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NARRATOR:
2,000 years ago, at the dawn of the first century
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the world was ruled from Rome,
and Rome was in turmoil.
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Civil war had engulfed
the empire's capital city
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00:00:26,893 --> 00:00:29,061
dictators seized power
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00:00:29,062 --> 00:00:32,098
and the Roman future
seemed bleak.
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00:00:37,303 --> 00:00:40,773
But from the chaos,
the Roman Empire would rise
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stronger and more dazzling
than ever before.
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Within a few short years
it would stretch
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00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,316
from Britain across Europe
to southern Egypt
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00:00:50,750 --> 00:00:53,786
from North Africa
around the Mediterranean
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00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:55,521
to the Middle East.
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00:00:55,522 --> 00:00:59,425
It would embrace hundreds
of languages and religions
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and would till those diverse
cultures into a rich soil
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from which Western civilization
would grow.
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00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,101
Rome would become
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the world's first and
most enduring superpower
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spanning continents and epochs.
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The glory days of Rome
were studded
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with names that reach out
to us across two millennia:
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Ovid and Nero...
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Seneca and Caligula.
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But the story of Rome is more
than the story of famous men.
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And millions of less familiar
figures struck different chords
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in the symphony of empire--
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people such as the wealthy
benefactor Eumachia
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the rebel queen Boudicca
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and countless uncelebrated
soldiers and slaves
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senators and peasants.
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And above them all, this man:
Caesar Augustus.
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This was the emperor
who set the tone
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for the astonishing resonance
of Rome.
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This series tells the story
of Augustus and his people--
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the men and women who
wrested order from chaos
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shaped the greatest empire
the world had ever seen
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00:02:21,841 --> 00:02:26,178
and launched the Roman Empire
in the first century.
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WEAVER:
2,000 years after Egypt's pharaohs reigned supreme
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00:03:00,013 --> 00:03:06,085
400 years after
the flowering of Greek culture
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300 years after
Alexander the Great
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a boy named Octavian was born
in a small Italian town.
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The child would one day
be called Augustus
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and his birth, one
ancient historian tells us
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would be gilded by legend.
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HISTORIAN ( dramatized ):
His father, leading an army through distant lands
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went to a sacred grove, seeking
prophecy on the boy's future.
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When wine was poured
on the altar
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flames shot up to heaven,
a sign seen only once before--
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by Alexander the Great.
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The priest declared
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that Augustus would be
ruler of the world.
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WEAVER:
The story is told by Suetonius.
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00:04:02,041 --> 00:04:04,643
Writing at the turn
of the first century
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00:04:04,644 --> 00:04:08,114
he based his biography
on eyewitness accounts
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on common gossip and on research
conducted as imperial librarian.
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In truth, he writes
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the prospects of young Augustus
were far from grand.
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The boy was sickly,
with few connections.
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His family were country people;
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his father, the first in
their line to join the Senate.
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But worse, Augustus was born
into dangerous times.
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Civil war had flared
for decades.
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Feuding nobles,
many controlling large armies
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fought to gain power
for themselves.
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00:04:55,395 --> 00:04:58,431
And Rome's traditions
of open government
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were often trampled underfoot.
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So, too, were
innocent bystanders.
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When Augustus was
just four years old
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his father suddenly died.
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Without a male mentor,
the boy's future looked bleak.
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But in 49 B.C., when he was 13
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Augustus's fortune took
a dramatic turn...
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for in that year,
his great-uncle, Julius Caesar
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gained the upper hand
on the battlefield.
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Leading an army
across the Rubicon River
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Caesar declared himself
master of Rome
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and ruler of an empire
still aspiring to greatness.
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MAN:
At the time of Julius Caesar
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the Roman Empire was
a little bit like
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a boy who's reached
six feet tall
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and yet he's only
14 or 15 years old.
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He's not yet a man.
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00:06:06,532 --> 00:06:09,134
The externals of empire
were there.
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The armies were there.
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The Romans governed most of
the coast of the Mediterranean
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with the exception of Egypt.
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However, they had
not yet learned
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to bring that into
a functioning organism.
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WEAVER:
The past decades of internal fighting
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had weakened the empire.
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Northern tribes
harried the borders.
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00:06:34,293 --> 00:06:37,329
Enemies were confronting Rome
in the east.
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And the province of Spain
threatened to break free.
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Julius Caesar moved quickly
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to bolster the frontiers
and his own legacy.
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Caesar had no heir
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so when Augustus completed
a dangerous mission
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Caesar adopted the teenager
in his will.
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MAN:
Augustus realized, here was a tremendous opportunity.
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Mind you, he had
no military training.
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But he was the heir
of the greatest political figure
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that was in the Roman sky,
literally, at that time.
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And he cashed in on that.
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WEAVER:
It was a heady opportunity for Augustus
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but also a perilous challenge...
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for in 44 B.C.
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foreigners were not the
only threat to stability.
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There were enemies
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within Caesar's small circle
of advisers.
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They murdered Caesar
at a meeting of the Senate.
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For the second time in his life,
Augustus lost a father
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but now on the verge of manhood
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he thrust himself into the
maelstrom of Roman politics.
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MAN:
The death of Julius Caesar
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was not just a turning point
in Augustus's life;
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it was a turning point
in world history.
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He was extremely young at this
time, only in his 19th year.
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And yet, when he knew that
he had been made Caesar's heir
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he immediately took up the
political legacy of Caesar
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00:08:19,699 --> 00:08:22,735
and entered the mainstream
of Roman politics;
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00:08:22,735 --> 00:08:27,072
didn't hesitate to try
to avenge his father.
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But that meant, of course
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00:08:28,808 --> 00:08:31,844
stepping onto the stage
of politics, raising an army
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00:08:31,844 --> 00:08:34,012
and immediately
immersing himself
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00:08:34,013 --> 00:08:37,483
in a contest for supreme
political power at Rome.
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00:08:39,652 --> 00:08:43,989
SUETONIUS ( dramatized ):
He displayed brutality against enemy prisoners.
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Once, when a father and son
were begging for their lives
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he ordered they should draw lots
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00:08:50,062 --> 00:08:52,664
to determine which
would be executed.
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00:08:52,665 --> 00:08:57,436
The father offered himself
and so was killed.
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00:08:57,436 --> 00:09:02,207
Because of this,
the son committed suicide.
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00:09:02,208 --> 00:09:05,678
Augustus watched them both die.
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00:09:09,582 --> 00:09:14,353
WEAVER:
Suetonius describes the crisis as trial by fire
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00:09:14,353 --> 00:09:17,823
and Augustus didn't flinch
from the task.
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00:09:17,823 --> 00:09:20,859
He formed a strategic alliance
with Marc Antony
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00:09:20,860 --> 00:09:25,197
a powerful general who
also wanted supremacy.
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00:09:25,197 --> 00:09:29,534
Together, they massacred
their enemies in the capital.
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00:09:29,535 --> 00:09:32,571
Then they pursued their rivals
to the shores of Greece
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00:09:32,572 --> 00:09:34,307
where they fought and won
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00:09:34,307 --> 00:09:37,343
two of the bloodiest battles
in Roman history.
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00:09:37,343 --> 00:09:41,246
When the carnage ended,
the empire was theirs.
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00:09:41,247 --> 00:09:45,150
Augustus and Antony
divided the spoils of war.
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00:09:59,031 --> 00:10:04,669
Augustus remained in Rome,
but Antony took control of Egypt
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00:10:04,670 --> 00:10:07,272
a land not formally
joined to Rome
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00:10:07,273 --> 00:10:12,044
but firmly under
the empire's command.
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00:10:12,044 --> 00:10:16,815
There he joined forces
with Egypt's queen.
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00:10:16,816 --> 00:10:21,153
Ancient historians,
like Cassius Dio, believed
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00:10:21,153 --> 00:10:23,321
that was a fateful move.
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00:10:25,491 --> 00:10:29,394
When Antony fell deeply
in love with his new ally
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00:10:29,395 --> 00:10:32,431
many feared
the ambitious queen was scheming
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00:10:32,431 --> 00:10:34,166
to rule Rome herself.
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00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,636
Her name was Cleopatra.
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00:10:41,540 --> 00:10:45,877
CASSIUS DIO ( dramatized ):
Cleopatra's brazen desire for passion and wealth
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00:10:45,878 --> 00:10:48,046
was insatiable.
153
00:10:48,047 --> 00:10:51,950
By love she had made herself
queen of Egypt.
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00:10:51,951 --> 00:10:56,722
But she failed in her goal
to become queen of the Romans.
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00:11:00,192 --> 00:11:04,095
WOMAN:
Cleopatra did not enjoy a good press in Rome.
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00:11:04,096 --> 00:11:07,132
What really irritated people
about Cleopatra
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00:11:07,566 --> 00:11:11,469
is that she was
a powerful woman from the East
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and from a very wealthy country
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with a monarchic system
of government.
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00:11:16,242 --> 00:11:20,579
And she therefore symbolized
lack of moderation
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00:11:20,579 --> 00:11:24,482
lack of control, frenzy, fury--
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00:11:24,483 --> 00:11:27,519
everything that
Rome tried not to be.
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00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,990
Cleopatra and Antony were cast
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00:11:30,990 --> 00:11:34,460
as the leaders
of the evil empire.
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00:11:37,063 --> 00:11:40,099
WEAVER:
Antony's alliance with Augustus withered.
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00:11:40,099 --> 00:11:45,304
He and Cleopatra mobilized,
but Augustus struck first.
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00:11:45,738 --> 00:11:48,340
The poet Virgil
later cast the battle
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as an epic struggle
of East against West.
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VIRGIL ( dramatized ):
Standing high on the stern
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Augustus leads the Italians
into battle
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00:12:00,486 --> 00:12:05,691
carrying with him the might
of the Senate and the people.
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00:12:05,691 --> 00:12:08,727
Opposing him,
with barbarian wealth
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00:12:08,728 --> 00:12:11,764
is Antony, suited for battle.
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00:12:11,764 --> 00:12:15,667
He carries with him
the powers of the Orient
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00:12:15,668 --> 00:12:20,005
and, to the scandal of all,
his Egyptian wife.
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Their monstrous divinities
raise weapons
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00:12:23,042 --> 00:12:26,945
against our noble Roman gods.
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00:12:32,585 --> 00:12:36,488
WEAVER:
Three-quarters of the Egyptian fleet was destroyed.
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00:12:36,489 --> 00:12:39,959
Antony and Cleopatra
committed suicide
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00:12:39,959 --> 00:12:43,429
and the Land of the Pharaohs
was formally annexed
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00:12:43,429 --> 00:12:46,465
to the Roman Empire.
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00:12:46,465 --> 00:12:48,200
HALLETT:
The annexation
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of Egypt, for Augustus,
was immensely important.
184
00:12:52,538 --> 00:12:54,273
It was the equivalent
185
00:12:54,273 --> 00:12:57,743
of Hitler's troops marching
through the streets of Paris.
186
00:12:57,743 --> 00:13:02,948
Here was a wealthy country that
was going to be providing food
187
00:13:02,948 --> 00:13:05,550
that was going
to be providing land.
188
00:13:05,551 --> 00:13:10,322
But above all, it was a country
of great cultural prestige.
189
00:13:10,322 --> 00:13:13,792
And once Rome had Egypt
as part of its empire
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00:13:13,793 --> 00:13:15,961
they had truly arrived.
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00:13:21,167 --> 00:13:25,070
MAN:
There is nothing that men can wish from the gods
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00:13:25,070 --> 00:13:27,672
nothing the gods can do for men
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00:13:27,673 --> 00:13:31,576
which Augustus, when he returned
to the city, did not do
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00:13:31,577 --> 00:13:35,480
for the Republic, the Roman
people and the entire world.
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00:13:37,216 --> 00:13:41,119
Civil wars were finished,
foreign wars ended
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00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:45,891
and everywhere, the fury of arms
was put to rest.
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00:13:47,626 --> 00:13:52,831
WEAVER:
Upon Augustus's return to a war-torn Rome in 29 B.C.
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00:13:52,832 --> 00:13:56,302
the city went wild
with enthusiasm.
199
00:13:56,302 --> 00:14:01,073
The triumphant general vowed
to restore peace and security.
200
00:14:01,073 --> 00:14:03,241
It was a promise he would keep.
201
00:14:03,242 --> 00:14:05,844
The victory of Augustus launched
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00:14:05,845 --> 00:14:08,881
a period of stunning
cultural vitality
203
00:14:08,881 --> 00:14:12,351
of religious renewal
and of economic well-being
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00:14:12,351 --> 00:14:14,953
that spread
throughout the empire.
205
00:14:15,387 --> 00:14:21,025
It would be called the Pax
Romana: the "Peace of Rome."
206
00:14:21,026 --> 00:14:22,761
And to many it marked
207
00:14:22,761 --> 00:14:27,098
the return of Rome's
mythic and glorious past.
208
00:14:29,268 --> 00:14:34,473
But Augustus himself would
never return to the past.
209
00:14:34,907 --> 00:14:38,377
He was now a hardened
32-year-old man
210
00:14:38,377 --> 00:14:42,280
the sole ruler
of the Greco-Roman world
211
00:14:42,715 --> 00:14:44,883
Rome's first emperor.
212
00:14:46,185 --> 00:14:47,920
Victory had been costly
213
00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,390
but the greatest challenge
still lay ahead
214
00:14:51,390 --> 00:14:54,426
for to avoid the fate
of Julius Caesar
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00:14:54,860 --> 00:14:59,197
Augustus must disarm the Senate
and charm the masses.
216
00:14:59,198 --> 00:15:01,800
He must do better
than win the war;
217
00:15:02,234 --> 00:15:03,969
he must win the peace.
218
00:15:03,969 --> 00:15:08,740
That challenge would occupy
the rest of his life.
219
00:15:17,850 --> 00:15:20,018
( rooster crows )
220
00:15:20,019 --> 00:15:23,489
MAN:
Let me step forward, clear my throat
221
00:15:23,489 --> 00:15:26,091
and announce
that I am a native of Sulmo
222
00:15:26,091 --> 00:15:28,259
a few days' journey
eastward from Rome.
223
00:15:31,730 --> 00:15:36,501
WEAVER:
While Augustus fought his way to the pinnacle of power
224
00:15:36,502 --> 00:15:38,670
a boy named Ovid
was coming of age
225
00:15:38,671 --> 00:15:41,707
under less demanding
circumstances.
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00:15:44,310 --> 00:15:48,213
OVID ( dramatized ):
I was the second son, a year to the day younger than my brother.
227
00:15:48,213 --> 00:15:51,249
We always had two cakes
on the birthday we shared
228
00:15:51,250 --> 00:15:53,852
and were close
in other ways as well.
229
00:15:53,852 --> 00:15:55,153
We studied together
230
00:15:55,154 --> 00:15:58,190
and then went up to Rome
to seek our fortunes.
231
00:15:58,190 --> 00:16:01,660
I used to waste my time
trying to write verses.
232
00:16:01,660 --> 00:16:03,395
Our father called it waste.
233
00:16:03,395 --> 00:16:05,563
He disapproved of any pursuit
234
00:16:05,564 --> 00:16:08,166
where you couldn't earn
a decent living
235
00:16:08,167 --> 00:16:11,203
and always used to say,
"Homer died poor."
236
00:16:15,541 --> 00:16:19,011
WEAVER:
Ovid came from the same stock as Augustus.
237
00:16:19,011 --> 00:16:21,179
They were both landed gentry
238
00:16:21,180 --> 00:16:25,083
and like Augustus,
the young man found his identity
239
00:16:25,084 --> 00:16:28,554
and his ambitions molded
by his demanding family.
240
00:16:30,289 --> 00:16:32,457
OVID:
I tried to give up poetry
241
00:16:32,458 --> 00:16:35,060
to stick to prose
on serious subjects.
242
00:16:35,060 --> 00:16:39,397
But frivolous minds like mine
attract frivolous inspirations
243
00:16:39,398 --> 00:16:41,566
some too good not to fool with.
244
00:16:41,567 --> 00:16:45,904
I kept returning to my bad
habits, secretive and ashamed.
245
00:16:46,338 --> 00:16:47,639
I couldn't help it.
246
00:16:47,639 --> 00:16:51,109
I felt like an impostor
at serious matters
247
00:16:51,110 --> 00:16:55,881
but I owed it to my father and
brother to try to do my duty.
248
00:16:55,881 --> 00:16:58,049
WEAVER:
By Roman law
249
00:16:58,050 --> 00:17:01,953
a father wielded absolute
control over his children.
250
00:17:01,954 --> 00:17:07,159
Those who displeased him could
be disowned, sold into slavery
251
00:17:07,159 --> 00:17:09,327
or even killed.
252
00:17:09,328 --> 00:17:12,798
The young Ovid tried to meet
his father's expectations.
253
00:17:12,798 --> 00:17:13,665
He married.
254
00:17:13,665 --> 00:17:15,400
He studied law.
255
00:17:15,401 --> 00:17:18,437
But the strain proved
unendurable.
