What did it actually mean to be Roman across two thousand years of history?

History · Published 29 September 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: This documentary traces the evolution of Roman identity, or Romanitas, from its mythical origins to the fall of Constantinople. It examines how a small city-state transformed into a vast empire that constantly redefined who belonged, ultimately surviving long after the Western Empire collapsed.

Roman identity was never static. It shifted from an exclusive civic status in a small city-state to a broad imperial identity that incorporated diverse populations including Gauls, Greeks, Egyptians, and Iberians. Key turning points included the Social War, the moral citizenship ideals championed by Cicero, and the landmark 212 CE decree by Caracalla, which significantly expanded the reach of Roman citizenship.

Even after the Western Empire fell, the concept of Romanness persisted. In the East, the Byzantine Empire maintained this identity through the lens of Greek language and Orthodox Christianity. Following the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the identity endured among the Rhomaioi and Balkan populations until 19th-century nationalism eventually recast these groups as Greeks and Romanians.

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