BBC - I, Caesar Ruling the Roman Empire (1997) Part 5 Constantine Bearing the Cross

– 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 5 Constantine Bearing the Cross

Constantine revitalised a fading empire and built a glittering new capital that would stand for over 1,000 years. But his strongest legacy is religious; his conversion to Christianity put an end to hundreds of years of persecution and laid the foundations for Medieval Europe. He re-unified and strengthened an empire on the verge of collapse. His conversion to Christianity helped lay the foundations for Medieval Europe. After Julius Caesar, Constantine the Great is arguably the most important ruler in Roman history. He took control of the Empire at one of its lowest ebbs and restored it for the final time to true glory. This episode explores Constantine's life and legacy through ancient art and artifacts, expert commentary and historic re-enactments. Trace his 20- year struggle to take control of the splintered empire, and see how he restored it to its former glory through masterful diplomacy and the judicious use of force. Explore the dramatic story of his conversion, and the momentous changes in the Empire and the world that resulted. And walk the streets of the city he founded as the capital of his reborn empire. This is the definitive portrait of the ruler who saved his nation and transformed the world, Constantine the Great.

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