256
00:17:20,172 --> 00:17:23,642
Miserable,
Ovid and a friend set out
257
00:17:23,642 --> 00:17:26,678
on a journey of self-discovery.
258
00:17:28,847 --> 00:17:33,618
OVID:
We toured all the magnificent cities of Asia;
259
00:17:33,619 --> 00:17:37,956
we watched the flames of
Mount Etna light up the heavens.
260
00:17:37,956 --> 00:17:43,161
We plowed the waves in a painted
ship and also traveled by wagon.
261
00:17:43,595 --> 00:17:48,366
Often, the road seemed short
as we were lost in conversation.
262
00:17:48,801 --> 00:17:52,271
When we walked, our words
outnumbered our steps
263
00:17:52,271 --> 00:17:57,042
and we had too much to say even
for the long evenings of summer.
264
00:18:00,512 --> 00:18:05,283
WEAVER:
Eighteen months later, Ovid settled in Rome
265
00:18:05,284 --> 00:18:09,621
older and more self-confident
than before.
266
00:18:09,621 --> 00:18:11,789
He resolved to become a poet.
267
00:18:12,224 --> 00:18:16,561
He cultivated new friends
in Roman literary circles
268
00:18:16,562 --> 00:18:19,598
and soon, Ovid made
a name for himself
269
00:18:19,598 --> 00:18:23,068
as Rome's reigning poet
of stolen kisses.
270
00:18:23,068 --> 00:18:25,236
( festive music playsunder lively conversations )
271
00:18:25,237 --> 00:18:29,574
OVID:
So, your husband is coming to this dinner party?
272
00:18:29,575 --> 00:18:31,743
I hope he gags on his food!
273
00:18:31,743 --> 00:18:34,345
Listen, and learn
what you must do.
274
00:18:34,346 --> 00:18:36,514
When he settles
on his couch to eat
275
00:18:36,949 --> 00:18:38,684
go to him with a straight face.
276
00:18:38,684 --> 00:18:41,286
Look modest
and lie back beside him
277
00:18:41,286 --> 00:18:44,756
but secretly touch me
with your foot.
278
00:18:45,190 --> 00:18:47,792
Don't let him drape his arms
around your neck;
279
00:18:47,793 --> 00:18:50,395
don't rest your gentle head
against his chest;
280
00:18:50,395 --> 00:18:54,298
don't welcome his fingers
to your lap
281
00:18:54,299 --> 00:18:56,467
or to your eager nipples.
282
00:18:56,468 --> 00:18:58,636
Most of all, no kissing.
283
00:18:58,637 --> 00:18:59,938
When dinner is done
284
00:19:00,372 --> 00:19:03,408
your husband will close
the bedroom door.
285
00:19:03,408 --> 00:19:06,878
But whatever
the night shall bring
286
00:19:06,879 --> 00:19:09,915
tell me tomorrow
you refused him.
287
00:19:12,518 --> 00:19:14,253
It's a mistake to think
288
00:19:14,253 --> 00:19:17,289
that Ovid's poetry can
be read very literally
289
00:19:17,723 --> 00:19:19,891
in purely
autobiographical terms.
290
00:19:19,892 --> 00:19:24,229
That wouldn't be true, I think,
of any poetry from antiquity.
291
00:19:24,229 --> 00:19:27,265
But clearly at the same time,
Ovid is writing
292
00:19:27,266 --> 00:19:31,169
about subjects of which he has
some sort of experience
293
00:19:31,170 --> 00:19:34,640
and he certainly, through the
love poetry, opens up a world
294
00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,242
which is very different
in tone and quality
295
00:19:37,242 --> 00:19:41,579
from the official atmosphere.
296
00:19:41,580 --> 00:19:45,483
WEAVER:
While Ovid bloomed as a man of words
297
00:19:45,484 --> 00:19:49,387
the new emperor thrived
as a man of action.
298
00:19:49,388 --> 00:19:51,990
He rebuilt Rome
and his own family.
299
00:19:51,990 --> 00:19:53,725
Divorcing his wife
300
00:19:53,725 --> 00:19:58,930
Augustus married his heavily
pregnant mistress, Livia.
301
00:19:58,931 --> 00:20:02,401
The move raised eyebrows
and hackles
302
00:20:02,401 --> 00:20:05,003
for love was not
the only motive.
303
00:20:05,003 --> 00:20:10,208
And although Augustus shunned
the trappings of absolute power
304
00:20:10,209 --> 00:20:13,245
many suspected
he was building a dynasty
305
00:20:13,245 --> 00:20:18,016
a line of heirs to rule Rome
for generations to come.
306
00:20:20,185 --> 00:20:23,221
Augustus knew
it was a dangerous move
307
00:20:23,222 --> 00:20:28,860
that Julius Caesar had been
murdered for appearing a king.
308
00:20:28,860 --> 00:20:31,896
Augustus would not make
the same mistake.
309
00:20:31,897 --> 00:20:34,499
He relinquished high office
310
00:20:34,499 --> 00:20:38,836
and struck a delicate balance
between fact and fiction.
311
00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:47,946
AUGUSTUS ( dramatized ):
Having, by universal consent, acquired control of all affairs
312
00:20:47,946 --> 00:20:53,151
I transferred government to the
Senate and the people of Rome.
313
00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:59,223
HALLETT:
Augustus was a very cagey political leader
314
00:20:59,224 --> 00:21:04,429
because he pretended
to be restoring
315
00:21:04,429 --> 00:21:07,899
all of these Republican
political traditions
316
00:21:07,899 --> 00:21:10,501
and in fact what he was running
317
00:21:10,502 --> 00:21:13,538
was a full-fledged
dynastic monarchy.
318
00:21:17,876 --> 00:21:24,382
SUETONIUS:
Augustus conquered Cantabria, Aquitania, Pannonia, Dalmatia
319
00:21:24,383 --> 00:21:28,286
and all of Illyricum,
as well as Raetia.
320
00:21:30,889 --> 00:21:35,660
WEAVER:
Augustus not only changed the empire; he expanded it.
321
00:21:35,661 --> 00:21:38,697
Egypt had been added
early in his career.
322
00:21:38,697 --> 00:21:41,733
Soon, northern Spain was joined.
323
00:21:41,733 --> 00:21:45,636
Augustus drove across Europe
into Germany
324
00:21:45,637 --> 00:21:50,408
and he united East and West
by adding modern Hungary
325
00:21:50,409 --> 00:21:53,879
Austria, the Balkans
and central Turkey.
326
00:21:55,614 --> 00:22:00,385
These victories employed
Roman soldiers and senators
327
00:22:00,385 --> 00:22:05,156
and offered welcome distractions
to the city's poor.
328
00:22:07,326 --> 00:22:11,229
When Augustus wasn't staging
chariot races or gladiator shows
329
00:22:11,663 --> 00:22:14,265
he displayed exotic animals--
330
00:22:14,266 --> 00:22:17,736
the quarry of Rome's
far-flung empire.
331
00:22:17,736 --> 00:22:20,772
A rhinoceros appeared
in the arena
332
00:22:20,772 --> 00:22:23,374
Asian tigers in the theater
333
00:22:23,375 --> 00:22:25,977
a giant serpent in the forum.
334
00:22:28,146 --> 00:22:30,748
GALINSKY:
One key constituency for Augustus was
335
00:22:30,749 --> 00:22:32,917
the plebeian population of Rome
336
00:22:32,918 --> 00:22:35,086
and that is basically
the city mob.
337
00:22:35,087 --> 00:22:38,123
You have several
hundred thousand folks here
338
00:22:38,123 --> 00:22:41,159
who have no jobs
and, to put it very simply
339
00:22:41,159 --> 00:22:43,761
who need to be kept
off the streets
340
00:22:43,762 --> 00:22:45,497
and be kept from making trouble
341
00:22:45,497 --> 00:22:48,967
because it's a very volatile,
combustible mix there.
342
00:22:50,702 --> 00:22:54,172
WEAVER:
The volatile mix that made up Rome stayed quiet
343
00:22:54,172 --> 00:22:57,208
for the first four years
of Augustus's rule.
344
00:22:57,209 --> 00:23:01,112
Then, in 23 B.C.,
events took a critical turn.
345
00:23:01,113 --> 00:23:02,414
Cassius Dio writes
346
00:23:02,848 --> 00:23:06,751
that a series of disasters
convinced the people
347
00:23:06,752 --> 00:23:12,390
that Augustus needed
not less power, but more.
348
00:23:12,391 --> 00:23:16,728
CASSIUS DIO:
The city was flooded by the overflowing river
349
00:23:16,728 --> 00:23:19,764
and many things were struck
by lightning.
350
00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:24,536
Then a plague passed
through Italy
351
00:23:24,536 --> 00:23:27,138
and no one could work the land.
352
00:23:27,139 --> 00:23:30,609
The Romans thought these
misfortunes were caused
353
00:23:30,609 --> 00:23:34,079
because Augustus had
relinquished his office.
354
00:23:34,079 --> 00:23:36,681
They wished
to appoint him dictator.
355
00:23:36,681 --> 00:23:38,849
( crowd shouting )
356
00:23:38,850 --> 00:23:41,886
A mob barricaded the Senate
inside its building
357
00:23:41,887 --> 00:23:44,489
and, threatening
to burn them alive
358
00:23:44,489 --> 00:23:49,694
forced the Senate to vote
Augustus absolute ruler.
359
00:23:52,731 --> 00:23:55,333
WEAVER:
The demands threatened to unsettle
360
00:23:55,333 --> 00:23:57,935
the emperor's precarious
political balance.
361
00:23:57,936 --> 00:24:01,839
Augustus fell to his knees
before the rioters.
362
00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,876
He tore his toga
and beat his chest.
363
00:24:04,876 --> 00:24:06,611
He promised the mob
364
00:24:06,611 --> 00:24:10,081
that he would personally take
control of the grain supply.
365
00:24:10,081 --> 00:24:13,117
But Augustus refused
to be called a dictator.
366
00:24:13,118 --> 00:24:16,588
The crowd disbanded,
but the lesson was clear:
367
00:24:16,588 --> 00:24:18,756
Augustus was riding a tiger.
368
00:24:18,757 --> 00:24:23,962
To keep order on the frontiers,
the streets and the Senate
369
00:24:23,962 --> 00:24:29,167
was a superhuman task, and
superhuman skills were needed.
370
00:24:29,167 --> 00:24:32,203
Luckily for Rome,
Augustus had them.
371
00:24:32,204 --> 00:24:35,240
Then something
very fortuitous happens.
372
00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:36,975
Halley's Comet shows up.
373
00:24:36,975 --> 00:24:40,445
And the word is given out
by Augustus
374
00:24:40,445 --> 00:24:45,216
this is the soul of Julius
Caesar ascending into heaven.
375
00:24:45,217 --> 00:24:50,422
So from this point on, he is
called Julius Caesar the divine.
376
00:24:50,422 --> 00:24:52,157
Politically,
it became very potent
377
00:24:52,157 --> 00:24:55,193
because what does Augustus do
at this point?
378
00:24:55,193 --> 00:24:56,494
On all his coinage
379
00:24:56,495 --> 00:25:00,398
on all his writings
and all his symbols, whatever
380
00:25:00,398 --> 00:25:04,301
he puts out the words "D.F."--
"Son of the Divine."
381
00:25:04,302 --> 00:25:06,904
And it's really quite
an asset in politics
382
00:25:06,905 --> 00:25:08,206
to be the Son of the Divine.
383
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:10,375
There are modern politicians,
I think
384
00:25:10,375 --> 00:25:13,411
who would be very jealous
of being able to do that.
385
00:25:16,882 --> 00:25:19,918
WEAVER:
Augustus enhanced his pious new identity
386
00:25:19,918 --> 00:25:22,086
with stories of his lean habits.
387
00:25:22,087 --> 00:25:24,689
It was said that he lived
in a modest house
388
00:25:24,689 --> 00:25:29,894
and slept on a low bed,
that he ate common foods:
389
00:25:29,895 --> 00:25:35,100
coarse bread, common cheese
and sometimes even less.
390
00:25:38,136 --> 00:25:43,341
AUGUSTUS:
My dear Tiberius, not even a Jew observes a fast
391
00:25:43,341 --> 00:25:47,678
as diligently on the Sabbath
as I have today.
392
00:25:47,679 --> 00:25:52,016
I ate nothing until
the early hours of evening
393
00:25:52,017 --> 00:25:55,920
when I nibbled two bites
before my rubdown.
394
00:25:58,957 --> 00:26:04,595
WEAVER:
Moral change, Augustus began to argue, was the enemy of Rome.
395
00:26:04,596 --> 00:26:08,933
He believed that its future
ran through its past
396
00:26:08,934 --> 00:26:11,102
through the restoration
397
00:26:11,102 --> 00:26:15,005
of values he thought
had first made Rome great.
398
00:26:15,006 --> 00:26:20,644
AUGUSTUS:
I renewed many traditions which were fading in our age.
399
00:26:20,645 --> 00:26:24,115
I restored
82 temples of the gods
400
00:26:24,115 --> 00:26:29,320
neglecting none that required
repair at the time.
401
00:26:31,489 --> 00:26:34,959
WEAVER:
In public, Augustus led by example.
402
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,430
He sacrificed animals
in traditional rituals
403
00:26:38,430 --> 00:26:41,466
and he reestablished
traditional social rules.
404
00:26:43,201 --> 00:26:47,104
New laws assigned theater seats
by social rank.
405
00:26:47,105 --> 00:26:50,575
Women were confined
to the back rows.
406
00:26:50,575 --> 00:26:55,780
Adultery was outlawed; marriage
and children, encouraged.
407
00:26:57,515 --> 00:27:01,852
To many, Roman society had
recovered its true course.
408
00:27:01,853 --> 00:27:06,624
The "Son of a God" was building
an empire for the ages.
409
00:27:10,095 --> 00:27:13,998
MAN:
Who can find words to adequately describe
410
00:27:13,999 --> 00:27:16,167
the advancements of these years?
411
00:27:16,167 --> 00:27:20,070
Authority has been returned
to the government
412
00:27:20,071 --> 00:27:24,408
majesty to the Senate,
and influence to the courts.
413
00:27:24,409 --> 00:27:27,879
Protests in the theater
have been stopped.
414
00:27:27,879 --> 00:27:31,349
Integrity is honored;
depravity is punished.
415
00:27:31,783 --> 00:27:36,554
( crowd cheering and shouting )
416
00:27:36,554 --> 00:27:40,891
WEAVER:
But amid the applause, there were also cries of protest.
417
00:27:40,892 --> 00:27:43,494
The emperor's new traditionalism
418
00:27:43,495 --> 00:27:46,097
rankled friends
and enemies alike.
419
00:27:46,097 --> 00:27:49,133
It even rankled
his own daughter, Julia.
420
00:27:49,134 --> 00:27:52,170
Long a pawn of family politics,
Julia assumed
421
00:27:52,170 --> 00:27:56,073
that she was exempt from
her father's stringent views.
422
00:27:56,074 --> 00:27:57,809
She was wrong.
423
00:27:57,809 --> 00:28:02,146
And in the coming years,
Augustus the "Son of a God"
424
00:28:02,147 --> 00:28:05,617
would have to confront
Augustus the father.
425
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:19,497
OVID:
If there is anyone here who is a novice in the art of love
426
00:28:19,497 --> 00:28:21,665
let him read my book.
427
00:28:21,666 --> 00:28:25,569
With study, he will love
like a professional.
428
00:28:25,570 --> 00:28:30,341
WEAVER:
As the emperor Augustus firmly charted a course of moral rigor
429
00:28:30,341 --> 00:28:32,943
the poet Ovid staked out
different ground.
430
00:28:32,944 --> 00:28:36,414
He was now Rome's
most famous living poet
431
00:28:36,414 --> 00:28:40,317
and his boldness grew in step
with his reputation.
432
00:28:40,318 --> 00:28:44,655
Having all but exhausted
the conventions of love poetry
433
00:28:44,656 --> 00:28:46,824
he decided to stretch them.
434
00:28:46,825 --> 00:28:51,596
He began composing a manual
of practical tips on adultery.
435
00:28:53,331 --> 00:28:56,801
OVID:
Step one: Stroll under a shady colonnade.
436
00:28:56,801 --> 00:28:59,837
Don't miss the shrine of Adonis
437
00:28:59,838 --> 00:29:03,308
but the theater is
your best hunting ground.
438
00:29:03,308 --> 00:29:07,211
There you'll find women
to satisfy any desire.
439
00:29:07,212 --> 00:29:09,380
Just as ants come and go
440
00:29:09,380 --> 00:29:12,850
so the cultured ladies
swarm to the games.
441
00:29:12,851 --> 00:29:18,056
They come for the show, and
to make a show of themselves.
442
00:29:18,056 --> 00:29:21,959
There are so many,
I often reel from the choice.
443
00:29:24,996 --> 00:29:28,032
WEAVER:
Many Romans yearned to follow their emperor
444
00:29:28,032 --> 00:29:31,068
back to the good old days
of stern Roman virtue
445
00:29:31,069 --> 00:29:33,237
but others reveled
in the promises
446
00:29:33,671 --> 00:29:34,972
of Rome's newfound peace.
