Rome: Power & Glory
(Top Posts - History - 012801)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JYWU/

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Absorbing and detailed 6-part DVD, 312 minutes
in length.

Additional features of this DVD include

o A Timeline.

o Virtual Reconstructions and descriptions of the
Forum, Baths, Circus Maximus, Colosseum, public
buildings, and the House of the Vestal Virgins.

o Textual summary of The Twelve Caesars,
Suetonius (69-140 A.D.), chronicling the exploits
of Julius Caesar and the first 11 Roman emperors.

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Comments follow:

Fascinating overview of the Roman origins, Republic,
Empire, Emperors, subjects, slaves, conquests, and
the conquered.

It skips over most of the conquests in the east,
with the exception of Judea and the failed campaign
against the Parthians. Many of the additions/segments
with historians are of interest, some are distracting
and seem out of place.

The Greek influence on the Romans? Check
elsewhere for details as that's given scant mention
via this DVD.

It uses a lot of old movie footage to depict wars,
slavery, gladiators, etc., although there are
original scenes with production value and quite
a lot of modern day footage of the areas/topics
covered.

Unfortunately, some of the footage is used
several times for different aspects of history,
but only someone (like me) who focuses on
detail would be bothered by that technique.

The strengths of the show? The narration by
Peter Coyote and the exhaustive coverage of
some little-known or little-mentioned aspects
of Roman history, such as

o the nuances involved in the spread of chris-
tianity which were in no small part a result of
Roman subjugation of conquered territories
combined with increasing proclivities towards
enslaving/impoverishing said territories,

o Rome's persistent focus on shifting resources
to the very top of the empire with steadily
degrading adversity for the vast majority of its
subjects, over time,

o the causality/impetus behind the endorsement/
official establishment of christianity by Roman
emperor Constantine.

Unfortunately, it gives scant mention to details
on paganism, sun worship, the mystic cults,
and other religions, for the most part.

Parts of the show could be used by christian
churches to promote christianity (and appear
to have been constructed with a christian
audience in mind). On the other hand, other
parts (especially the details on pre- and post-
Constantinian advocacy of christianity)
would likely discomfort a christian audience ...

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Excerpts (focus on causality of the establish-
ment/origins of christianity in the 3rd & 4th
centuries):

...

Narrator: "From the beginning, Rome had built
its empire by conquest and force of arms. In
the early days of empire there had been real
benefits to being defeated by Rome: citizenship,
civil rights, trade, and prosperity.

But by the 3rd century A.D., those benefits were
evaporating: citizenship was giving way to slavery,
peace and prosperity replaced by shameless
exploitation. ... Rome was sitting on a powder
keg of poverty and resentment."

...

Narrator: "By the middle of the 3rd century, there
were an estimated 5 million christians in the empire."

...

Narrator: "For centuries, Rome's power and
confidence had been unshakable. She had basked
in the achievements of her empire, convinced of
the glory of her rule. But a cult from Judea
confronted Rome's arrogance, challenged her
inequality, and exposed her brutality.

Rome, once a symbol of order and control, was
crumbling into chaos and confusion."

...

Narrator: "In 284 A.D. Diocletian was crowned
emperor. He had risen through the ranks of the army
to seize power in Rome. As befitted a military man,
his vision for the future was brutal and bold.

Diocletian felt the key to unity lay in division. He
split the Roman world in two and agreed to share
power with 3 other generals. ...

In a desperate bid for respect, Diocletian declared
himself the son of Jupiter. ... Now, even members
of the imperial court were secretly converting to
christianity."

Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill,
Director, British School at Rome: "Diocletian
has said that the unity of the empire is not just
a military matter but it's a religious matter and
if we can stamp out christianity, then we will
all be worshipping the same gods, so we'll all
be the same empire.

And when that gamble fails to come off, you
fail to stamp out christianity, the martyrs produce
more christians."

Narrator: "On February 24th, 303 A.D., Diocle-
tian initiated the most sweeping persecution the
christian church has ever faced. Churches were
burned, scriptures destroyed. Christians, sent
to work in state mines, were imprisoned and
tortured for their beliefs.

