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Documentary

All Episodes of Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire

BBC One

Browse all episodes of Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire

All Episodes of Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire

Turning points in ancient Roman history and some of the Empire's greatest stories are brought to life in this drama documentary series.
Select Season:

Season 1

  • Nero
    7.5/10213 votes

    Nero

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/2006

    Recounts how Nero charted his murderous reign and how he was finally overthrown.

    Director: Nick Murphy

    Writer: Nick Murphy

  • Caesar
    7.4/10161 votes

    Caesar

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/26/2006

    Recounts how Julius Caesar succeeded in overthrowing a 500-year-old Republic.

    Director: Nick Green

    Writer: James Wood, Jeremy Hylton Davies

  • Revolution
    7.3/10158 votes

    Revolution

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/5/2006

    132 BC. Tiberius Gracchus, with the final victory in Rome's 120 year long Punic Wars against Carthage, its greatest ever Mediterranean rival, brings him immense glory and the rich unseen wealth, but almost nothing trickles down to the destitute. The rich patricians yest removing the military threat of Carthage also removes the best control on them. He learns many veteran families lose everything, even their land, which is taken by the rich. Now he joins the army against a Hispanic tribe, the Numantines, which manages to encircle the 20,000 legionnaires and refuses to negotiate with consul Mancinus, but takes the word of Gracchus, for the sake of his father who concluded an honorable peace with them; the troops return, their families rejoice but the senate blames the commanders for a disgraceful surrender. Tiberius uses his popularity to stand for the office of popular tribune, hoping to counter Nasicas extremist line in the senate.

    Director: Christopher Spencer

    Writer: Christopher Spencer

  • Rebellion
    7.4/10142 votes

    Rebellion

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/12/2006

    Recounts how the Jewish Revolt, which swept through Judea in AD66, was stopped by General Vespasian and his son Titus.

    Director: Andrew Grieve

    Writer: Andrew Grieve

  • Constantine
    7.2/10132 votes

    Constantine

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/18/2006

    Recounts how the Emperor Constantine brought Christianity to the western world.

    Director: Tim Dunn

    Writer: Colin Heber-Percy, Lyall B. Watson

  • Fall of Rome
    7.1/10115 votes

    Fall of Rome

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/26/2006

    In AD 410, the Goth hordes sacked the city. This event symbolised Rome's collapse, but it should never have happened at all.

    Director: Arif Nurmohamed

    Writer: James Wood