447
00:29:34,973 --> 00:29:37,141
Ovid was one of them.
448
00:29:37,142 --> 00:29:41,479
To the youthful poet,
old limits seemed meaningless.
449
00:29:42,781 --> 00:29:46,684
OVID:
Do not doubt you can have any girl you wish.
450
00:29:46,684 --> 00:29:48,852
Some give in, others resist
451
00:29:48,853 --> 00:29:51,021
but all love
to be propositioned.
452
00:29:51,022 --> 00:29:54,492
And even if you fail,
rejection doesn't hurt.
453
00:29:54,492 --> 00:29:56,227
But why should you fail?
454
00:29:56,227 --> 00:30:00,998
Women always welcome pleasure
and find novelty exciting.
455
00:30:03,601 --> 00:30:07,071
WEAVER:
Indeed, the earlier civil wars
456
00:30:07,071 --> 00:30:09,673
had unleashed
enormous social change.
457
00:30:09,674 --> 00:30:12,710
Some women had gained
political clout--
458
00:30:12,710 --> 00:30:14,878
new rights and new freedoms.
459
00:30:14,879 --> 00:30:18,782
Tradition holds that
one such woman was Julia
460
00:30:18,783 --> 00:30:22,253
the emperor's only child.
461
00:30:22,253 --> 00:30:26,590
SUETONIUS:
Julia had a love of letters and was well educated
462
00:30:26,591 --> 00:30:28,326
a given in that family.
463
00:30:28,326 --> 00:30:32,229
She also had a gentle nature
and no cruel intentions.
464
00:30:32,230 --> 00:30:36,133
Together, these brought her
great esteem as a woman.
465
00:30:37,869 --> 00:30:42,206
WEAVER:
Julia didn't reject traditional values wholesale.
466
00:30:42,207 --> 00:30:45,243
She had long endured her
father's overbearing control.
467
00:30:45,677 --> 00:30:48,279
She dutifully married
three times
468
00:30:48,279 --> 00:30:50,881
to further
his dynastic ambitions
469
00:30:50,882 --> 00:30:53,484
and she bore five children.
470
00:30:53,484 --> 00:30:56,086
Her two boys, Gaius and Lucius
471
00:30:56,087 --> 00:30:59,990
were cherished by Augustus
as probable heirs.
472
00:30:59,991 --> 00:31:03,461
But like Ovid, Julia expected
more from the peace.
473
00:31:03,895 --> 00:31:08,232
She was clever and vivacious,
and she had an irreverent tongue
474
00:31:08,233 --> 00:31:11,703
that cut across the grain
of Roman convention.
475
00:31:11,703 --> 00:31:15,606
Her legendary wit was passed
through the centuries
476
00:31:15,607 --> 00:31:18,643
by a late Roman writer
called Macrobius.
477
00:31:22,113 --> 00:31:25,583
MACROBIUS ( dramatized ):
Several times her father ordered her--
478
00:31:25,583 --> 00:31:27,751
in a manner both
doting and scolding--
479
00:31:27,752 --> 00:31:29,920
to moderate her lavish clothes
480
00:31:30,355 --> 00:31:32,957
and keep less
mischievous company.
481
00:31:32,957 --> 00:31:35,993
Once, he saw her
in a revealing dress.
482
00:31:35,994 --> 00:31:39,464
He had disapproved,
but held his tongue.
483
00:31:39,898 --> 00:31:42,066
The next day,
in a different dress
484
00:31:42,066 --> 00:31:45,102
she embraced her father
with modesty.
485
00:31:45,103 --> 00:31:49,874
He could not contain his joy,
and said, "Now, isn't this dress
486
00:31:49,874 --> 00:31:52,910
more suited to the daughter
of Augustus?"
487
00:31:52,911 --> 00:31:58,116
Julia retorted, "Today I am
dressed for my father's eyes;
488
00:31:58,116 --> 00:32:01,586
yesterday I dressed
for my husband's."
489
00:32:05,490 --> 00:32:08,960
WEAVER:
But apparently Julia's charms were not reserved
490
00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:10,695
for her husband alone.
491
00:32:10,695 --> 00:32:13,731
The emperor's daughter
took many lovers.
492
00:32:15,466 --> 00:32:18,936
HALLETT:
Her dalliances were so well known
493
00:32:18,937 --> 00:32:21,105
that people
were actually surprised
494
00:32:21,105 --> 00:32:24,575
when her children resembled
her second husband
495
00:32:24,575 --> 00:32:27,177
who was the father
of her five children
496
00:32:27,178 --> 00:32:28,913
and she wittily replied
497
00:32:28,913 --> 00:32:33,684
"Well, that's because
I never take on a passenger
498
00:32:33,685 --> 00:32:36,721
unless I already have
a full cargo"
499
00:32:36,721 --> 00:32:40,191
meaning that she waited
until she was already pregnant
500
00:32:40,191 --> 00:32:42,793
before undertaking
these dalliances
501
00:32:42,794 --> 00:32:44,962
so concerned was she to protect
502
00:32:44,963 --> 00:32:47,999
the bloodlines of these...
of these offspring.
503
00:32:49,734 --> 00:32:54,071
WEAVER:
Julia, like Ovid, was a testament to her times.
504
00:32:54,072 --> 00:32:57,108
But neither of them
were average Romans.
505
00:32:57,108 --> 00:32:58,843
The life they represented
506
00:32:58,843 --> 00:33:01,879
shocked traditional society
to the core
507
00:33:01,879 --> 00:33:05,782
and as Julia entered
her 38th year, crisis loomed.
508
00:33:07,518 --> 00:33:13,156
MAN:
In that year, a scandal broke out in the emperor's own home
509
00:33:13,157 --> 00:33:16,627
shameful to discuss
and horrible to remember.
510
00:33:16,627 --> 00:33:20,097
WEAVER:
One Roman soldier voiced deep revulsion
511
00:33:20,098 --> 00:33:22,700
at Julia's extraordinary
self-indulgence.
512
00:33:24,435 --> 00:33:27,905
MAN:
Julia, ignoring her father, Augustus
513
00:33:27,905 --> 00:33:31,375
did everything which is
shameful for a woman to do
514
00:33:31,376 --> 00:33:34,412
whether through extravagance
or lust.
515
00:33:34,412 --> 00:33:38,315
She counted her sins
as though counting her blessings
516
00:33:38,316 --> 00:33:42,653
and asserted her freedom
to ignore the laws of decency.
517
00:33:44,822 --> 00:33:49,593
WEAVER:
Julia's behavior erupted into a full-blown political crisis
518
00:33:49,594 --> 00:33:52,196
and it was marked
by overblown claims.
519
00:33:52,196 --> 00:33:56,099
The emperor's daughter was
rumored to hold nightly revels
520
00:33:56,100 --> 00:33:57,401
in Rome's public square.
521
00:33:57,835 --> 00:34:00,003
She was said
to barter sexual favors
522
00:34:00,004 --> 00:34:03,907
from the podium where
her father addressed the people.
523
00:34:06,511 --> 00:34:08,679
When the gossip reached Augustus
524
00:34:08,679 --> 00:34:11,281
the emperor flew
into a violent rage.
525
00:34:11,282 --> 00:34:12,583
( door slams )
526
00:34:12,583 --> 00:34:14,751
He refused to see visitors.
527
00:34:16,487 --> 00:34:19,089
Upon emerging, Suetonius reports
528
00:34:19,090 --> 00:34:22,126
he publicly denounced
his only child.
529
00:34:23,861 --> 00:34:28,198
SUETONIUS:
He wrote a letter advising the Senate of her misbehavior
530
00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:30,367
but was absent when it was read.
531
00:34:30,368 --> 00:34:32,536
He secluded himself out of shame
532
00:34:32,537 --> 00:34:36,007
and even considered a death
sentence for his daughter.
533
00:34:36,441 --> 00:34:37,742
He grew more obstinate
534
00:34:37,742 --> 00:34:41,212
when the Roman people came
to him several times
535
00:34:41,212 --> 00:34:42,947
begging for her sake.
536
00:34:42,947 --> 00:34:44,682
He cursed the crowd
537
00:34:44,682 --> 00:34:49,019
that they should have such
daughters and such wives.
538
00:34:51,622 --> 00:34:56,393
WEAVER:
As a father, Augustus could not abide Julia's behavior;
539
00:34:56,394 --> 00:35:00,297
as an emperor, he could not
tolerate the embarrassment.
540
00:35:00,298 --> 00:35:03,768
Augustus banished Julia
for the rest of her life.
541
00:35:09,407 --> 00:35:13,310
OVID:
I was going to pass over the ways a clever girl
542
00:35:13,311 --> 00:35:16,347
might elude a husband
or watchful guard.
543
00:35:16,347 --> 00:35:20,250
But since you need help,
here's my advice...
544
00:35:20,251 --> 00:35:25,456
SUETONIUS:
Soon after Julia's exile, Ovid released his salacious poem.
545
00:35:25,456 --> 00:35:28,492
It couldn't have been
more poorly timed.
546
00:35:30,228 --> 00:35:32,830
OVID:
Of course, a guard stands in your way
547
00:35:32,830 --> 00:35:34,565
but you can still write.
548
00:35:34,565 --> 00:35:38,035
Compose love letters
while alone in the bathroom
549
00:35:38,035 --> 00:35:40,637
and send them out
with an accomplice.
550
00:35:40,638 --> 00:35:43,674
She can hide them
next to her warm flesh
551
00:35:43,674 --> 00:35:46,710
under her dress or bound
beneath her foot.
552
00:35:46,711 --> 00:35:50,181
Should your guard get wind
of these schemes
553
00:35:50,181 --> 00:35:52,349
she can offer her skin for paper
554
00:35:52,783 --> 00:35:55,385
and carry out notes
written on her body.
555
00:35:57,989 --> 00:36:01,025
WEAVER:
Ovid's poetry extolled behavior
556
00:36:01,025 --> 00:36:03,627
for which the emperor's
daughter was banished
557
00:36:03,628 --> 00:36:05,796
and her fate loomed large
as a warning.
558
00:36:05,796 --> 00:36:08,832
For the present,
the emperor remained mute
559
00:36:08,833 --> 00:36:11,001
towards Rome's
most gifted rebel.
560
00:36:11,002 --> 00:36:15,773
Ovid turned his hand to less
provocative forms of poetry.
561
00:36:15,773 --> 00:36:17,074
He remarried
562
00:36:17,074 --> 00:36:20,977
and he embraced a new
appreciation for discretion.
563
00:36:23,147 --> 00:36:26,617
OVID:
Enjoy forbidden pleasures in their place.
564
00:36:26,617 --> 00:36:30,954
But when you dress, don't
forget your mask of decorum.
565
00:36:30,955 --> 00:36:34,858
An innocent face hides more
than a lying tongue.
566
00:36:38,329 --> 00:36:40,931
WEAVER:
Ovid was on notice.
567
00:36:41,365 --> 00:36:44,835
The order of Augustus had
firm bounds of propriety
568
00:36:44,835 --> 00:36:47,871
and Ovid had tested them
to the fullest.
569
00:37:04,355 --> 00:37:07,391
MAN:
Now consider the dangers of night:
570
00:37:07,391 --> 00:37:11,728
Tiles fall from the rooftop
and crack you on the head;
571
00:37:11,729 --> 00:37:15,632
and the drunken hooligan,
spoiling for a fight
572
00:37:15,633 --> 00:37:18,669
cannot rest without a brawl.
573
00:37:18,669 --> 00:37:23,006
What can you do when
a raving madman confronts you?
574
00:37:23,007 --> 00:37:27,778
Or tenants throw their
broken pots out the window?
575
00:37:30,381 --> 00:37:32,116
You're courting disaster
576
00:37:32,116 --> 00:37:34,718
if you go to dinner
before writing your will.
577
00:37:37,755 --> 00:37:40,357
WEAVER:
At the turn of first century
578
00:37:40,358 --> 00:37:42,960
the poet Juvenal
was writing verses
579
00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,128
that exposed much of Rome
to scorn.
580
00:37:45,129 --> 00:37:47,731
He was acerbic,
and had a keen eye
581
00:37:47,732 --> 00:37:51,202
for the gritty realities
of urban life.
582
00:37:51,202 --> 00:37:54,672
JUVENAL ( dramatized ):
Our apartment block is a tottering ruin.
583
00:37:54,672 --> 00:37:58,575
The building manager props it
up with slender poles
584
00:37:58,576 --> 00:38:01,178
and plasters over
the gaping cracks.
585
00:38:01,612 --> 00:38:04,214
Then he bids us sleep
safe and sound
586
00:38:04,215 --> 00:38:06,817
in his wretched deathtrap.
587
00:38:06,817 --> 00:38:11,588
MELLOR:
I don't think our notion of Rome bears much relation
588
00:38:11,589 --> 00:38:15,492
to the Rome of everyday life,
because what is left today
589
00:38:15,493 --> 00:38:20,698
are the big public buildings,
not the squalid hovels
590
00:38:20,698 --> 00:38:26,336
without plumbing, and without
any kind of sanitary conditions
591
00:38:26,337 --> 00:38:28,939
that ordinary people lived in.
592
00:38:28,939 --> 00:38:32,842
That's precisely the reason
members of the elite preferred
593
00:38:32,843 --> 00:38:35,011
to withdraw up onto the hills
594
00:38:35,012 --> 00:38:37,180
and have their villas
up on the hills
595
00:38:37,181 --> 00:38:41,518
a little bit away from the noise
and away from the stench
596
00:38:41,519 --> 00:38:44,555
and away from that
incredible horde of people
597
00:38:44,555 --> 00:38:46,290
pressing close together.
598
00:38:48,459 --> 00:38:51,061
( woman calling in background )
599
00:38:51,062 --> 00:38:52,797
JUVENAL:
I would love to live
600
00:38:52,797 --> 00:38:55,833
where there are no fears
in the dark of night.
601
00:38:55,833 --> 00:38:59,303
Even now I smell fire and hear
a neighbor cry out for water
602
00:38:59,737 --> 00:39:02,339
as he struggles to save
his measly belongings.
603
00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:07,111
Smoke pours out from the third
story as flames move upwards.
604
00:39:07,111 --> 00:39:09,713
But the poor wretch
who lives at the top
605
00:39:09,714 --> 00:39:12,750
with a leaking roof
and roosting birds
606
00:39:12,750 --> 00:39:15,786
is oblivious to the danger,
and sure to burn.
607
00:39:21,425 --> 00:39:24,895
WEAVER:
In the year 4, in the imperial palace
608
00:39:24,895 --> 00:39:27,931
the emperor Augustus
also lost sleep
609
00:39:27,932 --> 00:39:30,534
but not from fear of fire.
610
00:39:30,534 --> 00:39:32,269
Now an old man of 66
611
00:39:32,269 --> 00:39:36,172
Augustus had lost much
of his youthful vigor.
612
00:39:38,342 --> 00:39:42,679
SUETONIUS:
His vision had faded in his left eye.
613
00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:47,451
His teeth were few,
widely spaced and worn down
614
00:39:47,451 --> 00:39:50,053
his hair wispy and yellowed.
615
00:39:50,488 --> 00:39:54,391
His skin was irritated by
scratching and vehement scraping
616
00:39:54,392 --> 00:39:58,729
so that he had chronic
rough spots resembling ringworm.
617
00:40:02,633 --> 00:40:07,838
WEAVER:
As the emperor neared death, plots to succeed him sprouted.
618
00:40:07,838 --> 00:40:13,043
His grandsons and intended heirs
had both died unexpectedly
619
00:40:13,043 --> 00:40:15,211
and the emperor himself lived
620
00:40:15,212 --> 00:40:18,248
under constant threat
of assassination.
621
00:40:18,249 --> 00:40:19,984
Speaking for Augustus
622
00:40:19,984 --> 00:40:23,020
one ancient historian
voiced his dilemma.
623
00:40:23,020 --> 00:40:26,056
"Whereas solitude is dreadful,"
he wrote
624
00:40:26,056 --> 00:40:28,224
"company is also dreadful.
625
00:40:28,225 --> 00:40:31,695
The very men who protect us
are most terrifying."
626
00:40:33,431 --> 00:40:34,732
MAN:
In many ways
627
00:40:34,732 --> 00:40:36,467
Augustus looks so solid
628
00:40:36,467 --> 00:40:41,672
and what he created looked so
solid you forget the fragility.
629
00:40:41,672 --> 00:40:45,575
I think contemporaries were
very aware of that fragility.
630
00:40:45,576 --> 00:40:47,311
And surely Augustus was.
631
00:40:47,311 --> 00:40:49,479
He was overanxious, in a sense
632
00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,516
to provide a secure system
after he'd gone.
633
00:40:52,516 --> 00:40:57,287
( rumbling )
634
00:40:57,288 --> 00:41:02,059
CASSIUS DIO:
At this time there were unusually strong earthquakes.
