BBC - I, Caesar Ruling the Roman Empire (1997) Part 2 Augustus First of the Emperors

– Also aired as “HAIL, CAESAR!” in A&E “Biography” series –

Its army dominated the known world. Its culture forms the heart of Western Civilization. At its zenith, the Roman Empire extended from Persia to England, the Black Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. And throughout its history, its fate rested in the hands of individuals men of genius and courage, madness and ambition. Starting with Julius Caesar, films charts the rise and fall of the Roman power over 600 years, and this classic award-winning series takes a fascinating look at the public and private lives of six key men who ruled ancient Rome Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero, Hadrian, Constantine and Justinian. Their careers were made up of bloody battles and tactical bribery, stunning innovation and profound corruption, dazzling rhetoric and vicious back-stabbing – and together they form a picture of the most sophisticated highs and most brutal lows of the Roman Empire's inception, heyday and final decline. Stretching at its peak, from the north of England to southern Egypt and from the west coast of Spain to Syria in the east, the Roman Empire included within its boundaries myriad people, cultures and climates. The task of ruling it seems an impossible one, even with today’s communication technology. So how was it achieved two thousand years ago? And why has ancient Rome had such profound influence on western civilization ever since? Whether your interest is Caesar's brilliant military manoeuvring, Rome's astonishing statuary and architecture or the political strategies behind imperial power, these films offer an accessible introduction to the subject. I, CAESAR spans three continents and seven centuries to tell the saga of the Roman Empire and the men who shaped it. Ancient accounts detail Nero's madness and Augustus's political brilliance. The battles of Caesar and Justinian come to life through dramatic re- enactments. Modern scholars explore Constantine's conversion to Christianity. Cutting- edge computer graphics capture the splendor of Hadrian's “golden age,” and location footage from twenty-three countries shows the splendid ruins of Imperial Rome. In the riveting stories of its fabled rulers, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire comes alive. I, CAESAR takes a fresh look at the Roman Empire and shows that ancient history doesn't have to be a thing of the past…

Part 2 Augustus First of the Emperors

Caesar's military brilliance forged a new Rome, but it was Augustus's political genius that made it an empire for the ages. Declared emperor by the Senate, he oversaw a period of growth and prosperity marked by extraordinary artistic achievement and rapid expansion of the empire. He was heir to the greatest empire on earth but did not know it. Under his brilliant leadership, Rome was restored to unity and order after years of civil war. Augustus was Julius Caesar's grand nephew and adopted son, and unbeknownst to him, Caesar had decreed that on his death, Augustus should succeed him as Consul of Rome. In the years that followed, Augustus proved himself worthy of the choice, eventually winning total control of the Empire after defeating a challenge from Marc Antony. This episode explores the life of the first true Roman Emperor. Discover how he was given the title by the Senate, despite always presenting himself in public at least as first citizen, not as ruler. World-renowned scholars detail his many accomplishments, including a sweeping reconstruction campaign he boasted that he “found Rome brick and left it marble.” Period accounts detail his struggle to assume power, and ancient art and artifacts speak of his vast influence and legacy. From his drive to restore the morality of the empire to forging the Pax Romana, this is the saga of the first true Roman Emperor Augustus.

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