Rome: Engineering an Empire tells the story of the expansion of the Roman Empire by means of amazing engineering feats. One of the more impressive anecdotes of this History Channel production is that the Roman aqueducts procured more water for the city of Rome during the Empire than New York City could supply its inhabitants in 1985.
The production is sleek, seamlessly flowing from historical period to engineering accomplishment to imperial biography, using on-site photography, drawings, and actors to recreate interpersonal relations.
Roman Accomplishments in Construction
Chronologically, the first engineering accomplishment featured in Rome: Engineering an Empireis the creation of a great sewer system, the cloaca maxima, which allowed the hilltop villages to consolidate, but the story presented by Rome: Engineering an Empire begins with the end of the Republic and Julius Caesar, whose engineering marvel was the building of a 1000-foot wooden bridge over the Rhine River in 10 days for Caesar's legions to cross. Military needs also dictated the construction of the famous roads of the Roman Empire. These roads weren't straight just for the sake of speed, but because the Romans lacked surveying tools that would allow them to make curves. Roman aqueducts, based on simple physical principles, were also straight line constructions, tunnels through mountains, and bridges over valleys, with the famous Roman arch construction, used to limit the amount of material needed.
Emperors and an Empire
Although Claudius wasn't the only emperor to work on aqueducts, the program credits the emperor with the Anio aqueduct, while describing both his reign and his relationship with his wife Agrippina. This ties one engineering feat with the next, the pleasure palace of the Golden Palace (Domus Aurea), constructed by Agrippina's son, Emperor Nero. Nero's murder of his mother ties in with a later segment on Emperor Caracalla who killed his brother before the eyes of his mother.
Between these two emperors, Rome: Engineering an Empire covers the building feats and careers of the good emperors, Vespasian, Trajan, and Hadrian, builders of the Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater; builder of a column celebrating his conquests and an early shopping mall with 150 storefronts, and rebuilder of the forum; and the wall up to 30 feet high in places that crossed the entire width of Britain.
"Rome: Engineering an Empire" is available on DVDfrom Amazon.
FAQs
Not overly accurate, but worth a watch if you're studying Roman history at school Content collapsed. There are a lot of historical errors in this series. It is best to read a history book afterwards to find out whether it really happened as claimed in this series.
How accurate is the Netflix Roman Empire? ›
You have to really look at this show as fiction, not as historically accurate. Despite the talking head historians, this show is at best loosely based on history, playing up the more scandalous rumours and often just making things up. That said, it's a fairly entertaining watch.
Is the Roman Empire good or bad? ›
The Roman Empire gets a bad reputation for two major reasons: The Senate (which never accepted being sidelined by the Emperors) funded salacious stories about corruption and decadence in the imperial court. The Republic is often presented as the epitome of democracy, but was itself extremely corrupt.
Why was Roman engineering so good? ›
Roman engineers improved upon older ideas and inventions to introduce a great number of innovations. They developed materials and techniques that revolutionized bridge and aqueducts' construction, perfected ancient weapons and developed new ones, while inventing machines that harnessed the power of water.
Is the Rome series worth watching? ›
It's a heady mix of history and fictional characters in a sprawling epic that not only respects but challenges the intelligence of the audience. Rome is simply a triumph across the board, from its stellar writing, solid direction, and an amazing ensemble cast to its exquisite production values.
Why is Roman Empire so interesting? ›
You can still see thousands of Roman artifacts today in museums all over the world. Ancient Romans pioneered advances in many areas of science and technology, establishing tools and methods that have ultimately shaped the way the world does certain things. The Romans were extremely adept engineers.
How do historians know so much about the Roman Empire? ›
Rome in the first century was carefully chronicled by Roman historians, particularly Tacitus, Suetonius and Dio Cassius – that is why we know so much about it. Tacitus was a political player in his own right and he observed first hand the last years of Domitian's rule.
Why was the Roman Empire Cancelled? ›
The Roman Empire lost the strengths that had allowed it to exercise effective control over its Western provinces; modern historians posit factors including the effectiveness and numbers of the army, the health and numbers of the Roman population, the strength of the economy, the competence of the emperors, the internal ...
Does the Roman Empire technically still exist? ›
The Roman Empire no longer exists. However, here is a list of some modern countries that were once part of the Roman Empire: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, The United Kingdom, Romania, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Tunisia. Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, still exists to this day.
What went wrong with Roman Empire? ›
What caused the fall of Rome? Corruption, the division of the empire, and invasion by Germanic tribes were the three main causes of the fall of Rome.
The most straightforward theory for Western Rome's collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries, but by the 300s “barbarian” groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire's borders.
Will there be another season of Roman Empire on Netflix? ›
'Your New Favourite Show cancelled' Variety says. 'No season 3 for Your New Favourite Show' Deadline mocks. 'Showrunner confirms this is the end for Your New Favourite Show' The Hollywood Reporter laughs at you.
What religion do Romans follow? ›
The Roman Empire was a primarily polytheistic civilization, which meant that people recognized and worshiped multiple gods and goddesses. Despite the presence of monotheistic religions within the empire, such as Judaism and early Christianity, Romans honored multiple deities.
Who was the first gladiator? ›
The Samnites (a tribe from Campania which the Romans had fought in the fourth and third centuries BC) were the prototype for Rome's professional gladiators, and it was their equipment that first was used and later adopted for the arena.
Who was the first emperor of Rome? ›
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (Latin: Octavianus), was the founder of the Roman Empire. He reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.
Is Spartacus TV series worth watching? ›
If you're never seen or heard of Spartacus yet, be sure to watch it all. From season 1 (Blood and Sand) to the prequel (Gods of the Arena), Season 2 (Vengeance) and finally this final season War of the Damned. Spartacus is very violent and practically uncensored in many aspects but incredible to watch.
Is Rome as good as Game of Thrones? ›
Rome is a great series that made series like Game of Thrones possible. Despite its age, the series is still worth seeing - for younger viewers who already know brutality from Vikings, game of Thrones or other historical dramas, this series may be boring. I join the latter group.
Was empire a successful show? ›
Its ratings success and accolades have translated to big bucks for Fox (and for Daniels, who recently said, “The only reason I did Empire was so I could make some money for once”).
Is the Netflix series Roman Empire a documentary? ›
This stylish mix of documentary and lavish historical epic chronicles the turbulent, violent reigns of Commodus, Julius Caesar and Caligula. Watch all you want.
