:27:22,400
bed. 
He still asked himself, whether 

477
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:23,900
he is living according to 
reason. 

478
00:27:24,700 --> 00:27:28,300
He still finds more satisfaction
in philosophical Insight than in

479
00:27:28,300 --> 00:27:31,600
political success. 
Antoninus, grows older. 

480
00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,400
The vigorous man in his 50s. 
Become a tired man in his 

481
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,400
seventies. 
His health begins to fail in 

482
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,400
small unmistakable ways. 
He moves more carefully through 

483
00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,700
the palace Halls, placing each 
foot with the deliberation of 

484
00:27:45,700 --> 00:27:49,100
someone who no longer fully 
trusts his own balance. his 

485
00:27:49,100 --> 00:27:52,900
appetite diminishes food, that 
once brought pleasure now, seems

486
00:27:52,900 --> 00:27:56,100
like an obligation The 
Physicians, attend him more 

487
00:27:56,100 --> 00:27:58,700
frequently though, they can 
offer a little Beyond rest and 

488
00:27:58,700 --> 00:28:02,300
diet advice. 
Roman medicine understands how 

489
00:28:02,300 --> 00:28:04,700
the Body Works. 
Only in the broadest terms, 

490
00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:09,400
everyone can see what is coming.
The palace staff speak in 

491
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,500
hushed, tones About plans for 
the succession. 

492
00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,700
Senders position themselves to 
be well regarded by the new 

493
00:28:15,700 --> 00:28:18,300
emperor. 
Officials review their own 

494
00:28:18,300 --> 00:28:20,800
records. 
Checking for anything that might

495
00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:22,900
look like disloyalty or 
incompetence. 

496
00:28:22,900 --> 00:28:27,300
When viewed with fresh eyes. 
The Machinery of transition 

497
00:28:27,300 --> 00:28:30,300
begins. 
Its slow operation Marcus 

498
00:28:30,300 --> 00:28:34,300
prepares himself as best he can.
He refused documents late into 

499
00:28:34,300 --> 00:28:37,900
the night trying to master the 
vast amount of information and 

500
00:28:37,900 --> 00:28:42,100
Emperor needs to command. 
He consults with antonin's, most

501
00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:45,300
trusted advisors building 
relationships that will serve 

502
00:28:45,300 --> 00:28:48,600
him when he must govern alone. 
He observes carefully. 

503
00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:52,600
How antoninus handles, various 
crises storing away, lessons 

504
00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:54,200
about leadership and 
decision-making? 

505
00:28:55,300 --> 00:28:58,200
But preparing for the weight of 
Empire is like preparing to hold

506
00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:01,000
up the sky. 
You can train your muscles and 

507
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,500
study the techniques and 
memorize all the available 

508
00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:06,100
wisdom. 
But until the actual moment 

509
00:29:06,100 --> 00:29:08,600
arrives, when that enormous 
weight settles onto your 

510
00:29:08,608 --> 00:29:11,900
shoulders, you cannot truly know
if you will be strong enough to 

511
00:29:11,900 --> 00:29:14,600
bear it. 
Some men crumble immediately 

512
00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,200
others endure for a while before
breaking. 

513
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,100
A rare few somehow carry the 
burden until death releases 

514
00:29:21,100 --> 00:29:23,900
them. 
Marcus does not yet know which 

515
00:29:23,900 --> 00:29:28,100
category he will fall into. 
You're in the year 100 and 61, 

516
00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:30,800
the calendar marks it as early 
March. 

517
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,100
A fishy, the beginning of 
Spring. 

518
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,800
But Rome feels cold in ways, 
that temperature cannot fully 

519
00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:40,500
explain. 
Antoninus Pius died, three days 

520
00:29:40,500 --> 00:29:44,800
ago in his bed, surrounded by 
his closest advisors and family 

521
00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,400
members. 
His funeral pyre has already 

522
00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,800
burned in the Campus. 
Martius reducing a good and 

523
00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,200
competent, man to Ash and 
memory, and the official 

524
00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:57,600
deification that the Senate 
bestows on Empress who managed 

525
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,900
not to become monsters. 
Marcus Aurelius stands in the 

526
00:30:01,900 --> 00:30:05,500
Senate chamber, that ancient 
building, where Rome's wealthy 

527
00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:08,300
men have gathered for centuries 
to debate, the fate of their 

528
00:30:08,300 --> 00:30:13,000
city and eventually, their 
empire He's now 40 years old, 

529
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,800
the purple cloak of an emperor. 
Drapes across his shoulders 

530
00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:20,100
pinned at the right shoulder 
with a golden brooch showing 

531
00:30:20,108 --> 00:30:24,300
Jupiter's eagle. 
Fabric is silk died with murex 

532
00:30:24,300 --> 00:30:27,700
shells, imported at enormous 
expense from Phoenician cities, 

533
00:30:27,700 --> 00:30:31,200
the color itself, represents 
wealth and power beyond what 

534
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,900
most humans can comprehend. 
It weighs approximately nothing 

535
00:30:34,900 --> 00:30:37,800
in terms of actual fabric, but 
it weighs approximately 

536
00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,500
everything in terms of 
responsibility and expectation. 

537
00:30:41,700 --> 00:30:44,700
The Senators, watch him with the
attentive weariness of animals. 

538
00:30:44,700 --> 00:30:48,100
Studying a new Predator that has
just entered their territory. 

539
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,300
They do not yet know what kind 
of Emperor he will become. 

540
00:30:51,300 --> 00:30:54,500
Will he follow Anton, nine 
assists measured path of 

541
00:30:54,500 --> 00:30:58,000
competent Administration. 
And restrained, use of power. 

542
00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,200
Well absolute Authority, 
transform him into something 

543
00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:04,600
else. 
Something darker History has 

544
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,200
shown them that even the best 
men can curdled when given 

545
00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:11,300
unlimited power over others. 
The kind man can become cruel. 

546
00:31:11,300 --> 00:31:14,100
The generous leader can become 
greedy. 

547
00:31:14,100 --> 00:31:17,800
The philosopher can become a 
tyrant who uses his learning to 

548
00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,400
justify cruelty. 
Markus speaks to their about his

549
00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,000
intention. 
His voice carried through the 

550
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:28,000
chamber without effort trained 
by years of public, speaking at 

551
00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:32,200
official ceremonies and legal 
proceedings, He announces that 

552
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,300
he will share power with his 
adoptive brother Lucia's Ferris.

553
00:31:35,900 --> 00:31:40,000
This decision surprises everyone
in the room, the murmur that 

554
00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,400
runs through the assembled 
Senators sounds like Wind 

555
00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,400
Through Wheatfields. 
Rome is not had genuine 

556
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:56,200
co-emperor. 
Actual division of Imperial 

557
00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,500
power represents something new 
and untested. 

558
00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:01,800
You can see the calculation 
happening behind their eyes. 

559
00:32:02,700 --> 00:32:04,500
Sharing power means, diffusing 
it. 

560
00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:08,000
Introducing uncertainty into a 
system that functions most 

561
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,900
efficiently with clear hierarchy
and unchallenged Authority. 

562
00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:15,000
Questions immediately arise 
about how decisions will be made

563
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,800
what happens when the two 
Emperors disagree whether this 

564
00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:20,600
Arrangement can possibly 
survive? 

565
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:25,400
The first serious crisis that 
demands decisive action, But 

566
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,300
Marcus believes in the decision 
as an application of stoic 

567
00:32:28,300 --> 00:32:32,000
printable. 
Power, corrupts absolute power, 

568
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,800
corrupts absolutely perhaps 
dividing Authority will reduce 

569
00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:39,200
the inevitable corruption. 
Perhaps two men can check each 

570
00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,300
other's. 
Worst impulses in ways that one 

571
00:32:41,300 --> 00:32:45,500
man, rule alone cannot The 
decision will prove complicated 

572
00:32:45,500 --> 00:32:47,600
in ways that Marcus cannot yet 
foresee. 

573
00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:52,200
Lucius verus is not a bad man 
but he is a fundamentally 

574
00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,900
different kind of person than 
Marcus where Marcus finds 

575
00:32:55,900 --> 00:32:59,400
satisfaction in philosophy and 
Duty, Lucius finds it in 

576
00:32:59,408 --> 00:33:03,000
pleasure and spectacle. 
He loves racing chariots through

577
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,500
the streets of Rome, feeling the
speed and danger. 

578
00:33:05,500 --> 00:33:08,500
He attends theatrical 
performance is laughing at 

579
00:33:08,500 --> 00:33:12,700
comedies Weeping at tragedies 
fully immersed in the drama. 

580
00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:15,100
He dined with actors and 
dancers. 

581
00:33:15,100 --> 00:33:18,600
People that traditional Roman 
Aristocrats consider beneath 

582
00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,300
their dignity. 
To associate with social Lucius 

583
00:33:22,300 --> 00:33:25,300
is not interested in the 
grinding administrative work. 

584
00:33:25,300 --> 00:33:29,300
That actually keeps an Empire 
functioning Reading find natural

585
00:33:29,300 --> 00:33:33,600
reports him, reviewing legal 
cases, put him to sleep. 

586
00:33:34,300 --> 00:33:36,700
He would much rather be doing 
almost anything else than 

587
00:33:36,700 --> 00:33:39,200
sitting through. 
Long meetings about tax policy 

588
00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:43,300
or infrastructure maintenance. 
But for now in these early days,

589
00:33:43,300 --> 00:33:47,600
the arrangement stands Markus 
handles the bulk of the actual 

590
00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,500
governing while Lucius holds the
title and performed some 

591
00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:54,000
ceremonial functions. 
Markus throws himself into the 

592
00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,700
business of ruling with the same
beautiful application. 

593
00:33:56,700 --> 00:34:00,700
He brought to his philosophical 
studies, The palace fills with 

594
00:34:00,700 --> 00:34:03,000
documents requiring, his 
immediate attention. 

595
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,300
Reports from provincial 
Governors, describing local 

596
00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:09,100
conditions and requesting 
guidance on various matters. 

597
00:34:09,100 --> 00:34:12,699
Request for military funding 
from generals who always want 

598
00:34:12,699 --> 00:34:17,600
more troops, more supplies, more
resources, legal disputes 

599
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,300
between wealthy families that 
threatened to escalate into 

600
00:34:20,300 --> 00:34:24,800
violence unless the emperor 
intervenes Petitions from cities

601
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,600
asking for tax relief after bad 
harvests or natural disasters. 

602
00:34:29,500 --> 00:34:32,500
The work never stops flowing 
toward him like a river that has

603
00:34:32,500 --> 00:34:37,400
found its natural downhill core.
He wakes Before Dawn, most days.

604
00:34:38,300 --> 00:34:41,699
The palace at that, our feels 
almost peaceful empty of the 

605
00:34:41,699 --> 00:34:45,600
usual crowds and noise. 
The marble halls Echo with his 

606
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:47,800
footsteps as he walks to his 
private study. 

607
00:34:48,699 --> 00:34:51,600
Slaves have already lit, lamps 
and laid out the days initial 

608
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,900
batch of documents. 
He sits at his desk and begins 

609
00:34:54,900 --> 00:34:57,900
reading. 
His eyes, scan lines of text 

610
00:34:57,900 --> 00:35:00,400
describing problems, and crises 
and decisions. 

611
00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:04,400
That only he can make Each page 
requires thought and judgment 

612
00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:08,400
rushed through them and you make
mistakes that affect real 

613
00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,600
people's lives. 
Spend too long on any single 

614
00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:13,400
issue, and you fall hopelessly 
behind. 

615
00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:17,700
But before he engages with all 
that administrative weight, he 

616
00:35:17,700 --> 00:35:19,400
takes time for something more 
personal. 

617
00:35:20,100 --> 00:35:23,000
He opens a leather bound Journal
that he keeps for himself alone.

618
00:35:23,700 --> 00:35:26,900
these writings will eventually 
become known as the meditations 

619
00:35:26,900 --> 00:35:30,800
though, he never imagined anyone
else, reading them, they are 

620
00:35:30,808 --> 00:35:34,200
reminders, he writes to himself 
about how to remain decent while

621
00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,700
wielding in decent amounts of 
power, over other human beings 

622
00:35:38,500 --> 00:35:41,200
the pages fill with observations
written, in Greek, about 

623
00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:46,300
mortality and Duty, and the 
proper use of reason, He reminds

624
00:35:46,300 --> 00:35:49,000
himself that he is merely a 
temporary and habitat of his own

625
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,900
body. 
That some day worms will consume

626
00:35:51,900 --> 00:35:54,200
his flesh. 
Just as surely as they will 

627
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:58,500
consume a Beggars courts. 
Imperial purple offers, no 

628
00:35:58,500 --> 00:36:00,600
protection against biological 
reality. 

629
00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:04,200
He writes that anger is a waste 
of the limited time. 

630
00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:08,200
He's been given to live and 
think and act in the world. he 

631
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:11,300
notes that the opinion, of fools
should matter less, to him, than

632
00:36:11,300 --> 00:36:14,300
his own honest, estimation of 
whether he has acted, according 

633
00:36:14,300 --> 00:36:18,800
to Virtue, and reason, These 
private writings reveal a man, 

634
00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,100
trying very hard not to become 
the monster that power usually 

635
00:36:22,100 --> 00:36:24,500
create. 
He's holding a kind of 

636
00:36:24,500 --> 00:36:27,700
conversation with himself about 
how to stay human when 

637
00:36:27,700 --> 00:36:30,500
everything around him treats him
as something more than human. 

638
00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:34,700
The Senate technically can vote 
him out of office but no one 

639
00:36:34,700 --> 00:36:36,300
seriously believes they would 
dare. 

640
00:36:37,100 --> 00:36:40,100
The praetorian God could kill 
him but they are well paid and 

641
00:36:40,100 --> 00:36:43,000
generally loyal. 
The gods might judge him after 

642
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,800
death, but they seem distant and
unconcerned with daily affairs. 

643
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,800
For all practical purposes. 
Marcus has no external 

644
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:54,100
constraints on his behavior. 
Only as owning internal 

645
00:36:54,100 --> 00:36:56,300
principles stand between him and
tyranny. 

646
00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,500
The Empire. 
He is inherited. 

647
00:36:58,500 --> 00:37:02,100
Appears healthy on the surface. 
The borders are mostly quiet 

648
00:37:02,100 --> 00:37:05,200
with only the usual low level 
raiding and skirmishing. 

649
00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:09,100
Trade flows freely along, well, 
maintained roads that connect 

650
00:37:09,100 --> 00:37:13,600
cities across three continents. 
Agriculture produces sufficient 

651
00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:16,200
food to feed populations. 
That have been growing for 

652
00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:21,100
Generations art and literature. 
Flourish new temples and public 

653
00:37:21,100 --> 00:37:23,700
buildings rise in cities from 
Britain to Syria. 

654
00:37:24,500 --> 00:37:29,700
By almost any measure the Roman 
Empire in 161 seemed secure and 

655
00:37:29,700 --> 00:37:33,300
prosperous. 
But Marcus can sense fault lines

656
00:37:33,300 --> 00:37:37,600
beneath this surface prosperity.
The parthian Empire to the east,

657
00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:39,100
grows more confident and 
aggressive. 

658
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,200
Germanic tribes along the 
northern Frontier. 

659
00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:45,900
Test Rome and defenses with 
increasing boldness probing for 

660
00:37:45,900 --> 00:37:48,000
weaknesses in the fortification 
lines. 

661
00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,900
And underneath everything, a 
more Invisible Threat lurks, 

662
00:37:51,900 --> 00:37:54,100
that will prove more devastating
than any army. 

663
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:59,900
The plagi arrives in the year, 
165 carried by soldiers 

664
00:37:59,900 --> 00:38:02,300
returning from a campaign in 
parthian territory. 

665
00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:07,100
Modern historians will call it. 
The antonine plague naming it 

666
00:38:07,100 --> 00:38:10,400
for the dynasty rather than the 
specific Emperor who presided 

667
00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:14,400
over its devastation. 
The disease spreads through Rome

668
00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:18,500
like spilled wine soaking into 
cloth moving from household to 

669
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:21,700
household neighborhood to 
Neighborhood eventually 

670
00:38:21,700 --> 00:38:26,000
throughout the entire Empire. 
People develop fevers that make 

671
00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:30,400
their skin burn, hot the touch. 
Stules are up to cross their 

672
00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:34,300
bodies painful boils that weep 
fluid and leave scars on those 

673
00:38:34,300 --> 00:38:37,900
lucky enough to survive. 
They cough until blood comes up.

674
00:38:37,900 --> 00:38:41,200
They waste away their bodies 
consuming themselves. 

675
00:38:42,300 --> 00:38:45,900
Death comes quickly for some 
slowly and agonizingly for 

676
00:38:45,900 --> 00:38:48,000
others. 
The disease does not 

677
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,400
discriminate between rich and 
poor slave and free young and 

678
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:53,100
old. 
Everyone is vulnerable. 

679
00:38:53,100 --> 00:38:57,000
You follow Marcus through the 
plague stricken City on one of 

680
00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:00,600
his personal inspections. 
His advisors consider this 

681
00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:05,600
unwise to the point of Madness. 
An emperor who dies of play, 

682
00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:09,200
cannot govern anyone, the Empire
needs him alive more than it 

683
00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:10,900
needs. 
His symbolic presence among the 

684
00:39:10,900 --> 00:39:14,500
suffering. 
But Marcus feels that leadership

685
00:39:14,500 --> 00:39:17,900
requires more than issuing 
orders from a safe distance 

686
00:39:17,900 --> 00:39:21,600
behind Palace walls. 
He needs to see the reality of 

687
00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:25,200
what is happening to Bear. 
Witness to the suffering to make

688
00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:28,900
decisions based on actual 
observation rather than filtered

689
00:39:28,900 --> 00:39:32,000
reports. 
The streets of Rome smell like 

690
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:36,800
death. smoke rises from funeral,
pyres burning continuously, and 

691
00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:41,900
every neighborhood, The sickly 
sweet odor of Decay hangs in the

692
00:39:41,900 --> 00:39:44,400
air, despite the smoke meant to 
purify it. 

693
00:39:45,500 --> 00:39:48,800
Body's pile up faster than the 
overwhelmed funeral workers can 

694
00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:52,600
properly dispose of them. 
Carts Creek through the streets 

695
00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:57,000
carrying corpses to mass Graves.
Outside the city walls, the 

696
00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,800
usual busy hum of Roman life has
diminished to an anxious murmur 

697
00:40:01,900 --> 00:40:05,500
Market stand, half-empty temples
overflow. 

698
00:40:05,500 --> 00:40:09,300
With desperate people making 
offerings to Gods who seem to 

699
00:40:09,300 --> 00:40:12,700
have turned away. 
Marcus walks through a makeshift

700
00:40:12,700 --> 00:40:15,600
hospital that has been 
established in what used to be a

701
00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:20,300
grain Warehouse, the sick lie on
pallets arranged in rows tended 

702
00:40:20,300 --> 00:40:23,300
by physicians and volunteers, 
who understand almost nothing 

703
00:40:23,300 --> 00:40:25,600
about how disease actually 
transmits. 

704
00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:28,700
They do not know about 
microorganisms or infection 

705
00:40:28,700 --> 00:40:31,300
vectors. 
They believe in bad air and 

706
00:40:31,300 --> 00:40:33,300
imbalanced, humors and the anger
of the Gods. 

707
00:40:33,300 --> 00:40:36,500
Their treatments mostly involved
leading patients and 

708
00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:40,000
administering herbal remedies 
that do nothing to address the 

709
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:43,100
underlying illness. 
The emperor stops beside each 

710
00:40:43,100 --> 00:40:44,100
patient. 
He passes. 

711
00:40:44,100 --> 00:40:48,500
He asks, their names, he listens
to their fears and their pain. 

712
00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:53,200
Cannot heal them all the power 
at his command cannot cure a 

713
00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:56,400
single case of plague. 
But he cannot acknowledge this 

714
00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:59,500
suffering as real. 
And worthy of attention from the

715
00:40:59,500 --> 00:41:03,300
most powerful man in the world. 
He can treat them as humans who 

716
00:41:03,300 --> 00:41:07,100
matter rather than a statistic 
and a casualty report. 

717
00:41:08,100 --> 00:41:09,900
This is philosophy and actual 
practice. 

718
00:41:10,900 --> 00:41:13,200
Not the abstract theories 
discussed in comfortable, 

719
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:16,800
Gardens with tutors but the real
work of treating other people as

720
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:20,100
fully human, even when it would 
be easier to view them, as 

721
00:41:20,100 --> 00:41:23,700
numbers in a lecture. 
The stoics believed in 

722
00:41:23,700 --> 00:41:27,800
cosmopolitanism. 
The idea that all humans are 

723
00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:30,900
part of a single Community, 
regardless of their origin or 

724
00:41:30,900 --> 00:41:34,300
status. 
Marcus is testing whether he 

725
00:41:34,300 --> 00:41:36,700
truly believes this when 
confronted with the reality of 

726
00:41:36,700 --> 00:41:40,800
suffering on a massive scale. 
The plague will kill Millions 

727
00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:43,100
before it finally Burns itself. 
Out years from now. 

728
00:41:43,100 --> 00:41:48,100
Entire towns will empty their 
populations reduced to scattered

729
00:41:48,100 --> 00:41:50,200
survivors wandering through 
abandoned streets. 

730
00:41:51,100 --> 00:41:53,800
The Army will lose so many 
soldiers that recruitment become

731
00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:57,900
desperate with standards lowered
and barbarians increasingly 

732
00:41:57,900 --> 00:42:01,600
higher to fill the ranks. 
The economic damage will Ripple 

733
00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:04,700
through the empire for decades, 
disrupting trade, and 

734
00:42:04,700 --> 00:42:08,000
Agriculture, and all the complex
systems that keep civilization 

735
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:11,100
functioning. 
And Markus will watch it all 

736
00:42:11,108 --> 00:42:14,600
happen while being essentially 
powerless to stop the dying. 

737
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:19,500
He returns to the Palace each 
evening exhausted, in ways that 

738
00:42:19,500 --> 00:42:23,300
sleep cannot fully address. 
His wife faustina tries to 

739
00:42:23,308 --> 00:42:25,800
comfort him though. 
She carries her own grief. 

740
00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:29,000
Several of their children have 
died in recent years. 

741
00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:32,800
Some from plague others from the
dozens of other ways that 

742
00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,400
children died in the ancient 
world before modern medicine. 

743
00:42:36,300 --> 00:42:41,000
Accidents fevers mysterious, 
wasting diseases that Physicians

744
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:45,100
cannot identify or treat. 
She has learned to smile through

745
00:42:45,100 --> 00:42:47,800
loss. 
To perform the role of empress, 

746
00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:50,400
even when her heart feels like 
broken pottery. 

747
00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:54,200
Romans expect strength from 
their Imperial family. 

748
00:42:55,100 --> 00:42:57,400
Showing too much grief would be 
seen as weakness. 

749
00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:02,100
Marcus sits alone in his study 
late at night, the palace 

750
00:43:02,100 --> 00:43:05,600
finally quiet around him. 
He picks up his pen and writes 

751
00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:07,800
more reminders to himself in his
private Journal. 

752
00:43:08,500 --> 00:43:11,300
He notes that the Universe 
operates according to Natural 

753
00:43:11,300 --> 00:43:14,300
laws, that care nothing for 
human preferences or suffering. 

754
00:43:15,300 --> 00:43:18,800
Disease and death are part of 
the natural pattern, woven into 

755
00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:23,000
the fabric of reality itself. 
Getting angry at plague makes as

756
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:26,600
much sense as getting angry at 
winter or aging or any other 

757
00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:30,200
inevitable process. 
The only meaningful question is 

758
00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:31,500
how you respond to 
circumstances? 

759
00:43:31,500 --> 00:43:35,500
You cannot control, he writes 
that ruling an Empire during a 

760
00:43:35,500 --> 00:43:37,600
catastrophe. 
Does not exempt him from the 

761
00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:41,500
obligation to remain rational 
and just and kind if anything 

762
00:43:41,500 --> 00:43:46,000
crisis reveals true character. 
A Man shows what he actually 

763
00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:48,500
values when everything is 
falling apart around him. 

764
00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:51,700
Will he maintained his 
principles or abandon them to 

765
00:43:51,700 --> 00:43:55,600
fear and expedience? 
The plague is testing him in 

766
00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:59,000
ways that Prosperity never 
could. the years of his early 

767
00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:01,700
Reign blurred together in a 
mixture of administrative 

768
00:44:01,700 --> 00:44:06,300
routine, punctuated by acute 
crises, He builds aqueducts to 

769
00:44:06,300 --> 00:44:09,000
improve water supply in City 
suffering from drought. 

770
00:44:09,700 --> 00:44:11,800
He funds schools in provincial 
towns. 

771
00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:15,500
He reforms legal codes to 
protect women and slaves, from 

772
00:44:15,500 --> 00:44:18,600
the worst forms of abuse that 
Roman law traditionally permits.

773
00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:22,400
He tries to govern with the same
measured competence that 

774
00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:28,200
antoninus demonstrated balancing
Justice with pragmatism ideals 

775
00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:31,300
with reality. 
But the pressure never truly 

776
00:44:31,300 --> 00:44:36,600
relents The Empire is too large 
to complex, two full of people 

777
00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:38,500
whose interests naturally 
conflict. 

778
00:44:39,300 --> 00:44:41,800
Every decision. 
He makes helps someone and hurt 

779
00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:44,800
someone else. 
Justice in one Province means 

780
00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:47,500
Injustice in another because 
circumstances differ. 

781
00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:51,500
The Machinery of power grinds 
forward, regardless of his best 

782
00:44:51,500 --> 00:44:55,700
intentions crushing some people 
while elevating others and the 

783
00:44:55,700 --> 00:44:58,800
emperor can only try to minimize
the cruelty without being able 

784
00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:02,600
to eliminate it entirely. 
You watching age visibly during 

785
00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,000
these years, under the weight of
constant crisis. 

786
00:45:05,700 --> 00:45:10,100
Gray threads through his hair 
like silver wire, lines deepen, 

787
00:45:10,100 --> 00:45:14,100
around his eyes and mouth carved
by years of squinting at 

788
00:45:14,100 --> 00:45:18,500
documents and frowning at bad 
news, his hands developed the 

789
00:45:18,500 --> 00:45:21,500
slight Tremor, that comes from 
writing, too many reports, 

790
00:45:21,500 --> 00:45:24,700
making too many decisions that 
affect lives. 

791
00:45:24,700 --> 00:45:26,300
He will never directly see, or 
know. 

792
00:45:27,100 --> 00:45:30,600
His stomach problems, worsen 
from stress and regular meals. 

793
00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:33,500
And the general toll of carrying
burdens that would break most 

794
00:45:33,500 --> 00:45:36,100
people. 
He's trying to be a good Emperor

795
00:45:36,100 --> 00:45:38,400
whether he succeeds is a 
question. 

796
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:42,400
He cannot answer with certainly 
The only thing he knows for sure

797
00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:44,400
is that tomorrow will bring more
problems. 

798
00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:48,100
Requiring, his attention more 
difficult choices where every 

799
00:45:48,100 --> 00:45:52,100
option carries significant costs
more opportunities to either 

800
00:45:52,100 --> 00:45:54,600
act, according to reason, or 
fail in the attempt. 

801
00:45:55,300 --> 00:45:57,300
You're now in the year, 100 and 
170. 

802
00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:00,700
Markus is approaching 50 years 
old though. 

803
00:46:00,700 --> 00:46:03,100
His body feels considerably 
older than the calendar. 

804
00:46:03,100 --> 00:46:07,200
Suggests The palace in Rome 
feels smaller than it used to or

805
00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:10,800
perhaps he simply grown tired of
its marble luxury and political 

806
00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:13,600
entry. 
The Empire demands more of him 

807
00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:16,400
than ever before. 
War has come to the northern 

808
00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:20,800
Frontier, enforce Germanic 
tribes of crossed the Danube 

809
00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:23,000
River. 
In significant numbers, not as 

810
00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:27,300
Raiders, but as Invaders seeking
new territory, they have burned 

811
00:46:27,300 --> 00:46:31,000
Roman settlements to the ground 
killed, Roman citizens 

812
00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:33,200
disrupted. 
The careful order that the 

813
00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:36,100
Empire has maintained for 
Generations through military 

814
00:46:36,100 --> 00:46:38,100
force and diplomatic 
Arrangements. 

815
00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:44,100
Marcus must respond which means 
leaving Rome and taking personal

816
00:46:44,100 --> 00:46:46,600
command of the Legion stationed 
along the frontier. 

817
00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:49,400
He has never particularly wanted
to be a soldier. 

818
00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:53,800
His entire education focused on 
philosophy and law and 

819
00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:57,000
administration, not military 
tactics and Battlefield 

820
00:46:57,000 --> 00:47:00,100
strategy. 
He can ride a horse competently 

821
00:47:00,100 --> 00:47:02,400
and handle a sword. 
Well enough for ceremonial 

822
00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:05,400
purposes but he has never 
thought of himself as a warrior 

823
00:47:05,400 --> 00:47:07,800
emperor in the tradition of 
trajan or Caesar. 

824
00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:12,300
But circumstances, do not care 
about personal preferences or 

825
00:47:12,300 --> 00:47:15,700
natural, inclination. 
The emperor must lead the army, 

826
00:47:15,700 --> 00:47:19,500
so he will lead. the journey 
North takes weeks of hard 

827
00:47:19,500 --> 00:47:23,000
traveling through Italy and over
the Alps into the province's 

828
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:26,600
Beyond You travel with his 
column through cultivated 

829
00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:28,500
Farmland. 
That gradually gives way to 

830
00:47:28,508 --> 00:47:32,800
denser forests and wider Rivers.
The landscape changes as you 

831
00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:35,100
move from the Mediterranean 
world into territories, that 

832
00:47:35,100 --> 00:47:38,200
feel less tamed, less thoroughly
Roman. 

833
00:47:38,900 --> 00:47:42,600
The air grows colder with each 
passing day, the sky turns the 

834
00:47:42,600 --> 00:47:46,700
color of old pewter heavy with 
moisture that promises rain or 

835
00:47:46,708 --> 00:47:49,600
snow. 
Marcus establishes his 

836
00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:53,100
headquarters in a military Camp 
along the Danube in a region 

837
00:47:53,100 --> 00:47:54,800
that will someday be called 
Austria. 

838
00:47:55,700 --> 00:47:59,600
Camp follows standard Roman 
military design, a rectangle of 

839
00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:01,400
Earthworks, and wooden 
Palisades. 

840
00:48:01,400 --> 00:48:04,100
That could be quickly 
constructed by legionaries who 

841
00:48:04,100 --> 00:48:06,800
have built hundreds of identical
camps in their careers. 

842
00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:10,700
Inside the defensive perimeter, 
the soldiers of constructed 

843
00:48:10,700 --> 00:48:16,300
Barracks granaries, workshops a 
hospital stables, and all the 

844
00:48:16,300 --> 00:48:19,600
other infrastructure needed to 
sustain an army operating far 

845
00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:22,600
from home for extended periods. 
The camps. 

846
00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:25,400
Smells like every military 
installation that has ever 

847
00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:29,800
existed would smoke from 
countless fires, leather from 

848
00:48:29,800 --> 00:48:33,600
equipment and Tack horse, sweat 
and manure from the Cavalry 

849
00:48:33,600 --> 00:48:36,700
mounts. 
Particular shop set of male 

850
00:48:36,700 --> 00:48:39,700
bodies, living in close 
quarters, mixed with the Earth 

851
00:48:39,700 --> 00:48:43,100
Here, smell of mud that defines 
military life in any climate 

852
00:48:43,100 --> 00:48:46,900
that receives regular rain. 
It is a world away from the 

853
00:48:46,900 --> 00:48:49,300
perfumed palace and clean 
streets of Rome. 

854
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:53,600
Marcus is personal quarters are 
simple by any standard and 

855
00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:57,900
almost absurdly. 
So by Imperial standards, Tenth 

856
00:48:57,900 --> 00:49:01,100
divided into sections for 
sleeping working and receiving 

857
00:49:01,100 --> 00:49:04,200
visitors. 
A camp bed with a thin mattress.

858
00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:08,200
Stuffed with straw, a desk made 
of rough planks supported by 

859
00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:10,800
trestles. 
Piled with maps showing the 

860
00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:15,400
terrain in an enemy positions 
reports from scouts letters. 

861
00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:18,000
From officials. 
Back in Rome who need decisions 

862
00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,100
on matters that cannot wait for 
the empress return. 

863
00:49:21,400 --> 00:49:24,700
A brassiere provides inadequate 
warmth against the winter cold 

864
00:49:24,700 --> 00:49:28,000
that seeps through canvas walls.
This is not Comfort. 

865
00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:32,100
This Is War. 
Fighting along the frontier, 

866
00:49:32,100 --> 00:49:35,400
proves difficult and frustrating
in ways that conventional 

867
00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:38,900
battles are not. 
The Germanic tribes do not fight

868
00:49:38,900 --> 00:49:42,600
the way Roman's prefer and 
expect they have avoid set piece

869
00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:45,900
battles, where Roman disciplined
training and organization would 

870
00:49:45,900 --> 00:49:49,900
give decisive advantage. 
instead, they strike quickly 

871
00:49:49,900 --> 00:49:52,900
from forest cover and fade away 
before the legions can respond 

872
00:49:52,900 --> 00:49:57,300
effectively They ambushed Supply
columns, they raid settlements 

873
00:49:57,300 --> 00:50:00,300
and Retreat across the river 
before reinforcements arrived. 

874
00:50:00,300 --> 00:50:03,600
They use mobility and local 
knowledge to offset, Roman 

875
00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:05,600
advantages and equipment and 
tactics. 

876
00:50:06,700 --> 00:50:10,000
Marcus learned the rhythm of 
military campaigning Dawn 

877
00:50:10,000 --> 00:50:12,700
inspections of the troops to 
check their Readiness and 

878
00:50:12,700 --> 00:50:15,300
morale. 
Strategy meetings, with his 

879
00:50:15,300 --> 00:50:19,300
generals hardened men who have 
spent their entire adult lives 

880
00:50:19,300 --> 00:50:22,100
in the Army to discuss 
intelligence reports and 

881
00:50:22,100 --> 00:50:25,100
tactical options. 
Hours, spent reviewing 

882
00:50:25,100 --> 00:50:28,400
information about enemy 
movements trying to predict what

883
00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:32,200
the tribes will do next where 
they might strike, how Roman 

884
00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:35,700
forces can intercept them, or at
least respond more quickly. 

885
00:50:37,200 --> 00:50:40,600
Decisions about where to send 
reinforcements when to attack 

886
00:50:40,600 --> 00:50:43,300
when to consolidate positions 
and wait. 

887
00:50:44,300 --> 00:50:48,200
The work feels endless and often
futile like trying to hold back.

888
00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:52,000
The tide with your bare hands. 
But it is during these years on 

889
00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,900
campaign away from all the 
Comforts of Rome and surrounded 

890
00:50:55,900 --> 00:51:00,700
by mud and soldiers and constant
danger that Marcus does some of 

891
00:51:00,708 --> 00:51:03,200
his most important philosophical
writing. 

892
00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:06,800
In the evenings after the days 
military work is done. 

893
00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:10,600
After he's eaten a simple meal 
and reviewed the final reports 

894
00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:12,400
and given the necessary orders 
for tomorrow. 

895
00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:16,300
He sits in his tent with an oil,
lamp burning and writes in Greek

896
00:51:16,300 --> 00:51:17,900
on whatever material is 
available. 

897
00:51:18,800 --> 00:51:21,600
Sometimes Papyrus, if the supply
lines have brought it. 

898
00:51:22,300 --> 00:51:26,900
Sometimes wax tablets. 
Sometimes both using the tablets

899
00:51:26,900 --> 00:51:31,000
for rough drafts and copying the
better thoughts onto Papyrus for

900
00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:34,200
more permanent. 
Keeping the words flow from his 

901
00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:36,400
stylist as he tries to make 
sense of his life. 

902
00:51:37,200 --> 00:51:41,100
To find meaning in circumstances
that often feel meaningless to 

903
00:51:41,100 --> 00:51:43,400
maintain his grip on the stoic 
principles. 

904
00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:45,900
He learned decades ago in that 
Roman Garden. 

905
00:51:47,100 --> 00:51:50,000
These writings are completely 
private meditations. 

906
00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:53,400
He never imagined, they will be 
read by millions of people 

907
00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:57,000
across 2000 years of history, 
that they will be transmitted 

908
00:51:57,000 --> 00:52:00,200
into dozens of languages that 
they will become one of the 

909
00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:02,500
foundational texts of stoic 
philosophy. 

910
00:52:03,700 --> 00:52:07,400
He is simply talking to himself 
on paper, reminding himself of 

911
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:11,300
what he believes wrestling with 
the enormous gap between who he 

912
00:52:11,300 --> 00:52:15,400
wants to be, and who he actually
is in practice. 

913
00:52:16,900 --> 00:52:19,400
You read over a shoulder as he 
writes by Lamplight. 

914
00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:23,300
The flame flickers in drafts 
that penetrate the tent despite 

915
00:52:23,300 --> 00:52:26,900
its thick canvas outside. 
You can hear centuries calling 

916
00:52:26,900 --> 00:52:30,900
passwords to each other as they 
change, watch the distant lowing

917
00:52:30,900 --> 00:52:34,000
of cattle in the supply pain. 
The endless Whisper of the 

918
00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:37,700
Danube river flowing past the 
camp carrying snowmelt from 

919
00:52:37,708 --> 00:52:40,500
mountains Upstream toward the 
Black Sea Downstream. 

920
00:52:40,500 --> 00:52:44,300
The sounds of an army settling 
into another night of waiting 

921
00:52:44,300 --> 00:52:48,900
for tomorrow's uncertain events.
Marcus writes about mortality 

922
00:52:48,900 --> 00:52:51,800
with the focus of someone, who 
knows his own death approaches. 

923
00:52:52,700 --> 00:52:55,600
He notes that life is short and 
Death is certain for every 

924
00:52:55,600 --> 00:52:58,300
living thing. 
This observation does not 

925
00:52:58,300 --> 00:53:00,900
depress him or fill him with 
more bid. 

926
00:53:00,900 --> 00:53:05,100
Darkness Instead, it focuses his
attention sharply on what 

927
00:53:05,100 --> 00:53:09,300
actually matters in the limited 
time of available. if you truly 

928
00:53:09,300 --> 00:53:13,100
understood in your bones, how 
little time you have, would you 

929
00:53:13,100 --> 00:53:15,700
waste it on anger or Petty 
grievances? 

930
00:53:16,500 --> 00:53:20,100
Would you spend your days 
pursuing wealth and status and 

931
00:53:20,100 --> 00:53:22,500
the admiration of people? 
Whose opinions mean nothing? 

932
00:53:23,500 --> 00:53:25,600
Or would you focus on living 
according to Virtue? 

933
00:53:25,600 --> 00:53:29,600
Treating other people with 
kindness, using your reason to 

934
00:53:29,600 --> 00:53:32,700
understand the world as 
actually, is rather than as you 

935
00:53:32,700 --> 00:53:35,500
wish it to be. 
He writes about Duty with the 

936
00:53:35,500 --> 00:53:38,500
conviction of someone who did 
not choose his responsibilities,

937
00:53:38,500 --> 00:53:42,600
but has accepted them anyway. 
You did not choose to be born 

938
00:53:42,600 --> 00:53:45,400
into a particular family at a 
particular time in a particular 

939
00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:48,000
place. 
You did not choose to become 

940
00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:51,700
emperor, who did not ask for 
plague or war or any of the 

941
00:53:51,700 --> 00:53:53,600
crises that have defined your 
Reign. 

942
00:53:53,600 --> 00:53:56,900
But you are here. 
The universe has placed certain 

943
00:53:56,900 --> 00:54:00,500
responsibilities in your path. 
Running from Duty makes you less

944
00:54:00,500 --> 00:54:04,100
than fully Human animals. 
Flee from discomfort toward 

945
00:54:04,100 --> 00:54:08,000
pleasure Humans can choose to 
face difficulty because reason 

946
00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:11,800
tells them it is right? 
He writes extent of about other 

947
00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:14,200
people and how to deal with a 
frustration. 

948
00:54:14,200 --> 00:54:18,300
They inevitably cause Most 
humans are fools who chase after

949
00:54:18,300 --> 00:54:21,300
foolish things. 
They value money over wisdom 

950
00:54:21,300 --> 00:54:24,400
pleasure. 
Over virtue reputation over 

951
00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:26,800
actual goodness. 
Their opinions about your 

952
00:54:26,800 --> 00:54:29,400
worthless because they are 
judging based on stupid 

953
00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:32,300
criteria. 
But there are essential humanity

954
00:54:32,300 --> 00:54:35,800
is not worthless. 
They are part of the same Cosmic

955
00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:39,100
order that you inhabit. 
You have an obligation to treat 

956
00:54:39,100 --> 00:54:42,100
them with patience and 
understanding even when they 

957
00:54:42,100 --> 00:54:44,600
irritate you Beyond Your 
Capacity for endurance. 

958
00:54:45,500 --> 00:54:48,600
When someone wrongs you remember
that they are acting according 

959
00:54:48,600 --> 00:54:52,100
to their own nature pursuing. 
What they mistakenly believe is 

960
00:54:52,100 --> 00:54:54,700
good. 
You cannot change their nature. 

961
00:54:54,700 --> 00:54:57,300
You can only control your own 
response. 

962
00:54:58,100 --> 00:55:01,200
He writes about the universe 
itself and the stoic conception 

963
00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:06,800
of cosmic order. stoics believed
in a rational Cosmos, a universe

964
00:55:06,800 --> 00:55:10,500
governed by Divine reason that 
humans can access through their 

965
00:55:10,500 --> 00:55:14,700
own capacity for rational 
thought Everything that happens 

966
00:55:14,700 --> 00:55:17,500
is part of a larger pattern that
serves purposes Beyond 

967
00:55:17,500 --> 00:55:22,800
individual human understanding. 
disease, death war suffering, 

968
00:55:22,800 --> 00:55:27,200
all of it, fits into a cosmic 
plan Some of it results from 

969
00:55:27,200 --> 00:55:30,700
Human foolishness and could be 
avoided with better choices. 

970
00:55:31,600 --> 00:55:34,800
But much of it is simply nature 
operating according to its laws.

971
00:55:35,600 --> 00:55:39,300
The wise person accepts this 
reality and does not rage 

972
00:55:39,300 --> 00:55:42,400
against fate like a child, 
having a tantrum because the 

973
00:55:42,400 --> 00:55:46,000
weather does not suit. 
His preference is these ideas 

974
00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:48,600
provide markers with a framework
for enduring. 

975
00:55:48,600 --> 00:55:51,700
What would otherwise be cycle? 
Logically unendurable. 

976
00:55:52,700 --> 00:55:56,100
The war drags on year after year
with no clear resolution in 

977
00:55:56,100 --> 00:55:58,600
sight. 
The play continues to kill 

978
00:55:58,600 --> 00:56:01,700
Romans and Germans alike. 
Not caring about political 

979
00:56:01,700 --> 00:56:03,300
boundaries or military 
strategies. 

980
00:56:03,300 --> 00:56:08,100
His own health, begins failing 
in noticeable ways he developed 

981
00:56:08,100 --> 00:56:10,900
severe stomach problems that 
leave him weak and in constant 

982
00:56:10,900 --> 00:56:14,200
pain he can no longer eat the 
same food as his soldiers. 

983
00:56:14,200 --> 00:56:17,400
He survives on Bland porridge 
and boiled vegetables. 

984
00:56:17,400 --> 00:56:20,400
Anything that will not trigger 
his digestive issues. 

985
00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:23,800
His joints ache from The Damp 
climate and too many nights 

986
00:56:23,800 --> 00:56:26,400
sleeping on hard, surfaces and 
cold tents. 

987
00:56:27,100 --> 00:56:29,900
He's aging rapidly under the 
accumulated stress. 

988
00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:34,200
But he continues writing despite
the physical discomfort and 

989
00:56:34,200 --> 00:56:37,500
mental exhaustion. 
The practice helps him, maintain

990
00:56:37,500 --> 00:56:40,600
some measure of sanity and 
circumstances, that would drive.

991
00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:44,800
Many people mad When the 
external World feels chaotic and

992
00:56:44,800 --> 00:56:48,200
meaningless, he can create 
meaning through his own thoughts

993
00:56:48,200 --> 00:56:51,700
and actions. 
No, external circumstance can 

994
00:56:51,700 --> 00:56:54,900
take away his ability to reason 
to choose virtue. 

995
00:56:54,900 --> 00:56:58,500
Over Vice, to remain true to 
what he believed, even when 

996
00:56:58,500 --> 00:57:01,500
everyone around him, abandoned 
principal convenient. 

997
00:57:02,400 --> 00:57:05,200
You watch him work through a 
particularly difficult, passage 

998
00:57:05,200 --> 00:57:08,600
about fear and death. 
He notes that we fear death 

999
00:57:08,600 --> 00:57:11,900
because we imagine it as a 
terrible thing, an Ending full 

1000
00:57:11,900 --> 00:57:16,000
of pain and loss and darkness. 
But death is simply the 

1001
00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:18,800
dissolution of the elements that
temporarily formed your physical

1002
00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:21,200
body. 
Those elements will return to 

1003
00:57:21,200 --> 00:57:24,300
the universe and eventually be 
recombined into new forms. 

1004
00:57:24,300 --> 00:57:29,100
Nothing is truly destroyed in 
nature only transformed from one

1005
00:57:29,100 --> 00:57:33,000
configuration to another. 
Understanding this should free 

1006
00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:34,600
you from the terror of 
mortality. 

1007
00:57:35,600 --> 00:57:38,600
But understanding intellectually
and feeling emotionally a 

1008
00:57:38,600 --> 00:57:42,200
different things, Marcus admits 
in his private writing that he 

1009
00:57:42,200 --> 00:57:45,000
is still afraid of death despite
all his philosophy. 

1010
00:57:46,100 --> 00:57:50,700
Fear lives in his chest. 
Cold weight that no amount of 

1011
00:57:50,700 --> 00:57:52,800
rational thinking completely 
removed. 

1012
00:57:54,000 --> 00:57:56,800
But stoicism does not promise 
the absence of difficult 

1013
00:57:56,800 --> 00:57:59,400
emotions. 
It offers a framework for 

1014
00:57:59,400 --> 00:58:02,300
managing them. 
You can acknowledge fear without

1015
00:58:02,300 --> 00:58:06,200
letting it control your choices.
You can feel grief without being

1016
00:58:06,200 --> 00:58:09,900
destroyed by it, you can 
experience anger without acting 

1017
00:58:09,900 --> 00:58:13,600
on it destructively. 
The philosophy, he practices is 

1018
00:58:13,600 --> 00:58:17,200
not just intellectual exercise 
or abstract theorizing, it is 

1019
00:58:17,200 --> 00:58:20,800
survival tool for maintaining 
human dignity under in human 

1020
00:58:20,800 --> 00:58:23,700
conditions. 
Without these beliefs to Anchor 

1021
00:58:23,700 --> 00:58:26,400
him, the weight of ruling during
constant crisis. 

1022
00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:29,700
Might break him entirely like 
turning him into the kind of 

1023
00:58:29,700 --> 00:58:32,000
tyrant, who response to 
suffering by causing more 

1024
00:58:32,000 --> 00:58:35,200
suffering. 
His wife faustina visits the 

1025
00:58:35,200 --> 00:58:38,600
camp occasionally when the 
military situation permits and 

1026
00:58:38,600 --> 00:58:40,500
the journey is not impossibly 
dangerous. 

1027
00:58:41,600 --> 00:58:44,500
She travels North through 
territory only recently secured 

1028
00:58:44,500 --> 00:58:47,700
accompanied by substantial 
military escort. 

1029
00:58:48,500 --> 00:58:52,400
The trip is difficult for her 
days of hard traveling and 

1030
00:58:52,400 --> 00:58:55,800
carriages over rough roads 
sleeping in military weigh 

1031
00:58:55,800 --> 00:58:57,400
stations, that offer minimal 
comfort. 

1032
00:58:58,400 --> 00:59:00,800
But she comes anyway, because 
Marcus needs her presence. 

1033
00:59:00,800 --> 00:59:03,800
Needs the connection, to someone
who knew him before. 

1034
00:59:03,800 --> 00:59:07,000
All this started, They walked 
together along the camp 

1035
00:59:07,000 --> 00:59:10,000
perimeter when she arrives 
talking quietly about their 

1036
00:59:10,000 --> 00:59:13,600
children back in Rome about the 
city itself and whether things 

1037
00:59:13,600 --> 00:59:15,900
are functioning smoothly in the 
emperor's absence. 

1038
00:59:16,700 --> 00:59:19,800
About the war and whether it 
will ever truly end. 

1039
00:59:20,700 --> 00:59:24,200
Their relationship has a depth 
that outside is never see and 

1040
00:59:24,200 --> 00:59:26,100
historians. 
Will later fail to appreciate 

1041
00:59:26,100 --> 00:59:29,700
faustina is not the delicate 
Aristocrat. 

1042
00:59:29,700 --> 00:59:33,700
That Romans Society expects 
women of her class to be She is 

1043
00:59:33,700 --> 00:59:38,000
intelligent politically astute. 
tougher than her refined 

1044
00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:41,400
appearance suggests She 
understands the demands of 

1045
00:59:41,400 --> 00:59:43,600
public life. 
Perhaps better than Markus does.

1046
00:59:43,600 --> 00:59:47,800
She has been performing Imperial
Grace since childhood raised in 

1047
00:59:47,808 --> 00:59:50,400
the palace trained from birth 
for this role. 

1048
00:59:51,200 --> 00:59:53,700
They will have 13 children 
together over the course of 

1049
00:59:53,700 --> 00:59:56,700
their marriage. 
Only a handful Will Survive to 

1050
00:59:56,700 --> 00:59:59,600
adult hood each loss carves new 
lines. 

1051
00:59:59,600 --> 01:00:03,100
In their faces deepens. 
The shared grief, they carry 

1052
01:00:03,100 --> 01:00:07,100
through their public performance
is Romans expect strength from 

1053
01:00:07,100 --> 01:00:10,300
their Imperial, couple showing 
too much sorrow would be 

1054
01:00:10,300 --> 01:00:13,800
interpreted as weakness. 
So they smile through State 

1055
01:00:13,800 --> 01:00:16,700
functions and official 
ceremonies while privately 

1056
01:00:16,700 --> 01:00:18,500
mourning children who will never
grow up. 

1057
01:00:19,300 --> 01:00:21,500
Marcus writes about these losses
in his journal. 

1058
01:00:22,100 --> 01:00:25,300
He tries to apply stoic 
principles to the most painful 

1059
01:00:25,300 --> 01:00:29,000
experiences of human can endure.
Children are not possessions. 

1060
01:00:29,000 --> 01:00:33,500
You own their gifts, temporarily
entrusted to your care, the 

1061
01:00:33,500 --> 01:00:35,300
universe, can reclaim them at 
any moment. 

1062
01:00:35,300 --> 01:00:38,300
Understanding this should 
prepare you for loss. 

1063
01:00:39,100 --> 01:00:41,500
But understanding and feeling 
are not the same thing. 

1064
01:00:41,500 --> 01:00:47,400
The years accumulate like snow 
building on a mountain slope 170

1065
01:00:47,400 --> 01:00:53,300
becomes 175 becomes 180. 
Marcus's hair turns, completely 

1066
01:00:53,300 --> 01:00:56,400
gray, and then begins to thin 
noticeably. 

1067
01:00:57,200 --> 01:01:00,700
His face becomes whether from 
too much time outdoors in harsh 

1068
01:01:00,700 --> 01:01:04,400
climates. 
Skin roughened by wind, and sun 

1069
01:01:04,400 --> 01:01:07,700
and cold. 
He looks 20 years older than his

1070
01:01:07,700 --> 01:01:11,900
actual age worn down by 
responsibility and grief, and 

1071
01:01:11,900 --> 01:01:14,900
the constant grinding work of 
trying to hold things together. 

1072
01:01:16,000 --> 01:01:18,300
But the writing continues 
through all of it. 

1073
01:01:19,000 --> 01:01:22,800
Page after page of observations 
about how to live well, in a 

1074
01:01:22,800 --> 01:01:25,300
world that cares nothing for 
your comfort or preferences. 

1075
01:01:26,100 --> 01:01:28,800
How to maintain in a freedom 
when external circumstances, 

1076
01:01:28,800 --> 01:01:32,900
keep you chained to duty, how to
treat other people with 

1077
01:01:32,900 --> 01:01:36,500
kindness, even when exhausted 
beyond measure and surrounded by

1078
01:01:36,500 --> 01:01:39,500
fools. 
How to accept mortality while 

1079
01:01:39,500 --> 01:01:41,800
still caring enough to do the 
work in front of you? 

1080
01:01:42,700 --> 01:01:45,900
He is creating a manual for 
himself on how to be human under

1081
01:01:45,900 --> 01:01:50,000
impossible conditions. fact that
it will eventually help millions

1082
01:01:50,000 --> 01:01:52,800
of other people struggling with 
their own impossible, conditions

1083
01:01:52,800 --> 01:01:57,500
isn't an accident of History, he
never intended or imagined He's 

1084
01:01:57,500 --> 01:02:01,800
just trying to survive with some
shred of Integrity intact to 

1085
01:02:01,800 --> 01:02:03,700
make it through each day. 
Without betraying the 

1086
01:02:03,700 --> 01:02:06,300
principles. 
He learned in that Garden so 

1087
01:02:06,300 --> 01:02:08,900
many years ago when he was young
and everything still seemed 

1088
01:02:08,900 --> 01:02:11,000
possible. 
You're standing on the banks of 

1089
01:02:11,000 --> 01:02:16,000
the Danube in the year. 178 the 
river runs, gray, and cold, 

1090
01:02:16,000 --> 01:02:20,300
under a sky that promises snow 
before nightfall, ice forms at 

1091
01:02:20,300 --> 01:02:23,200
the edges where the current 
moves slowly thin sheets, that 

1092
01:02:23,200 --> 01:02:27,300
will thicken as winter. 
Deepens, Marcus, Aurelius is 57 

1093
01:02:27,300 --> 01:02:29,600
years old. 
He's been fighting this war for 

1094
01:02:29,600 --> 01:02:32,700
nearly a decade with only 
occasional returns to Rome for 

1095
01:02:32,700 --> 01:02:35,700
administrative Necessities, that
cannot be handled through 

1096
01:02:35,700 --> 01:02:38,800
correspondence. 
The campaign season has just 

1097
01:02:38,800 --> 01:02:41,800
ended. 
Winter makes military operations

1098
01:02:41,800 --> 01:02:44,100
in Practical and dangerous 
soldiers. 

1099
01:02:44,100 --> 01:02:46,400
Cannot March effectively through
deep snow. 

1100
01:02:47,200 --> 01:02:50,200
Supply lines become unreliable. 
When roads are impossible. 

1101
01:02:50,200 --> 01:02:53,300
The cold kills is officially as 
any enemy. 

1102
01:02:54,100 --> 01:02:57,100
So the legions of withdrawn to 
their winter camps to wait for 

1103
01:02:57,100 --> 01:03:00,700
spring when the cycle of 
marching and fighting and dying 

1104
01:03:00,700 --> 01:03:04,000
and resume. 
Markus does not return to Rome 

1105
01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:06,200
this year. 
He stays with the Army, in their

1106
01:03:06,200 --> 01:03:10,100
winter quarters, sharing their 
discomfort, proving through his 

1107
01:03:10,100 --> 01:03:13,200
physical presence that, an 
emperor can endure what he asks 

1108
01:03:13,200 --> 01:03:17,200
his soldiers to endure. 
This decision carries symbolic 

1109
01:03:17,200 --> 01:03:21,300
weight that the legionaries 
understand and appreciate many, 

1110
01:03:21,300 --> 01:03:24,500
previous Emperors conducted Wars
from a comfortable distance, 

1111
01:03:24,500 --> 01:03:28,200
sending orders to generals while
enjoying Palace luxuries. 

1112
01:03:29,500 --> 01:03:33,300
Marcus has spent years living in
military camps, eating camp, 

1113
01:03:33,300 --> 01:03:37,400
food sleeping in campaign tents.
Exposing himself to the same 

1114
01:03:37,400 --> 01:03:40,000
dangers and privations as common
soldiers. 

1115
01:03:41,300 --> 01:03:43,700
The winter camps spreads across 
a hillside overlooking. 

1116
01:03:43,700 --> 01:03:48,200
The river protected by earthwork
walls and wooden Palisades that 

1117
01:03:48,200 --> 01:03:50,500
the soldiers of reinforced 
against attack. 

1118
01:03:51,500 --> 01:03:54,600
Smoke rises from hundreds of 
cooking fires scattered 

1119
01:03:54,600 --> 01:03:57,600
throughout the camp. 
The smell of roasting meat and 

1120
01:03:57,600 --> 01:04:00,000
baking bread. 
Mingles with the sharp Ascent of

1121
01:04:00,008 --> 01:04:03,800
latrine pits that never quite 
stop smelling to spite the 

1122
01:04:03,800 --> 01:04:05,300
soldiers. 
Best efforts at maintenance. 

1123
01:04:07,000 --> 01:04:10,200
The odor of Horsemen newer from 
the Cavalry Stables ads and 

1124
01:04:10,200 --> 01:04:13,100
other layer. 
Life in a Roman military Camp 

1125
01:04:13,100 --> 01:04:15,800
operates according to strict 
routine that continues 

1126
01:04:15,800 --> 01:04:17,900
regardless of whether or 
circumstances. 

1127
01:04:19,000 --> 01:04:21,100
Drills in the morning to keep 
combat skills. 

1128
01:04:21,100 --> 01:04:25,300
Sharp maintenance of equipment, 
so that armor weapons and tools 

1129
01:04:25,300 --> 01:04:28,400
remain functional construction, 
projects to strengthen 

1130
01:04:28,400 --> 01:04:30,600
fortifications or build new 
structures. 

1131
01:04:30,600 --> 01:04:34,200
Endless small tasks that keep an
army ready to fight. 

1132
01:04:34,200 --> 01:04:37,700
Rather than letting soldiers 
grow soft and undisciplined 

1133
01:04:37,700 --> 01:04:41,900
during an active periods. 
Marcus walks through the camp 

1134
01:04:41,900 --> 01:04:44,400
each day despite the cold that 
makes his joints. 

1135
01:04:44,400 --> 01:04:47,200
Ache, worse than usual, his body
protests. 

1136
01:04:47,200 --> 01:04:50,600
These inspections with pain that
radiates through his knees and 

1137
01:04:50,600 --> 01:04:54,300
hips and lower back. 
His stomach problems have worsen

1138
01:04:54,300 --> 01:04:57,900
to the point where he can barely
tolerate any food he survives on

1139
01:04:57,900 --> 01:05:00,500
Bland porridge. 
That does not aggravate his 

1140
01:05:00,500 --> 01:05:03,000
condition. 
Occasionally supplemented with 

1141
01:05:03,000 --> 01:05:06,400
boiled vegetables if they are 
available and soft enough not to

1142
01:05:06,400 --> 01:05:09,100
cause problems. 
The rich military rations that 

1143
01:05:09,100 --> 01:05:11,500
sustain the soldiers are 
impossible for him now. 

1144
01:05:11,500 --> 01:05:15,300
His body has become a rebellious
province that refuses to obey 

1145
01:05:15,300 --> 01:05:18,900
orders but he makes himself 
visible to the Troops anywhere. 

1146
01:05:19,800 --> 01:05:22,900
The men need to see that their 
Emperor has not abandoned them 

1147
01:05:22,900 --> 01:05:25,600
to fight alone while he retreats
to safety and comfort. 

1148
01:05:26,500 --> 01:05:28,600
He stops to watch A Century of 
soldiers. 

1149
01:05:28,600 --> 01:05:31,600
Practicing with their javelin's 
in an open area of the camp. 

1150
01:05:32,500 --> 01:05:35,900
The men wear heavy wall, cloaks 
against the cold breath making 

1151
01:05:35,900 --> 01:05:39,000
clouds in the Frozen. 
Are they throw their weapons at 

1152
01:05:39,000 --> 01:05:42,500
Targets made of bundle straw and
wood the iron points making 

1153
01:05:42,500 --> 01:05:46,800
solid thunking sails on impact 
Their techniques are practiced 

1154
01:05:46,800 --> 01:05:49,600
and efficient. 
These are professional soldiers 

1155
01:05:49,600 --> 01:05:52,100
who have trained for years to 
master their craft. 

1156
01:05:52,900 --> 01:05:56,700
The Centurion in charge of the 
drill notices, the emperor 

1157
01:05:56,700 --> 01:06:00,400
watching from a respectful 
distance, he barks an order and 

1158
01:06:00,400 --> 01:06:04,400
the men come to rigid attention,
phylums, held vertically beside 

1159
01:06:04,400 --> 01:06:07,800
their bodies, Marcus waves, his 
hand in a gesture that says, 

1160
01:06:07,800 --> 01:06:11,200
continue what you were doing, do
not interrupt your training for 

1161
01:06:11,200 --> 01:06:15,100
Ceremony, the soldiers returned 
to their practice, though their 

1162
01:06:15,100 --> 01:06:17,300
movements become slightly more 
self-conscious. 

1163
01:06:17,300 --> 01:06:20,000
Now that they know they are 
being observed by the most 

1164
01:06:20,000 --> 01:06:23,900
powerful man in the Empire. 
This is leadership at its most 

1165
01:06:23,900 --> 01:06:25,900
fundamental and unglamorous 
level. 

1166
01:06:26,700 --> 01:06:30,100
Not Grand speeches in the senate
or dramatic gestures that 

1167
01:06:30,100 --> 01:06:33,800
historians will record. 
Just the simple Act of being 

1168
01:06:33,800 --> 01:06:37,700
present with your people of 
sharing the cold and the border,

1169
01:06:37,700 --> 01:06:40,200
and the endless gray days of 
waiting for spring. 

1170
01:06:41,000 --> 01:06:43,900
Of demonstrating through your 
physical body that you have not 

1171
01:06:43,900 --> 01:06:46,200
separated yourself from the 
collective suffering. 

1172
01:06:47,300 --> 01:06:50,300
Later in the afternoon, Marcus 
retreats to his headquarters 

1173
01:06:50,300 --> 01:06:51,900
building for some relief from 
the cold. 

1174
01:06:51,900 --> 01:06:55,000
The structure is more 
substantial than a campaign tent

1175
01:06:55,000 --> 01:06:57,200
but still sparkling by Palace 
standards. 

1176
01:06:57,900 --> 01:07:00,400
Stonewalls constructed by 
military engineers. 

1177
01:07:00,400 --> 01:07:03,000
Wooden floors that Creek 
underfoot. 

1178
01:07:03,800 --> 01:07:07,100
Fireplace that produces more 
smoke than heat despite the 

1179
01:07:07,100 --> 01:07:09,100
Builder's. 
Best efforts of proper chimney 

1180
01:07:09,100 --> 01:07:12,500
design. 
He sits at his desk wrapped in a

1181
01:07:12,508 --> 01:07:15,300
heavy cloak lined with wool and 
picks up his journal. 

1182
01:07:16,200 --> 01:07:17,800
The writing comes harder now 
than it. 

1183
01:07:17,800 --> 01:07:22,200
Used to his hands shake from the
cold and from the progression of

1184
01:07:22,200 --> 01:07:27,200
whatever illness is slowly. 
Consuming him from within Stylus

1185
01:07:27,200 --> 01:07:29,400
feels heavy and fingers that 
have lost some of their 

1186
01:07:29,400 --> 01:07:32,800
dexterity. 
The words take longer to form on

1187
01:07:32,800 --> 01:07:35,500
the page. 
His thoughts still flow with 

1188
01:07:35,500 --> 01:07:39,300
their usual philosophical depth.
A transcribing them requires 

1189
01:07:39,300 --> 01:07:41,800
more effort and concentration 
than it once did. 

1190
01:07:42,600 --> 01:07:45,700
But he persists because the 
practice has become essential to

1191
01:07:45,700 --> 01:07:49,100
his sense of who he is. 
Without the writing, he might 

1192
01:07:49,100 --> 01:07:52,200
lose track of himself entirely 
and the grinding Machinery of 

1193
01:07:52,200 --> 01:07:55,400
war and Empire. 
He writes about time and 

1194
01:07:55,400 --> 01:07:58,900
mortality with the focus of 
someone who can feel his own 

1195
01:07:58,900 --> 01:08:02,000
death approaching. 
Another year has passed and 

1196
01:08:02,000 --> 01:08:05,100
disappeared into the past, like 
water flowing over Stone's. 

1197
01:08:05,800 --> 01:08:09,200
How many more does he have? 
Not many, he suspects with 

1198
01:08:09,200 --> 01:08:12,700
Grimmer certainly. 
His body is failing in ways that

1199
01:08:12,700 --> 01:08:16,399
cannot be hidden or denied. 
The question is not, whether he 

1200
01:08:16,408 --> 01:08:18,700
will die soon, but whether he 
will die. 

1201
01:08:18,700 --> 01:08:22,600
Well, will he maintained his 
philosophical principles until 

1202
01:08:22,600 --> 01:08:26,700
the very end or will pain and 
fear erode the convictions? 

1203
01:08:26,700 --> 01:08:29,899
He spent a Lifetime Building 
Will his last thoughts? 

1204
01:08:29,899 --> 01:08:34,100
Be a virtue and Cosmic order or 
will he die raging against fate?

1205
01:08:34,100 --> 01:08:37,500
Like any frightened, animal? 
The stoics believed that a good 

1206
01:08:37,508 --> 01:08:40,800
death is possible and even 
achievable with proper mental 

1207
01:08:40,800 --> 01:08:43,600
preparation. 
Not good in the sense of 

1208
01:08:43,600 --> 01:08:45,600
painless, or comfortable or 
prolonged. 

1209
01:08:46,399 --> 01:08:48,100
Good. 
In the sense of meeting your end

1210
01:08:48,100 --> 01:08:51,899
with courage and acceptance. 
Understanding that death is as 

1211
01:08:51,899 --> 01:08:53,899
natural as birth. 
There. 

1212
01:08:53,908 --> 01:08:57,899
The refusing to die makes as 
much sense as a leaf refusing to

1213
01:08:57,899 --> 01:09:03,200
fall from a tree in autumn Death
is part of the pattern, every 

1214
01:09:03,200 --> 01:09:07,000
living thing dies. fighting 
against this fundamental fact, 

1215
01:09:07,000 --> 01:09:10,800
is pointless and exhausting 
Marcus tests his own beliefs 

1216
01:09:10,800 --> 01:09:13,100
against his actual feelings, 
with ruthless honesty. 

1217
01:09:13,100 --> 01:09:16,700
He is afraid of death despite 
all his philosophy and years of 

1218
01:09:16,700 --> 01:09:20,800
meditation. 
The fear lives in his chest a 

1219
01:09:20,800 --> 01:09:22,700
cold. 
Wait that no amount of rational 

1220
01:09:22,700 --> 01:09:26,700
thinking completely removed. 
His stomach clenches when he 

1221
01:09:26,700 --> 01:09:30,200
thinks too directly about not 
existing about the world 

1222
01:09:30,200 --> 01:09:34,100
continuing without him about all
his knowledge and experience 

1223
01:09:34,100 --> 01:09:38,300
simply Vanishing like smoke. 
But stoicism has never promised 

1224
01:09:38,300 --> 01:09:39,899
him, the absence of difficult 
emotions. 

1225
01:09:40,899 --> 01:09:43,600
It offers instead, a framework 
for managing those emotions 

1226
01:09:43,600 --> 01:09:45,800
without letting them control 
Behavior. 

1227
01:09:46,700 --> 01:09:49,000
You can acknowledge fear without
fleeing from it. 

1228
01:09:49,008 --> 01:09:52,300
You can feel the instinct to 
cling to life while still 

1229
01:09:52,300 --> 01:09:56,300
accepting that life must end. 
The war has reached a 

1230
01:09:56,300 --> 01:09:59,400
frustrating stale, mate, that 
feels almost designed to test 

1231
01:09:59,400 --> 01:10:02,100
his patience. 
The Romans have pushed the 

1232
01:10:02,100 --> 01:10:05,700
Germanic tribes back from the 
frontier, repeatedly inflicting 

1233
01:10:05,700 --> 01:10:07,500
casualties and reclaiming 
territory. 

1234
01:10:08,400 --> 01:10:11,900
But complete Victory remains 
perpetually Out Of Reach the 

1235
01:10:11,900 --> 01:10:13,700
enemy melts and to the vast 
forests. 

1236
01:10:13,700 --> 01:10:16,800
When pressed too hard 
disappearing into terrain where 

1237
01:10:16,800 --> 01:10:20,700
Roman Legions cannot effectively
pursue them, they returned when 

1238
01:10:20,700 --> 01:10:23,900
the pressure eases resuming 
their raids and incursions, 

1239
01:10:25,200 --> 01:10:28,200
Marcus suspend years of his 
remaining life, trying to solve 

1240
01:10:28,200 --> 01:10:31,200
a military problem, that may 
have no permanent solution 

1241
01:10:31,200 --> 01:10:35,300
fighting an enemy that refuses 
to stand still long enough to be

1242
01:10:35,300 --> 01:10:39,400
decisively defeated. 
Part of him wants to Simply 

1243
01:10:39,400 --> 01:10:43,400
declare Victory regardless of 
the actual situation and go home

1244
01:10:43,400 --> 01:10:47,400
to Rome returned to the Palace, 
enjoy, whatever time. 

1245
01:10:47,400 --> 01:10:51,100
He has left in relative Comfort.
Let someone else deal with these

1246
01:10:51,100 --> 01:10:54,800
endless Frontier troubles. 
The legions could hold the line.

1247
01:10:54,800 --> 01:10:57,800
Well, enough under competent, 
generals, his personal presence 

1248
01:10:57,800 --> 01:11:00,200
is not strictly necessary for 
basic defense. 

1249
01:11:01,100 --> 01:11:04,600
But Duty does not work that way.
Duty does not care about his 

1250
01:11:04,600 --> 01:11:07,100
fatigue or his legitimate desire
for rest. 

1251
01:11:07,100 --> 01:11:11,400
The job is not finished, the 
border is not truly secure 

1252
01:11:11,400 --> 01:11:13,900
leaving. 
Now would betray all the men who

1253
01:11:13,900 --> 01:11:16,600
have already died in this 
conflict would render their 

1254
01:11:16,600 --> 01:11:20,600
sacrifices, meaningless. 
So he stays through another 

1255
01:11:20,600 --> 01:11:23,700
brutal winter. 
Through another campaign season 

1256
01:11:23,700 --> 01:11:27,300
through another year of his 
steadily diminishing life spent 

1257
01:11:27,300 --> 01:11:30,900
in camps and battlefields far 
from anything, he actually 

1258
01:11:30,900 --> 01:11:35,500
enjoys or values. 
His son Commodus visits the camp

1259
01:11:35,500 --> 01:11:39,700
during this period arriving with
an escort of pretorian guards. 

1260
01:11:40,400 --> 01:11:42,800
Young man is now 18 years old. 
Nearly 19. 

1261
01:11:42,800 --> 01:11:46,700
Marcus has been grooming him for
years to eventually take power, 

1262
01:11:46,700 --> 01:11:50,200
though, this process fills the 
emperor with private anxiety 

1263
01:11:50,200 --> 01:11:52,600
that he shares only with his 
journal. 

1264
01:11:53,300 --> 01:11:55,900
Commodus does not share his 
father's philosophical 

1265
01:11:55,900 --> 01:11:57,800
inclinations or serious 
temperament. 

1266
01:11:58,800 --> 01:12:02,700
He prefers gladiatorial, combat 
and physical contest to books 

1267
01:12:02,700 --> 01:12:05,600
and meditation. 
He loves spectacle and 

1268
01:12:05,600 --> 01:12:09,400
attention, he is Brash where 
Marcus is measured impulsive, 

1269
01:12:09,400 --> 01:12:11,800
where Marcus is deliberate. 
Confident. 

1270
01:12:11,800 --> 01:12:16,100
Where Marcus is thoughtful. 
You watch Father and Son walk 

1271
01:12:16,100 --> 01:12:18,200
together along the camp 
perimeter, during one of 

1272
01:12:18,200 --> 01:12:22,900
Commodities visits, they make an
odd pairing, Marcus move slowly 

1273
01:12:22,900 --> 01:12:26,800
and carefully conserving his 
limited energy, each step 

1274
01:12:26,800 --> 01:12:31,000
requires conscious effort. 
Commodus tried to head with the 

1275
01:12:31,000 --> 01:12:34,900
careless Vitality of Youth and 
good health then has to pause 

1276
01:12:34,900 --> 01:12:36,600
and wait for his father to catch
up. 

1277
01:12:37,700 --> 01:12:40,500
Physical gap between the mirrors
deeper differences in 

1278
01:12:40,500 --> 01:12:43,700
temperament and values. 
They talk about the war and its 

1279
01:12:43,700 --> 01:12:46,700
progress, they discuss politics 
and Rome and the various 

1280
01:12:46,700 --> 01:12:48,200
factions competing for 
influence. 

1281
01:12:48,200 --> 01:12:52,200
They review reports about grain 
supplies and tax revenues and 

1282
01:12:52,200 --> 01:12:55,000
all the administrative details, 
that keep an Empire functioning 

1283
01:12:56,100 --> 01:12:58,200
Marcus tries to impart some 
wisdom about the 

1284
01:12:58,200 --> 01:13:02,300
responsibilities of power about 
how ruling means serving rather 

1285
01:13:02,300 --> 01:13:05,600
than being served about the 
importance of treating people, 

1286
01:13:05,600 --> 01:13:09,900
with basic dignity, regardless 
of their status, He explains 

1287
01:13:09,900 --> 01:13:13,400
that an Emperor's choice is 
affect millions of lives that 

1288
01:13:13,400 --> 01:13:16,600
decisions, May carelessly, or 
selfishly can cause suffering on

1289
01:13:16,600 --> 01:13:19,100
scales that ordinary people 
cannot imagine. 

