The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome

Setting the stage for Rome's transition from a republic to an empire; Octavian wins a civil war against Mark Antony; he soon achieves what Julius Caesar could not, a one-man rule over Rome.

Meeting Octavian, who becomes Rome's first emperor; he takes the title of Augustus; gaining control of the military; ruling Rome without inspiring his own assassination; how these are some of history's most astonishing feats.

Despite his achievements, Augustus fails in the key area of choosing a successor; after an almost comical series of events, he secures a male heir to take the throne; witnessing the debacle of Roman leadership under Tiberius and Caligula.

The succession after Caligula continues to be a problem for the Roman Empire; Claudius, though physically challenged, is a good administrator; Nero is depraved and self-aggrandizing, nearly bankrupting the empire; tracing the story of their rule.

After Nero's reign, Vespasian is the first in the line of Flavian family emperors; reviewing their stories, accomplishments and shortcomings; Professor Aldrete offers insight into Roman bath culture; what it means for the city.

A look at the rulers of the 2nd century, including Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius; their stories; their approach to ruling; their achievements, which include Trajan's military conquests and Marcus Aurelius's philosophical meditations.

One might think of Rome as a city filled with shining marble and toga-clad citizens; in reality, the city is a disease-ridden mess with filth in the streets and a fire occurring nearly every night; what life is like for Rome's ordinary citizens.

Reflecting on the Etruscan and Greek influences on Roman portraits and sculptures; how Augustus uses art as propaganda; learning about some of the many architectural and engineering innovations, including the Pantheon and the aqueducts.

By the time of the Empire, Roman writers come into their own; studying the rhetoric of Cicero; the poetry of Horace and Ovid; Virgil's epic about Rome's founding, the "Aeneid"; reviewing histories, technical works and writings on Christianity.

The traditional understanding of Rome is based on accounts by upper-class males; more recent historians look at new sources to gain a fuller sense of the city's history; examining graffiti preserved at Pompeii to hear directly from everyday Romans.

A look at the epitaphs on Roman tombstones; while elaborate tombs are reserved for the very rich, people of all social classes have their thoughts and stories inscribed on tombstones; exploring how the Romans bury their dead.

Marcus Aurelius appoints his son Commodus as heir, who turns out to be a throwback to the megalomania of Caligula and Nero; Emperor Septimius Severus provides a short period of stability; his son, Caracalla, is yet another unbalanced ruler.

The empire hits a low point with Elagabalus, who is arguably the worst Roman emperor of all; Rome teeters on the brink of total collapse due to a deadly combination of civil war, barbarian invasions, economic collapse and natural disasters.

Just when the Roman Empire seems on the verge of collapse, a series of hard-headed, practical emperors manage to rescue it; the story of how these men, led by the reformer Diocletian, drive back the barbarians and stabilize the faltering Empire.

At the dawn of the fourth century, Christianity emerges as a major world force; Constantine's dramatic and unexpected conversion; how and why Christianity develops and spreads; the role it plays in subsequent political events.

A closer look at Constantine; his motivations for converting to Christianity; learning about the Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicaea; why Constantine founds a new capital city at Byzantium; the state of the empire at the end of his life.

Gladiators dominate popular imagination when it comes to ancient Rome; gladiator combat is only one of many popular entertainments in the empire; who the gladiators are; what their lives are like; turning to the popular contest of the beast hunt.

Chariot racing is the most popular sport in the Roman Empire; going inside the Circus Maximus; learning about the factions and teams of chariot racers; paying attention to the world of the theater, where plays, mimes and music entertain the masses.

A detailed look at the Roman military; the organization of Rome's fighting forces; seeing what kind of equipment soldiers are outfitted with; how they train; what joining the military means for farm boys in the provinces.

From the third to the fifth centuries, Rome experiences an increasing wave of invasions by outsiders; Professor Aldrete introduces the Huns, the Visigoths, the Vandals and other invaders who penetrate Rome's borders and plunder the empire.

While the Roman Empire's western half collapses, the eastern Romans in the Byzantine Empire flourish; visiting the world of Constantinople; meeting fascinating figures such as Justinian and Theodora; what makes the Byzantine Empire so successful.

Generations of historians struggle over and disagree about the fundamental questions of when and why the Roman Empire falls; critically evaluating a wide range of possible answers to these complex and enduring questions.

Traditionally, historians view the years 200 to 600 as a time of collapse and stagnation, the end of Rome and the arrival of the "Dark Ages"; recent historians see a time of invigorating change, a mingling of cultures and an exciting transition.

Considering the legacy of the Roman Empire, which influences people in innumerable ways; Professor Aldrete closes with a few final voices to keep everyday Romans alive; a reflection on what they might say today.