Imperial Rome’s 4% Blue Eyes

Analyzing 4,133 ancient genomes with a weighted OCA2/HERC2 haplotype score finds only about 4% of Imperial Romans were likely blue‑eyed, compared to roughly 22% in Iron Age Rome and 21% in Medieval Rome. Vikings score much higher (~55%), while steppe cultures are darker‑eyed than many assume. — Quantifying eye‑color shifts across eras reframes Rome’s imperial period as a demonstrably cosmopolitan genetic mix and corrects common myths about European ancestry.