This documentary explores the decadence of ancient Rome through archaeological evidence and the comments of scholars. Topics include funeral rites rooted in superstition, cults and secret societies, and notorious emperors, including Nero and Tiberius.
Even today, some 2,000 years after they were built, the roads of the Roman Empire remain one of the most astonishing accomplishments in the history of mankind. Built on the backs of many and often awash in the blood of conquest and suppression, they were absolutely vital to the process of building a society the likes of which the world had never seen. ROMAN ROADS: PATHS TO EMPIRE journeys back to the age of Caesar to tell the story of these remarkable highways that helped forge an empire. Discover how they were built, and why so many have lasted to this day. Historians detail their central role in the expansion and maintenance of the Empire. See how they grew from a local network to a vast web stretching across three continents and embracing 50,000 miles.And visit sites throughout the world where these ancient arteries remain, sometimes still in use! Walk in the steps of emperors and explore one of the most fascinating artifacts in the history of humanity
Once it was a priceless jewel in the crown of the Roman Empire a vibrant seaport where the streets overflowed with traders and merchants from around the world. But well before the fall of the Empire, the city of Ostia began a long decline, and for nearly 1,600 years it was abandoned, left to crumble into the sea. This illuminating program tells the complete history of the ruined city that has become second in importance only to Pompeii to modern scholars of Rome. See why its decline and desertion make Ostia so valuable to archaeologists and historians today, and examine their latest finds. Go beneath the waves to view remnants of Rome's ancient glory engulfed by the waters of the Mediterranean. And meet the men and women who are uncovering its long-hidden secrets. From the seaport at the center of an ancient empire to one of the most important archaeological sites in the world
Explores what Rome's imperial monuments symbolized while unearthing secrets of the society that built and sustained them.
Scattered across Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa, they are silent reminders of the most dominant empire in the history of Western Civilization. How did the Romans manage to preserve their culture while expanding so quickly? The answer lies, in part, in the cities they left behind. Leading historians reveal how the Roman practice of immediately building a city in any territory they conquered helped to control the sprawling empire for almost a thousand years.
