The Great Empire: Rome

Joined by host Joe Mantegna The Great Empire: Rome journeys back in time to explore the ancient Roman empire.

Investigating the Romans through four different episodes, the series seeks to understand how Rome started, how it became a vast empire, and how it ultimately ended.

Episode 1: The Republic of Rome

The first episode takes on our archaeological and historical understanding of ancient Rome and how the fledgeling empire started.

The film showcases on-location footage, ancient documents, and interviews with experts regarding Rome. Through these anecdotes, we’ll open history which shows how Rome became the de-facto powerhouse and political influencer of Europe in Classical Antiquity.

Episode 2: The Age of Emperors

The second episode dives into how ancient Rome was transformed under the guise of Julius Caesar.

While the empire would grow larger than ever before under the new leader, the ascendancy of Julius Caesar brought about the end of a republic and a new age of emperors.

From the brilliance of Augustus and defeat of Marc Anthony to the sickness of Nero, renowned scholars peel back the layers of history to breathe new life into the personal legacies of these godlike men.

Episode 3: Building an Empire

Join in as episode three documents how Julius Caesar established Rome as the foremost power in the ancient world, and shows how his successors extended its realm of influence even further.

Episode 4: The Enduring Legacy

In the early years of Christianity, the Roman Empire was indifferent to the movement that would ultimately contribute to its downfall.

Soon it came to persecute the members of the new religion that swelled in its midst.

Ultimately, however, the conversion of Constantine the Great paved the way for the triumph of Christianity in Western Civilization – and signaled the beginning of the end for the ancient Roman Empire.