1290
01:13:20,100 --> 01:13:23,400
Commodus listens with a polite, 
but glazed expression of a young

1291
01:13:23,400 --> 01:13:25,300
man who thinks he already knows 
everything important. 

1292
01:13:26,500 --> 01:13:30,200
He nods at appropriate moments. 
He asks, questions that sound 

1293
01:13:30,200 --> 01:13:32,800
engaged, but reveal how little 
he is absorbed. 

1294
01:13:33,600 --> 01:13:36,600
The conversation leaves Marcus 
feeling, profoundly Melancholy. 

1295
01:13:36,600 --> 01:13:40,000
He is preparing to hand, the 
Empire to someone who may not be

1296
01:13:40,000 --> 01:13:42,200
ready for it. 
Who may not understand what 

1297
01:13:42,200 --> 01:13:45,700
redness even means. 
But what realistic alternative 

1298
01:13:45,700 --> 01:13:48,900
exists. 
System of adoption, that brought

1299
01:13:48,900 --> 01:13:52,600
Marcus to power worked because 
specific circumstances allowed 

1300
01:13:52,600 --> 01:13:57,100
it? 
Hadrian chose and Nina's chose 

1301
01:13:57,100 --> 01:13:59,800
Markus. 
Both decisions were possible 

1302
01:13:59,800 --> 01:14:01,900
because neither man had a 
biological son. 

1303
01:14:01,900 --> 01:14:05,300
Who expected to inherit? 
But Marcus does have a 

1304
01:14:05,308 --> 01:14:09,200
biological son. 
Roman society expects Commodus 

1305
01:14:09,200 --> 01:14:12,200
to become emperor. 
Passing over him in favor of a 

1306
01:14:12,200 --> 01:14:14,100
more qualified candidate from 
outside. 

1307
01:14:14,100 --> 01:14:16,600
The family, would likely trigger
Civil War. 

1308
01:14:17,600 --> 01:14:20,600
The Empire cannot afford, that 
kind of instability and 

1309
01:14:20,600 --> 01:14:24,600
bloodshed. so Marcus must 
prepare Commodus as best he can,

1310
01:14:24,600 --> 01:14:28,000
and hope the responsibility will
mature him in ways that tutoring

1311
01:14:28,000 --> 01:14:31,500
has not He returns to his 
quarters that evening as 

1312
01:14:31,500 --> 01:14:34,000
Darkness, settles over the camp,
like a heavy blanket. 

1313
01:14:35,100 --> 01:14:37,300
The fire in the half has burned 
down to Embers. 

1314
01:14:38,100 --> 01:14:41,500
He adds more would carefully. 
Coaxing the Flames back to life.

1315
01:14:41,500 --> 01:14:45,300
The warmth feels good on his 
aching joints and chilled skin. 

1316
01:14:45,300 --> 01:14:48,900
He sits in his usual. 
Chair wrapped in his cloak and 

1317
01:14:48,900 --> 01:14:51,700
stares Into the Fire for a long 
time before picking up his 

1318
01:14:51,700 --> 01:14:54,700
journal. 
The writing that night focuses 

1319
01:14:54,700 --> 01:14:58,800
on acceptance and control, he 
cannot control, whether Commodus

1320
01:14:58,800 --> 01:15:00,800
will become a good Emperor or a 
terrible one. 

1321
01:15:01,700 --> 01:15:05,100
He cannot control whether the 
war will end in Triumph or stale

1322
01:15:05,100 --> 01:15:09,100
mate or eventual defeat. 
Cannot control his own body's 

1323
01:15:09,100 --> 01:15:10,900
decline or the timing of his 
death. 

1324
01:15:11,600 --> 01:15:14,600
These things are Beyond his 
power, to determine the only 

1325
01:15:14,608 --> 01:15:16,500
thing. 
He truly controls is his own 

1326
01:15:16,500 --> 01:15:21,000
mind, his own responses, to 
circumstances his own choices 

1327
01:15:21,000 --> 01:15:23,800
about how to think and act 
within the constraints, imposed 

1328
01:15:23,800 --> 01:15:27,500
by reality. 
This is the core of stoic 

1329
01:15:27,500 --> 01:15:30,200
wisdom. 
Sternal events will happen 

1330
01:15:30,200 --> 01:15:33,600
according to their own logic. 
People will behave, according to

1331
01:15:33,608 --> 01:15:37,200
their Nature's, the universe 
will unfold according to laws, 

1332
01:15:37,200 --> 01:15:39,100
that can nothing for human 
preferences. 

1333
01:15:39,100 --> 01:15:42,500
You cannot change these facts 
but you can choose how you 

1334
01:15:42,500 --> 01:15:45,400
relate to them. 
You can maintain reason in the 

1335
01:15:45,408 --> 01:15:49,300
face of chaos, you can practice 
virtue, even when surrounded by 

1336
01:15:49,300 --> 01:15:52,600
Vice, you can meet difficulty 
with courage rather than 

1337
01:15:52,600 --> 01:15:56,100
despair. 
He writes until his hand cramps 

1338
01:15:56,100 --> 01:15:59,600
painfully and his eyes can no 
longer focus on the page. 

1339
01:16:00,300 --> 01:16:03,400
Then he extinguishes the lamp 
and lies down in the Darkness. 

1340
01:16:04,700 --> 01:16:09,400
Sleep comes slowly as it usually
does now. his mind continues 

1341
01:16:09,400 --> 01:16:12,600
working through problems and 
questions even as his body tries

1342
01:16:12,600 --> 01:16:17,100
to rest, The campus quiet around
him, except for the usual night 

1343
01:16:17,100 --> 01:16:20,000
sound. 
Sentries, walking, their Roots, 

1344
01:16:20,000 --> 01:16:23,600
occasional Winnie, from the 
horse lines, The Whisper Of Wind

1345
01:16:23,600 --> 01:16:28,400
Through The Wooden Palace aides.
Outside, snow begins to fall. 

1346
01:16:29,400 --> 01:16:33,300
First flights drift passed, his 
window illuminated, briefly by 

1347
01:16:33,300 --> 01:16:35,800
the dying firelight before 
disappearing Into the Night. 

1348
01:16:36,800 --> 01:16:40,500
The Danube flows on just beyond 
the camp walls in different to 

1349
01:16:40,500 --> 01:16:43,600
Empires and Emperors, and the 
tiny human dramas playing out 

1350
01:16:43,600 --> 01:16:46,700
along its banks. 
The river has been here long 

1351
01:16:46,700 --> 01:16:50,500
before Rome existed, it will 
continue long, after Rome Falls 

1352
01:16:50,500 --> 01:16:54,000
to ruins. 
Marcus lies in the darkness 

1353
01:16:54,000 --> 01:16:58,200
feeling every one of his 57 
years and his bones and joints 

1354
01:16:58,200 --> 01:17:00,700
and stomach. 
Tomorrow will bring more of the 

1355
01:17:00,700 --> 01:17:04,500
same challenges, more decisions 
about troop movements and supply

1356
01:17:04,500 --> 01:17:09,100
routes, more reports about 
skirmishes, and casualties, more

1357
01:17:09,100 --> 01:17:12,300
opportunities to act. 
According to reason, or to fail 

1358
01:17:12,300 --> 01:17:16,400
in the attempt, he is tired in 
ways that sleep cannot fix. 

1359
01:17:16,400 --> 01:17:20,900
But fatigue is not an excuse to 
abandon Duty or compromised 

1360
01:17:20,900 --> 01:17:24,100
principles. 
The stoic ideal is not to be 

1361
01:17:24,100 --> 01:17:27,500
superhuman or to transcend human
limitations. 

1362
01:17:27,500 --> 01:17:31,400
It is to remain fully human 
under conditions that would 

1363
01:17:31,400 --> 01:17:35,600
dehumanize most people. 
To maintain compassion, when 

1364
01:17:35,600 --> 01:17:39,700
surrounded by violence. 
To preserve reason, when chaos 

1365
01:17:39,700 --> 01:17:43,000
threatened. 
To practice virtue, when Vice 

1366
01:17:43,000 --> 01:17:45,500
would be easier, and more 
rewarding in the short term. 

1367
01:17:46,500 --> 01:17:49,900
Marcus is a tempting, this 
impossible task in real time 

1368
01:17:49,900 --> 01:17:53,600
under impossible conditions, 
whether he succeeds is almost 

1369
01:17:53,600 --> 01:17:56,600
beside the point. 
The attempt is what matters. 

1370
01:17:56,600 --> 01:18:00,700
You're in the year? 
100 and 179 though, the specific

1371
01:18:00,700 --> 01:18:04,100
date matters less than the 
accumulated weight of all the 

1372
01:18:04,100 --> 01:18:07,400
days that came before. 
Spring has returned to the 

1373
01:18:07,400 --> 01:18:10,100
Danube Frontier. 
After another punishing winter, 

1374
01:18:10,100 --> 01:18:14,500
the snow is melted into mud. 
That sucks at boots and makes 

1375
01:18:14,500 --> 01:18:17,400
every movement through the camp 
require extra effort. 

1376
01:18:18,600 --> 01:18:23,700
Marcus Aurelius is 58 years old.
His body continues its slow, but

1377
01:18:23,708 --> 01:18:25,500
inexorable Rebellion against 
him. 

1378
01:18:26,500 --> 01:18:30,000
The morning routine has become 
ritual so ingrained that Marcus 

1379
01:18:30,000 --> 01:18:32,100
could perform it in complete 
darkness. 

1380
01:18:32,100 --> 01:18:36,400
He wakes Before Dawn, a habit 
developed over Decades of 

1381
01:18:36,400 --> 01:18:39,100
disciplined living that his 
aging body, no longer lets him 

1382
01:18:39,100 --> 01:18:40,900
break even when he wants more 
sleep. 

1383
01:18:41,700 --> 01:18:45,300
His joints protest immediately 
as he swings his legs out of bed

1384
01:18:45,300 --> 01:18:47,200
and plants his feet on the cold 
floor. 

1385
01:18:48,600 --> 01:18:51,800
The pain has become such a 
constant companion, that its 

1386
01:18:51,800 --> 01:18:53,600
absence would feel strange. 
Now. 

1387
01:18:54,500 --> 01:18:56,200
He does not complain about it 
loud. 

1388
01:18:56,200 --> 01:19:00,200
Complaining serves no useful 
purpose, except to burden other 

1389
01:19:00,200 --> 01:19:04,000
people with information. 
They cannot act upon He washes 

1390
01:19:04,000 --> 01:19:07,800
his face and cold water, from a 
bronze baseman, that a servant 

1391
01:19:07,800 --> 01:19:09,700
is filled and left beside his 
bed. 

1392
01:19:10,700 --> 01:19:13,500
The shock of it helps clear the 
fog of sleep and the grogginess 

1393
01:19:13,500 --> 01:19:16,100
that seems to cling to him more 
stubbornly each morning. 

1394
01:19:17,000 --> 01:19:20,100
His reflection in the polished 
metal mirror shows a man who 

1395
01:19:20,100 --> 01:19:23,200
looks ancient. 
Gray hair thin enough. 

1396
01:19:23,200 --> 01:19:26,800
That is scalp shows through in 
places deep lines. 

1397
01:19:26,800 --> 01:19:30,100
Carved into his face by years of
squinting at documents and 

1398
01:19:30,100 --> 01:19:34,500
frowning at bad news. 
Dark circles under eyes that 

1399
01:19:34,500 --> 01:19:37,700
have seen too much suffering. 
He looks away from the mirror. 

1400
01:19:38,400 --> 01:19:41,800
Vanity is a waste of time. 
A servant brings him his 

1401
01:19:41,800 --> 01:19:45,000
breakfast. 
The same Bland porridge that has

1402
01:19:45,000 --> 01:19:49,000
become his dietary staple. 
Barley cooked soft and mixed 

1403
01:19:49,000 --> 01:19:51,200
with a small amount of honey for
minimal flavor. 

1404
01:19:52,000 --> 01:19:57,000
Rich foods Meats, anything with 
strong spices, or Oils, all of 

1405
01:19:57,000 --> 01:19:58,700
these make his stomach problems 
worse. 

1406
01:19:59,500 --> 01:20:02,100
So he has learned through 
painful trial and error to find 

1407
01:20:02,108 --> 01:20:06,800
satisfaction in the Simplicity, 
the stoics would approve Needing

1408
01:20:06,800 --> 01:20:08,800
less makes you stronger than 
having more. 

1409
01:20:09,800 --> 01:20:13,800
After eating, he spends time in 
quiet contemplation before the 

1410
01:20:13,800 --> 01:20:18,100
days demands, flooding. 
Not prayer in the traditional 

1411
01:20:18,100 --> 01:20:21,800
religious sense of asking the 
gods for favors the stoics 

1412
01:20:21,800 --> 01:20:24,600
believed that Divine exists, but
does not intervene in human 

1413
01:20:24,600 --> 01:20:28,100
Affairs. 
Based on requests, Rather this 

1414
01:20:28,100 --> 01:20:32,200
is a kind of mental preparation 
for the challenges ahead, he 

1415
01:20:32,200 --> 01:20:34,600
thinks through the principles, 
he wants to live by today. 

1416
01:20:34,600 --> 01:20:38,100
He reminds himself that most 
things people worry about and 

1417
01:20:38,100 --> 01:20:40,300
not actually worth the energy 
spent worrying. 

1418
01:20:41,300 --> 01:20:45,400
He focuses his attention on what
he can actually control, which 

1419
01:20:45,400 --> 01:20:48,800
is primarily his own thoughts 
and reactions to events. 

1420
01:20:49,700 --> 01:20:52,300
This mental discipline is not 
easy and never becomes 

1421
01:20:52,300 --> 01:20:55,600
automatic. 
Despite Decades of practice his 

1422
01:20:55,600 --> 01:20:58,800
mind wants to wander toward 
anxiety, about the war that 

1423
01:20:58,800 --> 01:21:02,800
shows no signs of ending. 
Grief about children dead before

1424
01:21:02,800 --> 01:21:05,600
their time. 
Frustration with incompetent 

1425
01:21:05,600 --> 01:21:08,400
officials who make his job 
harder through their laziness or

1426
01:21:08,400 --> 01:21:12,400
corruption fear about his 
deteriorating health and 

1427
01:21:12,400 --> 01:21:16,200
approaching death. but he has 
trained himself over many years 

1428
01:21:16,200 --> 01:21:19,400
to notice when his thoughts 
spiral into unproductive 

1429
01:21:19,400 --> 01:21:23,500
territory and to gently redirect
them toward more useful channels

1430
01:21:24,800 --> 01:21:26,700
The stoic practice is 
emphatically. 

1431
01:21:26,700 --> 01:21:30,000
Not about suppressing emotions 
or pretending everything as fine

1432
01:21:30,000 --> 01:21:33,100
when it clearly is not. 
That would be dishonest and 

1433
01:21:33,100 --> 01:21:37,100
psychologically, harmful. it is 
instead about maintaining 

1434
01:21:37,100 --> 01:21:40,000
perspective on what deserves 
emotional energy and what does 

1435
01:21:40,000 --> 01:21:44,500
not Will this problem matter in 
100 years in 1,000? 

1436
01:21:44,500 --> 01:21:48,300
If not then why let it consume 
your limited time and mental 

1437
01:21:48,300 --> 01:21:51,600
resources? 
if yes, then respond with 

1438
01:21:51,600 --> 01:21:55,800
appropriate action, rather than 
useless distress, you follow him

1439
01:21:55,800 --> 01:21:58,000
through a typical day that 
reveals how philosophy 

1440
01:21:58,000 --> 01:21:59,800
translates into actual 
governance. 

1441
01:22:00,500 --> 01:22:03,800
He reviews reports from scouts 
about Germanic tribal movements 

1442
01:22:03,800 --> 01:22:07,000
across the river. 
The intelligence is fragmentary 

1443
01:22:07,000 --> 01:22:10,700
and often contradictory one 
report says the tribes are 

1444
01:22:10,700 --> 01:22:13,900
massing for a major offense of 
another says, they are fighting 

1445
01:22:13,900 --> 01:22:17,600
among themselves and pose no 
immediate threat. he must make 

1446
01:22:17,600 --> 01:22:21,300
decisions based on incomplete 
information, choosing how to 

1447
01:22:21,300 --> 01:22:24,500
deploy limited resources without
knowing whether he is responding

1448
01:22:24,500 --> 01:22:28,400
to a real danger or a fan to he 
meets with his generals to 

1449
01:22:28,400 --> 01:22:31,200
discuss tactical options for the
coming campaign season. 

1450
01:22:32,200 --> 01:22:34,700
These are hardened professional 
soldiers who have spent their 

1451
01:22:34,700 --> 01:22:38,400
entire adult lives in the army. 
They understand combat and 

1452
01:22:38,400 --> 01:22:41,600
Logistics better than Markus 
ever will despite his years in 

1453
01:22:41,600 --> 01:22:44,000
the field. 
But they also tend toward 

1454
01:22:44,000 --> 01:22:47,100
solutions that involve maximum 
application of force. 

1455
01:22:47,900 --> 01:22:51,100
The general, see every problem, 
as requiring military violence 

1456
01:22:51,100 --> 01:22:54,000
to solve. 
Marcus has to balance their 

1457
01:22:54,000 --> 01:22:56,500
aggressive instincts against 
political and economic 

1458
01:22:56,500 --> 01:22:59,600
realities. 
Endless campaigning exhausts, 

1459
01:22:59,600 --> 01:23:02,700
the treasury and depletes 
Manpower at some point. 

1460
01:23:02,700 --> 01:23:05,900
The Empire must find ways to 
secure the frontier that do not 

1461
01:23:05,900 --> 01:23:09,900
require constant Warfare. 
He adjudicates disputes between 

1462
01:23:09,900 --> 01:23:13,800
officers that could escalate 
into feuds damaging to unit, 

1463
01:23:13,800 --> 01:23:18,500
cohesion and effectiveness. 
Two centurions are arguing about

1464
01:23:18,500 --> 01:23:21,100
who deserves credit for a 
successful skirmish. 

1465
01:23:21,900 --> 01:23:24,600
Both men want the recognition 
that comes with victory. 

1466
01:23:25,500 --> 01:23:28,500
Marcus listens to each side, 
present their version of events.

1467
01:23:28,500 --> 01:23:33,500
He asks, clarifying questions. 
He tries to determine what 

1468
01:23:33,500 --> 01:23:36,400
actually happened versus what 
each man wants to have happened.

1469
01:23:37,400 --> 01:23:39,100
Eventually he makes a ruling 
that. 

1470
01:23:39,100 --> 01:23:42,400
Neither Centurion is entirely 
happy with, but both can accept.

1471
01:23:43,200 --> 01:23:47,100
This is the art of leadership, 
Perfect Solutions, rarely exist.

1472
01:23:47,100 --> 01:23:50,300
You aim for outcomes that 
minimize resentment, while 

1473
01:23:50,300 --> 01:23:54,100
maintaining basic fairness, he 
writes letter to the senate, in 

1474
01:23:54,100 --> 01:23:57,200
Roma about administrative 
matters that cannot wait for his

1475
01:23:57,200 --> 01:24:01,000
physical return. 
Tax policy question that require

1476
01:24:01,000 --> 01:24:04,300
Imperial approval. 
Request for funding for Public 

1477
01:24:04,300 --> 01:24:08,300
Works, projects legal reforms 
that Senators have proposed and 

1478
01:24:08,300 --> 01:24:11,900
want the empress endorsement or 
veto. he dictates these letters 

1479
01:24:11,900 --> 01:24:15,300
to scribes who write faster than
he can, though, he still reviews

1480
01:24:15,300 --> 01:24:18,700
and edits, the final text 
himself before applying his seal

1481
01:24:18,700 --> 01:24:21,900
every communication that leaves 
his office carries his 

1482
01:24:21,900 --> 01:24:26,000
authority, Carelessness can 
create problems that take months

1483
01:24:26,000 --> 01:24:29,200
to untangle. 
The work is tedious and seems 

1484
01:24:29,200 --> 01:24:32,600
endless each problem. 
He solves creates two more in 

1485
01:24:32,600 --> 01:24:35,800
ways that feel almost designed 
to frustrate any sense of 

1486
01:24:35,800 --> 01:24:39,200
progress. 
Each decision, he makes reveals 

1487
01:24:39,200 --> 01:24:41,600
new complications, he had not 
anticipated. 

1488
01:24:43,000 --> 01:24:46,100
Governing an Empire is like 
trying to sweep sand on a windy 

1489
01:24:46,100 --> 01:24:48,700
Beach. 
You can work constantly without 

1490
01:24:48,700 --> 01:24:53,000
ever truly finishing the task, 
but Markus finds meaning in the 

1491
01:24:53,000 --> 01:24:56,200
effort itself, rather than in 
achieving some perfect. 

1492
01:24:56,200 --> 01:24:58,900
End-state. 
He is not trying to create a 

1493
01:24:58,900 --> 01:25:01,300
Utopia or solve all human 
problems. 

1494
01:25:02,200 --> 01:25:04,700
That would be impossible and 
attempting, it would be foolish.

1495
01:25:05,400 --> 01:25:08,700
He simply trying to do his duty 
as competently as his limited 

1496
01:25:08,700 --> 01:25:12,200
abilities allow. 
The universe does not require 

1497
01:25:12,200 --> 01:25:16,200
him to succeed at everything or 
to achieve perfection in 

1498
01:25:16,200 --> 01:25:19,700
anything. 
Tony requires him to make honest

1499
01:25:19,700 --> 01:25:21,400
efforts. 
According to reason and virtue 

1500
01:25:21,400 --> 01:25:26,500
in the afternoon, he receives an
unexpected visitor a young 

1501
01:25:26,500 --> 01:25:28,300
officer. 
From one of the legions is 

1502
01:25:28,300 --> 01:25:29,900
requested an audience with the 
emperor. 

1503
01:25:30,600 --> 01:25:33,900
The request is unusual enough 
that Marcus's advisors approved 

1504
01:25:33,900 --> 01:25:37,500
it out of curiosity. 
The man stands at rigid 

1505
01:25:37,500 --> 01:25:40,800
attention in Marcus's office. 
Clearly nervous about being in 

1506
01:25:40,800 --> 01:25:42,200
the physical presence of 
someone. 

1507
01:25:42,200 --> 01:25:44,600
He normally only sees at a 
distance during formal 

1508
01:25:44,600 --> 01:25:48,300
inspections, Marcus gestures for
him to sit. 

1509
01:25:49,300 --> 01:25:53,200
Informality catches the officer 
completely off-guard Emperors. 

1510
01:25:53,200 --> 01:25:55,700
Do not usually invite Junior 
officers to sit in their 

1511
01:25:55,700 --> 01:25:58,900
presence as if they were equals.
There are protocols and 

1512
01:25:58,900 --> 01:26:02,400
hierarchies that everyone 
understands and follows, but 

1513
01:26:02,400 --> 01:26:05,700
Markus has never cared much 
unnecessary for Melody when it 

1514
01:26:05,700 --> 01:26:10,000
serves no practical purpose, the
officers, a human being who 

1515
01:26:10,000 --> 01:26:13,200
deserves basic respect and 
comfort, regardless of his rank 

1516
01:26:13,200 --> 01:26:17,300
in the military hierarchy, the 
young man hesitate, then, sit 

1517
01:26:17,300 --> 01:26:18,600
stiffly on the edge of his 
chair. 

1518
01:26:19,500 --> 01:26:21,400
He explains his concern in 
carefully. 

1519
01:26:21,400 --> 01:26:25,300
Chosen words, he has noticed 
problems with how supplies are 

1520
01:26:25,300 --> 01:26:26,800
being distributed within his 
Legion. 

1521
01:26:27,700 --> 01:26:30,500
Certain Centurion seem to be 
diverting Goods meant for the 

1522
01:26:30,500 --> 01:26:33,400
common soldiers and selling them
for personal profit. 

1523
01:26:34,300 --> 01:26:37,400
The corruption is not massive. 
In scale, not something that 

1524
01:26:37,400 --> 01:26:39,100
threatens the Army's overall 
function. 

1525
01:26:40,200 --> 01:26:43,400
But it bothers him. 
Deeply it violates the trust 

1526
01:26:43,400 --> 01:26:46,400
that should exist between 
leaders and those they lead. 

1527
01:26:47,100 --> 01:26:50,600
He felt he should report it to 
someone in authority. though, 

1528
01:26:50,600 --> 01:26:53,600
doing so puts him at serious 
risk of retaliation from the 

1529
01:26:53,600 --> 01:26:57,200
officers involved, they could 
make his life miserable in 

1530
01:26:57,200 --> 01:27:00,400
dozens of small ways that would 
never be visible to higher 

1531
01:27:00,400 --> 01:27:03,000
command. 
Marcus listens without 

1532
01:27:03,000 --> 01:27:05,300
interrupting until the officer 
finishes his account. 

1533
01:27:06,200 --> 01:27:09,400
Then he asks, several clarifying
questions designed to understand

1534
01:27:09,400 --> 01:27:13,500
the specific details rather than
just the general accusation. 

1535
01:27:14,600 --> 01:27:17,800
Who exactly is involved. 
What goods are being diverted? 

1536
01:27:17,800 --> 01:27:19,900
How long has this been 
happening? 

1537
01:27:20,700 --> 01:27:24,200
Has the officer discussed this 
with his immediate superiors if 

1538
01:27:24,200 --> 01:27:28,100
so what was their response? 
The conversation reveals 

1539
01:27:28,100 --> 01:27:31,600
Marcus's fundamental approach to
both Justice and Leadership. 

1540
01:27:31,600 --> 01:27:35,900
He believes in fairness, applied
consistently across all levels 

1541
01:27:35,900 --> 01:27:39,800
of society. 
Rich and poor powerful and weak.

1542
01:27:39,800 --> 01:27:43,100
All should be subject to the 
same ethical standards and legal

1543
01:27:43,100 --> 01:27:46,300
protections. 
This principle is not always 

1544
01:27:46,300 --> 01:27:49,600
achievable in practice, given 
political realities, and power 

1545
01:27:49,600 --> 01:27:53,200
imbalances compromise, often 
becomes necessary. 

1546
01:27:53,900 --> 01:27:56,700
But he tries to move toward 
Justice even when he cannot 

1547
01:27:56,700 --> 01:27:58,900
fully achieve it in any given 
situation. 

1548
01:27:58,900 --> 01:28:02,800
He thanks the young officer 
seriously for bringing them to 

1549
01:28:02,800 --> 01:28:05,800
his attention. 
He promises to investigate the 

1550
01:28:05,800 --> 01:28:09,500
allegations discreetly through 
channels that will not expose 

1551
01:28:09,500 --> 01:28:11,000
The Whistleblower to 
retaliation. 

1552
01:28:11,900 --> 01:28:14,800
He emphasizes that the Empire 
needs soldiers willing to speak 

1553
01:28:14,800 --> 01:28:18,800
truth to power even when doing 
so carries personal risk. 

1554
01:28:19,500 --> 01:28:22,200
The officer leaves looking both 
relieved, that he was taken 

1555
01:28:22,200 --> 01:28:26,200
seriously and slightly amazed 
that the emperor spent time on 

1556
01:28:26,200 --> 01:28:29,200
what many people would consider 
a minor administrative matter. 

1557
01:28:30,500 --> 01:28:34,100
After the man departs Marcus 
sits quietly from a moment 

1558
01:28:34,100 --> 01:28:35,700
before the next appointment 
arrives. 

1559
01:28:36,900 --> 01:28:39,400
He thinks about how easy it 
would be to ignore small 

1560
01:28:39,400 --> 01:28:43,100
Corruptions like this. 
The Empire is vast Beyond human 

1561
01:28:43,100 --> 01:28:46,100
comprehension. 
You cannot possibly police every

1562
01:28:46,100 --> 01:28:48,400
minor abuse that occurs in every
corner of it. 

1563
01:28:48,400 --> 01:28:52,100
Resources are limited attention 
is finite. 

1564
01:28:53,000 --> 01:28:56,300
Focusing on small problems means
neglecting larger ones. 

1565
01:28:57,100 --> 01:28:59,700
Many reasonable people would 
argue that an emperor should 

1566
01:28:59,700 --> 01:29:03,400
concern himself with grand 
strategy and major crises not 

1567
01:29:03,400 --> 01:29:05,900
with whether some centurions are
stealing from their men. 

1568
01:29:05,900 --> 01:29:09,300
But if you ignore small 
injustices because they seem 

1569
01:29:09,300 --> 01:29:13,100
insignificant compared to larger
problems, Where exactly do you 

1570
01:29:13,108 --> 01:29:16,200
draw the line? 
At what point does tolerance of 

1571
01:29:16,200 --> 01:29:19,000
minor wrongdoing, become 
complicity and systemic 

1572
01:29:19,000 --> 01:29:22,000
corruption. 
If leaders can steal from common

1573
01:29:22,000 --> 01:29:25,200
soldiers without consequence. 
What message does that? 

1574
01:29:25,200 --> 01:29:28,800
Send about the Empire's actual 
values versus its proclaimed 

1575
01:29:28,800 --> 01:29:31,800
principles? 
These are the kinds of questions

1576
01:29:31,800 --> 01:29:34,400
that occupy Marcus's mind 
constantly. 

1577
01:29:35,400 --> 01:29:39,200
There are no perfect answers of 
available only better and worse 

1578
01:29:39,200 --> 01:29:43,100
choices, made with imperfect 
information in situations. 

1579
01:29:43,100 --> 01:29:46,900
Where every option carries costs
that someone will have to pay as

1580
01:29:46,900 --> 01:29:48,900
evening approaches. 
He takes a walk through the 

1581
01:29:48,900 --> 01:29:50,900
camp, despite his physical 
discomfort. 

1582
01:29:51,900 --> 01:29:55,200
Movement helps his joints more 
than rest does paradoxical. 

1583
01:29:56,300 --> 01:29:58,500
The soldiers are finishing their
daily tasks. 

1584
01:29:58,500 --> 01:30:01,400
As the sun begins, its descent 
toward the west and Horizon. 

1585
01:30:02,700 --> 01:30:05,500
Smoke rises from cooking fires 
being prepared, for the evening 

1586
01:30:05,500 --> 01:30:07,900
meal. 
Smell of roasting meat. 

1587
01:30:07,900 --> 01:30:10,900
Makes Marcus's stomach. 
Turn on pleasantly but he 

1588
01:30:10,900 --> 01:30:14,800
breathes through the nausea. 
The discomfortable pass or it 

1589
01:30:14,800 --> 01:30:17,900
will not either way, he has 
other things, required his 

1590
01:30:17,900 --> 01:30:21,400
attention. 
A group of off-duty legionaries 

1591
01:30:21,400 --> 01:30:24,500
are playing dice near one of the
barracks gambling on outcomes 

1592
01:30:24,500 --> 01:30:28,300
with small copper coins. 
They noticed the emperor passing

1593
01:30:28,300 --> 01:30:30,900
and scramble to their feet in 
Hasty respect. 

1594
01:30:31,700 --> 01:30:34,600
Marcus tells them to continue 
their game and not to worry 

1595
01:30:34,600 --> 01:30:38,100
about ceremony. 
They do resume playing though. 

1596
01:30:38,100 --> 01:30:41,700
Their enjoyment is now muted. 
By self-consciousness about 

1597
01:30:41,700 --> 01:30:45,400
being observed by the most 
powerful man in the Empire. he 

1598
01:30:45,400 --> 01:30:48,400
wishes, he could restore their 
ease but recognizes that his 

1599
01:30:48,400 --> 01:30:51,700
mere presence changes, the 
atmosphere, whether he wants it 

1600
01:30:51,700 --> 01:30:55,200
to or not, This is one cost of 
leadership that no one 

1601
01:30:55,200 --> 01:30:58,700
discusses, you lose the ability 
to interact with people 

1602
01:30:58,700 --> 01:31:02,000
naturally everyone performs for 
you in stead of being 

1603
01:31:02,000 --> 01:31:05,800
themselves. 
He continues walking until he 

1604
01:31:05,800 --> 01:31:07,300
reaches the Camp's are 
overlooking. 

1605
01:31:07,300 --> 01:31:11,200
The river, the Danube flows 
wide, and dark reflecting the 

1606
01:31:11,200 --> 01:31:13,200
orange and pink light of the 
Setting Sun. 

1607
01:31:14,500 --> 01:31:17,600
Across the water lies territory 
that roamed does not control and

1608
01:31:17,600 --> 01:31:20,800
may never control. 
Forests where the Germanic 

1609
01:31:20,800 --> 01:31:24,100
tribes live according to their 
own Customs, unburned by 

1610
01:31:24,100 --> 01:31:27,600
Imperial, bureaucracy and 
Taxation, and all the Machinery 

1611
01:31:27,600 --> 01:31:30,100
of civilization that Romans 
considered a normal and 

1612
01:31:30,100 --> 01:31:34,100
necessary. 
Marcus sometimes envies them 

1613
01:31:34,108 --> 01:31:38,000
their freedom, though, he 
recognizes this Envy is probably

1614
01:31:38,000 --> 01:31:43,100
naive and romanticizes their 
actual conditions they faced 

1615
01:31:43,100 --> 01:31:47,200
their own hardships that he 
knows nothing about Survival in 

1616
01:31:47,200 --> 01:31:50,800
those forests is Harsh and 
uncertain. they do not spend 

1617
01:31:50,800 --> 01:31:53,900
their lives making decisions 
that affect millions of people 

1618
01:31:53,900 --> 01:31:57,500
they will never meet They do not
lie awake at night worrying 

1619
01:31:57,500 --> 01:32:00,400
about whether they have chosen 
correctly in situations where 

1620
01:32:00,400 --> 01:32:02,100
every choice leads to someone 
suffering. 

1621
01:32:02,100 --> 01:32:05,600
Their lives are smaller but 
perhaps more comprehensible 

1622
01:32:05,600 --> 01:32:09,100
because of that smallness. 
But this Envy is pointless, and 

1623
01:32:09,100 --> 01:32:13,400
indulgent, he is where 
circumstances of placed him, the

1624
01:32:13,400 --> 01:32:16,000
universe gave him this role to 
play in The Cosmic drama. 

1625
01:32:16,900 --> 01:32:19,900
His task is to fulfill his 
assigned part, as well as his 

1626
01:32:19,900 --> 01:32:23,000
abilities permit. 
Not to wish he had been cast in 

1627
01:32:23,000 --> 01:32:26,200
a different role entirely. 
Wishing you, were someone else 

1628
01:32:26,200 --> 01:32:28,800
or somewhere else is a waste of 
the finite time. 

1629
01:32:28,800 --> 01:32:33,000
You've been given to be yourself
in the specific place. he 

1630
01:32:33,000 --> 01:32:36,200
returns to his quarters as 
Darkness, settles over the camp 

1631
01:32:36,200 --> 01:32:40,400
like a heavy, Woolen blanket, He
likes his oil lamb and opens his

1632
01:32:40,408 --> 01:32:44,300
journal to the next blank page. 
The Familiar weight of the 

1633
01:32:44,300 --> 01:32:47,700
stylus in his hand, brings a 
sense of comfort and grounding. 

1634
01:32:48,500 --> 01:32:52,700
This is his truest in many ways,
not the emperor, performing for 

1635
01:32:52,708 --> 01:32:56,100
senators and soldiers, but the 
private man thinking through 

1636
01:32:56,100 --> 01:32:58,700
problems, in writing meant only 
for his own eyes. 

1637
01:32:59,500 --> 01:33:03,200
He writes about the persistent 
gap between philosophical Theory

1638
01:33:03,200 --> 01:33:06,500
and actual practice. 
Stoic philosophy. 

1639
01:33:06,500 --> 01:33:08,100
Sounds, beautiful and 
achievable. 

1640
01:33:08,100 --> 01:33:10,400
When you read it in books or 
discuss it in comfortable 

1641
01:33:10,400 --> 01:33:15,100
settings. 
Be rational accept fate treat 

1642
01:33:15,100 --> 01:33:19,000
others with kindness maintain 
perspective on what matters, 

1643
01:33:19,000 --> 01:33:22,100
simple principles, that make 
perfect sense. 

1644
01:33:23,000 --> 01:33:26,100
But applying them in real 
situations proved endlessly, 

1645
01:33:26,100 --> 01:33:29,900
complex and frustrating. 
How do you balance Justice with 

1646
01:33:29,900 --> 01:33:33,400
Mercy when those principles 
point in different directions? 

1647
01:33:34,300 --> 01:33:37,300
How do you maintain in a piece 
while making decisions that will

1648
01:33:37,300 --> 01:33:39,300
definitely result in people 
dying? 

1649
01:33:40,400 --> 01:33:43,000
How do you accept your own 
mortality intellectually? 

1650
01:33:43,000 --> 01:33:46,100
While your instincts scream at 
you, to cling to life with every

1651
01:33:46,100 --> 01:33:50,500
fiber of your being, the writing
does not solve these problems or

1652
01:33:50,500 --> 01:33:53,500
resolve the contradiction but it
helps him live with the 

1653
01:33:53,508 --> 01:33:56,000
tension's rather than being torn
apart by them. 

1654
01:33:56,900 --> 01:33:59,600
Create a space where he can be 
completely honest about his 

1655
01:33:59,600 --> 01:34:03,200
doubts and fears and failures 
without having to maintain the 

1656
01:34:03,200 --> 01:34:06,700
public Persona of an emperor Who
projects certainty and strength.

1657
01:34:07,400 --> 01:34:11,200
The journal knows him as he 
actually is not as Romans need 

1658
01:34:11,200 --> 01:34:15,900
him to appear to be. he writes 
until his hand cramps painfully,

1659
01:34:15,900 --> 01:34:19,200
and his eyes can no longer Focus
clearly on the page in the 

1660
01:34:19,208 --> 01:34:23,500
flickering, lamp light Then he 
extinguishes the flame and lies 

1661
01:34:23,500 --> 01:34:25,700
down in the darkness of his 
simple quarters. 

1662
01:34:26,900 --> 01:34:30,700
Sleep comes slowly resisted by a
mind that continues working 

1663
01:34:30,700 --> 01:34:33,700
through problems even as his 
body desperately needs rest. 

1664
01:34:34,600 --> 01:34:37,700
To tomorrow will bring more of 
the same more decisions where 

1665
01:34:37,700 --> 01:34:41,100
perfect options do not exist, 
more compromises between 

1666
01:34:41,100 --> 01:34:44,600
competing Goods more attempt to 
live, according to principles, 

1667
01:34:44,600 --> 01:34:47,200
that the world seems 
specifically designed to test. 

1668
01:34:48,200 --> 01:34:51,600
He is tired in ways that go far 
beyond physical exhaustion. 

1669
01:34:51,600 --> 01:34:57,300
He has been tired for years now.
Fatigue is not an excuse to stop

1670
01:34:57,300 --> 01:34:59,800
trying or to abandon the 
value's. 

1671
01:34:59,800 --> 01:35:01,500
He spent a life-time 
cultivating. 

1672
01:35:03,000 --> 01:35:06,800
Stoic ideal is not to be 
superhuman or to transcend 

1673
01:35:06,800 --> 01:35:08,900
normal human limitations and 
weaknesses. 

1674
01:35:08,900 --> 01:35:12,800
It is to remain fully and 
authentically human under 

1675
01:35:12,800 --> 01:35:14,600
conditions. 
That would dehumanize most 

1676
01:35:14,600 --> 01:35:18,900
people to maintain compassion 
when surrounded by violence to 

1677
01:35:18,900 --> 01:35:23,100
preserve reason when chaos 
threatens on all sides. to 

1678
01:35:23,100 --> 01:35:26,600
practice virtue and vice would 
be easier and more immediately, 

1679
01:35:26,600 --> 01:35:30,700
rewarding Marcus is attempting 
this impossible Balancing Act in

1680
01:35:30,708 --> 01:35:33,700
real time under genuinely 
impossible conditions. 

1681
01:35:34,500 --> 01:35:37,800
Whether he succeeds in any 
objective census, almost beside 

1682
01:35:37,800 --> 01:35:42,800
the point. the attempt itself is
what matters most the daily 

1683
01:35:42,800 --> 01:35:45,900
effort to choose better, rather 
than worse to act with 

1684
01:35:45,900 --> 01:35:49,600
Integrity, rather than 
expediency to treat people as 

1685
01:35:49,600 --> 01:35:53,000
ends in themselves rather than, 
as means to his purposes. 

1686
01:35:53,000 --> 01:35:57,500
This is the work of Being Human.
This is what philosophy looks 

1687
01:35:57,500 --> 01:35:59,300
like. 
When actually practice rather 

1688
01:35:59,300 --> 01:36:03,300
than just discussed, you're in 
the military camp at vinda Bono.

1689
01:36:03,300 --> 01:36:07,600
In the year 180, the modern city
of Vienna will someday rise on 

1690
01:36:07,600 --> 01:36:11,600
this location but right now it 
is just another Roman Frontier. 

1691
01:36:11,600 --> 01:36:15,500
Post along the Danube. 
Spring has arrived again with 

1692
01:36:15,500 --> 01:36:17,600
its usual. 
Promise of renewal though, 

1693
01:36:17,600 --> 01:36:20,400
Marcus Aurelius will not live to
see the summer that follows. 

1694
01:36:21,300 --> 01:36:25,500
He is 58 years old and dying. 
Illness that has plagued him for

1695
01:36:25,500 --> 01:36:29,700
years with increasing severity 
has finally gained complete and 

1696
01:36:29,700 --> 01:36:32,100
irreversible control of his 
failing body. 

1697
01:36:33,200 --> 01:36:37,100
Fever Burns through him in 
waves, making his skin hot to 

1698
01:36:37,100 --> 01:36:40,200
the touch despite the Cool 
Spring Air flowing through his 

1699
01:36:40,200 --> 01:36:43,500
quarters. 
His stomach can tolerate almost 

1700
01:36:43,500 --> 01:36:46,400
nothing anymore. 
Even the Bland porridge that 

1701
01:36:46,400 --> 01:36:49,400
sustained him through recent 
years, now comes back up within 

1702
01:36:49,400 --> 01:36:52,800
hours of eating. 
Pain radiates through his 

1703
01:36:52,800 --> 01:36:55,900
abdomen in ways that make clear,
something fundamental has gone 

1704
01:36:55,908 --> 01:36:58,900
wrong internally. 
The Physicians attend him 

1705
01:36:58,900 --> 01:37:02,100
constantly with their limited 
repertoire of treatments but 

1706
01:37:02,100 --> 01:37:05,500
they have nothing effective to 
offer medicine in the second 

1707
01:37:05,500 --> 01:37:08,100
century understands. 
Very little about disease 

1708
01:37:08,100 --> 01:37:12,000
processes or internal organs. 
They can set broken bones and 

1709
01:37:12,000 --> 01:37:15,400
stitch wounds that systemic 
illness, remains beyond their 

1710
01:37:15,400 --> 01:37:19,900
ability to diagnose or treat. 
Marcus knows with certainly that

1711
01:37:19,900 --> 01:37:22,600
he is dying. 
He is prepared himself for this 

1712
01:37:22,600 --> 01:37:26,200
moment through Decades of 
philosophical contemplation and 

1713
01:37:26,400 --> 01:37:29,900
private writing. 
Death is natural and inevitable.

1714
01:37:29,900 --> 01:37:35,200
Everyone dies, rich and poor 
Emperor and slave philosopher 

1715
01:37:35,200 --> 01:37:38,100
and full. 
The question that matters is not

1716
01:37:38,100 --> 01:37:40,800
whether you will die. 
Because that outcome is 

1717
01:37:40,800 --> 01:37:43,800
guaranteed. 
The question is, how you will 

1718
01:37:43,800 --> 01:37:46,900
meet your end? 
Will you face death with courage

1719
01:37:46,900 --> 01:37:49,400
and dignity and acceptance of 
natural processes? 

1720
01:37:49,400 --> 01:37:52,400
Or will you thrash and rage and 
fall apart? 

1721
01:37:52,400 --> 01:37:56,700
When comfortable Theory, finally
meets uncomfortable reality, He 

1722
01:37:56,700 --> 01:38:00,600
lies in his bed, lacking the 
strength to stand or even sit up

1723
01:38:00,600 --> 01:38:04,000
for more than brief periods. 
The room spins when he tries to 

1724
01:38:04,000 --> 01:38:08,200
move too quickly, weakness has 
invaded, every muscle and joint.

1725
01:38:08,900 --> 01:38:12,100
Simply lifting his arm requires 
conscious effort and leaves him 

1726
01:38:12,100 --> 01:38:15,800
exhausted. 
Commodus sits in a chair nearby 

1727
01:38:15,800 --> 01:38:20,200
watching his father Fade Out by 
our, the young man's face shows,

1728
01:38:20,200 --> 01:38:23,700
genuine distress, whatever is 
character flaws, and 

1729
01:38:23,700 --> 01:38:25,700
shortcomings. 
As a future Emperor, he 

1730
01:38:25,700 --> 01:38:28,700
genuinely loves his father, The 
imminent loss. 

1731
01:38:28,700 --> 01:38:31,300
Clearly pains him in ways. 
He has no training or 

1732
01:38:31,300 --> 01:38:32,800
temperament to process 
effectively. 

1733
01:38:33,800 --> 01:38:37,500
Marcus tries to speak to his son
about Duty and virtue and the 

1734
01:38:37,508 --> 01:38:40,400
immense responsibilities that 
will soon fall entirely on his 

1735
01:38:40,400 --> 01:38:43,200
shoulders. 
He wants to give comedies, final

1736
01:38:43,200 --> 01:38:46,200
guidance, about how to rule 
about the importance of 

1737
01:38:46,200 --> 01:38:49,600
treating, people fairly about 
remembering that an Emperor's 

1738
01:38:49,600 --> 01:38:53,000
power should be used for service
rather than self-aggrandizement.

1739
01:38:54,100 --> 01:38:58,000
the words come out weak and 
fragmented, broken by coughing 

1740
01:38:58,000 --> 01:39:02,100
fits, and the confusion that 
fever brings Is usually clear 

1741
01:39:02,100 --> 01:39:04,300
thinking has been scattered by 
the illness. 

1742
01:39:04,300 --> 01:39:07,500
Ravaging his body. 
He cannot deliver the wise 

1743
01:39:07,500 --> 01:39:09,800
farewell speech. 
He had perhaps imagined during 

1744
01:39:09,808 --> 01:39:13,000
healthier Moments, When Death 
seem more distant and 

1745
01:39:13,000 --> 01:39:16,200
theoretical. 
Instead, he simply tells 

1746
01:39:16,200 --> 01:39:19,100
Commodus to think of the Army in
the soldiers, who have fought. 

1747
01:39:19,100 --> 01:39:23,000
So bravely for Rome over these 
long years of Frontier Warfare, 

1748
01:39:23,800 --> 01:39:26,600
The legionaries deserve a leader
who will actually care about 

1749
01:39:26,600 --> 01:39:29,400
their welfare rather than 
viewing them as Expendable 

1750
01:39:29,400 --> 01:39:32,100
tools. 
This simple advice is all 

1751
01:39:32,100 --> 01:39:35,500
markers can manage to articulate
through the fog of sickness. 

1752
01:39:36,400 --> 01:39:38,400
He hopes. 
It will be enough, though. 

1753
01:39:38,400 --> 01:39:41,900
He suspects it will not be. 
The military commanders take 

1754
01:39:41,900 --> 01:39:43,900
turns visiting their dying 
Emperor. 

1755
01:39:43,900 --> 01:39:47,200
They stand rigid attention 
beside his bed. 

1756
01:39:47,200 --> 01:39:51,200
He's hardened men who have spent
years following his orders and 

1757
01:39:51,200 --> 01:39:55,300
difficult campaigns. 
Some of them, weep openly not 

1758
01:39:55,300 --> 01:39:58,800
caring, who sees their tears, an
emperor who shared their 

1759
01:39:58,800 --> 01:40:02,200
discomfort and danger, rather 
than commanding from safe 

1760
01:40:02,200 --> 01:40:06,600
distance as a genuine loyalty 
that goes beyond Duty or 

1761
01:40:06,600 --> 01:40:10,800
self-interest, they do not want 
to lose him, both for personal 

1762
01:40:10,800 --> 01:40:13,100
reasons and because they 
understand that, what comes 

1763
01:40:13,100 --> 01:40:15,300
after markers may be 
considerably worse. 

1764
01:40:16,300 --> 01:40:18,900
Marcus tries to comfort them 
despite his own suffering. 

1765
01:40:19,700 --> 01:40:22,200
He reminds them in a whisper 
that death comes to everyone, 

1766
01:40:22,200 --> 01:40:25,800
eventually his dying. 
Serves the natural order of 

1767
01:40:25,808 --> 01:40:28,000
things. 
They should not grieve for him 

1768
01:40:28,000 --> 01:40:30,300
as if something wrong or unjust 
has happened. 

1769
01:40:31,000 --> 01:40:34,500
He has lived according to reason
as well as his limited abilities

1770
01:40:34,500 --> 01:40:36,600
loud. 
He has tried to be a good 

1771
01:40:36,608 --> 01:40:39,800
Emperor and a decent man. 
That effort will have to be 

1772
01:40:39,800 --> 01:40:42,800
enough. 
The universe does not grade on 

1773
01:40:42,800 --> 01:40:45,300
Perfection. 
It only requires honest 

1774
01:40:45,300 --> 01:40:50,100
attempts. on the sixth day of 
March, his condition worsens 

1775
01:40:50,100 --> 01:40:55,200
dramatically Fever Spike's even 
higher, making his skin burn 

1776
01:40:55,200 --> 01:40:57,200
against the cool cloths that 
attendance. 

1777
01:40:57,200 --> 01:41:01,100
Keep placing on his forehead. 
Lucidity comes and goes like 

1778
01:41:01,100 --> 01:41:02,600
lamp, like flickering in the 
Wind. 

1779
01:41:03,500 --> 01:41:06,500
He drifts between awareness of 
the present moment and memories 

1780
01:41:06,500 --> 01:41:09,900
from decades past that feel more
Vivid and real than his actual 

1781
01:41:09,900 --> 01:41:13,000
surrounding. 
He sees himself as a young 

1782
01:41:13,000 --> 01:41:16,900
student in that Roman Garden so 
many years ago, listening to 

1783
01:41:16,900 --> 01:41:20,900
Apollonia speak about virtue and
freedom and the proper use of 

1784
01:41:20,908 --> 01:41:24,900
reason. 
The fountain splash sound clear 

1785
01:41:24,900 --> 01:41:28,200
in his ears. 
The smell of Jasmine, Fills his 

1786
01:41:28,200 --> 01:41:30,300
nose. 
You can see the stylus in his 

1787
01:41:30,308 --> 01:41:34,100
teenage hand ink stained 
fingers, forming Greek letters 

1788
01:41:34,100 --> 01:41:37,200
on warm wax. 
He sees antoninus teaching him 

1789
01:41:37,200 --> 01:41:40,800
how to govern with Integrity 
demonstrating through patient 

1790
01:41:40,800 --> 01:41:43,600
example, the power does not have
to corrupt. 

1791
01:41:43,600 --> 01:41:46,400
If you remain Vigilant about 
your own motives and choices. 

1792
01:41:47,700 --> 01:41:50,800
The older Emperors calm voice 
explaining about Duty and 

1793
01:41:50,800 --> 01:41:52,700
service Echoes In His feverish 
mind. 

1794
01:41:53,700 --> 01:41:57,400
He sees faustina's, face, 
younger and unlined by the grief

1795
01:41:57,400 --> 01:42:00,400
that will Mark. 
Her later years, her smile on 

1796
01:42:00,400 --> 01:42:03,600
their wedding day, her strength 
during the births of their 

1797
01:42:03,600 --> 01:42:06,700
children. 
A quiet support through plague 

1798
01:42:06,700 --> 01:42:09,900
and War and all the impossible 
demands of being married to an 

1799
01:42:09,900 --> 01:42:12,400
emperor. 
She's been dead for several 

1800
01:42:12,400 --> 01:42:15,300
years now taken by illness while
traveling. 

1801
01:42:16,300 --> 01:42:19,400
He will join her soon in 
whatever exists Beyond this life

1802
01:42:19,400 --> 01:42:22,600
or in the peaceful Oblivion of 
non-existent. 

1803
01:42:22,600 --> 01:42:25,500
If the universe turns out to be 
less concerned with human 

1804
01:42:25,500 --> 01:42:30,100
consciousness than philosophers 
hope, He sees his children, the 

1805
01:42:30,100 --> 01:42:32,200
ones who survived and the many 
who did not. 

1806
01:42:33,200 --> 01:42:36,100
Face is that will never age 
Beyond infancy or early 

1807
01:42:36,100 --> 01:42:39,000
childhood names. 
He wrote in his journal, 

1808
01:42:39,000 --> 01:42:42,600
alongside notes about accepting 
loss as part of the natural 

1809
01:42:42,600 --> 01:42:46,100
pattern. 
The grief remains, despite all 

1810
01:42:46,100 --> 01:42:49,200
his philosophy. 
Understanding why something 

1811
01:42:49,200 --> 01:42:51,100
hurts does not make it stop 
hurting. 

1812
01:42:52,000 --> 01:42:54,700
The memories feel more Vivid and
present than his actual 

1813
01:42:54,700 --> 01:42:57,600
surroundings. 
The past becomes more real than 

1814
01:42:57,600 --> 01:43:01,000
the present. 
He is leaving the world slipping

1815
01:43:01,000 --> 01:43:04,400
away from the heavy burden of 
ruling returning to something 

1816
01:43:04,400 --> 01:43:08,200
simpler and quieter that existed
before responsibility and Duty 

1817
01:43:08,200 --> 01:43:10,300
made such total claims on his 
life. 

1818
01:43:11,500 --> 01:43:14,000
On the evening of March, 17th, 
he dies. 

1819
01:43:14,800 --> 01:43:17,900
The Physicians cannot pinpoint 
the exact moment when breathing 

1820
01:43:17,900 --> 01:43:21,800
stops and life ends. 
The transition is gradual rather

1821
01:43:21,800 --> 01:43:24,700
than certain. 
His breathing gross shallower 

1822
01:43:24,700 --> 01:43:28,600
and more irregular over hours. 
The gaps between breaths length 

1823
01:43:28,600 --> 01:43:33,200
and eventually the breathing 
simply does not resume The 

1824
01:43:33,200 --> 01:43:36,200
Emperor who conquered nothing 
except his own worst, impulses, 

1825
01:43:36,200 --> 01:43:40,200
who spent decades trying to rule
himself before others as reached

1826
01:43:40,200 --> 01:43:41,700
the end of his campaign in this 
world. 

1827
01:43:42,500 --> 01:43:46,500
His body is cremated with full 
Imperial honors according to 

1828
01:43:46,500 --> 01:43:48,900
Roman custom for important 
persons. 

1829
01:43:49,900 --> 01:43:52,300
The funeral of burns for hours 
on a platform. 

1830
01:43:52,300 --> 01:43:56,400
Specially constructed for the 
ceremony reducing flesh and bone

1831
01:43:56,400 --> 01:44:00,400
to Ash and fragments. 
The smoke Rises into the spring 

1832
01:44:00,400 --> 01:44:04,500
sky, over the Danube carrying 
away, a man who tried very hard 

1833
01:44:04,500 --> 01:44:06,800
to be good in a world that makes
goodness difficult. 

1834
01:44:07,900 --> 01:44:10,700
Senators give speeches praising 
his reign. 

1835
01:44:11,300 --> 01:44:13,300
Soldiers. 
Stand in formation to honor 

1836
01:44:13,300 --> 01:44:16,600
their fallen Commander. 
The usual pageantry of Imperial 

1837
01:44:16,600 --> 01:44:17,800
death. 
Unfolds according to 

1838
01:44:17,800 --> 01:44:21,800
well-established protocols, the 
Empire continues without him as 

1839
01:44:21,800 --> 01:44:26,400
Empires. 
Do power-ups of vacuum Commodus 

1840
01:44:26,400 --> 01:44:29,900
becomes sole Emperor at age, 19.
Stepping into Authority. 

1841
01:44:29,900 --> 01:44:34,100
He is utterly unprepared to 
wield responsibly he will prove 

1842
01:44:34,100 --> 01:44:38,100
to be almost everything Marcus 
feared, he might become cruel 

1843
01:44:38,100 --> 01:44:42,000
where his father was kind 
impulsive where his father was 

1844
01:44:42,000 --> 01:44:45,900
thoughtful interested in 
personal glory and spectacle, 

1845
01:44:45,900 --> 01:44:51,000
rather than actual Governor's He
will perform as a gladiator in 

1846
01:44:51,000 --> 01:44:55,000
the arena fighting in staged. 
Combats that demonstrated his 

1847
01:44:55,000 --> 01:44:58,600
athletic prowess while degrading
the Dignity of his office. 

1848
01:44:59,400 --> 01:45:02,600
He will rename months of the 
year after himself and declare 

1849
01:45:02,600 --> 01:45:06,600
himself, The Reincarnation of 
Hercules He will execute 

1850
01:45:06,600 --> 01:45:10,700
Senators on flimsy protects. 
And fill positions of Power with

1851
01:45:10,700 --> 01:45:13,600
sycophants rather than competent
administrators. 

1852
01:45:14,500 --> 01:45:18,000
The years of careful competent 
Administration under Niners, 

1853
01:45:18,000 --> 01:45:20,800
Pious and Marcus. 
Aurelius will give away rapidly 

1854
01:45:20,800 --> 01:45:24,900
to corruption and mismanagement 
and the kind of leadership that 

1855
01:45:24,900 --> 01:45:28,000
serves the leader rather than 
the lead Commodus will 

1856
01:45:28,000 --> 01:45:30,200
eventually be assassinated by 
his own guards. 

1857
01:45:30,200 --> 01:45:34,700
After 12 years of increasingly 
erratic rule, The Empire will 

1858
01:45:34,700 --> 01:45:37,708
descend into Civil War as 
various generals compete for the

1859
01:45:37,716 --> 01:45:42,100
throne, the third Century will 
bring crisis after crisis that 

1860
01:45:42,100 --> 01:45:44,900
tests whether the Rome can 
survive as a unified political 

1861
01:45:44,900 --> 01:45:48,100
entity. 
But this failure of Marcus's son

1862
01:45:48,100 --> 01:45:51,700
and the eventual decline of the 
Empire do not erase what Marcus 

1863
01:45:51,700 --> 01:45:55,700
himself accomplished during his 
lifetime, he ruled during plague

1864
01:45:55,700 --> 01:45:58,600
and extended Warfare. 
He governed with Justice and 

1865
01:45:58,600 --> 01:46:01,900
restraint when cruelty, would 
have been easier and face no 

1866
01:46:01,900 --> 01:46:05,600
external constraints. 
He treated people with basic 

1867
01:46:05,600 --> 01:46:08,500
decency and respect when 
absolute power, gave him license

1868
01:46:08,500 --> 01:46:12,100
to do otherwise. 
Tried consistently to live, 

1869
01:46:12,100 --> 01:46:14,000
according to philosophical 
principles. 

1870
01:46:14,000 --> 01:46:18,700
Even when exhausted in pain and 
surrounded by circumstances, 

1871
01:46:18,700 --> 01:46:22,800
that would break most people's 
commitment to virtue And most 

1872
01:46:22,800 --> 01:46:26,400
importantly, for those of us, 
living 2000 years later, he left

1873
01:46:26,400 --> 01:46:30,800
behind his private journals. 
Those writings were never meant 

1874
01:46:30,800 --> 01:46:32,700
for publication or public 
consumption. 

1875
01:46:33,500 --> 01:46:36,900
They were simply one man's 
attempt, to remind himself, how 

1876
01:46:36,900 --> 01:46:40,100
to be human when everything 
around him treated him, as 

1877
01:46:40,100 --> 01:46:41,400
something more or less than 
human. 

1878
01:46:42,600 --> 01:46:46,700
Private meditations on mortality
and Duty and the proper use of 

1879
01:46:46,708 --> 01:46:50,000
reason. 
Conversations with himself about

1880
01:46:50,000 --> 01:46:53,200
how to stay decent, when 
wielding, indecent amounts of 

1881
01:46:53,200 --> 01:46:57,300
power over other people's lives.
But they survived through a 

1882
01:46:57,300 --> 01:47:00,500
series of accidents and choices 
that Marcus could never have 

1883
01:47:00,500 --> 01:47:03,700
anticipated. 
Someone found the journals. 

1884
01:47:03,700 --> 01:47:06,900
After his death, someone 
recognize their value. 

1885
01:47:06,900 --> 01:47:11,400
They were copied and recopy over
Centuries by scribes who saw 

1886
01:47:11,400 --> 01:47:15,000
wisdom worth preserving. 
They were translated from the 

1887
01:47:15,000 --> 01:47:18,500
original Greek into Latin and 
eventually into dozens of modern

1888
01:47:18,500 --> 01:47:21,900
languages, they circulated 
through different cultures and 

1889
01:47:21,900 --> 01:47:25,700
time periods finding readers in 
medieval monasteries and 

1890
01:47:25,700 --> 01:47:29,200
Renaissance courts, and modern 
University classrooms, and 

1891
01:47:29,200 --> 01:47:33,000
coffee shops and bedrooms around
the Contemporary world. you can 

1892
01:47:33,008 --> 01:47:36,900
read those exact words today if 
you choose to They still speak 

1893
01:47:36,900 --> 01:47:39,700
across approximately two. 
Millennia of human history about

1894
01:47:39,700 --> 01:47:42,600
questions that remain 
fundamentally unchanged. 

1895
01:47:43,300 --> 01:47:45,100
How do you live? 
Well, in a world that often 

1896
01:47:45,100 --> 01:47:46,900
seems designed to make goodness 
difficult. 

1897
01:47:48,000 --> 01:47:51,300
How do you maintain Integrity 
when external pressures push 

1898
01:47:51,300 --> 01:47:54,300
toward compromise? 
How do you accept mortality 

1899
01:47:54,300 --> 01:47:56,600
while still engaging fully with 
life? 

1900
01:47:57,300 --> 01:47:59,600
How do you treat other people 
with kindness when they 

1901
01:47:59,600 --> 01:48:03,900
frustrate and disappoint you? 
How do you find meaning in a 

1902
01:48:03,900 --> 01:48:05,800
universe that may not care 
whether you exist? 

1903
01:48:07,200 --> 01:48:11,500
Marcus's physical body return to
the basic elements long ago, the

1904
01:48:11,500 --> 01:48:13,500
Empire. 
He ruled felt a piece is over 

1905
01:48:13,500 --> 01:48:16,300
centuries of internal Decay and 
external pressure. 

1906
01:48:17,300 --> 01:48:20,400
Cities in New Orleans or buried 
under modern Construction. 

1907
01:48:21,300 --> 01:48:24,000
The Latin language. 
He spoke daily is dead, except 

1908
01:48:24,000 --> 01:48:28,000
in academic contexts. 
Everything material that defined

1909
01:48:28,000 --> 01:48:30,500
his life as dissolved, back into
the flow of History. 

1910
01:48:31,900 --> 01:48:34,800
But his thoughts about how to 
live well continue circulating 

1911
01:48:34,800 --> 01:48:38,000
through human culture, like 
seeds carried on the Wind. 

1912
01:48:44,400 --> 01:48:47,500
Wake on a spring morning in the 
year. 1162 somewhere on the 

1913
01:48:47,500 --> 01:48:51,500
Mongolian steppe near the honor 
of But this isn't your story. 

1914
01:48:51,500 --> 01:48:55,200
Exactly your witnessing, the 
story of a boy named TAMU Jin, 

1915
01:48:55,200 --> 01:48:58,600
born, just days ago, in a felt 
tent much like the one you were 

1916
01:48:58,600 --> 01:49:03,000
inhabiting now. 
His father, yesu gay is a minor 

1917
01:49:03,000 --> 01:49:06,200
Chieftain of the borjigin clan. 
And according to the midwives 

1918
01:49:06,200 --> 01:49:10,000
present at the birth, The baby 
emerged, clutching a blood clot,

1919
01:49:10,000 --> 01:49:12,200
the size of a knuckle bone in 
his tiny fist. 

1920
01:49:13,200 --> 01:49:15,600
People will argue for years 
about what this Omen means. 

1921
01:49:15,600 --> 01:49:19,600
Some say, it predicted, he'd be 
a great warrior, others claim it

1922
01:49:19,600 --> 01:49:21,600
for told that he'd spill rivers 
of blood. 

1923
01:49:22,600 --> 01:49:26,700
Looking back from where we sit 
now, maybe both interpretations 

1924
01:49:26,700 --> 01:49:29,700
were correct. 
Yes, we gave himself is an 

1925
01:49:29,700 --> 01:49:32,000
interesting figure worth 
understanding because he shapes 

1926
01:49:32,000 --> 01:49:35,200
his sons early world view. 
He skilled enough to survive in 

1927
01:49:35,200 --> 01:49:38,400
the brutal world of Step 
politics, connected enough to 

1928
01:49:38,400 --> 01:49:41,900
arrange advantageous marriages 
and violent enough to have 

1929
01:49:41,900 --> 01:49:46,200
kidnapped Thames mother holyland
from a market tribesmen on her 

1930
01:49:46,200 --> 01:49:49,900
wedding day. 
This act of bride theft is 

1931
01:49:49,900 --> 01:49:53,400
fairly common on the step, but 
it creates a blood Feud that 

1932
01:49:53,400 --> 01:49:57,900
will haunt the family for years.
Tim's Early Childhood unfolds in

1933
01:49:57,908 --> 01:49:59,700
the typical pattern of Step 
life. 

1934
01:50:00,400 --> 01:50:03,700
He learns to ride almost before.
He can walk properly spending 

1935
01:50:03,700 --> 01:50:05,600
hours on Horseback until the 
saddle. 

1936
01:50:05,600 --> 01:50:09,000
Feels more natural than walking.
he learns which plants are 

1937
01:50:09,000 --> 01:50:12,800
edible, and which will make you 
violently ill while onions, 

1938
01:50:12,800 --> 01:50:16,800
Lily, Roots, berries and season 
and how to avoid the ones that 

1939
01:50:16,800 --> 01:50:21,100
cause convulsions he learns to 
track Animals by studying bent 

1940
01:50:21,100 --> 01:50:24,200
grass and Disturbed soil, 
reading the landscape, like 

1941
01:50:24,200 --> 01:50:27,900
you'd read a book, He learns the
complex web of Clan 

1942
01:50:27,900 --> 01:50:31,600
relationships that Define his 
world who is family as allied 

1943
01:50:31,600 --> 01:50:35,400
with, who their feuding with and
why these distinctions matter 

1944
01:50:35,400 --> 01:50:39,600
more than almost anything else. 
The steps Society he grows up in

1945
01:50:39,600 --> 01:50:43,400
operates on principles that seem
harsh to Outsiders, but make 

1946
01:50:43,400 --> 01:50:47,000
perfect sense in an environment 
where survival margins are thin.

1947
01:50:47,800 --> 01:50:51,300
Your clan is your insurance 
policy, your military Alliance, 

1948
01:50:51,300 --> 01:50:53,400
your social network and your 
identity. 

1949
01:50:53,400 --> 01:50:58,100
All rolled in to one. 
Loyalty to family and Clan comes

1950
01:50:58,100 --> 01:51:02,000
before, almost everything else. 
Honor and reputation matter 

1951
01:51:02,000 --> 01:51:05,400
enormously because your word is 
often all the guarantee. 

1952
01:51:05,400 --> 01:51:09,700
You can offer in transactions, 
Hospitality to guests is sacred 

1953
01:51:09,700 --> 01:51:11,700
because you never know when 
you'll be the one needing 

1954
01:51:11,700 --> 01:51:14,400
shelter. 
Temujin has several siblings 

1955
01:51:14,400 --> 01:51:19,500
Brothers, Hassan and temui, born
to hoe alone, plus half, 

1956
01:51:19,500 --> 01:51:22,300
brother's beta and Bell 
gouttiere from yesterday's other

1957
01:51:22,300 --> 01:51:27,000
wife. there's also a sister 
tamelen this family structure 

1958
01:51:27,000 --> 01:51:30,500
with children from multiple 
mothers is common among men of 

1959
01:51:30,500 --> 01:51:34,200
yesu Gaye's status, it creates 
both strength, through numbers 

1960
01:51:34,200 --> 01:51:38,400
and tension, through competing 
loyalties When temujin is 

1961
01:51:38,400 --> 01:51:40,700
around, nine years old. 
Yesterday, makes a crucial 

1962
01:51:40,700 --> 01:51:43,200
decision. 
He takes his son to visit the 

1963
01:51:43,200 --> 01:51:46,800
anger at tribe where Holland's 
family comes from hoping to 

1964
01:51:46,800 --> 01:51:50,900
arrange a marriage Alliance. 
They meet a man named deshane, 

1965
01:51:50,900 --> 01:51:54,700
who has a daughter named Berta. 
Slightly older than tenu gin 

1966
01:51:54,700 --> 01:51:57,200
which is fine. 
Step, marriages are about 

1967
01:51:57,200 --> 01:52:01,100
alliances more than Romance. 
Desertion agrees to the 

1968
01:52:01,100 --> 01:52:08,100
betrothal and according to 
custume Begins the journey home.

1969
01:52:09,000 --> 01:52:12,600
This is where to move in his 
childhood ends abruptly, yes to 

1970
01:52:12,600 --> 01:52:15,100
gay traveling. 
Back across the steppe in 

1971
01:52:15,100 --> 01:52:19,000
counters, a group of tatars 
holding a feast The tatars along

1972
01:52:19,000 --> 01:52:22,000
time enemies. 
They had poisoned yesu gays, own

1973
01:52:22,000 --> 01:52:25,200
relatives years before and he 
had raided them in retaliation. 

1974
01:52:26,900 --> 01:52:30,000
But step Customs require 
offering Hospitality to 

1975
01:52:30,000 --> 01:52:34,100
Travelers and yesu gay is either
confident in his disguise or two

1976
01:52:34,100 --> 01:52:38,200
tied to avoid them. 
The tatars recognize him offer 

1977
01:52:38,200 --> 01:52:42,800
him food and drink laced, with 
poison and send him on his way. 

1978
01:52:43,900 --> 01:52:47,100
By the time yesterday realizes 
what's happening, the poison is 

1979
01:52:47,100 --> 01:52:51,200
working through his system. 
He manages to send word to Tamu 

1980
01:52:51,200 --> 01:52:55,000
gin to come home and the boy 
rushes back, but he arrives too 

1981
01:52:55,000 --> 01:52:58,400
late. 
Yes, or gay dies within days and

1982
01:52:58,400 --> 01:53:02,400
temujin at age 9 watches, his 
father succumbed to a death, 

1983
01:53:02,400 --> 01:53:04,600
that's both agonizing and 
inevitable. 

1984
01:53:05,600 --> 01:53:09,000
What happens next reveals? 
The brutal practicality of Step 

1985
01:53:09,000 --> 01:53:10,900
politics. 
Yes. 

1986
01:53:10,900 --> 01:53:13,700
Gays followers. 
The Tait Clan who had supported 

1987
01:53:13,700 --> 01:53:16,300
him. 
Hold a meeting to decide what to

1988
01:53:16,300 --> 01:53:19,900
do about his widow and children.
The leading man, calculate 

1989
01:53:19,900 --> 01:53:23,900
coldly Holland and her children 
represent mouths to feed with no

1990
01:53:23,900 --> 01:53:27,900
strong leader to Rally around. 
The boys are too young to fight 

1991
01:53:27,900 --> 01:53:31,500
effectively two young to lead 
and two young to be useful. 

1992
01:53:31,500 --> 01:53:34,900
Supporting the means charity 
with no return. 

1993
01:53:34,900 --> 01:53:39,300
So they abandoned the family, 
they pack up their jurors round 

1994
01:53:39,300 --> 01:53:42,000
up their herds and moved to 
different pastures. 

1995
01:53:42,000 --> 01:53:46,500
Leaving Holland with seven 
children minimal supplies and no

1996
01:53:46,500 --> 01:53:49,100
protection. 
On the step. 

1997
01:53:49,100 --> 01:53:51,200
This is essentially a death 
sentence. 

1998
01:53:52,300 --> 01:53:56,000
Winter is coming. 
Resources are scarce and a woman

1999
01:53:56,008 --> 01:53:59,000
alone with children has almost 
no chance of survival. 

2000
01:54:00,000 --> 01:54:02,300
But Holland refuses to accept 
this fate. 

2001
01:54:03,100 --> 01:54:06,200
She grabs, the clan Banner, the 
spirit Banner, that represents 

2002
01:54:06,200 --> 01:54:09,700
the family's identity and 
continuity and rides after the 

2003
01:54:09,700 --> 01:54:12,600
departing Thai. 
Chudes shaming, some of them 

2004
01:54:12,600 --> 01:54:17,300
into briefly returning, but most
aegon and Helen finds herself, 

2005
01:54:17,300 --> 01:54:21,200
genuinely alone trying to keep 
seven children alive through 

2006
01:54:21,200 --> 01:54:25,300
sheer, determination and 
improvisation You watch this 

2007
01:54:25,300 --> 01:54:28,900
family struggled from a distance
maybe as a member of a 

2008
01:54:28,900 --> 01:54:31,200
neighboring Clan who 
occasionally crosses paths with 

2009
01:54:31,208 --> 01:54:33,700
them. 
Poland teaches her children 

2010
01:54:33,700 --> 01:54:35,200
skills, that privileged 
families. 

2011
01:54:35,200 --> 01:54:38,500
Don't usually need. 
They learned to dig wild, garlic

2012
01:54:38,500 --> 01:54:41,900
and lily bulbs from the ground 
backbreaking work that leaves 

2013
01:54:41,900 --> 01:54:45,100
your hands Roar. 
They learned to trap marmots and

2014
01:54:45,100 --> 01:54:49,200
fish from streams supplementing,
their meager diet with whatever 

2015
01:54:49,200 --> 01:54:52,000
they can catch. 
They learned to gather Barry's 

2016
01:54:52,000 --> 01:54:55,600
nuts and seasoned drying and 
preserving everything they can 

2017
01:54:55,600 --> 01:54:58,300
for winter. 
They learned to survive on what 

2018
01:54:58,300 --> 01:55:00,900
other families would consider, 
poverty, rationals. 