635
00:41:02,059 --> 00:41:04,227
The Tiber pulled down the bridge
636
00:41:04,228 --> 00:41:06,830
and flooded the city
for seven days.
637
00:41:07,264 --> 00:41:12,469
There was a partial eclipse
of the sun and famine developed.
638
00:41:14,638 --> 00:41:16,806
WEAVER:
Ancient historians report
639
00:41:16,807 --> 00:41:20,710
that natural disasters predicted
political ones, and indeed,
640
00:41:20,711 --> 00:41:24,181
the emperor's difficulties
seemed to be mounting fast.
641
00:41:24,181 --> 00:41:28,518
In the year 6, soldiers--
the backbone of the empire--
642
00:41:28,519 --> 00:41:31,555
refused to re-enlist
without a pay raise.
643
00:41:31,555 --> 00:41:34,157
New funds had to be found.
644
00:41:34,158 --> 00:41:37,194
Then fire swept parts
of the capital.
645
00:41:37,194 --> 00:41:41,097
A reluctant Augustus turned
to taxation.
646
00:41:41,098 --> 00:41:44,568
It was a dangerous tactic,
and the emperor knew it.
647
00:41:44,568 --> 00:41:48,471
Fearing a coup, Augustus
dispersed potential enemies.
648
00:41:48,472 --> 00:41:52,375
He recessed the courts
and disbanded the Senate.
649
00:41:52,376 --> 00:41:54,978
He even dismissed
his own retinue.
650
00:41:54,979 --> 00:41:58,015
Still Rome remained on edge.
651
00:42:01,051 --> 00:42:04,954
CASSIUS DIO:
The mob, distressed by the famine and the taxes
652
00:42:04,955 --> 00:42:06,690
after the fire, were unsettled.
653
00:42:07,124 --> 00:42:10,160
They openly discussed rebellion.
654
00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:14,063
When night fell,
they hung seditious posters.
655
00:42:20,571 --> 00:42:22,739
WEAVER:
The crisis passed.
656
00:42:22,740 --> 00:42:25,776
But soon a new
and even greater disaster
657
00:42:25,776 --> 00:42:27,944
battered the aging Augustus.
658
00:42:27,945 --> 00:42:33,583
It began in Germany, a land
of fiercely independent tribes
659
00:42:33,584 --> 00:42:37,054
and, to the Roman eye,
rugged barbarism.
660
00:42:37,054 --> 00:42:39,656
The region had been
recently conquered
661
00:42:39,657 --> 00:42:43,994
and Roman customs were taking
root... or so they thought.
662
00:42:45,729 --> 00:42:50,066
CASSIUS DIO:
The barbarians had not forgotten their ancient traditions
663
00:42:50,067 --> 00:42:53,103
their free way of life,
or the power of arms
664
00:42:53,103 --> 00:42:56,139
but as long as they
were assimilated slowly
665
00:42:56,140 --> 00:42:58,742
they did not realize
they were changing
666
00:42:58,742 --> 00:43:01,344
and did not resist
Roman influence.
667
00:43:03,514 --> 00:43:07,851
WEAVER:
That peaceful evolution stopped, however, in the year 9--
668
00:43:07,851 --> 00:43:11,754
the year an arrogant young
general called Quinctilius Varus
669
00:43:11,755 --> 00:43:13,923
became commander
of the Rhine army
670
00:43:14,358 --> 00:43:16,960
and brought an iron fist
to the province.
671
00:43:18,696 --> 00:43:22,166
CASSIUS DIO:
He forced more drastic change on the barbarians
672
00:43:22,166 --> 00:43:24,768
and among other things,
he dealt with them
673
00:43:24,768 --> 00:43:26,936
as if they were slaves
of the Romans
674
00:43:26,937 --> 00:43:29,973
and exacted money
as if they were his subjects.
675
00:43:31,709 --> 00:43:33,444
( horses neighing )
676
00:43:33,444 --> 00:43:37,781
WEAVER:
Varus disastrously miscalculated the extent of Roman control
677
00:43:37,781 --> 00:43:40,383
and misjudged German compliance.
678
00:43:42,987 --> 00:43:47,324
A trusted German chieftain
organized a full-scale revolt
679
00:43:47,324 --> 00:43:52,095
and lured Varus's troops into a
trap deep in unfamiliar terrain.
680
00:43:58,168 --> 00:44:02,505
CASSIUS DIO:
The mountains were rocky and cut with ravines.
681
00:44:02,506 --> 00:44:05,108
The trees were dense and tall
682
00:44:05,109 --> 00:44:08,579
so that the Romans were
struggling to make progress.
683
00:44:16,820 --> 00:44:17,687
( horse neighing )
684
00:44:17,688 --> 00:44:19,856
Rain began to fall in sheets
685
00:44:19,857 --> 00:44:22,893
and a heavy wind scattered
their numbers.
686
00:44:22,893 --> 00:44:24,628
The ground became slippery
687
00:44:24,628 --> 00:44:26,796
around the tree trunks
and roots.
688
00:44:30,701 --> 00:44:33,737
While the Romans were dealing
with these troubles
689
00:44:33,737 --> 00:44:35,905
the barbarians surrounded them
690
00:44:35,906 --> 00:44:38,508
and suddenly coming
from everywhere.
691
00:44:38,509 --> 00:44:41,545
( horses neighing )
692
00:44:41,545 --> 00:44:42,846
First they hurled missiles
from afar.
693
00:44:42,846 --> 00:44:45,882
( horses neighing frantically )
694
00:44:45,883 --> 00:44:48,919
Then since no one was fighting
back and many were wounded
695
00:44:48,919 --> 00:44:51,955
the barbarians came ever closer
696
00:44:52,389 --> 00:44:54,991
and the Romans were unable
to retaliate.
697
00:45:01,065 --> 00:45:04,968
They kept crashing
into each other and the trees.
698
00:45:04,968 --> 00:45:08,004
They could not grip
their arrows or javelins.
699
00:45:08,005 --> 00:45:11,041
The rain forced the weapons
from their hands.
700
00:45:11,041 --> 00:45:14,511
Even their sodden shields
were useless.
701
00:45:17,981 --> 00:45:23,186
And so every man and every horse
was slaughtered.
702
00:45:28,392 --> 00:45:33,163
WEAVER:
Three legions were massacred-- a tenth of Rome's army.
703
00:45:35,332 --> 00:45:40,537
Augustus, his biographer
reports, was traumatized.
704
00:45:40,971 --> 00:45:43,573
SUETONIUS:
They say he was so disturbed
705
00:45:43,574 --> 00:45:47,477
that for several months
he let his hair and beard grow
706
00:45:47,478 --> 00:45:50,514
and would sometimes
bash his head on doors
707
00:45:50,514 --> 00:45:54,851
and cry out, "Quinctilius Varus,
give me back my legions!"
708
00:46:00,057 --> 00:46:04,394
WEAVER:
The disaster in Germany underscored a stark reality:
709
00:46:04,828 --> 00:46:06,996
The empire was born of violence
710
00:46:06,997 --> 00:46:10,467
and to violence
it ever threatened to return.
711
00:46:10,467 --> 00:46:13,937
The emperor was in no mood
for leniency.
712
00:46:25,215 --> 00:46:26,950
OVID:
Believe me
713
00:46:26,950 --> 00:46:32,155
love's climax of pleasure should
not be rushed but savored.
714
00:46:34,324 --> 00:46:38,661
And when you reach those places
your woman loves to have touched
715
00:46:38,662 --> 00:46:40,830
don't let shame get in the way.
716
00:46:40,831 --> 00:46:43,433
Don't back off.
717
00:46:43,433 --> 00:46:47,336
You'll see her eyes shine
with a trembling light
718
00:46:47,337 --> 00:46:50,807
as when the sun glitters
on rippling water.
719
00:46:50,808 --> 00:46:56,013
She'll moan and murmur sweet
words just right for the game.
720
00:46:58,615 --> 00:47:00,350
But don't outpace your mistress
721
00:47:00,784 --> 00:47:02,519
or let her leave you
in the dust.
722
00:47:02,519 --> 00:47:05,989
Rush to the finish line
in unison.
723
00:47:05,989 --> 00:47:11,194
When man and woman collapse
together, they both win--
724
00:47:11,195 --> 00:47:13,797
that's the greatest prize.
725
00:47:15,966 --> 00:47:18,134
WEAVER:
Ovid's sizzling words gripped Rome
726
00:47:18,135 --> 00:47:20,303
when they were first published
727
00:47:20,304 --> 00:47:23,774
but a decade later,
they would return to haunt him.
728
00:47:23,774 --> 00:47:26,810
For the patience
of the emperor Augustus
729
00:47:26,810 --> 00:47:29,412
had reached its lowest point.
730
00:47:29,413 --> 00:47:33,316
Beleaguered, he saw plots
in every corner
731
00:47:33,317 --> 00:47:36,787
anarchy in every act
of disobedience.
732
00:47:36,787 --> 00:47:39,389
Blaming the subversive book
733
00:47:39,389 --> 00:47:42,425
Augustus banished Ovid
from Rome.
734
00:47:47,197 --> 00:47:49,799
OVID:
Hello, are you there?
735
00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:53,270
If so, indulge these verses
of mine.
736
00:47:53,270 --> 00:47:56,306
They don't come from my garden
737
00:47:56,306 --> 00:47:59,776
or that old couch
I used to sprawl on.
738
00:47:59,776 --> 00:48:01,511
Whoever you are
739
00:48:01,511 --> 00:48:04,981
and in whatever parlor,
bedroom or study
740
00:48:04,982 --> 00:48:09,753
I have been writing on decks,
propped up against bulkheads.
741
00:48:12,789 --> 00:48:15,825
WEAVER:
The poet was sent to an untamed backwater
742
00:48:15,826 --> 00:48:19,729
at the edges of the empire
on the shores of the Black Sea.
743
00:48:19,730 --> 00:48:22,766
For Ovid, the ultimate
urban sophisticate
744
00:48:22,766 --> 00:48:25,802
no punishment
could have been harsher.
745
00:48:25,802 --> 00:48:29,705
His roguish aplomb crumbled
to anguish.
746
00:48:33,610 --> 00:48:37,947
OVID:
When night falls here, I think of that other night
747
00:48:37,948 --> 00:48:41,418
when I was cast out
into the endless gloom.
748
00:48:41,418 --> 00:48:43,586
We managed to laugh
once or twice
749
00:48:43,587 --> 00:48:48,358
as my wife found, in some old
trunk, odd pieces of clothing:
750
00:48:48,358 --> 00:48:52,695
"This might be the thing this
season, the new Romanian mode."
751
00:48:52,696 --> 00:48:58,334
And just as abruptly
our peal of laughter would catch
752
00:48:58,335 --> 00:49:02,672
and tear into tears
and we held each other.
753
00:49:02,673 --> 00:49:05,275
My wife sobbed at the hearth.
754
00:49:05,275 --> 00:49:07,010
What could I say?
755
00:49:10,047 --> 00:49:13,950
I took the first step
with which all journeys begin
756
00:49:13,951 --> 00:49:16,119
but could not take the second.
757
00:49:16,553 --> 00:49:19,155
I was barely able to breathe.
758
00:49:21,758 --> 00:49:23,926
I set forth again.
759
00:49:23,927 --> 00:49:26,963
Behind me, she fell rolling
onto the floor.
760
00:49:26,964 --> 00:49:32,169
Her hair swept into the hearth,
stirring up the dust and ashes.
761
00:49:32,169 --> 00:49:33,904
I heard her call my name.
762
00:49:33,904 --> 00:49:36,506
I thought
I had survived the worst.
763
00:49:36,506 --> 00:49:38,241
What could be worse?
764
00:49:38,241 --> 00:49:43,879
But my wife arose, pursued me,
held on to me weeping.
765
00:49:46,483 --> 00:49:49,085
Servants pulled her away.
766
00:49:49,519 --> 00:49:54,290
Whatever worth there was
in me died there.
767
00:50:02,532 --> 00:50:06,002
WEAVER:
Ovid was sure his talents would bring him home.
768
00:50:06,003 --> 00:50:08,171
He wrote constantly.
769
00:50:08,171 --> 00:50:11,207
And as he waited,
he sought refuge
770
00:50:11,208 --> 00:50:13,810
in a remote frontier town.
771
00:50:13,810 --> 00:50:17,280
When the temperatures dropped,
Ovid wrote
772
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:21,183
wine froze in its vessels,
the river in its banks.
773
00:50:21,184 --> 00:50:24,220
Across the ice thundered
hostile horsemen
774
00:50:24,221 --> 00:50:26,389
plundering and killing.
775
00:50:26,390 --> 00:50:29,860
It was a brutal life,
Ovid wrote home from exile
776
00:50:29,860 --> 00:50:33,763
a side of the empire
that few Romans ever saw.
777
00:50:35,065 --> 00:50:38,535
OVID:
Beyond these rickety walls, there's no safety.
778
00:50:38,535 --> 00:50:41,571
And inside it's hardly better.
779
00:50:41,571 --> 00:50:44,607
Barbarians live
in most of the houses.
780
00:50:44,608 --> 00:50:48,078
Even if you're not afraid
of them, you'll despise
781
00:50:48,512 --> 00:50:51,982
their long hair and clothes
made of animal skins.
782
00:50:51,982 --> 00:50:55,018
They all do business
in their common language.
783
00:50:55,452 --> 00:50:58,488
I have to communicate
with gestures.
784
00:50:58,488 --> 00:50:59,789
I am understood by no one
785
00:50:59,790 --> 00:51:04,995
and the stupid peasants
insult my Latin words.
786
00:51:04,995 --> 00:51:09,766
They heckle me to my face
and mock my exile.
787
00:51:11,935 --> 00:51:15,405
WEAVER:
Writing for this audience, Ovid complained
788
00:51:15,405 --> 00:51:17,573
was like "dancing in the dark."
789
00:51:20,610 --> 00:51:24,513
As the years passed, Ovid
shriveled into a bony old man.
790
00:51:24,514 --> 00:51:26,249
He fell ill.
791
00:51:26,249 --> 00:51:30,586
Contrition replaced
his former bravado.
792
00:51:30,587 --> 00:51:34,057
OVID:
Oh, I repent, I repent!
793
00:51:34,057 --> 00:51:39,695
If anyone as wretched as I
can be believed, I do repent.
794
00:51:39,696 --> 00:51:42,298
I am tortured by my deed.
795
00:51:44,034 --> 00:51:47,937
WEAVER:
Ovid, however, never got an answer to his pleas
796
00:51:48,371 --> 00:51:50,539
and would never get a reprieve.
797
00:51:50,540 --> 00:51:52,275
As he approached death
798
00:51:52,275 --> 00:51:54,877
he became sadly resigned
to his fate.
799
00:51:56,613 --> 00:51:58,781
OVID:
Look at me.
800
00:51:58,782 --> 00:52:02,252
I yearn for my country,
my home and for you.
801
00:52:02,252 --> 00:52:05,722
I've lost everything
that I once had
802
00:52:05,722 --> 00:52:08,324
but I still have my talent.
803
00:52:08,325 --> 00:52:11,795
Emperors have no jurisdiction
over that.
804
00:52:11,795 --> 00:52:17,867
My fame will survive
even after I am gone
805
00:52:17,868 --> 00:52:23,073
and as long as Rome dominates
the world, I will be read.
806
00:52:26,977 --> 00:52:31,314
WEAVER:
Nine years into his exile, Ovid died.
807
00:52:31,314 --> 00:52:36,085
He outlived Augustus, but he
had bent to the emperor's will.
808
00:52:38,688 --> 00:52:41,290
At the start
of the emperor's public life
809
00:52:41,291 --> 00:52:44,327
Augustus had won
the wars engulfing Rome.
810
00:52:44,327 --> 00:52:46,929
By the end, he had won the peace
811
00:52:46,930 --> 00:52:50,833
and men like Ovid
paid the price.
812
00:52:50,834 --> 00:52:55,171
In the years ahead,
when lesser men would rule Rome
813
00:52:55,172 --> 00:52:58,208
that price would rise
higher still.
814
00:53:12,956 --> 00:53:15,558
MAN:
O Jupiter and Mars and all gods
815
00:53:15,559 --> 00:53:18,595
that raised the Roman Empire
to ruler of the world
816
00:53:18,595 --> 00:53:21,197
I invoke you, and I pray.
817
00:53:21,198 --> 00:53:25,101
Guard this prosperity,
this peace
818
00:53:25,101 --> 00:53:27,703
now and into the future!
819
00:53:34,211 --> 00:53:38,548
WEAVER:
In the year 14, prayers such as these were heard
820
00:53:38,548 --> 00:53:41,584
around the vast dominion
ruled by Rome.
821
00:53:41,585 --> 00:53:45,488
For in that year,
the empire stood at a precipice.
822
00:53:45,488 --> 00:53:48,090
The emperor Augustus had died.
823
00:53:48,091 --> 00:53:51,561
Augustus had been
a towering figure.
824
00:53:51,561 --> 00:53:54,597
He had extinguished
a century of civil war.
825
00:53:54,598 --> 00:53:59,369
He presided over 40 years of
internal peace and prosperity.
