How many times a day do you think of the Roman Empire?
A question that seems completely meaningless to you.
But this is exactly one of the most popular topics on the TikTok platform in recent months.
"The idea that men are obsessed with the Roman Empire is not new, I have seen a large number of mimes on the networks on that topic," says Swede Artur Hulu, whom the BBC in Serbian found to be the initiator of this global trend, which is also being talked about in the Balkans.
"I wanted to experiment with the algorithm and I uploaded several similar recordings, and by the way I like reconstructions of historical events and especially the history of Rome," he answered in a written response to the BBC when asked why the Roman Empire.
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In the sea of various TikTok challenges, some of which are dangerous, this is not the only one with a historical-cultural context.
So the one in which books are recommended or where a positive attitude towards life is promoted regardless of, say, the crowd in public transport, is extremely popular.
There are also those who use this platform to bring science closer to younger people or to educate them about culture.
Are men really obsessed with the Roman Empire?
Hulu, who appears in various reconstructions of historical events on the Internet, says that in conversations with friends, he noticed a much greater interest in this topic among men than among women.
That's how he launched a challenge in connection with the Roman Empire, himself amazed that he was so well accepted in the world.
Gaius Flavius (Gaj Flavije), as his username reads, in August 2023, he posted shot on Instagram, with the comment:
"Ladies, many of you don't realize how often men think about the Roman Empire... You'll be surprised by their answers!".
TikTok was then flooded with videos of women asking their partners how often they think about the Roman Empire.
"Once a week", "Several times a week", "Every day", are some of the answers.
How popular the topic has become is evidenced by the fact that certain videos on TikTok have collected millions of views.
Particularly popular are those in which men explain what exactly triggers these thoughts: "The Roman Empire is just cool", "Sometimes I think about the Roman organization of the state and society", "The Romans had a perfect sewage system".
Among women who are tested partners is also Milica Filipovski from Belgrade.
She had no idea that his answer would be: "Once in two weeks".
"The video was created spontaneously, I saw this trend on TikTok, and I also noticed podcasts dealing with this topic," says Milica to the BBC in Serbian.
Her husband's explanation and the joke added to the fun.
"When we were in Niš, we talked about how Constantine (the Roman emperor born in Naisus, today's Niš) would have been delighted with PVC joinery," Milica relayed one of her husband's jokes.
Some women, however, cannot be surprised.
"What about men and the Roman Empire?" asked one TikTok user.
This trend gave birth to a new one, so people upload their favorite series, music, thoughts and recounted events from everyday life with the inscription: "This is my Roman Empire".
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The Roman Empire in a nutshell
- The Roman Empire was founded in 27 BC.
- The Roman Empire was by no means the largest in history: 25 others occupied a larger land mass before or since. However, very few of them can boast such an impact of range.
- At its height, in the second century AD, the Roman Empire stretched from the British Atlantic coast to Mesopotamia in the east, and to North Africa. According to estimates, more than a fifth of the world's population at that time was under the rule of Rome and its emperors.
- The first Roman emperor was Augustus.
- It experienced the greatest territorial expansion during the time of Emperor Trajan.
- The Roman Empire was significant for its exceptional military and political power, but also for the development of law and spatial planning and construction.
- The Latin language, philosophy and culture significantly influenced the development of Western civilization.
- The last Roman emperor was overthrown in 476, but then the eastern regions were already ruled by another emperor based in Constantinople, formerly Constantinople, today's Istanbul.
- The Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) continued to exist, although gradually shrinking, until 1453, when the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople.
- Later states in the west (the Frankish and Holy Roman Empires) and in the east (the Russian emperors) used Roman state names until modern times. The great legacy of the Roman Empire can be seen even today in Western institutions, law, architecture and many other areas of life.
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
Book recommendations or Booktok
The Roman Empire is not the only one from the field of culture that started people on the nets.
The book challenge is also popular.
Using hashtags booktok, on TikTok you can find book recommendations for 2023, but also short explanations, reviews, challenges and analyses.
It is a community on TikTok that adores literature and within which people post their impressions about the works they have read every day.
"Sing if you've read these books," "Books I wish I could read again the first time," "Books that made me forget I was actually reading," are just some of the recommendations and comments
The idea of Booktok has spread, so some publishing houses have singled out the editions that made this social network popular as a separate category.
Na TikTok profile which has more than 27.000 followers, Milena Miričić posts videos with book recommendations.
Although she is a doctor by profession, she tells the BBC in Serbian that she always has time to read.
I am happy to be able to share the reading experience with a large community of mostly young women, she adds.
The idea for a TikTok profile came spontaneously.
She wanted to share with others the feeling that a good story or book can cause, but also to connect with people who have similar feelings.
Milena is a versatile reader, so she recommends everything she likes to the audience on TikTok.
"On my profile, you can find recommendations of different literary genres from different eras.
"I don't post reviews of books I didn't like, but only literature I like," Milena told the BBC in Serbian.
Watch the video: Scientist from Serbia a hit on TikTok
How subway footage became a trend
When Sabrina from London decided to record her first video of herself dancing in the subway, she had no idea that she would become world famous thanks to TikTok.
She became the creator of a new trend on this social network.
Tube girl or "Girl from the subway" inspired other girls to film themselves and dance in public transport and thus brighten up their daily routine.
Sabrina explains that she has to travel everywhere, because she lives far away.
In one of the videos, he recommends followers to romanticize their travels.
"When I come home from a night out, I like to listen to music. People leave you alone when you move your head vigorously to the beat of the music." she told the BBC.
She says that it helped her feel safer and better in transportation.
Dancing in the subway brought her popularity, but also a chance to collaborate with famous fashion brands.
The tube girl challenge on TikTok has become a whole little movement celebrating confidence and making rides more interesting, she says.
Although she knows that the subway is not the most glamorous place, Sabrina says she tries to make the journey more beautiful by adding music.
"I would do this regardless of whether I'm filming or not," he adds.
Look and this one video:
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