Men are apparently sharing their fascination with Roman history on Tik Tok, Instagram, and other online platforms.

“It’s been almost 2,000 years since the Roman Empire reached the historic peak of its power. But many men still contemplate it — quite a lot.”

According to the Washington Post, “A new social media trend prompting women to ask the men in their lives how often they think about ancient Rome reveals that it crosses the minds of many men on a weekly basis. Even daily. Or more — to the surprise and confusion of their loved ones.”

The Tik Tok trend in posting about Roman history seems to be closely associated with expressions of masculinity.

Hannah Cornwell, an ancient historian at Birmingham University, emphasizes that popular culture focuses on “an image of the Roman legion, the imperial eagle and that sort of military aspect — along with gladiators, which has a long association with masculinity and power,”

A Roman re-enactor called Gaius Flavius has a growing Instagram following:

Students in HIST 110 History of the Western World at Northern Illinois University will be interested in this report.

The Washington Post reports on Roman history on Tik Tok.