Rome: Engineering an Empire

Conquest, Lust, Murder., Revenge, and the power of unrivalled technology, these are the cornerstones in the foundation of the Roman Empire. For more than 500 years, Rome was the most powerful and advanced civilization the world had ever known, ruled by visionaries and tyrants whose accomplishments ranged from awe-inspiring to deplorable.

One characteristic linked them all ambition and the thirst for power that all Roman emperors shared fueled an unprecedented mastery of engineering and labour.

The Romans built magnificent palaces and colossal stadiums that dwarfed anything built previously. They left an imprint on technology that looms large over all that we create, and their advancements in engineering–arches, barrel vaults, domed ceilings, water distribution systems–still influence modern construction.

This documentary chronicles the spectacular and sordid history of the Roman Empire from the rise of Julius Caeser in 55 BC to its eventual fall around 537 AD, detailing the remarkable engineering feats that set Rome apart from the rest of the ancient world.

This documentary features extensive state-of-the-art CGI animation. The insights of engineers, archaeologists and historians from around the globe add rare depth to segments on Hadrian’s Wall, Caesar’s Bridge, the aqueducts, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Baths of Caracalla and more.

We’ll go inside the remains of Emperor Nero’s lavish Golden Palace for a rare look at how one of Rome’s most notorious megalomaniacs lived.

The documentary also features exclusive never-before-seen footage shot on a diving expedition in the water channels underneath the Colosseum channels once used to flood the arena for bloody mock naval battles.