7.5/1016 votesLoading...#1 - Years of Trial
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 7/18/2001
In the year 14 A.D., Caesar Augustus dies and the Empire stands at a crossroads. Will Rome continue the course set by its first emperor – or return to chaos? A reluctant new emperor confronts mutiny and intrigue. At first, Tiberius struggles to emulate his predecessor, but he soon abandons the effort. His ultimate decline from ascetic ruler to reclusive despot ushers in one of the most notorious rulers of the ancient world: Caligula. As fear and conspiracy grip Rome, crisis roils the provinces. In Judaea, a charismatic leader named Jesus challenges the religious and political establishment. The local furor barely touches Rome but the legacy of Jesus will one day engulf the empire.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1020 votesLoading...
#2 - Order from Chaos
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 7/18/2001
Millions of people — both famous and uncelebrated — play parts in the astonishing rise of Rome. Above them all is Caesar Augustus. Born in times of crisis and raised amid civil war, Augustus comes to personify the people he leads. He is contradictory: capable of both brutal violence and tender compassion. He is influential: forging the image of Roman grandeur that endures to this day. And he is enormously popular. But those who cross Augustus — his rivals Marc Antony and Cleopatra; the love poet, Ovid; even his own daughter, Julia — face dire consequences. The story of Augustan Rome is the story of greatness at a price.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1014 votesLoading...
#3 - Winds of Change
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 7/25/2001
In the aftermath of Caligula’s madness, Claudius, the most unlikely member of the imperial family, rises to become one of the greatest emperors of the Roman Empire… only to fall victim to a brutally ambitious wife. A principled philosopher named Seneca finds himself compromised as tutor to the erratic young Emperor Nero. In Britain, a warrior queen named Boudicca battles Roman legions… and from Judaea, a revolutionary named Paul begins spreading the words of Jesus across Roman lands. Back in the capital, Nero’s disastrous rule shakes the empire to its foundation. Rome nearly burns to the ground. The empire is on the edge of disaster.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.0/1015 votesLoading...
#4 - Years of Eruption
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 7/25/2001
With Nero’s death, the dynasty of Augustus comes to an end. Once again, the Empire faces an uncertain future. Rival generals fight for supremacy in the streets of Rome. A new dynasty brings another tyrant to the throne, and Mount Vesuvius erupts, burying Pompeii and thousands of people beneath a torrent of ash and mud. A young citizen survives the disaster and records the night of terror. But the Empire weathers the traumas. As the first century draws to a close, the Emperor Trajan expands the empire to its greatest geographic extent and offers new prosperity to a greater number of citizens. He sets the course for generations to come and projects the collective voice of ancient Rome across the ages.
Director: N/A
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The Worst Episodes of The Roman Empire in the First Century
Every episode of The Roman Empire in the First Century ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Roman Empire in the First Century!
Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the world was ruled by Rome. The Roman Empire struggled with problems which are...
Genre:Documentary
Network:PBS
Worst Episodes Summary
"Years of Trial" is the worst rated episode of "The Roman Empire in the First Century". It scored 7.5/10 based on 16 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 7/18/2001. This episode scored 0.4 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Order from Chaos".