"Roman Empire" Born in the Purple

{1}{1}23.976 {26}{176}Best Flights , Hotels and Food Accounts|https://fland.atshop.io/ {379}{474}www.NapiProjekt.pl - nowa jakoœæ napisów.|Napisy zosta³y specjalnie dopasowane do Twojej wersji filmu. {475}{509}For over a century, {518}{611}the Roman Coliseum has hosted|the most grueling and bloody games {613}{638}in human history, {652}{729}fought and won|by the Roman gladiator. {769}{833} {1494}{1541}At the end of|the second century, {1565}{1643}the Roman people|witness a game like no other. {1753}{1801}For the first time in history, {1803}{1888}a Roman Emperor|will fight to the death. {1998}{2074}All hail Commodus, {2076}{2139}Emperor of Rome! {2555}{2618} {3890}{3917} {4004}{4049} {4241}{4326}Commodus's reign|will mark the beginning of the fall... {4328}{4389}of the greatest civilization on Earth. {4428}{4504}But his story begins|more than a decade earlier. {4651}{4718} {6828}{6877}By the end of the second century, {6912}{7058}There's no civilization as massive|or as powerful as the Roman Empire. {7070}{7188}Almost one in five people on Earth|lives within the Empire's boundaries... {7345}{7437}and is under rule of one of|the most powerful men on the planet, {7496}{7571}the Roman Emperor|Marcus Aurelius. {7785}{7823}For more than a decade, {7825}{7914}Aurelius has waged war|to defend the Empire's reach. {8055}{8146}And he reigns over a territory|that spans thousands of miles. {8158}{8214}From Western Europe|and the Middle East, {8219}{8324}through parts of Africa|and the entire Mediterranean. {8468}{8500}Marcus Aurelius was {8502}{8576}considered really one of|the most successful Emperors. {8578}{8671}He was not just Emperor,|but he was a distinguished philosopher. {8690}{8742}He was a student of Epictetus, {8744}{8791}who was the leading|Stoic philosopher of the day, {8793}{8882}and he was a gifted philosophical writer|in his own right. {8884}{8931}His meditations are still read today. {9106}{9146}Over the last century, {9148}{9212}Rome has been built into|one of the most advanced cities {9214}{9250}in the ancient world. {9279}{9323}And, under Aurelius's reign, {9331}{9375}it's given rise to a modern era. {9440}{9495}The Roman Empire|in the second century {9505}{9594}was a formidable global superpower. {9611}{9692}They had the most proficient|military forces. {9702}{9796}They ruled|the most civilized array of people. {9808}{9906}There was anything that you wanted|by Roman standards, {9909}{9950}you could find in their empire. {9953}{10014}And what kept this empire together {10017}{10143}was an incredibly efficient|array of infrastructure. {10190}{10256}Ancient Rome during|this time period was the greatest empire {10259}{10306}that the world had ever known. {10320}{10465}It was responsible for|enormous advances in technology {10468}{10604}such as the system of Roman roads|or the aqueducts that supplied water. {10623}{10716}The city of Rome itself|had reached one million people. {10719}{10748}So it was the first {10762}{10833}large-scale urban metropolis. {10876}{10955}Marcus Aurelius|rules over 50 million people {10958}{11015}within the boundaries|of the Roman Empire. {11169}{11224}And no one lives|better than his son... {11249}{11278}Commodus. {11442}{11544}The problem that was|ushered in by Marcus Aurelius {11548}{11629}when instead of doing|what his predecessors had done, {11632}{11719}and adopting a person|who was qualified {11722}{11809}by temperament, and upbringing,|and training to serve as Emperor, {11812}{11889}instead wanted|his son to succeed him. {11937}{11998}Commodus was the first Roman Emperor {12001}{12086}who was ever born to a sitting emperor. {12131}{12170}Growing up|the son of an emperor, {12173}{12304}as someone who was|raised from birth to succeed his father, {12307}{12412}we have to imagine|that Commodus's ego had no place to go. {12415}{12472}Knowing that he would|have this role, {12475}{12547}that this had planted some seed|in his mind {12550}{12606}that he was,|in some sense, extraordinary. {13347}{13367}Commodus. {13385}{13412} {13415}{13435}Go. {13515}{13540}Good morning, mother. {13560}{13580}Now. {13729}{13767}Do you know what time it is? {13798}{13818}Early. {13861}{13896}I'm sending you to Germania. {13899}{13939}What? Why? {13975}{14037}Because all you do here|is drink and play with whores. {14051}{14088}But there's a war. {14129}{14165}It'll teach you discipline. {14229}{14262}I'm not going anywhere. {14265}{14303}It's already been decided. {14336}{14371}Your father's expecting you. {14559}{14659}When you think about Commodus,|who had more, personally, {14662}{14776}and more, historically, going for him|than any other human being {14786}{14839}previous in the history|of