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Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome - Season 1

Series: Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome
4.5
(75)
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Episodes
24
Rating
TVPG
Year
2019
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

Trace the history of the Roman Empire from its foundation to its Golden Age in the 2nd century C.E. through ever-worsening crises and its ultimate disintegration. Taught by acclaimed Professor Gregory S. Aldrete, these 24 captivating episodes offer you the chance to experience the story of ancient Rome like never before, incorporating the latest historical research, perspectives, and insights.

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Episodes

1. Dawn of the Roman Empire

35m

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Your course opens by setting the stage for Rome's transition from a Republic to an Empire. Octavian, overlooking the Ionian Sea after the ferocious Battle of Actium, has just secured victory in a civil war against Mark Antony. He will soon achieve what Julius Caesar could not: one-man rule over Rome. Delve into this major turning point in world history.

2. Augustus, the First Emperor

32m

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Meet the man who became Rome's first emperor: Octavian, who took the title of Augustus, was relatively short and sickly, but clever and astute. His great political innovation-taking the title Augustus, gaining control of the military, and ruling Rome without inspiring his own assassination-is one of history's most astonishing feats.

3. Tiberius and Caligula

32m

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Augustus may have been a tremendous emperor, but he failed in one key area: choosing a successor. After an almost comical series of events, he secured a male heir (a son of his wife's by a previous marriage) to take the throne. Witness the debacle of Roman leadership under Tiberius and then Caligula.

4. Claudius and Nero

31m

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The succession after Caligula continued to be a problem for the Roman Empire. Claudius, though physically challenged, was a good administrator. Nero, however, was depraved and self-aggrandizing, and nearly bankrupted the empire. Trace the strange, sad, and bloody story of their rule.

5. The Flavian Emperors and Roman Bath Culture

31m

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Following Nero, a quick series of emperors took power, ultimately ending with Vespasian, the first in the line of Flavian family emperors. After reviewing the story of these emperors, their accomplishments, and their shortcomings, Professor Aldrete offers insight into Roman bath culture and what it meant for the city.

6. The Five Good Emperors

33m

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Round out your survey of the early Roman emperors with a look at the rulers of the 2nd century, including Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius. Get to know their stories; their approach to ruling; and their achievements, such as Trajan's military conquests and Marcus Aurelius's philosophical meditations.

7. Hazards of Life in Ancient Rome: The Five Fs

31m

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You might think of Rome as a grand city filled with shining marble and peopled with decadent-toga-clad citizens. In reality, the city was a swampy, stinking, disease-ridden mess with filth in the streets and a fire nearly every night in one of its buildings. See what life would have been like for Rome's ordinary citizens.

8. Roman Art and Architecture

32m

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Two of the great legacies of the Roman Empire are its art and architecture. You will reflect on the Etruscan and Greek influences on Roman portraits and sculptures, see how Augustus used art as propaganda, and learn about some of the many architectural and engineering innovations - including the Pantheon and the aqueducts.

9. Roman Literature

33m

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Roman literature had its roots in Greek influences, but by the time of the Empire, Roman writers had come into their own. The works you will study include the fiery rhetoric of Cicero; the poetry of Horace and Ovid; and Virgil's epic about Rome's founding, the Aeneid. You'll also review histories, technical works, and writings on Christianity.

10. The Ordinary Roman Speaks: Graffiti

31m

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The traditional understanding of Rome was based on accounts by upper-class males, who wrote the primary sources historians relied on for generations. More recent historians have looked at new sources to gain a fuller sense of the city's history. You will examine graffiti preserved at Pompeii in order to hear directly from everyday Romans.

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