The Roman Empire in the First Century

The Roman Empire in the First Century

2001 · 1 season · 4 eps · Documentary

Ended

Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the world was ruled by Rome. The Roman Empire struggled with problems which are surprisingly familiar: violent coups, assassination, overarching ambition, civil war, clashes between the classes as well as the sexes and questions of personal freedom versus government control. But from the chaos, the Roman Empire would emerge stronger and more dazzling than ever before. Soon, it would stretch from Britain across Europe to the shores of North Africa; and from Spain across Greece and the Middle East to the borders of Asia. It would embrace hundreds of languages and religions and till its many cultures into a rich soil from which Western civilization would grow. Rome would become the world’s first and most enduring superpower.

Directed by Lyn Goldfarb · Written by Margaret Koval

Network: PBS

Your Rating

Episodes

More from Lyn GoldfarbSee all →

The Great DepressionThe Great Depression · 1993
The Great Depression
10.01993
SeriesDocumentary
A 7-part series telling dramatic and diverse stories of struggle and survival during the worst economic crisis in U.S. history. From the producers of Eyes on the Prize, this series was met with critical acclaim and won both an Emmy Award for writing and a duPont-Columbia Award.
Japan: Memoirs of a Secret EmpireJapan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire · 2004
Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire
9.52004
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Japan blossomed into its Renaissance at approximately the same time as Europe. Unlike the West, it flourished not through conquest and exploration, but by fierce and defiant isolation. And the man at the heart of this empire was Tokugawa Ieyasu, a warlord who ruled with absolute control. This period is explored through myriad voices-- the Shogun, the Samurai, the Geisha, the poet, the peasant and the Westerner who glimpsed into this secret world.
Japan: Memoirs of a Secret EmpireJapan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire · 2004
Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire
9.52004
SeriesDocumentary
Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans—all were part of the Japanese “renaissance”; a period between the 16th and 19th Centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship with the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world.
A Taste of FreedomA Taste of Freedom · 1991
A Taste of Freedom
7.01991
MovieDocumentary
Covers six weeks of the lives of Sasha Politkovsky, a prominent TV journalist, and his family. Chronicles the events of 1990 as glasnost and perestroika lift the lid of totalitarianism in the Soviet Union.
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency BrigadeWith Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade · 1978
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade
6.81978
MovieDocumentary
Combining rare archival footage with interviews recorded forty years after the event, this documentary tells the story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade during the 1936–37 General Motors sit-down strike in Flint, Michigan. While national attention focused on the men occupying the factories, women—auto workers and the families of strikers—organized food supplies, picket lines, and public demonstrations that helped sustain the historic labor victory. The film highlights their long-overlooked role in the American labor movement.
The Roman Empire in the First CenturyThe Roman Empire in the First Century · 2001
The Roman Empire in the First Century
6.32001
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the ancient world was ruled by Rome. Through the experiences, memories and writings of the people who lived it, this series tells the story of that time - the emperors and slaves, poets and plebeians, who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen and shaped the Roman empire in the first century A.D.
Eddy's WorldEddy's World · 2020
Eddy's World
5.02020
MovieDocumentary
EDDY'S WORLD is a fascinating portrait of a 98 year old working toy inventor. Best known for the iconic "chattering teeth" and 800 classic toys, he shares his passion for creativity and his philosophies of life and aging. Eddy lives in a retirement community and we follow him through his daily routine - working on new models in his garage machine shop, writing short stories on his computer, creating translucent lithophane portraits with his new 3D printer., walking and exercising. Eddy began designing toys on the Batfish Submarine during World War II. He is an endearing story teller who believes that optimism and new ideas keep him young and healthy.
The Atomic Bowl: Football at Ground Zero -- And Nuclear Peril TodayThe Atomic Bowl: Football at Ground Zero -- And Nuclear Peril Today · 2025
The Atomic Bowl: Football at Ground Zero -- And Nuclear Peril Today
2025
Movie
The second atomic bomb blast over Nagasaki in August 1945 has become known as "the forgotten bomb." Less than five months later, the U.S. military staged an all-star football game on a killing field in Nagasaki, amid lingering radiation levels.. Why was the game played there? And why does the Nagasaki bombing provide so many lessons and warnings for us today as nuclear dangers proliferate?
Woody Guthrie and the Ghost of Tom Joad TodayWoody Guthrie and the Ghost of Tom Joad Today · 2026
Woody Guthrie and the Ghost of Tom Joad Today
2026
MovieMusicDocumentary
Narrated by Rosanne Cash and featuring music from Bruce Springsteen, this timely film connects the paths of two American icons—songwriter Woody Guthrie (who penned "This Land is Your Land") and novelist John Steinbeck (who wrote "The Grapes of Wrath")—as they forged a bond in a campaign to ease the suffering of migrants in California, and their legacy today.
The First Attack Ads: Hollywood vs. Upton SinclairThe First Attack Ads: Hollywood vs. Upton Sinclair · 2022
The First Attack Ads: Hollywood vs. Upton Sinclair
2022
MovieDocumentary
In 1934, famed writer and socialist Upton Sinclair swept the Democratic primary for governor of California, leading a mass End Poverty movement. To defeat him that fall, his opponents created one of the dirtiest, and most influential, campaigns in U.S. history, and Hollywood took its first all-out plunge into politics.

More Like This

Couldn't load this row right now.

How is it so far?

Your ratings make Midnight smarter