Was Rome the Facebook of ancient history?
26 November 2025
Rather than seeing the ancient Roman Republic as a vast, imperial nation-state, the evidence suggests it may have been more like a modern-day social media brand.
SPECIAL FEATURE: Popular culture depicts the Roman empire as a vast and powerful civilisation that controlled much of the-then known world.
However Jeremy Armstrong, a professor of classics and ancient history, says that rather than a nation-state, the Roman empire functioned more like a modern-day brand and social media platform.
Media contact: Julianne Evans, julianne.evans@auckland.ac.nz