2019
01:55:01,700 --> 01:55:04,500
Holland herself become something
for Middle during these years. 

2020
01:55:05,400 --> 01:55:07,300
She's no longer just a chief 
Toons wife. 

2021
01:55:07,300 --> 01:55:10,500
She's the Sole Provider and 
protective for her children. 

2022
01:55:10,500 --> 01:55:14,600
She teaches them to survive to 
fight and to stick together. 

2023
01:55:15,700 --> 01:55:17,600
But survival creates its own 
tensions. 

2024
01:55:17,600 --> 01:55:22,100
Among growing boys, competing 
for limited resources and 

2025
01:55:22,100 --> 01:55:24,000
testing their dominance against 
each other. 

2026
01:55:25,100 --> 01:55:28,400
The crisis comes when temujin 
and his full brother hassar. 

2027
01:55:28,400 --> 01:55:30,600
Get into a dispute with their 
half-brother better. 

2028
01:55:30,600 --> 01:55:35,200
The sources described it as a 
conflict over food, specifically

2029
01:55:35,200 --> 01:55:38,600
better allegedly stole a 
fictional Arc that temujin and 

2030
01:55:38,600 --> 01:55:41,500
has sad Court. 
This might seem like a minor 

2031
01:55:41,500 --> 01:55:44,700
dispute, but when you're 
subsisting on near starvation 

2032
01:55:44,700 --> 01:55:49,800
rations every bit of Food 
Matters, enormously temujin and 

2033
01:55:49,800 --> 01:55:51,700
hussar decide better as gone too
far. 

2034
01:55:51,700 --> 01:55:55,400
They stalk him while he sitting 
on a hill watching the family's 

2035
01:55:55,400 --> 01:55:58,400
9 horses, essentially their 
entire wealth. 

2036
01:55:59,100 --> 01:56:01,600
They approached from different 
sides and shooting with arrows. 

2037
01:56:02,500 --> 01:56:04,500
Better sees them coming. 
And according to some accounts 

2038
01:56:04,500 --> 01:56:08,600
sits calmly and asks only that, 
they spare to muga the youngest 

2039
01:56:08,600 --> 01:56:13,200
brother, then they kill him. 
Holland is horrified when she 

2040
01:56:13,200 --> 01:56:16,500
learns what her sons of done, 
she Compares them to wild 

2041
01:56:16,500 --> 01:56:19,300
animals, to predators that turn 
on their own kind. 

2042
01:56:19,300 --> 01:56:23,000
But the incident reveals 
something crucial about tens 

2043
01:56:23,000 --> 01:56:25,400
character that will Define his 
entire life. 

2044
01:56:26,100 --> 01:56:29,200
He will not tolerate challenges 
to his authority, even from 

2045
01:56:29,200 --> 01:56:33,200
family, and he's willing to use 
lethal violence to establish and

2046
01:56:33,200 --> 01:56:37,200
maintain his position. 
The tie tubes hearing about this

2047
01:56:37,200 --> 01:56:40,400
killing apparently, decide that 
TAMU gin is growing into a 

2048
01:56:40,408 --> 01:56:43,600
genuine threat rather than just 
an abandoned orphan. 

2049
01:56:44,400 --> 01:56:47,600
They raid hole and camp and 
capture the teenage to mujin. 

2050
01:56:47,600 --> 01:56:50,500
Fitting him with a wooden collar
called a Kang way. 

2051
01:56:50,500 --> 01:56:53,800
A heavy wooden frame that goes 
around the neck and wrists 

2052
01:56:53,800 --> 01:56:57,000
making it almost impossible to 
do anything for yourself. 

2053
01:56:57,000 --> 01:57:02,200
They plan to keep him as a 
slave, a warning to others and a

2054
01:57:02,200 --> 01:57:03,500
permanent solution to the 
problem. 

2055
01:57:03,500 --> 01:57:06,700
He represents this turns out to 
be a serious. 

2056
01:57:06,700 --> 01:57:11,400
Miscalculation temujin is 
probably 14 or 15 at this point 

2057
01:57:11,400 --> 01:57:15,800
old enough to be resourceful and
desperate enough to take Serious

2058
01:57:15,800 --> 01:57:18,500
risks. 
During a celebration, when his 

2059
01:57:18,500 --> 01:57:22,700
guards are drunk and distracted.
He escapes the accounts describe

2060
01:57:22,700 --> 01:57:24,900
him hiding in a river 
submerging. 

2061
01:57:24,900 --> 01:57:29,700
With just his face above water, 
while Searchers passed by A man 

2062
01:57:29,708 --> 01:57:32,900
named Sorkin Shira from the 
family that was guarding him 

2063
01:57:32,900 --> 01:57:36,700
finds to move in but chooses to 
help him instead of recapturing 

2064
01:57:36,700 --> 01:57:39,800
him. 
He hides to mujin in a cart full

2065
01:57:39,800 --> 01:57:42,100
of wool. 
Tells the Searchers he hasn't 

2066
01:57:42,100 --> 01:57:44,400
seen him and eventually helps 
him Escape. 

2067
01:57:45,300 --> 01:57:48,700
This act of unexpected, kindness
from a member of the enemy. 

2068
01:57:48,700 --> 01:57:50,900
Clan makes a deep impression 
onto mujin. 

2069
01:57:51,600 --> 01:57:55,400
Years later, when his powerful, 
he'll reward Sorkin Shearer's 

2070
01:57:55,400 --> 01:57:59,100
family generously. 
The lesson is clear individual 

2071
01:57:59,100 --> 01:58:02,200
character and specific actions 
matter more than Clan 

2072
01:58:02,200 --> 01:58:06,400
affiliation alone. 
These formative experiences his 

2073
01:58:06,400 --> 01:58:10,800
father's murder his family's 
abandonment years of desperate 

2074
01:58:10,800 --> 01:58:14,900
poverty, his brothers killing 
his enslavement and Escape. 

2075
01:58:15,600 --> 01:58:19,800
shape everything to mu-jin Will 
later become He learns that 

2076
01:58:19,800 --> 01:58:23,200
traditional Clan loyalties are 
unreliable when times get hard. 

2077
01:58:24,100 --> 01:58:27,900
He learns that survival often, 
depends on individual capability

2078
01:58:27,900 --> 01:58:31,100
and determination rather than 
inherited status. 

2079
01:58:32,000 --> 01:58:35,300
He learns to identify and reward
loyalty regardless of its 

2080
01:58:35,300 --> 01:58:38,500
source. 
He learns that violence used 

2081
01:58:38,500 --> 01:58:41,800
decisively at the right moment. 
Can be more effective than 

2082
01:58:41,800 --> 01:58:45,600
endless, negotiation. 
And he learns that talent and 

2083
01:58:45,608 --> 01:58:50,000
character can be found anywhere 
not just among the highborne. 

2084
01:58:50,800 --> 01:58:54,200
By the time you encountered 
temujin in his late teens, he's 

2085
01:58:54,200 --> 01:58:56,400
already working to build 
something from the wreckage of 

2086
01:58:56,400 --> 01:58:59,600
his father's Legacy. 
He survived the poverty years. 

2087
01:58:59,600 --> 01:59:03,400
He's proven, he won't be 
enslaved and he's ready to start

2088
01:59:03,400 --> 01:59:04,800
reclaiming. 
His Birthright. 

2089
01:59:05,700 --> 01:59:09,300
His first moves demonstrates 
strategic intelligence Beyond 

2090
01:59:09,300 --> 01:59:12,900
his years. 
He seeks toggle Khan of the 

2091
01:59:12,908 --> 01:59:17,700
correct tribe who had been sworn
Brothers under with TAMU Jin's 

2092
01:59:17,700 --> 01:59:20,900
father, yesu gay. 
He presents to rule with a black

2093
01:59:20,900 --> 01:59:25,400
Sable coat. a valuable gift that
shows respect and also 

2094
01:59:25,400 --> 01:59:29,200
demonstrates that despite his 
poverty to an understands the 

2095
01:59:29,200 --> 01:59:33,800
rituals of Step diplomacy He 
explicitly invokes, his father's

2096
01:59:33,800 --> 01:59:37,300
relationship with Tom Cruise and
asks for help in retrieving his 

2097
01:59:37,300 --> 01:59:40,600
betrothed wife barthe from the 
ongar at tribe. 

2098
01:59:41,400 --> 01:59:44,600
To gruel impressed by this young
man's initiative encourage, 

2099
01:59:44,600 --> 01:59:48,400
remembering his oath to yesu Gay
and perhaps seeing potential for

2100
01:59:48,400 --> 01:59:52,600
a useful Ally agrees to help. 
This begins a relationship that 

2101
01:59:52,600 --> 01:59:56,200
will last for years. 
To grow become a father figure 

2102
01:59:56,200 --> 01:59:59,700
and political Mentor, teaching 
TAMU in the complex, art of Step

2103
01:59:59,700 --> 02:00:03,900
diplomacy how to build alliances
when to fight and when to 

2104
02:00:03,900 --> 02:00:07,100
negotiate and how to balance 
competing loyalties and 

2105
02:00:07,100 --> 02:00:10,100
interests temujin also 
reconnects with a childhood 

2106
02:00:10,100 --> 02:00:13,400
friend named Jamaica. 
They have been closed as boys 

2107
02:00:13,400 --> 02:00:19,600
playing together in a deep bond.
Now, as young men, they renew 

2108
02:00:19,600 --> 02:00:22,300
their friendship and formalize 
it through the oath of Anda. 

2109
02:00:22,900 --> 02:00:26,500
Blood Brotherhood. 
The exchange gifts according to 

2110
02:00:26,500 --> 02:00:30,900
tradition Jamaica gives to mujin
a knuckle bone from a roe deer 

2111
02:00:30,900 --> 02:00:34,500
and TAMU gin gives Jamaica a 
knuckle bone from a brass deer. 

2112
02:00:35,300 --> 02:00:38,600
He seemingly simple exchanges, 
carry an enormous symbolic 

2113
02:00:38,600 --> 02:00:41,300
weight. 
They're swearing to be closer 

2114
02:00:41,300 --> 02:00:44,500
than Brothers to share 
everything and to support each 

2115
02:00:44,500 --> 02:00:47,800
other unconditionally. 
For a while, this friendship 

2116
02:00:47,800 --> 02:00:51,400
seems genuine and unbreakable 
temujin and Jamaica hunt 

2117
02:00:51,400 --> 02:00:54,900
together, fight together and 
share their dreams and plans 

2118
02:00:54,900 --> 02:00:58,700
Jamaica who comes from a more 
established background than to 

2119
02:00:58,700 --> 02:01:02,400
mu-jin has followers. 
And resources, Tim who has 

2120
02:01:02,400 --> 02:01:05,300
almost nothing benefits from 
this Association. 

2121
02:01:05,300 --> 02:01:08,700
They talked late into the night 
about how the step could be 

2122
02:01:08,700 --> 02:01:12,500
better organized about honor and
loyalty and about their 

2123
02:01:12,500 --> 02:01:17,100
Ambitions for the future temujin
manages to retrieve Berta and 

2124
02:01:17,100 --> 02:01:22,700
they marry probably around 1178 
or 1179 She's been waiting for 

2125
02:01:22,700 --> 02:01:25,800
him for years, faithful to the 
betrothal arranged when they 

2126
02:01:25,800 --> 02:01:28,000
were children. 
The marriage seems to be 

2127
02:01:28,008 --> 02:01:32,600
genuinely affectionate not just 
a political arrangement though. 

2128
02:01:32,600 --> 02:01:36,000
Temujin will later take other 
wives as his status increases 

2129
02:01:36,900 --> 02:01:40,400
Bertha will remain his principal
wife and trusted advisor 

2130
02:01:40,400 --> 02:01:44,100
throughout his life. 
Then disaster strikes in a form.

2131
02:01:44,108 --> 02:01:45,700
That's all too common on the 
step. 

2132
02:01:45,700 --> 02:01:49,700
The birketts seeking revenge for
yesterday's kidnapping of 

2133
02:01:49,700 --> 02:01:54,300
Holland decades earlier raid, 
Thames camp and kidnap birthday.

2134
02:01:54,900 --> 02:01:58,700
This is blood Vengeance. 
According to step Customs. 

2135
02:01:58,700 --> 02:02:01,400
Yes, or gay stole a market 
bride. 

2136
02:02:01,400 --> 02:02:03,600
So the market steal his son's 
bride. 

2137
02:02:03,600 --> 02:02:08,100
The logic is symmetrical and by 
step standards perfectly 

2138
02:02:08,100 --> 02:02:11,300
reasonable. 
To response demonstrates, the 

2139
02:02:11,300 --> 02:02:14,400
Strategic thinking that will 
characterize his entire career. 

2140
02:02:15,300 --> 02:02:19,200
He doesn't rush off in a rage to
attack the markets alone that 

2141
02:02:19,200 --> 02:02:23,100
would be suicide. 
Instead he carefully builds a 

2142
02:02:23,100 --> 02:02:25,600
coalition. 
He calls on to rule in the 

2143
02:02:25,600 --> 02:02:28,400
carats reminding them of their 
obligations. 

2144
02:02:28,400 --> 02:02:32,300
He calls on Jamaica and his 
followers invoking their under 

2145
02:02:32,300 --> 02:02:34,900
oath. 
He assembles a force strong 

2146
02:02:34,900 --> 02:02:38,200
enough to defeat the markets 
decisively The campaign 

2147
02:02:38,200 --> 02:02:42,700
succeeds, the Coalition attacks,
the market caps, and scatters 

2148
02:02:42,700 --> 02:02:46,600
their Warriors and rescues. 
Berta, she's pregnant when they 

2149
02:02:46,600 --> 02:02:50,300
recover her and the timing is 
such that nobody can be entirely

2150
02:02:50,300 --> 02:02:52,400
certain whether the child is 
hemogen. 

2151
02:02:52,400 --> 02:02:56,900
All the result of her captivity.
She gives birth to a son named 

2152
02:02:56,900 --> 02:02:59,100
Joshi. 
Temujin. 

2153
02:02:59,100 --> 02:03:02,200
Accepts him as his own though, 
the question of jochi's 

2154
02:03:02,200 --> 02:03:05,300
paternity will haunt the family 
for decades and eventually 

2155
02:03:05,300 --> 02:03:10,400
complicate succession planning. 
This campaign does far more than

2156
02:03:10,400 --> 02:03:14,900
rescue Berta, it establishes to 
mujin reputation as a capable 

2157
02:03:14,900 --> 02:03:18,100
military leader, who can build 
coalitions and Achieve 

2158
02:03:18,100 --> 02:03:21,300
objectives. 
People start noticing this young

2159
02:03:21,300 --> 02:03:24,300
man, who combines personal 
capability, with strategic 

2160
02:03:24,300 --> 02:03:27,900
intelligence, who can fight 
effectively, but also think 

2161
02:03:27,900 --> 02:03:31,900
politically and who honors his 
obligations and expects others 

2162
02:03:31,900 --> 02:03:35,100
to honor theirs. 
For several years, to followers 

2163
02:03:35,100 --> 02:03:39,200
live under Jamaica's protection,
to still building his base of 

2164
02:03:39,200 --> 02:03:43,200
support, still, accumulating 
followers and resources, still 

2165
02:03:43,200 --> 02:03:45,500
learning the complex art of Step
leadership. 

2166
02:03:46,300 --> 02:03:49,100
But fundamental differences 
between him and Jamaica are 

2167
02:03:49,100 --> 02:03:51,900
becoming apparent. 
Jamaica represents the 

2168
02:03:51,900 --> 02:03:55,900
traditional aristocratic model. 
He's from a good family, he 

2169
02:03:55,900 --> 02:03:59,400
inherited followers and status, 
and he expects to be followed 

2170
02:03:59,400 --> 02:04:02,700
because of who he is. 
He treats leadership as a 

2171
02:04:02,700 --> 02:04:05,700
Birthright and maintains the 
traditional clan-based 

2172
02:04:05,700 --> 02:04:08,800
hierarchies. 
His approach works fine for 

2173
02:04:08,800 --> 02:04:12,200
maintaining existing power 
structures but it doesn't offer 

2174
02:04:12,200 --> 02:04:15,700
much to talented people from 
minor Clans or to those who 

2175
02:04:15,700 --> 02:04:19,600
weren't born into the right 
families temujin shaped by his 

2176
02:04:19,600 --> 02:04:22,600
years of poverty and abandonment
is developing something 

2177
02:04:22,600 --> 02:04:25,300
different. 
He's building a meritocratic 

2178
02:04:25,300 --> 02:04:28,200
approach where talent and 
loyalty matter more than 

2179
02:04:28,200 --> 02:04:30,900
lineage. 
He promotes capable people, 

2180
02:04:30,900 --> 02:04:32,800
regardless of their family 
background. 

2181
02:04:32,800 --> 02:04:36,600
He rewards those who prove 
themselves in battle or in 

2182
02:04:36,600 --> 02:04:39,500
administration. 
He treats followers as 

2183
02:04:39,500 --> 02:04:43,300
individuals who've chosen to 
support him rather than as 

2184
02:04:43,300 --> 02:04:47,100
Inherited property, Bound by 
Clan obligations, this 

2185
02:04:47,100 --> 02:04:49,600
difference attracts people, to 
Thames camp. 

2186
02:04:50,400 --> 02:04:52,800
Commoners who have no chance of 
advancement under the 

2187
02:04:52,800 --> 02:04:55,600
traditional system. 
See opportunities with this new 

2188
02:04:55,600 --> 02:04:58,900
leader younger, sons of 
nobility, who owned inherit 

2189
02:04:58,900 --> 02:05:02,100
positions, find that to mu-jin 
judges them by their abilities, 

2190
02:05:02,100 --> 02:05:06,000
rather than their birth orders. 
Talented individuals from minor 

2191
02:05:06,000 --> 02:05:09,000
Clans discover that competent 
can overcome low status. 

2192
02:05:10,100 --> 02:05:13,400
The flow of people from 
Jamaica's Camp to mutants Camp 

2193
02:05:13,400 --> 02:05:17,600
becomes noticeable, then 
significant. the split when it 

2194
02:05:17,608 --> 02:05:21,700
comes around 1187 or 1188 is 
triggered by something 

2195
02:05:21,700 --> 02:05:25,600
relatively minor, A dispute 
about where to set up camp, 

2196
02:05:25,600 --> 02:05:29,200
different preferences about 
grazing, locations, or the kind 

2197
02:05:29,200 --> 02:05:32,000
of disagreement, that normally 
gets negotiated easily. 

2198
02:05:32,800 --> 02:05:36,100
But it reflects the deeper 
tension between two incompatible

2199
02:05:36,100 --> 02:05:38,400
approaches to leadership and 
organization. 

2200
02:05:39,400 --> 02:05:42,000
According to the secret history 
of the Mongols written years 

2201
02:05:42,000 --> 02:05:44,800
later. 
Jamaica makes a cryptic comment 

2202
02:05:44,800 --> 02:05:48,600
about moving Camp, suggesting, 
they separate to avoid conflict 

2203
02:05:48,600 --> 02:05:52,000
between their followers. 
Tama jeans and mother her alone.

2204
02:05:52,000 --> 02:05:56,000
Reportedly advises him not to 
break with Jamaica warning. 

2205
02:05:56,000 --> 02:06:00,300
That isolation is dangerous but 
he decides to separate any way 

2206
02:06:00,300 --> 02:06:03,900
and significant number of people
chose to follow him rather than 

2207
02:06:03,900 --> 02:06:07,800
stay with Jamaica. 
This Choice by so many to follow

2208
02:06:07,800 --> 02:06:10,500
to move in over. 
Jamaica is itself. 

2209
02:06:10,500 --> 02:06:14,200
A vote of no confidence in the 
traditional system and an 

2210
02:06:14,200 --> 02:06:16,900
endorsement of Tim's 
meritocratic approach. 

2211
02:06:18,000 --> 02:06:19,400
People are voting with their 
feet. 

2212
02:06:20,200 --> 02:06:22,700
Choosing the leader who offers 
the opportunities over the 

2213
02:06:22,700 --> 02:06:24,900
leader who offers them 
inherited, hierarchy. 

2214
02:06:26,000 --> 02:06:29,400
The split becomes formalized 
around 1189 when various Clan 

2215
02:06:29,400 --> 02:06:32,100
leaders gather and proclaimed 
him as calm. 

2216
02:06:33,000 --> 02:06:36,600
He's maybe 27 years, old 
leading, a coalition built, not 

2217
02:06:36,600 --> 02:06:39,800
on traditional Clan structures, 
but on personal loyalty and 

2218
02:06:39,800 --> 02:06:44,500
merit-based organization. 
Title itself is significant by 

2219
02:06:44,500 --> 02:06:47,200
calling him Khan. 
His supporters Acclaim, he has 

2220
02:06:47,208 --> 02:06:51,100
the authority to lead multiple 
Clans, not just his own Borgen 

2221
02:06:51,100 --> 02:06:54,500
Clan. 
This infuriates Jamaica, who 

2222
02:06:54,500 --> 02:06:57,500
sees it as a betrayal of their 
Brotherhood and a challenge to 

2223
02:06:57,500 --> 02:07:01,000
the traditional order? 
He begins assembling a coalition

2224
02:07:01,000 --> 02:07:04,900
of tribes to Thames rise in 
power calling on traditional 

2225
02:07:04,900 --> 02:07:08,400
Clan loyalties and warning that 
to innovation's threaten the 

2226
02:07:08,400 --> 02:07:12,600
established way of doing things.
The next 15 years from roughly 

2227
02:07:12,600 --> 02:07:17,100
1190 to 12:05 consists of nearly
constant Warfare Alliance 

2228
02:07:17,100 --> 02:07:19,300
building. 
Betrayals and the gradual 

2229
02:07:19,300 --> 02:07:22,600
consolidation of power. 
You witness this era as a 

2230
02:07:22,600 --> 02:07:26,600
warrior in Thames growing Army. 
And what strikes you most is how

2231
02:07:26,600 --> 02:07:29,500
differently he operates compared
to traditional step leaders. 

2232
02:07:30,600 --> 02:07:33,500
The first major confrontation 
comes at the Battle of Dallin 

2233
02:07:33,500 --> 02:07:37,000
Bells around 1190. 
Jamaica has assembled a 

2234
02:07:37,000 --> 02:07:41,100
coalition of 13 tribes, a 
significant Force, representing 

2235
02:07:41,100 --> 02:07:44,000
much of the traditional step 
error, stock receive, who viewed

2236
02:07:44,000 --> 02:07:47,200
him as an upstart threatening 
their positions. 

2237
02:07:48,000 --> 02:07:49,900
The battle goes badly for 
temujin. 

2238
02:07:49,900 --> 02:07:54,600
His forces are outnumbered out 
maneuvered and forced to retreat

2239
02:07:54,600 --> 02:07:58,300
into the mountains. 
After the battle Jamaica commits

2240
02:07:58,300 --> 02:08:00,500
an atrocity, that will haunt him
for years. 

2241
02:08:00,500 --> 02:08:04,600
He captures several dozen of 
temo jeans followers and has 

2242
02:08:04,600 --> 02:08:08,100
them executed by boiling a live 
in 70s. 

2243
02:08:08,900 --> 02:08:13,900
This extreme cruelty is intended
to terrorize to supporters and 

2244
02:08:13,900 --> 02:08:17,000
demonstrate the cost of defying,
traditional Authority. 

2245
02:08:18,100 --> 02:08:22,000
Plan backfire, spectacularly. 
Many of your muscles own 

2246
02:08:22,000 --> 02:08:25,100
followers disgusted. 
By such brutal treatment of 

2247
02:08:25,100 --> 02:08:28,300
captured Warriors who fought 
honorably desert him. 

2248
02:08:29,200 --> 02:08:33,000
Some joined him in directly 
others simply withdraw their 

2249
02:08:33,000 --> 02:08:35,800
support. 
Step Warfare can be vicious, 

2250
02:08:35,800 --> 02:08:39,400
that there are customary limits 
to how captured Warriors are 

2251
02:08:39,400 --> 02:08:41,600
treated. 
Specially, those who fought 

2252
02:08:41,600 --> 02:08:44,600
bravely. 
Jamaica's violation of these 

2253
02:08:44,600 --> 02:08:46,800
Norms cost him credibility and 
support. 

2254
02:08:48,000 --> 02:08:50,000
Temujin. 
Meanwhile is developing the 

2255
02:08:50,000 --> 02:08:53,200
military organization that will 
eventually conquer much of 

2256
02:08:53,200 --> 02:08:56,100
Eurasia. 
He divided his army into units 

2257
02:08:56,100 --> 02:09:00,000
of 10s, hundreds and thousands 
the decimal system. 

2258
02:09:01,400 --> 02:09:05,400
This organizational structure 
isn't entirely new similar 

2259
02:09:05,400 --> 02:09:08,800
systems existed among steppe 
peoples and in Chinese armies. 

2260
02:09:09,700 --> 02:09:13,000
But to mujin applies its 
systematically and uses it to 

2261
02:09:13,000 --> 02:09:16,100
break down traditional 
clan-based military formations. 

2262
02:09:16,900 --> 02:09:19,800
The Innovation is and how he 
assigns people to these units. 

2263
02:09:19,800 --> 02:09:23,500
Instead of keeping clan members 
together which reinforces 

2264
02:09:23,500 --> 02:09:26,900
existing loyalties, he 
deliberately mixes Warriors from

2265
02:09:26,900 --> 02:09:28,700
different Clans in the same 
units. 

2266
02:09:28,700 --> 02:09:32,500
A unit of 10 might include 
Warriors from five different 

2267
02:09:32,500 --> 02:09:36,700
tribal backgrounds, creating 
loyalty to the unit and to Tim 

2268
02:09:36,700 --> 02:09:39,200
wujin that supersedes Clan 
loyalty. 

2269
02:09:39,200 --> 02:09:42,700
You experience this directly 
when you're assigned to a unit 

2270
02:09:42,700 --> 02:09:46,600
with Warriors from Clans that 
your family had feuded with for 

2271
02:09:46,600 --> 02:09:49,200
Generations. 
Initially, it feels wrong 

2272
02:09:49,200 --> 02:09:53,500
violation of natural order. 
You spend months, training 

2273
02:09:53,500 --> 02:09:57,800
together, fighting together, 
sharing dangers, and victories, 

2274
02:09:57,800 --> 02:10:01,600
and something shifts. 
You start to identify with this 

2275
02:10:01,600 --> 02:10:04,600
unit as strongly as you identify
with your clan. 

2276
02:10:05,500 --> 02:10:08,600
Maybe more strongly because you 
chose this affiliation through 

2277
02:10:08,600 --> 02:10:11,500
your decision to follow to 
musician rather than inheriting 

2278
02:10:11,500 --> 02:10:14,100
it at Birth. 
Promotion in this system is 

2279
02:10:14,100 --> 02:10:16,400
based purely on demonstrated 
ability. 

2280
02:10:17,200 --> 02:10:20,200
Your commanding officer might be
someone from a family or Clan 

2281
02:10:20,200 --> 02:10:21,700
never would have followed 
traditionally. 

2282
02:10:21,700 --> 02:10:24,700
But he earned his position 
through skill in battle and 

2283
02:10:24,700 --> 02:10:28,500
tactical intelligence. 
This creates a military machine,

2284
02:10:28,500 --> 02:10:32,700
where Talent Rises naturally and
where soldiers know their 

2285
02:10:32,700 --> 02:10:36,000
commanders earn their positions 
through competence not through 

2286
02:10:36,000 --> 02:10:39,400
accidents of birth. 
Temujin. 

2287
02:10:39,400 --> 02:10:42,500
Also, institutes strict 
discipline soldiers. 

2288
02:10:42,500 --> 02:10:44,900
Who desert or disobey orders 
face execution. 

2289
02:10:45,900 --> 02:10:48,500
Plundering before a campaign is 
complete is forbidden. 

2290
02:10:48,500 --> 02:10:52,700
It disrupts military discipline 
and creates chaos, but soldiers 

2291
02:10:52,700 --> 02:10:55,900
who fight bravely and loyally? 
Receive generous rewards from 

2292
02:10:55,900 --> 02:10:59,300
The Spoils of Conquest. 
The system creates both 

2293
02:10:59,300 --> 02:11:05,000
accountability and incentive. 
Around 1196 and opportunity 

2294
02:11:05,000 --> 02:11:08,100
arises that demonstrates to 
mujaes political intelligence. 

2295
02:11:09,000 --> 02:11:12,100
The Gin Dennis D, which controls
Northern China and demands 

2296
02:11:12,100 --> 02:11:15,600
tribute from the steppe tribes 
his face facing a rebellion from

2297
02:11:15,600 --> 02:11:19,200
the tatars the same group that 
poison to his father. 

2298
02:11:20,000 --> 02:11:23,200
The Jinn ask for step allies to 
help, suppress the tatars 

2299
02:11:23,200 --> 02:11:27,000
offering rewards for assistance.
Temujin joins. 

2300
02:11:27,000 --> 02:11:30,700
The campaign fighting alongside 
the Gin against his father's 

2301
02:11:30,700 --> 02:11:33,700
murderers. 
This serves multiple purposes. 

2302
02:11:33,700 --> 02:11:37,700
It provides an opportunity to 
take revenge on the tatars. 

2303
02:11:37,700 --> 02:11:41,200
It builds a relationship with 
the powerful Jin Dynasty. 

2304
02:11:41,200 --> 02:11:45,300
It demonstrates that to Mugen 
can be a reliable Ally and 

2305
02:11:45,300 --> 02:11:50,300
yields spoils and recognition. 
The Gin Grant to mujin a minor 

2306
02:11:50,300 --> 02:11:53,500
title validating his status as a
legitimate leader. 

2307
02:11:54,500 --> 02:11:57,300
But the relationships with his 
mentors and allies are becoming 

2308
02:11:57,300 --> 02:12:00,900
complicated to rule. 
The character Khan who helped to

2309
02:12:00,900 --> 02:12:04,100
move in his early years is 
growing jealous of his proteges 

2310
02:12:04,100 --> 02:12:07,600
Rising power. 
Toggle son Singham particularly 

2311
02:12:07,600 --> 02:12:11,200
resents to mujin viewing him. 
As an ungrateful upstart whose 

2312
02:12:11,200 --> 02:12:16,200
outgrown his proper place around
12:01 in Florence by Rivals and 

2313
02:12:16,200 --> 02:12:19,800
his sons jealousy. 
Toggle turns against to mujin, 

2314
02:12:19,800 --> 02:12:23,600
they plot to Ambush him as a 
posse reconciliation feast. 

2315
02:12:24,600 --> 02:12:28,000
Tim gets warning of the plot 
from two herdsmen, who overhear 

2316
02:12:28,000 --> 02:12:31,900
the planing and loyalty in 
rather than to their carat Clan 

2317
02:12:31,900 --> 02:12:34,000
rides through the night to warn 
him. 

2318
02:12:34,800 --> 02:12:37,600
To move in escape the Trap and 
withdraws to a region called 

2319
02:12:37,600 --> 02:12:41,900
Belgium taking only as most 
loyal followers, they reduce to 

2320
02:12:41,900 --> 02:12:45,000
drinking muddy water from the 
Belgium River and eating 

2321
02:12:45,000 --> 02:12:48,100
whatever game they can hunt. 
This is a low point. 

2322
02:12:48,100 --> 02:12:52,100
Maybe the closest to mujin comes
to complete defeats since his 

2323
02:12:52,100 --> 02:12:56,300
poverty years, but he uses this 
time to rebuild carefully, he 

2324
02:12:56,300 --> 02:12:59,300
gathers intelligence about 
create defenses and internal 

2325
02:12:59,300 --> 02:13:01,600
politics. 
He reaches out to potential 

2326
02:13:01,600 --> 02:13:04,100
allies and to disaffected create
leaders. 

2327
02:13:04,100 --> 02:13:08,100
He waits for the right moment, 
when to rule is overconfident 

2328
02:13:08,100 --> 02:13:11,900
and unprepared the attack, when 
it comes is Swift. 

2329
02:13:11,900 --> 02:13:16,300
And decisive TAMU Jin's forces 
strike the carrot camp at night,

2330
02:13:16,300 --> 02:13:20,800
achieving complete surprise, the
battle is fierce, but relatively

2331
02:13:20,800 --> 02:13:24,600
brief to rule, flees and his 
eventually killed by nine and 

2332
02:13:24,600 --> 02:13:26,300
Border guards who don't 
recognize him. 

2333
02:13:27,100 --> 02:13:29,100
Thank him escapes. 
But his later killed. 

2334
02:13:30,000 --> 02:13:32,300
The correct tribe on. 
One of the most powerful on the 

2335
02:13:32,300 --> 02:13:35,600
step is defeated and absorbed 
into Samoans, growing 

2336
02:13:35,600 --> 02:13:38,800
Confederation. 
This Victory is crucial for 

2337
02:13:38,800 --> 02:13:42,300
several reasons. 
It eliminates a major rival of 

2338
02:13:42,300 --> 02:13:45,200
and father figure. 
Forcing to move in to stand 

2339
02:13:45,200 --> 02:13:49,000
fully on his own authority 
rather than operating under Tom 

2340
02:13:49,000 --> 02:13:52,300
Cruise shadow. 
It brings substantial resources 

2341
02:13:52,300 --> 02:13:55,900
and followers onto Tim's 
control, and it demonstrates to 

2342
02:13:55,900 --> 02:13:59,400
other step leaders to now a 
power that must be dealt with 

2343
02:13:59,400 --> 02:14:02,500
seriously. 
The naimans are powerful. 

2344
02:14:02,500 --> 02:14:05,900
Turkic-speaking Confederation 
controlling the Western step, 

2345
02:14:05,900 --> 02:14:10,400
decide to resist, to mujin 
Growing Power, their leader tie,

2346
02:14:10,400 --> 02:14:14,600
and Khan influenced by his 
ambitious wife, Gerber Sue mocks

2347
02:14:14,600 --> 02:14:17,800
Teemu, Jin's followers as women 
of the East and prepares for 

2348
02:14:17,800 --> 02:14:20,000
war. 
This turns out to be 

2349
02:14:20,000 --> 02:14:24,900
catastrophically, poor judgment.
In 1204 to mujin meets the 

2350
02:14:24,900 --> 02:14:26,800
Naamans in battle at Jack him 
out. 

2351
02:14:27,600 --> 02:14:31,000
Fighting his intense lasting 
from Sunset through the night 

2352
02:14:31,000 --> 02:14:35,000
until dawn, but tens better 
organized and better disciplined

2353
02:14:35,000 --> 02:14:36,800
forces. 
Gradually overwhelmed, the 

2354
02:14:36,800 --> 02:14:40,700
diamonds Taiwan is killed and 
his son Kutch. 

2355
02:14:40,700 --> 02:14:44,000
Fleas Westwood. 
What significant about this 

2356
02:14:44,000 --> 02:14:47,900
Victory isn't just the military 
achievement but what Tam does 

2357
02:14:47,900 --> 02:14:51,900
with it. 
Captures Tata Tonga, augora 

2358
02:14:51,900 --> 02:14:55,300
scribe, who had served the 
Neiman's instead of killing this

2359
02:14:55,300 --> 02:14:58,400
foreign scholar temujin 
recognizes his value. 

2360
02:14:59,300 --> 02:15:02,200
Tata Tonga understands literacy 
record-keeping and 

2361
02:15:02,200 --> 02:15:05,100
administration in ways that step
people's traditionally, don't 

2362
02:15:05,100 --> 02:15:09,700
emphasize Temujin makes a 
crucial decision, he adopts the 

2363
02:15:09,700 --> 02:15:14,500
script for writing, Mongolian 
and tasks, Tata Tonga with 

2364
02:15:14,500 --> 02:15:17,000
teaching it to mangle Prince's 
and administrators. 

2365
02:15:17,800 --> 02:15:20,900
This Begins the transition 
toward a literate Administration

2366
02:15:20,900 --> 02:15:25,600
capable of maintaining records 
sending written orders and 

2367
02:15:25,600 --> 02:15:29,200
conducting diplomacy through 
formal correspondence rather 

2368
02:15:29,200 --> 02:15:34,300
than purely oral communication. 
You watch this transformation as

2369
02:15:34,300 --> 02:15:36,300
someone who grew up in a purely 
oral culture. 

2370
02:15:36,300 --> 02:15:40,900
Suddenly important decisions are
being recorded treaties are 

2371
02:15:40,900 --> 02:15:43,800
written down. 
Tax obligations are documented 

2372
02:15:43,800 --> 02:15:47,700
messages can be sent that say 
exactly what the sender intended

2373
02:15:47,700 --> 02:15:51,400
without the Distortion that 
occur when information passes 

2374
02:15:51,400 --> 02:15:53,200
through multiple oral 
transmission. 

2375
02:15:54,500 --> 02:15:58,300
It feels strange at first seeing
words, captured on paper or 

2376
02:15:58,300 --> 02:16:01,600
silk, but the Practical 
advantages become obvious 

2377
02:16:01,600 --> 02:16:05,700
quickly Jamaica tens, former 
Blood Brother continues 

2378
02:16:05,700 --> 02:16:07,900
resisting but his increasingly 
isolated. 

2379
02:16:08,900 --> 02:16:11,300
By 1205, his position is 
hopeless. 

2380
02:16:11,300 --> 02:16:15,200
His own followers tired. 
Of endless Warfare and 

2381
02:16:15,200 --> 02:16:18,900
diminishing prospects, capture 
him and deliver him to Gin. 

2382
02:16:19,800 --> 02:16:21,300
The confrontation between the 
two. 

2383
02:16:21,300 --> 02:16:25,500
Former friends is poignant 
according to the sources Tim 

2384
02:16:25,500 --> 02:16:29,600
offers, Jamaica reconciliation, 
suggesting they restore their 

2385
02:16:29,600 --> 02:16:32,600
Brotherhood and that Jamaica 
take a position of Honor in the 

2386
02:16:32,608 --> 02:16:36,900
growing Mongol Confederation. 
Hard to know if this offer is 

2387
02:16:36,900 --> 02:16:40,400
genuine or political theater, 
but it reflects the complex 

2388
02:16:40,400 --> 02:16:43,900
feelings between them. 
They were genuinely close once 

2389
02:16:43,900 --> 02:16:47,900
before ambition and incompatible
visions of leadership, drove 

2390
02:16:47,900 --> 02:16:50,200
them apart. 
Jamuka refuses. 

2391
02:16:50,200 --> 02:16:53,600
He argues that there can only be
one son in the sky. 

2392
02:16:53,600 --> 02:16:59,000
One of the Mongols, he requests 
an honorable death asking to be 

2393
02:16:59,008 --> 02:17:02,600
killed without spilling blood 
traditionally done by breaking 

2394
02:17:02,600 --> 02:17:05,700
the back. 
Temujin respecting, this final 

2395
02:17:05,700 --> 02:17:08,200
request from his former and 
grants it. 

2396
02:17:08,200 --> 02:17:11,400
Some sources suggest Jamaica's 
body was buried. 

2397
02:17:11,400 --> 02:17:14,700
Honorably, the ten regime, 
reportedly mourning the loss of 

2398
02:17:14,700 --> 02:17:17,400
what their friendship might have
been with Jamaica's death. 

2399
02:17:17,400 --> 02:17:22,100
The last major, internal 
resistance to Tim's rule ends He

2400
02:17:22,100 --> 02:17:25,200
Now controls or has submitted 
most of the Mongol and turkic 

2401
02:17:25,200 --> 02:17:27,000
tribes of the eastern and 
Central step. 

2402
02:17:27,700 --> 02:17:31,500
The fragmented tribal world, he 
grew up in is being unified 

2403
02:17:31,500 --> 02:17:36,000
under single leadership for the 
first time in memory in 1206 

2404
02:17:36,000 --> 02:17:39,400
tribal leaders. 
Gather for a real tie, a great 

2405
02:17:39,400 --> 02:17:43,200
assembly near the source of the 
Onion River in the sacred book 

2406
02:17:43,200 --> 02:17:46,500
and Chaldean. 
Mountain region were tamed and 

2407
02:17:46,500 --> 02:17:51,000
prayed during desperate times. 
you attend this Gathering as a 

2408
02:17:51,000 --> 02:17:54,400
mid-level officer and temujin 
army one among thousands of 

2409
02:17:54,400 --> 02:17:58,000
Warriors leaders and 
representatives from dozens of 

2410
02:17:58,008 --> 02:18:02,400
tribes The atmosphere combines 
celebration with uncertainty. 

2411
02:18:03,000 --> 02:18:05,299
People understand their 
participating in something, 

2412
02:18:05,299 --> 02:18:09,799
unprecedented the unification of
the Mongols under a single Khan.

2413
02:18:10,500 --> 02:18:13,700
But nobody quite knows what this
new political entity will become

2414
02:18:13,700 --> 02:18:17,400
more how it will function. 
The traditional tribal system is

2415
02:18:17,400 --> 02:18:20,500
being superseded by something 
new and change. 

2416
02:18:20,500 --> 02:18:22,600
Always create anxiety, alongside
hope. 

2417
02:18:23,299 --> 02:18:27,400
The formal proclamation of Tam 
as Genghis, Khan a title's, 

2418
02:18:27,400 --> 02:18:29,900
exact meaning remains debated 
among Scholars. 

2419
02:18:29,900 --> 02:18:36,200
It might mean universal ruler or
Oceanic ruler or Fierce ruler 

2420
02:18:36,200 --> 02:18:39,100
represents more than just a 
change of title. 

2421
02:18:39,100 --> 02:18:42,700
Its the establishment of a new 
political order with explicit 

2422
02:18:42,700 --> 02:18:46,200
principles and structures 
Genghis Khan, addresses the 

2423
02:18:46,200 --> 02:18:49,400
assembly and his speech as 
characteristically, practical 

2424
02:18:49,400 --> 02:18:53,299
rather than grandiose. he 
doesn't claim divine right or 

2425
02:18:53,299 --> 02:18:57,299
inherited, Authority from 
ancient Emperors instead, he 

2426
02:18:57,299 --> 02:19:01,400
talks about organizations about 
the importance of communication 

2427
02:19:01,400 --> 02:19:04,700
and coordination about treating 
people fairly regardless of 

2428
02:19:04,700 --> 02:19:08,000
their origin and about building 
something that will Outlast any 

2429
02:19:08,000 --> 02:19:12,100
individual leader, He's 
establishing a system, not just 

2430
02:19:12,100 --> 02:19:15,900
claiming personal power, the 
yassa, the legal code is 

2431
02:19:15,900 --> 02:19:19,600
proclaimed, its Provisions, 
cover both military organization

2432
02:19:19,600 --> 02:19:23,799
and civil Behavior. 
Some key principles theft is 

2433
02:19:23,799 --> 02:19:26,600
severely punished. 
Stealing livestock, which is 

2434
02:19:26,600 --> 02:19:30,000
both livelihood and wealth on 
the step can result in death. 

2435
02:19:30,000 --> 02:19:35,500
Even minor theft receives harsh 
penalties, The severity serves a

2436
02:19:35,500 --> 02:19:37,900
purpose. 
It creates security of property 

2437
02:19:37,900 --> 02:19:39,600
that enables trade and 
investment. 

2438
02:19:40,799 --> 02:19:43,400
When people know their 
possessions are protected by law

2439
02:19:43,400 --> 02:19:46,700
rather than just by Family 
strengths, they can engage in 

2440
02:19:46,700 --> 02:19:48,900
economic activity with greater 
confidence. 

2441
02:19:49,800 --> 02:19:51,800
Adultery is forbidden and 
punished harshly. 

2442
02:19:51,800 --> 02:19:55,400
This isn't moralism. 
It's about maintaining family 

2443
02:19:55,400 --> 02:19:57,500
stability and clear inheritance 
lines. 

2444
02:19:57,500 --> 02:20:01,000
Both crucial for a society 
organized around kinship 

2445
02:20:01,000 --> 02:20:03,500
networks. 
Even as those networks are being

2446
02:20:03,508 --> 02:20:07,300
supplemented by new 
organizational structures, Lying

2447
02:20:07,300 --> 02:20:12,700
in legal proceedings, carry 
serious consequences Genghis, 

2448
02:20:12,700 --> 02:20:16,500
Khan has learned that Justice 
depend on truthful testimony and

2449
02:20:16,500 --> 02:20:19,800
Witnesses who lie undermine the 
entire legal system. 

2450
02:20:20,800 --> 02:20:23,600
The penalties for perjury are 
severe enough to encourage 

2451
02:20:23,600 --> 02:20:27,300
honesty. but the truly 
revolutionary aspect is that 

2452
02:20:27,300 --> 02:20:31,800
these laws apply to everyone 
equally a noble who steals faces

2453
02:20:31,800 --> 02:20:35,800
the same punishment as a 
commoner who steals A Khan's 

2454
02:20:35,800 --> 02:20:38,600
relative who commits adultery is
punished the same as anyone 

2455
02:20:38,600 --> 02:20:41,000
else. 
Even members of Genghis, Khan's 

2456
02:20:41,000 --> 02:20:43,400
own family must follow the same 
rules as everyone else. 

2457
02:20:44,200 --> 02:20:47,400
This is radical for a society 
where status traditionally 

2458
02:20:47,400 --> 02:20:49,800
provided immunity from 
consequences. 

2459
02:20:49,800 --> 02:20:54,800
Religious tolerance becomes 
explicit formal policy. 

2460
02:20:55,700 --> 02:20:58,700
Genghis Khan proclaims that all 
religions are to be respected 

2461
02:20:58,700 --> 02:21:02,100
and that religious leaders are 
exempt from Taxation and 

2462
02:21:02,100 --> 02:21:05,900
military service. 
Buddhist monks, Christian, 

2463
02:21:05,900 --> 02:21:11,300
priests Muslim imams, Towers 
sages and shamanic practitioners

2464
02:21:11,300 --> 02:21:14,600
all received the same, legal, 
protection and privileges. 

2465
02:21:15,500 --> 02:21:18,200
You witnessed this policies 
implementation when various 

2466
02:21:18,200 --> 02:21:20,400
religious leaders present 
themselves at court. 

2467
02:21:21,300 --> 02:21:25,200
A nestorian, Christian monk from
Central Asia offers prayers and 

2468
02:21:25,200 --> 02:21:28,100
his tradition. 
A Buddhist Lama from Tibet 

2469
02:21:28,100 --> 02:21:31,900
performs rituals a Muslim 
scholar recites from the Quran, 

2470
02:21:31,900 --> 02:21:37,400
a shamanistic, Mongols Genghis. 
Khan observes all of them with a

2471
02:21:37,400 --> 02:21:41,500
parent interest but favors none.
The message is clear, believe 

2472
02:21:41,500 --> 02:21:45,000
what ever you want worship? 
However you choose As Long as 

2473
02:21:45,008 --> 02:21:47,700
You Follow the Civil laws and 
contribute to the Empire's 

2474
02:21:47,700 --> 02:21:51,700
defense and administration. 
This tolerance isn't based on 

2475
02:21:51,700 --> 02:21:54,300
Modern philosophical principles 
about religious freedom. 

2476
02:21:54,300 --> 02:21:58,200
Its pragmatic calculation. 
Genghis. 

2477
02:21:58,200 --> 02:22:01,700
Khan recognizes that forcing 
religious, uniformity creates 

2478
02:22:01,700 --> 02:22:04,600
conflict resentment and 
Rebellion. 

2479
02:22:05,600 --> 02:22:08,400
He's seen religious wars, 
devastates societies. 

2480
02:22:08,400 --> 02:22:12,200
He understands that talented 
people come from all religious 

2481
02:22:12,200 --> 02:22:15,800
backgrounds, an excluding them 
based on belief would weaken his

2482
02:22:15,808 --> 02:22:20,300
administration Why limit 
yourself to Mongol shamanic 

2483
02:22:20,300 --> 02:22:22,800
practitioners when you can 
recruit Christian 

2484
02:22:22,800 --> 02:22:28,100
administrators, Muslim merchants
Buddhist Scholars, and towers 

2485
02:22:28,100 --> 02:22:31,700
and visors? 
The military organization become

2486
02:22:31,700 --> 02:22:35,700
formalized and extended. 
The decimal system applies 

2487
02:22:35,700 --> 02:22:40,100
Empire wide units of 10 
commanded by leaders, of 10 

2488
02:22:40,100 --> 02:22:45,700
units of 100 commanded by 
leaders, of 100 units of 1,000 

2489
02:22:45,700 --> 02:22:50,900
commanded by leaders of 1,000 
and two men units of 10,000 

2490
02:22:50,900 --> 02:22:54,700
commanded by the most capable 
and trusted generals. 

2491
02:22:55,700 --> 02:22:58,600
Promotion through these ranks is
based purely on Merit. 

2492
02:22:59,200 --> 02:23:04,500
A comer can become a leader of 
10 100 or even 1000 if they 

2493
02:23:04,500 --> 02:23:08,500
excel in battle. 
Conversely a noble who proves 

2494
02:23:08,500 --> 02:23:10,800
incompetent can be demoted or 
dismissed. 

2495
02:23:10,800 --> 02:23:15,400
This creates a meritocracy 
that's radical for its time and 

2496
02:23:15,400 --> 02:23:18,000
that attract talented 
individuals from a cross. 

2497
02:23:18,000 --> 02:23:20,900
The empire. 
The military code is strict 

2498
02:23:20,900 --> 02:23:23,600
soldiers. 
Who desert face execution 

2499
02:23:23,600 --> 02:23:27,800
soldiers, who plunder before a 
campaign is complete face. 

2500
02:23:27,800 --> 02:23:31,700
Severe punishment soldiers, who 
fail to support their comrades 

2501
02:23:31,700 --> 02:23:35,700
in battle can be executed. 
But soldiers, who fight bravely,

2502
02:23:35,700 --> 02:23:39,500
who show initiative, and 
intelligence and who achieve 

2503
02:23:39,500 --> 02:23:42,000
objectives. 
Efficiently received generous 

2504
02:23:42,000 --> 02:23:45,500
rewards from The Spoils of 
conquest and public recognition 

2505
02:23:45,500 --> 02:23:49,400
of their achievements. 
Genghis Khan establishes. 

2506
02:23:49,400 --> 02:23:53,800
The case Chic, an Imperial Guard
of 10,000 Warriors who serve as 

2507
02:23:53,800 --> 02:23:56,600
both bodyguards and a training 
ground for Future Leaders. 

2508
02:23:57,600 --> 02:24:00,400
Membership in the location is 
highly prestigious and 

2509
02:24:00,400 --> 02:24:03,500
competitive. 
Even the son of a leader of 10 

2510
02:24:03,500 --> 02:24:07,800
in the kesher cats, ordinary 
commanders of 1,000 creating 

2511
02:24:07,800 --> 02:24:10,900
incentive from ambitious young 
men to seek these positions. 

2512
02:24:10,900 --> 02:24:14,500
The keshik becomes a 
meritocratic funnel for 

2513
02:24:14,500 --> 02:24:16,300
identifying and developing 
Talent. 

2514
02:24:17,400 --> 02:24:20,300
Treatment of conquered people's 
follows, clear patterns that 

2515
02:24:20,300 --> 02:24:22,300
Genghis Khan has developed 
through experience. 

2516
02:24:23,400 --> 02:24:26,600
Cities and tribes that surrender
peacefully are generally, 

2517
02:24:26,600 --> 02:24:29,700
spared, major violence and 
incorporated into the Empire 

2518
02:24:29,700 --> 02:24:32,400
with their existing structures 
largely intact. 

2519
02:24:33,100 --> 02:24:35,200
Leaders. 
Who submit voluntarily often 

2520
02:24:35,200 --> 02:24:39,200
retain their positions under 
Mongol supervision populations, 

2521
02:24:39,200 --> 02:24:42,900
that surrender pay taxes and 
provide soldiers but otherwise 

2522
02:24:42,900 --> 02:24:47,400
continue their lives relatively 
normally Cities that resist and 

2523
02:24:47,400 --> 02:24:49,800
are taken by force face. 
Brutal consequences. 

2524
02:24:49,800 --> 02:24:54,500
The resistance is punished often
through Mass execution of 

2525
02:24:54,500 --> 02:24:57,900
fighting age, men and 
enslavement, or relocation of 

2526
02:24:57,900 --> 02:25:00,900
civilians. 
The brutality serves multiple 

2527
02:25:00,900 --> 02:25:05,000
purposes, its revenge for the 
costs of resistance, it 

2528
02:25:05,000 --> 02:25:08,500
eliminates potential future 
rebellions and it sends a 

2529
02:25:08,500 --> 02:25:11,600
message to other cities that 
resistance is costly, while 

2530
02:25:11,600 --> 02:25:15,400
surrender is relatively 
painless, but even in Conquest 

2531
02:25:15,400 --> 02:25:20,100
Genghis, Khan is selective about
who suffers artists Crafts. 

2532
02:25:20,100 --> 02:25:25,300
People Engineers Scholars, 
anyone with useful skills, a 

2533
02:25:25,300 --> 02:25:28,800
deliberately spared and often 
relocated to where their talents

2534
02:25:28,800 --> 02:25:32,400
are most needed. 
When a city is sacked, the 

2535
02:25:32,400 --> 02:25:35,500
Mongol commanders have orders to
identify and preserve people 

2536
02:25:35,500 --> 02:25:39,100
with valuable skills. 
A metal worker, might be sent to

2537
02:25:39,100 --> 02:25:41,000
Mongolia to improve weapon 
production. 

2538
02:25:41,000 --> 02:25:44,700
A scholar, might be sent to the 
Capitol to educate Mongol 

2539
02:25:44,700 --> 02:25:47,600
princes. 
An engineer might be assigned to

2540
02:25:47,600 --> 02:25:49,600
the Army to assist with Siege 
Warfare. 

2541
02:25:50,300 --> 02:25:53,700
Starting around 12:09 Genghis, 
Khan turns his full attention 

2542
02:25:53,700 --> 02:25:56,200
Southward toward the settled 
kingdoms of China. 

2543
02:25:57,000 --> 02:26:00,300
This represents a significant 
shift in Mongol strategy. 

2544
02:26:01,100 --> 02:26:04,900
Steppe tribes and how unified 
the next phase is expanding 

2545
02:26:04,900 --> 02:26:08,300
beyond the traditional nomadic 
territories into the wealthy 

2546
02:26:08,300 --> 02:26:11,900
Agricultural and urban 
civilizations that the Mongols 

2547
02:26:11,900 --> 02:26:14,200
have historically raided, but 
never conquered. 

2548
02:26:15,500 --> 02:26:19,600
The Western Sia a tangut kingdom
controling, the Gansu Corridor, 

2549
02:26:19,600 --> 02:26:22,900
and The crucial trade routes 
connecting, China to Central, 

2550
02:26:22,900 --> 02:26:27,600
Asia becomes the first Target. 
The Westin Seer had previously 

2551
02:26:27,600 --> 02:26:29,200
treated. 
The Mongols dismissively 

2552
02:26:29,200 --> 02:26:33,100
demanding tribute and acting as 
intermediaries between the 

2553
02:26:33,100 --> 02:26:36,600
Mongols and the Jinn Dynasty. 
The tanks are powerful 

2554
02:26:36,600 --> 02:26:39,700
possessing, strong 
fortifications and significant 

2555
02:26:39,700 --> 02:26:42,900
military forces but they make a 
critical error in 

2556
02:26:42,900 --> 02:26:46,300
underestimating Mongol 
capabilities you participate in 

2557
02:26:46,300 --> 02:26:48,400
these early campaigns as a 
mid-level officer. 

2558
02:26:48,400 --> 02:26:52,000
What strikes you immediately is,
how much the Mongol military is 

2559
02:26:52,000 --> 02:26:55,000
evolving. 
The traditional step Warfare 

2560
02:26:55,000 --> 02:26:58,500
fast. 
Cavalry raids feigned, Retreats,

2561
02:26:58,500 --> 02:27:02,600
and encirclement tactics 
remained Central to Mongol 

2562
02:27:02,600 --> 02:27:06,300
strategy. 
But Genghis Khan recognizes that

2563
02:27:06,300 --> 02:27:09,400
conquering fortified cities 
requires new capabilities. 

2564
02:27:10,500 --> 02:27:13,100
He systematically addresses, 
this weakness by recruiting 

2565
02:27:13,100 --> 02:27:17,000
Chinese engineers and Military 
Specialists who understand Siege

2566
02:27:17,000 --> 02:27:19,700
Warfare. 
These experts, teach the Mongols

2567
02:27:19,700 --> 02:27:21,400
to build and operate Siege 
equipment. 

2568
02:27:21,400 --> 02:27:26,600
Trebuchets for hurling stones at
walls, Siege towers for scaling 

2569
02:27:26,600 --> 02:27:31,300
fortifications, battering rams 
for breaking Gates and various 

2570
02:27:31,300 --> 02:27:34,000
other devices that step people's
traditionally lacked. 

2571
02:27:34,800 --> 02:27:37,900
The combination proves 
devastating Mongol. 

2572
02:27:37,900 --> 02:27:40,800
Armies can move with the speed 
and flexibility of traditional 

2573
02:27:40,800 --> 02:27:43,800
nomadic forces. 
Covering vast distance is 

2574
02:27:43,800 --> 02:27:46,900
rapidly and appearing where 
enemies don't expect them. 

2575
02:27:47,900 --> 02:27:50,300
But when they encounter 
fortified positions, they can 

2576
02:27:50,300 --> 02:27:53,900
also conduct sophisticated 
operations that eventually 

2577
02:27:53,900 --> 02:27:58,100
reduced even strong defenses. 
The campaigns against Western 

2578
02:27:58,100 --> 02:28:01,500
Sierra demonstrate, the Mongol 
military systems Effectiveness 

2579
02:28:01,500 --> 02:28:06,100
the Mongol Army raids deep into 
Tango territory destroys field. 

2580
02:28:06,100 --> 02:28:09,900
Armies that come out to fight 
besiegers key cities and 

2581
02:28:09,900 --> 02:28:13,200
gradually weakens Western shares
capacity for resistance. 

2582
02:28:13,200 --> 02:28:18,300
The tank got super peace and 
1210 agreeing to provide tribute

2583
02:28:18,300 --> 02:28:21,300
and Military Support and submit 
to Mongol, Susan and tea. 

2584
02:28:22,100 --> 02:28:24,300
Genghis Khan. 
Accepts this submission. 

2585
02:28:25,000 --> 02:28:27,300
He's not yet. 
Interested in directly governing

2586
02:28:27,300 --> 02:28:30,400
these territories just in 
establishing dominance and 

2587
02:28:30,400 --> 02:28:34,800
extracting resources. 
But the real prize is the Jinn 

2588
02:28:34,800 --> 02:28:38,700
Dynasty which controls northern 
China, possesses vast wealth. 

2589
02:28:38,700 --> 02:28:42,900
And population has sophisticated
military forces and initially 

2590
02:28:42,900 --> 02:28:46,000
considers the Mongols and minor 
nuisance rather than a serious 

2591
02:28:46,000 --> 02:28:48,500
threat. 
This miscalculation will prove 

2592
02:28:48,500 --> 02:28:52,300
catastrophic for the gin The Gin
Dynasty has a complicated 

2593
02:28:52,300 --> 02:28:54,000
history with the steppe 
people's. 

2594
02:28:54,000 --> 02:28:57,100
They had conquered Northern 
China from the Song, Dynasty 

2595
02:28:57,100 --> 02:29:00,500
decades earlier establishing 
themselves as a major power. 

2596
02:29:01,200 --> 02:29:03,600
They've traditionally dealt with
steppe tribes through a 

2597
02:29:03,600 --> 02:29:07,500
combination of tribute payments,
divided, and conquered diplomacy

2598
02:29:07,500 --> 02:29:10,000
and Military Expeditions when 
necessary. 

2599
02:29:11,100 --> 02:29:14,000
They view the Mongols as just 
another Troublesome step group 

2600
02:29:14,000 --> 02:29:16,600
that can be managed through 
traditional methods. 

2601
02:29:17,400 --> 02:29:20,700
Genghis, Khan Begins the Gin 
campaign around 12:11 with 

2602
02:29:20,700 --> 02:29:22,700
characteristic systematic 
planning. 

2603
02:29:23,500 --> 02:29:25,700
He doesn't attempt to conquer 
all of gin territory, 

2604
02:29:25,700 --> 02:29:29,000
immediately, that would 
overextend his forces and create

2605
02:29:29,000 --> 02:29:33,100
logistical nightmares. 
Instead, he conduct carefully 

2606
02:29:33,100 --> 02:29:36,100
planned campaigns that gradually
weaken gin power. 

2607
02:29:36,100 --> 02:29:38,900
While building Mongol 
capabilities for governing 

2608
02:29:38,900 --> 02:29:43,300
settled populations, The pattern
repeats across multiple 

2609
02:29:43,300 --> 02:29:48,500
campaigns Mongol armies, raid, 
gin territory, destroy field, 

2610
02:29:48,500 --> 02:29:51,700
armies that come out to fight 
them besiege and capture 

2611
02:29:51,700 --> 02:29:55,100
strategic cities and then 
withdraw with spoils and 

2612
02:29:55,100 --> 02:29:57,700
captives. 
Before gin forces, can mass for 

2613
02:29:57,700 --> 02:30:01,800
an effective Counterattack each 
campaign leaves the Gin weaker 

2614
02:30:01,800 --> 02:30:05,300
less capable of mounting 
effective defense and more 

2615
02:30:05,300 --> 02:30:08,500
demoralized. 
You participate in one of these 

2616
02:30:08,500 --> 02:30:11,700
campaigns and witnessed the 
evolution of Mongol Warfare. 

2617
02:30:12,500 --> 02:30:16,400
The Army moves with astonishing 
speed Cavalry units covering 

2618
02:30:16,400 --> 02:30:19,500
perhaps 50 to 70 miles per day 
were necessary. 

2619
02:30:20,700 --> 02:30:24,500
The Mongols travel with multiple
horses per Warrior rotating 

2620
02:30:24,500 --> 02:30:27,900
mounts, to maintain the pace 
they carry minimal supplies, 

2621
02:30:27,900 --> 02:30:31,800
living off the land and off 
captured Provisions, which keeps

2622
02:30:31,800 --> 02:30:35,200
the mobile while enemy armies 
bogged down with Supply trains. 

2623
02:30:36,700 --> 02:30:39,600
Intelligence gathering, a 
systematic and sophisticated 

2624
02:30:39,600 --> 02:30:44,200
Genghis, Khan employs, extensive
networks of merchants Travelers 

2625
02:30:44,200 --> 02:30:48,700
and spies who gather information
about enemy defenses, resources,

2626
02:30:48,700 --> 02:30:51,600
troop movements and internal 
politics. 

2627
02:30:52,800 --> 02:30:55,800
Before attacking a city, the 
Mongol commanders often. 

2628
02:30:55,800 --> 02:31:00,200
No details about its Garrison 
strength, Food, Supplies, water 

2629
02:31:00,200 --> 02:31:04,000
sources, leadership conflict, 
and defensive weaknesses. 

2630
02:31:04,900 --> 02:31:07,500
This intelligence Advantage 
allows them to exploit 

2631
02:31:07,500 --> 02:31:10,300
vulnerabilities and avoid 
unnecessary risks. 

2632
02:31:11,100 --> 02:31:13,800
Psychological warfare is 
deliberate and effective. 

2633
02:31:14,700 --> 02:31:18,200
Stories of Mongol cruelty spread
through refugees and survivors 

2634
02:31:18,200 --> 02:31:20,900
often exaggerated in the 
retelling. 

2635
02:31:21,700 --> 02:31:23,300
Cities facing Mongol attack 
here. 

2636
02:31:23,300 --> 02:31:28,100
Tales of mass execution of 
cities reduced to Rubble of 

2637
02:31:28,100 --> 02:31:32,900
population's and slaved or 
massacred This Terror sometimes 

2638
02:31:32,900 --> 02:31:36,400
encourages surrender without 
fighting saving the Mongols the 

2639
02:31:36,408 --> 02:31:39,900
cost of seed Warfare. 
But when cities do surrender 

2640
02:31:39,900 --> 02:31:42,700
peacefully Genghis, Khan 
generally keeps his word about 

2641
02:31:42,700 --> 02:31:45,800
moderate treatment. 
He has learned that a reputation

2642
02:31:45,800 --> 02:31:49,100
for keeping promises to those 
who surrender is militarily 

2643
02:31:49,100 --> 02:31:52,200
valuable. 
It encourages future surrenders 

2644
02:31:53,300 --> 02:31:56,300
A city that submits peacefully 
typically pay substantial 

2645
02:31:56,300 --> 02:31:59,300
tribute. 
Provides hostages to guarantee 

2646
02:31:59,300 --> 02:32:02,600
future, cooperation and 
supplies, Provisions to the 

2647
02:32:02,600 --> 02:32:06,300
Mongol Army. 
But its population survives and 

2648
02:32:06,300 --> 02:32:08,500
its basic structures remain 
intact. 

2649
02:32:09,300 --> 02:32:12,200
The siege of John Doe, modern 
Beijing in 1214. 

2650
02:32:12,200 --> 02:32:15,000
Demonstrates Mongol capabilities
at their Peak. 

2651
02:32:15,900 --> 02:32:20,100
The city is enormous strongly 
fortified and defended by large 

2652
02:32:20,100 --> 02:32:22,700
gin armies. 
The Mongols can't storm it 

2653
02:32:22,700 --> 02:32:25,000
directly. 
The defenses are too strong 

2654
02:32:25,000 --> 02:32:29,200
instead, they procedure 
systematically cutting supply 

2655
02:32:29,200 --> 02:32:32,900
lines preventing relief forces 
from reaching it, and waiting 

2656
02:32:32,900 --> 02:32:36,100
for starvation and disease to do
the work that direct assault. 

2657
02:32:36,100 --> 02:32:40,600
Can't accomplish. 
The Siege lasts months inside 

2658
02:32:40,600 --> 02:32:44,900
the city Food Supplies, dwindle 
disease, spreads and morale 

2659
02:32:44,900 --> 02:32:47,900
collapses. 
The Gin Emperor, abandoned the 

2660
02:32:47,900 --> 02:32:51,700
city and flee South to Chi Fung.
The remaining Defenders, 

2661
02:32:51,700 --> 02:32:55,700
leaderless and hopeless 
eventually negotiates surrender.

2662
02:32:56,900 --> 02:32:59,800
The Mongols allow, most of the 
population to survive but 

2663
02:32:59,800 --> 02:33:03,800
thoroughly loot the city. 
Extracting, an enormous quantity

2664
02:33:03,800 --> 02:33:07,400
of gold, silver silk, and other 
valuable Goods. 

2665
02:33:08,600 --> 02:33:11,100
What, you know, notice during 
these campaigns is, how Genghis 

2666
02:33:11,100 --> 02:33:13,800
Khan handles the administration 
of conquered territory. 

2667
02:33:14,600 --> 02:33:16,800
He doesn't try to govern 
everything directly through 

2668
02:33:16,800 --> 02:33:20,000
Mongol administrators. 
Most Mongols don't understand, 

2669
02:33:20,000 --> 02:33:25,100
agricultural societies, taxation
systems or Urban Administration.

2670
02:33:26,000 --> 02:33:29,100
Instead he appoints local 
leaders who submit to Mongol 

2671
02:33:29,100 --> 02:33:31,900
Authority but who understand how
to actually govern these 

2672
02:33:31,908 --> 02:33:34,700
populations. 
He also begins recruiting 

2673
02:33:34,700 --> 02:33:38,000
Chinese administrators and 
bureaucrats who can manage the 

2674
02:33:38,000 --> 02:33:41,200
complex systems required for 
governing settled agricultural 

2675
02:33:41,200 --> 02:33:44,300
societies. 
These Chinese officials. 

2676
02:33:44,300 --> 02:33:47,600
Teach the Mongols about taxation
systems that don't simply 

2677
02:33:47,600 --> 02:33:51,500
plunder population's dry. 
About agricultural management 

2678
02:33:51,500 --> 02:33:54,900
that maintained productivity and
about record keeping and 

2679
02:33:54,900 --> 02:33:58,100
bureaucracy that enables 
consistent governance across 

2680
02:33:58,100 --> 02:34:01,600
large territories. 
The incorporation of Chinese 

2681
02:34:01,600 --> 02:34:05,200
administrative practices, begins
transforming, the Mongol state. 

2682
02:34:06,100 --> 02:34:09,100
Mongol leaders start, employing,
scribes who maintain written 

2683
02:34:09,100 --> 02:34:12,900
records tax collection, becomes 
more systematic and less 

2684
02:34:12,900 --> 02:34:16,800
arbitrary. 
Census taking begins crude at 

2685
02:34:16,800 --> 02:34:20,100
first but gradually improving. 
Providing information about 

2686
02:34:20,100 --> 02:34:23,100
population and resources that 
enables better planning. 

2687
02:34:24,500 --> 02:34:28,100
The Mongol Army itself of wolves
during these campaigns, it 

2688
02:34:28,100 --> 02:34:31,100
incorporates Chinese Engineers 
who can build increasingly 

2689
02:34:31,100 --> 02:34:35,400
sophisticated Siege equipment. 
It adds infantry units. 

2690
02:34:35,400 --> 02:34:38,000
Recruited from conquered 
populations, to complement. 

2691
02:34:38,000 --> 02:34:41,300
The core Cavalry forces. 
It develops more complex 

2692
02:34:41,300 --> 02:34:44,700
Logistics systems to supply. 
Armor's campaigning far from the

2693
02:34:44,708 --> 02:34:49,200
step including Supply, Depots, 
transport networks and 

2694
02:34:49,200 --> 02:34:53,800
systematic foraging procedures. 
The learning curve is steep paid

2695
02:34:53,800 --> 02:34:57,300
for in setbacks and failures. 
But Genghis, Khan demonstrates. 

2696
02:34:57,300 --> 02:35:01,200
Remarkable flexibility in 
adopting whatever methods work. 

2697
02:35:02,200 --> 02:35:06,000
when traditional step tactics 
proven sufficient, he adapts 

2698
02:35:06,700 --> 02:35:10,100
when his commanders make 
mistakes, he had just strategies

2699
02:35:10,100 --> 02:35:14,000
when new technologies or 
techniques appear useful, he 

2700
02:35:14,000 --> 02:35:18,900
incorporates them This 
adaptability as much as military

2701
02:35:18,900 --> 02:35:24,900
prowess explains Mongol success.
The year 1218, brings a crisis 

2702
02:35:24,900 --> 02:35:27,900
that will redirect Mongol 
expansion and ultimately 

2703
02:35:27,900 --> 02:35:33,100
devastate Central Asia Trade 
Caravan sent by Genghis Khan to 

2704
02:35:33,100 --> 02:35:36,300
the kwara and Empire. 
Powerful Muslim State 

2705
02:35:36,300 --> 02:35:40,600
controlling much of Central Asia
Persia and Afghanistan is 

2706
02:35:40,600 --> 02:35:42,400
attacked at the border city of 
Ottawa. 

2707
02:35:43,400 --> 02:35:47,500
The governor inch accuses, the 
merchants of being spies and has

2708
02:35:47,500 --> 02:35:50,300
them executed along with 
confiscating, their valuable 

2709
02:35:50,300 --> 02:35:53,000
Goods. 
Genghis, Khan centered as 

2710
02:35:53,000 --> 02:35:56,200
demanding, restitution 
punishment of vinyl and 

2711
02:35:56,200 --> 02:35:58,000
Assurance is this won't happen 
again. 

2712
02:35:58,800 --> 02:36:01,800
This is standard diplomatic 
procedure, following an incident

2713
02:36:01,800 --> 02:36:03,800
affecting Merchants under 
Imperial protection. 

2714
02:36:04,700 --> 02:36:05,800
Sharma, Muhammad. 
The second. 

2715
02:36:05,800 --> 02:36:16,800
The Apologizing and punishing in
our check Sharma Hamad executes.

2716
02:36:16,800 --> 02:36:20,500
The lead Mongol Ambassador and 
sends the others back with their

2717
02:36:20,500 --> 02:36:24,000
beard, shaved. 
A grave insult in both Mongol 

2718
02:36:24,000 --> 02:36:27,200
and Muslim cultures. 
This is essentially a 

2719
02:36:27,200 --> 02:36:30,000
declaration that the quarries 
me, an Empire, doesn't fear the 

2720
02:36:30,000 --> 02:36:32,500
Mongols and won't submit to 
their demands. 

2721
02:36:33,500 --> 02:36:37,100
You watch Genghis Khan's 
reaction and its chilling in its

2722
02:36:37,100 --> 02:36:40,300
controlled Fury. 
He doesn't Rage or making 

2723
02:36:40,300 --> 02:36:43,700
immediate threats. 
Instead he withdraws for several

2724
02:36:43,700 --> 02:36:46,100
days to the mountains to pray 
and contemplate? 

2725
02:36:47,100 --> 02:36:51,400
When he returns, he's made his 
decision, the kwara and Empire 

2726
02:36:51,400 --> 02:36:54,700
will be destroyed as an object 
lesson that attacking Mongol 

2727
02:36:54,700 --> 02:36:57,800
merchants and killing Mongol 
ambassadors, carries 

2728
02:36:57,800 --> 02:37:00,300
consequences. 
That no amount of distance or 

2729
02:37:00,300 --> 02:37:04,300
fortification can prevent the 
preparation for this campaign is

2730
02:37:04,300 --> 02:37:06,900
methodical and extensive 
Genghis. 

2731
02:37:06,900 --> 02:37:11,000
Khan assembles perhaps 150,000 
to 200,000 troops. 

2732
02:37:11,000 --> 02:37:15,500
The exact numbers are debated 
but it's clearly the largest 

2733
02:37:15,500 --> 02:37:19,600
Force he's ever commanded. 
He brings his best generals, 

2734
02:37:19,600 --> 02:37:23,600
most experienced troops, and 
most sophisticated Siege 

2735
02:37:23,600 --> 02:37:26,100
equipment. 
He gathers intelligence about 

2736
02:37:26,100 --> 02:37:30,400
kwara and defenses resources and
internal politics. 

