The Roman Empire ~ In the First CenturyTwo 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, assassinations, 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 civilisation would grow. Rome would become the world's first and most enduring superpower.Episode 1 ~ Order from ChaosMillions of people - both famous and uncelebrated - play parts in the astonishing rise of Rome. Above them all is Caesar Augustus. Born in times of crisis and raised amid civil war, Augustus comes to personify the people he leads. He is contradictory; he is influential; and he is enormously popular. But those that cross Augustus face dire consequences. The story of Augustan Rome is the story of greatness at a price.Episode 2 ~ Years of TrialIn the year 14AD, Caesar Augustus dies and the empire stands at a crossroads. A reluctant new emperor confronts mutiny and intrigue. At first Tiberius struggles to emulate his predecessor, but he soon abandons the effort. His ultimate decline ushers in one of the most notorious rulers of the ancient world: Caligula. Fear and conspiracy grip Rome. In Judaea, a charismatic leader named Jesus challenges the religious and political establishment.Episode 3 ~ Winds of ChangeIn the aftermath of Caligula's madness, Claudius rises to become one of the greatest emperors of the Roman Empire...only to fall victim to a brutally ambitious wife. A principled philosopher named Seneca finds himself compro