I, Caesar – The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire

1997 - 1997

Julius Ceasar: I Am Not King but Caesar

Episode 1

Julius Caesar turned military victories into political power. His ambition created a colossal empire, and he gave his name to the rulers who succeeded him. He has been a symbol of power and majesty for 2,000 years. But to his countryman, Caesar was an upstart, a gambler and a tyrant who destroyed the Roman Republic and paved the way for the rule of emperors. From his strategic brilliance to the Ides of March, I, Caesar examines the legendary ruler whose genius and determination forged an empire that would stand for centuries.

Augustus: First of the Emperors

10th March 1997

Episode 2

Julius Caesar’s military brilliance forged a new Rome, but it was Augustus’ political genius that made it an empire for the ages. Despite being Caesar’s nephew and adopted heir, Augustus struggled for thirteen years to consolidate power. Finally declared emperor by the Senate, he oversaw a period of growth and prosperity marked by extraordinary artistic achievement and rapid expansion of the empire. I, Caesar chronicles the life and rule of the first true Roman emperor, who boasted that he “found Rome brick and left it marble.”

Nero: The Power and the Madness

17th March 1997

Episode 3

He was seventeen when he took the throne, and during his capricious, fourteen-year rule, Nero almost brought the Empire to ruin. He was unable to quell rebellions in Britain and Judea. He had many political enemies killed, including his mother and sister. When a fire – which some claim he set – destroyed most of Rome, he blamed the Christians and persecuted the then-tiny sect. eventually, the army rose up against him, the Senate declared him a public enemy and he committed suicide in disgrace. I, Caesar explores the tumultuous rule of Nero – the most infamous of all the emperors.

Hadrian: Within These Walls

24th March 1997

Episode 4

He overturned centuries-old policies, declaring an end to expansions and abandoning far-flung territories. Hadrian was an enthusiastic patron of the arts, a champion of the common Roman and a tireless diplomat who toured the entire Empire. But this “Golden Age” was not free from conflict – ancient accounts suggest that over half a million Jews were killed when Hadrian sent the army to quell an insurrection in Judea. From Hadrian’s Wall in northern England to the Pantheon in Rome, I, Caesar visits the most famous artefacts of the Roman Empire on the trail of Hadrian.

Constantine: Bearing the Cross

31st March 1997

Episode 5

Constantine revitalized a fading empire and built a glittering new capital that would stand for over 1,000 years. But his strongest legacy is religious; his conversion to Christianity put an end to hundreds of years of persecution and laid the foundations for Medieval Europe. His revolutionary policies – including re-organizing military and civil authority – place Constantine alongside Julius Caesar and Hadrian as among the most important emperors in the history of Rome. I, Caesar explores the rule of Constantine the Great, whose vision re-awakened an empire, and whose conversion changed history.

Justinian: Last of the Romans

Episode 6

Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus or Justinian I was one of the main rulers of the Byzantine Empire, stands out especially for his reform and compilation of laws and for the military expansion of the imperial territory that took place under his reign, he is also known as "The last Roman emperor ". The Orthodox Church venerates him as a saint on November 14. His reign would have a great impact on world history.

Top Cast

Brian Cox•Averil Cameron•Peter Connolly

Director

Phil Grabsky

Detailing the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, I, Caesar takes a fascinating look at the public and private lives of six key men who ruled ancient Rome: Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero, Hadrian, Constantine and Justinian. Their careers were made up of bloody battles and tactical bribery, stunning innovation and profound corruption, dazzling rhetoric and vicious back-stabbing – and together they form a picture of the most sophisticated highs and most brutal lows of the Roman Empire’s inception, heyday and decline. Stretching at its peak, from the north of England to southern Egypt and from the west coast of Spain to Syria in the east, the Roman Empire included within its boundaries myriad people, cultures and climates.

Watch Providers 🇬🇧

Currently no watch providers

Production Companies

+1 more

Full Cast

Brian Cox Image

Brian Cox

Narrator

Averil Cameron

Self

Peter Connolly

Self

Miriam Griffin

Self

Keith Hopkins

Self

Christopher Kelly

Self

David Shotter

Self

Andrew Wallace-Hadrill

Self

Michael Whitby

Self

Full Crew

Phil Grabsky

Director

showData