Over the past few weeks, TikTok users have become obsessed with asking men about how often they think about the legendary Roman Empire. The question itself is obscure, but the answers have proved shocking.
What began as an ordinary Instagram post by Roman reenactor Gaius Flavius has grown into a TikTok trend with over 1.6 billion posts. TikTok users (mainly women) have been floored by just how often men claim to think about the time period and city, with answers ranging from “never” to, surprisingly, “multiple times a day.” Met with stunned silence, the men often explain that the innovations in combat and the political landscape of the time give them much to ponder.
This enchantment with the Roman Empire has given way to a secondary trend. Instead of asking about frequency, the question has evolved into, “What is your Roman Empire?” — or, in other words, “What are you thinking about multiple times a day?” This version of the trend has gained a similar level of popularity with a wider array of answers.
From pop culture moments to sports, it seems that everyone has some niche obsession, including Northeastern students.
Fourth-year psychology major Lauren Tapia shared that her personal “Roman Empire” is Washington Wizards point guard Jordan Poole. She came to know Poole when he played for the Golden State Warriors, her hometown team. She is fascinated by not only what he has accomplished in his career thus far, but what he will continue to do.
When she is not thinking of the basketball star, Tapia is likely “think[ing] about myself becoming famous and making money without doing anything. That would be really great.” She explained that she likes to envision herself in a successful position whenever her classes lose her attention. As a soon-to-be graduate preparing to enter the workforce, Tapia’s “Roman Empire” is entirely understandable.
Ethan Segerman, a second-year history and political science combined major, said that he does not find himself thinking about one thing consistently; however, football is taking up a lot of his time so far this season. While he might not think about football as often as most men think about the Roman Empire, he did not deny thinking about the game schedule for the Washington Commanders during math class. He is especially focused on a turnaround, as, so far, the team is split with two wins and three losses.“Everyone always says that it’s our year to bounce back, but it never is,” the self-proclaimed realist said. Despite this, Segerman plans to be preoccupied with the Commanders until, hopefully, the 2024 Super Bowl.
Staying closer to the original concept of the trend, first-year electrical engineering and music technology combined major Nadia Daly shared that she finds herself thinking about one past moment in particular.
“My ‘Roman Empire’ is [the] My Lai [massacre] because of the savage treatment humans showed other humans without seeing a problem in their behavior,” Daly said.
This brutal, overlooked historical event is in line with what Roman Empire aficionados would consider a productive thought. The fascination stemmed from conversations with her father whose Roman Empire, she claims, is the Vietnam War. Daly, who took “The World Since 1945” through NU Accelerate over the spring, learned about the barbaric event through an assigned docuseries. She recalls being horrified when she watched the docuseries and does not think she will ever get over it.
When it comes to Northeastern students’ “Roman Empires,” a common thread seems to be a childhood interest that carried over into adulthood. The lighthearted, comedic trend has evolved into an opportunity for retrospection. When the day starts to drag on or there is nothing of interest happening, Huskies and social media users alike can be found daydreaming about obscure, yet highly interesting topics.
Though the trend will fade into the background in the coming weeks, Northeastern students will still be thinking about sports, history and the possibilities of tomorrow for the foreseeable future.
