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Many Roman senators formed influential families and so I've always wonder, do any of those families still exist today or is there anybody that can reliably trace their family tree to these senatorial families?

The Senate building was, in fact, converted to a church around 630; this is why it is one of the best preserved structures in the Forum.

After speaking of the Senate as a whole, it would be interesting i think a video about the last two relevant senators we know about: Boethius and Cassiodorus. Cassiodorus especially thanks to his incredible longevity (he lived up to 100 years apparently) in such a critical timeframe can be considered in many ways both the last author of roman antiquity (in his youth as a senator and civil servants), and the first medieval author (in his eldery age as a secluded monk).

There was also the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Senate, the Synkletos (Σύγκλητος), which lasted in Constantinople until the Fourth Crusade in 1204, which it was partially responsible for by electing Nicholas Kanabos to the position of Emperor in opposition to Isaac II and Alexios IV, before he was deposed by Alexios V, sparking the Crusader sack of the city.

another great video!! It must have been depressing during the last 150 years of the Roman Senate as Senators saw the decay of the once great institute...

Schwerpunkt made very interesting videos about the Romano-Italic aristocracy and Medieval Rome concerning the local nobility and senate

The College of Cardinals essentially replaced the Senate as Rome's main legislative and judicial body. Some patrician families that remained in Italy after the fall of the Roman west would get some of their male family members to pivot from seeking office in the Senate to joining the Catholic Church, as high ranking church officials became the new aristocracy in the Papal States and throughout much of central Italy.

I wonder how many distinguish Senators and families were lost after there revenge. Most people don't realize this but many Senators continued to work in the Ostrogoth admin during the gothic wars. And we can assume that as many as close to half of the Senators were on the Gothic side. They had done pretty well under Theodoric, they had more power. There was stability after the terrible years near the end of the west. Some aquaducts were repaired in the northern Italian cities. Trade returned due to this stability. It had to be a strange feeling to the Senators that survived to see Rome back in the empire, but famine, disease, depopulation, inflation, burned and destroyed estates. The Senators that were able to return must have been shocked to see the damage from the war and a extremely depopulated large city. Before the war Rome wasn't the bursting population of a couple million as it had been. But before the war it did still have around 125k living in the city and was the second biggest behind Mediolanum in the west at the time.

Excellent video. One difficulty with tracing the end of the Senate was that like the early Papal Curia and Merovingian chancery used papyrus for recording their acts. This conservativism might have seemed like hallowed tradition to post Roman officials, something separating them from parchment using hoi polloi, but it means an extraordinary amount disappeared unless some Carolingian era scholar took note for whatever reason. The use of senator as a title by certain Roman aristocrats long into the middle ages suggests a abiding memory of the institution. Yet when the Commune of Rome tried to form a Senate in 1144, they convened on the Capitoline Hill suggesting it had been forgotten that the church of St Hadrian / Curia was once the Senate House.

Your Channel is Amazing man, I never learned so much about Late Roman History before

Did the Senate always meet in Rome, even during the Western Emperor's residencies in Milan or Ravenna, or during the Ostrogothic Rule from Ravenna?

I feel like another good vid would be on the Senate of Eastern Rome since it appeared to have lasted longer in some capacity. I’ve also always been interested in the evolution of Eastern Rome into the theme/feudal system too or the earliest stages of feudalism in Western Europe in what were once Roman provinces and cities, and the installation of the medieval kings, dukes, etc.

The Roman senate actually continued afterwards through the byzantine senate.

Shouldn't it be "Gratias vobis ago, amici" Or "Gratias tibi ago, amice"?😊 Nice vid always

As always, an excellent video. Thanks for all your hard work!

A wonderfully intelligent and thoughtful channel. Thank you.

It is like Manchester United fans reminiscing about past glories and watching with envy and jealousy the rise of Man City.

Great work !

Good work! Glad I found your channel. Thanks.

Thank you for correcting my own misconceptions. Clearer picture of this time and place now.

