The sensesomething that one frequently thinks about is a reference to the "How Often Do You Think About the Roman Empire?"meme, popularized on Instagram and TikTok around September 2023.[1][2]
theRomanEmpire
- (historical) Theempire which succeeded theRoman Republic and existed between 27B.C.E. and 476C.E. in the west (and until 1453C.E. in the east;seeByzantine Empire),encompassingterritoriesstretching fromBritain andGermany toSpain,North Africa and thePersian Gulf.[from 15th c.]
- Synonym:Rome(metonymically)
- Coordinate terms:Roman Kingdom;Roman Republic;Western Roman Empire;Byzantine Empire (Byzantium,Eastern Roman Empire)
- (historical, now rare) TheHoly Roman Empire.[from 16th c.]
RomanEmpire (pluralRoman Empires)
- (Internetslang) Anunexpected or apparentlyrandomtopic that one frequently thinks about.
2023 September 18, @fleabagreact,Twitter[1], archived fromthe original on22 January 2024:the dinner party episode from fleabag is myroman empire
2023 October 4, u/Soggy_Biscuit_, “Whats your version of the Roman empire?”, inReddit[2], r/popculturechat, archived fromthe original on22 January 2024:Yeah we had a big convo about this at work. I work in a pharmacy which is like 90% women (it's thebest) and we collectively decided our "Roman empire" is either Genghis Khan or blood clots, and the teenage version was toxic shock syndrome lol
2023 October 15, @lexkwondo,Twitter[3], archived fromthe original on22 January 2024:No one understands how much I crave this. I yearn for this. This is myRoman Empire. You visualize an apple in your head, I visualize this at all times
2023 October 26, Neia Balao, quoting Alexandra Gulla, “‘The desire to be smaller’: These women reveal that their ‘Roman Empire’ is tied to body image, and others agree”, inYahoo![4]:“MyRoman Empire is the fact that I have thought about the desire to be smaller every single day for the past 20 years,” she says in a video posted on Oct. 18.
2023 December 3, u/8Jennyx, “What's a fact you wish you didn't know?”, inReddit[5], r/AskReddit, archived fromthe original on22 January 2024:Prions are myRoman Empire. I swear I think of prions absurdly more than anyone should. The fact that they exist and can do that amount of damage is haunting.
2023 December 5, @GenevaWren38,Twitter[6], archived fromthe original on22 January 2024:I have a rotating set ofRoman empires, currently it seems to be Foolish & Philza as a duo cause the amount of feral energy that floods me every time I see something regarding them....I adore them
2023 December 8, Laura Henshaw, “Living Well with Laura Henshaw: body image used to be my Roman Empire”, inVogue[7]:The size of my body used to be myRoman Empire, and I know I’m not alone.[…] Body image is consuming. For so many of us, it’s ourRoman Empire.
2023 December 17, u/HiLittleDarling, “Let's Discuss, Hollywood Siblings”, inReddit[8], r/popculturechat, archived fromthe original on22 January 2024:Wondering why they are feuding can be an occasionalRoman Empire for me.
2024 October 1, Marybel Martin, “Halloween is my Roman Empire”, inMarybel Martin[9]:So, that is why I say Halloween is myRoman Empire. It’s exciting, it’s fun, and it makes my inner child happy. I feel like almost all my art has a whisper of Halloween somehow, don’t you think?
