Name: Traveling the Roman Empire
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2023-02-15
Rating: 5.0

Overview

Traveling the Roman Empire is a matchless grand tour covering an astonishing range of landscapes, cultures, and history. Even if you have explored many of these places before, Darius will give you fresh insights and a new appreciation for the remarkable achievements of a single-minded city on the Tiber that had the vision, discipline, and institutions to conquer the known world and make it prosper.

Seasons

Season 1

8 Episodes

2023

E01

Rome: Heart of an Empire

2/15/2023

Begin the series on the outskirts of Rome, taking the Via Appia into the city. View the impressive tombs and aqueducts that line the road, testifying to the importance of the ancient capital. Within, visit major sites that include the extensive ruins of different forum spaces and temples. Also, explore subterranean Rome, and sample the market and café scene, as lively today as two millennia ago.

E02

Spain: Augustus’s Golden Province

2/15/2023

Riding an Iberian horse, Darius opens his tour of Spain, one of Rome’s richest provinces. Rome benefitted from the region’s mineral and agricultural wealth. The grand Roman structures still standing include the massive arched bridge and theater complex at Mérida. Also, visit Roman monuments in Segovia, including its renowned aqueduct, and descend into an ancient gypsum mine.

E03

Spain: From Imperial Apex to Arab Kingdom

2/15/2023

Focus on Spain as the birthplace of powerful Roman emperors, including Trajan and Hadrian. Survey the imperial grandeur that still survives from their reigns, notably in the ruined city of Italica and the thriving urban centers of Cordoba and Seville. Trace the influences of the Islamic culture that ruled Spain for seven centuries after the Romans. Also, go olive oil tasting!

E04

Morocco: Traces of Rome in North Africa

2/15/2023

Rome once ruled North Africa, cementing its control over the entire Mediterranean basin. Investigate Morocco, where Roman influences mixed with the indigenous Berbers to produce a unique culture. Visit the ruins of Volubilis, an ancient international hub, called the most beautiful Roman

E05

Jordan: Rome’s Eastern Frontier

2/15/2023

Explore the original Philadelphia, the ancient name for present-day Amman, Jordan, which came under Roman rule in the 1st century BC. Then, visit nearby Jerash, lauded as the “Pompeii of the East” for its remarkable state of preservation. Tour a Roman desert fort, a Crusader-era castle, and finish in the otherworldly landscape of Wadi Rum, the spectacular location for Dune and other movies.

E06

Petra: Rome and the Rose City

2/15/2023

Visit the star of Rome’s Middle Eastern domain, Petra in modern Jordan, known as the Rose City for its construction in rose-red local stone. Settled by Nabataean Bedouins, the city grew rich from the caravan trade, leading to the building of impressive temples, tombs, and other structures, many of which survive due to the arid climate and the abandonment of the site for many centuries.

E07

Croatia: A Kingdom of Salt and Sea

2/15/2023

The Dalmatian Coast was strategically vital to Rome, which conquered it starting in the 2nd century BC. Investigate the Roman legacy, including ancient Salona and Ragusa. Near Salona is Diocletian’s Palace, a sprawling fortress built by the Dalmatia-born Emperor Diocletian around 300 CE. Also, probe the historic maritime economy of the region, which still flourishes.

E08

Serbia: Crucible of Warriors

2/22/2023

Continue your exploration of the Roman Balkans, heading inland to modern Serbia, which was repeatedly threatened by hostile kingdoms in antiquity. The Danube River plays a prominent role here, as do a litany of Roman emperors and their public and private works in three ancient cities. As Darius shows throughout the series, ancient Rome lives on through its enduring monuments and culture.