826
00:54:01,104 --> 00:54:02,839
He forged the vision and power
827
00:54:03,273 --> 00:54:05,441
that cemented
the empire together.
828
00:54:07,611 --> 00:54:10,647
But the peace of Augustus
came at a price.
829
00:54:10,647 --> 00:54:12,382
By the end of his life
830
00:54:12,382 --> 00:54:16,285
Augustus had eclipsed the
Senate, ruled as a monarch
831
00:54:16,286 --> 00:54:19,756
and founded a dynasty
that was fraught with troubles.
832
00:54:19,756 --> 00:54:22,358
His heirs: Tiberius
833
00:54:22,359 --> 00:54:24,527
Caligula
834
00:54:24,527 --> 00:54:26,695
Claudius.
835
00:54:26,696 --> 00:54:27,997
These men would lead Rome
836
00:54:27,998 --> 00:54:30,166
through years
of political terror
837
00:54:30,166 --> 00:54:33,636
imperial madness, assassination
838
00:54:33,637 --> 00:54:36,673
and through the distant
founding of a new religion
839
00:54:36,673 --> 00:54:40,143
that would one day engulf
the empire itself.
840
00:54:40,143 --> 00:54:43,179
The years to come
would be years of trial
841
00:54:43,613 --> 00:54:47,516
testing the endurance
of subjects and citizens
842
00:54:47,517 --> 00:54:49,252
soldiers and slaves
843
00:54:49,252 --> 00:54:54,457
the men and women of the Roman
Empire in the first century.
844
00:55:07,904 --> 00:55:09,639
MAN:
How miraculous.
845
00:55:09,639 --> 00:55:13,109
We can now sail to Spain
in just four days
846
00:55:13,109 --> 00:55:14,844
Gaul in three days
847
00:55:14,844 --> 00:55:19,181
and we can reach Africa on
the gentlest breeze overnight.
848
00:55:21,351 --> 00:55:23,519
WEAVER:
As the first century unfolded
849
00:55:23,953 --> 00:55:29,158
ancient observers were awestruck
by their shrinking world.
850
00:55:29,159 --> 00:55:33,062
MAN:
Incredibly, even Egypt is barely seven days' journey.
851
00:55:34,798 --> 00:55:37,400
WEAVER:
For the empire that Augustus left behind
852
00:55:37,400 --> 00:55:40,870
was now more than a collection
of conquered lands.
853
00:55:40,870 --> 00:55:42,605
It was a far-flung society
854
00:55:42,605 --> 00:55:46,075
of vibrant commerce
and frequent travel.
855
00:55:48,244 --> 00:55:49,979
By the year 14
856
00:55:49,979 --> 00:55:54,316
the people of modern-day
France, Turkey, Syria
857
00:55:54,317 --> 00:55:59,088
Greece, Spain and North Africa
were all part of Rome.
858
00:55:59,089 --> 00:56:03,860
They contributed to its wealth
and gained from its protection.
859
00:56:11,234 --> 00:56:12,535
But at Augustus's death
860
00:56:12,535 --> 00:56:16,438
the family of Rome also included
some troubling members.
861
00:56:16,439 --> 00:56:19,909
Egypt, conquered
some 45 years earlier
862
00:56:19,909 --> 00:56:23,812
remained an exotic land
of disturbing power.
863
00:56:23,813 --> 00:56:27,283
Judea, added, too,
a half century before
864
00:56:27,283 --> 00:56:29,885
was a tinderbox.
865
00:56:29,886 --> 00:56:34,223
And in Germany, local tribes
resisted full subjugation.
866
00:56:35,959 --> 00:56:37,260
Then there was Britain.
867
00:56:37,260 --> 00:56:42,898
Once, Julius Caesar had proudly
claimed the island for Rome.
868
00:56:42,899 --> 00:56:46,802
But his claim did not hold,
and at Augustus's death
869
00:56:46,803 --> 00:56:50,706
Britain still lay
tantalizingly beyond grasp.
870
00:56:55,044 --> 00:56:59,815
As he lay dying, Augustus
assumed a philosophical air.
871
00:56:59,816 --> 00:57:04,153
"Did I play my part well in
this comedy of life?" he asked.
872
00:57:04,154 --> 00:57:07,190
The answer was
a resounding "yes"--
873
00:57:07,190 --> 00:57:10,226
the Senate declared
Augustus a god.
874
00:57:10,226 --> 00:57:12,394
And as he passed into legend
875
00:57:12,395 --> 00:57:14,563
he passed the torch
of leadership
876
00:57:14,564 --> 00:57:17,600
to a man who had stood
in the shadows for 50 years--
877
00:57:18,034 --> 00:57:21,070
his grown stepson, Tiberius.
878
00:57:22,806 --> 00:57:27,143
The years of waiting had come
with wrenching sacrifice.
879
00:57:27,143 --> 00:57:30,613
Once, Tiberius
had been happily married
880
00:57:30,613 --> 00:57:33,215
but he had been forced
to divorce his wife
881
00:57:33,216 --> 00:57:36,252
and marry
the emperor's daughter.
882
00:57:36,252 --> 00:57:39,288
Tiberius complied
with Augustus's order
883
00:57:39,289 --> 00:57:42,759
but his biographer reports
that he was never the same.
884
00:57:45,795 --> 00:57:48,397
SUETONIUS:
Tiberius had loved his wife.
885
00:57:48,398 --> 00:57:51,868
After the divorce, he grieved
that he had pushed her away
886
00:57:51,868 --> 00:57:54,904
and had great anguish
in his soul.
887
00:57:54,904 --> 00:57:57,072
The one time
he caught sight of her
888
00:57:57,073 --> 00:58:00,543
he watched her with such
strained and swollen eyes
889
00:58:00,543 --> 00:58:04,880
that an officer was assigned
to keep her from his presence.
890
00:58:07,917 --> 00:58:11,820
WEAVER:
Despite his sacrifice, Tiberius had been spurned.
891
00:58:11,821 --> 00:58:16,158
Augustus only chose him after
more favored heirs had died.
892
00:58:16,159 --> 00:58:19,629
And still, Tiberius's position
was insecure
893
00:58:19,629 --> 00:58:22,231
for the Senate was leery.
894
00:58:22,232 --> 00:58:25,702
Its members needed leadership
but hated monarchy
895
00:58:25,702 --> 00:58:29,172
and many resented
the turn to hereditary rule.
896
00:58:30,473 --> 00:58:33,943
BRADLEY:
Tiberius was in an impossible situation.
897
00:58:33,943 --> 00:58:34,810
He did not expect
898
00:58:34,811 --> 00:58:36,979
to become emperor originally.
899
00:58:36,980 --> 00:58:39,582
He was not Augustus's
first choice.
900
00:58:39,582 --> 00:58:41,317
He was not Augustus;
901
00:58:41,317 --> 00:58:44,353
he had not accomplished
what Augustus had.
902
00:58:44,354 --> 00:58:46,089
So the negotiation of his role
903
00:58:46,089 --> 00:58:49,125
with regard to those
who were his social peers
904
00:58:49,125 --> 00:58:50,860
was very difficult indeed.
905
00:58:53,463 --> 00:58:56,933
WEAVER:
The Senate chamber was tense as Augustus's will was read.
906
00:58:56,933 --> 00:59:00,403
Tiberius moved warily
to claim his legacy
907
00:59:00,403 --> 00:59:03,005
and he gave confusing signals.
908
00:59:03,006 --> 00:59:05,608
"Would Tiberius assume
full imperial powers?"
909
00:59:06,042 --> 00:59:07,343
the senators asked.
910
00:59:07,343 --> 00:59:09,078
"No," he responded.
911
00:59:09,078 --> 00:59:11,246
"Which branch of government
will you direct?"
912
00:59:11,681 --> 00:59:13,849
one member called out.
913
00:59:13,850 --> 00:59:15,585
Tiberius was silent.
914
00:59:16,019 --> 00:59:20,356
"How long will Rome remain
headless?" shouted another.
915
00:59:22,525 --> 00:59:24,693
WALLACE-HADRILL:
Tiberius wanted power all right.
916
00:59:24,694 --> 00:59:28,164
The excuse for behaving
in the way he does
917
00:59:28,164 --> 00:59:31,200
is that that's how Augustus
himself had done it.
918
00:59:31,200 --> 00:59:34,670
He's trying to be
a good Augustus look-alike.
919
00:59:34,671 --> 00:59:37,707
Augustus came to power
by refusing it.
920
00:59:37,707 --> 00:59:39,875
He feels he, too, must refuse.
921
00:59:39,876 --> 00:59:45,514
But... somehow, subtly, oddly,
he got the game wrong.
922
00:59:45,515 --> 00:59:48,117
He refused too much.
923
00:59:48,117 --> 00:59:51,587
He didn't convince anyone
that his refusal was genuine
924
00:59:51,588 --> 00:59:53,323
and he only caused resentment.
925
00:59:56,793 --> 01:00:00,696
WEAVER:
As Tiberius groped awkwardly to define his role
926
01:00:00,697 --> 01:00:03,733
events outside Rome
turned ominous.
927
01:00:05,034 --> 01:00:08,070
A message arrived
from the provinces:
928
01:00:08,071 --> 01:00:12,408
Two armies on the northern
frontier were refusing orders.
929
01:00:12,408 --> 01:00:14,576
( men shouting angrily )
930
01:00:14,577 --> 01:00:18,914
It started among the legions in
modern-day Hungary and Austria
931
01:00:18,915 --> 01:00:21,517
just ten days' march from Rome.
932
01:00:21,517 --> 01:00:23,685
One disgruntled soldier voiced
933
01:00:23,686 --> 01:00:25,854
the bitter realities
of army life
934
01:00:25,855 --> 01:00:28,457
and mounting a rostrum
made of dirt
935
01:00:28,458 --> 01:00:32,361
he stoked the fires
of resentment.
936
01:00:32,362 --> 01:00:36,265
SOLDIER ( dramatized ):
Old men are enduring 30 and 40 years of service.
937
01:00:36,699 --> 01:00:38,867
Many have even lost limbs.
938
01:00:38,868 --> 01:00:41,036
And discharge does not end it;
939
01:00:41,037 --> 01:00:44,073
they do the same work
by a different name.
940
01:00:44,073 --> 01:00:46,675
And if by some chance
one survives
941
01:00:46,676 --> 01:00:50,146
he is dragged to the ends
of the earth and given "payment"
942
01:00:50,146 --> 01:00:54,049
with a swampy marsh
or sterile mountainside.
943
01:00:54,050 --> 01:00:55,351
By Hercules!
944
01:00:55,351 --> 01:00:59,254
Life in the legions is
brutal and unprofitable.
945
01:01:01,858 --> 01:01:05,328
WEAVER:
Gradually, the arguments struck home.
946
01:01:05,328 --> 01:01:07,930
Soldiers began
showing their scars.
947
01:01:07,930 --> 01:01:10,966
Some looted;
officers were killed;
948
01:01:10,967 --> 01:01:14,870
and with words of defiance
ringing in the air
949
01:01:14,871 --> 01:01:16,606
mutiny gained momentum.
950
01:01:16,606 --> 01:01:18,341
( crowd shouting )
951
01:01:18,341 --> 01:01:20,943
SOLDIER:
Why should you obey like slaves?
952
01:01:20,943 --> 01:01:23,545
When will you
dare demand payback
953
01:01:23,546 --> 01:01:26,148
if not with
a new and wavering emperor?
954
01:01:29,185 --> 01:01:32,221
WEAVER:
It was Rome's worst nightmare
955
01:01:32,221 --> 01:01:36,124
and it demanded attention
from the imperial family.
956
01:01:36,125 --> 01:01:38,727
With the new emperor
busy in Rome
957
01:01:38,728 --> 01:01:42,198
another family member was sent
to quell the rebellion.
958
01:01:42,198 --> 01:01:45,234
He was called Germanicus.
959
01:01:45,234 --> 01:01:46,969
He was young, charismatic
960
01:01:46,969 --> 01:01:51,306
and loved by the soldiers
as a man of the legions.
961
01:01:53,042 --> 01:01:56,945
His wife had even given birth
in an army outpost
962
01:01:56,946 --> 01:02:02,151
and the couple's two-year-old
son wore a tiny army uniform.
963
01:02:02,151 --> 01:02:04,753
"Bootsie" the soldiers
called him--
964
01:02:04,754 --> 01:02:08,224
in Latin, Caligula.
965
01:02:08,224 --> 01:02:11,694
The child was the darling
of the Roman legions
966
01:02:11,694 --> 01:02:13,862
their imperial mascot.
967
01:02:16,032 --> 01:02:19,502
When Germanicus and his family
reached the mutinous camp
968
01:02:19,502 --> 01:02:22,104
it was clear
that more violence loomed;
969
01:02:22,105 --> 01:02:24,273
their very lives were at risk.
970
01:02:26,442 --> 01:02:29,478
Germanicus consulted
his advisers.
971
01:02:29,912 --> 01:02:34,683
He tearfully urged his wife to
seek refuge with a nearby tribe.
972
01:02:34,684 --> 01:02:39,889
She agreed, leaving with
little Caligula in her arms.
973
01:02:39,889 --> 01:02:44,226
Some years later, the historian
Tacitus recorded the scene.
974
01:02:46,829 --> 01:02:50,732
TACITUS ( dramatized ):
A wretched group of women marched away:
975
01:02:50,733 --> 01:02:53,769
the commander's wife, a refugee
976
01:02:53,770 --> 01:02:56,806
clutching her small son
to her breast
977
01:02:56,806 --> 01:02:59,842
surrounded by the weeping wives
of his comrades.
978
01:03:01,144 --> 01:03:04,180
The wailing was noticed
by the soldiers
979
01:03:04,180 --> 01:03:06,348
who came out of their tents.
980
01:03:06,349 --> 01:03:10,252
They felt shame and pity
and thought of her forefathers
981
01:03:10,253 --> 01:03:16,325
and of her son, a child born
and raised among the tents.
982
01:03:16,325 --> 01:03:20,662
They begged, they insisted
that she come back.
983
01:03:24,133 --> 01:03:26,735
WEAVER:
Rebel unity was broken.
984
01:03:27,170 --> 01:03:29,772
Germanicus became a hero
985
01:03:29,772 --> 01:03:33,242
and Caligula and his mother
returned to camp.
986
01:03:36,279 --> 01:03:39,315
Caligula as a child
in the middle of this mutiny
987
01:03:39,749 --> 01:03:43,652
must have seen the importance
of the loyalty of the army.
988
01:03:43,653 --> 01:03:46,255
And in fact he had been
the darling of the soldiers
989
01:03:46,255 --> 01:03:49,291
and he could appreciate
the loyalty that the army felt
990
01:03:49,292 --> 01:03:51,894
to the imperial family in Rome.
991
01:03:51,894 --> 01:03:54,930
And yet he also could see
what would happen
992
01:03:54,931 --> 01:03:57,533
if the soldiers' expectations
weren't met.
993
01:03:57,533 --> 01:03:59,701
They were not going
to maintain the loyalty.
994
01:04:03,172 --> 01:04:08,377
WEAVER:
Army loyalty, Caligula saw, was the core of imperial strength.
995
01:04:08,377 --> 01:04:13,148
But events would offer Caligula
another, darker lesson:
996
01:04:13,149 --> 01:04:16,185
Popularity could be
a dangerous thing.
997
01:04:18,788 --> 01:04:20,523
Just five years later
998
01:04:20,523 --> 01:04:23,559
Caligula's father,
Germanicus, lay dying
999
01:04:23,559 --> 01:04:27,896
poisoned, it was believed,
on orders from the emperor.
1000
01:04:27,897 --> 01:04:32,668
Tiberius insisted he played no
part in the death of Germanicus
1001
01:04:32,668 --> 01:04:35,270
but neither did he mourn,
for he well knew
1002
01:04:35,271 --> 01:04:39,174
that public favorites could be
as threatening as army mutinies
1003
01:04:39,175 --> 01:04:43,078
and survival demanded
brutal vigilance.
1004
01:04:43,512 --> 01:04:45,680
Governing Rome, Tiberius mused
1005
01:04:45,681 --> 01:04:48,717
was like "holding a wolf
by the ears."
1006
01:04:48,718 --> 01:04:52,188
That reality would stalk
the imperial family
1007
01:04:52,188 --> 01:04:53,923
for generations to come.
1008
01:05:02,164 --> 01:05:03,899
MAN:
I must go and have a bath.
1009
01:05:04,333 --> 01:05:05,634
Yes, it's time.
1010
01:05:06,068 --> 01:05:09,104
I get myself some towels, I run
and catch up with the others
1011
01:05:09,105 --> 01:05:11,273
and I say to them one and all,
"How are you?
1012
01:05:11,274 --> 01:05:12,575
"Have a good bath!
1013
01:05:12,575 --> 01:05:15,177
Have a good supper!"
