Half a century before the dawn of Christianity, Rome has become the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people - epicenter of a sprawling empire. Founded on principles of shared power and fierce personal competition, the Republic was created to prevent any one man from seizing absolute control. It is a society where soldiers can rise up from provincial commoners to become national heroes, even leaders of the Republic.
But as the ruling class became extravagantly wealthy, the foundations have crumbled, eaten away by corruption and excess, and the old values of Spartan discipline and social unity have given way to a great chasm between the classes.
A richly layered look at history and the building of an empire, 'Rome' sets the stage for modern politics - infighting, corruption, party lines and the struggle to define collective values. "Human nature never changes," says co-creator Bruno Heller. "We see the same problems today - crime, unemployment, disease, and the struggle for social mobility and the pressure to preserve your place in a precarious society."
An intimate drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, and husbands and wives, 'Rome' chronicles the epic times that saw the fall of a Republic and the creation of an empire.
Rome is a Drama programme that first aired in 2007 and has been classified a 18 certificate.
