If you’ve been scrolling through TikTok the past few weeks, you’ve probably seen the Roman Empire trend. It’s is where someone asks a guy, “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” and there is usually some funny, off-hand, or clever remark to follow.

The question can be traced back to Artur Hulu, a Roman reenactor. In August, he posted the famous question. Social media has picked it up across many platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
So, what does the Roman Empire really signify?

The Roman Empire is widely known for Colosseum gladiator fights, military advancements, and all things that include fighting and competition. Psychology Today posted an article stating that “a man may turn competition into a compulsion because he sees competition as a way to satisfy a need for dominance.”

Since the Roman Empire was run by men, men today might could be attracted to the ideas that encompass it. In recent decades, this form of masculinity has been shamed and ultimately become socially unacceptable, so this topic may give men a safe space to express that side of masculinity.

Warriors and Gladiators are also most commonly associated with the Roman Empire, and in a way, still exist today. In many mainstream sports, men dress in heavy gear and play games that resemble how gladiators would fight each other in the Colosseum. The idea of sports were similar to how they are now, though they were much less regulated. Gladiators were required to fight to the death or fight dangerous animals. But men still enjoy indulging in high risk, competitive activities against each other for the purpose of winning.

Another admirable part of the Roman Empire was also the political structure. This complex system included elements of democracy, monarchy, and even oligarchy. During the election process, a man would be elected for life by the men of the Roman Senate, which then gave him full access to the Roman Governors as well as the Roman Army, also giving him the voice to overthrow the senate if he felt that it was necessary. Political power and leadership are two things that also include competition, just not in the physical form. World leaders and influential business and corporation owners make competitive moves on eachother, creating the same adrenaline and tension men seek.

Overall, the Roman Empire holds a special place in history as one of the strongest, well functioning, and innovative periods of early human history, as well as being a time where war, power struggles, and competition played a key role in what kept men motivated to fight their country.

To this day, men are motivated by similar things. This new trend on TikTok confirms it.