1014
01:05:15,177 --> 01:05:17,779
WEAVER:
Young and old, rich and poor
1015
01:05:18,214 --> 01:05:21,250
men and women,
every day in midafternoon
1016
01:05:21,684 --> 01:05:25,154
countless people around
the empire ended their work
1017
01:05:25,154 --> 01:05:28,190
and made their way to the baths.
1018
01:05:30,359 --> 01:05:32,527
MAN:
Labor and worry begone!
1019
01:05:32,528 --> 01:05:37,733
I sing the baths,
bejeweled with shining tiles!
1020
01:05:39,468 --> 01:05:43,371
WEAVER:
Most bath complexes were large, congenial places
1021
01:05:43,372 --> 01:05:45,107
where all classes mingled
1022
01:05:45,107 --> 01:05:49,444
in one of the great
unifying rituals of Roman life.
1023
01:05:49,445 --> 01:05:52,915
They included
outdoor areas for exercise
1024
01:05:52,915 --> 01:05:55,951
food stands for snacks
1025
01:05:55,952 --> 01:06:00,289
and noisy attendants who offered
every sort of service.
1026
01:06:00,723 --> 01:06:02,891
( many voices echoing loudly )
1027
01:06:02,892 --> 01:06:07,663
MAN:
I would die if silence were as necessary to study as they say.
1028
01:06:07,663 --> 01:06:10,265
I live just above
the bathhouse.
1029
01:06:12,001 --> 01:06:17,206
WEAVER:
The philosopher Seneca found his local bath a mixed blessing.
1030
01:06:19,809 --> 01:06:23,279
SENECA:
Consider all the hateful voices I hear.
1031
01:06:23,279 --> 01:06:26,315
When the brawny men exercise
with their lead weights
1032
01:06:26,315 --> 01:06:29,785
I hear their groans and gasps.
1033
01:06:29,785 --> 01:06:33,255
Or when someone else comes in
to get a vulgar massage
1034
01:06:33,255 --> 01:06:35,857
I hear the slap of a hand
on his shoulders.
1035
01:06:35,858 --> 01:06:40,629
Add those who leap into the pool
with a huge splash.
1036
01:06:40,629 --> 01:06:44,532
Besides these,
who at least have normal voices
1037
01:06:44,533 --> 01:06:49,304
consider the hair plucker,
always screeching for customers
1038
01:06:49,305 --> 01:06:54,076
and never quiet except when
he's making someone else cry.
1039
01:06:56,679 --> 01:07:00,149
WEAVER:
After several hours in the boisterous atmosphere
1040
01:07:00,149 --> 01:07:04,486
wealthy Romans headed home
for an evening with friends.
1041
01:07:04,487 --> 01:07:07,957
The less privileged met
at roadside cafés.
1042
01:07:07,957 --> 01:07:10,993
But one and all,
Romans cherished
1043
01:07:10,993 --> 01:07:14,896
their late-afternoon rituals
as staples of life.
1044
01:07:14,897 --> 01:07:20,102
ROMAN:
Baths, wine and sex ruin our bodies.
1045
01:07:20,102 --> 01:07:25,307
But what makes life worth living
except sex, wine and baths?
1046
01:07:28,778 --> 01:07:31,380
WEAVER:
Away from the public eye
1047
01:07:31,380 --> 01:07:34,850
Augustus's first successor
lived in gloom.
1048
01:07:34,850 --> 01:07:37,452
The emperor Tiberius
was already 55
1049
01:07:37,453 --> 01:07:40,923
when he inherited Rome
from his stepfather
1050
01:07:40,923 --> 01:07:45,694
and he was a dour, cynical man.
1051
01:07:45,694 --> 01:07:48,296
Embittered by his years
of obscurity
1052
01:07:48,297 --> 01:07:52,634
Tiberius now resented the
courtiers who once scorned him.
1053
01:07:52,635 --> 01:07:56,105
He despised their intrigues
and obsequious manners.
1054
01:07:56,539 --> 01:07:58,707
"Men fit to be slaves,"
he muttered
1055
01:07:58,707 --> 01:08:00,875
as he left the Senate house.
1056
01:08:00,876 --> 01:08:03,912
Many senators thought
little better of Tiberius.
1057
01:08:04,346 --> 01:08:06,948
They grew to hate him
for his cryptic wishes
1058
01:08:06,949 --> 01:08:09,117
and his unpredictable moods.
1059
01:08:10,853 --> 01:08:13,889
WALLACE-HADRILL:
What really gets up their noses
1060
01:08:13,889 --> 01:08:16,925
is that he both demands
servility from them
1061
01:08:16,926 --> 01:08:20,396
and then pretends
to be treating them like equals
1062
01:08:20,396 --> 01:08:24,299
and saying, "Oh, no, no, don't
be servile, don't flatter me"
1063
01:08:24,300 --> 01:08:27,770
and "I don't want this adulation
that you offer me."
1064
01:08:27,770 --> 01:08:32,107
And yet it was clear to them
that unless he was flattered
1065
01:08:32,108 --> 01:08:36,445
unless they behaved like slaves,
he wasn't actually happy.
1066
01:08:36,445 --> 01:08:38,613
That's why they called him
a hypocrite.
1067
01:08:38,614 --> 01:08:43,385
WEAVER:
With mutual contempt between senators and Tiberius
1068
01:08:43,385 --> 01:08:47,288
the emperor sought counsel
outside their ranks
1069
01:08:47,289 --> 01:08:50,325
in a cavalry officer
named Sejanus
1070
01:08:50,326 --> 01:08:53,796
a man the ancient historian
Tacitus called
1071
01:08:54,230 --> 01:08:55,965
"a small-town cheater."
1072
01:08:56,398 --> 01:09:01,169
TACITUS:
Sejanus was brazen with great physical endurance.
1073
01:09:01,170 --> 01:09:04,206
Outwardly,
he appeared honorable
1074
01:09:04,206 --> 01:09:08,109
but inside he nursed
a greedy nature.
1075
01:09:08,110 --> 01:09:10,278
WALLACE-HADRILL:
You have to remember
1076
01:09:10,713 --> 01:09:13,749
that the Romans could be
extraordinarily snobbish.
1077
01:09:13,749 --> 01:09:17,652
The Romans weren't against
social mobility absolutely
1078
01:09:17,653 --> 01:09:20,255
but they hated to see upstarts
1079
01:09:20,256 --> 01:09:23,292
who they see
as getting into power
1080
01:09:23,292 --> 01:09:28,497
not because they're good but
because they cheat the system
1081
01:09:28,497 --> 01:09:33,268
because they worm their way
into the favor of the emperors
1082
01:09:33,269 --> 01:09:36,739
and they cheat themselves
into social standing.
1083
01:09:38,908 --> 01:09:42,811
WEAVER:
Tiberius gave Sejanus command of the Praetorian Guard
1084
01:09:42,811 --> 01:09:45,413
an elite battalion
created to keep order
1085
01:09:45,414 --> 01:09:47,582
and protect the emperor.
1086
01:09:47,583 --> 01:09:51,486
Sejanus concentrated his troops
in a single camp.
1087
01:09:51,487 --> 01:09:54,089
Billeted in one place,
Tacitus says
1088
01:09:54,089 --> 01:09:57,992
the guard enhanced Sejanus's
political influence.
1089
01:10:00,596 --> 01:10:03,198
TACITUS:
When the camp was finished
1090
01:10:03,199 --> 01:10:06,669
he insinuated himself
into the soldiers' affections
1091
01:10:06,669 --> 01:10:08,837
speaking to each, man to man.
1092
01:10:08,837 --> 01:10:11,005
He chose their leaders himself.
1093
01:10:11,006 --> 01:10:15,343
And to senators, he hinted
at offices and provincial posts
1094
01:10:15,344 --> 01:10:18,814
for those who supported him.
1095
01:10:18,814 --> 01:10:22,717
WEAVER:
Tiberius offered his aide the highest honors.
1096
01:10:22,718 --> 01:10:24,453
He openly praised Sejanus
1097
01:10:24,453 --> 01:10:27,489
calling him "the partner
of my labors"
1098
01:10:27,489 --> 01:10:30,525
and Sejanus reveled
in the emperor's trust.
1099
01:10:30,526 --> 01:10:34,429
He would use it to clear
a path for his own power
1100
01:10:34,430 --> 01:10:37,466
and subject Rome
to a reign of terror
1101
01:10:37,466 --> 01:10:40,502
reminiscent of its darkest past.
1102
01:10:40,502 --> 01:10:44,839
Germanicus, the hero
of the army mutiny, was dead.
1103
01:10:44,840 --> 01:10:47,442
Now, Sejanus warned
1104
01:10:47,443 --> 01:10:50,913
the dead man's family
was plotting to seize power.
1105
01:10:50,913 --> 01:10:55,250
Germanicus's widow was parted
from her children
1106
01:10:55,251 --> 01:10:57,853
and sent into exile.
1107
01:10:57,853 --> 01:11:00,889
In Rome, young Caligula
was spared abuse
1108
01:11:00,889 --> 01:11:04,359
but his older brothers
were less fortunate.
1109
01:11:04,360 --> 01:11:06,962
Suetonius describes their fate.
1110
01:11:06,962 --> 01:11:12,600
SUETONIUS:
Both were judged to be traitors and sentenced to death
1111
01:11:12,601 --> 01:11:15,203
one in the basement
of the imperial palace
1112
01:11:15,204 --> 01:11:17,372
where starvation drove him
1113
01:11:17,373 --> 01:11:19,975
to eat the stuffing
from his pillow.
1114
01:11:19,975 --> 01:11:23,011
It is believed that
the other committed suicide
1115
01:11:23,012 --> 01:11:26,048
when an executioner came
and showed him the noose
1116
01:11:26,048 --> 01:11:29,951
and the hooks for dragging
his corpse through the city.
1117
01:11:29,952 --> 01:11:32,988
Their ravaged remains
were so scattered
1118
01:11:32,988 --> 01:11:36,891
that it was very difficult
to collect them.
1119
01:11:36,892 --> 01:11:39,060
HALLETT:
This is what's wrong
1120
01:11:39,495 --> 01:11:42,965
with the system
that Augustus established.
1121
01:11:42,965 --> 01:11:46,001
It's a system
that's only as strong
1122
01:11:46,001 --> 01:11:52,507
as the male member of the family
who comes to power is
1123
01:11:52,508 --> 01:11:55,110
emotionally and physically.
1124
01:11:55,110 --> 01:11:58,580
And while there were
some very impressive people--
1125
01:11:58,580 --> 01:12:01,616
most notably Augustus--
who assume this role
1126
01:12:01,617 --> 01:12:05,520
there were others who had
a great deal wrong with them.
1127
01:12:05,521 --> 01:12:08,123
And a lot of what
was wrong with them
1128
01:12:08,123 --> 01:12:10,725
was merely living
in this household
1129
01:12:10,726 --> 01:12:14,629
where people are constantly
vying for power and favor.
1130
01:12:16,365 --> 01:12:20,702
WEAVER:
The emperor's aide, Sejanus, soon widened his purge.
1131
01:12:20,703 --> 01:12:22,438
He launched treason trials.
1132
01:12:22,438 --> 01:12:25,040
Rivals were routinely convicted
1133
01:12:25,040 --> 01:12:27,642
and, according
to Tacitus, executed.
1134
01:12:27,643 --> 01:12:32,848
TACITUS:
It was a time of corruption, greed and subservience.
1135
01:12:32,848 --> 01:12:37,185
Not only the elite felt insecure
in their positions
1136
01:12:37,186 --> 01:12:40,656
but even lower-ranked
officials competed
1137
01:12:40,656 --> 01:12:43,258
to perform foul
and slavish acts.
1138
01:12:43,258 --> 01:12:47,161
WEAVER:
Barely a decade after Augustus had died
1139
01:12:47,162 --> 01:12:50,632
the dynasty he founded
was failing Rome.
1140
01:12:50,632 --> 01:12:52,800
The now elderly Tiberius
1141
01:12:52,801 --> 01:12:55,837
would not, or could not,
stop the purge.
1142
01:12:55,838 --> 01:12:58,874
BRADLEY:
Where was Tiberius when the trials
1143
01:12:58,874 --> 01:13:02,344
and other atrocities and
persecutions were going on
1144
01:13:02,344 --> 01:13:04,512
towards the end of his reign?
1145
01:13:04,513 --> 01:13:05,814
It's difficult to tell.
1146
01:13:05,814 --> 01:13:07,982
He had withdrawn from the city
1147
01:13:07,983 --> 01:13:11,453
because he was tired of
the capital and its politics.
1148
01:13:11,453 --> 01:13:14,923
He may have known of some of
the trials that were going on;
1149
01:13:14,923 --> 01:13:16,658
he may not.
1150
01:13:16,658 --> 01:13:18,393
He may have simply been duped.
1151
01:13:18,394 --> 01:13:19,695
How do we know?
1152
01:13:19,695 --> 01:13:21,430
It's very difficult to tell.
1153
01:13:23,599 --> 01:13:27,069
WEAVER:
In the year 26, disgusted and insecure
1154
01:13:27,069 --> 01:13:29,671
Tiberius had turned
his back on Rome
1155
01:13:29,671 --> 01:13:32,707
and retreated
to the island of Capri
1156
01:13:32,708 --> 01:13:37,479
an isolated refuge that offered
security from his enemies
1157
01:13:37,479 --> 01:13:40,515
and diversions
for his troubled mind.
1158
01:13:43,118 --> 01:13:48,323
SUETONIUS:
Once retired to Capri, he set up rooms for his depraved urges.
1159
01:13:51,360 --> 01:13:54,396
WEAVER:
Perched in one of 12 cliff-top villas
1160
01:13:54,396 --> 01:13:57,866
Tiberius sought release
in astrology, in wine
1161
01:13:57,866 --> 01:14:01,769
and, according to his gossipy
biographer, Suetonius
1162
01:14:01,770 --> 01:14:04,806
in all manner
of self-indulgence.
1163
01:14:07,843 --> 01:14:11,313
SUETONIUS:
He procured groups of girls and boys
1164
01:14:11,313 --> 01:14:13,915
known for
their sexual inventions.
1165
01:14:13,916 --> 01:14:17,386
They enacted their unique
depravities before him
1166
01:14:17,386 --> 01:14:19,988
to arouse his failing sex drive.
1167
01:14:19,988 --> 01:14:22,156
He decorated the bedrooms
1168
01:14:22,157 --> 01:14:26,928
with erotic paintings, figurines
and Egyptian pornography
1169
01:14:26,929 --> 01:14:31,266
so they knew the work
they were expected to put out.
1170
01:14:33,869 --> 01:14:38,206
WEAVER:
Only Sejanus had regular access to the reclusive emperor
1171
01:14:38,207 --> 01:14:40,809
and after Tiberius's
own son died
1172
01:14:40,809 --> 01:14:43,845
only Sejanus enjoyed
the emperor's trust.
1173
01:14:45,581 --> 01:14:49,918
In Rome, he assumed all
the powers of his absent patron
1174
01:14:49,918 --> 01:14:52,520
and ruled with growing autonomy.
1175
01:14:52,521 --> 01:14:57,726
Sejanus, it seemed, was poised
to displace Tiberius himself.
1176
01:14:59,461 --> 01:15:01,629
Sejanus had clearly
been plotting
1177
01:15:01,630 --> 01:15:04,232
to secure the emperorship
for himself--
1178
01:15:04,233 --> 01:15:07,703
there's no doubt about that--
And he had waged campaigns
1179
01:15:07,703 --> 01:15:10,305
against members
of the imperial family.
1180
01:15:10,305 --> 01:15:14,208
It's very difficult to know what
caused his undoing in the end
1181
01:15:14,209 --> 01:15:17,245
because we don't have
a complete account.
1182
01:15:17,246 --> 01:15:22,451
WEAVER:
In the year 31, events took a surprising turn.
1183
01:15:22,451 --> 01:15:25,921
Tiberius suddenly
soured on Sejanus
1184
01:15:25,921 --> 01:15:28,957
and suddenly embraced Caligula
1185
01:15:28,957 --> 01:15:33,294
the only surviving son
of his imperial family.
1186
01:15:33,295 --> 01:15:36,331
Tiberius called Caligula
to Capri.
1187
01:15:36,331 --> 01:15:41,536
Then he sent a secret message to
the Senate condemning Sejanus.
1188
01:15:41,970 --> 01:15:45,873
The ancient historian
Cassius Dio tells the story
1189
01:15:45,874 --> 01:15:48,476
as it was recounted to him.
1190
01:15:50,646 --> 01:15:54,549
CASSIUS DIO:
At sunrise, the emperor's agent climbed the hill
1191
01:15:54,550 --> 01:15:58,453
where the Senate was convening
in the temple of Apollo.
1192
01:15:58,453 --> 01:16:00,621
He found Sejanus outside.
1193
01:16:00,622 --> 01:16:03,658
He consoled him with lies
1194
01:16:03,659 --> 01:16:08,430
telling him that he was about
to be named next in line.
1195
01:16:08,430 --> 01:16:11,900
Ecstatic, Sejanus ran
into the building.
