What Is the Roman Empire Trend?
The Roman Empire trend started when women on TikTok began asking the men in their lives how often they think about the Roman Empire. The shocking revelation? Most men think about it surprisingly often — like, multiple times a week. Sometimes daily. Women were absolutely floored.
The trend then expanded: "What's YOUR Roman Empire?" — meaning, what topic lives rent-free in your head that you think about with inexplicable frequency?
Where Did It Come From?
Swedish influencer Saskia Cort posted an Instagram reel in September 2023 suggesting women ask their male partners how often they think about the Roman Empire. The responses were so consistently surprising that the trend went mega-viral. Video after video showed men casually admitting "oh, like every day" or "probably three times a week."
Women were baffled. Men were confused about why this was surprising. It was a perfect storm of gender dynamics content.
How to Use It
- The original: Ask a man how often he thinks about the Roman Empire. Record reaction.
- Personal version: "The Titanic is my Roman Empire" (= I think about it constantly)
- As a concept: "What's your Roman Empire?" = what do you think about obsessively?
Examples in the Wild
"asked my boyfriend how often he thinks about the Roman Empire and he said 'do you want the real answer' WHAT DO YOU MEAN"
"my Roman Empire is how they never found the rest of the Titanic's binoculars and that might have prevented the whole thing"
Why It Matters
Beyond the humor, the Roman Empire trend highlighted how differently people's minds work. It opened conversations about the random, niche thoughts we all carry but never share. It was also a rare internet trend that was genuinely cross-generational — dads, boyfriends, grandpas, and male friends all got asked, and the results were consistently hilarious.