2737
02:37:31,300 --> 02:37:34,200
He plans the campaign with the 
care of someone, who knows, this

2738
02:37:34,200 --> 02:37:37,000
will be different from anything.
The Mongols have attempted 

2739
02:37:37,000 --> 02:37:41,500
before. 
The kwara is wealthy urbanized 

2740
02:37:41,500 --> 02:37:46,300
and militarily Powerful. 
Sharma, hammered command armies 

2741
02:37:46,300 --> 02:37:47,800
numbering in the hundreds of 
thousands. 

2742
02:37:48,900 --> 02:37:51,800
His Empire includes some of the 
greatest cities in the Islamic 

2743
02:37:51,800 --> 02:37:57,300
World. 
Bukhara samachan Merv herat and 

2744
02:37:57,300 --> 02:38:00,200
many others. 
The fortifications are strong, 

2745
02:38:00,200 --> 02:38:03,500
the garrisons are substantial 
and the territory is vast. 

2746
02:38:04,400 --> 02:38:07,500
But Sharma Muhammad makes 
critical strategic error that 

2747
02:38:07,500 --> 02:38:10,700
Dooms is Empire. 
Instead of concentrating, his 

2748
02:38:10,700 --> 02:38:14,500
forces to meet the Mongols in 
decisive battle, he disperses 

2749
02:38:14,500 --> 02:38:17,000
them in Garrison Duty across his
numerous cities. 

2750
02:38:17,900 --> 02:38:21,500
This defensive strategy seems 
logical, protect the valuable 

2751
02:38:21,500 --> 02:38:25,800
Urban centers, but it allows 
Genghis Khan to defeat the core 

2752
02:38:25,800 --> 02:38:29,100
Asian forces, piecemeal 
preventing them from combining 

2753
02:38:29,100 --> 02:38:33,200
this strength. 
In 1219 the Mongol invasion 

2754
02:38:33,200 --> 02:38:37,700
begins Genghis, Khan divides his
forces into multiple armies that

2755
02:38:37,700 --> 02:38:41,100
can operate independently while 
maintaining coordination through

2756
02:38:41,100 --> 02:38:43,000
the sophisticated messenger 
system. 

2757
02:38:43,900 --> 02:38:46,600
This allows him to threaten 
multiple objectives 

2758
02:38:46,600 --> 02:38:51,200
simultaneously. forcing Sharma 
Hamid to guess, which targets a 

2759
02:38:51,200 --> 02:38:55,800
primary and which are faints 
Your part of the main Army that 

2760
02:38:55,800 --> 02:38:58,700
Genghis, Khan personally 
commands, and the campaign 

2761
02:38:58,700 --> 02:39:02,000
scaled dwarfs. 
Anything, you've experienced The

2762
02:39:02,000 --> 02:39:04,800
Mongol Army moves across the 
Sierra darya River and 

2763
02:39:04,800 --> 02:39:08,900
penetrates deep into quarrels, 
me and territory. the speed of 

2764
02:39:08,900 --> 02:39:12,800
advanced catches Defenders 
unprepared, they expect the 

2765
02:39:12,800 --> 02:39:16,400
Mongols to move more slowly to 
follow conventional Invasion 

2766
02:39:16,400 --> 02:39:19,000
routes and to pause and 
consolidate. 

2767
02:39:19,000 --> 02:39:23,000
After initial Victory is the 
city of otra where the merchants

2768
02:39:23,000 --> 02:39:25,300
were killed, received special 
attention. 

2769
02:39:26,200 --> 02:39:29,700
Genghis, Khan assigned, one Army
to besiege it while the main 

2770
02:39:29,700 --> 02:39:34,200
forces continued advancing. 
The Siege lasts five months 

2771
02:39:34,200 --> 02:39:37,700
before of Falls. 
In alchemy, the governor 

2772
02:39:37,700 --> 02:39:40,600
responsible for killing. 
The merchants is captured and 

2773
02:39:40,600 --> 02:39:44,800
reportedly executed by having 
molten silver poured into his 

2774
02:39:44,800 --> 02:39:48,600
eyes and ears a punishment that 
symbolically connects to his 

2775
02:39:48,600 --> 02:39:52,900
Greed for the merchants Goods. 
Hera one of the great centers of

2776
02:39:52,908 --> 02:39:57,100
Islamic learning culture is next
The Mongol Army appears before 

2777
02:39:57,100 --> 02:40:01,100
the city in 1220, having crossed
distances that the Defenders 

2778
02:40:01,100 --> 02:40:04,700
thought provided safety. 
The Garrison attempts to break 

2779
02:40:04,700 --> 02:40:09,200
out and Escape rather than 
Endura Siege but the Mongols 

2780
02:40:09,200 --> 02:40:12,500
slaughter them in the field. 
The city leadership left without

2781
02:40:12,500 --> 02:40:16,200
military protection, surrenders 
What happens? 

2782
02:40:16,200 --> 02:40:19,500
Next becomes one of the most 
famous incidents of the conquest

2783
02:40:19,500 --> 02:40:22,300
Genghis. 
Khan reportedly enters, bihara 

2784
02:40:22,300 --> 02:40:25,500
goes to the main mosque and 
addresses the assembled 

2785
02:40:25,500 --> 02:40:28,700
population. 
According to Persian historians 

2786
02:40:28,700 --> 02:40:32,300
writing later, he climbs the 
pulpit and announces that he is 

2787
02:40:32,300 --> 02:40:36,100
the punishment of God sent to 
chastise them for their sins. 

2788
02:40:36,100 --> 02:40:39,700
That if they had not committed, 
great sins, God would not have 

2789
02:40:39,700 --> 02:40:43,200
sent a punishment like him. 
Whether he actually said this, 

2790
02:40:43,200 --> 02:40:45,600
or whether it's later in, 
Belcher is debatable. 

2791
02:40:46,400 --> 02:40:49,800
Genghis, Khan wasn't fluent in 
Persian and the story appears in

2792
02:40:49,800 --> 02:40:53,900
sources written decades later. 
But the narrative captures 

2793
02:40:53,900 --> 02:40:56,800
something psychologically 
important about how the conquest

2794
02:40:56,800 --> 02:41:00,900
was experienced and remembered 
as a Divine punishment, and 

2795
02:41:00,900 --> 02:41:04,300
apocalyptic judgment that 
destroyed the normal order of 

2796
02:41:04,300 --> 02:41:08,900
things, the Mongols 
systematically loot bihara, they

2797
02:41:08,900 --> 02:41:12,200
spare, most of the population, 
but conscript, many for labor, 

2798
02:41:12,200 --> 02:41:15,600
and military service, the 
execute, the Garrison, and 

2799
02:41:15,600 --> 02:41:19,700
anyone identified, as having 
resisted they burn parts of the 

2800
02:41:19,700 --> 02:41:23,900
city, destroy fortifications and
leave it permanently weakened. 

2801
02:41:24,700 --> 02:41:28,900
The destruction serves both 
practical purposes, eliminating 

2802
02:41:28,900 --> 02:41:33,100
potential resistance, and 
strategic ones, encouraging, 

2803
02:41:33,100 --> 02:41:36,400
other cities to surrender, 
rather than face similar Fates. 

2804
02:41:37,200 --> 02:41:39,800
Summer canned, perhaps the 
greatest City in Central Asia, 

2805
02:41:39,800 --> 02:41:44,500
proves more difficult. 
The city is enormous strongly 

2806
02:41:44,500 --> 02:41:48,900
fortified and defended by a 
Garrison of perhaps 60,000 to 

2807
02:41:48,900 --> 02:41:54,000
100,000 soldiers. 
Again, numbers are disputed the 

2808
02:41:54,000 --> 02:41:58,300
Mongols surround it with perhaps
150,000 troops and begins, 

2809
02:41:58,300 --> 02:42:02,500
systematic, Siege operations, 
The Siege demonstrates, the 

2810
02:42:02,500 --> 02:42:05,300
sophisticated military 
capabilities among the Mongols 

2811
02:42:05,300 --> 02:42:08,900
of developed. they employed 
Chinese CJ engines to bombard, 

2812
02:42:08,900 --> 02:42:12,600
the walls, they build Siege 
Towers to scale fortifications, 

2813
02:42:12,600 --> 02:42:17,000
they divert Water Supplies, they
use prisoners as human Shields 

2814
02:42:17,000 --> 02:42:20,700
to discouraged Defenders from 
fighting, they negotiate with 

2815
02:42:20,700 --> 02:42:24,700
city leaders offering terms for 
surrender while simultaneously 

2816
02:42:24,700 --> 02:42:29,300
preparing for assault. 
After about a week of seed, a 

2817
02:42:29,300 --> 02:42:31,400
relatively brief time for city 
of the size. 

2818
02:42:31,400 --> 02:42:35,900
Samachan leadership surrenders, 
The Garrison is executed 

2819
02:42:35,900 --> 02:42:39,300
Craftsman, and skilled workers, 
are conscripted and relocated 

2820
02:42:39,300 --> 02:42:42,600
much of the population is 
temporarily expelled. 

2821
02:42:42,600 --> 02:42:45,700
While the city is looted and 
among gold, Governor is 

2822
02:42:45,700 --> 02:42:48,500
installed. 
The famous structures and 

2823
02:42:48,500 --> 02:42:51,200
libraries that made some Mark 
and a center of learning or 

2824
02:42:51,200 --> 02:42:55,100
either destroyed or gutted. 
The destruction of these great 

2825
02:42:55,100 --> 02:42:58,000
cities creates trauma that 
Echoes through Islamic 

2826
02:42:58,000 --> 02:43:02,600
civilization for Generations. 
Later Persian historians, 

2827
02:43:02,600 --> 02:43:05,900
writing decades. 
After the events record death 

2828
02:43:05,900 --> 02:43:09,900
tolls, that seemed impossible 
hundreds of thousands or even 

2829
02:43:09,900 --> 02:43:12,200
Millions. 
Killed in individual cities. 

2830
02:43:13,300 --> 02:43:16,700
Modern historians are skeptical 
of these numbers noting that 

2831
02:43:16,700 --> 02:43:19,800
there often rounded figures that
probably represent the entire 

2832
02:43:19,800 --> 02:43:24,400
Regional population rather than 
actual deaths and that sources 

2833
02:43:24,400 --> 02:43:28,900
had incentive to exaggerate. 
But even accounting for 

2834
02:43:28,900 --> 02:43:32,300
exaggeration, the destruction 
was real and substantial. 

2835
02:43:33,300 --> 02:43:36,700
Urban culture in Central, Asia 
suffered devastating blows 

2836
02:43:36,700 --> 02:43:40,500
irrigation systems that took 
centuries to build were 

2837
02:43:40,500 --> 02:43:42,800
destroyed. 
Libraries and schools were 

2838
02:43:42,800 --> 02:43:45,900
burned Craftsmen were killed or 
relocated. 

2839
02:43:46,800 --> 02:43:48,700
Economic networks were 
disrupted. 

2840
02:43:48,700 --> 02:43:53,400
The region took generations to 
recover and some areas never 

2841
02:43:53,400 --> 02:43:55,400
fully regain their former 
prosperity. 

2842
02:43:57,000 --> 02:44:00,900
Meanwhile, Sharma, Muhammad 
flees Westwood, pursued by two 

2843
02:44:00,900 --> 02:44:04,800
of Genghis, Khan's best 
generals, super Thai and jebe 

2844
02:44:04,800 --> 02:44:10,000
leading, perhaps 20,000 cavalry.
This Pursuit becomes almost 

2845
02:44:10,000 --> 02:44:13,800
absurd in its scope. 
The Mongol armies Chase Sharma 

2846
02:44:13,800 --> 02:44:16,800
hammered across Persia through 
the Caucasus Mountains, around 

2847
02:44:16,800 --> 02:44:20,100
the Caspian Sea. 
And finally, to an island in the

2848
02:44:20,100 --> 02:44:23,800
Caspian, where he dies, 
probably, from dysentery, or 

2849
02:44:23,800 --> 02:44:28,000
pleurisy broken defeated and 
abandoned, even by his remaining

2850
02:44:28,000 --> 02:44:31,000
followers, but Super Tire and JB
don't stop. 

2851
02:44:31,000 --> 02:44:34,000
They continue Westwood on what 
becomes a reconnaissance 

2852
02:44:34,000 --> 02:44:36,800
Expedition. 
Probing territories that have 

2853
02:44:36,800 --> 02:44:40,800
never encountered Mongol forces 
they raid through Azerbaijan. 

2854
02:44:40,800 --> 02:44:44,500
Penetrating to Georgia. 
Cross the Caucasus Mountains 

2855
02:44:44,500 --> 02:44:46,800
into the steps north of the 
Black Sea. 

2856
02:44:47,600 --> 02:44:50,800
Defeat, a combined force of 
Russian Prince's and kipchak 

2857
02:44:50,800 --> 02:44:55,200
Warrior's at the kalka. 
River in 1223, then loop back, 

2858
02:44:55,200 --> 02:44:57,300
Eastward to rejoin, Genghis 
Khan. 

2859
02:44:58,400 --> 02:45:02,400
This Expedition covering paps, 
8,000 miles and 3 years, 

2860
02:45:02,400 --> 02:45:05,700
demonstrates Mongol capabilities
at their Peak. 

2861
02:45:06,700 --> 02:45:10,100
A relatively small Force, 
operates independently deep in 

2862
02:45:10,108 --> 02:45:14,700
enemy territory, defeat every 
enemy it encounters gathers 

2863
02:45:14,700 --> 02:45:17,700
intelligence about regions. 
The Mongols might later conquer 

2864
02:45:17,700 --> 02:45:22,900
and returns with minimal losses.
It's a preview of campaigns that

2865
02:45:22,900 --> 02:45:25,600
will devastate Eastern Europe. 
Two decades later. 

2866
02:45:26,800 --> 02:45:30,500
By the early 1220s Genghis, Khan
controls territory. 

2867
02:45:30,500 --> 02:45:35,400
Stretching from the Pacific 
Ocean to the BNC from Siberian 

2868
02:45:35,400 --> 02:45:38,000
forests to the Persian Gulf 
approaches. 

2869
02:45:38,800 --> 02:45:42,300
Managing, this Empire requires 
Innovations and communication, 

2870
02:45:42,300 --> 02:45:46,100
trade and administration that 
equal his military achievements.

2871
02:45:47,100 --> 02:45:50,500
You're working in the Imperial 
Administration now, helping 

2872
02:45:50,500 --> 02:45:52,500
establish and maintain the yam 
system. 

2873
02:45:52,500 --> 02:45:56,700
A postal relay Network. 
That becomes one of the Mongol 

2874
02:45:56,700 --> 02:46:00,500
Empires most impressive and 
consequential achievements. 

2875
02:46:01,300 --> 02:46:04,500
The system Builds on existing 
relay networks used by previous 

2876
02:46:04,500 --> 02:46:07,700
Empires. 
The Persians Chinese and others 

2877
02:46:07,700 --> 02:46:11,800
had similar systems but the 
Mongols extend and systematize 

2878
02:46:11,800 --> 02:46:15,600
it on an unpressed dented scale.
Stations are built along, all 

2879
02:46:15,600 --> 02:46:20,400
major routes space, roughly a 
day's hard ride apart perhaps 25

2880
02:46:20,400 --> 02:46:24,500
to 30 miles each station 
maintains, Fresh Horses, 

2881
02:46:24,500 --> 02:46:28,800
supplies, food, and Riders, 
ready to carry messages or 

2882
02:46:28,800 --> 02:46:31,900
transport officials. 
The stations are stocked. 

2883
02:46:31,900 --> 02:46:36,100
Systematically managed by 
appointed officials and subject 

2884
02:46:36,100 --> 02:46:39,300
to regular inspection to ensure 
their maintained properly. 

2885
02:46:40,100 --> 02:46:44,200
The system operates with 
remarkable efficiency, an Urgent

2886
02:46:44,200 --> 02:46:46,600
Message can travel, from one end
of the Empire to the other 

2887
02:46:46,600 --> 02:46:51,200
impacts, two to three weeks, an 
astonishing speed for the era. 

2888
02:46:51,900 --> 02:46:56,000
by comparison European kingdoms,
might take months to coordinate 

2889
02:46:56,000 --> 02:47:01,600
actions between distant regions 
Officials carrying the Piasa, a 

2890
02:47:01,600 --> 02:47:04,700
tablet made of gold, silver or 
wood, depending on rank. 

2891
02:47:04,700 --> 02:47:09,300
Identifying them as Imperial 
Messengers receive priority 

2892
02:47:09,300 --> 02:47:12,700
treatment at all stations and 
can requisition horses, food 

2893
02:47:12,700 --> 02:47:14,700
shelter and assistance as 
needed. 

2894
02:47:15,700 --> 02:47:19,300
This communication Network makes
Imperial Administration possible

2895
02:47:19,300 --> 02:47:23,400
across vast distances Genghis. 
Khan can send orders to distant 

2896
02:47:23,400 --> 02:47:26,700
Governors and receive compliance
within weeks rather than months.

2897
02:47:27,600 --> 02:47:30,300
He can receive intelligent 
reports about threats or 

2898
02:47:30,300 --> 02:47:32,800
opportunities and responded. 
Before situations, develop 

2899
02:47:32,800 --> 02:47:35,700
beyond control. 
He can coordinate military 

2900
02:47:35,700 --> 02:47:38,900
campaigns across multiple 
fronts, separated by thousands 

2901
02:47:38,900 --> 02:47:42,800
of miles. the amp system 
transforms how Empires can 

2902
02:47:42,800 --> 02:47:46,500
function in enabling centralized
control over territories, that 

2903
02:47:46,500 --> 02:47:50,200
previous rulers could only 
govern loosely The economic 

2904
02:47:50,200 --> 02:47:52,100
implications proved equally 
important. 

2905
02:47:52,100 --> 02:47:55,600
The security Genghis Khan 
provides along trade routes 

2906
02:47:55,600 --> 02:47:59,000
combined with the communication 
infrastructure that supports 

2907
02:47:59,000 --> 02:48:02,600
Commerce encourages trade on an 
unprecedented scale. 

2908
02:48:03,700 --> 02:48:06,900
Silk Road, which had always 
existed in fragments controlled 

2909
02:48:06,900 --> 02:48:10,200
by different powers demanding 
tolls, and offering varying 

2910
02:48:10,200 --> 02:48:13,800
levels of security becomes for 
the first time in history. 

2911
02:48:13,800 --> 02:48:17,100
A relatively unified system 
under single management. 

2912
02:48:17,100 --> 02:48:20,600
You see the results in daily 
life as you help administer 

2913
02:48:20,600 --> 02:48:25,300
trade routes Merchants traveling
from China, to Persia no longer 

2914
02:48:25,300 --> 02:48:27,800
need to negotiate with dozens of
different powers. 

2915
02:48:27,800 --> 02:48:32,500
Pay arbitrary tolls at every 
border, hire armed guards, to 

2916
02:48:32,500 --> 02:48:35,800
protect against Bandits or 
navigate complex and 

2917
02:48:35,800 --> 02:48:40,600
contradictory legal systems. 
They pay standardized taxes to 

2918
02:48:40,600 --> 02:48:44,400
Mongol authorities, receive 
protection under Imperial law. 

2919
02:48:45,200 --> 02:48:48,000
Can conduct business with 
reasonable confidence, that 

2920
02:48:48,000 --> 02:48:50,600
contracts will be enforced and 
property will be protected. 

2921
02:48:51,600 --> 02:48:54,300
This creates, well, that flows 
into the Empire's coffers 

2922
02:48:54,300 --> 02:48:58,200
through taxation, but more 
importantly, it creates economic

2923
02:48:58,200 --> 02:49:00,200
integration and cultural 
Exchange. 

2924
02:49:01,300 --> 02:49:05,000
Silk moves, Westwood in vast, 
quantities in Richmond, Chinese 

2925
02:49:05,000 --> 02:49:08,000
producers, and Central Asian 
Merchants, while providing 

2926
02:49:08,000 --> 02:49:11,600
luxury goods to Persian and 
eventually European markets. 

2927
02:49:12,400 --> 02:49:16,100
Silver flows, Eastwood driven by
Chinese demand for precious 

2928
02:49:16,100 --> 02:49:19,100
metals. 
Spices travel from south to 

2929
02:49:19,100 --> 02:49:21,800
North Furs move from north to 
south. 

2930
02:49:21,800 --> 02:49:25,700
Each trade route becomes a 
conduit not just for goods but 

2931
02:49:25,700 --> 02:49:28,900
for ideas Technologies and 
cultural practices. 

2932
02:49:30,000 --> 02:49:32,800
The religious tolerance that 
Genghis Khan established becomes

2933
02:49:32,800 --> 02:49:36,000
even more evident and important 
during this era of expanded 

2934
02:49:36,000 --> 02:49:39,200
trade and contact. 
You encounter extraordinary 

2935
02:49:39,200 --> 02:49:42,300
diversity in any major city 
along the trade routes 

2936
02:49:42,300 --> 02:49:46,500
nestorian, Christians from 
Central Asia working alongside 

2937
02:49:46,500 --> 02:49:50,400
Buddhist monks from China 
Muslim, merchants from Persia 

2938
02:49:50,400 --> 02:49:55,100
trading with shamaness Mongols, 
Taoist, sages Consulting with 

2939
02:49:55,100 --> 02:49:59,100
man in Scholars and Jewish 
Traders conducting business with

2940
02:49:59,100 --> 02:50:02,800
Hindu Craftsman and nobody finds
this particularly remarkable. 

2941
02:50:02,800 --> 02:50:07,800
The Empire's policy is clear and
consistently and forced believe 

2942
02:50:07,800 --> 02:50:11,600
what ever you want worship. 
However, you choose follow 

2943
02:50:11,600 --> 02:50:14,800
whatever, dietary restrictions, 
your religion requires, and 

2944
02:50:14,800 --> 02:50:17,900
observe whatever, holy days. 
You prefer, As Long as You 

2945
02:50:17,900 --> 02:50:21,800
Follow the Civil laws, pay your 
taxes and contribute to the 

2946
02:50:21,800 --> 02:50:24,800
Empire's defense. 
When required Genghis, Khan 

2947
02:50:24,800 --> 02:50:28,400
actively encourages this diverse
teeth through explicit policy, 

2948
02:50:29,200 --> 02:50:32,700
He grants tax exemptions to all 
religious institutions. 

2949
02:50:32,700 --> 02:50:37,200
Mosques churches. 
Monasteries temples and 

2950
02:50:37,200 --> 02:50:40,100
synagogues. 
He protects places of worship 

2951
02:50:40,100 --> 02:50:43,800
from desecration or destruction,
he prohibits religious 

2952
02:50:43,800 --> 02:50:46,100
discrimination and commerce or 
Administration. 

2953
02:50:46,100 --> 02:50:50,300
He employs talented individuals 
regardless of their religion, 

2954
02:50:50,300 --> 02:50:54,100
Muslim administrators managing 
taxation systems. 

2955
02:50:54,100 --> 02:50:59,000
Christian scribes maintaining 
records Buddhist advisors 

2956
02:50:59,000 --> 02:51:03,100
providing Council on governance 
and Taoist sages offering wisdom

2957
02:51:03,100 --> 02:51:07,800
about Health and Longevity. 
This isn't altruism or 

2958
02:51:07,800 --> 02:51:09,500
philosophical commitment to 
Religious Freedom. 

2959
02:51:09,500 --> 02:51:13,500
In any, modern sense, its 
practical recognition that 

2960
02:51:13,500 --> 02:51:16,100
diverse sources of talent and 
knowledge, make the Empire 

2961
02:51:16,100 --> 02:51:19,600
stronger. 
Why limit yourself to Mongolia 

2962
02:51:19,600 --> 02:51:23,200
when you can also recruit the 
administrative expertise of 

2963
02:51:23,200 --> 02:51:27,200
Chinese Confucian bureaucrats? 
The commercial networks of 

2964
02:51:27,200 --> 02:51:30,600
Muslim merchants the scholarly 
traditions of Christian 

2965
02:51:30,600 --> 02:51:33,600
monasteries and the scientific 
knowledge of Persian 

2966
02:51:33,600 --> 02:51:36,300
astronomers. 
Cultural and technological 

2967
02:51:36,300 --> 02:51:39,800
exchange for facilitated. 
By this integrated Trade Network

2968
02:51:39,800 --> 02:51:42,800
transform Society is across your
Asia. 

2969
02:51:43,800 --> 02:51:48,000
Chinese Technologies, spread 
Westward gunpowder, which will 

2970
02:51:48,000 --> 02:51:51,900
revolutionize Warfare. 
Printing which will democratize 

2971
02:51:51,900 --> 02:51:56,100
knowledge, the compass, which 
enables navigation, and paper 

2972
02:51:56,100 --> 02:51:58,800
currency, which facilitates 
commas. 

2973
02:51:59,500 --> 02:52:03,300
Islamic scientific knowledge, 
spreads Eastward advanced 

2974
02:52:03,300 --> 02:52:07,600
mathematics including algebra 
sophisticated astronomy enabling

2975
02:52:07,600 --> 02:52:11,000
accurate calendars. 
Medical knowledge accumulated 

2976
02:52:11,000 --> 02:52:15,500
from Greek, Persian and Indian 
sources and Architectural 

2977
02:52:15,500 --> 02:52:18,800
technique for building large 
domes and complex structures. 

2978
02:52:20,300 --> 02:52:23,100
European goods and ideas. 
Begin reaching East Asia in 

2979
02:52:23,100 --> 02:52:25,500
significant quantities for the 
first time. 

2980
02:52:26,400 --> 02:52:29,600
Mongol rule creates for a brief 
historical moment. 

2981
02:52:29,600 --> 02:52:34,300
Something approaching a unified 
Eurasian economy enabling 

2982
02:52:34,300 --> 02:52:37,600
exchanges that wouldn't occur 
again at this scale until the 

2983
02:52:37,600 --> 02:52:39,700
modern era. 
You witness some of this 

2984
02:52:39,700 --> 02:52:43,500
exchange directly. 
The Chinese engineer arrives at 

2985
02:52:43,500 --> 02:52:46,600
mongol military Camp bringing 
designs for improved weapons. 

2986
02:52:46,600 --> 02:52:51,100
A personal astronomer sets up an
observatory teaching Mongol. 

2987
02:52:51,100 --> 02:52:55,200
Prince's about Celestial 
mechanics European Merchants 

2988
02:52:55,200 --> 02:52:58,400
brings samples of glass and 
Woolen cloth trading them for 

2989
02:52:58,400 --> 02:53:02,200
silk and porcelain. 
A Buddhist missionary from Tibet

2990
02:53:02,200 --> 02:53:05,700
discusses philosophy with a 
nestorian monk while a Muslim 

2991
02:53:05,700 --> 02:53:09,200
scholar observes and comments 
the intellectual and cultural 

2992
02:53:09,200 --> 02:53:11,300
ferment this creates is 
unprecedented. 

2993
02:53:12,100 --> 02:53:14,400
The administrative 
sophistication continues 

2994
02:53:14,400 --> 02:53:18,600
developing the Empire, conducts 
census to better understand, its

2995
02:53:18,600 --> 02:53:22,100
population and resources, 
initially crude counts but 

2996
02:53:22,100 --> 02:53:24,000
gradually becoming more 
systematic. 

2997
02:53:25,000 --> 02:53:29,100
Tax records are maintained with 
increasing care, using written 

2998
02:53:29,100 --> 02:53:32,200
documentation that allows for 
planning and forecasting rather 

2999
02:53:32,200 --> 02:53:34,100
than just ad hoc. 
Extrapolation. 

3000
02:53:35,200 --> 02:53:39,600
Postal records track message. 
Traffic enabling administrators 

3001
02:53:39,600 --> 02:53:42,700
to identify problems in the 
system and optimize route 

3002
02:53:42,700 --> 02:53:44,900
routes. 
Legal Administration, become 

3003
02:53:44,900 --> 02:53:48,300
more formalized. 
Judges applying the assessor 

3004
02:53:48,300 --> 02:53:51,400
accumulate precedent in 
interpretations that, add Nuance

3005
02:53:51,400 --> 02:53:55,100
to the original principles. 
The fundamental rules, remain 

3006
02:53:55,100 --> 02:53:58,800
constant equality before, law 
protection of property, 

3007
02:53:58,800 --> 02:54:02,300
religious tolerance Merit to 
advancement. 

3008
02:54:03,200 --> 02:54:06,300
But the applications become more
sophisticated as the Empire 

3009
02:54:06,300 --> 02:54:10,700
governs increasingly diverse 
population with varying custards

3010
02:54:10,700 --> 02:54:14,800
and Expectations by 12:26. 
Genghis, Khan is in his 

3011
02:54:14,800 --> 02:54:18,500
mid-sixties, an impressive age 
for someone who spent his entire

3012
02:54:18,500 --> 02:54:22,400
adult life in Warfare outdoor 
living and constant travel. 

3013
02:54:23,300 --> 02:54:27,900
His body shows the accumulated 
damage of decades Old Wounds 

3014
02:54:27,900 --> 02:54:31,600
that ache and cold weather 
joints stiffened by countless 

3015
02:54:31,600 --> 02:54:34,800
hours on Horseback. 
And the general erosion that 

3016
02:54:34,800 --> 02:54:40,100
active, life brings But his mind
remains sharp his strategic 

3017
02:54:40,100 --> 02:54:44,100
thinking undiminished and his 
determination unwanted. 

3018
02:54:44,900 --> 02:54:48,100
The Western Shear, which he 
first campaigned against years 

3019
02:54:48,100 --> 02:54:50,100
earlier. 
And which had submitted to 

3020
02:54:50,100 --> 02:54:54,000
Mongols or anti Has refused to 
provide military support for 

3021
02:54:54,000 --> 02:54:56,100
campaigns against the quiet 
Empire. 

3022
02:54:57,600 --> 02:55:01,300
The refusal comes with insulting
language suggesting that. 

3023
02:55:01,300 --> 02:55:03,600
If Genghis Khan cannot fight his
own battles. 

3024
02:55:03,600 --> 02:55:07,600
He shouldn't become this 
combination of disobedient. 

3025
02:55:07,600 --> 02:55:11,500
And insult is intolerable. 
Despite his age and declining 

3026
02:55:11,500 --> 02:55:14,700
Health Genghis. 
Khan personally leads one final 

3027
02:55:14,700 --> 02:55:18,400
campaign against Western Sierra.
Your part of this Expedition 

3028
02:55:18,400 --> 02:55:22,200
now, an older officer yourself, 
and it's clear that Genghis, 

3029
02:55:22,200 --> 02:55:25,000
Khan is driving himself Beyond 
his physical limits. 

3030
02:55:25,900 --> 02:55:29,800
He's determined to complete this
campaign to punish the tanks for

3031
02:55:29,800 --> 02:55:33,500
their Disobedience and to 
establish definitively, the 

3032
02:55:33,500 --> 02:55:37,200
submission to Mongol Authority 
must be complete and permanent. 

3033
02:55:38,400 --> 02:55:41,900
During the campaign Genghis, 
Khan suffers an accident while 

3034
02:55:41,900 --> 02:55:45,100
hunting. 
Either a fall from his horse or 

3035
02:55:45,100 --> 02:55:47,600
possibly being thrown when his 
horses startled. 

3036
02:55:48,300 --> 02:55:52,200
He's injured possibly internally
and never fully recovers. 

3037
02:55:53,000 --> 02:55:56,400
He develops fever and weakness, 
but refuses to abandon the 

3038
02:55:56,400 --> 02:55:59,600
campaign. 
The Mongol Army continues, its 

3039
02:55:59,600 --> 02:56:02,500
systematic, destruction of 
Western shares capacity, for 

3040
02:56:02,500 --> 02:56:07,000
resistance, the sieging, cities 
accepting surrenders and 

3041
02:56:07,000 --> 02:56:08,500
gradually crushing all 
opposition. 

3042
02:56:09,800 --> 02:56:13,300
In August of 1227 Genghis, Khan 
dies. 

3043
02:56:14,100 --> 02:56:16,500
The exact circumstances remain 
unclear. 

3044
02:56:17,400 --> 02:56:20,000
Some sources suggest 
complications from his hunting 

3045
02:56:20,000 --> 02:56:23,100
injury. 
Others mention illness possibly 

3046
02:56:23,100 --> 02:56:25,700
typhoid or dysentery and still 
others. 

3047
02:56:25,700 --> 02:56:28,800
Hint of violence though. 
This seems less likely give them

3048
02:56:28,800 --> 02:56:33,800
the sources and circumstances. 
What circles is that he dies 

3049
02:56:33,800 --> 02:56:37,200
during the Western sea campaign 
and according to some accounts, 

3050
02:56:37,200 --> 02:56:41,500
his final orders demand that the
Western sheer ruling family, be 

3051
02:56:41,500 --> 02:56:44,400
exterminated as punishment for 
causing him to campaign in his 

3052
02:56:44,400 --> 02:56:47,600
final years. 
His death is kept secret 

3053
02:56:47,600 --> 02:56:50,300
initially. 
The Mongol Army is deep in enemy

3054
02:56:50,300 --> 02:56:53,600
territory and announcing the 
Khan's, death might encourage 

3055
02:56:53,600 --> 02:56:57,200
resistance or enable enemies to 
attack during the vulnerable 

3056
02:56:57,200 --> 02:57:00,800
transition period. 
The body is transported back to 

3057
02:57:00,800 --> 02:57:04,100
Mongolia in secrecy. 
According to tradition, 

3058
02:57:04,100 --> 02:57:07,000
everyone. 
The funeral cortesian, counters 

3059
02:57:07,000 --> 02:57:10,600
is killed to preserve the secret
of his burial location, and to 

3060
02:57:10,600 --> 02:57:13,500
provide the deceased Khan with 
servants in the afterlife. 

3061
02:57:14,200 --> 02:57:17,200
The exact burial site remains 
unknown to this day. 

3062
02:57:17,900 --> 02:57:21,500
Tradition holds that he's buried
somewhere in the sacred berghan,

3063
02:57:21,500 --> 02:57:24,800
khaldoon mountain region where 
he had hidden and prayed during 

3064
02:57:24,800 --> 02:57:28,900
desperate times in his youth. 
The site is deliberately left 

3065
02:57:28,900 --> 02:57:32,500
unmarked protected by 
prohibitions against disturbing,

3066
02:57:32,500 --> 02:57:37,300
the area and lost to history. 
Modern attempts to locate the 

3067
02:57:37,300 --> 02:57:40,100
tomb using various Technologies 
of so far failed. 

3068
02:57:41,000 --> 02:57:44,600
But Genghis Khan had planned for
succession understanding that 

3069
02:57:44,600 --> 02:57:47,700
his death, shouldn't plunged. 
The empire into chaos, he 

3070
02:57:47,700 --> 02:57:52,000
designated his third son ogde as
his principal heir. 

3071
02:57:52,900 --> 02:57:56,500
Not his eldest son, Yoshi. 
Who's paternity had always been 

3072
02:57:56,500 --> 02:58:00,700
questioned and who had died 
early anyway, not his second 

3073
02:58:00,700 --> 02:58:04,000
son, chagatai, who was too 
quarrelsome and rigid in his 

3074
02:58:04,000 --> 02:58:07,500
thinking. 
Not his youngest son, tolui, who

3075
02:58:07,500 --> 02:58:09,200
was talented, but perhaps too 
young. 

3076
02:58:09,200 --> 02:58:12,700
And who held the traditional 
role of inheriting, the father's

3077
02:58:12,700 --> 02:58:18,200
herds and Homeland, Look at I 
competent and diplomatic capable

3078
02:58:18,200 --> 02:58:21,300
of building consensus and 
managing the competing interests

3079
02:58:21,300 --> 02:58:23,900
of relatives. 
In generals would continue his 

3080
02:58:23,900 --> 02:58:26,600
father's work. 
The succession proceeds 

3081
02:58:26,600 --> 02:58:30,200
remarkably smoothly. 
A testament to the institutional

3082
02:58:30,200 --> 02:58:31,900
structures. 
Genghis, Khan built. 

3083
02:58:33,000 --> 02:58:37,700
Chiral tires, held in 1229 and 
ogre day is formally proclaimed 

3084
02:58:37,700 --> 02:58:41,600
as great Khan. 
The Empire doesn't fragment into

3085
02:58:41,600 --> 02:58:44,600
warring factions, the 
administrative systems. 

3086
02:58:44,600 --> 02:58:48,800
Continue functioning the postal 
Network keeps operating the 

3087
02:58:48,800 --> 02:58:51,900
laws, remain in force the 
military, maintains its 

3088
02:58:51,900 --> 02:58:55,400
organization, and discipline, 
the transition demonstrates that

3089
02:58:55,400 --> 02:58:59,300
the Empire's become larger than 
any individual even its founder.

3090
02:59:00,300 --> 02:59:02,300
Her older. 
Now working in civil 

3091
02:59:02,300 --> 02:59:05,100
Administration rather than 
fighting new witnessed the 

3092
02:59:05,100 --> 02:59:10,200
empires continued expansion, 
Underwood's rule In many ways he

3093
02:59:10,200 --> 02:59:11,900
could die proves an ideal 
successor. 

3094
02:59:11,900 --> 02:59:17,200
He lacks his father's Charisma 
and strategic genius, but 

3095
02:59:17,200 --> 02:59:20,500
possesses strong administrative 
skills and the political wisdom 

3096
02:59:20,500 --> 02:59:23,900
to work effectively with the 
powerful generals and princes 

3097
02:59:23,900 --> 02:59:27,400
inherited. 
Look at I completes the conquest

3098
02:59:27,400 --> 02:59:29,700
of the Jin Dynasty that his 
father began. 

3099
02:59:30,600 --> 02:59:35,400
The final gin Emperor dies in 
1234 ending a dynasty that had 

3100
02:59:35,400 --> 02:59:37,300
ruled Northern China for over a 
century. 

3101
02:59:38,600 --> 02:59:41,500
The conquered territories are 
incorporated into the Mongol 

3102
02:59:41,500 --> 02:59:43,800
Empire though. 
Administration remains 

3103
02:59:43,800 --> 02:59:47,400
challenging governing settled. 
Agricultural, populations 

3104
02:59:47,400 --> 02:59:51,000
requires different skills than 
ruling nomadic tribes, and the 

3105
02:59:51,000 --> 02:59:53,800
Mongols are still learning. 
Okay. 

3106
02:59:53,800 --> 02:59:57,900
Continues expansion Westwood. 
He sends armies into Eastern 

3107
02:59:57,900 --> 02:59:59,400
Europe under the command of 
battery. 

3108
02:59:59,400 --> 03:00:03,600
Khan Genghis, Khan's grandson 
through Yoki and the brilliant 

3109
03:00:03,600 --> 03:00:09,800
General super tie. from 1237 
through 1241 Mongol forces, 

3110
03:00:09,800 --> 03:00:14,300
sweep through Russia, Poland and
Hungary Defeating every Army 

3111
03:00:14,300 --> 03:00:17,300
that opposes them. 
The European campaigns 

3112
03:00:17,300 --> 03:00:20,300
demonstrate Mongol, military 
capabilities at their Peak. 

3113
03:00:21,000 --> 03:00:25,400
At the Battle of leak in its and
1241 Mongol forces, defeat a 

3114
03:00:25,400 --> 03:00:29,300
combined polish, German Army 
using sophisticated tactics, 

3115
03:00:29,300 --> 03:00:33,100
including feigned, Retreats and 
coordinated charges from 

3116
03:00:33,100 --> 03:00:37,700
multiple directions. 
At the Battle of mohi in 

3117
03:00:37,700 --> 03:00:41,200
Hungary, the same year, they 
annihilate, a large Hungarian 

3118
03:00:41,200 --> 03:00:44,800
Army through Superior, 
reconnaissance coordination, and

3119
03:00:44,800 --> 03:00:48,800
tactical flexibility. 
European Christendom is 

3120
03:00:48,800 --> 03:00:51,500
terrified. 
The Mongols seemed Invincible 

3121
03:00:51,500 --> 03:00:55,300
appearing and disappearing with 
Supernatural, speed defeating, 

3122
03:00:55,300 --> 03:00:58,500
every Force sent against them, 
and using tactics and 

3123
03:00:58,508 --> 03:01:01,900
coordination, that European 
commanders can't counter. 

3124
03:01:02,900 --> 03:01:05,900
Chroniclers described them as 
God's punishment for Christian 

3125
03:01:05,900 --> 03:01:09,100
sins. 
Or as demonic forces, presaging 

3126
03:01:09,100 --> 03:01:12,300
the Apocalypse. 
The rapid Mongol Advanced seems 

3127
03:01:12,300 --> 03:01:15,800
Unstoppable. 
That then abruptly, the Mongols 

3128
03:01:15,800 --> 03:01:18,100
withdraw. 
All good day dies. 

3129
03:01:18,100 --> 03:01:21,300
In December 1241 possibly, from 
alcoholism. 

3130
03:01:21,300 --> 03:01:24,800
Possibly from other causes and 
the Mongol commanders in Europe 

3131
03:01:24,800 --> 03:01:27,800
receive word and return for the 
succession curiel tie. 

3132
03:01:28,900 --> 03:01:32,000
The invasion of Western Europe, 
never resumes though. 

3133
03:01:32,000 --> 03:01:33,700
The reasons are debated by 
historians. 

3134
03:01:34,800 --> 03:01:36,600
The immediate cause is oga's 
death. 

3135
03:01:37,300 --> 03:01:40,200
The deeper factors include the 
marginal value of European 

3136
03:01:40,200 --> 03:01:43,300
territories compared to 
Richlands in the Middle Eastern,

3137
03:01:43,300 --> 03:01:47,100
China, and the logistical 
difficulties of campaigning so 

3138
03:01:47,100 --> 03:01:50,500
far from the Mongol Heartland. 
But what's really developing 

3139
03:01:50,500 --> 03:01:53,400
during this period, is the full 
flowering of the systems. 

3140
03:01:53,400 --> 03:01:56,800
Genghis, Khan created, the 
Empire isn't just a collection 

3141
03:01:56,800 --> 03:01:59,900
of conquered territories. 
It's becoming an integrated 

3142
03:01:59,900 --> 03:02:04,100
political economic, and cultural
entity with sophisticated 

3143
03:02:04,100 --> 03:02:07,700
institutions. 
The legal system continues 

3144
03:02:07,700 --> 03:02:10,500
evolving maintaining corporate 
principles while developing 

3145
03:02:10,500 --> 03:02:14,000
nuanced and precedent. the 
Yasser Remains the fundamental 

3146
03:02:14,000 --> 03:02:17,800
law, but judges accumulate 
experience in applying it to 

3147
03:02:17,800 --> 03:02:21,700
diverse situations mixed 
tribunals sometimes include 

3148
03:02:21,700 --> 03:02:24,700
judges from different 
backgrounds, to ensure fairness 

3149
03:02:24,700 --> 03:02:28,800
when disputes cross-cultural 
lines Legal decisions are 

3150
03:02:28,800 --> 03:02:32,200
increasingly documented, 
creating a body of case, law 

3151
03:02:32,200 --> 03:02:36,000
that guides future judgments. 
The economic integration 

3152
03:02:36,000 --> 03:02:40,200
accelerates dramatically the 
Silk Road reaches its historical

3153
03:02:40,200 --> 03:02:45,100
Zenith under Mongol protection. 
Merchants can travel from Korea 

3154
03:02:45,100 --> 03:02:48,400
to Hungary under single 
management protected by Mongol 

3155
03:02:48,400 --> 03:02:52,600
law using standardized current 
season weights confident, their 

3156
03:02:52,600 --> 03:02:56,100
contracts will be enforced and 
their goods protected, this 

3157
03:02:56,100 --> 03:03:00,400
creates Prosperity that benefits
the Empire through taxation and 

3158
03:03:00,400 --> 03:03:04,400
participating regions through 
increased trade He helped manage

3159
03:03:04,400 --> 03:03:07,400
segments of this Trade Network 
and witness its sophistication. 

3160
03:03:08,500 --> 03:03:12,500
Caravan serra's fortified rest 
stops a built along, trade 

3161
03:03:12,500 --> 03:03:16,400
routes, providing secure 
lodging, fresh animals, supplies

3162
03:03:16,400 --> 03:03:20,000
and banking services. 
Merchants can deposit money in 

3163
03:03:20,000 --> 03:03:23,300
one city and withdraw it in 
another through sophisticated 

3164
03:03:23,300 --> 03:03:27,200
bills of Exchange. 
Avoiding the risk of carrying 

3165
03:03:27,200 --> 03:03:29,500
large amounts of coin or 
precious metals. 

3166
03:03:30,400 --> 03:03:33,600
Commercial contracts are 
enforced by Imperial courts, 

3167
03:03:33,600 --> 03:03:37,000
that understand Trade Practices 
and can adjudicate disputes 

3168
03:03:37,000 --> 03:03:40,300
efficiently. 
The cultural exchange becomes 

3169
03:03:40,300 --> 03:03:43,200
truly remarkable. 
You attend gatherings in the 

3170
03:03:43,200 --> 03:03:46,500
imperial capital where Scholars 
from across the Empire exchange 

3171
03:03:46,500 --> 03:03:49,200
knowledge. 
Chinese Engineers, demonstrate 

3172
03:03:49,200 --> 03:03:52,900
new, Siege Technologies, Persian
astronomers, share observations 

3173
03:03:52,900 --> 03:03:57,000
and calculations. 
Indian mathematicians explained 

3174
03:03:57,000 --> 03:04:00,700
Advanced numerical systems, 
including the concept of 0. 

3175
03:04:01,800 --> 03:04:04,700
European Merchants describe 
their trade networks and 

3176
03:04:04,700 --> 03:04:07,700
political systems. 
The Mongol Court becomes 

3177
03:04:07,700 --> 03:04:11,500
genuinely Cosmopolitan, 
employing administrators and 

3178
03:04:11,500 --> 03:04:13,800
advisors from dozens of 
different backgrounds. 

3179
03:04:13,800 --> 03:04:18,000
Religious debates occur where 
Buddhist Christian Muslim and 

3180
03:04:18,000 --> 03:04:21,400
Towers represent argue their 
positions before the Khan and 

3181
03:04:21,400 --> 03:04:24,400
his court. 
Not to determine which religion 

3182
03:04:24,400 --> 03:04:27,100
is correct. 
The Empire maintains its policy 

3183
03:04:27,100 --> 03:04:30,000
of Tolerance but as an 
intellectual exercise and 

3184
03:04:30,000 --> 03:04:34,000
entertainment, This cultural 
mixing creates Innovation and 

3185
03:04:34,000 --> 03:04:37,200
synthesis. 
Chinese medicine incorporates 

3186
03:04:37,200 --> 03:04:39,500
ideas from Persian and Indian 
traditions. 

3187
03:04:39,500 --> 03:04:43,200
Islamic astronomy benefits from 
Chinese observations. 

3188
03:04:43,200 --> 03:04:47,300
Mongol military tactics 
integrate Siege Technologies 

3189
03:04:47,300 --> 03:04:50,600
from multiple sources, Artistic 
Styles. 

3190
03:04:50,600 --> 03:04:54,900
Blend creating hybrid forms that
draw from multiple Traditions. 

3191
03:04:54,900 --> 03:04:58,100
The administrative 
sophistication, increases 

3192
03:04:58,100 --> 03:05:02,000
steadily census taking become 
more systematic and regular 

3193
03:05:02,000 --> 03:05:05,300
providing detailed information 
about population distribution, 

3194
03:05:05,300 --> 03:05:08,700
economic resources and Military 
capacity. 

3195
03:05:09,700 --> 03:05:13,500
Tax collection becomes more 
rationalized with rates based on

3196
03:05:13,500 --> 03:05:17,300
productivity and ability to pay 
rather than arbitrary 

3197
03:05:17,300 --> 03:05:20,300
extraction. 
The bureaucracy, grows more 

3198
03:05:20,300 --> 03:05:22,900
professional. 
With specialized departments 

3199
03:05:22,900 --> 03:05:25,900
handling different aspects of 
governance, the Empire 

3200
03:05:25,900 --> 03:05:29,200
establishes a postal system that
handles not just official 

3201
03:05:29,200 --> 03:05:32,300
messages, but also begins 
enabling private correspondence 

3202
03:05:32,300 --> 03:05:37,100
and Commercial Communications. 
The yam stations originally 

3203
03:05:37,100 --> 03:05:39,300
billed for military and 
administrative purposes. 

3204
03:05:39,300 --> 03:05:42,600
Become nodes in a broader 
communication Network that 

3205
03:05:42,600 --> 03:05:44,900
facilitates Commerce and 
cultural Exchange. 

3206
03:05:45,700 --> 03:05:50,200
Looking back from the 1240s and 
1250 you can assess what Genghis

3207
03:05:50,200 --> 03:05:52,300
Khan and his immediate 
successors, actually 

3208
03:05:52,300 --> 03:05:55,500
accomplished. 
The territorial Conquest is 

3209
03:05:55,500 --> 03:05:59,600
obvious and unprecedented. 
The Mongol Empire at its height,

3210
03:05:59,600 --> 03:06:03,500
controls more territory than any
Empire in history stretching 

3211
03:06:03,500 --> 03:06:07,300
from Korea to Hungary from 
Siberia to the Persian Gulf. 

3212
03:06:08,300 --> 03:06:11,000
But the conquest alone doesn't 
explain why the Empire 

3213
03:06:11,000 --> 03:06:14,500
functioned as effectively as it 
did or why its influence 

3214
03:06:14,500 --> 03:06:17,400
persisted long after its 
political Unity dissolved. 

3215
03:06:18,200 --> 03:06:21,000
The real achievements were 
organizational, institutional, 

3216
03:06:21,000 --> 03:06:24,800
and cultural. 
Pax mongolica, the Mongol, 

3217
03:06:24,800 --> 03:06:28,200
peace, enables trade and travel 
across Eurasia on an 

3218
03:06:28,200 --> 03:06:32,300
unprecedented scale. 
Perhaps a century, Merchants can

3219
03:06:32,300 --> 03:06:36,100
travel from China to Europe with
reasonable security, paying 

3220
03:06:36,100 --> 03:06:40,400
standardized tolls operating 
under, consistent legal systems,

3221
03:06:40,400 --> 03:06:43,600
and moving goods and quantities.
That would have been impossible 

3222
03:06:43,600 --> 03:06:47,000
during periods of fragmentation 
and chronic Warfare. 

3223
03:06:48,100 --> 03:06:51,600
This economic integration 
creates wealth and facilitates 

3224
03:06:51,600 --> 03:06:53,500
exchanges that wouldn't occur. 
Otherwise. 

3225
03:06:54,700 --> 03:06:57,600
Technologies and ideas that 
might have remained localized 

3226
03:06:57,600 --> 03:07:02,000
rapidly across the empire. 
Chinese inventions reach Europe,

3227
03:07:02,000 --> 03:07:06,700
Islamic science reaches China 
and European Goods, reach East, 

3228
03:07:06,700 --> 03:07:11,000
Asia, The Mongol Empire 
functions as a massive Network 

3229
03:07:11,000 --> 03:07:14,900
for exchanging, not just 
Commodities, but also knowledge 

3230
03:07:14,900 --> 03:07:17,900
techniques and cultural 
practices. 

3231
03:07:19,300 --> 03:07:21,800
The meritocratic principles 
Genghis, Khan established 

3232
03:07:21,800 --> 03:07:25,600
however, in perfectly realized 
demonstrate that Talent can be 

3233
03:07:25,608 --> 03:07:28,300
recognized and rewarded 
regardless of birth. 

3234
03:07:29,200 --> 03:07:33,500
This isn't democracy or equality
in any modern sense, the Empire 

3235
03:07:33,500 --> 03:07:37,000
remains hierarchical and often 
brutal, but it represents 

3236
03:07:37,000 --> 03:07:40,000
movement towards systems. 
That value contribution over 

3237
03:07:40,000 --> 03:07:44,300
inherited status. 
A talented administrator from a 

3238
03:07:44,300 --> 03:07:46,500
conquered. 
People can reach positions of 

3239
03:07:46,508 --> 03:07:49,400
real Authority. 
A brave Warrior from a minor 

3240
03:07:49,400 --> 03:07:54,100
Clan can become a general Birth 
still matters but competence 

3241
03:07:54,100 --> 03:07:57,800
matters more than it had before.
The religious tolerance in 

3242
03:07:57,800 --> 03:08:00,800
Ablaze governance of diverse 
populations without the 

3243
03:08:00,800 --> 03:08:03,400
constant. 
Sectarian conflicts that plague,

3244
03:08:03,400 --> 03:08:06,700
many other Empires. 
People of different faiths 

3245
03:08:06,700 --> 03:08:09,600
coexist and cooperate, under 
common civil law. 

3246
03:08:10,500 --> 03:08:14,600
This creates a model, however, 
temporarily sustained for how 

3247
03:08:14,600 --> 03:08:16,600
multi-religious societies might 
function. 

3248
03:08:17,900 --> 03:08:20,100
The principle that people can 
worship differently. 

3249
03:08:20,100 --> 03:08:24,300
While cooperating politically 
and economically influences, how

3250
03:08:24,300 --> 03:08:26,800
late a societies think about 
religious diversity. 

3251
03:08:27,900 --> 03:08:31,200
The legal system, emphasizing 
consistent application, 

3252
03:08:31,200 --> 03:08:35,600
regardless of social status 
creates a sense of fairness that

3253
03:08:35,600 --> 03:08:39,200
generates loyalty and enables 
economic activity. 

3254
03:08:40,100 --> 03:08:43,600
When people know rules will be 
applied, predictably, they can 

3255
03:08:43,600 --> 03:08:47,600
plan invest and engage in 
long-term projects with greater 

3256
03:08:47,600 --> 03:08:50,500
confidence. 
The Yasser isn't perfect. 

3257
03:08:50,500 --> 03:08:55,100
No human legal system ever is, 
but its remarkably functional 

3258
03:08:55,100 --> 03:08:59,500
for its time and scale The 
communication and transportation

3259
03:08:59,500 --> 03:09:01,900
infrastructure enables 
Administration and commerce 

3260
03:09:01,900 --> 03:09:06,100
across unprecedented distances, 
the yam system allows 

3261
03:09:06,100 --> 03:09:09,300
information to flow rapidly, 
enabling coordination and 

3262
03:09:09,300 --> 03:09:10,600
control. 
That would otherwise be 

3263
03:09:10,600 --> 03:09:13,100
impossible. 
The protected trade routes. 

3264
03:09:13,100 --> 03:09:15,200
Create economic benefits that 
make the Empire. 

3265
03:09:15,200 --> 03:09:17,500
Wealthy beyond what Conquest 
alone could have. 

3266
03:09:18,700 --> 03:09:22,000
The systematic incorporation of 
Concord Elites and populations 

3267
03:09:22,000 --> 03:09:26,500
rather than they Universal 
extermination preserves talent 

3268
03:09:26,500 --> 03:09:30,200
and knowledge. 
Chinese Engineers, Persian 

3269
03:09:30,200 --> 03:09:34,300
administrators Turkish 
Craftsmen, Russian Artisans and 

3270
03:09:34,300 --> 03:09:38,000
European Merchants all 
contribute their skills to the 

3271
03:09:38,000 --> 03:09:40,300
Empire instead of being 
destroyed by it. 

3272
03:09:41,200 --> 03:09:44,200
This isn't Mercy in any 
emotional sense, but practical 

3273
03:09:44,200 --> 03:09:47,500
recognition that killing 
talented people is wasteful. 

3274
03:09:47,500 --> 03:09:50,200
And that governing conquered 
territories, requires 

3275
03:09:50,200 --> 03:09:54,500
understanding, local conditions 
and customs. the Mongol Empire 

3276
03:09:54,500 --> 03:09:59,100
of eventually fragments as all 
Empires do Ogae, successes 

3277
03:09:59,100 --> 03:10:02,800
quarrel over succession. 
The Empire splits into separate 

3278
03:10:02,800 --> 03:10:05,800
connotes, that gradually 
develop, independent identities,

3279
03:10:05,800 --> 03:10:08,800
the golden horde in Russia, and 
Eastern Europe. 

3280
03:10:08,800 --> 03:10:13,700
The ilk in Persia and the Middle
East, the chagatai kunai in 

3281
03:10:13,700 --> 03:10:16,400
Central Asia and the Yuan 
dynasty in China. 

3282
03:10:17,800 --> 03:10:20,900
The successor States, maintain 
varying degrees of coordination 

3283
03:10:20,900 --> 03:10:24,100
and shared identity. 
But the unified empire that 

3284
03:10:24,100 --> 03:10:28,000
Genghis Khan created and oh good
day maintained, doesn't survive 

3285
03:10:28,000 --> 03:10:31,200
into the late 13th century as a 
single political entity. 

3286
03:10:32,100 --> 03:10:36,800
The unity in China is overthrown
in 1368 by the Ming Danish tea. 

3287
03:10:37,500 --> 03:10:41,100
The other Carnes gradually 
weakened a conquered by Rising 

3288
03:10:41,100 --> 03:10:45,700
powers or transform into 
different political entities. by

3289
03:10:45,700 --> 03:10:49,000
the 15th century, the unified 
Mongol Empire exists only in 

3290
03:10:49,000 --> 03:10:52,900
memory Yet Genghis, Khan's 
Legacy, persists in ways that 

3291
03:10:52,900 --> 03:10:56,000
transcend political boundaries 
and Outlast specific 

3292
03:10:56,000 --> 03:11:00,700
institutions, the systems. 
He created the principle to 

3293
03:11:00,700 --> 03:11:04,200
established and the connections 
he forged between East and West 

3294
03:11:04,200 --> 03:11:09,100
had permanent effects on human 
civilization. trade networks, 

3295
03:11:09,100 --> 03:11:13,200
Genghis, Khan protected and 
expanded created economic and 

3296
03:11:13,200 --> 03:11:16,700
cultural integration that 
persisted long after Mongol, 

3297
03:11:16,700 --> 03:11:21,800
political control ended The Silk
Road having reached its peak 

3298
03:11:21,800 --> 03:11:25,200
under Mongol protection 
continued functioning even as 

3299
03:11:25,200 --> 03:11:29,300
the Empire fragmented. 
The commercial practices banking

3300
03:11:29,300 --> 03:11:32,700
methods and trade routes 
established during the Mongol 

3301
03:11:32,700 --> 03:11:36,400
period influenced how later 
Empires and eventually modern 

3302
03:11:36,400 --> 03:11:39,600
Global Commerce developed. 
The religious tolerance 

3303
03:11:39,600 --> 03:11:42,800
demonstrated that diverse 
faiths, could co-exist under 

3304
03:11:42,800 --> 03:11:46,100
common political Authority. 
This wasn't perfectly 

3305
03:11:46,100 --> 03:11:50,800
maintained, human institutions 
rarely achieve Perfection but 

3306
03:11:50,800 --> 03:11:53,900
the principal was established 
and demonstrated at a massive 

3307
03:11:53,900 --> 03:11:56,800
scale. 
Later rulers facing religious 

3308
03:11:56,800 --> 03:11:58,900
diversity. 
Could look to the Mongol example

3309
03:11:58,900 --> 03:12:02,500
and see that tolerance was 
possible and often advantageous 

3310
03:12:03,500 --> 03:12:07,100
The administrative Innovations, 
postal systems census, taking 

3311
03:12:07,100 --> 03:12:10,000
systematic, Taxation, and 
professional bureaucracy 

3312
03:12:10,000 --> 03:12:13,800
provided models that later. 
Empire studied and adapted. 

3313
03:12:14,700 --> 03:12:18,000
The Ming Dynasty, which 
overthrew the Mongols in China. 

3314
03:12:18,000 --> 03:12:21,600
Nevertheless maintained many 
Mongol administrative practices 

3315
03:12:21,600 --> 03:12:26,200
because they worked the Ottoman 
safavid and Mughal empires all 

3316
03:12:26,200 --> 03:12:29,700
studied Mongol governance, 
methods and Incorporated, useful

3317
03:12:29,700 --> 03:12:32,200
elements. 
The military innovations 

3318
03:12:32,200 --> 03:12:35,700
influence Warfare for centuries.
The emphasis on Mobility 

3319
03:12:35,700 --> 03:12:40,000
coordination intelligence 
gathering Logistics and 

3320
03:12:40,000 --> 03:12:43,300
adaptability became standard 
elements of military thinking. 

3321
03:12:44,300 --> 03:12:46,900
Mongol armies, affectiveness 
came not from Superior 

3322
03:12:46,900 --> 03:12:50,400
technology or overwhelming 
numbers but from Superior 

3323
03:12:50,400 --> 03:12:54,100
organizational, discipline and 
systematic planning. 

3324
03:12:55,000 --> 03:12:57,300
Lessons that military 
strategists can continue 

3325
03:12:57,300 --> 03:13:00,400
studying. 
The concept of meritocratic 

3326
03:13:00,400 --> 03:13:03,200
advancement. 
However, imperfectly realized 

3327
03:13:03,200 --> 03:13:07,000
entered political Consciousness 
and influenced how late is 

3328
03:13:07,008 --> 03:13:09,000
society. 
Thought about social mobility 

3329
03:13:09,000 --> 03:13:12,900
and opportunity. 
The idea that Talent deserves 

3330
03:13:12,900 --> 03:13:16,900
recognition regardless of birth,
the competent people should be 

3331
03:13:16,900 --> 03:13:20,200
promoted based on capability, 
rather than connections. 

3332
03:13:20,200 --> 03:13:23,300
And that system should reward 
contribution rather than 

3333
03:13:23,300 --> 03:13:28,400
inherited status. 
These principles demonstrated at

3334
03:13:28,400 --> 03:13:31,800
scale in the Mongol Empire 
became part of how humans think 

3335
03:13:31,800 --> 03:13:35,900
about organizing societies. 
Returning to Genghis. 

3336
03:13:35,900 --> 03:13:39,200
Khan himself, what kind of 
person emerges from the 

3337
03:13:39,200 --> 03:13:42,300
historical sources despite their
biases and limitations? 

3338
03:13:43,700 --> 03:13:47,400
The sources are problematic. 
Written by people with various 

3339
03:13:47,400 --> 03:13:50,600
agendas often Generations after 
the events. 

3340
03:13:50,600 --> 03:13:53,500
Filtered through cultural 
assumptions, and political 

3341
03:13:53,500 --> 03:13:56,300
needs. 
Some patterns emerge, 

3342
03:13:56,300 --> 03:13:59,700
consistently. 
He was clearly intelligent and 

3343
03:13:59,700 --> 03:14:01,300
capable of learning 
continuously. 

3344
03:14:02,100 --> 03:14:05,700
He started as a skilled tribal 
leader and evolved into an 

3345
03:14:05,700 --> 03:14:09,200
imperial administrator learning 
from every campaign, 

3346
03:14:09,200 --> 03:14:13,200
incorporating ideas from 
defeated enemies, and adapting 

3347
03:14:13,200 --> 03:14:16,500
methods based on results, rather
than rigid, adherence to 

3348
03:14:16,500 --> 03:14:20,800
tradition He recognized talent 
in others and promoted it, 

3349
03:14:20,800 --> 03:14:24,200
regardless of background. 
Suggesting both confidence in 

3350
03:14:24,200 --> 03:14:27,800
his own position and pragmatic. 
Understanding that capable 

3351
03:14:27,800 --> 03:14:29,900
subordinates. 
Make organizations function 

3352
03:14:29,900 --> 03:14:34,100
better He was ruthless when he 
judged ruthlessness necessary, 

3353
03:14:34,100 --> 03:14:37,500
but not gratuitously cruel, the 
distinction matters, 

3354
03:14:37,500 --> 03:14:39,800
historically, and morally 
cities. 

3355
03:14:39,800 --> 03:14:43,400
That surrendered were generally,
spared major violence cities 

3356
03:14:43,400 --> 03:14:45,000
that resisted were punished 
severely. 

3357
03:14:45,900 --> 03:14:49,500
Enemies who demonstrated loyalty
after defeat were Incorporated 

3358
03:14:49,500 --> 03:14:53,200
and sometimes promoted those who
continue to resisting were 

3359
03:14:53,200 --> 03:14:57,800
eliminated. 
This was calculated brutality in

3360
03:14:57,800 --> 03:15:02,200
service of strategic goals, 
encouraging future, surrenders 

3361
03:15:02,200 --> 03:15:06,600
eliminating potential 
rebellions, rather than sadism 

3362
03:15:06,600 --> 03:15:10,300
for his own sake. 
He valued loyalty, intensely 

3363
03:15:10,300 --> 03:15:13,900
probably reflecting his early 
experience of betrayal and 

3364
03:15:13,900 --> 03:15:17,100
abandonment. 
People who proved their loyalty 

3365
03:15:17,100 --> 03:15:22,100
received rewards protection and 
advancement, people who betrayed

3366
03:15:22,100 --> 03:15:24,900
his trust faced severe 
consequences. 

3367
03:15:25,900 --> 03:15:29,800
The Asus codified, this loyalty 
to the Khan and the empire was 

3368
03:15:29,800 --> 03:15:33,000
the highest obligation 
superseding Clan ties or 

3369
03:15:33,000 --> 03:15:37,300
personal relationships. 
He showed remarkable flexibility

3370
03:15:37,300 --> 03:15:40,300
in, adopting useful. 
Innovations, regardless of their

3371
03:15:40,300 --> 03:15:43,000
Source. 
He learned Siege Warfare from 

3372
03:15:43,000 --> 03:15:46,400
Chinese Engineers adopted 
literacy from yoga. 

3373
03:15:46,400 --> 03:15:50,400
Scribes employed Persian 
administrators recruited 

3374
03:15:50,400 --> 03:15:54,100
religious advisors from multiple
traditions and Incorporated 

3375
03:15:54,100 --> 03:15:58,500
military tactics from defeated 
enemies He wasn't constrained by

3376
03:15:58,500 --> 03:16:02,100
cultural chauvinism or 
assumptions that Mongols were 

3377
03:16:02,100 --> 03:16:03,600
inherently Superior to all 
others. 

3378
03:16:03,600 --> 03:16:07,900
He demonstrated long-term 
strategic thinking unusual for 

3379
03:16:07,900 --> 03:16:11,400
his era. 
The postal system legal code 

3380
03:16:11,400 --> 03:16:15,100
administrative structures and 
religious tolerance policies. 

3381
03:16:15,100 --> 03:16:18,700
These weren't necessary for 
immediate Conquest but were 

3382
03:16:18,700 --> 03:16:20,200
essential for long-term 
governance. 

3383
03:16:21,000 --> 03:16:24,300
He was building sustainable 
institutions not just 

3384
03:16:24,300 --> 03:16:26,600
accumulating territory through 
raids. 

3385
03:16:26,600 --> 03:16:30,300
He maintained personal 
discipline and expected it from 

3386
03:16:30,300 --> 03:16:33,900
his followers, the Yasser 
included regulations about 

3387
03:16:33,900 --> 03:16:38,000
military, conduct personal 
behavior, and ethical standards.

3388
03:16:38,800 --> 03:16:41,600
Whether he always lived up to 
the standards himself is 

3389
03:16:41,600 --> 03:16:44,900
debatable, but he at least 
acknowledged that rulers should 

3390
03:16:44,908 --> 03:16:48,600
be bound by law. 
An unusual admission, in an age 

3391
03:16:48,600 --> 03:16:51,500
of arbitrary autography, Your 
very old. 

3392
03:16:51,500 --> 03:16:53,600
Now approaching the end of your 
life. 

3393
03:16:53,600 --> 03:16:56,300
Having witnessed the 
transformation of the Mongol 

3394
03:16:56,300 --> 03:17:00,300
people from fragmented tribes to
rule as of History's, largest 

3395
03:17:00,300 --> 03:17:06,200
contiguous Empire New tem before
he became gangas, you served him

3396
03:17:06,200 --> 03:17:08,900
during his rise, you watched him
build an Empire. 

3397
03:17:08,900 --> 03:17:12,400
And you've seen that Empire 
continued of evolving after his 

3398
03:17:12,400 --> 03:17:14,500
death? 
What did it all mean? 

3399
03:17:15,600 --> 03:17:18,700
The question demands on his 
Reckoning with both achievement 

3400
03:17:18,700 --> 03:17:21,700
and cost. 
The conquest caused tremendous 

3401
03:17:21,700 --> 03:17:26,000
suffering cities. 
Destroyed populations killed or 

3402
03:17:26,000 --> 03:17:30,800
displaced cultures disrupted 
irrigation systems demolished 

3403
03:17:30,800 --> 03:17:35,300
libraries burned and centuries 
of accumulated knowledge lost 

3404
03:17:36,100 --> 03:17:38,900
The death toll from Mongol 
conquest, probably numbered in 

3405
03:17:38,908 --> 03:17:43,500
the millions exact figures are 
impossible to determine, but the

3406
03:17:43,500 --> 03:17:45,700
scale of Destruction was 
enormous. 

3407
03:17:46,600 --> 03:17:49,600
This suffering was real and 
shouldn't be minimized or 

3408
03:17:49,600 --> 03:17:51,800
excused by pointing to later 
benefits. 

3409
03:17:51,800 --> 03:17:55,600
The Terra campaigns were 
deliberate stories of mass 

3410
03:17:55,600 --> 03:17:59,900
execution, wholesale, Slaughter 
and cities reduced to Rubble 

3411
03:17:59,900 --> 03:18:02,900
many were exaggerated but many 
were true. 

3412
03:18:03,700 --> 03:18:06,700
The psychological warfare was 
calculated to encourage 

3413
03:18:06,700 --> 03:18:10,200
surrender, but it created 
genuine trauma that persisted 

3414
03:18:10,200 --> 03:18:13,600
for Generations. 
Persian sources describe the 

3415
03:18:13,608 --> 03:18:18,200
Mongol invasions as apocalyptic 
catastrophes that destroyed an 

3416
03:18:18,200 --> 03:18:21,400
entire civilization. 
The environmental damage was 

3417
03:18:21,400 --> 03:18:25,400
substantial in some regions 
irrigation systems destroyed in 

3418
03:18:25,400 --> 03:18:28,500
Central Asia, and the Middle 
East took generations to rebuild

3419
03:18:28,500 --> 03:18:32,900
some were never fully restored. 
Agricultural land that had been 

3420
03:18:32,908 --> 03:18:36,900
productive for centuries was 
abandoned the disruption to 

3421
03:18:36,900 --> 03:18:38,900
settled life in many regions set
back. 

3422
03:18:38,900 --> 03:18:43,300
Development for decades yet, the
conquests also created 

3423
03:18:43,300 --> 03:18:47,300
unprecedented connections. 
The Silk Road reached its 

3424
03:18:47,300 --> 03:18:50,600
historical Peak. 
Knowledge flowed between East 

3425
03:18:50,600 --> 03:18:53,300
and West at volumes. 
Not seen again until the modern 

3426
03:18:53,300 --> 03:18:56,600
era Technologies and ideas. 
That might have remained 

3427
03:18:56,600 --> 03:19:00,600
localized spread rapidly. 
Chinese inventions reached 

3428
03:19:00,600 --> 03:19:05,200
Europe, Islamic science reached 
China and Commercial practices 

3429
03:19:05,200 --> 03:19:08,600
developed in one region in 
Florence practices everywhere. 

3430
03:19:09,600 --> 03:19:12,800
The Empire demonstrated that 
diverse people's could coexist 

3431
03:19:12,800 --> 03:19:16,400
under common governance, 
religious tolerance, legal 

3432
03:19:16,400 --> 03:19:19,400
consistently and meritocratic 
advancement. 

3433
03:19:19,400 --> 03:19:24,100
These principles, however, 
imperfectly implemented showed 

3434
03:19:24,100 --> 03:19:28,200
possibilities for organizing 
multi-ethnic multi-religious. 

3435
03:19:28,200 --> 03:19:32,300
Societies, the model was not 
perfect, but it worked better 

3436
03:19:32,300 --> 03:19:36,100
than the manual alternatives. 
The administrative Innovations 

3437
03:19:36,100 --> 03:19:38,200
created templates for later 
Empires. 

3438
03:19:38,200 --> 03:19:42,600
Postal systems enabling rapid 
communication, professional 

3439
03:19:42,600 --> 03:19:45,100
bureaucracy is managing, 
complex, territories, 

3440
03:19:45,100 --> 03:19:50,100
systematic, taxation supporting 
State functions and Census Data,

3441
03:19:50,100 --> 03:19:52,800
informing policy, these 
Mongolian Innovations, 

3442
03:19:52,800 --> 03:19:54,800
influenced governments for 
centuries. 

3443
03:19:55,700 --> 03:19:59,000
The economic integration created
prosperity and opportunity. 

3444
03:19:59,700 --> 03:20:02,700
Protected trade routes enabled, 
Commerce, on an unprecedented 

3445
03:20:02,700 --> 03:20:05,700
scale. 
Standardized laws and currencies

3446
03:20:05,700 --> 03:20:09,600
reduce transaction costs. 
security from banditry and 

3447
03:20:09,608 --> 03:20:13,500
arbitrary tolls, encourage 
long-distance trade, Merchants 

3448
03:20:13,500 --> 03:20:16,700
and Craftsmen found markets for 
their goods across Eurasia. 

3449
03:20:17,400 --> 03:20:21,100
Genghis Khan himself transformed
from an abandoned child digging 

3450
03:20:21,100 --> 03:20:25,300
roots for survival into a ruler.
Who United, the Mongol tribes, 

3451
03:20:25,300 --> 03:20:29,400
conquered much of Eurasia and 
established systems that 

3452
03:20:29,400 --> 03:20:33,100
outlasted him by centuries. 
His personal Journey from 

3453
03:20:33,100 --> 03:20:36,500
poverty to power, demonstrated 
possibilities that inspired 

3454
03:20:36,500 --> 03:20:38,400
others across cultures and 
generations. 

3455
03:20:38,400 --> 03:20:42,600
His emphasis on Merit over birth
created opportunities for 

3456
03:20:42,600 --> 03:20:45,600
talented individuals, regardless
of their Origins. 

3457
03:20:46,600 --> 03:20:49,300
Skilled Warrior from a minor 
Clan could become a general. 

3458
03:20:50,300 --> 03:20:52,400
Capable administrator from a 
conquered. 

