Opinion: A girlies’ equivalent to the ‘Roman Empire’, and why our boys obsessed with it

A new social media trend has many men revealing they are constantly thinking about the Roman Empire. But these are the pivotal moments in women’s history – Here’s the Roman Empire for girlies.

Did you know men are apparently just constantly thinking about the Roman Empire?

In a busy world, with an endless realm of information at their ever-ready fingertips, a TikTok video trend has revealed men are apparently just constantly ruminating on the Romans.

Why? I canvassed the women in my life, who uncovered some fascinating insights.

One friend’s fiance is interested in ancient history YouTube channels, while a colleague’s

brother was listening to a Roman Empire audiobook but “hadn’t thought deeply about it for a while”.

Which indicated, at some point, he has been really deeply pondering the Roman Empire.

(Then one of my female friends copped to regularly thinking about the Roman Empire – but she actually studied the classics at Oxford, so she is totally valid and not to be questioned).

My personal theory is that the Roman Empire calls to some fundamental, deeply buried lizard brain part of modern men where their instinct to fight with swords and drive chariots still dwells somewhere beneath the conscious mind.

But it made me think – what are the moments in women’s history that girlies are constantly thinking about?

What are the pivotal points throughout time that have changed women at a cellular level? Embedded in our consciousness, calling to some primal part of us?

This is the Roman Empire for girlies.

Mr Darcy’s hand in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie

@beapelata I think way too much about this scene. #prideandprejudice#prideandprejudice2005#thehandflex#handflex#mrdarcy#elizabethbennet#elizabeth#lizzie#myromanempire#romanempire#girlhood#janeausten#mrdarcyandelizabeth#mrdarcyhandflex#love#girlromanempire♬ green to blue - slowed + reverbed - daniel.mp3

Girlies know what I mean. The moment a stern, stoic Fitzwilliam Darcy – played by Matthew McFadyen – must, out of propriety, aid Elizabeth Bennet into her carriage by the hand. As he retreats, the camera zooms in on his hand, flexing, with the lingering memory of her touch. (Because he loves her but he’s too *proud* to say it.)

Girlies are always thinking about this.

Taylor Swift

What is the biggest music superstar in the world eating for breakfast? What is the biggest music superstar’s coffee order? How does she get her make-up to stay so immaculate when it’s sheeting down rain? Is NFL tight end Travis Kelce her end game? If she met me would we be friends? Roman Empire for girlies. We’re all thinking about it every day.

Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech

I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not.

And the Government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man.

Not now, not ever.

(Women are constantly thinking about this because we won’t be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man either.)

Tom Holland doing Umbrella for Lip Sync Battle

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you are scrolling through a social media app and you see Spider-Man actor Tom Holland in a black bobbed wig, black leatherette outfit, lip syncing Rihanna’s hit song Umbrella in the sheeting rain until he wraps it with a heart-stopping death drop – you have to sit there and watch the whole thing. It’s fundamental. It’s the way things are.

Beyoncé

I once read that Beyoncé practised singing on a treadmill so she would be accustomed to perfectly controlling her voice while dancing her heart out and I have never ever stopped thinking about that in my entire life since.

How does she do it? Like, all of it? Beyoncé IS women’s history.