You answered a question I always had about Roman history. Bravo!

Thank you for the information and your hard work

This was a great video about a topic that I have often thought about. Always wondered what kind of power the senate still had in the last few centuries and what they actually did when they convened. So fascinating. Well done!!

Your Classical Latin pronunciation is always excellent, better by far than anyone else’s on YT. One tiny thing, though, the U isn’t silent after Q in Latin as it is in English. So, Quaestor is actually Qu-Eye-Stor and Quintus is Qu-in-tus, for example. It’s a thing for us English speakers to remember, I know. Thanks so much for all your excellent, hard work and forgive me for nit-picking your pronunciation ❤

Fascinating topic!

Great video

"The Last Senator" might make an interesting novel or movie.

Fantastic topic that I've never even considered!

Quality video

The Anicii family,which was related matrimonially to the Scipi,had two branches living in Rome and Constantinople.They were very influential and prestigeous.

Great content 👍

You should do a video on the 12th century revival of the Roman Republic, known as the Commune of Rome.

Beautiful video. Lefts me wondering about how the Papacy had gradually more and more power, and what happened to the Exarch. Is sad that such longeve institutions come to an end, even if they were not perfect, but is a significant mark.

Excellent video. I'd like to hear more about a couple topics you touched on in this video. In particular, the Gothic wars and the topic of migration of senators and other wealthy Romans to Ravenna or Constantinople or elsewhere. Do you know of any specific stories of wealthy families (or poor or middle class ones) making this move? Were they able to bring their wealth, businesses, expertise, valuables, art, staff, etc? I get the feeling the lingua franca of Constantinople was more Greek. Was this a factor in moving? Was there any tension between existing Constantinople families and ones migrating from Rome as it fell? Did everyone move or just some? What drove that decision for any given family? Etc.

Its a Magnificent Vídeo.

would love to visit the senate at different times like one of them for a while just to see the different senates

The way you narrate is uplifting. Keep it up, the world is a dark place, everyone needs a little cheering up

Really, it was a remarkable video about the Western Roman Empire .video clearly explained relationships between Romen emperors and Senate's. When both sides were in competition's...I think the Senate's disclosure conservative powers while Emporior exploited youths generation's ambitions, especially warriors ... Thank you for sharing

I never knew about Astartes with chainsword hunting Ricimer...but I'm pleased with it!

Learning something new everyday

Thanks!

Can you please do a video on Marcellinus of dalmatia? I want to know more about him.

Have you done any videos on why the republic became the empire? Was there really lots of corruption in the late republic ?

Maiorianus, I was reading about the Great Conspiracy 367-368 AD, in Roman Britain and Pictish Scotland. Maybe you could do a video on that as it is very interesting and so underrated I had heard 2 times about it in many years

Girl 1: *I can't believe HE didn't cry at Titanic.* Girl 2: *Do boys EVEN have feelings?!* Boys, Men :