3459
03:20:52,400 --> 03:20:56,000
People could reach high office. 
and intelligent advisor, 

3460
03:20:56,000 --> 03:21:00,800
regardless of religion could 
influence policy, the principal 

3461
03:21:00,800 --> 03:21:04,200
that Talent deserves recognition
became embedded in the Empire's 

3462
03:21:04,200 --> 03:21:08,100
functioning His religious 
tolerance, pragmatic, rather 

3463
03:21:08,100 --> 03:21:11,200
than philosophical enabled. 
Governments of diverse 

3464
03:21:11,200 --> 03:21:13,500
populations. 
Without constant, sectarian 

3465
03:21:13,500 --> 03:21:17,100
Warfare. 
Muslims Christians, Buddhists 

3466
03:21:17,100 --> 03:21:21,200
taoists. 
Shamanistic, coexisted and 

3467
03:21:21,200 --> 03:21:23,700
cooperated under common civil 
law. 

3468
03:21:24,600 --> 03:21:27,900
The model demonstrated that 
religious diversity, needn't 

3469
03:21:27,900 --> 03:21:31,600
mean, Perpetual conflict. 
His systematic approach to 

3470
03:21:31,600 --> 03:21:34,000
organization showed that 
structure and administration 

3471
03:21:34,000 --> 03:21:36,200
matter as much as military 
force. 

3472
03:21:36,800 --> 03:21:41,400
The decimal military system, 
postal Network, legal code, and 

3473
03:21:41,400 --> 03:21:45,100
administrative procedures. 
These enabled governance at an 

3474
03:21:45,100 --> 03:21:48,400
unprecedented scale and 
influenced how later Empires 

3475
03:21:48,400 --> 03:21:52,100
organized themselves. 
The legacy is genuinely mixed 

3476
03:21:52,100 --> 03:21:55,300
enormous destruction. 
Alongside significant 

3477
03:21:55,300 --> 03:21:59,500
achievement, Brutal Conquest, 
alongside Innovative governance,

3478
03:21:59,500 --> 03:22:04,600
Mass death, alongside economic 
Prosperity, religious tolerance,

3479
03:22:04,600 --> 03:22:08,700
alongside cultural disruption. 
historical judgment must 

3480
03:22:08,700 --> 03:22:12,400
acknowledge both the costs, and 
the benefits, the suffering, and

3481
03:22:12,400 --> 03:22:15,800
the achievements, and the 
brutality, and the brilliant's 

3482
03:22:17,100 --> 03:22:19,700
Genghis Khan's name of Oaks 
different responses across 

3483
03:22:19,700 --> 03:22:23,100
cultures in Mongolia. 
He's the founder of the nation, 

3484
03:22:23,100 --> 03:22:27,000
the greatest leader in history 
and a source of immense Pride. 

3485
03:22:27,800 --> 03:22:31,500
In China, the evaluation is 
complex, respect for his 

3486
03:22:31,500 --> 03:22:34,300
achievements, mixed with bitter 
memories of Conquest. 

3487
03:22:35,400 --> 03:22:37,000
In the Middle East and Central, 
Asia. 

3488
03:22:37,000 --> 03:22:39,900
He's often remembered primarily 
as a destroyer. 

3489
03:22:40,900 --> 03:22:44,100
Catastrophe the devastated 
Islamic civilization. 

3490
03:22:45,000 --> 03:22:47,600
In Russia. 
He's the founder of centuries of

3491
03:22:47,600 --> 03:22:51,200
Mongol domination. 
In Europe, he barely registers 

3492
03:22:51,200 --> 03:22:53,100
despite coming close to 
conquering it. 

3493
03:22:53,900 --> 03:22:57,300
But assessed by impact, rather 
than, by any single cultural 

3494
03:22:57,300 --> 03:23:00,900
perspective, Genghis, Khan ranks
among history is most 

3495
03:23:00,900 --> 03:23:05,000
consequentially individuals. 
He unified the Mongol tribes 

3496
03:23:05,000 --> 03:23:07,600
through a combination of 
military, skill and 

3497
03:23:07,600 --> 03:23:11,900
organizational, genius. 
Created an Empire larger than 

3498
03:23:11,900 --> 03:23:15,300
any before or since in 
contiguous territory, he 

3499
03:23:15,300 --> 03:23:17,700
established systems of 
governance that functioned 

3500
03:23:17,700 --> 03:23:20,900
across unprecedented distances 
and diverse populations. 

3501
03:23:21,900 --> 03:23:25,400
He facilitated economic and 
cultural exchange that connected

3502
03:23:25,400 --> 03:23:28,800
Eurasia in ways not seen again 
for centuries. 

3503
03:23:28,800 --> 03:23:33,300
He demonstrated that Merit could
matter more than birth, That 

3504
03:23:33,300 --> 03:23:36,800
religious diversity, could be 
managed through tolerance that 

3505
03:23:36,800 --> 03:23:39,200
legal systems. 
Could apply consistently 

3506
03:23:39,200 --> 03:23:43,200
regardless of status and the 
communication and administration

3507
03:23:43,200 --> 03:23:45,200
enabled governance at a vast 
scale. 

3508
03:23:46,200 --> 03:23:49,700
These demonstrations influenced,
how late a societies, organize 

3509
03:23:49,700 --> 03:23:53,800
themselves, providing both 
positive examples to emulate and

3510
03:23:53,800 --> 03:23:56,300
cautionary tales about the costs
of Conquest. 

3511
03:23:57,100 --> 03:24:00,600
You drift off to sleep for, 
perhaps the final time thinking 

3512
03:24:00,600 --> 03:24:04,200
about that boy, born with blood 
in his fists, who survived 

3513
03:24:04,200 --> 03:24:07,700
abandonment to unite. 
The step who learned from every 

3514
03:24:07,700 --> 03:24:10,400
enemy. 
He defeated systems that 

3515
03:24:10,400 --> 03:24:14,500
outlasted him whose name 
synonymous with both destruction

3516
03:24:14,500 --> 03:24:18,100
and organization and whose 
Legacy includes tremendous 

3517
03:24:18,100 --> 03:24:20,700
suffering and remarkable 
achievement. 

3518
03:24:21,800 --> 03:24:24,900
The step wins still blow across 
the grasslands, where he was 

3519
03:24:24,900 --> 03:24:28,200
born, where he learned to 
survive and where he built his 

3520
03:24:28,200 --> 03:24:31,100
Empire. 
Those winds carry stories about 

3521
03:24:31,100 --> 03:24:33,400
the man who was to move in and 
became Genghis. 

3522
03:24:33,400 --> 03:24:36,500
Khan the man who changed the 
world through conquest and 

3523
03:24:36,500 --> 03:24:40,600
organization, through brutality 
and systemic governance and 

3524
03:24:40,600 --> 03:24:45,000
through destroying the old order
and building something new His 

3525
03:24:45,000 --> 03:24:49,800
life was a fully human life. 
Limited flawed shaped by 

3526
03:24:49,808 --> 03:24:53,600
circumstances and choices, 
containing both cruelty and 

3527
03:24:53,600 --> 03:24:56,000
vision, both violence and 
innovation. 

3528
03:24:56,800 --> 03:25:01,200
His legacy is a human Legacy. 
Contested interpreted 

3529
03:25:01,200 --> 03:25:03,700
differently across, cultures 
containing darkness and 

3530
03:25:03,700 --> 03:25:05,400
achievement, and separately. 
Mixed. 

3531
03:25:06,200 --> 03:25:07,900
But it was undeniably 
significant. 

3532
03:25:08,800 --> 03:25:11,600
The boy with blood in his fist, 
grew into a man who shaped the 

3533
03:25:11,608 --> 03:25:14,300
course of history and ways that 
Echo to our present day. 

3534
03:25:15,100 --> 03:25:19,500
The Grass, Grows the horses 
graze and somewhere in an 

3535
03:25:19,500 --> 03:25:21,200
unmarked. 
Grave in the sacred mountains, 

3536
03:25:21,200 --> 03:25:25,200
the greatest, Khan sleeps, his 
Empire dissolved, but his 

3537
03:25:25,200 --> 03:25:28,500
influence, persistent his name 
remembered differently across 

3538
03:25:28,500 --> 03:25:31,500
cultures. 
But universally recognized as 

3539
03:25:31,500 --> 03:25:34,500
someone who mattered, who 
changed the world, who 

3540
03:25:34,500 --> 03:25:37,700
demonstrated human capability 
for both extraordinary, 

3541
03:25:37,700 --> 03:25:41,300
destruction and extraordinary 
organizational achievement. 

3542
03:25:42,300 --> 03:25:49,700
Sweet dreams. 
Picture yourself on a hillside 

3543
03:25:49,700 --> 03:25:54,100
in central, Italy, around 300 
and 312 BCE watching something 

3544
03:25:54,100 --> 03:25:55,900
amazing happen in the valley 
below. 

3545
03:25:56,700 --> 03:25:59,500
Hundreds of workers are moving 
in a way that is similar to how 

3546
03:25:59,500 --> 03:26:02,000
ants, build something much 
bigger than themselves. 

3547
03:26:02,000 --> 03:26:04,500
They're building. 
What will become the Via Appia. 

3548
03:26:04,500 --> 03:26:07,700
The first big Roman Road and 
they have no idea that they're 

3549
03:26:07,700 --> 03:26:10,400
making a model that will last 
for thousands of years, you can 

3550
03:26:10,408 --> 03:26:13,600
smell the Limestone dust in the 
air along with the sweat of 

3551
03:26:13,608 --> 03:26:15,900
workers and the smell of freshly
turned soil. 

3552
03:26:15,900 --> 03:26:20,400
The sound is steady hammers, 
hitting Stone bosses calling out

3553
03:26:20,400 --> 03:26:23,400
measurements and carts creaking 
as they bring materials. 

3554
03:26:23,400 --> 03:26:26,800
It's the sound of civilization 
literally Paving the way for the

3555
03:26:26,800 --> 03:26:29,200
future. 
But let's take a step back from 

3556
03:26:29,200 --> 03:26:31,300
this building site and think 
about what roads meant to 

3557
03:26:31,308 --> 03:26:33,800
ancient empires. 
We usually think of them as 

3558
03:26:33,800 --> 03:26:37,000
basic transportation systems. 
Like the highways you drive on 

3559
03:26:37,000 --> 03:26:40,400
to visit family or get to work 
but old roads were much more 

3560
03:26:40,400 --> 03:26:42,100
than that. 
They were the physical 

3561
03:26:42,100 --> 03:26:45,700
embodiment of political power, 
economic systems and cultural 

3562
03:26:45,700 --> 03:26:49,900
identity all at the same time. 
When an empire built a road, it 

3563
03:26:49,900 --> 03:26:53,500
was making a big deal out of it.
It was saying we have complete 

3564
03:26:53,500 --> 03:26:55,500
control over this land, so we 
can change it. 

3565
03:26:55,500 --> 03:26:58,900
We have the power, the 
resources, and the organization 

3566
03:26:58,900 --> 03:27:01,600
to move mountains, or at least 
make paths through them. 

3567
03:27:01,600 --> 03:27:04,900
Every mile of paved Road, was an
investment, not only in getting 

3568
03:27:04,900 --> 03:27:08,900
around, but also in the idea of 
Empire itself, Think of Roads as

3569
03:27:08,900 --> 03:27:12,400
the heart and blood vessels of 
ancient civilizations like your 

3570
03:27:12,400 --> 03:27:15,400
body needs blood vessels to get 
oxygen and nutrients to every 

3571
03:27:15,400 --> 03:27:18,800
cell Empires needed roads to 
move soldiers, Goods 

3572
03:27:18,800 --> 03:27:21,800
information, and ideas, to every
part of their land. 

3573
03:27:21,800 --> 03:27:24,800
You don't really notice your 
circulation when it's working, 

3574
03:27:24,800 --> 03:27:26,800
right? 
Everything starts to break down 

3575
03:27:26,800 --> 03:27:30,300
when it doesn't work, the Roman 
Empire probably understood this 

3576
03:27:30,300 --> 03:27:32,900
better than any other 
civilization before or since 

3577
03:27:33,900 --> 03:27:38,900
Rome had about 250000 miles of 
roads at its peak which is 

3578
03:27:38,900 --> 03:27:40,800
enough to go around the world 
ten times. 

3579
03:27:40,800 --> 03:27:44,100
These were just dirt paths that 
people had walked on a lot and 

3580
03:27:44,100 --> 03:27:46,100
worn down. 
They were engineering one 

3581
03:27:46,100 --> 03:27:50,000
wonders with such care that some
are still in use today more than

3582
03:27:50,008 --> 03:27:53,200
2000 years later. 
But Rome wasn't the only Empire 

3583
03:27:53,200 --> 03:27:54,800
that was crazy about building 
roads. 

3584
03:27:54,800 --> 03:27:57,900
The Inca Empire in South 
America, built a road Network 

3585
03:27:57,900 --> 03:28:01,800
that stretched over 25,000 miles
across, some of the hardest 

3586
03:28:01,800 --> 03:28:04,100
terrain on Earth. 
They built roads through 

3587
03:28:04,100 --> 03:28:08,000
mountains that would make modern
Engineers cry across deserts. 

3588
03:28:08,000 --> 03:28:11,400
Where water was more valuable 
than gold and through jungles 

3589
03:28:11,400 --> 03:28:14,200
that seemed to determined to 
destroy any human construction 

3590
03:28:14,200 --> 03:28:17,000
within weeks. 
The Assyrian Empire built roads 

3591
03:28:17,000 --> 03:28:19,800
in Mesopotamia, that connected 
their capitals to the father's 

3592
03:28:19,800 --> 03:28:22,900
parts of their territory. 
They also build a postal system,

3593
03:28:22,900 --> 03:28:25,800
that was so fast that it could 
send messages faster than any 

3594
03:28:25,800 --> 03:28:28,600
other Communication System until
the telegraph was invented. 

3595
03:28:28,600 --> 03:28:32,300
Thousands of years later, 
imagine Royal Messengers riding 

3596
03:28:32,300 --> 03:28:35,600
through the night switching. 
Horses at stations exactly one 

3597
03:28:35,600 --> 03:28:39,200
day's ride apart and carrying 
sealed clay tablets with news 

3598
03:28:39,200 --> 03:28:40,600
that could change the fate of 
cities. 

3599
03:28:40,600 --> 03:28:45,300
The Persian Royal Road was over 
1,500 miles long and connected 

3600
03:28:45,300 --> 03:28:48,700
Sousa to Sardis. 
It was so well kept that Royal 

3601
03:28:48,700 --> 03:28:50,700
carriers could make the trip in 
just seven days. 

3602
03:28:50,700 --> 03:28:53,200
While it would take people 
walking 90 days. 

3603
03:28:53,200 --> 03:28:56,000
That's about the same as the 
difference between walking from 

3604
03:28:56,000 --> 03:28:58,000
New York to Los Angeles and 
flying there. 

3605
03:28:58,700 --> 03:29:01,300
They did it with only horses. 
Determination and careful 

3606
03:29:01,300 --> 03:29:03,700
planning. 
These roads weren't just about 

3607
03:29:03,700 --> 03:29:07,600
getting their quickly or easily,
they were about having power, an

3608
03:29:07,600 --> 03:29:09,500
Empire that could move its 
armies quickly could stop 

3609
03:29:09,500 --> 03:29:11,900
threats from turning into 
revolts an Empire. 

3610
03:29:11,908 --> 03:29:13,900
That could move Goods quickly 
could make money. 

3611
03:29:13,900 --> 03:29:17,100
That could be used to grow even 
more an Empire that could build 

3612
03:29:17,100 --> 03:29:20,200
paved roads to spread its 
language and culture could bring

3613
03:29:20,200 --> 03:29:23,200
people together across 
differences, you start to see 

3614
03:29:23,200 --> 03:29:25,300
roads in a different way when 
you think about them. 

3615
03:29:25,300 --> 03:29:28,600
This way that Old Stone path you
might see on a hiking Europe 

3616
03:29:28,600 --> 03:29:32,900
isn't just old pavement, it's a 
fossil of political power, a 

3617
03:29:32,900 --> 03:29:35,600
physical reminder that someone 
wants had enough power to change

3618
03:29:35,600 --> 03:29:37,100
the landscape to suit their 
needs. 

3619
03:29:37,100 --> 03:29:40,800
Let's go back to that building 
site in ancient Italy but this 

3620
03:29:40,800 --> 03:29:44,100
time let's get closer get down 
on your knees next to one of the

3621
03:29:44,100 --> 03:29:47,400
Roman Engineers who they called 
men's arrays and see how they 

3622
03:29:47,400 --> 03:29:50,300
are really building this road. 
The first thing that stands out 

3623
03:29:50,300 --> 03:29:52,300
to you is that they aren't 
starting with the surface. 

3624
03:29:52,300 --> 03:29:55,500
They are digging down and making
a trench that could be three or 

3625
03:29:55,508 --> 03:29:58,300
four feet deep. 
This doesn't make sense at first

3626
03:29:58,300 --> 03:30:00,900
but once you understand how 
Romans thought about 

3627
03:30:00,900 --> 03:30:04,200
engineering, you'll see that A 
road is like an iceberg with 

3628
03:30:04,200 --> 03:30:06,300
most of its mass hidden beneath 
the surface. 

3629
03:30:06,300 --> 03:30:09,200
You walk on the workers are now 
putting down the first layer, 

3630
03:30:09,200 --> 03:30:11,500
which is made up of big stones 
that are packed, tightly 

3631
03:30:11,500 --> 03:30:14,200
together. 
This is the stratum which is the

3632
03:30:14,200 --> 03:30:15,900
bottom layer that will hold up 
everything else. 

3633
03:30:15,900 --> 03:30:18,900
The Romans are putting these 
stones in place with the same 

3634
03:30:18,900 --> 03:30:21,600
care that people used to put 
together a three-dimensional 

3635
03:30:21,600 --> 03:30:24,200
puzzle. 
Making sure that each piece fits

3636
03:30:24,200 --> 03:30:27,100
perfectly with the ones next to 
it to make a stable base. 

3637
03:30:27,100 --> 03:30:29,500
You can hear the form and 
walking across the foundation 

3638
03:30:29,500 --> 03:30:31,700
and listening for any Hollow 
sounds. 

3639
03:30:31,700 --> 03:30:34,400
That might mean it is weak in 
ancient times. 

3640
03:30:34,400 --> 03:30:36,200
Your ears were just as important
as your eyes. 

3641
03:30:36,200 --> 03:30:39,200
When building an experienced 
engineer, could hear structural 

3642
03:30:39,200 --> 03:30:42,200
problems just like a mechanic, 
can hear problems with a cars 

3643
03:30:42,200 --> 03:30:45,600
engine on top of the statue in 
their putting down a layer of 

3644
03:30:45,600 --> 03:30:47,300
smaller Stones mixed with 
mortar. 

3645
03:30:47,300 --> 03:30:50,300
This is called the rudus heavy. 
Wooden. 

3646
03:30:50,300 --> 03:30:52,800
Mallets are being used to 
compact this layer and the 

3647
03:30:52,800 --> 03:30:54,800
workers are moving in time with 
each other like they are 

3648
03:30:54,808 --> 03:30:57,400
dancing. 
The sound Echoes through the 

3649
03:30:57,400 --> 03:31:02,200
valley, thud each blow pushes 
the materials together, making 

3650
03:31:02,200 --> 03:31:05,400
them more solid. 
The nucleus is a layer of gravel

3651
03:31:05,400 --> 03:31:08,400
and sand that is sometimes mixed
with lime to make a kind of 

3652
03:31:08,400 --> 03:31:12,100
ancient concrete oxen pool large
Stone cylinders over this layer 

3653
03:31:12,100 --> 03:31:14,400
to smooth it out. 
And the Animals strain against 

3654
03:31:14,400 --> 03:31:16,200
their harnesses. 
While they're handlers, guide 

3655
03:31:16,200 --> 03:31:20,400
them with skill, the smell of 
The Oxen, which is earthy musky.

3656
03:31:20,400 --> 03:31:24,000
And clearly animal-like mixes 
with the smell of crushed stone,

3657
03:31:24,000 --> 03:31:27,900
which is mineral like last but 
not least the top layer, the 

3658
03:31:27,900 --> 03:31:31,300
summon Dawson. 
This means that big flat paving 

3659
03:31:31,300 --> 03:31:34,100
stones that fit perfectly with 
each other are needed for 

3660
03:31:34,100 --> 03:31:35,900
important roads, like the Via 
Appia. 

3661
03:31:36,700 --> 03:31:39,600
The Romans are so picky about 
this fit that you couldn't even 

3662
03:31:39,600 --> 03:31:41,800
fit a knife blade between most 
of the stones. 

3663
03:31:41,800 --> 03:31:45,000
They're making a surface, that 
will shed water last a long 

3664
03:31:45,008 --> 03:31:47,500
time. 
And give both iron shod Hooves 

3665
03:31:47,500 --> 03:31:49,600
and sandaled feet a safe place 
to stand. 

3666
03:31:50,700 --> 03:31:52,200
But here's the really amazing 
part. 

3667
03:31:52,200 --> 03:31:55,000
The Romans are not just making 
the road flat. 

3668
03:31:55,000 --> 03:31:58,500
They're making a subtle Crown by
raising the middle of the road a

3669
03:31:58,500 --> 03:32:01,500
little higher than the edges. 
This is only a few inches across

3670
03:32:01,500 --> 03:32:04,900
a width of 15 or 20 feet. 
This small detail means that 

3671
03:32:04,900 --> 03:32:07,500
water will run off to the sides.
Instead of pooling on the 

3672
03:32:07,500 --> 03:32:11,700
surface in the winter, the water
would freeze expand and break 

3673
03:32:11,700 --> 03:32:14,800
the paving stones apart there, 
even more impressive because 

3674
03:32:14,800 --> 03:32:17,100
they're putting in Drainage 
Systems next to the road. 

3675
03:32:17,100 --> 03:32:20,300
There are stone-lined channels 
that run next to the pavement to

3676
03:32:20,300 --> 03:32:23,500
move rainwater away from the 
foundation, culverts go under 

3677
03:32:23,500 --> 03:32:25,900
the road at regular intervals, 
so that streams can cross 

3678
03:32:25,900 --> 03:32:29,000
without damaging the road. 
These old Engineers knew more 

3679
03:32:29,000 --> 03:32:31,000
about hydrology than most modern
contractors. 

3680
03:32:31,000 --> 03:32:34,000
They knew that if you don't give
water a place to go, it will 

3681
03:32:34,000 --> 03:32:36,200
destroy any human-made structure
over time. 

3682
03:32:36,200 --> 03:32:39,300
The focus on details goes all 
the way through the building 

3683
03:32:39,300 --> 03:32:41,700
process. 
The Romans are using gromer, 

3684
03:32:41,700 --> 03:32:44,600
which a vertical poles with 
horizontal crossbars, that are 

3685
03:32:44,600 --> 03:32:48,500
marked at exact right angles to 
look at the route, they can make

3686
03:32:48,500 --> 03:32:51,300
roads that go straight from 
miles with the simple tools and 

3687
03:32:51,300 --> 03:32:54,200
the rules of geometry. 
They only make small changes 

3688
03:32:54,200 --> 03:32:55,900
when they have to get around 
obstacles. 

3689
03:32:57,100 --> 03:32:59,900
Engineers are very careful when 
they figure out the slope of the

3690
03:32:59,900 --> 03:33:03,700
road when it has to go up hills.
The slope is too steep carts 

3691
03:33:03,700 --> 03:33:05,300
with loads, won't be able to 
make it up. 

3692
03:33:05,300 --> 03:33:08,200
If it's too gradual, the road 
will take longer than it needs. 

3693
03:33:08,200 --> 03:33:12,300
To their goal is grades, that 
don't go above 5% very often 

3694
03:33:12,300 --> 03:33:15,500
which is about the same as what 
modern Highway standards safe 

3695
03:33:15,500 --> 03:33:17,900
for mountain passes. 
The building process gets even 

3696
03:33:17,900 --> 03:33:20,500
more complicated. 
When the ground is wet or marshy

3697
03:33:20,500 --> 03:33:23,000
work. 
As a driving wooden piles, deep 

3698
03:33:23,000 --> 03:33:25,300
into the soft ground to make 
fake foundations. 

3699
03:33:25,300 --> 03:33:28,200
That can hold up the stone 
layers above in some places. 

3700
03:33:28,200 --> 03:33:31,300
They're actually building the 
road on a raised in Bank of an 

3701
03:33:31,300 --> 03:33:33,100
agar. 
That lifts it above the ground 

3702
03:33:33,100 --> 03:33:35,700
around it. 
This keeps the surface dry and 

3703
03:33:35,700 --> 03:33:39,000
passable, even during spring 
floods, the Incas who built 

3704
03:33:39,000 --> 03:33:41,500
their roads hundreds of years 
later, and halfway around the 

3705
03:33:41,500 --> 03:33:43,600
world. 
Had even bigger engineering 

3706
03:33:43,600 --> 03:33:46,300
problems to deal with Inca 
Engineers carved. 

3707
03:33:46,300 --> 03:33:48,800
Steps directly into living rock 
on Mountainside. 

3708
03:33:48,800 --> 03:33:52,700
So steep that modern hikers need
both hands free to climb. 

3709
03:33:53,400 --> 03:33:56,400
They built suspension, bridges 
out of woven grass, roads to 

3710
03:33:56,400 --> 03:33:58,500
cross. 
Valleys these Bridges swayed. 

3711
03:33:58,500 --> 03:34:00,900
A lot in the wind, but they 
could hold the weight of llama, 

3712
03:34:00,900 --> 03:34:02,400
Caravans, and Messengers 
running. 

3713
03:34:03,200 --> 03:34:05,700
What all these old Engineers 
knew that modern infrastructure 

3714
03:34:05,700 --> 03:34:07,900
planners sometimes? 
Forget, is that roads aren't 

3715
03:34:07,900 --> 03:34:10,200
just for the here? 
And now, a road that is built 

3716
03:34:10,200 --> 03:34:13,700
well will last for many years, 
or even hundreds of years, the 

3717
03:34:13,700 --> 03:34:17,000
total cost of constant, repairs 
is always higher than the cost 

3718
03:34:17,000 --> 03:34:19,700
of building things, right? 
The first time standing on the 

3719
03:34:19,700 --> 03:34:23,100
hillside and watching the Via 
Appia, take shape by Stone is a 

3720
03:34:23,100 --> 03:34:25,200
deep experience. 
Most of the names of these 

3721
03:34:25,200 --> 03:34:27,700
workers have been lost to 
history, but they are building 

3722
03:34:27,700 --> 03:34:30,500
infrastructure that will still 
be useful long after their 

3723
03:34:30,500 --> 03:34:31,800
civilization has become a 
legend. 

3724
03:34:31,800 --> 03:34:35,200
Some of them may know this. 
Most likely they just want to 

3725
03:34:35,208 --> 03:34:36,800
finish their shift and go home 
for dinner. 

3726
03:34:36,800 --> 03:34:40,200
Now picture yourself next to a 
big Roman Road at the height of 

3727
03:34:40,200 --> 03:34:44,000
the Empire. 
Let's say around 150 CE when 

3728
03:34:44,000 --> 03:34:46,500
Rome's power stretched from 
Britain to Mesopotamia. 

3729
03:34:46,500 --> 03:34:49,700
The first Travelers of the day 
are already on the road as Dawn 

3730
03:34:49,700 --> 03:34:52,000
breaks. 
The first sounds you hear are 

3731
03:34:52,000 --> 03:34:55,600
the bells of a merchant Caravan.
He's a small chime that tied to 

3732
03:34:55,600 --> 03:34:58,200
the lead animals so that people 
can hear them coming in the dark

3733
03:34:58,200 --> 03:35:00,700
Before Dawn. 
The merchants have been on the 

3734
03:35:00,708 --> 03:35:03,500
road since before Dawn. 
When it was the coolest time of 

3735
03:35:03,500 --> 03:35:06,200
day, you can smell their cargo 
before you see them. 

3736
03:35:06,200 --> 03:35:09,500
It spices from the East and the 
smell is so strong and 

3737
03:35:09,500 --> 03:35:11,000
complicated that it makes your 
nose. 

3738
03:35:11,000 --> 03:35:13,300
Tingle the more light there is 
the more traffic. 

3739
03:35:13,300 --> 03:35:16,900
There is a military Courier 
rides by on Horseback and the 

3740
03:35:16,900 --> 03:35:19,700
sound of his horses hooves 
hitting the stone pavement is 

3741
03:35:19,700 --> 03:35:22,700
sharp and staccato fading 
quickly into the distance. 

3742
03:35:22,700 --> 03:35:25,700
He has messages sealed with the 
governor's Mark and he will 

3743
03:35:25,700 --> 03:35:28,800
switch horses at the next 
mansio, which is a mix of an 

3744
03:35:28,800 --> 03:35:31,100
inner post office and a 
government building. 

3745
03:35:31,100 --> 03:35:34,600
That is exactly one day's travel
away, a group of merchants on 

3746
03:35:34,600 --> 03:35:37,500
foot follows him their goods. 
Loaded onto donkeys that walk 

3747
03:35:37,500 --> 03:35:39,500
slowly. 
As if they have done this trip, 

3748
03:35:39,500 --> 03:35:42,400
many times before. 
They are talking to each other 

3749
03:35:42,400 --> 03:35:44,500
in a mix of Latin and the local 
dialect. 

3750
03:35:44,500 --> 03:35:47,800
They are talking about prices in
the next town and complaining 

3751
03:35:47,800 --> 03:35:50,500
about taxes which is what 
merchants have always done. 

3752
03:35:50,500 --> 03:35:54,600
You see a covered wagon moving 
slowly and the people inside, a 

3753
03:35:54,600 --> 03:35:57,400
hidden behind leather curtains, 
this could be a rich family 

3754
03:35:57,400 --> 03:36:00,200
going to their country estate or
a provincial official being 

3755
03:36:00,200 --> 03:36:03,000
moved to a new job. 
The wheels of the wagon are made

3756
03:36:03,000 --> 03:36:05,200
of iron and make a grinding 
rumbling noise. 

3757
03:36:05,200 --> 03:36:06,700
As they roll over the stone 
surface. 

3758
03:36:06,700 --> 03:36:10,600
This noise travels far in the 
morning are a tinker, has set up

3759
03:36:10,600 --> 03:36:13,400
a temporary stall, near a 
milestone, which is one of the 

3760
03:36:13,400 --> 03:36:16,700
stone markers that Romans put up
every thousand Paces to show how

3761
03:36:16,700 --> 03:36:20,200
far they had traveled and remind
people of which Emperor built or

3762
03:36:20,200 --> 03:36:24,000
fix this part of the road. 
He'll fix sandals sharpen knives

3763
03:36:24,000 --> 03:36:26,500
or sell food to Travelers who 
forgot to bring enough food with

3764
03:36:26,500 --> 03:36:29,400
them. 
Smell of cooking food like bread

3765
03:36:29,400 --> 03:36:31,500
and salted fish makes your 
stomach. 

3766
03:36:31,500 --> 03:36:33,000
Remind you that you didn't eat 
breakfast. 

3767
03:36:33,000 --> 03:36:35,500
The road is really busy by 
mid-morning. 

3768
03:36:35,500 --> 03:36:39,300
Farmers are bringing their goods
to Market, their carts are full 

3769
03:36:39,300 --> 03:36:42,100
of vegetables, and four of wine 
and sacks of grain. 

3770
03:36:42,100 --> 03:36:45,300
They go slowly and often pull 
over to let faster cars. 

3771
03:36:45,300 --> 03:36:48,500
Go by most, Roman roads were 
wide enough for two carts to 

3772
03:36:48,500 --> 03:36:53,000
pass easily about 12 to 15 feet.
He also had shoulders on either 

3773
03:36:53,000 --> 03:36:55,800
side where slower traffic could 
yield, you see a group of 

3774
03:36:55,800 --> 03:36:58,400
students with their teacher on 
their way to study in a bigger 

3775
03:36:58,400 --> 03:37:01,100
city, some of them are reading 
from Scrolls as they walk. 

3776
03:37:01,100 --> 03:37:04,100
While others are arguing about 
philosophical issues with the 

3777
03:37:04,100 --> 03:37:06,300
confidence of young people who 
have just learned about them, 

3778
03:37:06,300 --> 03:37:09,000
you can hear them clearly in the
open are talking about what 

3779
03:37:09,000 --> 03:37:12,400
virtue is and whether it can be 
taught The afternoon brings 

3780
03:37:12,400 --> 03:37:14,800
different people who are 
traveling, a religious 

3781
03:37:14,800 --> 03:37:18,300
procession goes by with pilgrims
on their way to a temple or holy

3782
03:37:18,300 --> 03:37:20,600
site. 
Their voices, make harmonies 

3783
03:37:20,600 --> 03:37:23,200
that rise and fall with the 
gentle bumps in the road as they

3784
03:37:23,200 --> 03:37:25,100
sing hymns, that bounce off the 
stone pavement. 

3785
03:37:26,200 --> 03:37:30,800
Some people bring gifts like 
flowers small statues or jars of

3786
03:37:30,800 --> 03:37:33,800
oil that slosh around as they 
walk the road. 

3787
03:37:33,800 --> 03:37:36,600
Surface itself has been used for
hundreds of years and show signs

3788
03:37:36,600 --> 03:37:39,000
of wear. 
You can see grooves worn into 

3789
03:37:39,000 --> 03:37:41,900
the stone pavement by countless 
ironed Wheels. 

3790
03:37:41,900 --> 03:37:44,800
Where traffic is heaviest the 
specially on Hills, where 

3791
03:37:44,800 --> 03:37:48,300
animals are pulling heavy loads 
these ruts, which are up to 

3792
03:37:48,300 --> 03:37:51,500
several inches deep, actually 
make it easier for wagon drivers

3793
03:37:51,500 --> 03:37:53,900
to get around because their 
wheels naturally, follow the 

3794
03:37:53,900 --> 03:37:56,700
grooves, that are already there 
along the road, you can see 

3795
03:37:56,700 --> 03:37:59,300
small shrines, where Travelers 
have left things like coins 

3796
03:37:59,300 --> 03:38:01,900
flowers or bread. 
These marked places where 

3797
03:38:01,900 --> 03:38:05,600
someone died in accident, where 
a soldier fell while protecting 

3798
03:38:05,600 --> 03:38:08,800
the road from Bandits or just 
where the view is, so beautiful 

3799
03:38:08,800 --> 03:38:11,200
that it seems to deserve 
recognition of the Divine. 

3800
03:38:12,200 --> 03:38:15,800
Traffic patterns change again as
nightfalls people from the area 

3801
03:38:15,800 --> 03:38:18,300
who have been working in Faraway
fields are going home with their

3802
03:38:18,300 --> 03:38:21,500
tools over their shoulders. 
And looks of exhaustion on their

3803
03:38:21,500 --> 03:38:24,700
faces from working in the sun 
kids run along the side of the 

3804
03:38:24,700 --> 03:38:27,400
road playing games where they 
try, not to step on the edges of

3805
03:38:27,408 --> 03:38:30,800
the paving stones or jump from 
one Milestone to the next people

3806
03:38:30,800 --> 03:38:33,200
who are traveling and won't get 
to their destination before 

3807
03:38:33,200 --> 03:38:35,500
nightfall start looking for 
places to stay. 

3808
03:38:35,500 --> 03:38:38,100
Some people are lucky enough to 
have access to official 

3809
03:38:38,100 --> 03:38:40,500
Mansions, but these are only for
government officials. 

3810
03:38:40,500 --> 03:38:43,500
And people who carry the curse 
as publicus, which is the 

3811
03:38:43,500 --> 03:38:46,700
Imperial seal that lets people 
use state funded facilities. 

3812
03:38:46,700 --> 03:38:49,100
Everyone else has to stay in 
private ends. 

3813
03:38:49,100 --> 03:38:52,400
These can be anything from nice 
places with hot meals and clean 

3814
03:38:52,400 --> 03:38:55,900
beds to places that make modern 
Budget Motels look like luxury 

3815
03:38:55,900 --> 03:38:58,300
hotels. 
You can tell these ins apart by 

3816
03:38:58,300 --> 03:39:01,500
their signs, which are usually 
pictures painted on wood and 

3817
03:39:01,500 --> 03:39:03,800
hung from a poll because many 
Travelers can't read. 

3818
03:39:04,600 --> 03:39:07,300
A bed means there is a place to 
stay a cup. 

3819
03:39:07,300 --> 03:39:10,800
Means that wine is for sale. 
A chief of grain means that food

3820
03:39:10,800 --> 03:39:13,900
is available some places, show. 
All three hoping to show that 

3821
03:39:13,900 --> 03:39:17,000
they can meet the needs of every
Traveler The road doesn't 

3822
03:39:17,000 --> 03:39:20,100
completely clear when it gets 
dark, you might see processions 

3823
03:39:20,100 --> 03:39:22,900
of people with torches. 
These could be soldiers moving 

3824
03:39:22,900 --> 03:39:26,000
at night to avoid the heat of 
the day or a rich traveler with 

3825
03:39:26,000 --> 03:39:29,200
enough slaves, to light his way 
and keep thieves away the 

3826
03:39:29,200 --> 03:39:31,700
Torches that flicker make 
dramatic Shadows that dance 

3827
03:39:31,700 --> 03:39:34,800
across the stone surface, making
the road that, you know, seem 

3828
03:39:34,800 --> 03:39:38,400
strange and a little scary. 
The daily flow of traffic, the 

3829
03:39:38,400 --> 03:39:41,400
mixing of different social 
classes and jobs, and the 

3830
03:39:41,400 --> 03:39:44,500
constant movement of goods and 
ideas, were what roads really 

3831
03:39:44,500 --> 03:39:47,700
meant to ancient empires. 
They weren't just projects in 

3832
03:39:47,700 --> 03:39:50,000
engineering. 
They were places where all the 

3833
03:39:50,000 --> 03:39:51,700
complexities of human life 
happened. 

3834
03:39:51,700 --> 03:39:55,500
For example, a Senators 
daughter, might pass a farmer's 

3835
03:39:55,500 --> 03:39:58,700
cart or ideas from far away. 
Province's might travel with 

3836
03:39:58,700 --> 03:40:02,100
trade goods, the Empire's great 
diversity could be seen in the 

3837
03:40:02,108 --> 03:40:06,300
Stream of faces going both ways.
Let's skip ahead to about 400 

3838
03:40:06,300 --> 03:40:08,800
CEO, you'll still on that Roman 
Road. 

3839
03:40:08,800 --> 03:40:12,300
But things have changed in ways 
that are both small and big. 

3840
03:40:12,300 --> 03:40:16,200
The pavement is still there, 
Roman construction was too good.

3841
03:40:16,300 --> 03:40:17,900
To disappear in just a few 
hundred years. 

3842
03:40:17,900 --> 03:40:21,600
But if you look closely, you can
see small signs of neglect. 

3843
03:40:21,600 --> 03:40:24,600
There is a pot hole near the 
edge of the road where water has

3844
03:40:24,600 --> 03:40:28,200
gotten under a Paving Stone and 
frozen over many Winters slowly 

3845
03:40:28,200 --> 03:40:32,300
loosening the stone. 
During the Empire's Heyday, a 

3846
03:40:32,300 --> 03:40:33,400
maintenance crew would have 
fixed this. 

3847
03:40:33,400 --> 03:40:35,400
In a matter of weeks, it's been 
there. 

3848
03:40:35,400 --> 03:40:38,600
Long enough for grass to grow in
the Gap and carts that go by 

3849
03:40:38,600 --> 03:40:40,500
have won a path around it into 
the shoulder. 

3850
03:40:41,200 --> 03:40:43,400
The Milestone you're near also 
shows its age. 

3851
03:40:43,400 --> 03:40:47,000
Someone has chipped away at the 
inscription, this was probably 

3852
03:40:47,000 --> 03:40:49,900
done during one of the many 
civil wars in the third century.

3853
03:40:49,900 --> 03:40:53,300
When each new emperor wanted to 
erase any evidence that his 

3854
03:40:53,300 --> 03:40:56,500
predecessor had been there, 
people still use the stone to 

3855
03:40:56,500 --> 03:40:59,300
Mark distance but no one 
remembers which emperor put it 

3856
03:40:59,300 --> 03:41:01,500
there. 
Or when the way traffic flows 

3857
03:41:01,500 --> 03:41:05,200
has changed, you don't see as 
many military units or official,

3858
03:41:05,200 --> 03:41:08,100
couriers the merchant Caravans 
are smaller and have more 

3859
03:41:08,100 --> 03:41:10,300
guards. 
This is because the Empire's 

3860
03:41:10,300 --> 03:41:13,600
ability to keep its Road safe as
gone down, which is led to more 

3861
03:41:13,600 --> 03:41:16,400
banditry for safety. 
Some Travelers are going in big 

3862
03:41:16,400 --> 03:41:19,000
groups even if they're not all 
going to the same place. 

3863
03:41:19,000 --> 03:41:22,400
What you're seeing is the start 
of a process that will take 100 

3864
03:41:22,400 --> 03:41:24,700
of years. 
The slow breakdown of the 

3865
03:41:24,700 --> 03:41:26,600
infrastructure that kept the 
Roman empire together. 

3866
03:41:26,600 --> 03:41:30,400
This fall wasn't sudden or 
dramatic, there wasn't a single 

3867
03:41:30,400 --> 03:41:32,000
moment when the road stopped 
working. 

3868
03:41:32,000 --> 03:41:35,400
It was more like watching a 
coastline a road with each way 

3869
03:41:35,400 --> 03:41:37,900
of taking away a little more 
sand until one day, you realize 

3870
03:41:37,900 --> 03:41:40,000
the beach has completely changed
shape. 

3871
03:41:40,600 --> 03:41:42,700
Because Empires fall apart. 
So do roads. 

3872
03:41:42,700 --> 03:41:46,000
This is because roads need 
something that Empires can't 

3873
03:41:46,000 --> 03:41:49,700
give regular organized 
maintenance paid for by stable 

3874
03:41:49,700 --> 03:41:53,700
tax revenues and done by skilled
administrators who expect to 

3875
03:41:53,700 --> 03:41:54,800
still be in their jobs next 
year. 

3876
03:41:54,800 --> 03:41:58,100
Consider what it really takes to
keep the roads in good shape 

3877
03:41:58,100 --> 03:42:00,500
Engineers. 
Need to check the infrastructure

3878
03:42:00,500 --> 03:42:02,600
and find problems before they 
get out of hand. 

3879
03:42:02,600 --> 03:42:05,200
You need quarries to make new 
Stones. 

3880
03:42:05,200 --> 03:42:07,900
You need workers. 
Who know how to build things on 

3881
03:42:07,900 --> 03:42:10,300
a good at it. 
You need animals and carts to 

3882
03:42:10,300 --> 03:42:12,500
move things. 
You need money to pay for 

3883
03:42:12,500 --> 03:42:15,600
everything and you need a way to
organize these things over. 

3884
03:42:15,600 --> 03:42:18,700
Thousands of miles of land. 
As the Western, Roman Empire 

3885
03:42:18,700 --> 03:42:21,100
started to fall apart in the 
third and fourth centuries. 

3886
03:42:21,100 --> 03:42:24,900
It got harder to meet all of 
these needs as the economy 

3887
03:42:24,900 --> 03:42:27,100
slowed down and province's broke
away. 

3888
03:42:27,100 --> 03:42:30,900
Tax revenues went down, the 
currently lost so much value. 

3889
03:42:30,900 --> 03:42:34,500
That skilled workers asked to be
paid in Goods or food instead of

3890
03:42:34,500 --> 03:42:38,400
worthless coins. people try to 
avoid administrative jobs, that 

3891
03:42:38,400 --> 03:42:41,500
used to be seen as prestigious 
the Empire needed, the roads 

3892
03:42:41,500 --> 03:42:45,100
more than ever as they got 
worse, which is ironic With more

3893
03:42:45,100 --> 03:42:48,300
Barbarian invasions and usurpers
trying to take over the empire, 

3894
03:42:48,300 --> 03:42:51,400
being able to move arm is 
quickly was literally a matter 

3895
03:42:51,400 --> 03:42:54,300
of life and death, but the same 
problems that made roads 

3896
03:42:54,300 --> 03:42:56,200
necessary. 
Also made it impossible to keep 

3897
03:42:56,200 --> 03:42:59,100
them in good shape. 
You can see this in the records 

3898
03:42:59,100 --> 03:43:02,500
of archeology Road, repairs 
become less, and less skilled in

3899
03:43:02,500 --> 03:43:04,900
layers that date back to the 4th
and 5th centuries. 

3900
03:43:04,900 --> 03:43:08,100
Instead of properly lifting, the
paving stones and rebuilding the

3901
03:43:08,100 --> 03:43:10,300
layers of the foundation below 
workers. 

3902
03:43:10,300 --> 03:43:13,200
Just dumped gravel into the 
holes, they didn't replace 

3903
03:43:13,200 --> 03:43:15,500
broken stones with perfectly cut
new ones. 

3904
03:43:15,500 --> 03:43:18,800
Instead they filled in the gaps 
with whatever they could find 

3905
03:43:18,800 --> 03:43:22,500
like broken pottery pieces of 
building Rubble or even just 

3906
03:43:22,500 --> 03:43:25,900
dirt that had been compacted. 
These quick fixes worked for a 

3907
03:43:25,900 --> 03:43:29,000
while but didn't last so they 
had to be done over and over 

3908
03:43:29,000 --> 03:43:31,400
again. 
Putting a bandage on a wound 

3909
03:43:31,400 --> 03:43:33,200
that really needs. 
Stitches is like putting a 

3910
03:43:33,200 --> 03:43:35,300
bandage on a wound that really 
needs stitches. 

3911
03:43:35,300 --> 03:43:38,300
It might stop the bleeding for a
while but it won't fix the 

3912
03:43:38,300 --> 03:43:40,300
problem. 
People who lived through this 

3913
03:43:40,300 --> 03:43:42,700
time must have been deeply 
affected by the cycle. 

3914
03:43:42,700 --> 03:43:45,100
Effects of watching 
infrastructure, fall apart. 

3915
03:43:45,100 --> 03:43:48,100
Imagine seeing roads that your 
great grandparents remembered 

3916
03:43:48,100 --> 03:43:51,300
being built to last forever, 
slowly fall apart, even though 

3917
03:43:51,300 --> 03:43:54,400
everyone is doing their best to 
keep them in, good shape, it 

3918
03:43:54,400 --> 03:43:56,900
would feel like the very 
foundations of reality were 

3919
03:43:56,900 --> 03:43:59,800
shaking in some areas local 
communities. 

3920
03:43:59,800 --> 03:44:01,900
Try to keep the roads in good 
shape when the central 

3921
03:44:01,900 --> 03:44:05,000
government couldn't anymore. 
They charged Travelers tolls, 

3922
03:44:05,000 --> 03:44:08,600
set up, volunteer, work parties 
or made local, landowners 

3923
03:44:08,600 --> 03:44:11,200
responsible, for keeping the 
roads in good shape as a civic 

3924
03:44:11,200 --> 03:44:13,500
duty. 
These efforts sometimes worked 

3925
03:44:13,500 --> 03:44:16,800
for decades, making islands of 
working infrastructure and 

3926
03:44:16,800 --> 03:44:18,400
Landscape. 
That was becoming more and more 

3927
03:44:18,400 --> 03:44:20,800
broken up. 
But the people who are in charge

3928
03:44:20,808 --> 03:44:24,000
of local maintenance had their 
own problems, the road might be 

3929
03:44:24,008 --> 03:44:27,100
in good shape in one Community, 
but if the next Community 

3930
03:44:27,100 --> 03:44:30,500
couldn't, or didn't want to do 
the same, the whole Road became 

3931
03:44:30,500 --> 03:44:34,200
unsafe, it's like having a chain
with some strong links and some 

3932
03:44:34,200 --> 03:44:37,300
that are rusting through the 
weakest parts of the chain, are 

3933
03:44:37,300 --> 03:44:38,600
what? 
Keep it from being too strong. 

3934
03:44:38,600 --> 03:44:42,700
The end of long-distance trade 
made roads worse faster in a 

3935
03:44:42,708 --> 03:44:45,400
vicious cycle. 
Merchant stopped traveling long 

3936
03:44:45,400 --> 03:44:47,400
distances because the roads 
weren't as reliable. 

3937
03:44:47,400 --> 03:44:51,100
This meant less traffic, which 
meant less economic reason to 

3938
03:44:51,100 --> 03:44:54,200
keep the roads in good shape 
which made them worse, which 

3939
03:44:54,200 --> 03:44:57,100
made people less likely to 
travel and a few Generations 

3940
03:44:57,100 --> 03:44:59,700
roads that used to connect 
different parts of the Empire 

3941
03:44:59,700 --> 03:45:02,000
might only see traffic between 
nearby Villages. 

3942
03:45:02,000 --> 03:45:05,500
A lot of Roman roads were hard 
to tell apart by the sixth 

3943
03:45:05,500 --> 03:45:07,900
Century. 
The paving stones could still be

3944
03:45:07,900 --> 03:45:11,100
there but they might be buried 
under dirt and plants that have 

3945
03:45:11,100 --> 03:45:13,600
grown over time. 
The drainage systems were 

3946
03:45:13,600 --> 03:45:16,500
blocked which caused flooding. 
That weakened the foundation's 

3947
03:45:16,500 --> 03:45:19,400
bridges fell down and worked 
fixed in. 

3948
03:45:19,700 --> 03:45:22,400
Places with a lot of trees, the 
roots of the trees pushed apart,

3949
03:45:22,400 --> 03:45:24,800
the carefully fitted pavement 
that Roman Engineers had put 

3950
03:45:24,800 --> 03:45:27,600
together, but the roads never 
completely went away. 

3951
03:45:27,600 --> 03:45:31,500
Even after the pavement broke up
the roots themselves, the paths 

3952
03:45:31,500 --> 03:45:33,300
they made across the land were 
still useful. 

3953
03:45:33,300 --> 03:45:37,500
They were still known by Traders
armies and people in the area 

3954
03:45:37,500 --> 03:45:39,400
who used them to get to nearby 
towns. 

3955
03:45:39,400 --> 03:45:43,100
The physical infrastructure made
deteriorate yet the awareness of

3956
03:45:43,100 --> 03:45:45,000
connectivity endures and 
cultural memory. 

3957
03:45:46,300 --> 03:45:50,300
Let's go to that same road 
around 800 CE, which historian 

3958
03:45:50,300 --> 03:45:53,400
sometimes called the Dark Ages, 
people who live through them 

3959
03:45:53,400 --> 03:45:56,000
would have been confused by that
name, because their days seemed 

3960
03:45:56,000 --> 03:45:58,700
bright enough to them. 
The changes amazing. 

3961
03:45:58,700 --> 03:46:02,300
There are still some parts of 
the Roman pavement but now it is

3962
03:46:02,300 --> 03:46:04,900
only the middle of a much wider 
less formal path. 

3963
03:46:05,500 --> 03:46:08,400
There are tracks worn into the 
ground by people and animals on 

3964
03:46:08,400 --> 03:46:10,000
either side of the Old Stone 
surface. 

3965
03:46:10,000 --> 03:46:13,600
When it's dry, the side paths 
are probably easier to walk on 

3966
03:46:13,600 --> 03:46:16,600
than the old Roman Stones, which
have become uneven over the 

3967
03:46:16,600 --> 03:46:18,300
years as the block settled or 
Tilted. 

3968
03:46:18,300 --> 03:46:21,300
You see that people have been 
looking for building materials 

3969
03:46:21,300 --> 03:46:23,500
on the road. 
Someone has taken the paving 

3970
03:46:23,500 --> 03:46:26,400
stones that have come loose. 
Probably during the Spring thaw.

3971
03:46:26,400 --> 03:46:30,200
When frosted pushed them up and 
use them to build a barn, line, 

3972
03:46:30,200 --> 03:46:33,500
a well, or make a half these 
Stones, which were cut with 

3973
03:46:33,500 --> 03:46:37,300
great care by Roman Engineers, a
two valuable to just sit around 

3974
03:46:37,300 --> 03:46:39,200
on an old road. 
When they could be used to build

3975
03:46:39,200 --> 03:46:40,500
things that are useful right 
away. 

3976
03:46:40,500 --> 03:46:44,000
You can see that someone built a
small wooden Church near where a

3977
03:46:44,000 --> 03:46:46,900
roadside Temple used to be. 
They used some stones from the 

3978
03:46:46,900 --> 03:46:50,400
old Roman building to do this. 
The Christian cross on top of 

3979
03:46:50,400 --> 03:46:54,000
the church stands where a statue
of a pagan, God used to be both 

3980
03:46:54,000 --> 03:46:56,000
of these things. 
Made this a special place where 

3981
03:46:56,000 --> 03:46:58,600
Travelers would naturally stop 
and think about something other 

3982
03:46:58,600 --> 03:47:01,700
than their Journey. 
The old mansio, which was a 

3983
03:47:01,700 --> 03:47:04,800
Roman weigh station, has been 
turned into a small fortified 

3984
03:47:04,800 --> 03:47:07,500
Manor House. 
The original Roman walls are 

3985
03:47:07,500 --> 03:47:10,200
still there but wooden buildings
have been added on top of them, 

3986
03:47:10,200 --> 03:47:12,900
along with the defensive 
Palisade that wasn't needed. 

3987
03:47:12,900 --> 03:47:15,900
When the empire was at its 
height, the new Lord of this man

3988
03:47:15,900 --> 03:47:18,600
says, he has power, because he 
controls this part of the road. 

3989
03:47:18,600 --> 03:47:21,400
This is not in the old Roman 
sense of keeping it up for the 

3990
03:47:21,400 --> 03:47:23,400
public good. 
But in the more direct medieval 

3991
03:47:23,400 --> 03:47:25,900
sense of being able to charge 
tolls to anyone who passes 

3992
03:47:25,900 --> 03:47:29,400
through and people still go 
through the road, may not look 

3993
03:47:29,400 --> 03:47:32,100
like what Roman Engineers would 
have built, but it's still a 

3994
03:47:32,100 --> 03:47:33,800
road. 
You see a merchant with a small 

3995
03:47:33,800 --> 03:47:37,500
cart, his goods are covered in 
oil, leather to keep them dry in

3996
03:47:37,500 --> 03:47:40,600
the rain, a group of pilgrims 
walks by on their way to a 

3997
03:47:40,600 --> 03:47:43,200
distant Shrine. 
Their Journey will probably take

3998
03:47:43,200 --> 03:47:46,200
weeks longer than it would have 
in Roman times but they are 

3999
03:47:46,200 --> 03:47:49,100
going to the same place. 
The social contract around the 

4000
03:47:49,100 --> 03:47:52,500
road is what makes it different.
The government in maintain the 

4001
03:47:52,500 --> 03:47:55,100
roads in Roman times and anyone 
could use them for free. 

4002
03:47:55,100 --> 03:47:58,000
Now, the law is less clear about
roads. 

4003
03:47:58,000 --> 03:48:01,700
This local Lord says he is In 
charge of this area, the next 

4004
03:48:01,700 --> 03:48:03,700
Village might think that the 
road that goes through their 

4005
03:48:03,700 --> 03:48:07,100
land belongs to everyone. 
A monastery, 20 miles down the 

4006
03:48:07,108 --> 03:48:10,500
road might keep their section as
a way to help others, hoping for

4007
03:48:10,500 --> 03:48:14,000
prayers instead of tolls in 
return because there are so many

4008
03:48:14,008 --> 03:48:17,100
different jurisdictions each 
with its own rules and 

4009
03:48:17,100 --> 03:48:20,100
expectations traveling. 
Any significant distances 

4010
03:48:20,100 --> 03:48:23,300
difficult, it's like trying to 
drive through a modern country 

4011
03:48:23,300 --> 03:48:26,800
where each county has its own 
set of traffic laws. 

4012
03:48:26,800 --> 03:48:30,200
It's possible, but you have to 
pay attention and change your 

4013
03:48:30,200 --> 03:48:33,200
plans all the time in some 
places, especially close to 

4014
03:48:33,208 --> 03:48:35,300
cities that have kept some Roman
administrative. 

4015
03:48:35,300 --> 03:48:39,100
Practices roads are actually 
being fixed and kept up but not 

4016
03:48:39,100 --> 03:48:41,200
in a way that would make a Roman
engineer cry. 

4017
03:48:41,200 --> 03:48:44,600
Instead of properly rebuilding, 
the foundation layers workers 

4018
03:48:44,600 --> 03:48:47,000
are just filling in the holes 
with whatever they can find. 

4019
03:48:47,000 --> 03:48:50,400
The surface is Bumpy and uneven 
and needs to be taking care of 

4020
03:48:50,400 --> 03:48:54,100
all the time, but it keeps the 
worst holes filled and works to 

4021
03:48:54,100 --> 03:48:56,700
some extent. 
Some parts of the road have been

4022
03:48:56,708 --> 03:49:00,300
changed on purpose to serve new 
purposes in places where a 

4023
03:49:00,300 --> 03:49:01,700
straight Roman Road crosses 
land. 

4024
03:49:01,700 --> 03:49:05,100
That is now disputed by two 
Lords local, people of sometimes

4025
03:49:05,100 --> 03:49:08,200
purposely destroyed parts of the
road to make it harder for 

4026
03:49:08,200 --> 03:49:11,100
troops to move around. 
They've dug trenches across the 

4027
03:49:11,100 --> 03:49:14,400
road taken down Bridges or put 
up barriers that make it 

4028
03:49:14,400 --> 03:49:15,900
impossible to get around 
quickly. 

4029
03:49:16,700 --> 03:49:19,000
On the other hand, some 
communities have made their 

4030
03:49:19,000 --> 03:49:20,900
roads better than what the 
Romans required. 

4031
03:49:20,900 --> 03:49:24,300
If a villagers economy, depends 
on being able to get to a nearby

4032
03:49:24,300 --> 03:49:27,100
Market, the people who live 
there might have used local 

4033
03:49:27,100 --> 03:49:30,100
materials and methods to make 
the road wider had passing 

4034
03:49:30,100 --> 03:49:33,700
places or build new Bridges. 
These improvements don't look 

4035
03:49:33,700 --> 03:49:36,000
Roman. 
They usually made of wood 

4036
03:49:36,000 --> 03:49:38,500
instead of stone and a more 
practical than Grande. 

4037
03:49:39,400 --> 03:49:41,500
But they often fit better with 
what we need now. 

4038
03:49:42,200 --> 03:49:44,600
Bridges are the most interesting
adaptations. 

4039
03:49:44,600 --> 03:49:47,100
Roman Bridges were amazing, 
feats of engineering. 

4040
03:49:47,100 --> 03:49:50,100
They were arched structures. 
That could hold a lot of weight 

4041
03:49:50,100 --> 03:49:53,600
and span long distances. 
Keeping a stone bridge in good 

4042
03:49:53,600 --> 03:49:55,600
shape. 
Takes a lot of money and special

4043
03:49:55,600 --> 03:49:59,000
skills and a Roman bridge fell 
down either because it was not 

4044
03:49:59,000 --> 03:50:00,600
taking care of because of 
flooding. 

4045
03:50:00,600 --> 03:50:04,300
Or on purpose, medieval 
communities, offered simpler 

4046
03:50:04,300 --> 03:50:06,700
bridges in its place. 
You might see a wooden beam 

4047
03:50:06,700 --> 03:50:09,300
bridge held up by Stone pilings 
that were taken from the 

4048
03:50:09,300 --> 03:50:12,700
original Roman building, or a 
Ford where people can just Wade 

4049
03:50:12,700 --> 03:50:15,500
across the stream with the ruins
of the old bridge, just 

4050
03:50:15,500 --> 03:50:18,200
Upstream, a reminder of what 
used to be possible. 

4051
03:50:18,200 --> 03:50:22,400
In some cases Enterprise in 
locals run fairies, and charged 

4052
03:50:22,400 --> 03:50:24,800
travelers to cross places where 
they could have walked freely 

4053
03:50:24,800 --> 03:50:28,100
across Roman engineering. 
Because the old Drainage Systems

4054
03:50:28,100 --> 03:50:31,000
don't work anymore, a lot of 
Roads flood during the rainy 

4055
03:50:31,000 --> 03:50:34,000
season people in the area have 
learned which parts to stay away

4056
03:50:34,000 --> 03:50:36,700
from when it rains and made 
seasonal routes that go around 

4057
03:50:36,700 --> 03:50:39,600
trouble spots. 
This local knowledge which has 

4058
03:50:39,600 --> 03:50:42,600
been passed down through the 
years and shared by Travelers is

4059
03:50:42,600 --> 03:50:44,600
now just as important as the 
road itself. 

4060
03:50:44,600 --> 03:50:47,600
What's amazing, is that the 
roads are still doing their main

4061
03:50:47,600 --> 03:50:50,100
job of connecting places and 
letting people move around. 

4062
03:50:50,100 --> 03:50:53,500
Even with all these changes, 
they're not as good at what they

4063
03:50:53,508 --> 03:50:56,200
do, as they used to be, when the
Romans were in charge, and 

4064
03:50:56,200 --> 03:50:58,500
travel is definitely slower and 
less reliable. 

4065
03:50:58,500 --> 03:51:01,700
But the basic structure, The 
Roots themselves which were 

4066
03:51:01,700 --> 03:51:04,600
carved into the land and are 
still in people's minds remains 

4067
03:51:04,600 --> 03:51:06,600
this time. 
Period teaches us something 

4068
03:51:06,600 --> 03:51:09,800
important about infrastructure 
without central maintenance. 

4069
03:51:09,800 --> 03:51:12,500
People will find ways to fix 
things based on what they need 

4070
03:51:12,500 --> 03:51:15,200
right now. 
And what they have these fixes 

4071
03:51:15,200 --> 03:51:17,800
may not be pretty or 
long-lasting, but they do keep 

4072
03:51:17,800 --> 03:51:20,300
things working. 
It turns out that human 

4073
03:51:20,300 --> 03:51:24,100
creativity can make up for a lot
but not forever and not without 

4074
03:51:24,100 --> 03:51:27,600
cost. 
Let's go ahead to about 1200 CE 

4075
03:51:27,600 --> 03:51:30,800
again, you'll still on that 
road, but the experience is very

4076
03:51:30,800 --> 03:51:33,300
different. 
Now, the original Roman pavement

4077
03:51:33,300 --> 03:51:36,500
is mostly hidden under dirt 
organic matter and the fact that

4078
03:51:36,500 --> 03:51:38,700
Landscapes tend to take back 
what people build. 

4079
03:51:38,700 --> 03:51:41,700
You might see a paving stones 
sticking out of the ground in 

4080
03:51:41,700 --> 03:51:45,300
some places like a tooth. 
That hasn't fully erupted, this 

4081
03:51:45,300 --> 03:51:49,000
is a sign of What Lies Beneath 
It's interesting how the road is

4082
03:51:49,000 --> 03:51:51,500
still changing the landscape, 
even though it's broken. 

4083
03:51:51,500 --> 03:51:54,200
Even though most Travelers, 
don't know why this root stays 

4084
03:51:54,200 --> 03:51:57,400
drier than the land around it or
why some parts are easier to 

4085
03:51:57,400 --> 03:51:59,500
walk. 
On the Roman Engineers built 

4086
03:51:59,500 --> 03:52:01,500
their road base on a slightly 
higher path. 

4087
03:52:01,500 --> 03:52:03,300
That is still the best place to 
walk. 

4088
03:52:03,300 --> 03:52:06,700
There are trees along the road 
in some places, but if you look 

4089
03:52:06,700 --> 03:52:09,300
closely, you'll see that they're
not growing in a random way. 

4090
03:52:10,200 --> 03:52:13,300
Many people walk along the old 
Roman drainage ditches which 

4091
03:52:13,300 --> 03:52:15,100
used to carry water away from 
the road. 

4092
03:52:15,100 --> 03:52:19,000
Some of these trees of years old
and they are unintentionally 

4093
03:52:19,000 --> 03:52:22,000
marking the limits of Roman 
engineering, making a visible 

4094
03:52:22,000 --> 03:52:24,400
outline of infrastructure that 
the people who planted the 

4095
03:52:24,408 --> 03:52:26,700
trees. 
Never saw, the Roman Road has 

4096
03:52:26,700 --> 03:52:29,800
become a property line in some 
places farmers in the Middle 

4097
03:52:29,800 --> 03:52:32,500
Ages used the old road as an 
actual marker when they split up

4098
03:52:32,500 --> 03:52:35,400
their land, you might now see a 
fence running along the length 

4099
03:52:35,400 --> 03:52:38,200
of the road with fields on 
either side that follow patterns

4100
03:52:38,200 --> 03:52:41,800
set by Roman surveyors. 
More than 1,000 years ago, the 

4101
03:52:41,800 --> 03:52:44,800
fence itself might have Roman 
Milestone as fence posts. 

4102
03:52:44,800 --> 03:52:48,300
He inscription on the stones 
have been worn Smooth by wind 

4103
03:52:48,300 --> 03:52:50,408
and rain. 
These ruined have a lot of 

4104
03:52:50,416 --> 03:52:53,500
meaning that goes beyond their 
use people in the Middle Ages 

4105
03:52:53,500 --> 03:52:56,100
saw Roman roads as proof of a 
civilization that could do 

4106
03:52:56,108 --> 03:52:58,900
things that we can't do now, 
they thought of it as a lost 

4107
03:52:58,900 --> 03:53:01,400
golden age when roads ran 
straight and true across whole 

4108
03:53:01,400 --> 03:53:04,500
continents, when Empires could 
move armies from Britain to 

4109
03:53:04,500 --> 03:53:06,500
Persia. 
And when the world was more 

4110
03:53:06,500 --> 03:53:10,000
connected and maybe even easier 
to understand, you can see this 

4111
03:53:10,100 --> 03:53:13,500
Kind of symbolism in medieval 
art and literature stories about

4112
03:53:13,500 --> 03:53:15,900
ancient roads. 
Often show them as ways to find 

4113
03:53:15,900 --> 03:53:19,900
Adventure links to a more 
glorious past or reminders of 

4114
03:53:19,900 --> 03:53:22,500
the Imperial power that existed 
before the current political 

4115
03:53:22,500 --> 03:53:26,000
landscape fell apart. 
In romances Knights, often go on

4116
03:53:26,000 --> 03:53:29,200
quests along Old Roman roads. 
As if the roads still have some 

4117
03:53:29,200 --> 03:53:31,800
magic left over from the 
civilization that built them. 

4118
03:53:31,800 --> 03:53:34,900
Churches and monasteries are 
often built close to Old Roman 

4119
03:53:34,900 --> 03:53:37,300
roads. 
On purpose, both for practical 

4120
03:53:37,300 --> 03:53:39,800
reasons. 
And for symbolic Reasons, by 

4121
03:53:39,800 --> 03:53:42,700
building near these remnants of 
Roman Glory medieval 

4122
03:53:42,700 --> 03:53:45,000
institutions show that they are 
The Heirs of classical 

4123
03:53:45,000 --> 03:53:47,800
civilization. 
This suggests that there is a 

4124
03:53:47,800 --> 03:53:50,500
connection between the ancient 
past and the Christian present, 

4125
03:53:50,500 --> 03:53:53,700
the ruins are all so quarries, 
but not just for physical 

4126
03:53:53,700 --> 03:53:56,200
things. 
Engineers from the Middle Ages, 

4127
03:53:56,200 --> 03:53:58,600
look at how the Romans built 
roads to learn how to make 

4128
03:53:58,600 --> 03:54:01,900
things that last some of this 
knowledge is being used in new 

4129
03:54:01,900 --> 03:54:04,200
buildings. 
The best medieval roads of 

4130
03:54:04,200 --> 03:54:07,400
Roman, engineering ideas that 
have been changed to fit the 

4131
03:54:07,400 --> 03:54:11,000
materials and needs of the time.
But these ruins also have a sad 

4132
03:54:11,000 --> 03:54:14,300
quality to them when you stand 
on a crumbling Roman Road and 

4133
03:54:14,300 --> 03:54:17,400
look at paving stones that have 
moved and tilted bridges that 

4134
03:54:17,400 --> 03:54:20,500
have turned into Foundation 
stones and Milestones with 

4135
03:54:20,500 --> 03:54:22,800
unreadable inscription, you are 
facing. 

4136
03:54:22,800 --> 03:54:26,800
The fact that human achievement 
is not permanent, the Roman's 

4137
03:54:26,800 --> 03:54:29,400
built things that would last 
forever, but forever, as longer 

4138
03:54:29,400 --> 03:54:32,800
than even the best engineering 
can handle, This sadness isn't 

4139
03:54:32,800 --> 03:54:36,000
just about love, it had 
real-world effects on society. 

4140
03:54:36,000 --> 03:54:39,800
In the Middle Ages, if Rome the 
largest Empire in history with 

4141
03:54:39,800 --> 03:54:42,500
more resources and better 
organization than we have now 

4142
03:54:42,500 --> 03:54:45,400
couldn't keep its infrastructure
going forever. 

4143
03:54:45,400 --> 03:54:49,100
What hope does smaller poorer 
kingdoms have of building? 

4144
03:54:49,100 --> 03:54:52,500
Anything that lasts this 
acknowledgment leads to a new 

4145
03:54:52,500 --> 03:54:55,900
way of building Roman Builders 
built monuments that would last 

4146
03:54:55,900 --> 03:54:58,300
for centuries, thinking that 
they would always be 

4147
03:54:58,300 --> 03:55:01,000
well-maintained, medieval 
builders on the other hand, 

4148
03:55:01,000 --> 03:55:03,700
often built things with the idea
that maintenance might not be 

4149
03:55:03,700 --> 03:55:07,600
possible, they build things that
can gracefully fall apart that 

4150
03:55:07,600 --> 03:55:11,200
only need to last a generation 
or two and of years, and that 

4151
03:55:11,200 --> 03:55:14,200
can be fixed easily with local 
materials and basic skills. 

4152
03:55:14,200 --> 03:55:17,300
But strangely, some medieval 
buildings last longer than 

4153
03:55:17,300 --> 03:55:19,500
expected because they were built
with low expectations. 

4154
03:55:20,700 --> 03:55:22,900
A wooden bridge that is meant to
last 20 years. 

4155
03:55:22,900 --> 03:55:26,800
Might last 50 with little care a
road made of local Stone could 

4156
03:55:26,800 --> 03:55:30,300
last for many generations. 
Without the Romans desire to 

4157
03:55:30,300 --> 03:55:33,100
build monuments that would last 
forever medieval Engineers 

4158
03:55:33,100 --> 03:55:35,700
sometimes built things that 
worked because they were humble 

4159
03:55:35,700 --> 03:55:38,500
instead of grand living. 
Among these ruins has a 

4160
03:55:38,500 --> 03:55:41,100
psychological effect on people, 
that is hard to fully understand

4161
03:55:41,100 --> 03:55:44,700
from our modern point of view, 
you grow up with proof that the 

4162
03:55:44,700 --> 03:55:46,500
people who came before you could
do things. 

4163
03:55:46,500 --> 03:55:48,700
You can't. 
You walk on roads, they build 

4164
03:55:48,700 --> 03:55:51,600
see buildings. 
They build news tools that are 

4165
03:55:51,600 --> 03:55:54,700
based on their designs. 
You can also see these wonders 

4166
03:55:54,700 --> 03:55:57,400
falling apart, even though 
everyone is trying their best to

4167
03:55:57,400 --> 03:55:59,300
keep them in. 
Good shape, this creates a 

4168
03:55:59,300 --> 03:56:02,300
certain way of seeing the world 
one that values keeping 

4169
03:56:02,300 --> 03:56:05,300
Knowledge from the past that 
looks back as much as it looks 

4170
03:56:05,300 --> 03:56:08,500
forward and that compares the 
present to a lost golden age. 

4171
03:56:08,500 --> 03:56:11,400
It's a way of thinking that's 
very different from how we think

4172
03:56:11,400 --> 03:56:14,600
today where each generation 
expects to do better than the 

4173
03:56:14,600 --> 03:56:18,000
last in 1200 CE. 
When you stand on this road, 

4174
03:56:18,000 --> 03:56:20,800
very few people alive. 
Will remember seeing it When it 

4175
03:56:20,800 --> 03:56:24,100
was at its best, as a Roman 
Road, the smooth, Paving the 

4176
03:56:24,100 --> 03:56:26,700
good drainage and the regular 
upkeeper all just stories that 

4177
03:56:26,700 --> 03:56:29,900
educated monks and Scholars. 
Tell each other the road is now 

4178
03:56:29,900 --> 03:56:33,000
partly legendary. 
It is a physical object, whose 

4179
03:56:33,000 --> 03:56:35,800
true nature is better understood
through tradition than direct 

4180
03:56:35,800 --> 03:56:38,200
experience. 
As we near the end of our 

4181
03:56:38,200 --> 03:56:40,600
journey. 
Let's take one last walk down 

4182
03:56:40,600 --> 03:56:45,000
this old road, but this time in 
our own time the experience is 

4183
03:56:45,000 --> 03:56:48,000
like looking at a palimpsest 
where different texts have been 

4184
03:56:48,008 --> 03:56:51,000
on the same. 
Parchment each one partially 

4185
03:56:51,000 --> 03:56:52,900
erases but never completely 
hides. 

4186
03:56:52,900 --> 03:56:55,900
What came before the road may 
now be paved with asphalt and 

4187
03:56:55,900 --> 03:56:57,700
serve as a rural Highway 
connecting. 

4188
03:56:57,700 --> 03:57:01,000
Small towns that were villages 
in Roman times and may not have 

4189
03:57:01,000 --> 03:57:03,000
even existed when the road was 
first built. 

4190
03:57:03,900 --> 03:57:07,200
But the root hasn't changed much
modern Engineers looked at the 

4191
03:57:07,200 --> 03:57:10,400
land and chose the same path. 
That Roman surveyors did 2000 

4192
03:57:10,400 --> 03:57:13,600
years ago because the way the 
land is always the same. 

4193
03:57:13,600 --> 03:57:17,000
You might find Roman paving 
stones that farmers of dug up 

4194
03:57:17,000 --> 03:57:19,500
over the years and piled along 
the property line. 