1196
01:16:14,937 --> 01:16:18,407
WEAVER:
As the emperor's agent slipped away
1197
01:16:18,407 --> 01:16:21,009
Tiberius's letter
was read aloud.
1198
01:16:21,009 --> 01:16:24,045
Line by line,
it condemned Sejanus.
1199
01:16:24,046 --> 01:16:26,648
Slowly, senators inched away.
1200
01:16:26,648 --> 01:16:30,551
CASSIUS DIO:
The presiding officer called Sejanus forward
1201
01:16:30,552 --> 01:16:34,889
but he did not obey because
he had never taken orders.
1202
01:16:34,890 --> 01:16:38,793
He was called
a second and third time.
1203
01:16:38,794 --> 01:16:43,131
Then the officer said,
"Sejanus, come here."
1204
01:16:43,131 --> 01:16:48,336
Sejanus answered blankly,
"Are you calling me?"
1205
01:16:50,072 --> 01:16:53,975
He whom they once worshiped,
they now led to execution.
1206
01:16:58,313 --> 01:17:00,481
WEAVER:
Sejanus was strangled.
1207
01:17:00,482 --> 01:17:03,084
His body was dumped
into the river Tiber.
1208
01:17:03,085 --> 01:17:05,687
In an age of emperors
1209
01:17:05,687 --> 01:17:08,723
violence was the only recourse
for the aggrieved
1210
01:17:08,724 --> 01:17:11,760
and brutality always lurked
near the surface.
1211
01:17:13,929 --> 01:17:17,399
BRADLEY:
What we might understand from Sejanus's downfall
1212
01:17:17,399 --> 01:17:20,435
is that no one was secure
within the court system.
1213
01:17:20,435 --> 01:17:24,338
This was a secretive form
of government.
1214
01:17:24,339 --> 01:17:27,375
Power was pursued by those
who were unscrupulous
1215
01:17:27,376 --> 01:17:29,111
and wanted to wield it;
1216
01:17:29,111 --> 01:17:32,581
but no one could be secure
in his control of power.
1217
01:17:32,581 --> 01:17:36,051
The emperor could strike down
anyone at a moment's notice.
1218
01:17:38,220 --> 01:17:40,822
WEAVER:
Still in Capri
1219
01:17:40,822 --> 01:17:43,858
Tiberius continued
the business of government.
1220
01:17:43,859 --> 01:17:46,027
His rivals
had all been destroyed
1221
01:17:46,028 --> 01:17:49,064
but so had the chance
of stable succession.
1222
01:17:49,064 --> 01:17:53,835
As Tiberius entered his
last years, weary and remote
1223
01:17:53,835 --> 01:17:57,305
his only surviving heir
was Caligula.
1224
01:18:10,752 --> 01:18:13,788
WOMAN:
To the official in charge of revenues:
1225
01:18:13,789 --> 01:18:15,957
It is now nearly two years ago
1226
01:18:15,957 --> 01:18:18,559
that Apollonius made off
with my dowry
1227
01:18:18,560 --> 01:18:21,162
and he left me
with the female child
1228
01:18:21,163 --> 01:18:23,765
which we conceived together,
in rags.
1229
01:18:25,500 --> 01:18:29,837
WEAVER:
Although emperors often struck down their political enemies
1230
01:18:29,838 --> 01:18:32,874
millions of anonymous people
around the empire
1231
01:18:32,874 --> 01:18:34,609
led less eventful lives.
1232
01:18:34,609 --> 01:18:38,946
They paid taxes, struggled
to support their families
1233
01:18:38,947 --> 01:18:41,549
and when problems arose
1234
01:18:41,550 --> 01:18:45,453
they appealed to Roman
administrators for relief.
1235
01:18:45,454 --> 01:18:49,791
WOMAN:
My husband has journeyed by boat down to Alexandria
1236
01:18:50,225 --> 01:18:53,695
and he has joined himself
there to another woman.
1237
01:18:53,695 --> 01:18:56,731
He has told his father
to sell our house.
1238
01:18:56,732 --> 01:18:58,900
Since I lack
even basic nourishment
1239
01:18:58,900 --> 01:19:02,370
I ask you to order him
to be summoned before you
1240
01:19:02,804 --> 01:19:05,840
and to help compel him
to return the dowry to me
1241
01:19:06,274 --> 01:19:08,009
for life's necessities.
1242
01:19:11,046 --> 01:19:14,082
WEAVER:
Many lived on the brink of ruin.
1243
01:19:14,082 --> 01:19:17,118
In their towns and cities
in Egypt, Italy
1244
01:19:17,119 --> 01:19:21,890
and around the Mediterranean,
they endured filthy streets
1245
01:19:21,890 --> 01:19:24,492
rampant disease,
recurrent famine.
1246
01:19:24,493 --> 01:19:27,095
Emperors tried
to alleviate suffering
1247
01:19:27,095 --> 01:19:31,432
by offering free grain to some
quarter of a million Romans.
1248
01:19:31,433 --> 01:19:33,601
But even this wasn't enough.
1249
01:19:33,602 --> 01:19:36,204
For many of the nameless poor
1250
01:19:36,204 --> 01:19:40,107
feeding their families
was an impossible task
1251
01:19:40,108 --> 01:19:45,313
especially in the Roman province
of Judea, modern-day Israel.
1252
01:19:45,313 --> 01:19:48,349
There, on the empire's
desert fringe
1253
01:19:48,350 --> 01:19:51,820
the dry soil supported
meager harvests
1254
01:19:51,820 --> 01:19:54,422
and Roman taxes
added to the burden.
1255
01:19:55,724 --> 01:19:58,760
The Jews of Judea were
fervently religious.
1256
01:19:59,194 --> 01:20:03,531
Among them was a family from a
village near the sea of Galilee.
1257
01:20:07,869 --> 01:20:12,206
READER:
"In those days an order was sent by the Emperor Augustus
1258
01:20:12,207 --> 01:20:15,243
"to register the entire world.
1259
01:20:15,243 --> 01:20:19,580
All went to their own towns."
1260
01:20:19,581 --> 01:20:23,051
WEAVER:
Long before Tiberius's accession
1261
01:20:23,051 --> 01:20:25,653
Augustus had ordered a census.
1262
01:20:25,654 --> 01:20:28,256
It was an enormous undertaking.
1263
01:20:28,690 --> 01:20:32,160
From Gaul to Egypt,
from Asia to Judea
1264
01:20:32,160 --> 01:20:35,196
millions registered
with Roman officials.
1265
01:20:37,365 --> 01:20:41,702
READER:
"And Joseph also went from the city of Nazareth in Galilee
1266
01:20:41,703 --> 01:20:45,173
"to be registered with Mary,
whom he was to wed
1267
01:20:45,173 --> 01:20:47,341
and who was expecting a child."
1268
01:20:50,812 --> 01:20:52,980
WEAVER:
Joseph was a Jewish carpenter.
1269
01:20:53,415 --> 01:20:56,885
If the birth of his son caught
Rome's attention at all
1270
01:20:56,885 --> 01:20:58,620
it was only as a statistic.
1271
01:20:59,054 --> 01:21:02,957
But Jesus, growing to maturity
in his father's trade
1272
01:21:02,958 --> 01:21:06,861
would leave a legacy more
enduring than Augustus himself
1273
01:21:06,862 --> 01:21:09,030
a legacy made possible
1274
01:21:09,030 --> 01:21:12,933
by the extraordinary ferment
of the first century.
1275
01:21:14,669 --> 01:21:19,006
For in this corner of the empire
at this moment in history
1276
01:21:19,007 --> 01:21:21,609
Judea was in turmoil.
1277
01:21:21,610 --> 01:21:25,513
The population had split
into hostile factions.
1278
01:21:25,513 --> 01:21:28,983
Preachers and prophets roamed
the countryside
1279
01:21:28,984 --> 01:21:31,152
drawing emotional crowds.
1280
01:21:31,152 --> 01:21:35,055
At the age of 30,
Jesus joined one such group
1281
01:21:35,056 --> 01:21:38,526
and was baptized
in the Jordan River.
1282
01:21:45,467 --> 01:21:48,503
Soon, Jesus began
a ministry of his own
1283
01:21:48,503 --> 01:21:51,973
and like other itinerant
preachers of his day
1284
01:21:51,973 --> 01:21:54,141
he walked between villages
1285
01:21:54,142 --> 01:21:58,913
taking his message to the homes
and synagogues of Judea's poor.
1286
01:22:00,649 --> 01:22:02,817
JESUS ( dramatized ):
No one can serve two masters.
1287
01:22:02,817 --> 01:22:04,985
You cannot serve God
and wealth.
1288
01:22:04,986 --> 01:22:06,287
And so I say to you
1289
01:22:06,288 --> 01:22:10,625
do not worry about what you
will eat or what you will drink
1290
01:22:10,625 --> 01:22:12,793
or about what you will wear.
1291
01:22:12,794 --> 01:22:16,697
Is life not more than food
and the body more than clothes?
1292
01:22:16,698 --> 01:22:19,300
Behold the birds in the sky;
1293
01:22:19,301 --> 01:22:22,337
they neither sow nor reap
nor gather into barns
1294
01:22:22,337 --> 01:22:25,807
and yet your father
in heaven feeds them.
1295
01:22:25,807 --> 01:22:28,843
Are you not more precious
than they?
1296
01:22:28,843 --> 01:22:31,445
Blessed are the poor in spirit
1297
01:22:31,446 --> 01:22:33,614
for the kingdom of heaven
is theirs.
1298
01:22:33,615 --> 01:22:39,253
Blessed are the meek, for
they will inherit the earth.
1299
01:22:39,254 --> 01:22:42,724
The Roman Empire provides
a historical context
1300
01:22:42,724 --> 01:22:48,362
for Jesus's words and deeds
1301
01:22:48,363 --> 01:22:51,833
and without taking
that context seriously
1302
01:22:51,833 --> 01:22:56,170
much of what we know or
even think we know about Jesus
1303
01:22:56,171 --> 01:22:57,906
becomes inscrutable.
1304
01:22:57,906 --> 01:23:02,243
Jesus speaks of the rule of God.
1305
01:23:02,243 --> 01:23:05,279
He speaks of relief and hope
1306
01:23:05,280 --> 01:23:09,617
for the poor, the dispossessed,
the disinherited.
1307
01:23:09,617 --> 01:23:13,954
He's speaking to a lot of people
who meet that description
1308
01:23:13,955 --> 01:23:16,123
and he's saying that God
is going to do something
1309
01:23:16,558 --> 01:23:17,859
about their situation;
1310
01:23:17,859 --> 01:23:20,895
that God is doing something
about their situation right now.
1311
01:23:22,630 --> 01:23:26,533
WEAVER:
Jesus's talk about a "kingdom" greater than Rome
1312
01:23:26,534 --> 01:23:29,136
electrified his listeners.
1313
01:23:29,137 --> 01:23:31,305
But his disciples'
astounding claim
1314
01:23:31,306 --> 01:23:34,776
that Jesus was literally
God's son also caused offense
1315
01:23:35,210 --> 01:23:39,113
and his demanding terms
threatened to unravel
1316
01:23:39,114 --> 01:23:42,584
thousands of years
of social tradition.
1317
01:23:42,584 --> 01:23:46,054
JESUS:
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth;
1318
01:23:46,054 --> 01:23:50,391
I have not come to bring peace,
but a sword.
1319
01:23:50,392 --> 01:23:53,428
For I have come to pit
a man against his father
1320
01:23:53,428 --> 01:23:55,596
and a daughter
against her mother.
1321
01:23:57,332 --> 01:24:01,669
WEAVER:
Even the people from his own small village were outraged.
1322
01:24:01,669 --> 01:24:04,271
They drove Jesus out of town.
1323
01:24:04,272 --> 01:24:05,573
They led him to a cliff
1324
01:24:05,573 --> 01:24:10,344
and threatened to hurl Jesus
over the edge.
1325
01:24:10,345 --> 01:24:15,550
He escaped, but his ministry
continued to draw fire.
1326
01:24:15,550 --> 01:24:16,851
WOMAN:
But Jesus would say things
1327
01:24:16,851 --> 01:24:18,586
like to this young man
who came to Jesus
1328
01:24:18,586 --> 01:24:20,321
and said, "I want to follow you
1329
01:24:20,321 --> 01:24:22,489
but first I have to go
and bury my parents"
1330
01:24:22,490 --> 01:24:25,526
and he said,
"Let the dead bury the dead;
1331
01:24:25,527 --> 01:24:26,828
you come and follow me."
1332
01:24:26,828 --> 01:24:29,430
And this was an utterly
provocative thing to say
1333
01:24:29,431 --> 01:24:30,732
in a period where... where...
1334
01:24:30,732 --> 01:24:34,202
where a child's
filial responsibility
1335
01:24:34,202 --> 01:24:37,238
to bury their parents
was utterly fundamental.
1336
01:24:38,973 --> 01:24:41,141
WEAVER:
About the year 33
1337
01:24:41,142 --> 01:24:45,045
Jesus traveled to the
city of Jerusalem for Passover.
1338
01:24:45,046 --> 01:24:48,516
He joined throngs of pilgrims
from around the world--
1339
01:24:48,516 --> 01:24:51,552
pilgrims who arrived
with foreign monies
1340
01:24:51,553 --> 01:24:55,890
seeking animals to sacrifice
at Jerusalem's sacred temple.
1341
01:24:55,890 --> 01:24:58,058
Jesus was appalled.
1342
01:24:58,059 --> 01:25:02,830
Commerce, he believed,
defiled the holy site.
1343
01:25:02,831 --> 01:25:07,602
READER:
"In the temple, he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves
1344
01:25:07,602 --> 01:25:10,204
"and money changers
seated for business.
1345
01:25:10,205 --> 01:25:12,373
"Making a whip from cords
1346
01:25:12,373 --> 01:25:14,108
"he drove them all
out of the temple.
1347
01:25:14,109 --> 01:25:17,145
"He also poured out the coins
of the money changers
1348
01:25:17,145 --> 01:25:19,747
"and overturned their tables.
1349
01:25:19,747 --> 01:25:21,048
"To those selling the doves
1350
01:25:21,049 --> 01:25:23,651
"he said, 'Take these things
out of here!
1351
01:25:23,651 --> 01:25:27,988
Do not make my father's house
a marketplace!'"
1352
01:25:27,989 --> 01:25:31,459
( flock squawking )
1353
01:25:31,459 --> 01:25:34,495
WEAVER:
The outburst enraged religious leaders
1354
01:25:34,496 --> 01:25:37,098
but worse,
it threatened to disrupt
1355
01:25:37,098 --> 01:25:40,568
the precarious political
stability imposed by Rome.
1356
01:25:42,737 --> 01:25:47,508
Jesus was arrested, probably
for political subversion
1357
01:25:47,509 --> 01:25:50,111
and to the Roman governor,
Pontius Pilate
1358
01:25:50,111 --> 01:25:54,448
the sentence was obvious:
crucifixion.
1359
01:25:54,449 --> 01:25:57,051
KING:
I think it's crucial to look at the story of Jesus
1360
01:25:57,051 --> 01:25:58,786
from the Roman point of view.
1361
01:25:58,786 --> 01:26:00,954
What did the crucifixion
of Jesus look like?
1362
01:26:00,955 --> 01:26:04,425
It looked like they had justly,
through just processes
1363
01:26:04,425 --> 01:26:07,461
gotten rid of a rabble-rouser,
a criminal
1364
01:26:07,462 --> 01:26:09,197
and maintained the Roman peace
1365
01:26:09,631 --> 01:26:12,233
maintained stability
and social order.
1366
01:26:12,233 --> 01:26:14,401
But what did the Christians
do with this?
1367
01:26:14,402 --> 01:26:16,570
They... they turned it
on its head
1368
01:26:16,571 --> 01:26:18,739
and they made this criminal--
1369
01:26:18,740 --> 01:26:23,077
who the Romans had justly
and rightly put to death--
1370
01:26:23,077 --> 01:26:26,113
their hero and their god
whom they worshiped.
1371
01:26:26,114 --> 01:26:27,849
The Romans got that.
1372
01:26:27,849 --> 01:26:30,451
The Romans understood political
subversion when they heard it.
1373
01:26:33,488 --> 01:26:36,958
WEAVER:
The decision to execute Jesus would launch a religion
1374
01:26:36,958 --> 01:26:39,994
that would one day
subsume the Roman Empire
1375
01:26:39,994 --> 01:26:43,897
and resonate
for millennia to come.
1376
01:26:43,898 --> 01:26:46,500
But the man who ordered
the crucifixion
1377
01:26:46,501 --> 01:26:48,669
fell quickly from grace.
1378
01:26:48,670 --> 01:26:52,573
Pontius Pilate's mismanagement
soon brought Judea
1379
01:26:52,574 --> 01:26:54,742
to the brink of revolt
1380
01:26:54,742 --> 01:26:59,079
and the Roman governor
was ordered home in disgrace.
1381
01:26:59,080 --> 01:27:02,550
Fate, however, would spare him
imperial censure
1382
01:27:02,984 --> 01:27:08,189
for as Pilate sailed for Rome,
the emperor Tiberius died.