In fact, quite a number of popes, other local bishops in central Italy and ecclesiastical authors of the 6th-8th century were of Roman senatorial extraction, most notably Saint Gregory I and pope Paul I. The latter came from the Ursi Ursinii clan (Orsini), with purported ancestors like one Gaius Ursus Ursinius / Cajo Orso Orsini, himself said to be a senator living during the last decades of the Roman senate's existence (early 7th century), although hardly anything more is known about him. Thus the still extant Orsini clan and perhaps also the extinct Colonna family are the most likely candidates for some Late Roman senatorial descent - albeit almost with certainty not from any old republican families, most of which were either killed under Commodus or had died out due to the senators dying childless (which was quite common for the most prosperous era of the 1st-2nd centuries). The Colonna family is descended from one Petrus de Columna ('Peter of/from under a Column'), with Columna being a settlement in central Italy. We may well imagine that during the onset of the Middle Ages, some impoverished senatorial family might have found a refuge in their country villa, with its marble columns being such a remarkable sight for the local peasants, that this clan and even the settlement eventually came to be named after those countryside residues of antiquity.. who knows? Indeed, it seems quite plausible that most of those early medieval Roman families who were not descended from the counts of Tusculum (likely of Gallo-Provencal, Frankish or Lombard origin), such as the infamous Marozia/Maria and Theodora of the 10th century, daughters of Theophylact who bore the revived office of consul and senator (as an individual honorific title), were in fact descended from some of the wealthier Roman families of Late Antiquity - not necessarily senators. Since Rome was not a Lombard possession (for long), these clans - building early medieval watchtowers for themselves all around the place, so as to guard 'their' respective portions of the dilapidated City - had to have some connection to the older Italian families, who had time and means to amass and protect some kind of substantial wealth in those times of general economic decline. Or they were simply descended from the people, chosen by the Pope, the Eastern Roman duke of Rome (dux Romae) or exarch to fulfill some offices - but at least in the earlier era, it was plausible that these politically mighty figures would tend to prefer people whom they knew and trusted - either men of Greek origin (hailing from the Eastern centre of the Empire), or from among the local notables, e. g. if not senators, then at least 'equestrians'/wealthy merchants who somehow managed to protect their possessions in the countryside to have any independent source of income at all. But of course, these are mostly just extrapolations. Interestingly, even the daughter of Theophylact, Marozia, managed to be appointed as 'senatrix' in the 10th century, due to her being mother, sister and lover of several popes of that era.

A video on the Roman Senate in Constantinople would be really interesting.

Thank You ✨✨🇺🇸✨✨

Wonderful illustrations! Also, among all your videos, this one seems to be the most graphical story about the decay of Rome in general. Maybe because the senate was the truly soul of the city. The narration is so deeply apocalyptic. If we rename Dark Ages to anything less dark, they won't become less dark anyway. One topic I'd like you to cover is their religion - were they all Christian by then? Or crypto-pagan, or allowed to remain pagan? Or if we don't know, what's the best guess?

Great video! Thanks! We should not forget that many late-Roman senatorial families had transferred their power in terms of land ownership and high administrative positions within the institutions of the Roman Catholic Church, an example for all: the Gens Anicia, of which many members were high bureaucrats such as Boëthius and Symmachus, in AD 522, or popes like Anicius Gregorius, later Pope Gregory I, who was praefectus urbi of Rome circa AD 573 and served as Pope from 590 to 604. An humble request: can you tell us something about Late-Roman aristocratic families like for example the Anicii, the Petronii, the Symmachi and others?

Excellent topic! I wonder why, besides plague, that the Eternal City nearly died out completely at this time while other cities also prone to plague outbreaks thrived. I can understand a mild decline in population as Rome's star faded but why so extreme? All because of the war you referenced in the video?

Interesting!

EDIT. My bad. I didn't realise you had already done a video on that subject! I would be interested in a history of the Eastern Roman senate at Cinstantinople.

Rome must have looked like a right mess lol I couldn't imagine it I wonder what they were thinking these senators at this time

It's very sad as I contemplate all those who struggled and fought in the late Republic to preserve Rome, through the times of the Gracchi, Gaius Marius, Sulla, Caesar and the civil wars. If they had known that everything they did, all they worked for, would some day come to nothing, that the Forum Romanum would be a ruined place, they would have wept.

Very, very good. This is how civilizations usually collapse, not with a bang but with a slowly drawn out whimper (to re-use a quote). BTW: Where did you get the photos/graphics from? AI-generated?

Very, very interesting. I knew the Senate had continued long after the deposition of Romulus Augustulus, but I never knew any of these details. there are two questions I have always had about the Senate. How were new senators chosen? I know there were no popular elections for the office. Did the Senate itself invite someone to join when an old senator died? That makes sense to me but I have never read anything that actually described how it was done. Secondly, when Constantinople became the capital of the East, was there another Senate there, or was all power openly in the hands of the emperor? If there was a second Senate, how long did it last as an institution?

