History Channel - The Great Empire Rome (1998) Part 4 The Enduring Legacy

From Romulus and Remus to the rise of Christianity, THE GREAT EMPIRE: ROME introduces the people and chronicles the events that shaped one of history's most fascinating civilizations. Throughout history, civilizations have come and gone, but few have altered the world as immensely as the Roman Empire. From its founding by Romulus and Remus to its magnificent takeover of the Mediterranean to its eventual fall amidst the rise of Christianity, the many lasting influences of the Roman civilization remain with us today. Experience documentary history at its best and bear witness to the rise and fall of an empire.

Part 4: The Enduring Legacy

In the early years of Christianity, the Roman Empire was indifferent to the movement that would ultimately contribute to its downfall. Soon it came to persecute the members of the new religion that swelled in its midst. But ultimately, the conversion of Constantine the Great paved the way for the triumph of Christianity in Western Civilization - and signaled the beginning of the end for the Empire. From the Cucifixtion of Jesus to the final flickering of Roman glory under Justinian, THE ENDURING LEGACY chronicles the decline of Rome and the rise of Christianity. See how the faltering Empire's power shifted to the East and the new capital of Constantinople, a move cemented by the plundering of Rome itself in 410 A.D. And examine the many ways in which the influence of the long-ago Empire is still felt today.