BBC - I, Caesar Ruling the Roman Empire (1997) Part 3 Nero The Power and the Madness

– 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 3 Nero The Power and the Madness

He was seventeen when he took the throne, and during his capricious, fourteen-year rule, Nero almost brought the Empire to ruin. He was unable to quell rebellions and he had many political enemies killed. Eventually, the army rose up against him, the Senate declared him a public enemy and he committed suicide in disgrace. He was emotionally unstable, capricious and scandalous. Ironically, his troubled reign proved the strength of the Roman Empire. Nero was the last descendant of Caesar to inherit the throne. Unfortunately, the demented ruler inherited little else from his illustrious forefather. This episode tells the twisted tale of this infamous figure. Hear ancient accounts of how he was responsible for the fire that destroyed most of Rome. Modern scholars, however, reveal how this accusation while fitting Nero's character is likely untrue, and suggest that his mistress who he later married may have been responsible for many of his legendary excesses. Discover how he scandalized the army and aristocracy by appearing in plays, and explore his bizarre relationship with his mother, whom he eventually had killed. Filled with dramatic re-enactments and stunning ancient art and artifacts, this is the extraordinary story of the ruler who saw Rome literally burn to the ground. From his ascension to the throne at age 17 to his suicide, Nero proved the strength of the Roman Empire by his inability to destroy it!

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