4:10 oof those hands

The Senate certainly continued its existence in Constatinople until the Fall in 1453. Byzantium was the Roman Empire. Also, am I wrong; but weren't there Senators in Rome during the dark days of the 900's when local families like the Tusculums and the Colonna made the City administration and the Papacy their political plaything? It's a pretty dark period from the Cadaver Council to the great reforms of Hildegard, the Clunaic orders and the Ottonian Restoration of the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne around the beginning of the new millenium.

This would make for a great tv series.

Though the eastern Senate would continue...

After Justinian's reconquest, the Senate in Rome was moved to Constantinople!

If you are a Roman senator wearing a dirty toga and have no access to a detergent; Here is an easy recipe: I. pull up toga. II. unleash III. make shure to capture your home made detergent. IV. (Optional) leave your detergent dry for up to a month, also for Hades sake please add some Lavender, or Thyme oil to your detergent. V. put your toga into a tub with warm water, and your home made detergent, rince and repeat. (Or hire someone to do it for you)

The column of Phocas can still be seen in the Forum.

The Holy Roman Emperors tried to rebuild the senate I’d love to hear your opinion on what you think of what they tried to do. I know they ended up just having one senator

Technically, some kind of senate was still in function at the end of the millennium, as it was involved in many of the acts of the infamous "Pornocracy". The institution, and the "Senator" title also endured during the Renaissance, until Napoleon conquered Rome. Being senator sas more of a nobiliar title, and yet, many senators held power through politics and wealth. Most nobles in Rome, which families had their origin in the old Patritiate, were also by right nominated senators and had power on the election of the Pope and civil authority over the Roman Civitate. It was possibly a much different institution the the old Roman Senate, but so was it as the Emperors came in power, or when the wester empire fell.

That’s the Senate but what about more important bodies like the Comitia Centuriata, Plebian Assembly and other ancient Tribal councils? Was Consul a conveted office anymore?

W video

You really elaborated this well, its amazing how these institutions lasted even after all the sacks and foreign kings, last thing needed was the floods and earthquakes, as if nature itself wanted a final total reset for once roman world that way a new one could emerge later. A lot lot later. Its interesting how well you describe the very root of division to east and west mindset and how it grew further and further. Its so interesting, once created it ballooned to a complete two worlds. Similar like once east and west Germany, the difference had been created and cooked for decades, that even to this day it hasnt really fizzled out. I wonder what other differences will be formed in future or are they forming even now, but we are not noticing it, just like people of late Rome didnt really notice that the west is basically over, just carried business as usual, just like you say in video, it took almost century and a half to everything to stop. If there wasnt for the reconquering by the east and agreements with barbaric kings, the institutions might have been gone lot sooner. Now, for the East, I wonder if Ottomans allowed roman institutions to continue in similar way or they just stopped them immediately, thats what interests me

Some likely left for Africa and sicily.

Interesting

I don't think that the senate ever disappeared completely. Senators came from all parts of the empire, and in the late antique the noble ex-senators developped several levels of aristocracy in the regions of their origins. The gallo-roman senate aristocracy is suspect of being one of the sources, where members of the francian empire later came from. The gallo-roman bishop and historian Gregor of Tours was one of them and he titulated the byzantinian emperor as "dominus noster". In his mind and the minds of some of his peers the nobles of their time were the natural successors of the roman senate and were in many cases the offspring of the last senators of Gallia. Anyway, from the local roman point of view, the history of the senate fizzled out in the way described in the video.

The Republic era is probably the underrated part of Roman history.

For some people Rome was their home and it didn't matter how bad it got it was still their home and didn't want to leave it behind.

There is no evidence for or against the claim that Boethius and Symmachus conspired with the Eastern empire against Theodoric, “The truth of his case will never be known” (The consolidation of Philosophy Penguin classics revised edition 1999 pg 25). Great video, keep up the good work.