4195
03:57:19,500 --> 03:57:21,200
If you pull over and walking 
into the field. 

4196
03:57:21,200 --> 03:57:24,800
Next door, these Stones, each 
cut and fitted with such care. 

4197
03:57:24,800 --> 03:57:27,600
Now, make a rustic, fence or a 
wall that holds things in place,

4198
03:57:27,608 --> 03:57:30,200
kids play on them. 
Without realizing that Roman 

4199
03:57:30,200 --> 03:57:32,900
Engineers wants measured and 
placed each stone with the same 

4200
03:57:32,900 --> 03:57:36,400
care that people use. 
When building for eternity, You 

4201
03:57:36,400 --> 03:57:38,700
might see Roman milestones in 
town as historical. 

4202
03:57:38,700 --> 03:57:42,000
Artifacts, their worn-out 
surfaces are protected by glass 

4203
03:57:42,000 --> 03:57:45,300
or built into modern monuments. 
Archaeologists are now studying 

4204
03:57:45,300 --> 03:57:48,100
the inscriptions which used to 
be clear statements of Imperial 

4205
03:57:48,100 --> 03:57:51,500
power to try to piece together 
ancient political histories from

4206
03:57:51,500 --> 03:57:55,000
bits of carved Latin some parts 
of Roman roads have been left 

4207
03:57:55,000 --> 03:57:57,200
alone on purpose so that they 
can be studied by 

4208
03:57:57,200 --> 03:57:59,900
archaeologists. 
You can walk on the original 

4209
03:57:59,900 --> 03:58:03,600
pavement, see how it was built 
in cross section displays and 

4210
03:58:03,600 --> 03:58:06,300
read signs that explain how the 
engineering works. 

4211
03:58:06,300 --> 03:58:09,400
These preserved parts are like 
outdoor museums that teach 

4212
03:58:09,400 --> 03:58:12,000
people about a way of building 
things that is better than ours 

4213
03:58:12,000 --> 03:58:15,600
in some ways modern highways. 
Often Run next to Roman roads 

4214
03:58:15,600 --> 03:58:18,000
but they are separated by a few 
hundred yards. 

4215
03:58:18,000 --> 03:58:21,300
You can still see the old road 
from the new one, but they are 

4216
03:58:21,300 --> 03:58:23,700
far enough apart that each 
serves its own purpose. 

4217
03:58:23,700 --> 03:58:27,400
The Old Road might be used by 
people who live nearby cyclists 

4218
03:58:27,400 --> 03:58:29,800
and hikers. 
While the new highway is used by

4219
03:58:29,800 --> 03:58:31,700
people who are just passing 
through quickly. 

4220
03:58:31,700 --> 03:58:35,400
Both exist to meet different 
needs and each has reflection of

4221
03:58:35,400 --> 03:58:37,500
the way people. 
Are connected places, and it's 

4222
03:58:37,500 --> 03:58:40,900
time the legacy of Roman roads 
goes beyond, just the physical 

4223
03:58:40,900 --> 03:58:44,100
remains when building roads, 
that will last for decades, 

4224
03:58:44,100 --> 03:58:46,400
instead of needing to be rebuilt
every few years. 

4225
03:58:46,400 --> 03:58:49,400
Modern, civil engineers. 
Still use Roman methods. 

4226
03:58:49,400 --> 03:58:53,200
Layered construction. 
Good drainage and crowned 

4227
03:58:53,200 --> 03:58:56,100
surfaces are all Roman ideas 
that are still used today. 

4228
03:58:56,100 --> 03:58:59,800
Roman roads had a big impact on 
the geography of Europe that can

4229
03:58:59,800 --> 03:59:02,700
still be seen today. 
A lot of modern cities are where

4230
03:59:02,708 --> 03:59:04,400
they are because they were on 
Roman roads. 

4231
03:59:04,400 --> 03:59:07,600
Roman Engineers often built 
roads that became political 

4232
03:59:07,600 --> 03:59:10,400
boundaries, trade routes, 
cultural exchanges, and 

4233
03:59:10,400 --> 03:59:13,200
migration routes still follow 
the same paths that were first 

4234
03:59:13,200 --> 03:59:16,400
set up, when Rome ruled the 
Mediterranean The way we talk 

4235
03:59:16,400 --> 03:59:20,600
about roads is influenced by 
Latin in Latin, Mi comes from 

4236
03:59:20,600 --> 03:59:22,900
Mila's, which means a 1000 
Paces. 

4237
03:59:22,900 --> 03:59:26,500
The word Street comes from the 
Latin word via strata which 

4238
03:59:26,500 --> 03:59:29,800
means, paved Road, Romans 
improved and standardized the 

4239
03:59:29,800 --> 03:59:32,300
way they built roads, which is 
how we got the ideas of 

4240
03:59:32,300 --> 03:59:36,200
infrastructure maintenance and 
civic duty, but maybe the most 

4241
03:59:36,200 --> 03:59:38,500
important Legacy of 
psychological not physical. 

4242
03:59:38,500 --> 03:59:41,500
Roman roads represented, a 
specific conception of 

4243
03:59:41,500 --> 03:59:44,400
civilization. 
The belief that human creativity

4244
03:59:44,400 --> 03:59:48,200
can transform the natural world.
That meticulous planning and 

4245
03:59:48,208 --> 03:59:50,600
Engineering can address 
seemingly insurmountable 

4246
03:59:50,600 --> 03:59:53,700
challenges and that the 
integration of diverse 

4247
03:59:53,700 --> 03:59:57,000
individuals and locals generate 
greater value than Solitude. 

4248
03:59:57,000 --> 04:00:00,200
This vision is still alive in 
every modern Highway project, 

4249
04:00:00,200 --> 04:00:03,900
every infrastructure project. 
And every effort to link small 

4250
04:00:03,900 --> 04:00:07,500
towns to bigger networks, when 
we talk about how much to spend 

4251
04:00:07,500 --> 04:00:10,800
on infrastructure, how to keep 
current systems running or 

4252
04:00:10,800 --> 04:00:13,500
whether to build new connections
with dealing with the same 

4253
04:00:13,500 --> 04:00:17,200
problems that Romans did 2000 
years ago, the story of why 

4254
04:00:17,200 --> 04:00:19,800
ancient roads fell apart teaches
us an important lesson. 

4255
04:00:19,800 --> 04:00:23,700
Infrastructure needs more than 
just being built, it needs to be

4256
04:00:23,700 --> 04:00:26,300
maintained the decline of Roman 
roads. 

4257
04:00:26,300 --> 04:00:27,800
Wasn't mostly due to bad 
engineering. 

4258
04:00:27,800 --> 04:00:30,800
Many of those roads were built 
well enough that they still look

4259
04:00:30,800 --> 04:00:33,500
like they did back then. 
It was about institutions 

4260
04:00:33,500 --> 04:00:36,200
failing, which meant that the 
administrative and economic 

4261
04:00:36,200 --> 04:00:39,300
systems needed to keep complex 
infrastructure running over time

4262
04:00:39,300 --> 04:00:42,500
fell apart. 
Modern society have to deal with

4263
04:00:42,500 --> 04:00:45,000
the same problems. 
We need to keep spending money 

4264
04:00:45,000 --> 04:00:48,900
on repairs and maintenance for 
our roads Bridges and utilities.

4265
04:00:49,600 --> 04:00:52,500
The case starts, when economic 
or political problems take 

4266
04:00:52,500 --> 04:00:55,400
resources away from this 
unglamorous work, it might not 

4267
04:00:55,400 --> 04:00:58,500
be clear right away. 
Infrastructure gets worse over 

4268
04:00:58,500 --> 04:01:01,400
time with each small failure. 
Adding to the last one. 

4269
04:01:01,400 --> 04:01:04,908
Until one day, you look around 
and see that systems you used to

4270
04:01:04,916 --> 04:01:08,200
trust, aren't working anymore. 
The Romans would get what we're 

4271
04:01:08,200 --> 04:01:09,600
talking about. 
When we argue about 

4272
04:01:09,600 --> 04:01:12,500
infrastructure, they had to deal
with the same problems of 

4273
04:01:12,500 --> 04:01:15,100
balancing short, term savings 
with long-term Investments, 

4274
04:01:15,100 --> 04:01:18,700
political expediency, with 
engineering necessity, and local

4275
04:01:18,700 --> 04:01:22,000
needs with system-wide needs. 
Their roads fell apart, not 

4276
04:01:22,000 --> 04:01:23,400
because they didn't know how to 
build them. 

4277
04:01:23,400 --> 04:01:25,300
Right. 
But because keeping them up, 

4278
04:01:25,300 --> 04:01:27,900
took more resources and 
dedication than their society. 

4279
04:01:27,900 --> 04:01:30,900
Could give, let's take a break 
for a moment on a particularly 

4280
04:01:30,900 --> 04:01:34,000
beautiful stretch of preserved, 
Roman Road, it might be in the 

4281
04:01:34,000 --> 04:01:36,600
English Countryside where the 
old stones are on straight to 

4282
04:01:36,600 --> 04:01:39,600
cross a green hillsides, and the
landscape on either side looks 

4283
04:01:39,600 --> 04:01:41,400
like a painting of pastoral 
happiness. 

4284
04:01:41,400 --> 04:01:44,800
The stones under your feet are 
still strong after almost 2000 

4285
04:01:44,800 --> 04:01:47,300
years. 
Some have faint marks on them 

4286
04:01:47,300 --> 04:01:49,100
from ironed wheels that went 
over them. 

4287
04:01:49,100 --> 04:01:51,800
When Emperor's ruled you might 
have learned their names in 

4288
04:01:51,800 --> 04:01:53,600
school but can't quite remember 
them. 

4289
04:01:53,600 --> 04:01:57,000
Others show how the weather has 
changed over many seasons with 

4290
04:01:57,000 --> 04:02:01,000
smooth slightly rounded surfaces
from rain wind and millions of 

4291
04:02:01,000 --> 04:02:03,200
footsteps. 
You can see how well these 

4292
04:02:03,200 --> 04:02:05,400
Stones fit together in the low 
light of the afternoon. 

4293
04:02:05,400 --> 04:02:09,100
Even after hundreds of years of 
frost heaving root growth and 

4294
04:02:09,100 --> 04:02:12,200
Nature's General chaos, trying 
to take apart human buildings, 

4295
04:02:12,200 --> 04:02:15,900
most stones still touch each 
other with only a fingers of 

4296
04:02:15,900 --> 04:02:18,200
space between them. 
It's the kind of craftsmanship 

4297
04:02:18,200 --> 04:02:20,800
that makes you feel bad about 
the Shelf you put up last 

4298
04:02:20,800 --> 04:02:24,100
weekend that wobbles If you 
close your eyes and really 

4299
04:02:24,100 --> 04:02:25,800
listen. 
The Sounds around. 

4300
04:02:25,800 --> 04:02:28,500
You aren't that different from 
what people traveling, in Rome 

4301
04:02:28,500 --> 04:02:30,900
would have heard, birds are 
singing in the hedgerows that 

4302
04:02:30,908 --> 04:02:34,100
Mark, the ages of the modern 
field, wind blowing through the 

4303
04:02:34,100 --> 04:02:37,000
grass, the sound of sheep 
bleeding in the distance. 

4304
04:02:37,900 --> 04:02:40,300
These sheep of the descendants 
of flocks, that may have walked 

4305
04:02:40,300 --> 04:02:43,500
along this road when it was new.
The English Countryside, stays 

4306
04:02:43,500 --> 04:02:47,000
the same, even as things change.
But if you look more closely, 

4307
04:02:47,000 --> 04:02:49,500
you'll see that the landscape 
tells a story of its own. 

4308
04:02:49,500 --> 04:02:53,100
The road is in a slight dip, but
not because the Romans build it 

4309
04:02:53,100 --> 04:02:55,500
that way. 
Instead the land around it has 

4310
04:02:55,500 --> 04:02:59,000
been slowly built up by years of
farming, with each Year's leaves

4311
04:02:59,000 --> 04:03:01,700
and organic matter, adding 
microscopic thickness to the 

4312
04:03:01,700 --> 04:03:04,100
soil. 
The world has risen around the 

4313
04:03:04,108 --> 04:03:06,300
road. 
Not the other way around, you 

4314
04:03:06,300 --> 04:03:09,200
can see that some of the stones 
have wildflowers growing between

4315
04:03:09,200 --> 04:03:12,100
them, these aren't invasive, 
weeds, that are ruining old 

4316
04:03:12,100 --> 04:03:14,000
buildings. 
They're part of a unique 

4317
04:03:14,000 --> 04:03:16,700
ecosystem that can only be found
in places like this. 

4318
04:03:16,700 --> 04:03:19,500
Some of these plants are very 
rare and only live in the 

4319
04:03:19,500 --> 04:03:23,300
specific conditions that Roman 
engineering made botanists. 

4320
04:03:23,300 --> 04:03:25,400
Sometimes look at old Roman 
roads, because they keep 

4321
04:03:25,400 --> 04:03:28,900
ecological conditions that have 
disappeared in other places, a 

4322
04:03:28,900 --> 04:03:31,500
modern hiker walks by on a trail
that includes this part of the 

4323
04:03:31,500 --> 04:03:34,700
Roman Road. 
She's using GPS to find her way 

4324
04:03:34,700 --> 04:03:38,000
following a root, she downloaded
to her smartphone, but she's 

4325
04:03:38,000 --> 04:03:40,300
walking on roads that were built
2000 years. 

4326
04:03:40,300 --> 04:03:44,200
Before electricity, the mix of 
old and new isn't jarring feels 

4327
04:03:44,200 --> 04:03:47,200
natural as if the road is taking
in the technology of each time 

4328
04:03:47,200 --> 04:03:48,700
period. 
Without losing its basic 

4329
04:03:48,700 --> 04:03:51,200
character, you come across a 
part of the road that 

4330
04:03:51,200 --> 04:03:54,000
archaeologists have partially 
dug up further down the path. 

4331
04:03:54,600 --> 04:03:57,500
They've carefully dug out, dirt 
from one side, showing the cross

4332
04:03:57,500 --> 04:04:00,800
section of Roman construction. 
Like a slice through a layer 

4333
04:04:00,800 --> 04:04:03,700
cake. 
You can see each layer the big 

4334
04:04:03,700 --> 04:04:06,900
stones that make up the base, 
the mixed gravel and mortar 

4335
04:04:06,900 --> 04:04:09,400
above the sand that levels the 
surface. 

4336
04:04:09,400 --> 04:04:12,800
And finally, the paving stones 
on top there is an interpretive 

4337
04:04:12,800 --> 04:04:15,500
sign that tells you what you're 
looking at, but the building 

4338
04:04:15,500 --> 04:04:17,900
itself is so clear that it 
doesn't need words. 

4339
04:04:17,900 --> 04:04:21,800
This is how to make something 
that will last, this is how you 

4340
04:04:21,800 --> 04:04:24,000
build infrastructure that will 
last for 100s of years. 

4341
04:04:24,000 --> 04:04:27,600
Instead of just decades, this is
how you show future Generations 

4342
04:04:27,600 --> 04:04:30,900
that you had faith in the future
and did what you could to make 

4343
04:04:30,900 --> 04:04:33,300
it happen. 
But this exposed cross-section 

4344
04:04:33,300 --> 04:04:36,900
is also very sad, if it feels 
like seeing the bones of the 

4345
04:04:36,900 --> 04:04:40,200
Earth itself, the skeleton that 
lies under the skin of the land,

4346
04:04:40,200 --> 04:04:43,200
it was never meant for people to
see the road like this. 

4347
04:04:43,200 --> 04:04:46,400
It's strength was supposed to 
come from everything working 

4348
04:04:46,400 --> 04:04:50,400
together as one taking up. 
His internal structure shows us 

4349
04:04:50,400 --> 04:04:54,200
how it works, but it also makes 
it less useful turning a useful 

4350
04:04:54,200 --> 04:04:56,800
piece of infrastructure into an 
anatomical specimen. 

4351
04:04:56,800 --> 04:04:59,700
You might find things in the 
nearby museum that were found 

4352
04:04:59,700 --> 04:05:03,500
along this road like coins. 
That Travelers dropped pieces of

4353
04:05:03,508 --> 04:05:07,400
pottery that used to hold oil or
wine and a bronze figurine that 

4354
04:05:07,400 --> 04:05:09,600
someone lost 2000 years ago and 
never found. 

4355
04:05:09,600 --> 04:05:12,500
Each thing is a small tragedy 
and a small connection. 

4356
04:05:12,500 --> 04:05:16,300
Someone's lost is our game and 
we can think about the moment 

4357
04:05:16,300 --> 04:05:19,000
that was lost. 
The simplest things are often 

4358
04:05:19,000 --> 04:05:22,400
the most moving. 
A toy cart for a child, a 

4359
04:05:22,400 --> 04:05:26,200
hairpin for a woman or a worn 
sandal sole these common things.

4360
04:05:26,200 --> 04:05:28,400
Make the road, feel more like a 
person than military or 

4361
04:05:28,400 --> 04:05:31,400
architectural history. 
Can they remind us that this 

4362
04:05:31,400 --> 04:05:34,000
road was used by more than just 
armies and trade goods. 

4363
04:05:34,000 --> 04:05:37,900
It was also used by families 
visiting relatives craftspeople 

4364
04:05:37,900 --> 04:05:40,700
going to Market children seeing 
the world for the first time. 

4365
04:05:40,700 --> 04:05:43,600
An old people making one last 
trip to places. 

4366
04:05:43,600 --> 04:05:46,100
They loved when they were young.
Roman roads were built for 

4367
04:05:46,100 --> 04:05:49,900
useful things like moving troops
making trade easier and keeping 

4368
04:05:49,900 --> 04:05:52,600
the government in check, but 
they ended up serving a more 

4369
04:05:52,608 --> 04:05:57,000
basic need The need to connect 
with others to move and to see 

4370
04:05:57,000 --> 04:05:58,800
what's over the next Hill. 
And the one after that. 

4371
04:05:58,800 --> 04:06:01,900
This is why roads are important 
for more than just their 

4372
04:06:01,900 --> 04:06:05,500
engineering specifications or 
they usefulness to the economy. 

4373
04:06:06,500 --> 04:06:08,300
They meet a basic need in all of
us. 

4374
04:06:08,300 --> 04:06:11,800
Our constant need to be 
somewhere else and see more than

4375
04:06:11,800 --> 04:06:14,700
one place can offer, 
archaeologists and geographers. 

4376
04:06:14,700 --> 04:06:18,400
Have found something amazing. 
Even when the physical roads 

4377
04:06:18,400 --> 04:06:20,800
were gone, the paths they made 
across the land. 

4378
04:06:20,800 --> 04:06:23,900
Often stayed in people's minds 
and practices for hundreds of 

4379
04:06:23,900 --> 04:06:27,000
years picture, a part of a Roman
road where all signs of 

4380
04:06:27,008 --> 04:06:29,800
construction of disappeared. 
The stones that were quarried 

4381
04:06:29,800 --> 04:06:32,300
for medieval buildings. 
The foundation layers that were 

4382
04:06:32,308 --> 04:06:34,000
spread out by centuries of 
farming. 

4383
04:06:34,000 --> 04:06:37,000
And even the road itself, have 
all been plowed under and grown 

4384
04:06:37,000 --> 04:06:39,800
over there doesn't seem to be 
anything left at the Casual 

4385
04:06:39,800 --> 04:06:41,900
Observer. 
But if you map out the trade 

4386
04:06:41,900 --> 04:06:45,000
routes from the Middle Ages, the
pars that Villages used to get 

4387
04:06:45,000 --> 04:06:47,800
from one settlement to another 
or the property lines that 

4388
04:06:47,800 --> 04:06:50,100
farmer set up. 
You'll often find that they 

4389
04:06:50,100 --> 04:06:53,400
follow the same line as the 
Roman Road, that is no longer 

4390
04:06:53,400 --> 04:06:55,800
there. 
This persistent occurs because 

4391
04:06:55,800 --> 04:06:59,200
pathways through the landscape 
are not random, Roman Engineers 

4392
04:06:59,200 --> 04:07:02,100
chose their paths, for good 
reasons, these were the easiest 

4393
04:07:02,100 --> 04:07:05,500
Hills to cross the most direct 
routes between important points.

4394
04:07:05,500 --> 04:07:08,800
The best place is to build 
bridges over rivers and the best

4395
04:07:08,800 --> 04:07:11,000
places to cross valleys, where 
travel was possible. 

4396
04:07:11,000 --> 04:07:14,300
When the Roman Road went away. 
People found these same best 

4397
04:07:14,300 --> 04:07:16,700
routes on their own. 
They weren't following the road 

4398
04:07:16,700 --> 04:07:19,300
because As they could see it, 
they were retracing it because 

4399
04:07:19,300 --> 04:07:21,700
geography still gave them the 
same answers to the same 

4400
04:07:21,700 --> 04:07:25,000
problems even when people have 
built things on the land it 

4401
04:07:25,000 --> 04:07:27,100
still remembers. 
This is still true in modern 

4402
04:07:27,100 --> 04:07:30,400
Britain, where many of today's 
highways follow the same paths 

4403
04:07:30,400 --> 04:07:33,400
as Roman roads, which often 
followed the same paths as 

4404
04:07:33,408 --> 04:07:35,100
Celtic trackways that came 
before them. 

4405
04:07:35,100 --> 04:07:38,600
The Roman Watling Street runs 
along, most of the A5 highway 

4406
04:07:38,600 --> 04:07:42,200
from London to Wales the A1, 
which is the longest numbered 

4407
04:07:42,200 --> 04:07:45,300
road in the UK follows, a path 
that has been used since 

4408
04:07:45,300 --> 04:07:48,400
prehistoric times and was made 
official by the Romans. 

4409
04:07:48,400 --> 04:07:51,800
The modern highway system in 
France, still uses Roman roads 

4410
04:07:51,800 --> 04:07:55,000
for both routes and names. 
French Engineers built their 

4411
04:07:55,000 --> 04:07:57,600
modern Road Network in the 18th 
and 19th centuries. 

4412
04:07:57,600 --> 04:08:00,700
And when they could, they 
followed Roman roots, they 

4413
04:08:00,700 --> 04:08:02,900
thought of themselves as 
restoring old infrastructure 

4414
04:08:02,900 --> 04:08:06,400
rather than replacing it. 
The Inca Road system in South 

4415
04:08:06,400 --> 04:08:09,800
America is another example of 
something that lasts the Inca 

4416
04:08:09,800 --> 04:08:13,100
empire fell apart in the 16th 
century and their roads fell 

4417
04:08:13,100 --> 04:08:16,500
into disrepair. 
However, many modern Peruvian 

4418
04:08:16,500 --> 04:08:20,000
highways following groups, 
modern roads, wind along the 

4419
04:08:20,000 --> 04:08:23,000
same paths as the ink as carved 
steps into Mountain sides. 

4420
04:08:23,000 --> 04:08:26,600
This is because the geography 
hasn't changed, these are still 

4421
04:08:26,600 --> 04:08:28,600
the best ways to get through 
some of the most difficult 

4422
04:08:28,600 --> 04:08:32,100
terrain on Earth. 
This persistence teaches us 

4423
04:08:32,100 --> 04:08:34,800
something deep about how 
human-made things and natural 

4424
04:08:34,800 --> 04:08:37,800
landscapes work together, we 
like to think of our roads and 

4425
04:08:37,800 --> 04:08:40,800
buildings as things that get in 
the way of nature, as things 

4426
04:08:40,800 --> 04:08:44,300
that people change the world to 
fit their needs but in reality 

4427
04:08:44,300 --> 04:08:47,700
infrastructure works best when 
it works with the landscape 

4428
04:08:47,700 --> 04:08:51,000
instead of against it. 
The roads that last whether in 

4429
04:08:51,000 --> 04:08:53,900
the physical world or in the 
minds of people are the ones 

4430
04:08:53,900 --> 04:08:56,500
that find the easiest way 
through the land and don't fight

4431
04:08:56,500 --> 04:08:58,800
it. 
There is a more profound lesson 

4432
04:08:58,800 --> 04:09:01,100
here, regarding the essence of 
civilization itself. 

4433
04:09:01,100 --> 04:09:04,700
We often think of civilizations 
as completely new things that 

4434
04:09:04,700 --> 04:09:07,800
come after what came before. 
For example, the Romans took 

4435
04:09:07,800 --> 04:09:11,100
over what was their before? 
Medieval kingdoms took over Rome

4436
04:09:11,100 --> 04:09:13,800
and modern Nations took over 
medieval structures. 

4437
04:09:13,800 --> 04:09:17,400
But human geography shows that 
things have stayed the same more

4438
04:09:17,400 --> 04:09:21,000
than these political stories. 
Say People keep living in the 

4439
04:09:21,000 --> 04:09:22,600
same places because they have 
good water. 

4440
04:09:22,600 --> 04:09:26,400
Good places to defend 
themselves, good soil and easy, 

4441
04:09:26,400 --> 04:09:29,300
access to trade routes. 
They keep going the same way 

4442
04:09:29,300 --> 04:09:32,000
because the mountains haven't 
moved, and the rivers still flow

4443
04:09:32,000 --> 04:09:34,600
the same way. 
Political systems come and go, 

4444
04:09:34,600 --> 04:09:37,600
but the basic link between human
settlements and the landscape 

4445
04:09:37,600 --> 04:09:41,500
changes much more slowly. 
This is why archaeologists can 

4446
04:09:41,500 --> 04:09:44,000
sometimes guess where they will 
find old roads or settlements 

4447
04:09:44,000 --> 04:09:47,700
just by looking at the land and 
geography, there are only a few 

4448
04:09:47,708 --> 04:09:49,800
passes that don't require 
mountaineering gear. 

4449
04:09:49,800 --> 04:09:52,600
If you need to cross a mountain 
range, there are only a few 

4450
04:09:52,608 --> 04:09:54,900
places where the banks and 
current make it possible to 

4451
04:09:54,900 --> 04:09:58,800
cross a river, ancient engineers
knew this, and they pick the 

4452
04:09:58,800 --> 04:10:01,200
same place as that modern 
Engineers would pick if they 

4453
04:10:01,200 --> 04:10:04,200
were starting from scratch. 
The fact that Roots stay the 

4454
04:10:04,200 --> 04:10:06,700
same over time is another reason
why some cities stay important 

4455
04:10:06,700 --> 04:10:08,900
for thousands of years While 
others fade away. 

4456
04:10:09,800 --> 04:10:13,100
Romans located at a key Crossing
on the Tiber River, which 

4457
04:10:13,100 --> 04:10:16,600
controls north south travel, 
through Italy, the Ancients who 

4458
04:10:16,600 --> 04:10:18,800
first settled there. 
The Romans who built their 

4459
04:10:18,800 --> 04:10:21,800
empire from it, the Medieval 
popes, who kept it as a 

4460
04:10:21,800 --> 04:10:24,600
political Center and modern 
Italy, which made it their 

4461
04:10:24,600 --> 04:10:28,700
Capital all cared about this 
Geographic Advantage attempts 

4462
04:10:28,700 --> 04:10:30,900
Narrows in London, which is why 
the city is. 

4463
04:10:30,900 --> 04:10:33,300
There it is the best place to 
cross the river. 

4464
04:10:34,000 --> 04:10:35,900
Paris grew on an island in the 
sin. 

4465
04:10:35,900 --> 04:10:38,700
That was easy to defend 
Istanbul, which used to be 

4466
04:10:38,708 --> 04:10:41,400
called Byzantium. 
And then Constantinople, is that

4467
04:10:41,400 --> 04:10:44,500
the most important point where 
Europe and Asia meet, These 

4468
04:10:44,500 --> 04:10:47,500
aren't random choices or 
accidents, their places, where 

4469
04:10:47,500 --> 04:10:50,800
the landscape almost requires 
people to live and build the 

4470
04:10:50,800 --> 04:10:53,600
story of Roman roads is just one
part of a much longer Story. 

4471
04:10:53,600 --> 04:10:57,100
Once you understand this, those 
roads were just one part of a 

4472
04:10:57,100 --> 04:11:00,100
long history of people trying to
get around quickly connect the 

4473
04:11:00,100 --> 04:11:03,100
places we've chosen to live and 
get around the problems that 

4474
04:11:03,100 --> 04:11:06,400
geography puts in our way. 
The Romans did a great job of 

4475
04:11:06,400 --> 04:11:08,900
telling this story on a large 
scale but they were not the 

4476
04:11:08,900 --> 04:11:11,000
first or last to work on this 
old project. 

4477
04:11:12,200 --> 04:11:15,200
As we near the end of our trip 
down these old roads, let's 

4478
04:11:15,200 --> 04:11:18,100
think about what we've learned 
and how it affects us. 

4479
04:11:18,100 --> 04:11:21,400
Now, your back in your 
comfortable spot in your team of

4480
04:11:21,400 --> 04:11:24,200
cool down, but hopefully, your 
mind is still busy thinking 

4481
04:11:24,200 --> 04:11:27,700
about roads ruins and the long 
history of human effort. 

4482
04:11:28,400 --> 04:11:31,100
The story of Old Road shows us, 
that infrastructure is always 

4483
04:11:31,100 --> 04:11:34,300
made up of both people and 
things the stone and mortar are 

4484
04:11:34,300 --> 04:11:37,100
important but they only work in 
a network of Institutions 

4485
04:11:37,100 --> 04:11:41,100
economic systems and cultural 
practices that give them meaning

4486
04:11:41,100 --> 04:11:43,700
and keep them useful. 
Even the best-built physical 

4487
04:11:43,700 --> 04:11:46,000
infrastructure will fail. 
Eventually if the supporting 

4488
04:11:46,000 --> 04:11:48,800
structure falls apart, this is 
very important. 

4489
04:11:48,800 --> 04:11:52,100
For today's societies 
infrastructure, like roads 

4490
04:11:52,100 --> 04:11:54,900
Bridges, Water Systems, 
electrical grids and 

4491
04:11:54,900 --> 04:11:58,400
Telecommunications networks is 
all around us and we mostly take

4492
04:11:58,400 --> 04:12:00,400
it for granted. 
Granted until something goes 

4493
04:12:00,400 --> 04:12:02,400
wrong. 
We think that someone is taking 

4494
04:12:02,400 --> 04:12:04,400
care of these systems and that 
there are other right 

4495
04:12:04,400 --> 04:12:06,700
institutions in place to make 
sure they keep working. 

4496
04:12:07,400 --> 04:12:09,800
We also think that future 
Generations will have the same 

4497
04:12:09,800 --> 04:12:11,300
working infrastructure that we 
do. 

4498
04:12:11,300 --> 04:12:14,800
But the Roman experience shows 
that these ideas can be very 

4499
04:12:14,800 --> 04:12:17,500
dangerous. 
Infrastructure needs constant 

4500
04:12:17,500 --> 04:12:21,600
care enough money, Technical 
know-how and a commitment from 

4501
04:12:21,600 --> 04:12:25,800
the community Decay starts when 
one of these parts gets weaker 

4502
04:12:25,800 --> 04:12:29,200
at first. 
It happens slowly, but it speeds

4503
04:12:29,200 --> 04:12:31,500
up as small problems turn into 
bigger ones. 

4504
04:12:31,500 --> 04:12:35,800
The Romans built roads that 
could last for 2000 years but 

4505
04:12:35,800 --> 04:12:38,100
they weren't able to build 
institutions that could keep 

4506
04:12:38,100 --> 04:12:39,600
those roads in good shape 
forever. 

4507
04:12:39,600 --> 04:12:42,300
The main problem is that 
physical infrastructure can last

4508
04:12:42,300 --> 04:12:45,200
a long time but the social 
infrastructure needed to keep it

4509
04:12:45,200 --> 04:12:48,000
up is weak and depends on 
stable, government enough 

4510
04:12:48,000 --> 04:12:50,100
resources and cultural 
continuity. 

4511
04:12:50,100 --> 04:12:53,100
It wasn't engineering failure, 
that caused Roman roads to fall 

4512
04:12:53,100 --> 04:12:54,800
apart. 
It was the collapse of the 

4513
04:12:54,800 --> 04:12:57,100
government. 
The Empire couldn't keep up with

4514
04:12:57,100 --> 04:12:59,100
the tax money, it needed to pay 
for repairs. 

4515
04:12:59,100 --> 04:13:03,500
Administrative systems stopped, 
working making it impossible for

4516
04:13:03,500 --> 04:13:06,100
the organization to coordinate 
repairs over large areas. 

4517
04:13:07,100 --> 04:13:09,700
When skilled workers died 
without properly training their 

4518
04:13:09,700 --> 04:13:11,900
successes they lost technical 
knowledge. 

4519
04:13:11,900 --> 04:13:15,100
People's cultural priorities 
change from keeping old 

4520
04:13:15,100 --> 04:13:18,200
infrastructure up to date to 
just get in through immediate 

4521
04:13:18,200 --> 04:13:21,600
crises, all of these things are 
still true today countries have 

4522
04:13:21,600 --> 04:13:23,900
a hard time paying for 
infrastructure upkeep because 

4523
04:13:23,900 --> 04:13:26,500
it's easier for politicians to 
cut funding for repairs. 

4524
04:13:26,500 --> 04:13:29,400
That aren't very glamorous than 
for new projects that are very 

4525
04:13:29,400 --> 04:13:31,300
visible. 
When people looked down on 

4526
04:13:31,300 --> 04:13:33,700
government jobs and of 
respecting them, the 

4527
04:13:33,700 --> 04:13:35,200
government's ability to do its 
job. 

4528
04:13:35,200 --> 04:13:38,600
Suffers, when Society, don't 
value skilled trades. 

4529
04:13:38,600 --> 04:13:41,900
They lose technical. 
Know-how cultural attention is 

4530
04:13:41,900 --> 04:13:44,000
on short-term issues. 
Instead of long-term 

4531
04:13:44,000 --> 04:13:47,400
sustainability. 
But the story of old roads also 

4532
04:13:47,400 --> 04:13:50,100
gives us hope people kept roads 
working. 

4533
04:13:50,100 --> 04:13:53,300
Even after Empires fell apart 
and formal maintenance stopped, 

4534
04:13:53,300 --> 04:13:56,400
they did this through local 
initiative, creative adaptation 

4535
04:13:56,400 --> 04:14:00,300
and practical improvisation The 
roads may not have been as good 

4536
04:14:00,300 --> 04:14:03,100
as they used to be, but they 
still did their main job of 

4537
04:14:03,100 --> 04:14:06,100
connecting people and places. 
This strength shows that 

4538
04:14:06,100 --> 04:14:09,600
infrastructure once built adds 
value that lasts, even during 

4539
04:14:09,600 --> 04:14:13,300
tough times, the road matters. 
Even when the pavement breaks up

4540
04:14:13,300 --> 04:14:16,400
even when the journey gets 
harder, the connection is still 

4541
04:14:16,400 --> 04:14:19,600
important. 
The concept of a road ingrained 

4542
04:14:19,600 --> 04:14:23,200
in landscape and cultural memory
endures Beyond any tangible 

4543
04:14:23,200 --> 04:14:26,000
structure. 
This means that infrastructure 

4544
04:14:26,000 --> 04:14:29,100
investment is important for more
than just its immediate use in 

4545
04:14:29,100 --> 04:14:32,100
today's society infrastructure 
that works well creates 

4546
04:14:32,100 --> 04:14:34,600
connections that affect 
geography, the economy and 

4547
04:14:34,600 --> 04:14:38,000
culture for many years. 
The initial cost may seem high 

4548
04:14:38,000 --> 04:14:41,800
but the long-term benefits, some
of which are hard to measure or 

4549
04:14:41,800 --> 04:14:43,900
predict make the investment 
worth it. 

4550
04:14:43,900 --> 04:14:46,600
It also says that we should 
build infrastructure with the 

4551
04:14:46,600 --> 04:14:50,600
idea of graceful degradation in 
mind, Roman roads worked well, 

4552
04:14:50,600 --> 04:14:53,500
when they were well maintained, 
but they all worked partially 

4553
04:14:53,500 --> 04:14:56,600
for hundreds of years. 
After maintenance stopped modern

4554
04:14:56,600 --> 04:14:58,600
infrastructure. 
Is often more fragile because it

4555
04:14:58,600 --> 04:15:01,200
is made to work perfectly only 
under certain conditions. 

4556
04:15:02,000 --> 04:15:04,500
If those conditions aren't met 
it can break down completely, 

4557
04:15:04,500 --> 04:15:08,200
what would it mean to build 
roads Bridges and utilities that

4558
04:15:08,200 --> 04:15:11,400
could handle less maintenance 
without any problems that could 

4559
04:15:11,400 --> 04:15:12,900
keep providing important 
Services? 

4560
04:15:12,900 --> 04:15:16,100
Even if money or knowledge 
became hard to find that can be 

4561
04:15:16,108 --> 04:15:18,700
fixed with materials and skills 
that are available in the area 

4562
04:15:18,700 --> 04:15:20,600
rather than needing special 
ones. 

4563
04:15:20,600 --> 04:15:22,900
These aren't just hypothetical 
questions. 

4564
04:15:22,900 --> 04:15:26,300
The real issues for any society 
that wants its infrastructure to

4565
04:15:26,300 --> 04:15:29,400
last through short-term 
problems, the story of Roman 

4566
04:15:29,400 --> 04:15:31,100
roads. 
Also reminds us to think about 

4567
04:15:31,100 --> 04:15:33,600
infrastructure in both practical
and symbolic ways. 

4568
04:15:34,400 --> 04:15:37,700
Roads are a symbol of 
civilization connection and 

4569
04:15:37,700 --> 04:15:40,500
possibility. 
People think their society works

4570
04:15:40,500 --> 04:15:42,900
and that the people in charge 
are smart when the roads are 

4571
04:15:42,900 --> 04:15:46,300
well kept, It seems like 
Civilization is falling apart 

4572
04:15:46,300 --> 04:15:49,100
when roads get worse. 
This symbolic aspect is 

4573
04:15:49,100 --> 04:15:51,800
important because infrastructure
affects how people see their 

4574
04:15:51,800 --> 04:15:53,700
relationships with each other 
and with the government. 

4575
04:15:54,800 --> 04:15:58,200
Good infrastructure is a sign of
good government and social Unity

4576
04:15:58,200 --> 04:16:00,600
infrastructure. 
That doesn't work shows that 

4577
04:16:00,600 --> 04:16:03,300
people aren't competent and 
things are broken up these 

4578
04:16:03,300 --> 04:16:06,900
Perceptions in turn affect how 
much political support there is 

4579
04:16:06,900 --> 04:16:10,100
for the institutions that keep 
infrastructure running which can

4580
04:16:10,100 --> 04:16:14,100
lead to good or bad Cycles. 
Romans understood this symbolic 

4581
04:16:14,100 --> 04:16:15,800
part of things on an instinctive
level. 

4582
04:16:15,800 --> 04:16:19,700
They built their roads to be big
and impressive not just to get 

4583
04:16:19,708 --> 04:16:23,200
people where they needed to go. 
Milestones told people which 

4584
04:16:23,200 --> 04:16:26,600
emperor had built or fixed each 
part turning Road into 

4585
04:16:26,600 --> 04:16:29,500
propaganda. 
The Via Appia wasn't just a road

4586
04:16:29,500 --> 04:16:31,100
that connected Rome to Southern 
Italy. 

4587
04:16:31,100 --> 04:16:34,100
It was also a sign of Roman 
strength and stability. 

4588
04:16:34,900 --> 04:16:38,000
People in modern societies. 
Sometimes forget this lesson and

4589
04:16:38,000 --> 04:16:39,800
treat infrastructure as just a 
tool. 

4590
04:16:39,800 --> 04:16:42,800
They wonder why people don't 
appreciate the complicated 

4591
04:16:42,800 --> 04:16:44,800
systems that make Modern Life 
possible. 

4592
04:16:44,800 --> 04:16:47,800
But infrastructure is never just
about how it works. 

4593
04:16:47,800 --> 04:16:51,900
It's about who you are, your 
pride, and how social values 

4594
04:16:51,900 --> 04:16:54,900
show up in the real world as we 
reach the end of our Journey 

4595
04:16:54,900 --> 04:16:57,300
Through Time. 
And over ancient stone, think 

4596
04:16:57,300 --> 04:17:00,000
about what it means to literally
walk in the footsteps of. 

4597
04:17:00,000 --> 04:17:03,200
So many people who came before 
us every Old Road, that is 

4598
04:17:03,200 --> 04:17:06,700
still, there has this quality of
deep time this feeling of being 

4599
04:17:06,700 --> 04:17:09,800
connected to a huge human story 
that goes far beyond your own 

4600
04:17:09,800 --> 04:17:12,000
life. 
When you walk on Roman paving 

4601
04:17:12,000 --> 04:17:15,600
stones, your walking where Roman
soldiers marked, where Merchants

4602
04:17:15,600 --> 04:17:18,500
drove their cars, where 
Messengers ran with important 

4603
04:17:18,500 --> 04:17:22,500
news, a family's moved to new 
homes, where pilgrims looked for

4604
04:17:22,500 --> 04:17:26,200
God's favor and where Exiles 
left their homes and maybe never

4605
04:17:26,200 --> 04:17:28,700
came back. 
Each of those people was just as

4606
04:17:28,700 --> 04:17:32,300
real as you are with hopes and 
fears and small daily problems 

4607
04:17:32,300 --> 04:17:34,400
that took up their time just 
like yours do now. 

4608
04:17:34,900 --> 04:17:37,900
They were worried about their 
health, their families, their 

4609
04:17:37,900 --> 04:17:40,400
money, and whether they had made
the right choice in life. 

4610
04:17:41,200 --> 04:17:43,900
The roads saw it all, countless 
human. 

4611
04:17:43,900 --> 04:17:46,600
Dramas playing out on its 
unchanging surface. 

4612
04:17:46,600 --> 04:17:49,300
This is why parts of old roads 
that have been preserved. 

4613
04:17:49,300 --> 04:17:52,400
Often feel almost sacred, even 
to people who aren't very 

4614
04:17:52,400 --> 04:17:55,500
religious, you're standing in a 
place where the line between the

4615
04:17:55,500 --> 04:17:59,200
past and the present is thin and
you can almost feel the presence

4616
04:17:59,200 --> 04:18:01,200
of all the lives that no longer 
there. 

4617
04:18:01,200 --> 04:18:04,500
The stones are proof, that those
people lived that their 

4618
04:18:04,500 --> 04:18:07,300
civilization was real. 
And that they did things that 

4619
04:18:07,300 --> 04:18:10,000
still matter The ruins of old 
roads. 

4620
04:18:10,000 --> 04:18:13,100
Also remind us that things don't
last forever, which is somehow 

4621
04:18:13,100 --> 04:18:17,100
comforting instead of sad. 
Yes, even the strongest Empires 

4622
04:18:17,100 --> 04:18:18,600
will fall apart. 
Yes. 

4623
04:18:18,600 --> 04:18:21,000
Even the best built 
infrastructure will eventually 

4624
04:18:21,000 --> 04:18:23,200
need more upkeep than anyone can
give. 

4625
04:18:23,200 --> 04:18:25,700
Yes. 
Everything that people do is 

4626
04:18:25,700 --> 04:18:29,200
only temporary when compared to 
geological time scales, but that

4627
04:18:29,200 --> 04:18:30,900
doesn't mean that what people do
doesn't matter. 

4628
04:18:30,900 --> 04:18:34,200
The roads were important to the 
people who built them and the 

4629
04:18:34,200 --> 04:18:37,100
people who use them, they had a 
big impact on the growth of 

4630
04:18:37,100 --> 04:18:40,500
civilizations, the success of 
cities, the movement of armies 

4631
04:18:40,500 --> 04:18:43,800
and the flow of trade goods, 
their legacy lives on in the 

4632
04:18:43,800 --> 04:18:47,400
geography of today in the places
where cities are in the paths of

4633
04:18:47,400 --> 04:18:51,000
Highways and in the shape of the
world, we live in now, the Roman

4634
04:18:51,000 --> 04:18:53,500
engineer who carefully placed 
paving stones on the Via. 

4635
04:18:53,500 --> 04:18:56,500
Appia, probably never thought 
that those stones would still be

4636
04:18:56,500 --> 04:18:59,700
there 2000 years later, he 
probably also never thought that

4637
04:18:59,700 --> 04:19:02,100
people with technology. 
We can't even imagine would 

4638
04:19:02,100 --> 04:19:05,100
study and preserve his work. 
Well, that children who weren't 

4639
04:19:05,100 --> 04:19:07,700
even born yet would someday run 
their hands over the surface. 

4640
04:19:07,700 --> 04:19:10,400
He made. 
But here we are and the stones 

4641
04:19:10,400 --> 04:19:12,800
are still there. 
This makes me think that we 

4642
04:19:12,800 --> 04:19:15,200
should see ourselves as links in
a long chain. 

4643
04:19:15,900 --> 04:19:19,500
The infrastructure we build keep
up or let fall apart will affect

4644
04:19:19,500 --> 04:19:20,900
the world that future 
Generations. 

4645
04:19:20,900 --> 04:19:24,300
Get the decisions we make about 
how to use our resources. 

4646
04:19:24,300 --> 04:19:27,900
How to keep things running and 
how to teach the next generation

4647
04:19:27,900 --> 04:19:31,800
of Engineers and Crafts People 
all have effects that lasts long

4648
04:19:31,800 --> 04:19:32,600
after. 
We're gone. 

4649
04:19:32,600 --> 04:19:35,400
We don't know how the next 
Generations will see our 

4650
04:19:35,400 --> 04:19:37,800
decisions. 
We can't say, for sure, which of

4651
04:19:37,800 --> 04:19:40,700
our buildings will still be 
standing in 2000 years and which

4652
04:19:40,700 --> 04:19:42,500
ones will have disappeared 
Without a Trace. 

4653
04:19:42,500 --> 04:19:46,500
But we can try to build with the
same care and ambition that 

4654
04:19:46,500 --> 04:19:49,900
drove the best Roman Engineers 
making things that will last 

4655
04:19:49,900 --> 04:19:53,600
using materials that are better 
than what we need right now and 

4656
04:19:53,600 --> 04:19:56,000
spending money on things that 
will be useful in the future, 

4657
04:19:56,000 --> 04:19:59,400
even if it seems like a lot. 
The funny thing is that the 

4658
04:19:59,400 --> 04:20:02,100
Romans who are so sure that 
their empire would last forever 

4659
04:20:02,100 --> 04:20:05,400
would be shocked to learn that 
their roads lasted longer than 

4660
04:20:05,400 --> 04:20:08,000
their civilization? 
They probably would have liked 

4661
04:20:08,000 --> 04:20:10,700
it better if their empire state 
the same instead of Justice 

4662
04:20:10,700 --> 04:20:13,800
infrastructure. 
But from where we stand the fact

4663
04:20:13,800 --> 04:20:17,400
that Roman roads are still there
makes Rome Feel more not less 

4664
04:20:17,400 --> 04:20:21,000
Eternal as you finish your warm 
drink and get ready for bed, 

4665
04:20:21,000 --> 04:20:24,100
think about how this story could
help you as you go about your 

4666
04:20:24,100 --> 04:20:28,400
day, when you drive on a highway
or walk down a street, think 

4667
04:20:28,400 --> 04:20:30,900
about the history that Lies 
Beneath the surface. 

4668
04:20:30,900 --> 04:20:34,300
I wonder who walked this path 
before it was paved, what 

4669
04:20:34,300 --> 04:20:37,400
natural features made this route
and what stories could be told 

4670
04:20:37,400 --> 04:20:39,100
about all the trips that have 
happened here. 

4671
04:20:39,800 --> 04:20:42,300
Think about the people, who keep
our modern infrastructure 

4672
04:20:42,300 --> 04:20:45,400
running, they do on glamorous 
work like filling in potholes, 

4673
04:20:45,400 --> 04:20:47,300
clearing drains and fixing 
bridges. 

4674
04:20:47,300 --> 04:20:50,600
In terms of work, they are the 
direct descendants of the Roman 

4675
04:20:50,600 --> 04:20:53,400
engineers and maintenance Crews.
There are using better 

4676
04:20:53,400 --> 04:20:56,600
technology to solve the same 
basic problem, but it's the same

4677
04:20:56,600 --> 04:20:59,600
basic problem. 
Keeping paths open, so that 

4678
04:20:59,600 --> 04:21:03,300
people and things can move. 
Don't just see ruins like old 

4679
04:21:03,300 --> 04:21:06,300
Roman roads or empty. 
Modern highways, as failures. 

4680
04:21:06,300 --> 04:21:10,000
Also, see them as proof that 
people keep trying building and 

4681
04:21:10,000 --> 04:21:12,200
connecting. 
Think of them as proof that 

4682
04:21:12,200 --> 04:21:14,900
we're all part of a long story 
that started before we were born

4683
04:21:14,900 --> 04:21:16,200
and will go on after. 
We're gone. 

4684
04:21:16,200 --> 04:21:19,300
The last Light in your room is 
fading and you're probably 

4685
04:21:19,300 --> 04:21:22,100
getting sleepy, which is exactly
what should happen. 

4686
04:21:22,100 --> 04:21:25,400
When you read a bedtime story, 
you've been with me on trips to 

4687
04:21:25,400 --> 04:21:29,000
ancient building sites, medieval
manor houses, busy Imperial, 

4688
04:21:29,000 --> 04:21:32,500
highways and overgrown, ruins 
that the forest is slowly taking

4689
04:21:32,500 --> 04:21:34,500
back. 
You walked on pavement that 

4690
04:21:34,500 --> 04:21:37,800
people have been walking on for 
2000 years and you thought about

4691
04:21:37,800 --> 04:21:39,500
what it means that their work is
still there. 

4692
04:21:39,500 --> 04:21:42,500
Even though their civilization 
is gone, you've thought about 

4693
04:21:42,500 --> 04:21:46,400
why roads are important how they
are made, how they work and what

4694
04:21:46,400 --> 04:21:49,400
happens when the systems that 
keep them up fail, but most 

4695
04:21:49,400 --> 04:21:51,900
importantly, you've tapped into 
something basic about being 

4696
04:21:51,900 --> 04:21:54,800
human. 
I'll need to move connect and 

4697
04:21:54,800 --> 04:21:57,600
get past the things that keep us
from getting to the people in 

4698
04:21:57,600 --> 04:21:59,600
places. 
We want to go roads are one of 

4699
04:21:59,608 --> 04:22:02,000
the most basic technologies that
people have Made. 

4700
04:22:02,000 --> 04:22:05,700
They make paths permanent and 
Roots, reliable because they 

4701
04:22:05,700 --> 04:22:08,800
meet this basic need. 
Every culture in history has 

4702
04:22:08,800 --> 04:22:11,600
made them in some way. 
The old roads that fell apart 

4703
04:22:11,600 --> 04:22:14,400
when Empires fell, show us that 
being strong isn't enough 

4704
04:22:14,400 --> 04:22:18,400
infrastructure, needs constant 
care, enough money, Technical 

4705
04:22:18,400 --> 04:22:22,000
know-how and a commitment to the
community, even the best made 

4706
04:22:22,000 --> 04:22:26,100
roads will eventually break down
due to water plants Frost, and 

4707
04:22:26,100 --> 04:22:29,400
the slower work of nature to 
reclaim them but those same old 

4708
04:22:29,400 --> 04:22:31,200
roads. 
Also, show us how to be strong 

4709
04:22:31,200 --> 04:22:32,900
root. 
Stay the same. 

4710
04:22:32,900 --> 04:22:36,100
Even when the pavement goes 
away, local communities, find 

4711
04:22:36,100 --> 04:22:38,600
ways to stay connected. 
Even when the central government

4712
04:22:38,600 --> 04:22:42,300
fails and the memory that roads 
used to run straight and true of

4713
04:22:42,300 --> 04:22:45,100
whole continents. 
Gives people hope that they can 

4714
04:22:45,100 --> 04:22:48,000
do the same thing in the future 
as you drift off to sleep. 

4715
04:22:48,000 --> 04:22:51,000
You might dream of old roads 
that run through your dreams 

4716
04:22:51,000 --> 04:22:54,700
like perfectly straight. 
Roman highways Mountain Parks 

4717
04:22:54,700 --> 04:22:57,900
made by Inca engineers. 
And Persian postal routes where 

4718
04:22:57,900 --> 04:23:00,300
Messengers ride through the 
night in dreams. 

4719
04:23:00,300 --> 04:23:03,300
These roads, might all Connect 
making a network that goes 

4720
04:23:03,300 --> 04:23:05,700
through time and space and 
connects the past, with the 

4721
04:23:05,708 --> 04:23:08,600
present Rome with now and what 
has been done with. 

4722
04:23:08,600 --> 04:23:11,600
What could be done tomorrow, 
when you get up and start your 

4723
04:23:11,600 --> 04:23:15,200
day, you'll be on the road, you 
could be driving, walking or 

4724
04:23:15,200 --> 04:23:17,000
even just looking out your 
window at the street. 

4725
04:23:17,800 --> 04:23:19,900
Those roads are part of the 
same, long story. 

4726
04:23:19,900 --> 04:23:23,300
We've been talking about tonight
their modern chapters in a story

4727
04:23:23,308 --> 04:23:26,300
that started when the first 
people decided, that one paths 

4728
04:23:26,300 --> 04:23:29,200
could be made better. 
The Roots could be kept up and 

4729
04:23:29,200 --> 04:23:32,400
that connection was worth the 
money. the old roads have fallen

4730
04:23:32,400 --> 04:23:35,400
apart, but new ones have been 
built some of the roads were 

4731
04:23:35,400 --> 04:23:38,300
used today were last longer than
our civilization, just like 

4732
04:23:38,300 --> 04:23:42,200
Roman roads did Some will be 
gone in a few decades, their 

4733
04:23:42,200 --> 04:23:44,700
materials were used and their 
paths lost. 

4734
04:23:44,700 --> 04:23:48,100
We can't tell, which is which 
just like Roman Engineers 

4735
04:23:48,100 --> 04:23:50,200
couldn't tell, which of their 
roads, would still be there. 

4736
04:23:50,200 --> 04:23:54,000
2000 years later, but we can 
build carefully, keep it up. 

4737
04:23:54,000 --> 04:23:56,500
And remember, that 
infrastructure is always a gift 

4738
04:23:56,508 --> 04:23:58,000
relief for people will never 
meet. 

4739
04:23:58,000 --> 04:24:00,100
It's a gift that future 
Generations. 

4740
04:24:00,100 --> 04:24:03,700
May value or take for granted, 
but it will always shape their 

4741
04:24:03,700 --> 04:24:05,900
world. 
Your part of this long human 

4742
04:24:05,900 --> 04:24:09,400
story of roads and ruin's 
connection and Decay building 

4743
04:24:09,400 --> 04:24:12,900
and rebuilding sleep. 
Well, the Journey of Tomorrow is

4744
04:24:12,900 --> 04:24:15,800
waiting for you on roads, that 
link your present all the past 

4745
04:24:15,800 --> 04:24:18,300
and future that have come before
and will come off after. 

4746
04:24:19,100 --> 04:24:21,700
The road keeps going, even 
though some of the roads are 

4747
04:24:21,700 --> 04:24:25,400
falling apart, the journey goes 
on even when people stopped to 

4748
04:24:25,400 --> 04:24:27,800
rest. 
The link between the past and 

4749
04:24:27,800 --> 04:24:30,200
the future. 
Stay strong, though, in stone 

4750
04:24:30,200 --> 04:24:33,600
memory and the human desire to 
see what's over the next Hill. 

4751
04:24:39,400 --> 04:24:42,700
Imagine being 18 years old in 
sound asleep, in your childhood 

4752
04:24:42,700 --> 04:24:45,400
bedroom. 
The room is familiar the 

4753
04:24:45,400 --> 04:24:47,100
wallpaper. 
You've seen every morning for 

4754
04:24:47,100 --> 04:24:51,700
years the slight of floorboards,
you know, by heart the way 

4755
04:24:51,700 --> 04:24:54,400
mourning light filters through 
curtains that are framed your 

4756
04:24:54,400 --> 04:24:57,400
dreams since you were small. 
Now, imagine being awakened 

4757
04:24:57,400 --> 04:25:00,400
Before, Dawn with news, that 
will transform every single 

4758
04:25:00,400 --> 04:25:02,500
aspect of your existence 
forever. 

4759
04:25:03,900 --> 04:25:08,300
This was Victoria's reality on 
June 20th, 1837. 

4760
04:25:08,300 --> 04:25:10,800
When the Archbishop of 
Canterbury and the Lord 

4761
04:25:10,800 --> 04:25:13,500
Chamberlain arrived at 
Kensington Palace with their 

4762
04:25:13,500 --> 04:25:15,600
solemn faces and formal Court 
dresses. 

4763
04:25:15,600 --> 04:25:18,900
Her uncle King William, the 
fourth had died during the night

4764
04:25:18,900 --> 04:25:22,600
and she was now, Queen of the 
United Kingdom of Great, Britain

4765
04:25:22,600 --> 04:25:26,600
and Ireland, no training period.
No, gradual transitions, just 

4766
04:25:26,600 --> 04:25:30,200
instant, absolute 
Transformations from protected, 

4767
04:25:30,200 --> 04:25:34,400
teenager to constitutional 
monarch The Victoria had spent 

4768
04:25:34,400 --> 04:25:37,300
her entire childhood in what 
historians called the Kensington

4769
04:25:37,300 --> 04:25:40,700
system. 
Akilla Arrangement, that sounds 

4770
04:25:40,700 --> 04:25:42,800
more like a boarding school 
punishment than a royal 

4771
04:25:42,800 --> 04:25:45,400
upbringing. 
Her mother The Duchess of Kent 

4772
04:25:45,400 --> 04:25:48,800
and her mother's advisor Sir. 
John Conroy had kept Victoria 

4773
04:25:48,800 --> 04:25:52,400
isolated from Court life 
surrounded by rules and 

4774
04:25:52,400 --> 04:25:55,400
restrictions that would make a 
modern helicopter parent look 

4775
04:25:55,400 --> 04:25:57,700
relaxed. 
She wasn't allowed to walk down 

4776
04:25:57,700 --> 04:25:59,500
stairs, without someone holding 
her hand. 

4777
04:26:00,500 --> 04:26:04,000
Slept in her mother's bedroom, 
every night, her companions were

4778
04:26:04,000 --> 04:26:08,000
carefully, selected her reading 
material monitored and her every

4779
04:26:08,000 --> 04:26:09,800
movement, observed, and 
controlled. 

4780
04:26:10,600 --> 04:26:13,400
The system was designed 
ostensibly to protect her from 

4781
04:26:13,408 --> 04:26:15,500
the corrupting influence of her 
royal uncles. 

4782
04:26:15,500 --> 04:26:19,400
Who were admittedly, not the 
best Role Models, but it also 

4783
04:26:19,400 --> 04:26:22,700
kept a dependent in experience 
and theoretically easier to 

4784
04:26:22,708 --> 04:26:25,900
control once she became Queen 
what the architects of this 

4785
04:26:25,900 --> 04:26:30,100
system fail to anticipate, was 
that constant restriction, often

4786
04:26:30,100 --> 04:26:33,200
breeds Fierce Independence and 
strong-willed individuals. 

4787
04:26:33,200 --> 04:26:37,600
And Victorious will was forged 
steel wrapped in silk. 

4788
04:26:38,700 --> 04:26:42,600
The moment Victoria learned she 
was Queen something shifted in 

4789
04:26:42,600 --> 04:26:44,600
her bearing that everyone 
present noticed. 

4790
04:26:44,600 --> 04:26:49,100
This small, young woman, barely 
five feet tall with prominent 

4791
04:26:49,100 --> 04:26:52,900
blue eyes and a tendency to 
blush easily suddenly possessed 

4792
04:26:52,900 --> 04:26:56,500
an authority that transcended 
her physical presence when she 

4793
04:26:56,500 --> 04:26:59,800
held her first privy council 
meeting just hours after 

4794
04:26:59,800 --> 04:27:02,900
learning of her accession 
elderly Statesman, who had 

4795
04:27:02,900 --> 04:27:06,000
governed Empires were struck by 
her composure and dignity. 

4796
04:27:06,900 --> 04:27:11,500
To that first council meeting a 
room full of men in their finest

4797
04:27:11,500 --> 04:27:15,100
Formal, Wear powdered wigs, and 
gold braided coats. 

4798
04:27:15,100 --> 04:27:18,300
All expecting to manage this 
inexperience girl, Queen. 

4799
04:27:18,300 --> 04:27:22,400
Instead, they found someone who 
read the formal declaration in a

4800
04:27:22,400 --> 04:27:26,400
clear, steady Voice who met 
their eyes directly, and who 

4801
04:27:26,400 --> 04:27:28,200
made it. 
Absolutely plain that she 

4802
04:27:28,200 --> 04:27:29,800
understood the weight of her new
position. 

4803
04:27:29,800 --> 04:27:33,400
The Duke of Wellington who had 
defeated Napoleon and wasn't 

4804
04:27:33,400 --> 04:27:36,000
easy. 
Impressed later remarked on her 

4805
04:27:36,000 --> 04:27:39,000
extraordinary, self-possession. 
Torres. 

4806
04:27:39,000 --> 04:27:41,800
First Act of Independents was 
deliciously pointed. 

4807
04:27:41,800 --> 04:27:44,400
She moved her bed out of her 
mother's room. 

4808
04:27:44,400 --> 04:27:47,300
After 18 years of enforced 
proximity. 

4809
04:27:47,300 --> 04:27:51,000
She claimed her own space with 
the kind of determination that 

4810
04:27:51,000 --> 04:27:53,000
would characterize her entire 
reign. 

4811
04:27:53,700 --> 04:27:57,800
It was a small domestic gesture 
that represented a seismic shift

4812
04:27:57,800 --> 04:28:00,900
in power dynamics. 
The Duchess of Kent who had 

4813
04:28:00,900 --> 04:28:03,400
planned to rule through her 
daughter found herself, 

4814
04:28:03,400 --> 04:28:06,900
relegated to separate apartments
and excluded from political 

4815
04:28:06,900 --> 04:28:09,900
influence. 
The young Queen threw herself 

4816
04:28:09,900 --> 04:28:11,800
into her new role with an 
enthusiasm. 

4817
04:28:11,800 --> 04:28:15,800
That surprised her advisors. 
She loved the red dispatch boxes

4818
04:28:15,800 --> 04:28:19,000
that arrived daily filled with 
government papers, requiring her

4819
04:28:19,000 --> 04:28:22,500
attention She enjoyed the 
ceremony and ritual of Court 

4820
04:28:22,500 --> 04:28:25,000
life. 
A formal drawing rooms and the 

4821
04:28:25,000 --> 04:28:28,600
state dinners, most of all she 
relished have her own household,

4822
04:28:28,600 --> 04:28:31,900
her own decisions and her own 
life finally, under her own 

4823
04:28:31,900 --> 04:28:34,000
control. 
Lord Melbourne. 

4824
04:28:34,000 --> 04:28:37,500
Her first prime minister. 
Became something of a father 

4825
04:28:37,500 --> 04:28:39,800
figure to Victoria the calling 
him. 

4826
04:28:39,800 --> 04:28:42,100
That doesn't quite capture their
relationship. 

4827
04:28:42,100 --> 04:28:46,900
He was a sophisticated worldly, 
man in his late 50s and she was 

4828
04:28:46,900 --> 04:28:49,600
an enthusiastic teenager with 
opinions about everything. 

4829
04:28:49,600 --> 04:28:53,200
He taught her, the intricacies 
of British politics with patient

4830
04:28:53,200 --> 04:28:56,100
Good Humor. 
Endured her occasional temper 

4831
04:28:56,100 --> 04:28:59,500
tantrums with Grace and 
genuinely seemed to enjoy her 

4832
04:28:59,500 --> 04:29:02,200
company. 
They would spend hours together 

4833
04:29:02,200 --> 04:29:04,700
discussing politics literature 
and Court. 

4834
04:29:04,700 --> 04:29:08,400
Gossip forming a bond. 
That was part mentorship part 

4835
04:29:08,400 --> 04:29:11,400
friendship and entirely 
unconventional. 

4836
04:29:12,400 --> 04:29:16,100
Victoria's early years as Queen 
had a quality of exhilaration 

4837
04:29:16,100 --> 04:29:18,500
mixed. 
With bewilderment, she was 

4838
04:29:18,500 --> 04:29:22,200
discovering London, Society 
attending the opera and theater 

4839
04:29:22,200 --> 04:29:26,500
dancing at balls until dawn. 
And generally experiencing the 

4840
04:29:26,500 --> 04:29:29,900
youth, she'd been denied during 
her isolated childhood, she 

4841
04:29:29,900 --> 04:29:32,400
adored her New Freedom with the 
passion of someone who had been 

4842
04:29:32,400 --> 04:29:35,900
released from benign captivity, 
a journals from this period 

4843
04:29:35,900 --> 04:29:40,000
bubble with exclamation marks 
and underlined words capturing 

4844
04:29:40,000 --> 04:29:43,300
her Delight in everything from 
new gowns to political debates. 

4845
04:29:44,500 --> 04:29:47,700
But the Euphoria of those first 
years was occasionally punctured

4846
04:29:47,700 --> 04:29:50,500
by harsh lessons in Royal 
vulnerability. 

4847
04:29:50,500 --> 04:29:54,700
The young Queen faced criticism 
in the Press rumors about her 

4848
04:29:54,700 --> 04:29:57,600
relationship with Melbourne, and
even questioned about her 

4849
04:29:57,600 --> 04:30:01,200
judgment in various courts, 
scandals being Queen, she was 

4850
04:30:01,208 --> 04:30:04,500
learning meant that every 
mistake was magnified and every 

4851
04:30:04,500 --> 04:30:08,200
decision scrutinized by people 
who had strong opinions about 

4852
04:30:08,200 --> 04:30:12,000
how monarchy should function 
while the Victoria was a Justin 

4853
04:30:12,000 --> 04:30:14,800
to her crown. 
Brittany itself was in the midst

4854
04:30:14,800 --> 04:30:17,600
of a transformational, that 
would have stacked previous 

4855
04:30:17,600 --> 04:30:20,900
generations, the country. 
She inherited was neither the 

4856
04:30:20,900 --> 04:30:24,500
rural Agricultural Society of 
her grandparents time, nor yet 

4857
04:30:24,500 --> 04:30:28,100
the industrial Powerhouse, it 
would become by the end of her 

4858
04:30:28,100 --> 04:30:29,800
Reign. 
It was caught in that 

4859
04:30:29,800 --> 04:30:33,400
uncomfortable Space Between 
Worlds were steam engines shared

4860
04:30:33,400 --> 04:30:37,000
roads with horse drawn, carts 
and Factory workers lived 

4861
04:30:37,000 --> 04:30:42,400
alongside traditional Craftsmen.
The 1830s and 1840s were Decades

4862
04:30:42,400 --> 04:30:46,700
of profound social upheaval. 
The Industrial Revolution though

4863
04:30:46,700 --> 04:30:49,500
historians debate whether 
calling it a revolution captures

4864
04:30:49,500 --> 04:30:54,000
its gradual grinding nature was 
remaking British Society from 

4865
04:30:54,000 --> 04:30:57,300
the ground up, Manchester and 
Birmingham had transformed from 

4866
04:30:57,300 --> 04:31:01,200
Market towns into blackened 
industrial cities were textile 

4867
04:31:01,200 --> 04:31:04,300
mills operated around the clock 
and cold smoke, hung in the air,

4868
04:31:04,300 --> 04:31:07,600
like a permanent fog. 
The Romantic image of pastoral 

4869
04:31:07,600 --> 04:31:10,400
England was giving way to the 
reality of urban sprawl and 

4870
04:31:10,400 --> 04:31:13,700
Factory discipline. 
You have to understand that this

4871
04:31:13,700 --> 04:31:16,700
transformation wasn't some 
distant policy issue for 

4872
04:31:16,700 --> 04:31:19,200
Victoria. 
She could see it when she 

4873
04:31:19,200 --> 04:31:23,000
traveled through her kingdom, 
the railways, which had barely 

4874
04:31:23,000 --> 04:31:26,000
existed at her birth. 
Now, spreading across the 

4875
04:31:26,000 --> 04:31:29,800
countryside, like iron veins, 
connecting cities, and 

4876
04:31:29,800 --> 04:31:31,400
accelerating the pace of 
everything. 

4877
04:31:31,400 --> 04:31:36,100
The first time, Victoria 
traveled by train in 1842, she 

4878
04:31:36,100 --> 04:31:39,700
was both thrilled and slightly 
terrified by the speed though at

4879
04:31:39,700 --> 04:31:42,800
barely 40 miles per hour. 
It would seem comically slow to 

4880
04:31:42,800 --> 04:31:45,800
you today. 
The social implications of 

4881
04:31:45,800 --> 04:31:49,700
industrialization troubles 
Victoria, even if she didn't 

4882
04:31:49,700 --> 04:31:52,300
always know what to do. 
About them reports reached her 

4883
04:31:52,300 --> 04:31:54,700
of working conditions and 
factories and mines. 

4884
04:31:54,700 --> 04:31:56,700
That would shock modern 
sensibilities. 

4885
04:31:57,500 --> 04:32:01,100
Children, as young as five 
working 12-hour shifts and coal,

4886
04:32:01,100 --> 04:32:04,500
mines families living in single 
room, tenements without running 

4887
04:32:04,500 --> 04:32:07,300
water, or sanitation and workers
paid. 

4888
04:32:07,300 --> 04:32:09,200
So little, they could barely 
afford bread. 

4889
04:32:09,200 --> 04:32:12,700
The gap between Britain's 
growing wealth, and the poverty 

4890
04:32:12,700 --> 04:32:16,000
of many of its citizens created 
tensions that occasionally 

4891
04:32:16,000 --> 04:32:20,000
erupted into violence. 
The chartist movement, which 

4892
04:32:20,000 --> 04:32:23,500
demanded Democratic reforms, 
like Universal male suffrage, 

4893
04:32:23,500 --> 04:32:27,400
and secret ballots represented, 
both the promise and threat of 

4894
04:32:27,400 --> 04:32:31,600
this new Industrial Age working.
People were organizing demanding

4895
04:32:31,600 --> 04:32:33,900
rights and challenging the 
assumption. 

4896
04:32:33,900 --> 04:32:36,400
That political power should 
remain concentrated in 

4897
04:32:36,400 --> 04:32:40,500
aristocratic hands Victoria 
viewed chart is with the mixed 

4898
04:32:40,500 --> 04:32:43,000
of sympathy and alarm typical of
her class. 

4899
04:32:43,800 --> 04:32:46,900
She felt compassion for workers 
struggles, but feared 

4900
04:32:46,900 --> 04:32:50,100
revolutionary violence that 
might threaten social stability.

4901
04:32:51,900 --> 04:32:55,900
In 1842, when economic 
depression led to widespread, 

4902
04:32:55,900 --> 04:33:00,400
unrest and rumors of chartist. 
Uprisings Victoria experience, 

4903
04:33:00,400 --> 04:33:03,000
first-hand the fragility of 
public order. 

4904
04:33:03,000 --> 04:33:07,300
Reports reached her of riots in 
industrial cities of troops 

4905
04:33:07,300 --> 04:33:11,200
called out to disperse. 
Angry crowds of genuine fear 

4906
04:33:11,200 --> 04:33:14,400
among the property classes that 
Britain might follow France's 

4907
04:33:14,400 --> 04:33:17,599
revolutionary path, the young 
Queen, still in her early 

4908
04:33:17,599 --> 04:33:21,500
twenties, had to project 
confidence and stability even as

4909
04:33:21,500 --> 04:33:25,300
advisors debated, whether her 
safety could, be guaranteed, but

4910
04:33:25,300 --> 04:33:27,900
Victorious. 
Britain wasn't defined solely by

4911
04:33:27,900 --> 04:33:30,000
industrial strife and social 
tension. 

4912
04:33:30,000 --> 04:33:33,300
This was also an era of 
remarkable creativity and 

4913
04:33:33,300 --> 04:33:36,700
intellectual ferment. 
Charles Dickens was publishing 

4914
04:33:36,700 --> 04:33:39,700
novels that exposed social 
injustice while entertaining, 

4915
04:33:39,700 --> 04:33:43,099
Millions scientists like, 
Charles Darwin were developing 

4916
04:33:43,099 --> 04:33:45,200
theories. 
That would revolutionize human 

4917
04:33:45,200 --> 04:33:48,300
understanding of the natural 
world Engineers, like his 

4918
04:33:48,300 --> 04:33:50,500
bombard Kingdom. 
Brunel were Building Bridges 

4919
04:33:50,500 --> 04:33:53,000
tunnels and ships. 
That pushed the boundaries of 

4920
04:33:53,000 --> 04:33:54,500
what seemed technically 
possible. 

4921
04:33:55,300 --> 04:33:58,400
The great exhibition of 1851 
held in the spectacular. 

4922
04:33:58,400 --> 04:34:02,400
Crystal Palace in Hyde Park 
would come to symbolize British 

4923
04:34:02,400 --> 04:34:05,400
confidence in this era of 
innovation, but we're getting 

4924
04:34:05,400 --> 04:34:08,900
ahead of ourselves that Triumph 
belongs to a later. 

4925
04:34:08,900 --> 04:34:12,099
Chapter after Victoria had 
navigated one of the most 

4926
04:34:12,099 --> 04:34:14,300
significant transitions of her 
life. 

4927
04:34:15,500 --> 04:34:19,099
What's worth understanding about
these early years of Victoria's 

4928
04:34:19,099 --> 04:34:23,400
reign is how much the role of 
monarchy itself was changing 

4929
04:34:23,400 --> 04:34:27,000
previous British monarchs had 
exercised, real political power,

4930
04:34:27,000 --> 04:34:31,200
choosing Prime Ministers and 
influencing policy directly, but

4931
04:34:31,200 --> 04:34:34,400
by Victorious time, the 
constitutional monarchy was 

4932
04:34:34,400 --> 04:34:36,099
evolving into something more 
symbolic. 

4933
04:34:36,900 --> 04:34:40,700
Representing National unity and 
continuity rather than 

4934
04:34:40,700 --> 04:34:43,800
exercising. 
Direct governance Victoria would

4935
04:34:43,800 --> 04:34:45,900
spend her entire Reign 
negotiating. 

