The Rise and Fall of the Roman EmpireA two-part special that re-tells the staggering expansion, domination, and ultimate collapse of one of history’s greatest and most cautionary civilizations. Rome is a young and aggressive republic fighting for survival in the dog-eat-dog world of the Ancient Mediterranean but driven by an ambitious leadership with plans to expand. Waging war on its neighbors brings vast wealth, power, and land without limits. Under its emperors, the Roman Empire dominates the Western world, before an intricate web of events, absolute unchecked power, and new fearsome invaders bring it crashing down after a thousand years of gore and glory. Utilizes dramatic live action sequences, archive, and special effects to bring to life the crucial players in Rome’s history. Featuring commentary with leading experts and world-renowned scholars.
The Rise
May 27, 2026
In the 3rd century BCE Rome is a young, aggressive republic run by a powerful group of ambitious families intent on growing an empire. This aristocracy has conquered the rest of Italy, but real power lays in waging war against Carthage; the richest state in the western Mediterranean. Decades of battle against Carthaginian general Hannibal shape the fledgling Roman Empire and by 146 BCE, Rome is the undisputed master of southern Europe.
The Fall
May 28, 2026
Under Emperor Trajan and then Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Empire grows to the largest, and most powerful it has ever been. But in the 160s CE, disaster strikes: Germanic invasions, the plague and a new leader; Emperor Commodus, plunges Rome into chaos.