human existence... {14862}{14992}I mean, in fact, no Roman Emperor|for 80 years had had a son. {15017}{15077}However, one would be very,|very hard pressed to find {15091}{15136}a less intellectually, {15139}{15187}less energetic, less motivated {15190}{15279}person with that type of responsibility|in the whole of human history. {15362}{15430} {15924}{15954}Against his will, {15956}{16011}Commodus has been|called to Germania. {16022}{16122}Ordered to train under his father|to become the next Emperor. {16213}{16256}Hundreds of miles from Rome, {16268}{16314}along the borders of the Empire, {16328}{16420}massive armies of Germanic tribes|are invading Roman territory. {16448}{16528}And the Roman military|has been called to the front lines. {16785}{16869}With one of the strongest ground|and naval forces in the world, {16894}{17011}the Roman military is made up of hundreds|of thousands of highly trained soldiers, {17024}{17078}equipped with the latest weaponry, {17091}{17155}and prepared to defend|the Empire's borders... {17157}{17191}at all costs. {17240}{17309}There was|the problem of Rome's neighbors. {17311}{17359}Both to the east, and to the north. {17371}{17401}The Parthians to the east {17403}{17468}and Germanic tribes to the north,|which were a threat. {17532}{17582}Romans had been fighting Germans, {17619}{17670}at this point, for 250 years. {17730}{17785}And the border {17787}{17839}on the Danube|had always been a problem. {17841}{17893}And, in fact, as it turns out,|always would be a problem. {18015}{18039}The Roman army {18041}{18132}was the most formidable|fighting machine {18134}{18206}that the ancient world had seen. {18244}{18308}The basis for their success {18325}{18405}was less their capacity for killing, {18452}{18501}and more their capacity|for entrenchment. {18503}{18576}It was a capacity|for digging fortresses, {18617}{18749}for fashioning all the infrastructure|of a frontier force {18760}{18843}that served to ensure|that the Roman frontiers {18845}{18911}were essentially guarded|and held secure. {19651}{19693}Oh, Saoterus, that's disgusting. {19703}{19767}I hope you learned your lesson.|You'll never outdrink me, my friend. {19769}{19790}Never again. {19792}{19823} {19932}{19962}Tell my father I'm here. {20012}{20052}Let's hope we're not|stuck here for too long. {20581}{20602}Come with me. {20764}{20798}Marcus Aurelius and Commodus {20800}{20868}have come down in history as very,|very different individuals. {20898}{20961}After all, he was also|a leading general of his time {20963}{21033}and led many wars|along the Danube frontier. {21047}{21126}Commodus probably was|as irresponsible as people say. {21128}{21232}That said, Marcus Aurelius does not appear|to have shown any hesitation {21234}{21291}in promoting Commodus|from a very young age. {21305}{21373} {21799}{21821}Where is he? {21881}{21905} {22437}{22457}What? {23307}{23338}I promised your mother {23354}{23416}I'd try and do my best|to make a man of you. {23430}{23497}I never break my word. Ever. {23533}{23562}It begins now. {23610}{23655}You want me to train|like some common soldier? {24136}{24166} {24405}{24430}Again... {25142}{25170}Again... {25480}{25503}Again... {25988}{26105}I'm going to show you what happens|when you don't know how to handle a sword. {26398}{26439}One of the great debates, {26442}{26507}not just among|Roman historians of today, {26510}{26579}but even of the time,|was why Commodus? {26589}{26641}Why did Marcus Aurelius|choose Commodus? {26661}{26757}Why, despite the fact|that everybody seemed to see {26760}{26866}that he was not up to this task,|why was there still the insistence {26869}{26961}that Commodus|was going to be the next Emperor? {26990}{27052}Perhaps we can|chalk it up to naïveté {27055}{27120}or a kind of generic|just love for his son, {27123}{27173}blinding him to the realities {27176}{27219}that his son|was not up to the task. {27222}{27289}And his son was|not ready for this position. {27833}{27952}The means through which Commodus|was groomed and trained to become Emperor {27955}{28020}were unparalleled in Roman history. {28033}{28117}He had high hopes|for his son during this period. {28152}{28255}What Marcus Aurelius imagined|for his child and what his child became {28283}{28335}were two very different things. {28452}{28501}As Commodus trains, {28504}{28595}the Germanic tribes|begin to push through Roman defenses, {28660}{28751}banding together and launching|a massive assault on the Roman army. {28772}{28865}The great Roman nightmare|was of Northern Barbarians {28868}{28928}sweeping southwards|and conquering Rome. {29026}{29102}In the reign of Marcus Aurelius,|there was a disturbance. {29112}{29185}He knew that he had no