4936
04:34:45,900 --> 04:34:49,400
This delicate balance between 
influence and interference 

4937
04:34:50,300 --> 04:34:53,000
between being above politics and
being politically irrelevant. 

4938
04:34:54,400 --> 04:34:57,300
The young Queen was learning 
that modern monarchy required. 

4939
04:34:57,300 --> 04:35:00,800
A different kind of power that 
her ancestors at wielded. 

4940
04:35:00,800 --> 04:35:05,500
It was the power of example of 
moral authority of representing 

4941
04:35:05,500 --> 04:35:09,400
ideals and values that United 
disparate parts of an 

4942
04:35:09,400 --> 04:35:13,599
increasingly complex society. 
She was becoming less a ruler in

4943
04:35:13,599 --> 04:35:16,800
the medieval sense and more a 
national symbol though she would

4944
04:35:16,800 --> 04:35:19,200
have bristled at being reduced 
to Pure symbolism. 

4945
04:35:20,300 --> 04:35:24,099
Now let's talk about Albert 
because, no story of Victoria 

4946
04:35:24,099 --> 04:35:27,700
can ignore the man who would 
transform both her personal life

4947
04:35:27,700 --> 04:35:29,200
and her understanding of 
monarchy. 

4948
04:35:29,200 --> 04:35:32,800
But first, let's dispel the 
notion that this was some fairy 

4949
04:35:32,800 --> 04:35:35,700
tale romance, from the start 
Victorious, path. 

4950
04:35:35,700 --> 04:35:39,200
To marriage was complicated by 
her position, her personality 

4951
04:35:39,200 --> 04:35:42,099
and her initial reluctance to 
share the power. 

4952
04:35:42,099 --> 04:35:46,599
She'd so recently acquired When 
Victoria first met her cousin 

4953
04:35:46,599 --> 04:35:52,000
Albert of sax Coburg and gotha 
in 1836 before her accession. 

4954
04:35:52,000 --> 04:35:56,000
She found him Pleasant enough 
but hardly overwhelming he was 

4955
04:35:56,000 --> 04:35:57,700
handsome in a classical German 
Way. 

4956
04:35:57,700 --> 04:36:01,099
Tall well-proportioned with 
carefully, combed hair and 

4957
04:36:01,099 --> 04:36:05,300
serious eyes but he was also 
rather formal got tired earlier 

4958
04:36:05,300 --> 04:36:08,599
at evening parties and had the 
kind of earnest intellectual 

4959
04:36:08,599 --> 04:36:11,800
interests that 18 year old 
Victoria found slightly boring. 

4960
04:36:12,900 --> 04:36:16,599
Their second meeting in 1839 
produced dramatically different 

4961
04:36:16,599 --> 04:36:19,099
results. 
Victoria had been Queen for two 

4962
04:36:19,099 --> 04:36:21,500
years and had grown accustomed 
to her independence. 

4963
04:36:21,500 --> 04:36:24,800
She wasn't particularly eager to
marry and had made it clear to, 

4964
04:36:24,800 --> 04:36:27,800
advisors that she would choose 
her own husband in her own time.

4965
04:36:27,800 --> 04:36:31,000
Thank you very much. 
When Albert visited Windsor 

4966
04:36:31,000 --> 04:36:33,500
Castle, at October Victoria took
one. 

4967
04:36:33,500 --> 04:36:36,700
Look at him to his carriage and 
experienced. 

4968
04:36:36,700 --> 04:36:39,500
What she would later describe as
a complete change of heart. 

4969
04:36:41,300 --> 04:36:43,599
Albert had matured in the 
intervening years. 

4970
04:36:43,599 --> 04:36:47,000
He was 20 years old now with a 
bearing that combined 

4971
04:36:47,000 --> 04:36:51,200
Continental sophistication with 
genuine warmth more importantly 

4972
04:36:51,200 --> 04:36:54,400
he possessed qualities, that 
Victoria's isolated upbringing 

4973
04:36:54,400 --> 04:36:58,400
had left her craving. 
Intellectual depth, artistic 

4974
04:36:58,400 --> 04:37:02,500
sensibility and a seriousness of
purpose, that matched, her own 

4975
04:37:02,500 --> 04:37:06,200
growing sense of Royal 
responsibility within days of 

4976
04:37:06,200 --> 04:37:08,200
his arrival. 
Victorian knew she wanted to 

4977
04:37:08,200 --> 04:37:10,900
marry him. 
Here's where the story gets 

4978
04:37:10,900 --> 04:37:15,500
charmingly complicated, as Queen
Victoria had to propose to 

4979
04:37:15,500 --> 04:37:20,099
Albert, not the other way around
constitutional protocol required

4980
04:37:20,099 --> 04:37:22,000
it. 
And while this might sound like 

4981
04:37:22,000 --> 04:37:25,800
a modern romantic gesture, it 
actually placed Victoria in an 

4982
04:37:25,800 --> 04:37:29,300
awkward position. 
She had to risk, rejection had 

4983
04:37:29,300 --> 04:37:32,599
to articulate her feelings and 
had to make herself vulnerable 

4984
04:37:32,599 --> 04:37:35,000
in a way that Queen's rarely had
to experience. 

4985
04:37:36,400 --> 04:37:41,700
Victoria proposed to Albert on 
October 15th, 1839 in a private 

4986
04:37:41,700 --> 04:37:44,800
moment that she recorded in her 
journal with her characteristic.

4987
04:37:44,800 --> 04:37:49,200
Enthusiasm and underlining 
Albert accepted, and Victoria 

4988
04:37:49,200 --> 04:37:51,900
experienced a happiness. 
That seemed to surprise her with

4989
04:37:51,900 --> 04:37:55,400
its intensity for someone who 
had spent years carefully, 

4990
04:37:55,400 --> 04:37:59,099
maintaining Royal dignity and 
emotional control falling in 

4991
04:37:59,099 --> 04:38:03,500
love, was both exhilarating and 
slightly terrifying. their 

4992
04:38:03,500 --> 04:38:06,599
wedding in February 1840 was a 
relatively modest Affair by 

4993
04:38:06,599 --> 04:38:11,300
Royal standards, Victoria wear 
white, satin dress, rather than 

4994
04:38:11,300 --> 04:38:15,300
traditional robes, 
inadvertently, setting a fashion

4995
04:38:15,300 --> 04:38:19,099
trend that continues today 
Ceremony at the chapel Royal was

4996
04:38:19,099 --> 04:38:22,400
beautiful but brief and 
Victoria's journal entry that 

4997
04:38:22,400 --> 04:38:25,500
evening radiates contentment. 
That feels both Royal and 

4998
04:38:25,500 --> 04:38:29,000
utterly ordinary. 
The early years of Victoria and 

4999
04:38:29,000 --> 04:38:31,500
Albert's marriage represented, a
profound adjustment. 

5000
04:38:31,500 --> 04:38:35,300
For both of them. 
Victoria had been absolute in 

5001
04:38:35,308 --> 04:38:38,900
her household since becoming 
Queen answerable to no one and 

5002
04:38:38,900 --> 04:38:43,099
accustomed to have her way. 
Now she had to navigate sharing 

5003
04:38:43,099 --> 04:38:46,900
her life with someone who had 
his own opinions priorities and 

5004
04:38:46,900 --> 04:38:50,000
vision for monarchy Albert. 
Meanwhile had to figure out how 

5005
04:38:50,000 --> 04:38:52,500
to be consort to the most 
powerful woman in the world 

5006
04:38:52,500 --> 04:38:56,599
without either dominating, her 
or being reduced to decorative 

5007
04:38:56,599 --> 04:39:00,300
irrelevance, the solution. 
They eventually developed was a 

5008
04:39:00,300 --> 04:39:03,000
working partnership. 
That would define both their 

5009
04:39:03,000 --> 04:39:06,300
marriage and Victoria's reign, 
Albert became the Victoria's. 

5010
04:39:06,300 --> 04:39:09,099
Private secretary political 
advisor and intellectual 

5011
04:39:09,099 --> 04:39:11,900
companion. 
He brought organizational skills

5012
04:39:11,900 --> 04:39:15,900
artistic taste and a progressive
vision of monarchies role in 

5013
04:39:15,900 --> 04:39:19,500
modern society that complemented
Victoria's instinctive, 

5014
04:39:19,500 --> 04:39:22,200
conservatives and emotional 
intensity. 

5015
04:39:22,200 --> 04:39:26,099
They worked together on official
papers, discussed political 

5016
04:39:26,099 --> 04:39:29,500
issues, and jointly shaped the 
public image of the monarchy, 

5017
04:39:29,500 --> 04:39:33,099
but their partnership extended 
far, beyond political 

5018
04:39:33,099 --> 04:39:36,900
collaboration, Albert introduced
Victoria to Serious art and 

5019
04:39:36,900 --> 04:39:41,000
music took her to exhibitions, 
and concerts and encouraged her.

5020
04:39:41,300 --> 04:39:44,400
Initiation for culture and 
learning, he designed new 

5021
04:39:44,400 --> 04:39:48,600
palaces and Gardens reformed 
Royal household management and 

5022
04:39:48,600 --> 04:39:51,700
brought Germanic efficiency to 
what had been a somewhat chaotic

5023
04:39:51,700 --> 04:39:55,300
English Court under his 
influence, Windsor Castle and 

5024
04:39:55,300 --> 04:39:58,700
Buckingham Palace became 
Showcases of modern tastes and 

5025
04:39:58,700 --> 04:40:02,400
artistic excellence. 
Their domestic life away from 

5026
04:40:02,408 --> 04:40:06,400
State occasions and political 
duties, reveals the human warmth

5027
04:40:06,400 --> 04:40:10,300
beneath the formal portraits. 
They had nine children over 17 

5028
04:40:10,300 --> 04:40:13,300
years, and while Victorian 
parenting seemed somewhat 

5029
04:40:13,300 --> 04:40:16,100
distant by modern standards 
their letters. 

5030
04:40:16,100 --> 04:40:18,600
And journals showed genuine 
affection for their growing 

5031
04:40:18,600 --> 04:40:21,000
family. 
They bought Osborne house on the

5032
04:40:21,008 --> 04:40:22,600
Isle of Wight as a private 
retreat. 

5033
04:40:22,600 --> 04:40:26,700
And Albert designed much of it 
himself a place where they could

5034
04:40:26,700 --> 04:40:29,500
be relatively normal parents 
rather than Queen and Prince 

5035
04:40:29,500 --> 04:40:32,300
consort. 
Victoria discovered that 

5036
04:40:32,300 --> 04:40:35,300
marriage and motherhood didn't 
diminish her power, but rather 

5037
04:40:35,300 --> 04:40:37,300
gave her new dimensions of 
understanding. 

5038
04:40:37,300 --> 04:40:41,000
She could be simultaneously, a 
constitutional Monarch, managing

5039
04:40:41,000 --> 04:40:43,800
complex, political 
relationships, and a wife, 

5040
04:40:43,800 --> 04:40:46,300
dealing with the ordinary 
frustrations of married life. 

5041
04:40:46,300 --> 04:40:50,300
She was learning that strength 
comes in various forms and that 

5042
04:40:50,300 --> 04:40:53,500
allowing herself to depend on 
Albert actually made her a more 

5043
04:40:53,500 --> 04:40:56,600
effective Queen. 
Albert's influence on Victoria 

5044
04:40:56,600 --> 04:40:59,900
was profound, but gradual He 
softened some of her 

5045
04:40:59,900 --> 04:41:03,800
impulsiveness, encouraged her 
intellectual development, and 

5046
04:41:03,800 --> 04:41:07,400
helped her understand monarchy 
as a force for moral, and social

5047
04:41:07,400 --> 04:41:09,800
progress, rather than simply 
political power. 

5048
04:41:09,800 --> 04:41:13,000
Under his guidance Victoria 
became more thoughtful about her

5049
04:41:13,000 --> 04:41:16,700
role in British society, and 
more conscious of the symbolic, 

5050
04:41:16,700 --> 04:41:22,100
importance of Royal behavior, 
and Royal example, On December 

5051
04:41:22,100 --> 04:41:26,800
14th, 1861, Albert died of 
typhoid fever, at Windsor 

5052
04:41:26,800 --> 04:41:29,900
Castle, and Victoria's World 
collapsed. 

5053
04:41:29,900 --> 04:41:32,200
So, completely that she would 
spend the rest of her life. 

5054
04:41:32,200 --> 04:41:35,800
Trying to put the pieces back 
together, he was only 42 years 

5055
04:41:35,800 --> 04:41:38,100
old. 
They had been married for 21 

5056
04:41:38,100 --> 04:41:40,800
years. 
Victoria was 42 herself. 

5057
04:41:41,600 --> 04:41:44,500
Still in what should have been 
the prime of her life suddenly 

5058
04:41:44,500 --> 04:41:47,000
alone in a way that felt 
absolutely unbearable? 

5059
04:41:48,500 --> 04:41:51,300
The depth of Victoria's grief 
shocked, even though those who 

5060
04:41:51,300 --> 04:41:53,700
knew her. 
Well this wasn't the dignified 

5061
04:41:53,700 --> 04:41:58,100
mourning expected of royalty. 
It was raw overwhelming 

5062
04:41:58,100 --> 04:42:01,800
Devastation that she made no 
attempt to hide or minimize she 

5063
04:42:01,800 --> 04:42:05,100
withdrew from public life, 
almost completely spending 

5064
04:42:05,100 --> 04:42:07,800
months and darkened rooms 
wearing black that she would 

5065
04:42:07,800 --> 04:42:10,600
never stop wearing. 
She kept Albert's rooms. 

5066
04:42:10,600 --> 04:42:14,100
Exactly as they had been with 
his clothes laid out daily and 

5067
04:42:14,100 --> 04:42:16,700
fresh water placed in his 
bedroom, as if he might return 

5068
04:42:16,700 --> 04:42:19,700
at any moment. 
You need to understand that 

5069
04:42:19,700 --> 04:42:23,100
Victoria's morning, wasn't 
simply personal grief though. 

5070
04:42:23,100 --> 04:42:26,900
It was certainly that it was 
also the loss of the person who 

5071
04:42:26,900 --> 04:42:29,600
had helped her, understand her 
role, who had been her 

5072
04:42:29,600 --> 04:42:33,000
intellectual companion and 
political adviser and who had 

5073
04:42:33,000 --> 04:42:36,300
given structure and meaning to 
her Reign without Albert. 

5074
04:42:36,300 --> 04:42:40,200
Victoria felt not just bereaved 
but fundamentally lost. 

5075
04:42:40,200 --> 04:42:43,500
If the map she'd been following 
had suddenly disappeared. 

5076
04:42:44,900 --> 04:42:47,800
The British public initially 
responded to Victoria's loss 

5077
04:42:47,800 --> 04:42:50,200
with genuine. 
Sympathy Albert had grown 

5078
04:42:50,200 --> 04:42:53,600
popular during his lifetime and 
people understood that the queen

5079
04:42:53,600 --> 04:42:57,200
had lost her husband. 
But as months stretched into 

5080
04:42:57,200 --> 04:43:01,400
years and Victoria remained in 
seclusion public, patients began

5081
04:43:01,400 --> 04:43:04,600
wearing thin people started 
questioning what they were 

5082
04:43:04,600 --> 04:43:07,300
paying taxes for if their 
Monarch refused to appear in 

5083
04:43:07,300 --> 04:43:09,900
public or fulfill ceremonial 
duties. 

5084
04:43:10,800 --> 04:43:12,900
This was a crucial moment in the
Victorian. 

5085
04:43:12,900 --> 04:43:16,300
Monarchy though, Victoria 
herself properly, didn't see it 

5086
04:43:16,300 --> 04:43:20,000
that way through her grief, her 
British people were increasingly

5087
04:43:20,000 --> 04:43:21,800
Democratic in their 
expectations. 

5088
04:43:21,800 --> 04:43:25,800
They wanted a monarch who was 
visible who participated in 

5089
04:43:25,800 --> 04:43:29,400
National Life and who gave them 
something tangible in return, 

5090
04:43:29,400 --> 04:43:32,800
for the cost of maintaining 
Royal households Victorious, 

5091
04:43:32,800 --> 04:43:36,900
prolonged withdrawal, created a 
crisis of legitimacy that would 

5092
04:43:36,900 --> 04:43:40,800
take years to resolve. 
Albert's death also revealed 

5093
04:43:40,800 --> 04:43:43,800
something about Victorious 
character that had perhaps been 

5094
04:43:43,800 --> 04:43:47,500
obscured by their partnership. 
Her remarkable capacity for 

5095
04:43:47,500 --> 04:43:51,500
endurance fewer people might 
have abdicated or completely 

5096
04:43:51,500 --> 04:43:55,700
collapsed under such profound 
loss Victoria grieved intensely,

5097
04:43:55,700 --> 04:44:00,100
but continued working continued 
managing government business and

5098
04:44:00,100 --> 04:44:03,400
continued being Queen. 
Even when she felt incapable of 

5099
04:44:03,400 --> 04:44:07,100
being anything at all, it was 
resilience born not of strength 

5100
04:44:07,100 --> 04:44:10,400
but of Duty. 
Kept going because stopping 

5101
04:44:10,400 --> 04:44:14,000
wasn't an option. 
Gradually imperceptibly, 

5102
04:44:14,000 --> 04:44:17,400
Victoria began rebuilding 
herself around the absence of 

5103
04:44:17,400 --> 04:44:21,000
her, she couldn't replace 
Albert, didn't want to, but she 

5104
04:44:21,000 --> 04:44:24,600
learned to function without him.
She relied increasingly on her 

5105
04:44:24,600 --> 04:44:28,200
Scottish servant, John Brown, 
whose blunt Highland Manor and 

5106
04:44:28,200 --> 04:44:31,200
lack of courtly. 
Deference, provided a refreshing

5107
04:44:31,200 --> 04:44:34,300
contrast to the careful 
circumspection of most Royal 

5108
04:44:34,300 --> 04:44:36,300
attendance. 
Their friendship would 

5109
04:44:36,300 --> 04:44:40,400
scandalize polite society, and 
fuel rumors, that Victoria 

5110
04:44:40,400 --> 04:44:45,300
herself, found both amusing and 
irritating, Benjamin Disraeli 

5111
04:44:45,300 --> 04:44:47,600
who became prime minister in 
1868. 

5112
04:44:47,600 --> 04:44:51,600
Played a crucial role in drawing
Victoria back into public life. 

5113
04:44:51,600 --> 04:44:55,400
He understood that the queen 
responded to flattery personal 

5114
04:44:55,400 --> 04:44:59,300
attention and appeals to her 
sense of Duty, where others had 

5115
04:44:59,300 --> 04:45:02,100
tried to argue Victoria into 
resuming, her responsibilities 

5116
04:45:02,100 --> 04:45:06,500
Disraeli, Charmed her into it 
writing, her flattering letters,

5117
04:45:06,500 --> 04:45:10,300
and treating State business as 
Secrets shared between friends. 

5118
04:45:10,300 --> 04:45:14,100
It was manipulation certainly 
but manipulation in service of 

5119
04:45:14,100 --> 04:45:16,800
both Victorious, well-being, and
the monarchy survival. 

5120
04:45:17,900 --> 04:45:21,600
By the early 1870s. 
Victoria was gradually returning

5121
04:45:21,600 --> 04:45:25,400
to public visibility though, she
never fully resumed the active 

5122
04:45:25,400 --> 04:45:29,700
social life of her early Reign, 
she held courts and levies 

5123
04:45:29,700 --> 04:45:33,400
appeared at State occasions and 
showed herself to her subjects 

5124
04:45:33,400 --> 04:45:37,100
with increasing frequency. 
She also maintained boundaries 

5125
04:45:37,100 --> 04:45:40,500
that would have been Unthinkable
early in her Reign refusing to 

5126
04:45:40,500 --> 04:45:43,300
participate in events. 
She found two demanding or 

5127
04:45:43,300 --> 04:45:46,900
emotionally difficult. 
What emerge from this long 

5128
04:45:46,900 --> 04:45:49,300
period of grief was a different 
kind of monarchy. 

5129
04:45:49,300 --> 04:45:53,200
Then Britain had known before 
Victoria had learned that she 

5130
04:45:53,200 --> 04:45:55,600
could be Queen without being 
constantly visible. 

5131
04:45:55,600 --> 04:45:58,700
That her symbolic importance 
didn't require her physical 

5132
04:45:58,700 --> 04:46:02,900
Presence at every ceremonial 
occasion, she was pioneering a 

5133
04:46:02,900 --> 04:46:05,300
more private model of monarchy 
that would influence. 

5134
04:46:05,300 --> 04:46:08,200
How future British Royals 
balanced public duty with 

5135
04:46:08,200 --> 04:46:11,700
personal life. 
The experience of profound loss 

5136
04:46:11,700 --> 04:46:14,600
also gave Victoria a deeper 
empathy for her subject 

5137
04:46:14,600 --> 04:46:18,900
sufferings when disaster. 
Struck mining accidents, Factory

5138
04:46:18,900 --> 04:46:23,500
fires, shipwrecks Victoria's, 
messages of condolence carried, 

5139
04:46:23,500 --> 04:46:26,900
genuine feeling born from her 
own experience of grief, she 

5140
04:46:26,900 --> 04:46:30,900
understood in a way she perhaps 
hadn't earlier that being Queen 

5141
04:46:30,900 --> 04:46:33,900
meant bearing, witness to both 
the joys and Sorrows of an 

5142
04:46:33,900 --> 04:46:37,600
entire nation. 
Victoria's Black mourning dress 

5143
04:46:37,600 --> 04:46:41,800
became iconic transforming from 
a personal expression of loss 

5144
04:46:41,800 --> 04:46:45,200
into a symbol of Victorian, 
propriety and emotional depth. 

5145
04:46:45,200 --> 04:46:49,400
She was demonstrating that grief
deserved, respect and time and 

5146
04:46:49,400 --> 04:46:52,400
that rushing, through sorrow or 
hiding it away wasn't necessary 

5147
04:46:52,400 --> 04:46:55,000
or healthy. 
In an era that often demanded 

5148
04:46:55,000 --> 04:46:58,300
emotional restraint, Victoria's 
prolonged morning, gave 

5149
04:46:58,300 --> 04:46:59,900
permission for others to grieve 
openly. 

5150
04:46:59,900 --> 04:47:04,000
And honestly, While Victoria 
mourned and gradually returned 

5151
04:47:04,000 --> 04:47:06,800
to public life. 
The world that bore her name was

5152
04:47:06,800 --> 04:47:10,100
transforming with a speed that 
would have seen miraculous to 

5153
04:47:10,100 --> 04:47:13,500
earlier Generations. 
The Victorian era that period 

5154
04:47:13,500 --> 04:47:17,900
from 1837 to 1901 became 
synonymous with progress 

5155
04:47:17,900 --> 04:47:21,900
Innovation, and the particular 
combination of moral earnestness

5156
04:47:21,900 --> 04:47:25,600
and material ambition that 
characterized 19th century 

5157
04:47:25,600 --> 04:47:30,500
Britain Let's start with the 
physical transformation of daily

5158
04:47:30,500 --> 04:47:33,700
life because this is where 
Victorian Innovation becomes 

5159
04:47:33,700 --> 04:47:36,900
tangible and real the gas light 
that had been a luxury in 

5160
04:47:36,900 --> 04:47:39,300
Victoria's youth became standard
in middle class. 

5161
04:47:39,300 --> 04:47:43,300
Homes by mid-century Telegraph 
wires spread across continents, 

5162
04:47:43,300 --> 04:47:47,100
allowing near instantaneous 
communication over distances 

5163
04:47:47,100 --> 04:47:50,800
that had previously required 
weeks of travel Photography, 

5164
04:47:50,800 --> 04:47:54,000
evolved from daguerreotype 
Curiosities to commonplace 

5165
04:47:54,000 --> 04:47:57,500
documentation of ordinary life. 
Each of these changes sounds 

5166
04:47:57,500 --> 04:48:01,100
modest in isolation, but 
together, they revolutionized 

5167
04:48:01,100 --> 04:48:03,800
how people experience times 
space and possibility. 

5168
04:48:05,000 --> 04:48:09,600
The great exhibition of 1851 
that triumphs that Albert had 

5169
04:48:09,600 --> 04:48:13,400
championed and organized. 
Captured Victorian optimism at 

5170
04:48:13,400 --> 04:48:18,400
Zeus, the Crystal Palace itself,
a massive structure of iron and 

5171
04:48:18,400 --> 04:48:21,900
glass housing exhibits from 
around the world demonstrated 

5172
04:48:21,900 --> 04:48:26,300
both British engineering power 
and Industrial confidence over 6

5173
04:48:26,300 --> 04:48:28,200
million. 
People visited during its months

5174
04:48:28,200 --> 04:48:32,500
of operation, including Victoria
herself who attended numerous 

5175
04:48:32,500 --> 04:48:35,600
times and recorded her Wonder in
journals that bubble with 

5176
04:48:35,600 --> 04:48:39,000
exclamation marks. 
But the Victorian world was 

5177
04:48:39,000 --> 04:48:43,100
never as uniformly Progressive 
as its Champions claimed beneath

5178
04:48:43,100 --> 04:48:46,200
the gleaming Innovations and 
expanding Empire, a persistent 

5179
04:48:46,200 --> 04:48:50,600
poverty, exploitation and 
inequality that reformers spent 

5180
04:48:50,600 --> 04:48:54,100
decades, trying to address the 
same industrial system that 

5181
04:48:54,100 --> 04:48:56,000
created unprecedented. 
Wealth. 

5182
04:48:56,000 --> 04:48:59,900
Also, created Urban slums, where
children died of preventable 

5183
04:48:59,900 --> 04:49:03,200
diseases and workers endured 
conditions, that would be 

5184
04:49:03,200 --> 04:49:05,700
illegal to day. 
Victorian Britain was 

5185
04:49:05,700 --> 04:49:08,800
simultaneously the workshop of 
the world and a society where 

5186
04:49:08,800 --> 04:49:11,600
many workers could barely afford
to feed their families. 

5187
04:49:12,500 --> 04:49:15,300
Victorian social reformers 
attack these problems with 

5188
04:49:15,300 --> 04:49:19,100
characteristic energy and moral 
certainty, the factory acts 

5189
04:49:19,100 --> 04:49:22,200
gradually limited child labor 
and improved working conditions.

5190
04:49:22,200 --> 04:49:26,400
Public Health reforms brought 
clean water and proper sewage 

5191
04:49:26,400 --> 04:49:29,700
systems to cities where cholera 
had been a regular visitor, 

5192
04:49:29,700 --> 04:49:33,200
compulsory education acts ensure
that children received at least 

5193
04:49:33,200 --> 04:49:36,700
basic schooling rather than 
spending their entire childhoods

5194
04:49:36,700 --> 04:49:40,600
in factories or mines progress 
was real but frustratingly. 

5195
04:49:40,600 --> 04:49:44,100
Slow and the Victorian 
compromise between capitalism 

5196
04:49:44,100 --> 04:49:47,400
and compassion never fully 
resolved its internal 

5197
04:49:47,400 --> 04:49:50,300
contradictions. 
The British Empire expanded 

5198
04:49:50,300 --> 04:49:54,000
dramatically during Victoria's 
reign reaching its greatest 

5199
04:49:54,000 --> 04:49:57,500
extent and transforming Britain 
into the predominant Global 

5200
04:49:57,500 --> 04:50:01,800
power in India, became the Crown
Jewel, after the 1857 rebellion 

5201
04:50:01,800 --> 04:50:05,100
led to direct British rule, and 
Victoria would eventually take 

5202
04:50:05,100 --> 04:50:09,700
the title Empress of India in. 
1876 Africa was carved up in the

5203
04:50:09,700 --> 04:50:12,300
Scramble for colonies that mixed
missionaries zeal. 

5204
04:50:12,500 --> 04:50:16,000
Commercial ambition and 
strategic calculation in roughly

5205
04:50:16,000 --> 04:50:19,200
equal measure the familiar pink 
colored territories on world 

5206
04:50:19,200 --> 04:50:22,700
maps, expanded until Britain 
controlled roughly a quarter of 

5207
04:50:22,700 --> 04:50:24,300
the earth's land surface and 
population. 

5208
04:50:25,400 --> 04:50:28,800
Victoria's personal relationship
with this Empire was complex and

5209
04:50:28,800 --> 04:50:32,400
somewhat contradictory. 
She took genuine interest in 

5210
04:50:32,400 --> 04:50:35,300
her, Colonial subjects 
corresponded with Indian 

5211
04:50:35,300 --> 04:50:38,200
servants and African Chiefs and 
seemed to believe. 

5212
04:50:38,200 --> 04:50:40,700
Sincerely, in Britain, 
civilizing, Mission. 

5213
04:50:40,700 --> 04:50:44,500
Yet she also supported policies.
That enforced British dominance 

5214
04:50:44,500 --> 04:50:48,200
through military force and 
economic exploitation like many 

5215
04:50:48,200 --> 04:50:50,500
victorians. 
She combined humanitarian 

5216
04:50:50,500 --> 04:50:53,500
sentiment with Imperial 
assumptions, never quite 

5217
04:50:53,500 --> 04:50:56,500
recognizing the contradiction 
between promoting Christian 

5218
04:50:56,500 --> 04:50:59,400
values and maintaining Colonial 
hierarchies. 

5219
04:51:00,700 --> 04:51:04,200
The Victorian approached to 
social issues combined, moral 

5220
04:51:04,200 --> 04:51:06,900
earnestness with practical 
reform, in ways that feel both 

5221
04:51:06,900 --> 04:51:09,600
admirable and frustrating from 
our modern perspective, 

5222
04:51:09,600 --> 04:51:13,500
victorians believed intensely 
and personal responsibility, 

5223
04:51:13,500 --> 04:51:17,600
self-improvement. 
And moral rectitude, which 

5224
04:51:17,600 --> 04:51:20,800
sometimes translated into 
judgmental attitudes toward 

5225
04:51:20,800 --> 04:51:24,000
poverty and suffering, yet, they
also created institutions 

5226
04:51:24,000 --> 04:51:29,100
hospitals, orphanages schools, 
libraries that genuinely 

5227
04:51:29,100 --> 04:51:32,400
improved lives and expanded 
opportunities for millions of 

5228
04:51:32,400 --> 04:51:35,600
people. 
Victorian culture, celebrated 

5229
04:51:35,600 --> 04:51:39,500
domicity and family life with an
intensity that shaped 

5230
04:51:39,500 --> 04:51:43,700
expectations for Generations. 
The ideal Victorian home became 

5231
04:51:43,700 --> 04:51:46,800
a sanctuary from the harsh 
commercial world with the wife 

5232
04:51:46,800 --> 04:51:50,700
mother as its moral Center, and 
the husband father has provider 

5233
04:51:50,700 --> 04:51:53,800
and protector, Victorian 
Albert's, own family, life, 

5234
04:51:53,800 --> 04:51:57,000
became the model for this 
domestic ideal, their image 

5235
04:51:57,000 --> 04:51:59,700
reproduced in countless prints 
and photographs that brought 

5236
04:51:59,700 --> 04:52:02,400
Royal Domesticity into ordinary 
British homes. 

5237
04:52:03,200 --> 04:52:08,200
But this idealized, Domesticity 
obscured complicated reality's. 

5238
04:52:08,200 --> 04:52:11,200
Victorian families could be 
sights of genuine warmth and 

5239
04:52:11,200 --> 04:52:14,600
affection, but also of 
patriarchal control and hidden 

5240
04:52:14,600 --> 04:52:17,300
disfunction. 
The emphasis on propriety in 

5241
04:52:17,300 --> 04:52:21,200
respectability, sometimes meant 
that problems domestic violence 

5242
04:52:21,200 --> 04:52:25,500
addiction mental illness were 
hidden rather than addressed. 

5243
04:52:25,500 --> 04:52:28,800
The Victorian home was 
simultaneously a real source of 

5244
04:52:28,800 --> 04:52:32,300
comfort and a performance of 
values that didn't always match 

5245
04:52:32,300 --> 04:52:36,400
lived experience. 
Victorian literature and art 

5246
04:52:36,400 --> 04:52:39,700
captured, both the confidence 
and anxiety of this transforming

5247
04:52:39,700 --> 04:52:42,900
era. 
Dickens exposed social injustice

5248
04:52:42,900 --> 04:52:45,300
while entertaining middle class 
readers. 

5249
04:52:46,300 --> 04:52:49,200
The Bronte sisters explored 
women's in their lives and 

5250
04:52:49,200 --> 04:52:52,100
passionate emotions beneath 
respectable surfaces. 

5251
04:52:53,000 --> 04:52:57,100
Tennyson's poetry combined 
medieval romance with Victorian 

5252
04:52:57,100 --> 04:52:59,300
doubt. 
The pre-raphaelite painters 

5253
04:52:59,300 --> 04:53:03,300
rejected industrial ugliness in 
favor of medieval inspired 

5254
04:53:03,300 --> 04:53:06,800
beauty while inadvertently 
creating some of the era's. 

5255
04:53:06,800 --> 04:53:10,900
Most iconic images. 
Science and religion engaged in 

5256
04:53:10,900 --> 04:53:14,800
increasingly fraught dialogue as
discoveries challenge. 

5257
04:53:14,800 --> 04:53:18,900
Traditional beliefs, Darwin's 
theory of evolution, published 

5258
04:53:18,900 --> 04:53:23,200
in 1859 forced victorians to 
reconsider Humanity's place in 

5259
04:53:23,200 --> 04:53:25,700
nature and relationship to the 
divine. 

5260
04:53:26,600 --> 04:53:29,400
Geological discoveries revealed 
an earth, far older than 

5261
04:53:29,400 --> 04:53:32,600
biblical chronology. 
Suggested Victoria herself 

5262
04:53:32,600 --> 04:53:35,700
remained conventionally 
religious but many of her 

5263
04:53:35,700 --> 04:53:38,500
subjects were wrestling with 
faith in ways that earlier 

5264
04:53:38,500 --> 04:53:43,600
Generations had not confronted. 
As Victoria aged in her 70s and 

5265
04:53:43,600 --> 04:53:46,100
80s. 
She transformed from the Widow 

5266
04:53:46,100 --> 04:53:48,900
of Windsor, in to something, 
approaching a living Monument, 

5267
04:53:48,900 --> 04:53:53,000
the Jubilee celebrating her 
Reign, the golden jubilee in 

5268
04:53:53,000 --> 04:53:58,400
1887 marking, 50 years and the 
Diamond Jubilee in 1897 marking,

5269
04:53:58,400 --> 04:54:02,500
60 years became occasions for 
national celebration that 

5270
04:54:02,500 --> 04:54:06,000
transcended simple. 
Royal pageantry people who had 

5271
04:54:06,000 --> 04:54:08,500
never known any other monocline 
streets, to Glimpse. 

5272
04:54:08,500 --> 04:54:12,400
This small Stout elderly woman, 
who would somehow become 

5273
04:54:12,400 --> 04:54:17,300
synonymous with their entire era
The golden jubilee in 1887 

5274
04:54:17,300 --> 04:54:20,300
revealed the complexity of 
Victoria's relationship with her

5275
04:54:20,300 --> 04:54:23,200
subjects. 
She was genuinely moved by the 

5276
04:54:23,200 --> 04:54:26,000
outpouring of affection 
surprised that people still 

5277
04:54:26,000 --> 04:54:29,500
cared after her long years of 
semi seclusion, the procession 

5278
04:54:29,500 --> 04:54:32,500
through London streets, showed 
her an Empire at its height 

5279
04:54:32,500 --> 04:54:37,400
representatives from India 
Africa, the Caribbean and all 

5280
04:54:37,400 --> 04:54:40,400
the pink territories on the map 
Gathering to honor their Queen. 

5281
04:54:40,400 --> 04:54:44,000
Victoria recorded her emotions 
in journals that capture both 

5282
04:54:44,008 --> 04:54:47,500
pride in Britain's achievements 
and a certain weary awareness 

5283
04:54:47,500 --> 04:54:51,500
that was passing and she was 
part of History rather than 

5284
04:54:51,500 --> 04:54:55,500
simply living it. 
By this point, Victoria served 

5285
04:54:55,500 --> 04:54:59,100
as Queen for five decades longer
than most of her subjects, 

5286
04:54:59,100 --> 04:55:01,600
entire life times she had 
outlived. 

5287
04:55:01,600 --> 04:55:05,400
Most of her contemporaries seen 
Technologies transformed from 

5288
04:55:05,400 --> 04:55:09,300
Curiosity to commonplace and 
witness, social changes that 

5289
04:55:09,300 --> 04:55:11,400
would have astonished her 18 
year old self. 

5290
04:55:11,400 --> 04:55:14,300
She was the last living link to 
a Britain that had been 

5291
04:55:14,300 --> 04:55:17,700
predominantly Rural 
pre-industrial and more 

5292
04:55:17,700 --> 04:55:19,700
socially. 
Stratified to the rapidly 

5293
04:55:19,700 --> 04:55:22,300
modernizing country of the 1880s
and 1890s. 

5294
04:55:24,500 --> 04:55:28,000
Victoria's political influence 
in these later years operated 

5295
04:55:28,000 --> 04:55:31,200
through personal relationships 
rather than constitutional 

5296
04:55:31,200 --> 04:55:33,500
Authority. 
She had become an expert at 

5297
04:55:33,500 --> 04:55:35,800
managing Prime, Ministers 
through a combination of 

5298
04:55:35,800 --> 04:55:39,300
personal charm. 
Emotional appeal and occasional 

5299
04:55:39,300 --> 04:55:42,400
outright manipulation. 
She knew she couldn't directly 

5300
04:55:42,400 --> 04:55:45,700
control policy anymore. 
Constitutional monarchy had 

5301
04:55:45,708 --> 04:55:49,200
evolved beyond that. 
But she could influence suggest 

5302
04:55:49,200 --> 04:55:53,100
and sometimes obstruct through 
the careful application of Royal

5303
04:55:53,100 --> 04:55:57,000
prerogative and personal 
persuasion, her relationships 

5304
04:55:57,000 --> 04:55:59,600
with her prime ministers, 
revealed different facets of her

5305
04:55:59,600 --> 04:56:04,400
character Gladstone, the great 
liberal Statesman irritated her,

5306
04:56:04,400 --> 04:56:07,900
intensely with his Earnest 
moralizing and tendency to treat

5307
04:56:07,900 --> 04:56:11,200
her like a public meeting rather
than a person Disraeli. 

5308
04:56:11,200 --> 04:56:15,200
Meanwhile, had discovered the 
key to managing Victoria treat 

5309
04:56:15,200 --> 04:56:19,300
her as a woman first and a queen
second flatter her shamelessly 

5310
04:56:19,300 --> 04:56:22,400
and make governance seem like an
intimate collaboration. 

5311
04:56:22,400 --> 04:56:25,600
The contrast between these 
relationships showed how much 

5312
04:56:25,600 --> 04:56:28,900
Victoria valued personal 
attention and emotional 

5313
04:56:28,900 --> 04:56:31,500
connection alongside political 
competence. 

5314
04:56:32,300 --> 04:56:34,300
The family Victoria and Albert 
had created. 

5315
04:56:34,300 --> 04:56:38,200
Now sprawled across European 
royalty, her children and 

5316
04:56:38,200 --> 04:56:41,200
grandchildren had married into 
virtually every Royal House on 

5317
04:56:41,200 --> 04:56:44,800
the continent earning Victoria 
the nickname grandmother of 

5318
04:56:44,800 --> 04:56:47,900
Europe. 
This dynastic Network gave her 

5319
04:56:47,900 --> 04:56:51,800
personal stakes in European 
politics and created Family 

5320
04:56:51,800 --> 04:56:54,400
connections. 
That would be tested tragically 

5321
04:56:54,400 --> 04:56:58,200
in the wars of the early 20th 
century when Victoria gathered 

5322
04:56:58,200 --> 04:57:00,500
her extended family for her 
Diamond Jubilee. 

5323
04:57:01,300 --> 04:57:04,300
The photographs captured a 
moment of European royalty that 

5324
04:57:04,300 --> 04:57:07,700
would never come again. 
Many of these relatives would be

5325
04:57:07,708 --> 04:57:11,600
fighting each other within two 
decades Victoria's later Years, 

5326
04:57:11,600 --> 04:57:15,100
also saw her becoming 
increasingly concerned with her 

5327
04:57:15,100 --> 04:57:17,400
Legacy and how history would 
remember her. 

5328
04:57:17,400 --> 04:57:21,100
She commissioned official 
biographies carefully, edited 

5329
04:57:21,100 --> 04:57:24,300
her journals for eventual, 
publication and tried to shape 

5330
04:57:24,300 --> 04:57:27,800
The Narrative of her Reign. 
She wanted to be remembered, not

5331
04:57:27,800 --> 04:57:31,700
just as the queen who presided 
over British expansion, but as 

5332
04:57:31,700 --> 04:57:34,400
someone who had tried to rule, 
conscientiously and care for her

5333
04:57:34,400 --> 04:57:35,500
subjects. 
Welfare. 

5334
04:57:35,500 --> 04:57:37,800
Where the history would Grant 
this Legacy. 

5335
04:57:37,800 --> 04:57:40,600
Remained uncertain. 
Even she worked to secure it. 

5336
04:57:42,500 --> 04:57:46,400
The Diamond Jubilee in 1897 was 
even more spectacular than the 

5337
04:57:46,400 --> 04:57:49,900
golden jubilee. 
A global celebration of Empire 

5338
04:57:49,900 --> 04:57:52,900
and monarchy that brought 
representatives from across the 

5339
04:57:52,900 --> 04:57:55,300
world to honor the Aging, Queen 
Victoria. 

5340
04:57:55,300 --> 04:57:58,600
Now unable to walk easily and 
suffering from various ailments 

5341
04:57:58,600 --> 04:58:02,000
participated in the festivities 
with characteristic 

5342
04:58:02,000 --> 04:58:04,900
determination. 
She appeared in an open Carriage

5343
04:58:04,900 --> 04:58:07,400
like knowing cheering crowds 
with the Regal bearing. 

5344
04:58:07,400 --> 04:58:10,000
She had cultivated over six 
Decades of practice. 

5345
04:58:11,000 --> 04:58:13,000
But beneath the pageantry and 
celebration. 

5346
04:58:13,000 --> 04:58:16,900
Careful, observers could see 
signs of an era ending the 

5347
04:58:16,900 --> 04:58:20,400
Victorian certainties faith in 
progress confidence. 

5348
04:58:20,400 --> 04:58:24,700
In Empire, belief in British 
Supremacy were beginning to fray

5349
04:58:24,700 --> 04:58:26,900
at the edges. 
The bore War at the end of the 

5350
04:58:26,900 --> 04:58:29,700
1890s revealed, military 
weaknesses and moral 

5351
04:58:29,700 --> 04:58:32,600
complications that challenge 
assumptions about British 

5352
04:58:32,600 --> 04:58:36,600
righteousness, social movements 
were demanding changes women 

5353
04:58:36,600 --> 04:58:40,700
suffrage, workers rights, Irish 
home, rule that threatened 

5354
04:58:40,700 --> 04:58:44,100
established hierarchies, the 
world was shifting beneath 

5355
04:58:44,100 --> 04:58:46,900
Victorious. 
Feet, moving toward a 20th 

5356
04:58:46,900 --> 04:58:48,600
century. 
That would look very different 

5357
04:58:48,600 --> 04:58:51,400
from the Victorian age. 
Victorious. 

5358
04:58:51,400 --> 04:58:54,500
Health declined gradually 
through the final years of the 

5359
04:58:54,500 --> 04:58:57,700
1890s. 
She suffered from rheumatism, a 

5360
04:58:57,700 --> 04:59:00,700
difficulty, with their eyesight 
and tired easily, but she 

5361
04:59:00,700 --> 04:59:03,600
continued working continued 
managing her household and 

5362
04:59:03,600 --> 04:59:06,800
following political developments
and continued being Queen, 

5363
04:59:06,800 --> 04:59:09,300
because that's what she had done
for most of her conscious life. 

5364
04:59:09,300 --> 04:59:13,300
The role had become so 
fundamental to her identity that

5365
04:59:13,300 --> 04:59:15,800
separating Victoria. 
The person from Victoria the 

5366
04:59:15,800 --> 04:59:17,500
queen was essentially 
impossible. 

5367
04:59:18,600 --> 04:59:23,600
Victoria died on January 22nd, 
1901 at Osborne house, 

5368
04:59:23,600 --> 04:59:25,600
surrounded by her children and 
grandchildren. 

5369
04:59:25,600 --> 04:59:30,500
She was 81 years old, and had 
been Queen for 63 years longer 

5370
04:59:30,500 --> 04:59:33,900
than any British monarch before 
her and longer than most would 

5371
04:59:33,900 --> 04:59:36,800
have thought possible. 
When she ascended at 18, her 

5372
04:59:36,800 --> 04:59:39,700
passing marked, the end not just
of a Reign but of the entire 

5373
04:59:39,700 --> 04:59:43,400
19th century as if history 
itself had been waiting for her 

5374
04:59:43,400 --> 04:59:47,400
to finish before moving forward.
The funeral procession through 

5375
04:59:47,400 --> 04:59:50,800
London streets, Drew enormous 
crowds of people who had never 

5376
04:59:50,800 --> 04:59:54,100
known any other Monarch Victoria
had been Queen when their 

5377
04:59:54,100 --> 04:59:57,200
grandparents were young and had 
been a constant presence through

5378
04:59:57,200 --> 04:59:59,500
all the transformations of the 
Victorian age. 

5379
04:59:59,500 --> 05:00:03,300
Her death felt like the closing 
of an era and in many ways it 

5380
05:00:03,300 --> 05:00:06,800
was the Edwardian period that 
followed would have a different 

5381
05:00:06,800 --> 05:00:11,100
character, a lighter tone, and a
sense of living in the Calm 

5382
05:00:11,100 --> 05:00:13,400
before a storm that would arrive
with World War 1. 

5383
05:00:13,400 --> 05:00:16,300
But what exactly was Victorious 
Legacy? 

5384
05:00:16,300 --> 05:00:20,300
This question has occupied his 
storys ever since and the 

5385
05:00:20,300 --> 05:00:22,900
answers are as complex as 
Victoria herself. 

5386
05:00:24,000 --> 05:00:25,600
She didn't create the Victorian 
age. 

5387
05:00:25,600 --> 05:00:29,800
It was named after her, not by 
her, but she helped shape its 

5388
05:00:29,800 --> 05:00:32,600
character and came to embody its
values. 

5389
05:00:32,600 --> 05:00:36,400
Her influence, operated less 
through direct political action,

5390
05:00:36,400 --> 05:00:40,300
and through moral example, and 
symbolic, representation of what

5391
05:00:40,300 --> 05:00:44,500
victorians believed about Duty, 
family, and National purpose, 

5392
05:00:45,600 --> 05:00:48,200
Victoria's model of 
constitutional monarchy 

5393
05:00:48,200 --> 05:00:51,800
influenced how future British 
Royals would understand their 

5394
05:00:51,800 --> 05:00:54,500
role. 
She demonstrated that monarchs 

5395
05:00:54,500 --> 05:00:56,700
could remain politically 
relevant without directly 

5396
05:00:56,700 --> 05:01:00,600
exercising political power. 
And that symbolic importance 

5397
05:01:00,600 --> 05:01:04,200
could be a significant as 
constitutional Authority, the 

5398
05:01:04,200 --> 05:01:06,300
modern British Monarchy with its
carefully. 

5399
05:01:06,300 --> 05:01:10,000
Calibrated balance between 
tradition and adaptation public 

5400
05:01:10,000 --> 05:01:12,900
visibility and private life 
owes. 

5401
05:01:12,900 --> 05:01:15,500
Much to patterns Victoria 
established during her long 

5402
05:01:15,500 --> 05:01:18,500
Reign. 
A commitment to duty even 

5403
05:01:18,500 --> 05:01:22,800
through profound personal loss. 
Set a standard the subsequent 

5404
05:01:22,800 --> 05:01:26,300
monox of tried to emulate. 
Victoria showed that royalty 

5405
05:01:26,300 --> 05:01:29,700
meant service rather than simply
privilege that being Queen 

5406
05:01:29,700 --> 05:01:33,600
required personal sacrifice, and
consistent, dedication to 

5407
05:01:33,600 --> 05:01:36,500
responsibilities. 
That couldn't be delegated or 

5408
05:01:36,500 --> 05:01:38,900
escaped. 
When Elizabeth the second would 

5409
05:01:38,900 --> 05:01:41,800
later speak about dedicating her
life to Royal Service. 

5410
05:01:41,800 --> 05:01:45,300
She was echoing patterns. 
Victoria had established more 

5411
05:01:45,300 --> 05:01:48,800
than a century earlier. 
The Victorian emphasis on 

5412
05:01:48,800 --> 05:01:52,700
Domesticity and family values 
which Victoria and Albert had 

5413
05:01:52,700 --> 05:01:55,200
modeled. 
So publicly influenced British 

5414
05:01:55,200 --> 05:01:58,700
Society for Generations, the 
ideal of the respectable 

5415
05:01:58,700 --> 05:02:02,900
middle-class family morally. 
Upright, hard-working devoted to

5416
05:02:02,900 --> 05:02:06,100
self-improvement became a 
cultural Touchstone that 

5417
05:02:06,100 --> 05:02:09,900
persisted well, into the 20th 
century whether this influence 

5418
05:02:09,900 --> 05:02:13,500
was entirely positive is 
debatable, but its reality is 

5419
05:02:13,500 --> 05:02:17,100
undeniable. 
Victoria's relationship with 

5420
05:02:17,100 --> 05:02:19,500
Empire remains. 
Perhaps the most complicated 

5421
05:02:19,500 --> 05:02:22,900
aspect of her Legacy. 
The British Empire reached its 

5422
05:02:22,900 --> 05:02:26,800
greatest extent during her Reign
and she took the title, Empress 

5423
05:02:26,800 --> 05:02:30,900
of India appeared when European 
imperialism, was intensifying 

5424
05:02:30,900 --> 05:02:34,300
Modern perspectives. 
Recognized, the exploitation and

5425
05:02:34,300 --> 05:02:37,900
violence inherent in Imperial 
expansion in ways that 

5426
05:02:37,900 --> 05:02:41,600
victorians generally didn't. 
Creating a legacy that can't be 

5427
05:02:41,608 --> 05:02:44,100
celebrated on critically 
Victoria's. 

5428
05:02:44,100 --> 05:02:47,400
Genuine interest in colonial 
subjects, doesn't erase the 

5429
05:02:47,400 --> 05:02:50,600
structural inequalities of the 
system she represented. 

5430
05:02:51,700 --> 05:02:55,600
The Victorian ages emphasis on 
progress and Improvement while 

5431
05:02:55,600 --> 05:02:59,000
sometimes producing 
self-righteous hypocrisy, also 

5432
05:02:59,000 --> 05:03:02,800
drove genuine reforms that 
expanded opportunities and 

5433
05:03:02,800 --> 05:03:05,400
improved lives. 
The factory acts Public, Health 

5434
05:03:05,400 --> 05:03:09,400
reforms and education expansion.
These weren't simply top down in

5435
05:03:09,400 --> 05:03:11,900
positions, but reflected 
Victorian beliefs about social 

5436
05:03:11,900 --> 05:03:14,800
responsibility and the 
possibility of making things 

5437
05:03:14,800 --> 05:03:17,900
better Victorious. 
Support for these reforms. 

5438
05:03:17,900 --> 05:03:22,100
However, inconsistent aligned 
monarchy with Progressive causes

5439
05:03:22,100 --> 05:03:24,700
in ways that enhanced Royal 
legitimacy. 

5440
05:03:25,900 --> 05:03:29,400
Perhaps Victoria's, most 
enduring personal Legacy is 

5441
05:03:29,400 --> 05:03:33,300
simply how long and consistently
she performed the role of Queen 

5442
05:03:33,300 --> 05:03:37,900
63 years of dutiful service 
created, a sense of continuity 

5443
05:03:37,900 --> 05:03:40,700
and stability. 
That helped Britain navigate the

5444
05:03:40,700 --> 05:03:43,700
massive social and economic 
transformations of the 19th 

5445
05:03:43,700 --> 05:03:45,800
century. 
People might disagree about 

5446
05:03:45,800 --> 05:03:49,600
policies or disapprove of Royal 
Behavior, but they knew Victoria

5447
05:03:49,600 --> 05:03:50,900
would still be Queen to 
tomorrow. 

5448
05:03:50,900 --> 05:03:53,500
Providing a fixed point in a 
changing world. 

5449
05:03:54,500 --> 05:03:58,000
The Victorian world that carried
her name with its particular 

5450
05:03:58,000 --> 05:04:03,000
combination of moral earnestness
and material ambition, its faith

5451
05:04:03,000 --> 05:04:05,100
in progress and anxiety about 
change. 

5452
05:04:05,100 --> 05:04:09,100
It's genuine humanitarian, 
impulses, and persistent social 

5453
05:04:09,100 --> 05:04:13,500
inequalities reflected broader 
forces than any single person 

5454
05:04:13,500 --> 05:04:16,300
could create. 
But Victoria's long presence 

5455
05:04:16,300 --> 05:04:20,200
helped to give this era a sense 
of coherence and identity that 

5456
05:04:20,200 --> 05:04:21,800
it might not otherwise have 
possessed. 

5457
05:04:23,000 --> 05:04:27,300
In the end Victorious, Legacy is
less about specific policies or 

5458
05:04:27,300 --> 05:04:29,700
political decisions than about 
demonstrating. 

5459
05:04:29,700 --> 05:04:33,300
How monarchy could adapt to 
Modern conditions without losing

5460
05:04:33,300 --> 05:04:36,500
its Central character. 
She showed that royalty could be

5461
05:04:36,500 --> 05:04:38,700
simultaneously, ordinary and 
exceptional. 

5462
05:04:38,700 --> 05:04:41,800
The Queen's could be wives and 
mothers without diminishing 

5463
05:04:41,800 --> 05:04:44,700
their Authority. 
That monarchy could survive by 

5464
05:04:44,700 --> 05:04:47,500
evolving rather than by 
insisting on unchanging 

5465
05:04:47,500 --> 05:04:50,600
tradition as you prepare for 
sleep tonight. 

5466
05:04:51,500 --> 05:04:54,300
Perhaps the most valuable thing 
to understand about Victoria is 

5467
05:04:54,300 --> 05:04:57,600
how thoroughly human she 
remained, despite spending most 

5468
05:04:57,600 --> 05:05:00,500
of her life in positions, that 
discouraged normal human 

5469
05:05:00,500 --> 05:05:02,900
feelings. 
She was someone who laughed 

5470
05:05:02,900 --> 05:05:06,800
easily cried openly love, deeply
and grieved without reservation.

5471
05:05:06,800 --> 05:05:10,900
The qualities that made her an 
effective monk, a sense of Duty.

5472
05:05:10,900 --> 05:05:14,800
Her emotional honesty. 
The capacity for both firmness 

5473
05:05:14,800 --> 05:05:19,100
and compassion weren't Royal 
attributes but human ones just 

5474
05:05:19,100 --> 05:05:23,200
applied on a larger stage. 
Victoria's journals, which he 

5475
05:05:23,200 --> 05:05:26,800
kept throughout her adult life. 
Reveal a woman of genuine 

5476
05:05:26,800 --> 05:05:29,700
feeling and complexity. 
She could be Petty and 

5477
05:05:29,708 --> 05:05:33,500
vindictive generous and 
warm-hearted intellectually. 

5478
05:05:33,500 --> 05:05:37,600
Curious, and frustratingly. 
Stubborn often all on the same 

5479
05:05:37,600 --> 05:05:40,400
day, she experienced. 
The ordinary struggles of 

5480
05:05:40,400 --> 05:05:44,100
marriage and Parenthood, the 
universal Sorrows of loss and 

5481
05:05:44,100 --> 05:05:47,800
aging and the common human needs
for love purpose and 

5482
05:05:47,800 --> 05:05:50,300
recognition. 
The difference was that she 

5483
05:05:50,300 --> 05:05:53,700
experienced these things while 
being Queen, which complicated 

5484
05:05:53,700 --> 05:05:57,200
everything without changing the 
fundamental emotional truths. 

5485
05:05:58,100 --> 05:06:02,200
Think about young, Victorian 18 
years old and suddenly Queen 

5486
05:06:02,200 --> 05:06:06,100
navigating responsibility. 
She hadn't been prepared for 

5487
05:06:06,100 --> 05:06:08,400
with nothing but her own 
intelligence and determination 

5488
05:06:08,400 --> 05:06:12,900
to guide her think about 
Victoria in love discovering 

5489
05:06:12,900 --> 05:06:15,800
that being Queen, didn't protect
her from the vulnerability and 

5490
05:06:15,800 --> 05:06:20,000
joy of romantic attachment. 
Think about Victoria grieving 

5491
05:06:20,000 --> 05:06:24,200
demonstrating that profound 
lost, doesn't respect rank or 

5492
05:06:24,200 --> 05:06:28,500
position, think about elderly. 
Victoria looking back on six 

5493
05:06:28,500 --> 05:06:32,000
Decades of service and wondering
if she'd done enough made the 

5494
05:06:32,000 --> 05:06:34,200
right choice isn't fulfilled, 
her purposes. 

5495
05:06:35,200 --> 05:06:38,500
What made Victoria remarkable 
wasn't that she transcended 

5496
05:06:38,500 --> 05:06:41,800
human limitations but that she 
worked within them while 

5497
05:06:41,800 --> 05:06:44,600
carrying responsibilities, that 
would have overwhelmed, many 

5498
05:06:44,600 --> 05:06:48,200
people, she was often wrong. 
Sometimes, Petty and 

5499
05:06:48,200 --> 05:06:50,100
occasionally, stubborn Beyond 
Reason. 

5500
05:06:50,900 --> 05:06:54,100
She held views on Empire and 
social hierarchy that we now 

5501
05:06:54,100 --> 05:06:58,400
recognize as profoundly flawed, 
but she also showed up did the 

5502
05:06:58,400 --> 05:07:01,600
work and kept going through 
personal tragedies that might 

5503
05:07:01,600 --> 05:07:03,500
have Justified giving up 
entirely? 

5504
05:07:05,000 --> 05:07:07,800
The Victorian age ended 
officially with Victoria's death

5505
05:07:07,800 --> 05:07:11,600
in 1901 but its influence 
continued shaping British 

5506
05:07:11,600 --> 05:07:15,700
society and culture for decades.
Afterward the values Victoria 

5507
05:07:15,700 --> 05:07:21,000
represented Duty family, moral 
earnestness, faith in progress. 

5508
05:07:21,000 --> 05:07:25,700
Continued informing British 
identity even as the 20th 

5509
05:07:25,700 --> 05:07:29,500
century Challenge and sometimes 
overturned them and people speak

5510
05:07:29,500 --> 05:07:32,500
about Victorian values. 
There are often referring less 

5511
05:07:32,500 --> 05:07:36,200
to historical reality, then to 
an idealized image, that 

5512
05:07:36,200 --> 05:07:40,000
Victoria herself helped create 
through the example of her life 

5513
05:07:40,000 --> 05:07:43,600
and reign. 
Your own life, probably contains

5514
05:07:43,600 --> 05:07:47,500
more Victoria and influence the 
new realized, the expectation 

5515
05:07:47,500 --> 05:07:49,800
that work should be meaningful 
and contribute to something 

5516
05:07:49,800 --> 05:07:53,300
larger than yourself. 
That's partly Victoria and the 

5517
05:07:53,300 --> 05:07:55,400
ideal that family should provide
emotional. 

5518
05:07:55,400 --> 05:07:59,000
Warmth alongside practical 
support Victoria and Albert 

5519
05:07:59,000 --> 05:08:03,000
helped popularize that model The
belief that individuals can 

5520
05:08:03,000 --> 05:08:05,300
improve themselves through 
education, and effort 

5521
05:08:05,300 --> 05:08:09,200
thoroughly, Victorian even your 
assumptions about privacy 

5522
05:08:09,200 --> 05:08:13,200
Domesticity and the separation 
between public and private life 

5523
05:08:13,200 --> 05:08:16,300
owe, something to patterns 
established during Victorious 

5524
05:08:16,300 --> 05:08:19,600
era. 
The photographs of Victoria that

5525
05:08:19,600 --> 05:08:23,700
survived, and she was one of the
most photographed people of the 

5526
05:08:23,700 --> 05:08:25,600
19th century, show a 
progression. 

5527
05:08:25,600 --> 05:08:28,800
That captures both personal 
aging and historical change 

5528
05:08:28,800 --> 05:08:31,900
early photographs, show a young 
woman with soft features and 

5529
05:08:31,900 --> 05:08:35,800
elaborate hairstyles, still 
recognizably the girl who became

5530
05:08:35,800 --> 05:08:38,900
Queen. 
Middle age, photographs capture 

5531
05:08:38,900 --> 05:08:42,600
someone more substantial 
confident in her position and 

5532
05:08:42,600 --> 05:08:46,100
comfortable with authority late,
photographs show an elderly 

5533
05:08:46,100 --> 05:08:48,600
woman in black Stern face and 
dignified. 

5534
05:08:48,600 --> 05:08:52,200
Looking like everyone's 
formidable, grandmother, who 

5535
05:08:52,200 --> 05:08:55,000
nonetheless might surprise you 
with unexpected humor or 

5536
05:08:55,000 --> 05:08:58,100
tenderness. 
But photographs can't capture 

5537
05:08:58,100 --> 05:09:00,700
everything. 
They don't show Victorious laugh

5538
05:09:00,700 --> 05:09:04,700
which contemporaries described 
as full and genuine, they don't 

5539
05:09:04,700 --> 05:09:08,200
reveal her speaking voice, which
was a parently musical and 

5540
05:09:08,200 --> 05:09:11,300
pleasant, they don't capture her
handwriting in journals and 

5541
05:09:11,300 --> 05:09:13,700
letters. 
Where her personality comes 

5542
05:09:13,700 --> 05:09:18,100
through an exclamation marks 
underlining words and passages 

5543
05:09:18,100 --> 05:09:21,900
that radiates emotional, the 
Victoria photographs is frozen 

5544
05:09:21,900 --> 05:09:27,000
formal and preserved. but the 
real Victoria was animated by 

5545
05:09:27,000 --> 05:09:30,600
feelings thoughts and 
experiences that no image could 

5546
05:09:30,600 --> 05:09:34,700
fully contain Victoria's 
relationship with her own legacy

5547
05:09:34,700 --> 05:09:38,100
was complicated by her awareness
that she was becoming a 

5548
05:09:38,100 --> 05:09:39,700
historical figure while still 
living. 

5549
05:09:39,700 --> 05:09:42,900
She knew that historians would 
analyze her Reign. 

5550
05:09:42,900 --> 05:09:46,600
That a journals would be read by
people who never knew her and 

5551
05:09:46,600 --> 05:09:49,200
that her life would become 
material for interpretation and 

5552
05:09:49,200 --> 05:09:51,500
judgment. 
This awareness made a 

5553
05:09:51,500 --> 05:09:53,800
self-conscious in ways that 
early a monarchs hadn't, been 

5554
05:09:53,800 --> 05:09:57,000
trying to shape, how she would 
be remembered even as a 

5555
05:09:57,000 --> 05:09:58,800
surveillance continued to 
unfold. 

5556
05:10:00,000 --> 05:10:03,500
The Victorian era's combination 
of progress and limitation of 

5557
05:10:03,500 --> 05:10:07,100
expanding possibilities. 
Alongside persistent in a 

5558
05:10:07,100 --> 05:10:11,300
qualities, reflects tensions. 
That remain unresolved in modern

5559
05:10:11,300 --> 05:10:14,700
society, is he still wrestle 
with questions about how to 

5560
05:10:14,700 --> 05:10:18,700
balance individual Freedom, with
social responsibility, how to 

5561
05:10:18,700 --> 05:10:22,500
pursue economic growth while 
protecting human welfare and how

5562
05:10:22,500 --> 05:10:25,500
to honor tradition while 
embracing necessary change. 

5563
05:10:25,500 --> 05:10:28,700
These aren't unique, leave 
Victorian dilemmas, but 

5564
05:10:28,700 --> 05:10:31,400
victorians confronted them with 
a directness of moral 

5565
05:10:31,400 --> 05:10:34,500
seriousness, that makes their 
struggles feel relevant to 

5566
05:10:34,500 --> 05:10:39,200
contemporary concerns. 
Victoria's influence on the 

5567
05:10:39,200 --> 05:10:43,000
British Monarchy. 
Sickly created patterns that 

5568
05:10:43,000 --> 05:10:47,100
persist today, the emphasis on 
family values and moral example.

5569
05:10:47,100 --> 05:10:50,900
The careful balance between 
visibility and privacy and the 

5570
05:10:50,908 --> 05:10:54,500
sense that royalty represents 
National continuity and shared 

5571
05:10:54,500 --> 05:10:57,300
values. 
All of these reflect Victorian 

5572
05:10:57,300 --> 05:11:01,100
presents when modern Royals 
engage in charitable work, 

5573
05:11:01,100 --> 05:11:05,000
support social causes or present
themselves as devoted family 

5574
05:11:05,000 --> 05:11:07,300
members. 
Their following a template that 

5575
05:11:07,300 --> 05:11:11,100
Victoria helped establish But 
perhaps, the most remarkable 

5576
05:11:11,100 --> 05:11:15,600
thing about Victoria is simply 
that she remained recognizably 

5577
05:11:15,600 --> 05:11:18,700
herself throughout her long 
Reign, she didn't become a 

5578
05:11:18,700 --> 05:11:22,100
different person when she became
Queen, and she didn't lose her 

5579
05:11:22,100 --> 05:11:24,300
essential character. 
Through six Decades, of 

5580
05:11:24,300 --> 05:11:27,000
performing, a role that might 
have consumed a week of us. 

5581
05:11:27,000 --> 05:11:31,100
Now, to the woman who died at 81
retained fundamental qualities 

5582
05:11:31,100 --> 05:11:35,500
of the girl who came Queen at 
18, The emotional tensei, the 

5583
05:11:35,500 --> 05:11:39,300
strong opinions, the capacity 
for deep feeling and the sense 

5584
05:11:39,300 --> 05:11:41,700
of Duty combined with genuine 
Humanity. 

5585
05:11:42,900 --> 05:11:45,300
As you drift towards sleep 
tonight. 

5586
05:11:45,300 --> 05:11:49,900
Consider this Victoria lived 
through a period of change, more

5587
05:11:49,900 --> 05:11:52,700
profound than most humans 
experience in their lifetimes. 

5588
05:11:52,700 --> 05:11:55,700
She was born in a world of 
horse-drawn carriages, and 

5589
05:11:55,700 --> 05:11:59,200
Candlelight, and died. 
In a world of automobiles and 

5590
05:11:59,200 --> 05:12:02,100
electric lights. 
She witnessed the transformation

5591
05:12:02,100 --> 05:12:04,900
of Britain from an Agricultural 
Society to an industrial 

5592
05:12:04,900 --> 05:12:08,300
Powerhouse. 
Saw science challenge religious,

5593
05:12:08,300 --> 05:12:12,300
certainties and watched as 
Democratic movements reshaped, 

5594
05:12:12,300 --> 05:12:15,500
political expectations, through 
all these changes. 

5595
05:12:15,500 --> 05:12:18,300
She provided a sense of 
continuity and stability. 

5596
05:12:18,300 --> 05:12:20,800
That helped people navigate 
uncertainty. 

5597
05:12:22,100 --> 05:12:25,000
The small bedroom at Osborne 
house, where Victoria spent her 

5598
05:12:25,000 --> 05:12:27,900
final hours has been preserved, 
much as it was. 

5599
05:12:27,900 --> 05:12:31,400
You can visit it today and see 
the simple iron bed where she 

5600
05:12:31,400 --> 05:12:35,200
died the viewer crossed to the 
Isle of Wight that she loved and

5601
05:12:35,200 --> 05:12:37,500
the domestic. 
Simplicity, she preferred in her

5602
05:12:37,500 --> 05:12:41,200
private spaces, it's a reminder 
that even Queen's die in 

5603
05:12:41,208 --> 05:12:44,100
ordinary rooms. 
That the trappings of monarchy 

5604
05:12:44,100 --> 05:12:46,500
fall away. 
At the end, leaving only the 

5605
05:12:46,500 --> 05:12:50,400
human person facing the 
universal Human Experience of 

5606
05:12:50,400 --> 05:12:55,000
mortality. 
Victoria's children and 

5607
05:12:55,000 --> 05:12:57,700
grandchildren, gathered around 
her deathbed. 

5608
05:12:58,200 --> 05:13:01,100
Creating a scene that mixed 
Royal protocol with genuine 

5609
05:13:01,100 --> 05:13:05,300
family grief, her son, who would
become Edward the seventh held 

5610
05:13:05,300 --> 05:13:09,300
one hand while her grandson the 
future German Kaiser, Wilhelm 

5611
05:13:09,300 --> 05:13:13,200
the second supported, her other 
arm, it was a moment when the 

5612
05:13:13,200 --> 05:13:16,200
personal and the political the 
maternal, and the monarchical, 

5613
05:13:16,200 --> 05:13:19,700
and the intimate, and the 
historical all converged into a 

5614
05:13:19,700 --> 05:13:22,700
single experience that was 
simultaneously, unique and 

5615
05:13:22,700 --> 05:13:27,000
Universal. 
In her final months. 

5616
05:13:27,000 --> 05:13:30,700
Victoria reportedly said that 
she didn't want to die. 

5617
05:13:30,700 --> 05:13:34,300
She felt she still had work to 
do, responsibilities to fulfill 

5618
05:13:34,300 --> 05:13:37,500
and purposes to serve. 
It's a sentiment that captures 

5619
05:13:37,500 --> 05:13:39,100
something essential about her 
character. 

5620
05:13:39,100 --> 05:13:43,300
The sense that life meant 
service that having privileges 

5621
05:13:43,300 --> 05:13:46,500
required giving something back 
and that being Queen was 

5622
05:13:46,500 --> 05:13:50,100
ultimately about Duty, rather 
than power, whether you agree 

5623
05:13:50,100 --> 05:13:53,700
with her vision of monarchy or 
not, there's something admirable

5624
05:13:53,700 --> 05:13:55,800
about someone who remained 
committed to their 

5625
05:13:55,800 --> 05:13:59,300
responsibilities, literally 
until their final breath. 

5626
05:14:01,100 --> 05:14:05,100
The world victoria left behind 
in 1901 was vastly different 

5627
05:14:05,100 --> 05:14:07,800
from the one she'd inherited in 
1830. 

5628
05:14:07,800 --> 05:14:10,900
Certain Britain had become the 
world's dominant industrial and 

5629
05:14:10,900 --> 05:14:14,500
Imperial power Science, and 
Technology are transformed daily

5630
05:14:14,500 --> 05:14:17,200
life in ways that would have 
seen like magic to earlier 

5631
05:14:17,200 --> 05:14:20,600
Generations, social reforms and 
expanded rights and 

5632
05:14:20,600 --> 05:14:24,400
opportunities for millions of 
people, the Victorian age with 

5633
05:14:24,400 --> 05:14:27,200
all, its achievements and 
limitations its progress and 

5634
05:14:27,200 --> 05:14:29,900
problems. 
It's genuine humanitarian, 

5635
05:14:29,900 --> 05:14:33,700
impulses, and persistent. 
Injustice had reshaped. 

5636
05:14:33,700 --> 05:14:35,600
Not just Britain, but much of 
the world. 

5637
05:14:36,700 --> 05:14:40,100
The Victoria's most personal 
Legacy, might be the example, 

5638
05:14:40,100 --> 05:14:43,800
she provided of resilient in the
face of loss, her determination 

5639
05:14:43,800 --> 05:14:47,600
to continue being Queen after 
Albert's death to find meaning 

5640
05:14:47,600 --> 05:14:52,100
and purpose despite overcoming 
grief and to serve others, even 

5641
05:14:52,100 --> 05:14:55,700
while mourning privately. 
This demonstration of human 

5642
05:14:55,700 --> 05:14:59,500
strength in the face of 
Devastation has resonated with 

5643
05:14:59,500 --> 05:15:01,900
people for Generations 
Victorious. 

5644
05:15:01,900 --> 05:15:04,600
Showed that you can be 
profoundly damaged by loss 

5645
05:15:04,600 --> 05:15:08,700
without being destroyed by it. 
The grief and Duty can coexist 

5646
05:15:08,700 --> 05:15:13,600
and that broken hearts can 
continue beating As the last 

5647
05:15:13,600 --> 05:15:16,500
words of this story settle 
around you like a soft blanket. 

5648
05:15:16,500 --> 05:15:20,400
Think about what Victoria's life
represents beyond the historical

5649
05:15:20,400 --> 05:15:22,800
facts. 
And Royal pageantry here was 

5650
05:15:22,800 --> 05:15:25,200
someone who spent most of her 
life performing a role that 

5651
05:15:25,200 --> 05:15:28,300
demanded constant public 
presence while trying to 

5652
05:15:28,300 --> 05:15:30,400
maintain some private sense of 
self. 

5653
05:15:30,400 --> 05:15:34,300
She had to be simultaneously, a 
symbol and a person both 

5654
05:15:34,300 --> 05:15:37,100
ordinary and exceptional human 
and institutional. 

5655
05:15:38,200 --> 05:15:40,600
Victorious story. 
Reminds us that leadership 

5656
05:15:40,600 --> 05:15:45,000
whether of Nations or simply of 
our own lives requires showing 

5657
05:15:45,000 --> 05:15:49,500
up consistently even when we 
don't feel capable continuing to

5658
05:15:49,500 --> 05:15:52,200
work. 
Even when motivation Fades and 

5659
05:15:52,200 --> 05:15:56,000
finding ways to serve purposes 
larger than ourselves, even as 

5660
05:15:56,000 --> 05:15:58,100
we attend to personal needs and 
desires. 

5661
05:15:58,100 --> 05:16:00,300
These aren't uniquely Royal 
Challengers. 