I always wondered why the Legions never got rid of the 4k Praetorians?

The bronze doors of the Curia Julia are now the doors of St John Lateran.

Hey Maiorianus, Can you we also call you a Rome otaku? I’m in anime con panel planning mode so otaku stands out to me. It would be great to see a Japanese anime studio make an anime about the Roman Empire.

I think that, as discussed in the video, the Sanatus, as an institution, ceased to exist, but we know of people in Rome that continue to label themselves Senator even after, so as a style or title the Ordo Senatorius continued existing. Theophylactus was styled senator Romanorum since at least 901. Could it be that some nostalgic re-created the Ordo Senatorius after 100 o 200 years of the dissolution of the original one, or it may have continue existing as just a style or title, passed down in each remaining senatorial family. I of course like this second option more. Also because if this second option is true, the Order never stopped existing till now (!), passing by several transformations and reforms (1148, 1354, 1370, 1580, 1847) and reducing its number until it became one elected individual rather than an Order, it became the Civic administrator of the city of Rome under the Popes and, after 1870 was rebranded as Sindaco (city Mayor). Currently the Mayor or Rome still sit in the same office occupied by the Senator Romanorum in 1580.

Make a video about when people stopped calling then self Roman plz 😅

Fokas was thinking of transferring the empire capital from Constantinople back to Rome. Perhaps that is why the senators decided to honor him.

Your pointing to various Roman senators who later became emperors is in NO WAY indicative of the Senate "increasing in power" or "regaining power," as you suggest!

The senate lost even the presence of its powers to the legions when it could no longer choose emperors.

Isn't the Roman Church's Curia the successor to the Senate?

what happend to the roman ostrogoths? where are they today?

I'm not sure it's completely wrong to say that Rome fell in 476. The empire lost its grip on its provinces in the last quarter of the 5th century and had to live in an entirely new political reality not of the Romans' choosing, being ruled by a German king. So there's justification for marking this as the end of the Western _empire_ . However, culturally and economically, it's a much more complicated story, so we can say that although the empire specifically collapsed, Roman society continued. It would be as if America lost all its ability to steer global affairs but Congress kept control of 48 or 50 states, with foreigners installed as presidents. Yes we'd still be the USA, but our imperial powers over other nations would be gone. It would definitely be a turning point in world history.

This is so sad😞 poor senators having to leave their home…

I heard somewhere that the Roman senate gradually merged with the church and transformed itself into the college of cardinals, is there any merit to this idea?

I have my own theory of what happened to the senate after 603. Maybe its nonsense, but can I send it somewhere?

My ancestors were landed nobility traced to Assisi and Perugia. They are in Historical records of the towns from when records first kept in 12th century. This 17th century historian wrote a monumental compilation cataloging the origins of Umbrian and Tuscan families. The more famous families were given lengthy histories. He only mentioned my ancestors when describing the ancient gens Petronia and simply stated that from the year 1000 the family split into the Petroni of Siena and my ancestors. The size of the clan was big enough to have branches in Ravenna, Assisi, Perugia, Urbino. Guessing entrenched branches would take a while to grow to that size. Who knows!

From the senatorial families were drawn the popes of the Catholic Church.

An interesting question is if there hadn't been a Gothic War what if Justinian had bought off the Ostrogoths with a marriage with the restoration of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica to the OSTROGOTHS. How would a surviving Senate have acted as a secular balance to growing Papal power?

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The Curia Julia the Senate House was converted into a church. It was finally restored in 1930s and you can still visit it today.

Romans 💪

So basically the senators had more power under the king than the emperor? Heck even under Theoderich.

Since the Popes can be on not-so-friendly terms with the Emperors, why the Western Roman Senators and the Popes never allied with each other to combat the influences of these Emperors?

The Senate, or at least a Senate continued to exist in the east until the early 1200s.

Why do you treat 753 BC as if it were an actual, historical founding of Rome?