1383
01:27:20,768 --> 01:27:25,539
MAN:
At the baths, there is no way to escape Menogenes.
1384
01:27:25,540 --> 01:27:29,443
If you take some towels, he
will call them whiter than snow
1385
01:27:29,444 --> 01:27:32,914
although they may be dirtier
than a baby's lap.
1386
01:27:32,914 --> 01:27:37,685
As you comb your thin hair, he
will say you look like Achilles.
1387
01:27:37,685 --> 01:27:41,155
He will praise everything,
marvel at everything
1388
01:27:41,155 --> 01:27:46,360
until, worn down by his boring
efforts, you invite him home.
1389
01:27:50,265 --> 01:27:52,000
WEAVER:
The antics of status-conscious Romans
1390
01:27:52,000 --> 01:27:54,602
delighted ancient humorists.
1391
01:27:55,036 --> 01:27:56,771
For in some circles
1392
01:27:56,771 --> 01:28:00,674
wheedling a place at a rich
man's table was a daily dance
1393
01:28:00,675 --> 01:28:04,578
to fail a social disgrace.
1394
01:28:04,579 --> 01:28:07,181
MAN:
My friend swears that he has never dined at home
1395
01:28:07,181 --> 01:28:08,916
and that is so.
1396
01:28:08,916 --> 01:28:11,518
He just doesn't eat
without an invitation.
1397
01:28:14,122 --> 01:28:16,290
WEAVER:
Dinner was an artful affair.
1398
01:28:16,291 --> 01:28:18,459
Upper-class Romans
reclined on couches
1399
01:28:18,459 --> 01:28:21,061
and were served by slaves.
1400
01:28:21,062 --> 01:28:26,700
They enjoyed music, poetry
and endless delicacies.
1401
01:28:26,701 --> 01:28:30,604
But those of more modest means
enjoyed more modest amenities
1402
01:28:30,605 --> 01:28:35,376
as revealed by graffiti
scribbled as comic dialogue
1403
01:28:35,376 --> 01:28:36,677
2,000 years ago.
1404
01:28:36,678 --> 01:28:39,714
MAN 1:
Innkeeper, let's settle my bill!
1405
01:28:39,714 --> 01:28:42,316
MAN 2:
You owe one coin for wine
1406
01:28:42,317 --> 01:28:44,919
one for bread
and two for relish.
1407
01:28:44,919 --> 01:28:45,786
Agreed.
1408
01:28:46,220 --> 01:28:48,388
The girl you had
costs eight coins.
1409
01:28:48,389 --> 01:28:49,690
Yes.
1410
01:28:49,691 --> 01:28:53,161
And the hay
for your mule is two more.
1411
01:28:53,161 --> 01:28:56,631
That wretched mule
will finish me off.
1412
01:28:56,631 --> 01:28:58,799
( fanfare plays )
1413
01:28:59,233 --> 01:29:03,570
WEAVER:
In the year 37, the empire shifted into a lighter mood
1414
01:29:03,571 --> 01:29:10,945
for Caligula, now 25 years old,
had become emperor.
1415
01:29:10,945 --> 01:29:13,113
SUETONIUS:
By assuming command
1416
01:29:13,114 --> 01:29:16,584
Caligula fulfilled the wishes
of the Roman people
1417
01:29:16,584 --> 01:29:20,054
or should I say the whole world.
1418
01:29:21,789 --> 01:29:26,560
WEAVER:
Caligula had suffered mightily from palace intrigue.
1419
01:29:26,561 --> 01:29:30,031
As the lone survivor
of a charismatic father
1420
01:29:30,031 --> 01:29:33,067
as the grown mascot
of Rome's army
1421
01:29:33,067 --> 01:29:37,404
many hoped Caligula
would breathe energy
1422
01:29:37,405 --> 01:29:39,573
into the gloomy city.
1423
01:29:39,574 --> 01:29:43,477
At first, Caligula
lived up to expectations.
1424
01:29:43,478 --> 01:29:47,381
He recalled exiles
and hosted a bonfire
1425
01:29:47,382 --> 01:29:49,117
where he ceremoniously burned
1426
01:29:49,117 --> 01:29:52,587
the records of his predecessor's
treason trials.
1427
01:29:56,491 --> 01:30:01,696
But soon Caligula began to show
disturbing eccentricities.
1428
01:30:01,696 --> 01:30:06,467
Two years into his rule,
Caligula led an army north.
1429
01:30:06,901 --> 01:30:08,202
When he reached the sea
1430
01:30:08,202 --> 01:30:11,238
the emperor prepared
to invade Britain--
1431
01:30:11,239 --> 01:30:14,275
the land that had eluded
Julius Caesar.
1432
01:30:14,275 --> 01:30:16,877
Then, inexplicably
1433
01:30:16,878 --> 01:30:21,649
Caligula ordered the legions
to gather seashells.
1434
01:30:25,119 --> 01:30:29,022
HALLETT:
What is going on when Caligula goes up to the North Sea
1435
01:30:29,023 --> 01:30:31,625
and starts collecting seashells?
1436
01:30:31,626 --> 01:30:34,228
Well, Caligula had been
seriously ill
1437
01:30:34,228 --> 01:30:35,963
the preceding year.
1438
01:30:35,963 --> 01:30:38,999
He may or may not have had
something like encephalitis.
1439
01:30:39,000 --> 01:30:41,168
There's also reason to believe
1440
01:30:41,169 --> 01:30:47,241
that there's some troubled
hereditary strain in this family
1441
01:30:47,241 --> 01:30:50,277
and that Caligula
suffers from...
1442
01:30:50,278 --> 01:30:54,181
we might want to call it
"bipolar" behavior.
1443
01:30:55,483 --> 01:30:57,218
WEAVER:
Tyranny descended on Rome
1444
01:30:57,218 --> 01:31:01,555
as Caligula's quirks
grew into abominations.
1445
01:31:01,556 --> 01:31:04,592
Once, during a sacred ritual
1446
01:31:04,592 --> 01:31:07,194
Caligula was to offer
an animal to the gods.
1447
01:31:07,628 --> 01:31:11,098
But as he raised his mallet
to kill the sacrifice
1448
01:31:11,098 --> 01:31:14,568
a whim brought it down
on the nearby priest.
1449
01:31:14,569 --> 01:31:16,737
The man died instantly.
1450
01:31:18,906 --> 01:31:22,376
Caligula dressed in silken
and bejeweled robes.
1451
01:31:22,376 --> 01:31:26,713
He forced senators to grovel
on the ground and kiss his feet.
1452
01:31:26,714 --> 01:31:30,184
He openly seduced their wives
at dinner parties
1453
01:31:30,184 --> 01:31:36,256
and he discussed the women's
sexual performance over dessert.
1454
01:31:36,257 --> 01:31:40,160
BRADLEY:
There's no doubt that Caligula was strange, grotesque
1455
01:31:40,595 --> 01:31:43,197
and perhaps even really
clinically insane.
1456
01:31:43,197 --> 01:31:47,534
His reign does show the dangers
of hereditary succession
1457
01:31:47,535 --> 01:31:50,137
within the system
that Augustus had founded.
1458
01:31:50,137 --> 01:31:54,040
Military monarchy of
the Augustan kind did work.
1459
01:31:54,475 --> 01:31:56,210
There's no doubt about that.
1460
01:31:56,210 --> 01:32:01,415
But its danger was that if
an hereditary system was used
1461
01:32:01,415 --> 01:32:04,885
you could never guarantee
that the ruler of the day
1462
01:32:04,886 --> 01:32:06,621
was going to be
an effective ruler.
1463
01:32:06,621 --> 01:32:08,789
And certainly with Caligula
1464
01:32:09,223 --> 01:32:12,693
we find one emperor
who was an absolute disaster.
1465
01:32:14,428 --> 01:32:17,898
WEAVER:
The disastrous Caligula brought Rome's elite to its knees
1466
01:32:17,899 --> 01:32:22,236
and other Roman subjects
to the brink of despair.
1467
01:32:24,405 --> 01:32:27,441
MAN:
In Rome, on the far side of the Tiber
1468
01:32:27,441 --> 01:32:30,043
there was a large
Jewish neighborhood.
1469
01:32:33,948 --> 01:32:36,984
WEAVER:
The Jewish scholar Philo
1470
01:32:36,984 --> 01:32:40,887
belonged to one of the empire's
many religious minorities.
1471
01:32:40,888 --> 01:32:43,490
Most of the groups,
most of the time
1472
01:32:43,491 --> 01:32:46,093
had long enjoyed
remarkable freedom.
1473
01:32:46,093 --> 01:32:49,563
The Jews were just one example.
1474
01:32:52,600 --> 01:32:54,335
PHILO ( dramatized ):
Most were Romans.
1475
01:32:54,335 --> 01:32:56,937
They were brought into Italy
as prisoners of war
1476
01:32:56,938 --> 01:32:59,540
and had been freed
by their masters.
1477
01:32:59,540 --> 01:33:01,275
But they were not forced
to betray
1478
01:33:01,275 --> 01:33:03,010
the customs
of their forefathers.
1479
01:33:03,010 --> 01:33:06,046
And when Augustus distributed
money and grain
1480
01:33:06,047 --> 01:33:09,517
the Jews received
as much as everyone else.
1481
01:33:12,553 --> 01:33:14,721
WEAVER:
But Caligula was not Augustus
1482
01:33:14,722 --> 01:33:19,927
and in the year 39, in Philo's
city of Alexandria, Egypt
1483
01:33:19,927 --> 01:33:22,095
all tolerance broke down.
1484
01:33:22,096 --> 01:33:26,433
Non-Jews put statues of human
gods in the city's synagogues.
1485
01:33:26,434 --> 01:33:31,205
When affronted Jews tore them
out, violence erupted.
1486
01:33:31,205 --> 01:33:34,675
( mob shouting )
1487
01:33:36,844 --> 01:33:38,579
PHILO:
The mongrel crowd attacked us
1488
01:33:38,579 --> 01:33:41,615
and ran through our houses,
turning out the inhabitants.
1489
01:33:41,616 --> 01:33:44,652
Huge mobs of men destroyed
the meetinghouses
1490
01:33:44,652 --> 01:33:48,989
setting many fires in
their manic, senseless rage.
1491
01:33:53,327 --> 01:33:55,495
They drove men, women
and children like cattle
1492
01:33:55,496 --> 01:33:58,966
into small pens, leaving them
to starve and suffocate.
1493
01:33:58,966 --> 01:34:01,134
And others, while still living
1494
01:34:01,135 --> 01:34:03,303
they bound with straps
around their ankles
1495
01:34:03,304 --> 01:34:05,039
and dragged them
through the market
1496
01:34:05,039 --> 01:34:08,509
leaping on them
and defiling their corpses.
1497
01:34:11,112 --> 01:34:15,883
WEAVER:
It was a gruesome tragedy, and it came at an unfortunate time.
1498
01:34:15,883 --> 01:34:19,786
For emperors alone
could mediate such disasters
1499
01:34:19,787 --> 01:34:22,823
and the emperor Caligula
was past caring.
1500
01:34:24,992 --> 01:34:28,895
Philo and some fellow Jews
set out to seek an audience.
1501
01:34:28,896 --> 01:34:32,799
They traveled all the way
from northern Egypt to Rome.
1502
01:34:32,800 --> 01:34:35,402
But when they entered
Caligula's presence
1503
01:34:35,403 --> 01:34:37,571
they knew their mission
was doomed.
1504
01:34:38,873 --> 01:34:40,608
PHILO:
When we were brought before him
1505
01:34:40,608 --> 01:34:44,511
we bowed to the ground out of
humility and offered our hands
1506
01:34:44,512 --> 01:34:47,548
calling him
the Most Holy Emperor.
1507
01:34:47,548 --> 01:34:50,150
Growling and snarling,
he responded
1508
01:34:50,151 --> 01:34:53,621
"Are you those god haters?"
1509
01:34:53,621 --> 01:34:57,958
WEAVER:
The emperor was inspecting a villa under renovation.
1510
01:34:57,958 --> 01:35:00,560
As he flitted
from garden to building
1511
01:35:00,561 --> 01:35:03,597
the Jewish envoys
strained to keep pace.
1512
01:35:05,332 --> 01:35:10,103
PHILO:
We followed close behind, up and down, mocked by our enemies.
1513
01:35:10,104 --> 01:35:12,272
When he had given some orders
about the building
1514
01:35:12,273 --> 01:35:16,176
he asked us
this solemn question:
1515
01:35:16,177 --> 01:35:18,779
"Why don't you eat pork?"
1516
01:35:18,779 --> 01:35:21,381
Our adversaries burst
into laughter.
1517
01:35:21,382 --> 01:35:22,683
We began to speak
1518
01:35:22,683 --> 01:35:26,153
but with our arguments
so abused and ground to dust
1519
01:35:26,153 --> 01:35:30,490
we stopped trying and looked
forward to nothing but death.
1520
01:35:32,660 --> 01:35:35,696
WEAVER:
Philo and his companions were not killed
1521
01:35:35,696 --> 01:35:37,431
but neither
were they successful.
1522
01:35:37,431 --> 01:35:41,334
As the men consoled each other
back in their lodgings
1523
01:35:41,335 --> 01:35:44,371
they were staggered
by yet another blow.
1524
01:35:44,371 --> 01:35:48,274
Word came that Caligula
had ordered a statue carved
1525
01:35:48,275 --> 01:35:50,443
showing himself as a god
1526
01:35:50,444 --> 01:35:54,347
and planned to erect it
in the temple of Jerusalem
1527
01:35:54,348 --> 01:35:58,685
the holiest place
for Jews worldwide.
1528
01:35:59,120 --> 01:36:01,288
It was the ultimate sacrilege
1529
01:36:01,288 --> 01:36:05,191
and sure to cause
new eruptions of violence.
1530
01:36:06,494 --> 01:36:09,530
PHILO:
Those living in and around the holy city
1531
01:36:09,530 --> 01:36:13,000
as if answering a single sign,
left their homes
1532
01:36:13,000 --> 01:36:16,470
and rushed as one to the camp
of the Roman governor.
1533
01:36:18,205 --> 01:36:22,108
WEAVER:
Philo says that the elders swore to die on the spot
1534
01:36:22,109 --> 01:36:24,711
rather than see
their temple defiled.
1535
01:36:24,712 --> 01:36:27,748
But their sacrifice
proved unnecessary.
1536
01:36:27,748 --> 01:36:31,651
For the Jews were not the
only ones Caligula had pushed
1537
01:36:31,652 --> 01:36:33,387
beyond endurance.
1538
01:36:33,387 --> 01:36:37,724
Back in Rome, soon after
their petition arrived
1539
01:36:37,725 --> 01:36:40,327
the emperor paid
for his misdeeds.
1540
01:36:40,761 --> 01:36:45,098
Caligula was murdered,
killed by his closest aides.
1541
01:36:56,377 --> 01:37:00,280
MAN:
I, an honorably discharged veteran, have made a will.
1542
01:37:00,281 --> 01:37:04,618
I order that my two slave women
over 30 years of age
1543
01:37:04,618 --> 01:37:06,353
become free.
1544
01:37:08,956 --> 01:37:12,426
WOMAN:
Here rests a free handmaiden.
1545
01:37:12,426 --> 01:37:15,896
This monument testifies
to the harmony she shared
1546
01:37:15,896 --> 01:37:18,064
with her mistress and spouse.
1547
01:37:18,065 --> 01:37:21,535
Good wishes and good-bye.
1548
01:37:25,873 --> 01:37:29,776
WEAVER:
Slavery was an abusive and degrading institution
1549
01:37:29,777 --> 01:37:33,247
and it had a long history
in the ancient world.
1550
01:37:33,247 --> 01:37:37,584
But in Rome, slavery had a
remarkable feature, manumission.
1551
01:37:37,585 --> 01:37:42,790
Roman owners freed their slaves
in considerable numbers.
1552
01:37:42,790 --> 01:37:47,561
Former slaves could work as
craftsmen, midwives, merchants.
1553
01:37:47,561 --> 01:37:49,729
Sometimes they achieved wealth.
1554
01:37:49,730 --> 01:37:52,332
But in Rome's
status-conscious world
1555
01:37:52,333 --> 01:37:56,236
even successful freedmen
found the stigma of slavery
1556
01:37:56,237 --> 01:37:57,972
hard to erase.
1557
01:38:00,140 --> 01:38:03,176
MAN:
We approached the house.
1558
01:38:03,177 --> 01:38:05,345
At the entrance
stood a doorkeeper
1559
01:38:05,346 --> 01:38:07,514
shelling peas
into a silver bowl.
1560
01:38:07,514 --> 01:38:12,285
Over the door, a magpie squawked
a greeting to guests
1561
01:38:12,286 --> 01:38:14,888
from his golden cage.
1562
01:38:14,889 --> 01:38:20,527
WEAVER:
The Roman nobleman Petronius had a sharp eye for satire.
1563
01:38:20,527 --> 01:38:22,695
In his novel, the Satyricon