Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ruins are never just broken buildings. Ruins are symbols, whose meanings reflect a society's ideas, aspirations, and anxieties. When looking at ruins, in other words, we see ourselves.
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If you liked this video, you might also enjoy my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”
amazon.com/Naked-Statues-Fat-Gladiators-Elephants/dp/1633887022
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:02 A history of ruin appreciation
4:42 America and the Roman legacy
6:49 The ruins of Detroit
Ruins are never just broken buildings. Ruins are symbols, whose meanings reflect a society's ideas, aspirations, and anxieties. When looking at ruins, in other words, we see ourselves.
Please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon:
patreon.com/toldinstone
If you liked this video, you might also enjoy my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”
amazon.com/Naked-Statues-Fat-Gladiators-Elephants/dp/1633887022
If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/profiles/toldinstone
instagram.com/toldinstone
goodreads.com/author/show/20993845.Garrett_Ryan
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:02 A history of ruin appreciation
4:42 America and the Roman legacy
6:49 The ruins of Detroit
