Rome: Rise and Fall

His reign of terror lasted just 1400 days, but even today, everyone knows his name. Examine controversial new theories about the man who ruled the world's mightiest Empire with sadistic brutality.

The flowering of the Roman Empire saw incomparable power and civilization - and at the same time, depravity on an unparalleled scale. Explore how good and evil lived side by side.

Josh Bernstein visits the Bay of Naples to try to understand exactly how the eruption of Mount Vesuvius unfolded in 79 A.D. - and why it took the people of Pompeii almost entirely by surprise.

From the depths of the vicious and magnificent Flavian amphitheater where gladiators fought for their lives, peel back the layers of the gladiator's triumph - and his demise.

Carefully uncovered from molten rock and ashes, Pompeii is one of the world's most well-preserved archaeological sites. Follow in the footsteps of the team continuing their quest to unearth the treasures of Pompeii.

Rome is a city where the past meets the present on every corner. Join host Eric Geller as he reveals the technological marvels that allowed the construction of one city upon another - literally.

The Roman city of Ostia was once a vital harbor town. Today, Ostia is covered in sand. Examine the reasons for its demise and explore recent excavations, which unearthed well-preserved ruins that rival those of Pompeii.

It is 113 BC. The Cimbri smash through the northern imperial border to threaten Rome. Gripped by terror, Rome turns to General Marius, who will transform the Roman army and shake the Republic's political foundations to the core.

When Roman generals Pompey and Crassus lead their mighty legions of soldiers and mercenaries into the lands surrounding Italy, neither anticipates the turmoil caused by one bold mercenary.

Julius Caesar, desperate for fame and honor, embarks on a brutal decade-long campaign to annex Gaul and build his own reputation. His aristocratic rivals try to stop him, but he is an expert manipulator.

As the Roman Empire expands its reach into what is now Germany, its legions are faced with ferocious Germanic tribesmen.

It is 47 A.D. The new emperor Claudius is considered by many to be the village idiot. He can only hang onto his throne by waging a spectacular conquest.

Marcus Aurelius inherits the empire at its peak. The imperial boundaries stretch from the Irish Sea to the sands of Syria. But the greater Rome grows, the bigger a target she becomes.

In the beginning of the 3rd century, Rome is in crisis. Ravaged by civil war and foreign invasions, it now faces an even greater challenge in the new religion of Christianity.

Crassus, in need of military laurels to raise him to the level of Pompey and Caesar, chooses Parthia as his target. The Roman force is wiped out in the desert.

Near the end of the 3rd century, civil war has torn the empire apart and left its borders vulnerable to barbarian invasion. Romans living on the eastern and western frontiers, far from Rome, are left to defend themselves.

The civil wars of the 3rd century are finally ended by Emperor Diocletian. In the eastern court and army of this powerful emperor, a young Constantine receives the training of a future leader.

By the end of the 4th century, Romans and barbarians live together uneasily, a situation that often explodes into violence. When Emperor Theodosius enlists the Goths as mercenaries, he relies on his trusted general to lead.

In 450 A.D., Rome is a mere shadow of its former self. Now, Roman rulers are at the mercy of their barbarian invaders, offering them power and territory in exchange for peace.

In the middle of the 5th century, as the Empire fights a losing battle against its formidable barbarian opponents, one Roman named Orestes finds service in the court of Attila the Hun.

The weapons of Roman gladiators reflected gods, barbarians, and 16 different types of idealized warriors. Did the extraordinary styles and skills developed in the arena have any practical purpose?

In 197 B.C., the classic military conflict between the Ancient World's two dominant military systems takes place in a chain of hills called Cynoscephalae in Thessaly.

When Trajan was proclaimed emperor, he set out to rebuild the troubled Roman Empire and lived to see it reach the maximum extent of its power.