If they still refused to sacrifice to Rome's gods,
they were publicly tortured. Rome, once a proud
culture of tolerance, had become a repressive
cult of order."

Dr. Christopher Kelly, Ancient Historian,
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge: "What
we see in Diocletian's persecution of the
christians, are the only two Mediterranean-wide
organizations, the Roman state and the christian
church, battling it out for supremacy."

Narrator: "In 305 A.D., Diocletian retired to his
summer palace, confident that Rome had won.
He was wrong."

'In the blood of the martyrs, lie the seeds of the
church.' - Tertullian

...

Narrator: "On October 26th, 312 A.D., rival
Roman armies massed outside the city, waiting
to do battle. At the head of one, was a young
commander named Constantine. He knew the
next day a river of Roman blood would flow. ...

Constantine looked up into the sky. He saw
a cross of light that seem to burn itself into
the heavens and above it, the words

'IN HOC SIGNO VINCES'
(by this sign you will conquer).

He had crosses painted on the shields of his
troops.

The next day, at the battle of the Milvian bridge,
he smashed the armies of his rival, Maxentius.
No sooner was Constantine installed as emperor,
than he repealed many of Diocletian's reforms,
including his ban on christianity.

But he went even further, declaring himself a
christian. Romans were stunned. Most thought
christianity was just another weird eastern sect.
Suddenly, their new emperor had declared
himself a cult member. They thought they had
another lunatic on their hands. They didn't.

Constantine cleverly saw how christianity
could unify an empire coming apart at the
seams. Unlike Rome's pagan religion, it
preached discipline, obedience, and only
one god."

...

Dr. Christopher Kelly, Ancient Historian,
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge: "The
pagans were a little more doubtful about
Constantine's piety.

One pagan story said that Constantine
converted to christianity because, having
murdered his son, and had his wife suffo-
cated in a hot steam bath, he was desper-
ately in search of a religion that would give
him forgiveness, and christianity was the
only religion that would do that, Constantine
having been flatly refused forgiveness by
a number of pagan priests."

Narrator: "Before he died, he had 13 coffins
placed in his sepulchre, 12 for the 12 apostles,
1 for himself, as if Constantine was the 13th
apostle of Christ, the one who finally brought
his kingdom to earth.

It may have seemed like god's kingdom was
coming to earth, but not for long.

Christianity's growth from a small persecuted
sect to the dominant religion of empire was
a violent and bloody one. Even before Con-
stantine died, fine points of christian doctrine
about the holy trinity were generating furious
debate and before long, bloodshed.

In 366, a conference of bishops left 137
corpses on the floor of a Roman basilica."

Professor Keith Hopkins, Ancient Historian,
King's College, Cambridge: "The 4th century
was marked by bitter divisions of belief
between bishops, and they fought with
every weapon they could. They used state
forces to expel some people from the
church.

What's remarkable about christianity is the
degree to which christian leaders thought
that their religion could encompass only
a single orthodoxy."

'The very persons who ought to display
brotherly love are violently estranged from
one another. It's disgraceful, positively
sickening.' -Bishop Chrestus

Narrator: "By the end of the century, there
were over 60 official decrees outlawing
different heretical beliefs.

Before long, there were attempts to ban
all non-christians from public office.

Synagogues were burnt.

Pagans observed the growth of christianity
with alarm. Their Rome had been ruthless
in punishing people's actions, but unconcerned
about their beliefs. That sort of tolerance was
now a thing of the past."

'Even wild beasts are not as ferocious as
these christians in their hatred of one
another.' -Amianus

...

Narrator: "With Rome's passing, the west's long
love affair with its memory began.

Paradoxically, it was the christian church that faith-
fully kept the language and culture of its former
persecutor alive."

Dr. Christopher Kelly, Ancient Historian,
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge: "Simply walk
into any church. In its architecture and design, you
have just walked into a Roman imperial palace.

Sit down in that church and perhaps listen to the
church service, listen to the liturgy, listen to the
hymns. You are listening to Roman imperial court
ceremonial.

The structure of the buildings of the christian
church, its liturgy, its choirs, its priests, its bishops,
are taken, are imitative of Roman imperial court
ceremonial."

...