choice|but to confront that. {29188}{29262}And as it turned out,|the wars that Marcus Aurelius fought {29265}{29316}against the German people were {29335}{29460}as strenuous and challenging|as any Barbarian enemy {29463}{29514}that the Roman people had faced. {29569}{29596}Lasting years... {29626}{29672}it's a devastating war. {29694}{29756}Killing thousands|of men on both sides. {30049}{30117}The war also takes its toll|on the Emperor... {30131}{30169}who soon falls ill. {30213}{30263}Marcus Aurelius spent most of his life {30266}{30368}dealing with, fighting,|trying to resist, coping with {30371}{30486}Barbarian tribes pressing up against|the frontiers of the Empire. {30517}{30618}And as the health|of Marcus Aurelius began to fade, {30620}{30667}there was a great deal of worrying. {30682}{30772}He seems to have had problems|in his chest and stomach. {30774}{30809}It may have been cancer. {30811}{30886}It may have been something to do|with his heart. One doesn't really know. {31185}{31232}With the Emperor's health diminishing, {31248}{31294}news is sent to the palace. {31427}{31472}But on its way back to Rome, {31474}{31523}the message is quickly distorted. {31582}{31645}And soon enough,|it becomes a rumor... {31660}{31722}that Marcus Aurelius has died. {31848}{31891}In the case of Marcus Aurelius, {31893}{31958}it seems quite clear|that rumors started to spread {31968}{32001}that the Emperor had died. {32015}{32071}And sometimes these|may well have been engineered. {32085}{32179}And what is crucial about this,|is that verification of these rumors {32181}{32246}in the Roman world|would have been phenomenally difficult. {32841}{32876}Before long, {32878}{32937}the rumor of Marcus Aurelius's death {32939}{33004}reaches the most powerful|woman in the Empire... {33022}{33060}Empress Faustina. {33315}{33378}Faustina was Marcus Aurelius's wife. {33380}{33433}She was the daughter|of the previous Emperor, {33435}{33466}Antoninus Pius. {33493}{33557}And she was|a successful wife with Marcus, {33559}{33604}gave him children|over that period. {33606}{33735}So she must immediately have looked for|her safety and for her family's safety. {33791}{33864}Devastated by news|of her husband's death, {33866}{33950}Faustina fears her son|isn't ready for the throne, {33978}{34088}and knows she has to come up with|a plan before word reaches the Senate. {34285}{34374}The Roman Senate is made up of|the most influential men in the Empire. {34428}{34546}All looking for opportunities|to further their political careers. {34752}{34822}There were clearly any number of folks {34824}{34854}in the Roman Senate {34856}{34926}themselves, who were senators,|who thought that they had {34928}{34967}even better claim to nobility {34969}{35046}or to the throne|than the reigning Emperor himself. {35062}{35114}In general,|it seems that being at the top {35116}{35192}was a very lonely|and dangerous place in Ancient Rome. {35324}{35358}Throughout the Empire, {35360}{35443}governors and ambitious leaders|are determined to seize control. {35474}{35573}And a challenge to the throne could come|from any of the Empire's regions. {35603}{35638}With rumors quickly spreading, {35657}{35717}a power grab could soon take hold. {35877}{35963}The play for the throne|puts members of the royal family at risk. {36000}{36054}Including the Emperor's daughter... {36056}{36086}Lucilla. {36153}{36216}Married to her father's trusted advisor, {36240}{36337}Lucilla has already been groomed|for a life of influence. {36389}{36430}Lucilla had been {36432}{36501}one of the oldest|of Marcus Aurelius's children {36503}{36546}who had survived into adulthood. {36562}{36624}She had been involved|in Roman politics, {36626}{36698}the back room deals,|the administration. {36711}{36751}So she was far|more experienced. {36753}{36800}She had far better contacts. {36802}{36908}She had resources at her disposal|that Commodus didn't even know existed. {36989}{37049}But with the throne|being called into question, {37092}{37172}Lucilla knows her ambitions|are in jeopardy. {37192}{37245}Lucilla was Commodus's older sister {37247}{37271}12 years older. {37284}{37402}And so she was used to having a place|at the top table in Roman society. {37427}{37482}But she certainly seems|to have been slightly jealous {37484}{37586}of the increasingly powerful role|that her younger brother Commodus {37588}{37616}would have to inherit. {37850}{37878}Here, take that. {37921}{37947}No. {37965}{37985}Yes. {38068}{38108}No one told me we were leaving. {38137}{38160}You've heard? {38416}{38438}Where are we going? {38521}{38555}I'm going to Egypt. {38618}{38649}You're staying here. {38687}{38732}We can't abandon Rome completely. {38749}{38789}And there are things I need to do, {38809}{38840}to secure our safety. {38857}{38885}In Egypt. {38959}{38998}You're seeing Avidius Cassius. {39035}{39080}I'm doing what I need to do {39082}{39124}to protect our family. {39141}{39176}So to protect Commodus, {39196}{39238}you'll leave me here by myself. {39383}{39414}I know it's dangerous. {39502}{39544}But what other choice do we have? {39599}{39623}My cloak. {39652}{39742}I will return as quickly as I can. {39744}{39802}We will all be together.