5662
05:16:00,300 --> 05:16:04,300
But Universal human ones just 
played out on a particularly 

5663
05:16:04,300 --> 05:16:08,100
visible stage. 
The Victorian age that bore her 

5664
05:16:08,100 --> 05:16:11,600
name was ultimately about people
trying to navigate rapid change,

5665
05:16:11,600 --> 05:16:15,100
while holding onto values. 
They believed important, that 

5666
05:16:15,100 --> 05:16:18,200
challenge hasn't disappeared. 
If anything, it's more intense 

5667
05:16:18,200 --> 05:16:21,200
in our contemporary world of 
even faster, technological and 

5668
05:16:21,200 --> 05:16:24,600
social transformation Victorious
examples, suggest that 

5669
05:16:24,600 --> 05:16:27,300
maintaining core commitments 
while adapting to new 

5670
05:16:27,300 --> 05:16:31,300
circumstances isn't a 
contradiction, but a necessity 

5671
05:16:31,300 --> 05:16:34,600
that change and continuity can 
co-exist. 

5672
05:16:34,600 --> 05:16:38,000
And that progress doesn't 
require abandoning everything 

5673
05:16:38,000 --> 05:16:41,300
that came before. 
When you wake tomorrow morning 

5674
05:16:41,300 --> 05:16:44,900
and go about your daily life, 
you'll be participating in a 

5675
05:16:44,900 --> 05:16:47,500
world that Victoria helped shape
the calendar. 

5676
05:16:47,500 --> 05:16:50,800
You check has remnants of 
Victorian, timekeeping reforms 

5677
05:16:50,800 --> 05:16:54,900
the institutions you interact 
with schools hospitals, 

5678
05:16:54,900 --> 05:16:59,000
libraries many were established 
or transformed during her era. 

5679
05:16:59,000 --> 05:17:03,800
The assumptions you carry about 
family work, privacy and public 

5680
05:17:03,800 --> 05:17:07,500
life, all their traces of 
Victorian influence history. 

5681
05:17:07,500 --> 05:17:09,700
Isn't something that happened in
the past and ended. 

5682
05:17:09,700 --> 05:17:13,000
It's a continuous stream that 
flows through the present, 

5683
05:17:13,000 --> 05:17:16,500
connecting us to people. 
We never knew, but whose choices

5684
05:17:16,500 --> 05:17:22,000
still affect our lives. 
Victorious would probably be 

5685
05:17:22,000 --> 05:17:26,400
both a maze and some what 
bewildered by the 21st century 

5686
05:17:26,400 --> 05:17:28,900
world. 
The technology would astonish 

5687
05:17:28,900 --> 05:17:30,800
her. 
The social changes were 

5688
05:17:30,800 --> 05:17:32,500
challenging, many of her 
assumptions. 

5689
05:17:32,500 --> 05:17:36,100
And the transformed role of 
monarchy would likely confuse 

5690
05:17:36,100 --> 05:17:39,500
someone who understood Royal 
Authority very differently, but 

5691
05:17:39,500 --> 05:17:43,300
she might also recognize 
continuity, people still fall in

5692
05:17:43,308 --> 05:17:44,700
love. 
Still grieve losses. 

5693
05:17:44,700 --> 05:17:47,600
Still struggle, with balancing 
personal desires and public 

5694
05:17:47,600 --> 05:17:50,800
responsibilities. 
And still wonder if their lives 

5695
05:17:50,800 --> 05:17:52,900
matter and what they'll leave 
behind. 

5696
05:17:54,200 --> 05:17:57,700
Queen who wants was a young girl
waking up to learn. 

5697
05:17:57,700 --> 05:18:01,200
She ruled an Empire who fell in 
love and raised children and 

5698
05:18:01,200 --> 05:18:02,900
grieved, unbearably and kept 
working. 

5699
05:18:02,900 --> 05:18:06,400
Anyway, he grew old watching the
world, transformed around her. 

5700
05:18:06,400 --> 05:18:10,100
She's been gone for over a 
century now, but something of 

5701
05:18:10,100 --> 05:18:14,500
her persists, In institution, 
she influenced in patterns, she 

5702
05:18:14,500 --> 05:18:17,500
established. 
And in the example, she provided

5703
05:18:17,500 --> 05:18:20,600
of someone trying to live 
honorably within the constraints

5704
05:18:20,600 --> 05:18:24,600
of their circumstances. 
Tonight as you settle into 

5705
05:18:24,600 --> 05:18:29,800
sleep, your participating in a 
ritual as old as Humanity, the 

5706
05:18:29,800 --> 05:18:32,900
telling of stories about people 
who came before us, trying to 

5707
05:18:32,900 --> 05:18:36,000
understand what their lives mean
and what we can learn from them.

5708
05:18:36,000 --> 05:18:39,700
Victorious story is ultimately 
about an ordinary person giving 

5709
05:18:39,700 --> 05:18:43,100
extraordinary responsibilities 
and finding within herself. 

5710
05:18:43,100 --> 05:18:45,200
The resources to meet them in 
perfectly. 

5711
05:18:45,200 --> 05:18:49,300
But persistently, it's a story 
about love and loss Duty and 

5712
05:18:49,300 --> 05:18:52,900
resilience the weight of 
expectations and the relief of 

5713
05:18:52,900 --> 05:18:55,800
finally laying them down. 
Sleep. 

5714
05:18:55,800 --> 05:19:00,300
Well, knowing that the challenge
is Victoria faced how to Live 

5715
05:19:00,300 --> 05:19:03,500
authentically, While meeting 
others, expectations, how to 

5716
05:19:03,500 --> 05:19:07,400
maintain purpose through 
changing circumstances, how to 

5717
05:19:07,400 --> 05:19:10,900
balance personal needs with 
public responsibilities, how to 

5718
05:19:10,908 --> 05:19:13,700
keep going when lost makes 
continuing seemed impossible. 

5719
05:19:14,500 --> 05:19:17,300
These challenges connect you 
across the centuries to a small 

5720
05:19:17,308 --> 05:19:21,200
woman in black who was once 
queen of half the world and who 

5721
05:19:21,200 --> 05:19:25,100
despite everything remained 
fundamentally human until the 

5722
05:19:25,100 --> 05:19:28,600
end. 
The Victorian age has gone but 

5723
05:19:28,600 --> 05:19:32,800
Victoria herself remains present
in memory in influence and in 

5724
05:19:32,800 --> 05:19:37,300
the example of a life lived with
determination feeling and an 

5725
05:19:37,300 --> 05:19:40,800
unshakeable sense that Duty 
matters, love matters and 

5726
05:19:40,800 --> 05:19:43,200
showing up every day even when 
it's hard matters. 

5727
05:19:43,200 --> 05:19:47,200
Most of all Rest, easy. 
And may your dreams be gentle? 

5728
05:19:54,800 --> 05:19:57,600
You know how sometimes the most 
ridiculous moments in history 

5729
05:19:57,600 --> 05:20:00,600
happen, when powerful people try
to do something perfectly 

5730
05:20:00,600 --> 05:20:04,300
normal? 
Well, settle in because you're 

5731
05:20:04,300 --> 05:20:08,200
about to hear about the time, 
Napoleon Bonaparte conquer of 

5732
05:20:08,200 --> 05:20:11,000
Europe. 
Emperor of France, the man who 

5733
05:20:11,000 --> 05:20:14,700
redrew the map of the world got 
completely overwhelmed by a 

5734
05:20:14,700 --> 05:20:18,500
bunch of fluffy rabbits. 
Imagine Napoleon in July 1807. 

5735
05:20:18,500 --> 05:20:22,300
When his power was at his Peak, 
he is just signed the Treaty of 

5736
05:20:22,308 --> 05:20:25,100
tilsit with the Russia, which 
essentially divides Europe 

5737
05:20:25,100 --> 05:20:27,500
between him and Tsar, Alexander 
the firm as if they are 

5738
05:20:27,500 --> 05:20:30,900
splitting a pizza, the treaty 
negotiations, took place on a 

5739
05:20:30,900 --> 05:20:33,400
raft in the middle of the niemen
river, which sounds 

5740
05:20:33,400 --> 05:20:36,100
uncomfortable, but was 
apparently the fashionable way 

5741
05:20:36,100 --> 05:20:38,200
to conduct International 
diplomacy back there. 

5742
05:20:39,600 --> 05:20:41,700
Napoleon is feeling pretty good 
about himself. 

5743
05:20:41,700 --> 05:20:46,100
He's 37 years old, ruler of an 
Empire that stretches from Spain

5744
05:20:46,100 --> 05:20:48,900
to Poland and he's just 
convinced one of Europe's. 

5745
05:20:48,900 --> 05:20:51,500
Most powerful rulers to be his 
friend instead of his enemy. 

5746
05:20:52,100 --> 05:20:55,600
In his mind, the occasion calls 
for a celebration, this is not 

5747
05:20:55,600 --> 05:20:59,200
just any celebration but one 
that is fittingly Imperial and 

5748
05:20:59,200 --> 05:21:01,600
manly. 
So, what does the emperor of 

5749
05:21:01,600 --> 05:21:03,800
France decide to do? 
He wants to go hunting. 

5750
05:21:03,800 --> 05:21:06,200
Specifically, he wants to go 
rabbit hunting. 

5751
05:21:07,100 --> 05:21:09,900
Now, this may seem like a 
perfectly reasonable way for a 

5752
05:21:09,900 --> 05:21:13,900
powerful man to decompress after
all hunting was the traditional 

5753
05:21:13,900 --> 05:21:17,300
pastime of European nobility. 
It showed you had Leisure Time, 

5754
05:21:17,300 --> 05:21:20,100
excellent, aim and weren't 
afraid to get a little dirt 

5755
05:21:20,100 --> 05:21:23,800
under your fingernails. 
This is where Napoleon's 

5756
05:21:23,800 --> 05:21:27,400
personality begins to emerge. 
Napoleon cannot simply go 

5757
05:21:27,400 --> 05:21:29,000
hunting like any other 
individual. 

5758
05:21:29,000 --> 05:21:33,200
Everything has to be grand. 
Everything has to be perfect and

5759
05:21:33,200 --> 05:21:34,700
everything has to make a 
statement. 

5760
05:21:35,500 --> 05:21:37,700
He doesn't want to wander 
through the woods hoping to spot

5761
05:21:37,700 --> 05:21:40,500
a rabbit or two. 
He desires a hunt that is not 

5762
05:21:40,500 --> 05:21:44,100
only Grand but also spectacular 
a hunt that will leave a lasting

5763
05:21:44,100 --> 05:21:46,700
impression. 
He turns to his chief of staff 

5764
05:21:46,700 --> 05:21:50,500
aleksandra Bertier, and tells 
him to organize a rabbit hunt. 

5765
05:21:50,500 --> 05:21:54,300
This is not just any rabbit hunt
but a hunt fit for an emperor. 

5766
05:21:55,200 --> 05:21:57,200
Bertier, who is dealt with 
Napoleon's? 

5767
05:21:57,200 --> 05:22:01,200
Grandiose ideas for years? 
Probably sized internally, but 

5768
05:22:01,200 --> 05:22:04,800
immediately gets to work. 
After all, if your boss is just 

5769
05:22:04,800 --> 05:22:07,800
conquered most of Europe, you 
don't argue with him about party

5770
05:22:07,800 --> 05:22:09,300
planning. 
The location. 

5771
05:22:09,300 --> 05:22:12,200
Chosen is the grounds around 
Melissa Napoleon's country 

5772
05:22:12,200 --> 05:22:14,700
estate. 
It's a beautiful property with 

5773
05:22:14,700 --> 05:22:18,200
Rolling Hills scattered woods 
and plenty of open space. 

5774
05:22:18,200 --> 05:22:23,200
Perfect for a Hunting Party. 
The plan is simple, invite all 

5775
05:22:23,200 --> 05:22:25,500
the important Military Officers 
and government officials 

5776
05:22:25,500 --> 05:22:28,900
released hundreds of rabbits 
into the countryside, and then 

5777
05:22:28,900 --> 05:22:30,700
have a grand time, chasing them 
down. 

5778
05:22:31,900 --> 05:22:34,600
You can imagine Napoleon's 
excitement as the plans come 

5779
05:22:34,600 --> 05:22:36,800
together. 
He's probably pacing around his 

5780
05:22:36,800 --> 05:22:40,400
study hands clasped behind his 
back in that famous Posse 

5781
05:22:40,400 --> 05:22:43,400
detailing exactly how he wants 
everything arranged. 

5782
05:22:44,200 --> 05:22:45,900
The weapons must be cleaned and 
prepared. 

5783
05:22:45,900 --> 05:22:48,000
The Refreshments must be 
perfect. 

5784
05:22:48,000 --> 05:22:52,000
And then must be many rabbits. 
This phase is where busier 

5785
05:22:52,000 --> 05:22:54,200
starts to earn his reputation. 
As one of his history's, most 

5786
05:22:54,200 --> 05:22:57,500
competent staff officers, he 
understands that his Emperor 

5787
05:22:57,500 --> 05:23:00,800
doesn't just want to Hunting 
Party, he wants a hunting party 

5788
05:23:00,800 --> 05:23:04,300
that will become a legend. 
Bertier starts the planning 

5789
05:23:04,300 --> 05:23:06,200
process with the same 
meticulousness. 

5790
05:23:06,200 --> 05:23:08,300
He would apply to a military 
campaign. 

5791
05:23:09,100 --> 05:23:11,700
First, he needs to secure the 
hunting grounds. 

5792
05:23:11,700 --> 05:23:15,600
The estate must be properly 
prepared with beta's position to

5793
05:23:15,600 --> 05:23:17,100
drive the rabbits toward the 
hunters. 

5794
05:23:17,100 --> 05:23:20,100
Then there's the matter of 
weapons, fine. 

5795
05:23:20,100 --> 05:23:23,200
Hunting rifles, for all the 
guests, properly maintained and 

5796
05:23:23,200 --> 05:23:25,600
sighted food. 
And drink should also be 

5797
05:23:25,600 --> 05:23:29,100
provided for the guests as they 
will undoubtedly engage in a 

5798
05:23:29,100 --> 05:23:30,500
lengthy day of outdoor 
activities. 

5799
05:23:31,400 --> 05:23:33,800
They need to arrange 
transportation to and from the 

5800
05:23:33,800 --> 05:23:36,600
hunting grounds. 
It's starting to sound less like

5801
05:23:36,600 --> 05:23:39,500
a casual afternoon and more like
a logistical operation. 

5802
05:23:39,500 --> 05:23:43,400
But most importantly, Bertier 
needs rabbits Bertier. 

5803
05:23:43,400 --> 05:23:47,100
Requires an abundance of 
rabbits, the year is 1807, so 

5804
05:23:47,100 --> 05:23:49,600
it's not like he can just call 
up a rabbit supplier and place 

5805
05:23:49,600 --> 05:23:51,800
an order. 
He needs to find someone who can

5806
05:23:51,800 --> 05:23:53,700
provide hundreds of rabbits, on 
short notice. 

5807
05:23:53,700 --> 05:23:56,800
And they need to be the right 
kind of rabbits, healthy 

5808
05:23:56,800 --> 05:24:00,100
numerous and suitable for an 
imperial Hunting Party. 

5809
05:24:01,300 --> 05:24:04,200
As you drift off to night 
picture, Napoleon in his study 

5810
05:24:04,200 --> 05:24:07,400
completely absorbed in planning,
what he thinks will be a perfect

5811
05:24:07,400 --> 05:24:10,100
day of hunting with no idea that
he is about to face. 

5812
05:24:10,100 --> 05:24:12,300
One of the most embarrassing 
moments of his career. 

5813
05:24:12,300 --> 05:24:16,300
So there's Bertier Napoleon's 
most trusted organizer faceing. 

5814
05:24:16,300 --> 05:24:17,800
What might seem like a simple 
task? 

5815
05:24:17,800 --> 05:24:21,100
Get some rabbits for the 
emperor's hunting party but you 

5816
05:24:21,108 --> 05:24:23,400
know how it is when your boss 
wants something done perfectly 

5817
05:24:23,400 --> 05:24:26,100
suddenly, even the simplest job 
become complicated. 

5818
05:24:27,400 --> 05:24:30,200
Bertier starts by doing what any
sensible person would do. 

5819
05:24:30,200 --> 05:24:33,900
He asks around? 
Where does one acquire? 

5820
05:24:33,900 --> 05:24:36,000
Several hundred. 
Rabbits for a hunting party. 

5821
05:24:36,000 --> 05:24:39,100
It's not exactly the kind of 
question that comes up in normal

5822
05:24:39,100 --> 05:24:42,200
conversation. 
Oh, by the way, do you know 

5823
05:24:42,200 --> 05:24:45,200
anyone who has a few hundred 
rabbits lying around asking for 

5824
05:24:45,200 --> 05:24:47,700
an emperor? 
The answer it turns out is local

5825
05:24:47,700 --> 05:24:51,500
farmers and rabbit breeders. 
In early 19th century, France 

5826
05:24:51,500 --> 05:24:53,700
rabbit. 
Farming was actually quite 

5827
05:24:53,700 --> 05:24:57,400
common rabbits were reliable 
source of meat and fur. 

5828
05:24:57,400 --> 05:25:01,000
They reproduced quickly and they
didn't require much space or 

5829
05:25:01,000 --> 05:25:03,800
expensive feed. 
Your average French farmer. 

5830
05:25:03,800 --> 05:25:06,500
Probably had a dozen or so, 
Rapids, in Hutch's behind his 

5831
05:25:06,500 --> 05:25:08,900
house. 
But heated, doesn't need a 

5832
05:25:08,900 --> 05:25:10,600
doesn't rabbits. 
He needs hundreds. 

5833
05:25:11,400 --> 05:25:14,200
So he starts sending out his 
assistant to every farm and 

5834
05:25:14,200 --> 05:25:15,800
rabbit. 
Breeder, within a day's travel 

5835
05:25:15,800 --> 05:25:18,700
of males. 
On the messages simple, the 

5836
05:25:18,700 --> 05:25:21,800
emperor needs rabbits, and he 
needs them by a specific date. 

5837
05:25:21,800 --> 05:25:25,100
Money is no object. 
Now, you can imagine the 

5838
05:25:25,100 --> 05:25:27,700
conversations this must have 
sparked in, French Farmhouse 

5839
05:25:27,700 --> 05:25:29,600
houses. 
The emperor wants. 

5840
05:25:29,600 --> 05:25:32,700
Our rabbits does the emperor 
want them all the hunting? 

5841
05:25:33,500 --> 05:25:38,500
well, if Bonaparte wants rabbits
Bonaparte gets rabbits, It 

5842
05:25:38,500 --> 05:25:40,100
probably seemed like the most 
patriotic thing. 

5843
05:25:40,100 --> 05:25:41,700
A rabbit farmer could do for 
France. 

5844
05:25:42,600 --> 05:25:45,800
Words, spreads quickly through 
the farming communities imperial

5845
05:25:45,800 --> 05:25:48,500
agents, soon contact, every 
rabbit, breeder in the region, 

5846
05:25:48,500 --> 05:25:51,600
the demand is so high. 
That people start bringing 

5847
05:25:51,600 --> 05:25:55,100
rabbits from farther and farther
away, carts full of rabbit 

5848
05:25:55,100 --> 05:25:57,800
cages, start rolling toward 
melames on from all directions. 

5849
05:25:57,800 --> 05:25:59,900
But here's where things get 
intriguing. 

5850
05:25:59,900 --> 05:26:02,800
And we're Betty makes what 
historians now recognized as a 

5851
05:26:02,800 --> 05:26:05,300
crucial error. 
He's so focused on getting 

5852
05:26:05,300 --> 05:26:08,200
enough rabbits that he doesn't 
pay close attention to what kind

5853
05:26:08,200 --> 05:26:11,100
he's getting. 
You see, there are basically two

5854
05:26:11,100 --> 05:26:13,400
types of rabbits, you might 
encounter in this situation. 

5855
05:26:13,400 --> 05:26:16,500
There are wild rabbits, the kind
that live in the woods and 

5856
05:26:16,500 --> 05:26:19,700
Fields that are naturally wary 
of humans and will run away. 

5857
05:26:19,700 --> 05:26:22,500
The moment, they are released, 
these are the rabbits that would

5858
05:26:22,500 --> 05:26:26,200
make for proper hunting skittish
Swift and inclined to scatter in

5859
05:26:26,200 --> 05:26:29,300
all directions. 
The moment they sent Danger Then

5860
05:26:29,300 --> 05:26:32,600
there are domestic rabbits, the 
kind that farmers raise for meat

5861
05:26:32,600 --> 05:26:34,900
and fur. 
These rabbits have been bred for

5862
05:26:34,900 --> 05:26:37,700
generations to be docile well, 
fared and comfortable around 

5863
05:26:37,700 --> 05:26:40,300
humans. 
They used to being handled and 

5864
05:26:40,300 --> 05:26:43,300
used to being fed by people and 
they associate humans with food 

5865
05:26:43,300 --> 05:26:47,100
and safety rather than Danger. 
Bertier and his rushed to 

5866
05:26:47,100 --> 05:26:49,900
fulfill Napoleon's order ends up
with a mix of both types. 

5867
05:26:49,900 --> 05:26:53,000
But here's the problem, the 
domestic rabbits vastly 

5868
05:26:53,000 --> 05:26:56,700
outnumbered, the Wild Ones, most
local farmers and breeders are 

5869
05:26:56,700 --> 05:26:58,900
supplying domestic rabbits 
because they have a larger 

5870
05:26:58,900 --> 05:27:02,200
quantity of them and domestic 
rabbits, it turns out behave 

5871
05:27:02,200 --> 05:27:04,400
very differently from wild. 
Rabbits, when released into the 

5872
05:27:04,400 --> 05:27:08,000
countryside, as the day of the 
hunter approaches of rabbits in 

5873
05:27:08,000 --> 05:27:10,300
wooden cages are being 
transported to melanism. 

5874
05:27:10,300 --> 05:27:12,500
The logistics alone are 
impressive. 

5875
05:27:12,500 --> 05:27:16,400
You've got dozens of carts each 
loaded with rabbit cages 

5876
05:27:16,400 --> 05:27:19,700
converging on Napoleon's. 
Estate the rabbits are fed and 

5877
05:27:19,700 --> 05:27:23,300
watered kept in the shade and 
generally treated better than 

5878
05:27:23,300 --> 05:27:24,900
many soldiers in Napoleon's 
Army. 

5879
05:27:25,600 --> 05:27:28,500
The staff at malmas on, is 
probably a bit bewildered by the

5880
05:27:28,500 --> 05:27:32,000
whole operation. 
Stable boys are suddenly dealing

5881
05:27:32,000 --> 05:27:33,900
with hundreds of rabbits and 
stead of Horses. 

5882
05:27:33,900 --> 05:27:36,900
The groundskeepers are being 
asked to help prepare release 

5883
05:27:36,900 --> 05:27:39,700
points for the rabbits. 
The kitchen staff is also 

5884
05:27:39,700 --> 05:27:42,700
involved, as they must provide 
food for all the rabbits and the

5885
05:27:42,700 --> 05:27:45,300
hunt day. 
Meanwhile, Napoleon is getting 

5886
05:27:45,300 --> 05:27:47,900
more and more excited about his 
upcoming Hunting Party. 

5887
05:27:48,600 --> 05:27:52,300
Napoleon is likely examining his
hunting rifle strategizing with 

5888
05:27:52,300 --> 05:27:55,500
his officers and envisioning. 
The tales that will unfold from 

5889
05:27:55,500 --> 05:27:58,600
the Magnificent hunt. 
In his mind, it's going to be a 

5890
05:27:58,600 --> 05:28:00,700
perfect day. 
Good weather, good company. 

5891
05:28:00,700 --> 05:28:03,100
And plenty of rabbits to provide
exciting sport. 

5892
05:28:03,900 --> 05:28:05,900
Bertier. 
Meanwhile is dealing with the 

5893
05:28:05,908 --> 05:28:08,800
Practical details. 
Could you please advise on the 

5894
05:28:08,800 --> 05:28:10,800
optimal location for releasing 
the rabbits? 

5895
05:28:10,800 --> 05:28:12,800
How many should be released at 
once? 

5896
05:28:12,800 --> 05:28:16,100
Should they be released all at 
the same time or in waves to 

5897
05:28:16,108 --> 05:28:17,900
keep the hunting interesting 
throughout the day? 

5898
05:28:18,800 --> 05:28:21,300
These are the kinds of questions
that don't come up in military 

5899
05:28:21,300 --> 05:28:24,400
planning, but they're crucial 
for a successful Hunting Party. 

5900
05:28:24,400 --> 05:28:27,800
The decision is made to release 
all the rabbits at once from 

5901
05:28:27,800 --> 05:28:30,900
several different points around 
the hunting grounds, the move 

5902
05:28:30,900 --> 05:28:33,600
should provide plenty of targets
and ensure that the rabbit 

5903
05:28:33,600 --> 05:28:36,400
scatter in all directions, 
giving everyone a good chance at

5904
05:28:36,400 --> 05:28:38,900
some hunting. 
It seems like a perfectly 

5905
05:28:38,900 --> 05:28:42,600
reasonable plan, as you go to 
bed, imagine the rabbits in 

5906
05:28:42,600 --> 05:28:45,600
their cages unaware that they 
are about to make history in the

5907
05:28:45,608 --> 05:28:48,400
most unexpected way, the morning
of the great rabbit. 

5908
05:28:48,400 --> 05:28:51,700
Hunt Dawn's, clear and bright. 
Kind of summer day, that makes 

5909
05:28:51,700 --> 05:28:53,400
you want to be outside doing 
something active. 

5910
05:28:54,300 --> 05:28:56,500
Napoleon wakes up in an 
excellent mood. 

5911
05:28:56,500 --> 05:28:59,500
Probably humming to himself as 
he gets dressed in his hunting 

5912
05:28:59,500 --> 05:29:01,700
outfit. 
He's chose in his clothes 

5913
05:29:01,700 --> 05:29:04,800
carefully elegant. 
But practical, the fitting and 

5914
05:29:04,800 --> 05:29:07,100
Emperor whose about to 
demonstrate his prowess in the 

5915
05:29:07,100 --> 05:29:10,300
field, you can pick him standing
in front of his mirror, 

5916
05:29:10,300 --> 05:29:13,100
adjusting, his coat. 
Making sure everything is 

5917
05:29:13,100 --> 05:29:15,500
perfect. 
This isn't just a hunting trip. 

5918
05:29:15,500 --> 05:29:19,000
It's a performance. 
Napoleon wants to present 

5919
05:29:19,000 --> 05:29:22,300
himself as a masterful huntsman 
to all the important people in 

5920
05:29:22,300 --> 05:29:24,300
his government and Military who 
will be present. 

5921
05:29:25,700 --> 05:29:28,400
The guests start arriving at 
malmas in the late morning. 

5922
05:29:28,400 --> 05:29:31,800
These aren't just casual friends
invited for a day of sport. 

5923
05:29:31,800 --> 05:29:35,300
These are the power Brokers of 
the French Empire, Military 

5924
05:29:35,300 --> 05:29:37,300
Officers, who've helped Napoleon
conquer Europe. 

5925
05:29:37,300 --> 05:29:41,000
Government officials who run his
administration and diplomats who

5926
05:29:41,000 --> 05:29:44,000
negotiate his treaties, 
Everyone's dressed in their 

5927
05:29:44,000 --> 05:29:46,800
finest hunting attire, carrying 
beautiful rifles. 

5928
05:29:46,800 --> 05:29:49,900
Looking forward to a day of 
Imperial entertainment. 

5929
05:29:50,700 --> 05:29:54,600
The atmosphere is festive and 
relaxed after years of constant 

5930
05:29:54,600 --> 05:29:56,300
Warfare. 
Everyone's ready for a break. 

5931
05:29:56,300 --> 05:30:00,100
The Treaty of tilsit has brought
to Temporary peace to Europe and

5932
05:30:00,100 --> 05:30:03,000
for the first time in years 
Napoleon's in a circle can 

5933
05:30:03,000 --> 05:30:05,600
gather without discussing 
military campaigns or political 

5934
05:30:05,600 --> 05:30:08,900
crises it's just going to be a 
pleasant day of hunting tasty 

5935
05:30:08,900 --> 05:30:11,900
food and masculine camaraderie. 
Bertie. 

5936
05:30:11,900 --> 05:30:14,400
A meanwhile, is running around 
making sure everything is 

5937
05:30:14,400 --> 05:30:16,500
perfect. 
He's coordinating with the 

5938
05:30:16,500 --> 05:30:18,800
beaters, who will drive the 
rabbits toward the hunters. 

5939
05:30:18,800 --> 05:30:21,800
Checking that the refreshment 
stations are properly stocked 

5940
05:30:21,800 --> 05:30:25,100
and making sure all the rifles 
are in excellent working order. 

5941
05:30:25,900 --> 05:30:28,700
He's also supervising the final 
preparation for the Rapid 

5942
05:30:28,700 --> 05:30:31,100
Release. 
Throughout the hunting grounds. 

5943
05:30:31,100 --> 05:30:34,400
The rabbits themselves are 
placed in key, locations of 

5944
05:30:34,400 --> 05:30:36,900
cages are scattered through the 
woods and Fields. 

5945
05:30:36,900 --> 05:30:40,200
Each one containing several 
rabbits ready to be released on 

5946
05:30:40,200 --> 05:30:44,700
Signal The plan is beautifully. 
Simple, when Napoleon gives the 

5947
05:30:44,700 --> 05:30:47,300
word, all the cages will be open
simultaneously. 

5948
05:30:47,300 --> 05:30:50,600
Releasing a small army of 
rabbits into the countryside. 

5949
05:30:50,600 --> 05:30:53,800
The hunters will then fan out, 
and begin their sport. 

5950
05:30:54,600 --> 05:30:57,700
What nobody realizes that the 
majority of these rabbits have 

5951
05:30:57,700 --> 05:30:59,400
spent their entire lives in 
captivity. 

5952
05:31:00,300 --> 05:31:04,500
They've been hand fed by Farmers
handled by humans and generally 

5953
05:31:04,500 --> 05:31:06,900
treated as livestock rather than
wild animals. 

5954
05:31:07,800 --> 05:31:09,500
They don't have the instincts 
that would make them good 

5955
05:31:09,500 --> 05:31:11,100
hunting targets, they don't 
know. 

5956
05:31:11,100 --> 05:31:12,700
They're supposed to be afraid of
humans. 

5957
05:31:14,300 --> 05:31:17,700
The Hunting Party gathers in the
main field and Napoleon gives a 

5958
05:31:17,700 --> 05:31:19,200
little speech about the days 
activities. 

5959
05:31:19,200 --> 05:31:23,500
He's in his element commanding 
attention, setting the tone for 

5960
05:31:23,500 --> 05:31:25,100
what he expects to be a 
memorable day. 

5961
05:31:26,000 --> 05:31:28,900
The rifles are loaded. 
The beaters are in position and 

5962
05:31:28,900 --> 05:31:30,600
everyone's ready for the grand 
release. 

5963
05:31:31,600 --> 05:31:34,500
Bertier, gives the signal and 
all across the hunting grounds 

5964
05:31:34,500 --> 05:31:38,400
cage, doors, swing open. 
Hundreds of rabbits, hop out 

5965
05:31:38,400 --> 05:31:41,400
into the sunshine, probably 
blinking in the southern 

5966
05:31:41,400 --> 05:31:44,000
brightness and looking around to
get their bearings. 

5967
05:31:45,500 --> 05:31:48,200
For a brief moment, everything 
appears to be proceeding as 

5968
05:31:48,200 --> 05:31:50,800
planned. 
The hunters spread out across 

5969
05:31:50,800 --> 05:31:54,500
the field rifles, ready 
expecting the rabbits to scatter

5970
05:31:54,500 --> 05:31:57,000
in all directions and provide 
them with moving targets. 

5971
05:31:58,100 --> 05:32:00,800
Napoleon himself takes a 
position in the center of the 

5972
05:32:00,800 --> 05:32:02,100
field. 
Probably. 

5973
05:32:02,100 --> 05:32:04,900
Feeling very satisfied with how 
well everything is organized. 

5974
05:32:05,600 --> 05:32:08,900
But then something unexpected 
happens instead of running away 

5975
05:32:08,900 --> 05:32:11,100
from the humans. 
The rabbits start moving toward 

5976
05:32:11,100 --> 05:32:14,800
them, not just a few rabbits, 
but dozens of them, then 

5977
05:32:14,800 --> 05:32:18,100
hundreds, they're hopping across
the field with what appears to 

5978
05:32:18,100 --> 05:32:20,000
be. 
Determination heading straight 

5979
05:32:20,000 --> 05:32:23,200
for the hunting party. 
At first, the scene probably 

5980
05:32:23,200 --> 05:32:26,200
seems amusing rather than 
alarming, maybe Napoleon 

5981
05:32:26,200 --> 05:32:28,000
Chuckles and makes a joke about 
Brave. 

5982
05:32:28,000 --> 05:32:30,300
Rabbits. 
Maybe some of the officers laugh

5983
05:32:30,300 --> 05:32:32,800
about rabbits that don't know 
their supposed to be afraid of 

5984
05:32:32,800 --> 05:32:35,500
hunters. 
It's quirky and unexpected but 

5985
05:32:35,500 --> 05:32:39,400
not necessarily problematic but 
the rabbits keep coming and more

5986
05:32:39,400 --> 05:32:40,900
rabbits, keep emerging from the 
woods. 

5987
05:32:40,900 --> 05:32:44,200
And instead of providing moving 
targets, running away from the 

5988
05:32:44,200 --> 05:32:47,500
hunters, their converging on the
humans like their expecting 

5989
05:32:47,500 --> 05:32:50,300
something, which of course they 
are. 

5990
05:32:50,300 --> 05:32:54,200
They are expecting to be fed, 
just like they've been fed every

5991
05:32:54,200 --> 05:32:58,300
day of their lives. 
The Hunting Party Starts to 

5992
05:32:58,300 --> 05:33:01,000
realize that something is going 
very wrong with their carefully 

5993
05:33:01,000 --> 05:33:04,000
planned day of sport. 
These aren't wild rabbits 

5994
05:33:04,000 --> 05:33:06,800
behaving, like wild rabbits, 
these are domestic. 

5995
05:33:06,800 --> 05:33:09,800
Rabbits behaving, like domestic,
rabbits and domestic rabbits 

5996
05:33:09,800 --> 05:33:12,300
have very different ideas about 
what humans are for. 

5997
05:33:13,200 --> 05:33:16,300
As you drift off to sleep. 
Imagine Napoleon standing in 

5998
05:33:16,300 --> 05:33:19,300
that field rifle. 
In he observing hundreds of 

5999
05:33:19,308 --> 05:33:22,500
rabbits, hopping toward him with
an unmistakable confidence and 

6000
05:33:22,500 --> 05:33:25,500
beginning to realize that his 
perfect Hunting Party is about 

6001
05:33:25,500 --> 05:33:27,800
to transform into something 
entirely different. 

6002
05:33:27,800 --> 05:33:31,400
Do you recall the moment when 
you become aware of a dire 

6003
05:33:31,400 --> 05:33:33,800
situation? 
Yet uncertain about how to 

6004
05:33:33,800 --> 05:33:36,600
address it? 
That's exactly where Napoleon 

6005
05:33:36,600 --> 05:33:40,300
finds himself as of rabbits 
continue hopping toward the 

6006
05:33:40,300 --> 05:33:43,600
hunting party with what can only
be described as enthusiasm. 

6007
05:33:44,400 --> 05:33:47,100
At first, the situation is more 
puzzling than an alarming. 

6008
05:33:47,100 --> 05:33:50,700
These are supposed to be prey 
animals after all their supposed

6009
05:33:50,700 --> 05:33:52,800
to run away when they see humans
with rifles. 

6010
05:33:52,800 --> 05:33:56,700
Instead, there are approaching 
like their expecting a handout. 

6011
05:33:57,600 --> 05:34:00,700
Some of the officers are still 
chuckling nervously making jokes

6012
05:34:00,700 --> 05:34:03,600
about Fearless French rabbits 
showing their patriotic spirit. 

6013
05:34:04,400 --> 05:34:07,300
But the rabbits keep coming and 
they're not just approaching 

6014
05:34:07,300 --> 05:34:09,400
their surrounding the hunting 
party. 

6015
05:34:09,400 --> 05:34:11,300
It's like watching a slow 
motion. 

6016
05:34:11,300 --> 05:34:13,500
Avalanche of fur, and floppy 
ears. 

6017
05:34:14,400 --> 05:34:17,400
The rabbits hopped closer and 
closer, and some of them start 

6018
05:34:17,400 --> 05:34:19,800
doing what domestic rabbits do 
when they want attention from 

6019
05:34:19,800 --> 05:34:22,500
humans. 
They start climbing picture, 

6020
05:34:22,500 --> 05:34:25,500
imagine Napoleon, the emperor of
France and conqueror of Europe 

6021
05:34:25,500 --> 05:34:28,900
standing in a field As Rabbits 
begin hopping onto his boots. 

6022
05:34:29,700 --> 05:34:32,000
Then onto his legs, then up with
his coat. 

6023
05:34:32,600 --> 05:34:35,300
These aren't tiny rabbits, 
either, these are well-fed farm,

6024
05:34:35,300 --> 05:34:38,600
rabbits, some of them weighing 
several pounds each and they're 

6025
05:34:38,600 --> 05:34:40,600
treating Napoleon. 
Like he's their favorite farmer 

6026
05:34:40,600 --> 05:34:43,000
coming to feed them. 
The other Hunters are 

6027
05:34:43,000 --> 05:34:46,000
experiencing the same problem, 
rabbits are climbing all over 

6028
05:34:46,000 --> 05:34:48,800
them getting tangled in their 
hunting gear and generally 

6029
05:34:48,800 --> 05:34:51,800
behaving like overly Friendly 
Pets rather than Wild game. 

6030
05:34:52,800 --> 05:34:55,400
Some of the officers are trying 
to gently push the rabbits away,

6031
05:34:55,400 --> 05:34:58,400
but there are too many of them 
and they keep coming. 

6032
05:34:59,900 --> 05:35:03,100
Napoleon's initial Amusement is 
rapidly turning to irritation. 

6033
05:35:03,100 --> 05:35:06,600
This is not how an imperial 
Hunting Party supposed to go. 

6034
05:35:06,600 --> 05:35:10,500
He supposed to be demonstrating 
his Marksmanship enjoying 

6035
05:35:10,500 --> 05:35:13,500
civilized Sport with his 
colleague's and creating stories

6036
05:35:13,500 --> 05:35:14,700
that will enhance his 
reputation. 

6037
05:35:15,700 --> 05:35:19,600
Instead he is being overwhelmed 
by affectionate rabbits the 

6038
05:35:19,600 --> 05:35:21,800
situation gets worse. 
When the rabbit started 

6039
05:35:21,800 --> 05:35:24,900
exhibiting more aggressive 
behavior They are not aggressive

6040
05:35:24,900 --> 05:35:27,800
in the sense of attacking but 
aggressive in the sense of 

6041
05:35:27,800 --> 05:35:31,200
relentlessly pursuing their 
desires and what they want 

6042
05:35:31,200 --> 05:35:34,500
having been trained by a 
lifetime of human interaction is

6043
05:35:34,500 --> 05:35:37,400
food and attention from these 
humans who have appeared in 

6044
05:35:37,400 --> 05:35:40,500
their territory. 
Some of the larger rabbits begin

6045
05:35:40,500 --> 05:35:43,500
to exhibit Bolder Behavior. 
They're not just climbing on the

6046
05:35:43,500 --> 05:35:47,100
hunters, they are exploring 
Pockets chewing on clothing and 

6047
05:35:47,100 --> 05:35:50,100
generally, treating The Hunting 
Party like a mobile petting zoo 

6048
05:35:50,100 --> 05:35:53,500
Napoleon finds himself with 
rabbits in his coat Pockets 

6049
05:35:53,500 --> 05:35:56,800
rabbits tugging at his buttons 
and rabbits that seemed 

6050
05:35:56,800 --> 05:35:59,200
determined to climb all the way 
up to his shoulders. 

6051
05:35:59,900 --> 05:36:03,200
The rifles intended for hunting 
turn into completely useless 

6052
05:36:03,200 --> 05:36:05,500
tools. 
You can't shoot at rabbits that 

6053
05:36:05,508 --> 05:36:07,500
are climbing all over you 
without risking injury, to 

6054
05:36:07,500 --> 05:36:10,400
yourself or your fellow hunters.
And even if you could get a 

6055
05:36:10,408 --> 05:36:13,400
clear shot, these rabbits are so
tame and friendly that shooting 

6056
05:36:13,400 --> 05:36:15,600
them would feel less like 
hunting and more like Massacre 

6057
05:36:15,600 --> 05:36:18,000
Bertier. 
Watching This Disaster unfold 

6058
05:36:18,000 --> 05:36:20,400
probably realizes exactly what 
went wrong. 

6059
05:36:21,200 --> 05:36:24,400
Instead of encountering wild. 
Rabbits beta has encountered 

6060
05:36:24,400 --> 05:36:28,400
domestic rabbits who view humans
are sources of food and comfort 

6061
05:36:28,400 --> 05:36:32,100
rather than as potential 
predators But realizing the 

6062
05:36:32,100 --> 05:36:34,600
problem and fixing it, a two 
different things, especially 

6063
05:36:34,600 --> 05:36:36,900
when you're dealing with 
hundreds of determined rabbits, 

6064
05:36:36,900 --> 05:36:39,900
the hunters try various 
strategies to deal with their 

6065
05:36:39,900 --> 05:36:43,400
situation, some attempt to walk 
away from the rabbits but the 

6066
05:36:43,400 --> 05:36:46,400
rabbit simply follow them. 
Treating the scenario is a fun 

6067
05:36:46,408 --> 05:36:48,800
game. 
Others try to shoo the rabbits 

6068
05:36:48,800 --> 05:36:52,300
away but the rabbits interpret 
this as playful interaction and 

6069
05:36:52,300 --> 05:36:55,200
become even more enthusiastic 
Napoleon. 

6070
05:36:55,200 --> 05:36:57,900
Meanwhile is getting genuinely 
frustrated, he's trying to 

6071
05:36:57,908 --> 05:37:00,500
maintain his Imperial dignity 
while literally covered in 

6072
05:37:00,500 --> 05:37:03,800
rabbits, every time he manages 
to remove one rabbit from his 

6073
05:37:03,800 --> 05:37:05,700
person, two more, take its 
place. 

6074
05:37:05,700 --> 05:37:09,300
His carefully planned hunting. 
Outfit is getting covered in a 

6075
05:37:09,300 --> 05:37:11,600
rabbit fur and possibly other 
things that rabbits leave 

6076
05:37:11,600 --> 05:37:13,900
behind. 
The other members of The Hunting

6077
05:37:13,900 --> 05:37:15,100
Party are having their 
struggles. 

6078
05:37:15,100 --> 05:37:18,600
These men important government 
officials and Military Officers 

6079
05:37:18,600 --> 05:37:21,200
are accustomed to receiving 
respect and deference. 

6080
05:37:21,200 --> 05:37:25,000
Instead they're being treated 
like walking Rabbit toys by an 

6081
05:37:25,000 --> 05:37:27,000
army of overly friendly farm 
animals. 

6082
05:37:28,000 --> 05:37:30,300
Beaters who were supposed to 
drive the rabbits toward the 

6083
05:37:30,300 --> 05:37:32,600
hunters a standing around 
looking confused. 

6084
05:37:32,600 --> 05:37:35,300
Their job was to make sure the 
rabbits ran in the right 

6085
05:37:35,300 --> 05:37:37,700
direction, but these rabbits 
don't need to be driven 

6086
05:37:37,700 --> 05:37:40,300
anywhere. 
The rabbits are precisely where 

6087
05:37:40,300 --> 05:37:43,100
they should be swarming all over
the humans. 

6088
05:37:43,100 --> 05:37:44,600
They believe are there to feed 
them. 

6089
05:37:45,300 --> 05:37:48,600
As the situation continues to 
deteriorate Napoleon starts, 

6090
05:37:48,600 --> 05:37:52,000
giving orders is a military 
commander after all and his 

6091
05:37:52,000 --> 05:37:54,600
instinct when faced with a 
crisis is to take charge and 

6092
05:37:54,608 --> 05:37:57,900
start issuing commands. 
What exactly do you instruct 

6093
05:37:57,900 --> 05:38:01,500
when you're being surrounded by 
amiable rabbits Retreat from the

6094
05:38:01,500 --> 05:38:04,100
Rabbit, doesn't sound very 
Imperial tonight. 

6095
05:38:04,100 --> 05:38:07,200
As you settle in picture, 
Napoleon standing in that field,

6096
05:38:07,200 --> 05:38:09,900
his Imperial composure, 
beginning to crack as he 

6097
05:38:09,900 --> 05:38:11,600
realizes that he's about to 
suffer. 

6098
05:38:11,600 --> 05:38:13,700
One of the most ridiculous 
defeats of his career. 

6099
05:38:13,700 --> 05:38:16,800
At the hands of creatures, that 
weigh less than his boots. 

6100
05:38:16,800 --> 05:38:20,200
Every disaster culminates in a 
realization that maintaining 

6101
05:38:20,200 --> 05:38:24,500
dignity is no longer a luxury. 
For Napoleon that moment arrives

6102
05:38:24,500 --> 05:38:27,500
when a particularly large rabbit
managers to climb all the way 

6103
05:38:27,500 --> 05:38:29,500
up, his coat and perch on his 
shoulder. 

6104
05:38:29,500 --> 05:38:33,800
Like some kind of furry 
floppy-eared parrot, The emperor

6105
05:38:33,800 --> 05:38:35,900
of France, the man who has 
stared down the armies of 

6106
05:38:35,908 --> 05:38:39,400
Austria Prussia and Russia 
fighting himself in the utterly 

6107
05:38:39,400 --> 05:38:43,000
ridiculous position of being 
unable to dislodge a single 

6108
05:38:43,000 --> 05:38:45,800
rabbit from his personal without
losing his balance and 

6109
05:38:45,800 --> 05:38:49,000
potentially falling over. 
naturally dozens of other 

6110
05:38:49,000 --> 05:38:51,400
rabbits surround His Feet 
hopping back and forth, 

6111
05:38:51,400 --> 05:38:55,400
rendering any abrupt movement, 
hazardous You can imagine the 

6112
05:38:55,400 --> 05:38:57,700
thoughts going through 
Napoleon's head at this moment. 

6113
05:38:57,700 --> 05:39:00,500
This is supposed to be a 
relaxing day of sport. 

6114
05:39:00,500 --> 05:39:04,400
A chance to unwind with his 
closest Associates and enjoy 

6115
05:39:04,400 --> 05:39:06,200
some traditional aristocratic 
entertainment. 

6116
05:39:07,100 --> 05:39:10,600
Instead an army of overly 
affectionate farm animals is 

6117
05:39:10,600 --> 05:39:14,200
treating him like a jungle gym. 
The other Hunters are faring, 

6118
05:39:14,200 --> 05:39:16,600
know better. 
The creatures that eat lettuce 

6119
05:39:16,600 --> 05:39:19,200
are defeating these seasoned 
Military Officers who have 

6120
05:39:19,200 --> 05:39:20,800
charged into battle without 
flinching. 

6121
05:39:21,800 --> 05:39:24,400
Some of them are trying to 
maintain their composure, but 

6122
05:39:24,400 --> 05:39:27,000
it's hard to look dignified when
you're covered in rabbit fur and

6123
05:39:27,000 --> 05:39:28,800
there's a rabbit trying to nest 
in your hat. 

6124
05:39:30,300 --> 05:39:33,900
The situation reaches its peak, 
when someone history doesn't 

6125
05:39:33,900 --> 05:39:37,200
record, who makes the Fatal 
mistake of trying to run away 

6126
05:39:37,200 --> 05:39:39,800
from the rabbits. 
Perhaps, it's one of the younger

6127
05:39:39,800 --> 05:39:42,800
officers, someone who thinks he 
can simply outrun the problem. 

6128
05:39:42,800 --> 05:39:45,700
But running turns out to be 
exactly the wrong strategy, 

6129
05:39:45,700 --> 05:39:48,900
because it triggers every 
rabbits instinct to chase after 

6130
05:39:48,900 --> 05:39:51,600
something that's moving. 
Suddenly instead of just 

6131
05:39:51,600 --> 05:39:54,200
climbing on the stationary 
humans, the rabbits start 

6132
05:39:54,200 --> 05:39:57,800
hopping off after the running 
humans and rabbits, it turns out

6133
05:39:57,800 --> 05:40:00,000
a surprisingly fast when they 
want to be. 

6134
05:40:00,900 --> 05:40:04,200
They can hop at speeds of up to 
25 miles per hour, which is 

6135
05:40:04,200 --> 05:40:06,900
considerably fast than most 
humans can run while carrying 

6136
05:40:06,900 --> 05:40:09,800
hunting rifles and wearing 
formal hunting attire. 

6137
05:40:10,800 --> 05:40:13,800
Napoleon seeing one of his 
officers being chased across the

6138
05:40:13,800 --> 05:40:17,400
field by a horde of bouncing, 
rabbits probably realizes that 

6139
05:40:17,400 --> 05:40:20,900
the situation has moved Beyond 
embarrassing and into the realm 

6140
05:40:20,900 --> 05:40:24,400
of the completely absurd. 
This is the kind of seen that 

6141
05:40:24,400 --> 05:40:26,600
would be funny if it were 
happening to someone else but is

6142
05:40:26,600 --> 05:40:29,400
absolutely mortifying when it's 
happening to you. 

6143
05:40:30,700 --> 05:40:33,800
The decision is reached though. 
It is not entirely clear who 

6144
05:40:33,800 --> 05:40:36,400
made it that the Hunting Party 
should retreat. 

6145
05:40:37,100 --> 05:40:39,800
It's not a tactical 
repositioning or a strategic 

6146
05:40:39,800 --> 05:40:43,000
withdrawal, but a genuine 
Retreat from an army of rabbits.

6147
05:40:43,700 --> 05:40:47,200
Napoleon who has never retreated
from a human enemy is about to 

6148
05:40:47,208 --> 05:40:50,400
retreat from a bunch of farm 
animals but retreating from 

6149
05:40:50,400 --> 05:40:52,900
Rabbits, turns out to be more 
complicated than retreating. 

6150
05:40:52,900 --> 05:40:56,000
From say, Austrian Cavalry. 
The rabbits don't understand 

6151
05:40:56,000 --> 05:40:59,000
military protocol, they don't 
recognize surrender Flags or 

6152
05:40:59,000 --> 05:41:01,400
ceasefire signals. 
They just see their favorite 

6153
05:41:01,400 --> 05:41:04,000
humans trying to leave and their
determined to follow. 

6154
05:41:05,300 --> 05:41:08,200
The hunting party starts moving 
toward their carriages, but the 

6155
05:41:08,200 --> 05:41:11,400
rabbits move with them. 
It's like trying to evacuate a 

6156
05:41:11,400 --> 05:41:14,000
building while being followed by
hundreds of overly enthusiastic 

6157
05:41:14,000 --> 05:41:16,900
pets. 
Every step toward the carriages 

6158
05:41:16,900 --> 05:41:20,000
as a company by a bouncing. 
Escort of rabbits who seem to 

6159
05:41:20,000 --> 05:41:22,900
think their presence is the most
entertaining thing that's ever 

6160
05:41:22,900 --> 05:41:25,600
happened to them. 
Napoleon trying to maintain 

6161
05:41:25,600 --> 05:41:27,400
some. 
Semblance of Imperial dignity 

6162
05:41:27,400 --> 05:41:31,600
walks as calmly as he can toward
his Carriage, but it's hard to 

6163
05:41:31,600 --> 05:41:34,500
look Imperial when your brushing
rabbits off your coat, every few

6164
05:41:34,500 --> 05:41:36,900
steps and there's rabbit fur 
floating around. 

6165
05:41:36,900 --> 05:41:40,900
You like some kind of Barnyard, 
snowstorm The carriages when 

6166
05:41:40,900 --> 05:41:42,900
they finally reach them present 
their problems. 

6167
05:41:43,600 --> 05:41:47,400
The rabbits completely terrify 
the horses horses and rabbits 

6168
05:41:47,400 --> 05:41:50,600
don't normally interact and the 
horses aren't sure what to make 

6169
05:41:50,600 --> 05:41:52,800
of these small bounce and 
creatures that keep hopping 

6170
05:41:52,800 --> 05:41:55,700
around their hooves. 
Some of the horses are dancing. 

6171
05:41:55,700 --> 05:41:59,400
Nervously, others are trying to 
back away and the Coachmen are 

6172
05:41:59,400 --> 05:42:00,500
struggling to keep them under 
control. 

6173
05:42:01,700 --> 05:42:04,300
Getting into the carriages 
becomes an operation in itself. 

6174
05:42:04,300 --> 05:42:07,400
The moment someone opens a 
carriage door rabbit start 

6175
05:42:07,400 --> 05:42:10,600
trying to hop inside they're not
being malicious, they just want 

6176
05:42:10,600 --> 05:42:13,200
to continue their interaction 
with these fascinating humans. 

6177
05:42:14,500 --> 05:42:17,000
But having a carriage full of 
rabbits, is not exactly what 

6178
05:42:17,000 --> 05:42:19,500
Napoleon had in mind for his 
dignified departure. 

6179
05:42:20,400 --> 05:42:23,800
The scene becomes increasingly 
chaotic as The Hunting Party 

6180
05:42:23,800 --> 05:42:26,500
tries to separate themselves 
from their rabbit to admires 

6181
05:42:27,500 --> 05:42:29,900
Some of the officers are 
literally having to pick rabbits

6182
05:42:29,900 --> 05:42:32,700
off themselves and set them down
before climbing into carriages, 

6183
05:42:32,700 --> 05:42:35,800
others are trying to create 
barriers to keep the rabbits 

6184
05:42:35,800 --> 05:42:38,900
from following them. 
Napoleon finally makes it to his

6185
05:42:38,900 --> 05:42:41,600
Carriage probably with less 
Grace than he's used to 

6186
05:42:41,608 --> 05:42:44,900
displaying in public. 
The Coachman, who was never 

6187
05:42:44,900 --> 05:42:48,100
dealt with a rabbit Siege before
his doing his best, to keep the 

6188
05:42:48,100 --> 05:42:50,000
rabbits from climbing onto the 
carriage itself. 

6189
05:42:50,900 --> 05:42:53,500
Some of the more athletic 
rabbits are actually managing to

6190
05:42:53,500 --> 05:42:55,800
hop onto the running boards and 
peer into the windows. 

6191
05:42:56,500 --> 05:42:59,600
As you drift off tonight. 
Imagine Napoleon sitting in his 

6192
05:42:59,600 --> 05:43:03,400
Carriage, looking out at a field
full of rabbits who are probably

6193
05:43:03,400 --> 05:43:06,400
wondering why their new human 
friends are leaving and trying 

6194
05:43:06,400 --> 05:43:08,900
to figure out how he's going to 
explain the matter to anyone. 

6195
05:43:08,900 --> 05:43:11,700
The carriage ride back to 
malema's, or is probably one of 

6196
05:43:11,700 --> 05:43:13,800
the most awkward Journeys in 
Napoleon's life. 

6197
05:43:14,600 --> 05:43:17,800
Here he is the Emperor France 
fresh from one of the most 

6198
05:43:17,800 --> 05:43:21,300
embarrassing defeats in military
history and he has to sit there 

6199
05:43:21,300 --> 05:43:24,100
with rabbit first still clinging
to his coat while pretending 

6200
05:43:24,100 --> 05:43:25,900
that what just happened. 
Was somehow normal. 

6201
05:43:25,900 --> 05:43:28,500
You can imagine the silence in 
that Carriage. 

6202
05:43:28,500 --> 05:43:31,800
How do you address the situation
after being unexpectedly? 

6203
05:43:31,800 --> 05:43:33,800
Overrun by a group of domestic. 
Rabbits. 

6204
05:43:34,500 --> 05:43:36,800
How might one present that in a 
way that appears impressive 

6205
05:43:36,800 --> 05:43:40,600
rather than absurd? 
Napoleon who typically possesses

6206
05:43:40,600 --> 05:43:44,300
a well of words, like he spends 
the entire Journey attempting to

6207
05:43:44,300 --> 05:43:47,800
contextualize This Disaster. 
The other carriages are dealing 

6208
05:43:47,800 --> 05:43:49,600
with their own awkward 
situations. 

6209
05:43:49,600 --> 05:43:52,200
These are high ranking military 
officers and government 

6210
05:43:52,200 --> 05:43:54,400
officials who have just 
experienced something that 

6211
05:43:54,400 --> 05:43:57,700
defies all their training and 
experience they've been in 

6212
05:43:57,700 --> 05:44:00,400
battles. 
They've negotiated treaters and 

6213
05:44:00,400 --> 05:44:03,400
they've dealt with political 
crises but none of that prepared

6214
05:44:03,400 --> 05:44:06,000
them for being climbed on by 
overly friendly farm animals. 

6215
05:44:06,700 --> 05:44:09,600
Some officers may be joking to 
lighten the mood, but what do 

6216
05:44:09,600 --> 05:44:12,100
you joke about when rabbits have
just defeated your Emperor? 

6217
05:44:12,100 --> 05:44:15,700
Others are maintaining a 
dignified silence pretending 

6218
05:44:15,700 --> 05:44:17,200
that nothing unusual has 
happened. 

6219
05:44:17,200 --> 05:44:20,100
A few are probably already 
trying to figure out how to tell

6220
05:44:20,100 --> 05:44:22,600
this story to their wives 
without sounding completely 

6221
05:44:22,600 --> 05:44:25,600
insane. 
Meanwhile, back at the hunting 

6222
05:44:25,600 --> 05:44:29,800
grounds Bertier is left to deal 
with the aftermath, but a must 

6223
05:44:29,800 --> 05:44:31,800
decide how to handle the 
hundreds of rabbits roaming. 

6224
05:44:31,800 --> 05:44:34,000
The estate. 
He can't just leave them there. 

6225
05:44:34,000 --> 05:44:36,400
They're not wild rabbits. 
So they don't know how to 

6226
05:44:36,400 --> 05:44:39,900
survive on their own, but he 
also can't exactly round them 

6227
05:44:39,900 --> 05:44:43,100
all up and return them to their 
original owners because that 

6228
05:44:43,100 --> 05:44:44,700
would require admitting what 
happened. 

6229
05:44:45,700 --> 05:44:48,400
The estate staff is probably 
having the strangest day of 

6230
05:44:48,400 --> 05:44:51,000
their careers, the 
groundskeepers who were 

6231
05:44:51,008 --> 05:44:53,100
expecting to help with a normal 
Hunting Party. 

6232
05:44:53,100 --> 05:44:55,700
Now, dealing with a rabbit 
population explosion. 

6233
05:44:56,500 --> 05:44:59,800
The stable hands are trying to 
calm down horses who are stilled

6234
05:44:59,800 --> 05:45:02,800
by the mornings of events. 
Everyone is attempting to 

6235
05:45:02,800 --> 05:45:05,300
restore some semblance of 
normalcy to the once peaceful 

6236
05:45:05,300 --> 05:45:08,500
country estate. 
Word of the rabbit incident 

6237
05:45:08,500 --> 05:45:11,600
starts spreading almost 
immediately, despite everyone's 

6238
05:45:11,600 --> 05:45:14,100
best efforts to keep it quiet. 
Servants. 

6239
05:45:14,100 --> 05:45:16,900
Talk to other servants. 
Coachmen share stories with 

6240
05:45:16,900 --> 05:45:19,900
other Coachmen and pretty soon. 
The tail is making its way 

6241
05:45:19,900 --> 05:45:21,600
through the Social Circle of 
Paris. 

6242
05:45:22,700 --> 05:45:24,900
Stories, that spread aren't 
exactly accurate. 

6243
05:45:24,900 --> 05:45:28,600
There are embellished, 
exaggerated and twisted into 

6244
05:45:28,600 --> 05:45:31,300
something even more ridiculous 
than what actually happened. 

6245
05:45:31,300 --> 05:45:34,700
Meanwhile, Napoleon grapples 
with a crisis of public 

6246
05:45:34,700 --> 05:45:37,400
relations. 
Napoleon has established his 

6247
05:45:37,400 --> 05:45:41,500
reputation by being Invincible. 
Mastering every situation and 

6248
05:45:41,500 --> 05:45:43,400
never letting anyone catch him 
off guard. 

6249
05:45:43,400 --> 05:45:46,600
The idea that he could be 
defeated by a bunch of rabbits, 

6250
05:45:46,600 --> 05:45:49,900
is exactly the kind of story 
that his political enemies would

6251
05:45:49,900 --> 05:45:53,100
love to spread around Europe. 
The official version of events 

6252
05:45:53,100 --> 05:45:55,100
that emerges is carefully, 
sanitized. 

6253
05:45:55,100 --> 05:45:58,800
The hunting party was successful
and enjoyable, the emperor 

6254
05:45:58,800 --> 05:46:02,100
demonstrated his excellent 
Marksmanship and everyone had a 

6255
05:46:02,100 --> 05:46:05,500
thoroughly Imperial time. 
Any mention of rabbits behaving 

6256
05:46:05,500 --> 05:46:09,100
unusually as carefully omitted 
from the official records, but 

6257
05:46:09,100 --> 05:46:10,700
you can't completely suppress a 
story. 

6258
05:46:10,700 --> 05:46:14,300
This good Whispers and private 
letters circulate the rabbit 

6259
05:46:14,300 --> 05:46:17,500
incident as a historical 
anecdote Military Officers. 

6260
05:46:17,500 --> 05:46:20,800
Tell the story to their friends,
government officials, share it 

6261
05:46:20,800 --> 05:46:23,300
with their families and 
gradually At becomes part of The

6262
05:46:23,300 --> 05:46:25,300
Unofficial, history of 
Napoleon's reign. 

6263
05:46:26,400 --> 05:46:30,500
The irony lies in the fact that 
this absurd rabbit defeat occurs

6264
05:46:30,500 --> 05:46:32,400
during the Pinnacle of 
Napoleon's power. 

6265
05:46:32,400 --> 05:46:35,100
He's just negotiated the Treaty 
of tilsit. 

6266
05:46:35,100 --> 05:46:38,000
He controls most of Europe and 
he's at the peak of his 

6267
05:46:38,000 --> 05:46:39,400
political and Military 
influence. 

6268
05:46:39,400 --> 05:46:44,000
However, he finds himself 
completely powerless against a 

6269
05:46:44,000 --> 05:46:46,900
group of domestic, rabbits who 
merely seek food and affection. 

6270
05:46:47,700 --> 05:46:51,300
Years later when Napoleon is in 
Exile on Saint Helena, he 

6271
05:46:51,300 --> 05:46:54,500
probably has plenty of time to 
reflect on the rapid incident. 

6272
05:46:54,500 --> 05:46:58,300
The story becomes, increasingly 
humorous, over time and distance

6273
05:46:58,300 --> 05:47:00,600
yet. 
It also serves as a poignant 

6274
05:47:00,600 --> 05:47:03,300
illustration of how even the 
most powerful individuals can 

6275
05:47:03,300 --> 05:47:04,900
succumb to unforeseen 
circumstances. 

6276
05:47:06,700 --> 05:47:08,900
Bertier. 
Meanwhile learns a valuable 

6277
05:47:08,900 --> 05:47:12,200
lesson about the importance of 
understanding your resources. 

6278
05:47:12,200 --> 05:47:15,600
He is successfully, managed 
military logistics for some of 

6279
05:47:15,600 --> 05:47:17,800
the most complex campaigns in 
European history. 

6280
05:47:17,800 --> 05:47:21,300
But his failure to distinguish 
between wild and domestic 

6281
05:47:21,300 --> 05:47:25,600
rabbits has led to his defeat It
probably not a mistake he'll 

6282
05:47:25,600 --> 05:47:28,700
ever make again. 
The rabbits themselves having 

6283
05:47:28,700 --> 05:47:30,300
had their brief moment of his 
historical. 

6284
05:47:30,300 --> 05:47:33,600
Significant are eventually 
rounded up and returned to more 

6285
05:47:33,600 --> 05:47:36,700
conventional lives. 
Some probably end up back on 

6286
05:47:36,700 --> 05:47:39,200
farms. 
Others might be relocated to 

6287
05:47:39,200 --> 05:47:40,900
areas where they can live more 
naturally. 

6288
05:47:42,200 --> 05:47:45,600
But for one morning in 1807, 
they were the most important 

6289
05:47:45,600 --> 05:47:48,500
creatures in France as you 
settle in for the night. 

6290
05:47:48,500 --> 05:47:51,500
Think about how this story 
reveals something essential 

6291
05:47:51,500 --> 05:47:54,700
about human nature, no matter 
how powerful or important, we 

6292
05:47:54,700 --> 05:47:57,700
become we're all just one 
encounter with unexpected, 

6293
05:47:57,700 --> 05:48:00,100
rabbits away from looking 
completely ridiculous. 

6294
05:48:00,100 --> 05:48:03,600
The beautiful thing about 
Napoleon's rabbit, incident is 

6295
05:48:03,600 --> 05:48:05,500
how it perfectly captures the 
absurdity. 

6296
05:48:05,500 --> 05:48:07,700
That looks beneath all human 
pretension. 

6297
05:48:08,600 --> 05:48:10,600
Here we have the most powerful 
man in Europe. 

6298
05:48:10,600 --> 05:48:13,600
Someone who has literally 
reshaped the political landscape

6299
05:48:13,600 --> 05:48:17,100
of an entire continent, and he's
brought down by creatures. 

6300
05:48:17,100 --> 05:48:20,900
Most people consider suitable 
for children to petting zoos the

6301
05:48:20,900 --> 05:48:24,200
stories, continue to survival, 
despite everyone's best efforts 

6302
05:48:24,200 --> 05:48:26,500
to suppress it adds to its 
Delight. 

6303
05:48:27,300 --> 05:48:29,900
Napoleon's government certainly 
didn't want this story getting 

6304
05:48:29,900 --> 05:48:33,300
out and most of the participants
probably preferred not to talk 

6305
05:48:33,300 --> 05:48:36,600
about their morning being 
overwhelmed by farm animals, but

6306
05:48:36,600 --> 05:48:38,800
the story was simply too good to
stay buried. 

6307
05:48:39,800 --> 05:48:42,600
Over the years, the rabbit 
incident has taken on a life of 

6308
05:48:42,600 --> 05:48:45,900
its own each telling, like all 
good, historical anecdotes 

6309
05:48:45,900 --> 05:48:47,900
embellishes and exaggerates the 
story. 

6310
05:48:48,800 --> 05:48:51,800
In certain Renditions, thousands
of rabbits, completely 

6311
05:48:51,800 --> 05:48:54,200
overwhelmed, Napoleon in other 
versions. 

6312
05:48:54,200 --> 05:48:57,500
The rapid attack actually, 
injures Napoleon some stories 

6313
05:48:57,500 --> 05:48:59,100
claim. 
The rabbits were deliberately 

6314
05:48:59,100 --> 05:49:02,200
released as part of a practical 
joke, While others suggest they 

6315
05:49:02,200 --> 05:49:04,600
were trained to attack rabbits 
deployed by his enemies. 

6316
05:49:04,600 --> 05:49:08,500
The truth, as you now know, is 
both more mundane and more 

6317
05:49:08,500 --> 05:49:11,800
amusing than the legend. 
It wasn't thousands of rabbits 

6318
05:49:11,800 --> 05:49:14,700
and they weren't trying to 
attack anyone who was simply a 

6319
05:49:14,700 --> 05:49:17,200
case of domestic rabbits 
behaving, like domestic rabbits,

6320
05:49:17,200 --> 05:49:20,500
treating humans as Horses of 
food and comfort rather than as 

6321
05:49:20,500 --> 05:49:24,300
predators to be avoided, but the
story endures because it reveals

6322
05:49:24,300 --> 05:49:26,600
something important about power 
and Human Nature. 

6323
05:49:27,800 --> 05:49:30,900
Napoleon dedicated the majority 
of his career to demonstrating 

6324
05:49:30,900 --> 05:49:33,600
his ability to sum out any 
challenge through his unwavering

6325
05:49:33,600 --> 05:49:37,200
determination, strategic 
planning, an exceptional 

6326
05:49:37,200 --> 05:49:41,100
organizational skills. 
He defeated armies conquered 

6327
05:49:41,100 --> 05:49:44,100
nation's and rewrote the laws of
entire societies. 

6328
05:49:44,100 --> 05:49:47,100
However, he was unable to 
overcome a group of hungry, 

6329
05:49:47,100 --> 05:49:49,800
rabbits, there's something 
deeply, satisfying about this 

6330
05:49:49,800 --> 05:49:52,400
story, especially for those of 
us who sometimes feel 

6331
05:49:52,400 --> 05:49:54,900
overwhelmed by the ordinary 
challenges of daily life. 

6332
05:49:55,700 --> 05:49:58,700
If rabbits can defeat Napoleon 
Bonaparte, perhaps our own minor

6333
05:49:58,700 --> 05:50:01,700
setbacks don't carry such 
embarrassment, maybe getting 

6334
05:50:01,700 --> 05:50:05,000
flustered by a technology 
problem or being outwitted by a 

6335
05:50:05,000 --> 05:50:08,000
household pet, or failing to 
assemble a piece of furniture 

6336
05:50:08,000 --> 05:50:10,000
properly, puts us, in pretty 
good company. 

6337
05:50:11,600 --> 05:50:13,900
The rabbit incident also 
highlights, the importance of 

6338
05:50:13,900 --> 05:50:16,100
understanding your resources, 
and your environment. 

6339
05:50:17,200 --> 05:50:20,500
Bertier was an excellent 
organizer, but he fail to ask 

6340
05:50:20,500 --> 05:50:22,600
the right questions about the 
rabbits he was acquiring. 

6341
05:50:22,600 --> 05:50:26,500
He focused on quantity rather 
than quality and he didn't 

6342
05:50:26,500 --> 05:50:29,000
consider how the rabbits 
background might affect their 

6343
05:50:29,000 --> 05:50:31,300
behavior. 
It's a lesson that applies to 

6344
05:50:31,308 --> 05:50:34,400
everything from military 
campaigns to dinner parties, The

6345
05:50:34,400 --> 05:50:38,100
Details Matter and assumptions 
can be dangerous. modern 

6346
05:50:38,100 --> 05:50:41,200
historians have used the rabbit 
story as an example of how even 

6347
05:50:41,200 --> 05:50:43,400
the most carefully planned 
events can go wrong in 

6348
05:50:43,400 --> 05:50:46,900
unexpected ways, it's become a 
case study in the limits of 

6349
05:50:46,900 --> 05:50:50,700
control and the importance of 
contingency planning, military 

6350
05:50:50,700 --> 05:50:52,700
academies. 
Sometimes use it as humorous 

6351
05:50:52,700 --> 05:50:55,500
example of how intelligence 
gathering should include 

6352
05:50:55,500 --> 05:50:58,900
seemingly trivial details. 
The story has also become a 

6353
05:50:58,900 --> 05:51:01,300
favorite among those who study 
the psychology of power. 

6354
05:51:02,900 --> 05:51:06,100
Napoleon's reaction to the 
rabbit incident, his apparent 

6355
05:51:06,100 --> 05:51:09,700
inability to laugh at himself. 
His focus on damage control, 

6356
05:51:09,700 --> 05:51:12,200
rather than enjoying the 
absurdity reveal. 

6357
05:51:12,200 --> 05:51:14,900
Something about how absolute 
power can make people lose their

6358
05:51:14,900 --> 05:51:18,300
sense of humor about themselves.
But the rabbit incidents most 

6359
05:51:18,300 --> 05:51:22,500
lasting lesson is that life is 
unpredictable and observed, no 

6360
05:51:22,500 --> 05:51:24,300
matter who you are or how 
powerful you are. 

6361
05:51:25,100 --> 05:51:27,700
Napoleon could plan brilliant 
military campaigns and 

6362
05:51:27,700 --> 05:51:31,100
reorganized entire legal systems
but he couldn't plan for the 

6363
05:51:31,100 --> 05:51:34,700
possibility that domestic 
rabbits would mistake him for 

6364
05:51:34,708 --> 05:51:37,500
their favorite farmer. 
The rabbits, of course, were 

6365
05:51:37,500 --> 05:51:40,600
completely innocent in all this,
they were just being rabbits 

6366
05:51:40,600 --> 05:51:42,700
following their instincts and 
their training. 

6367
05:51:43,900 --> 05:51:47,700
They saw humans and expected 
food and attention just as 

6368
05:51:47,700 --> 05:51:50,300
they'd been conditioned to 
expect throughout their lives 

6369
05:51:50,300 --> 05:51:53,200
from their perspective. 
The humans were the ones 

6370
05:51:53,200 --> 05:51:54,900
behaving strangely by running 
away. 

6371
05:51:54,900 --> 05:51:58,400
Instead of providing the 
expected carrots and lettuce. 

6372
05:51:58,400 --> 05:52:02,200
In the end, the rabbit incident 
becomes a perfect metaphor for 

6373
05:52:02,208 --> 05:52:05,800
the gap between our plans, and 
reality between our self-image 

6374
05:52:05,800 --> 05:52:07,200
and how the world actually 
works. 

6375
05:52:08,200 --> 05:52:11,200
Napoleon saw himself as the 
master of Europe, but the 

6376
05:52:11,200 --> 05:52:14,600
rabbits saw him as a potential 
source of breakfast, both 

6377
05:52:14,600 --> 05:52:17,800
perspectives were valid but only
one of them was prepared for 

6378
05:52:17,800 --> 05:52:19,100
what actually happened that 
morning. 

6379
05:52:20,500 --> 05:52:21,800
As you drift off to sleep 
tonight. 

6380
05:52:21,800 --> 05:52:25,600
Remember that, no matter how 
important our plans seem to us, 

6381
05:52:25,600 --> 05:52:28,100
somewhere, there are rabbits who
have their ideas about how 

6382
05:52:28,100 --> 05:52:31,100
things should work. 
And sometimes, just sometimes 

6383
05:52:31,100 --> 05:52:32,300
the rabbits win.