Relive the fall of one of history’s greatest civilizations.

Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire chronicles the story of one of history’s greatest empires from its first major battle to its remarkable military feats and through its eventual fall. Told from the point of view of the Roman people under violent attack, HISTORY™ takes viewers inside the fiery battles of a civilization crumbling in the face of brutal invasions. From the first Roman-Barbarian War through the great empire’s collapse, HISTORY™ follows each harrowing moment of the famed empire’s slow decline and the human cost.

Rome was not only a city of battles, but also one of incredible  engineering feats. We take a close look at what set Rome apart from the rest of the ancient world, uncovering the hidden treasures and secrets of the city.

Disc One
The First Barbarian War: It is 113 BC. A barbarian horde known as the Cimbri smashes through the northern imperial border. The losses for the Roman legionnaires number in their hundreds of thousands and terror grips Rome, who must now decide between a dictatorship under the notorious General Marius or annihilation.
Spartacus: A Thracian warrior, Spartacus deserts the Roman army, but is captured, made a slave and forced to fight as a gladiator. But in 73 BC, the untameable barbarian leads a slave revolt of 70,000 gladiators against the Roman Republic.
Julius Caesar: It is 60 BC. The empire churns with civil war, and violence and murder run rampant in the streets. Julius Caesar, desperate for fame and honour, embarks on a brutal decade long campaign to annex Gaul and build his own reputation.
The Forest of Death: As the Roman Empire expands its reaches into what is now Germany, its legions are faced with ferocious Germanic tribesmen. In 9 AD, their chieftain, Arminius, uses his Roman military training to slaughter the Roman General Varus' army. This landmark battle establishes the Rhine River as the frontier between the Empire, and its growing barbaric enemies.

Disc Two
The Invasion of Britain: It is 47 AD. The new emperor Claudius, considered by many to be the village idiot, can only hang onto his throne by waging a spectacular conquest. He chooses Britannia, a legendary land which fascinates and inspires fear in the Romans. The Britons are led by magic wielding Druid priests and a charismatic warrior named Caratacus and resist in the face of the greatest military machine the world has ever known.
The Dacian Wars: Despite the Empire's successes, the extensive military campaigns begin to take their toll on Rome's finances. Following the murder of the unpopular Emperor Domitian a young general is proclaimed Emperor and sets out to rebuild the troubled Empire. He solves its financial problems by attacking the Dacian chieftain, Deceblas, uncovering his golden treasures, hidden in a river.
Rebellion and Betrayal: It is 162 AD. Marcus Aurelius inherits the empire at its peak. Peace and prosperity have reigned for a hundred years, and the imperial boundaries stretch from the Irish Sea to the sands of Syria. But the greater Rome grows, the bigger a target she becomes. As war breaks out on two fronts and a terrible plague seizes the population, the future of the Empire is at terrible risk.

Disc Three
Wrath of Gods: In the beginning of the third century, Rome is in crisis. Ravaged by civil war and foreign invasions it now faces an even greater challenge, the new religion of Christianity. When barbarian Goths attack the Empire's borders, and traitors rise against Emperor Philip, his trusted general Decius blames Philip's leniency toward the Christians. But soon Decius is unmasked as a traitor also, as he battles for the crown himself.
The Soldiers' Emperor: Near the end of the third century, civil war has torn the Empire apart and left its borders vulnerable to barbarian invasion. Romans living on the eastern and western frontiers, far from Rome, are left to defend themselves, which they do by building their own armies and naming their own emperors. As the empire divides against itself, one extraordinary man rises from the rank of soldier to become Emperor in Rome, his name is Aurelian.
Constantine The Great: The civil wars of the third century are finally ended by Emperor Diocletian. But rule of the Empire is now shared between three Emperors who are vying amongst themselves for power. When a new emperor, Constantine, takes power, he vows to unite the warring emperors. Defeating emperor after emperor he slowly gains control of the entire Roman Empire and establishes a new capital in the east.

Disc Four
The Barbarian General: By the end of the fourth century, Romans and barbarians live together uneasily in the Empire, a situation that often explodes into violence. When Emperor Theodosius enlists the Goths as mercenaries, he relies on his trusted general to ensure the Goths' loyalty. But when Theodosius uses the Goth soldiers as cannon fodder in a civil war it causes an immediate uprising. When the Goths realise that the Romans want nothing to do with the barbarians they will strike back against Rome itself.
The Puppet Master: In 450 AD, Rome is a mere shadow of its former self. Gone is the superior civilization and great expanses of land. Now, Roman rulers are at the mercy of their barbarian invaders, offering them power and territory in exchange for peace. In the midst of the Empire's low decline, three comrades rise in the ranks of the Roman military and compete for Imperial control.
The Last Emperor: In the middle of the fifth century, as the Empire fights a losing battle against its formidable barbarian opponents, one Roman infiltrates the Barbarian's army and schooled in the strategy of his enemy, makes his way back to Italy, determined to resurrect Rome. But when he makes a shocking discovery about the Barbarians he realises his strategy is hugely flawed, and despite fighting valiantly he meets his end at the hands of the leader of the barbarian mercenaries, an event that spells the end of Rome in 476 AD.

Bonus Documentary Modern Marvels: Barbarian Battle Tech”

Disc 5 - Ancient Rome and its Mysterious Cities

Disc 6 - Rome: Engineering an Empire