|We will all be safe! {39926}{39950}Trust me. {40020}{40043}Go! {40123}{40174}Any member of the imperial family {40177}{40274}is potentially in danger|when the Emperor dies. {40277}{40335}It is extremely common {40338}{40397}for emperors who fall from power {40400}{40472}to have their entire family wiped out. {41358}{41416}Determined to protect her family {41419}{41457}and secure her own power, {41503}{41560}Faustina sets a plan in motion. {41573}{41631}Instead of waiting for an overthrow, {41634}{41682}the Empress plans|to leave her city... {41700}{41727}immediately. {41861}{41932}Traveling more than|1,000 miles south... {41979}{42081}across the Mediterranean|to one of the Empire's furthest regions... {42176}{42202}Egypt. {42665}{42719}One of the wealthiest territories|in the world, {42787}{42853}Egypt is one of|the leading producers of grain, {42901}{42996}and is home to one of the largest ports|in the Northern Hemisphere. {43132}{43218}Guarded by more than|15,000 Roman soldiers, {43483}{43568}and run by the second most|powerful man in the Empire, {43594}{43671}Egyptian governor|Avidius Cassius. {43798}{43848}Egypt was the personal territory {43851}{43925}of the Emperor.|It was actually his estate, {43928}{44013}and Cassius was tasked|with keeping control of Egypt, {44016}{44101}essentially keeping control|of the Emperor's own private lands. {44120}{44162}He had been trusted by the family. {44165}{44209}He had been in the inner circle. {44393}{44422}Sir... {44425}{44460}The report you requested. {44656}{44708}I want you to|double the guards at the port. {44711}{44751}There's been some|pilfering of the grain. {44768}{44790}I'm not happy. {44907}{44938}-You can go.|-Sir. {46227}{46267}The image we get out of Faustina {46269}{46331}is one of untrustworthiness|and promiscuity. {46342}{46408}There are many rumors|going around about both of these areas. {46444}{46573}And we can see a partial answer to that|in Faustina's bid to Avidius Cassius, {46602}{46696}where she thought maybe she would be|able to retain her position in the Empire, {46698}{46734}perhaps even as his wife. {46969}{47019}That was unexpected. {47058}{47083}Cassius, {47111}{47159}you've always been there for me {47174}{47220}ever since we were children. {47295}{47351}Now you're the only one|who can protect me. {47408}{47472}I think you might be|overestimating me. {47520}{47545}How could I? {47568}{47588}Marcus always said {47590}{47663}you were the second most powerful|man in the Empire. {47704}{47744}You could be Emperor yourself, {47774}{47795}if you wanted. {47822}{47849}Emperor? {47910}{47956}With the strength of your armies {47979}{48033}and my name behind you, {48053}{48104}no one could stop you. {48221}{48273}Emperor of Rome. {48410}{48463}But you must promise me one thing. {48478}{48500}Anything. {48524}{48569}Protect my family. {48571}{48597}Commodus. {48621}{48657}As if he were your own. {49018}{49144}Allegedly, again, she had|actually promised to marry Avidius Cassius {49146}{49192}after Marcus's presumed death {49194}{49289}in order to solidify|that transfer of power. {49332}{49388}Because, if a power vacuum|had been left, {49390}{49472}that would've put Faustina|and everybody else around Marcus {49474}{49531}in an extremely perilous position. {49623}{49706} {49849}{49902}With Empress Faustina's backing, {49911}{50012}Avidius Cassius raises an army|to march on Rome... {50026}{50077}and claim the throne for himself. {50199}{50227}Within months, {50229}{50332}he seizes control of major territories|in the eastern Roman Empire. {50334}{50463}And with support from leaders|in Egypt, Syria, Judaea, and Arabia, {50526}{50593}he makes the ultimate move|for the throne. {50666}{50712}Cassius declared himself Emperor. {50714}{50787}Egypt declared him to be|the Emperor as well. {50789}{50898}Two of the legions located within Egypt|declared Cassius for Emperor. {51149}{51230}And then, it was gradually revealed|that Marcus Aurelius was still alive. {51281}{51325}That he hadn't passed away after all, {51327}{51401}that the messages had been|incorrectly interpreted. {51459}{51483}And now, {51485}{51519}we have two rival Emperors. {51521}{51581}We have a potential civil war|within the Empire. {51992}{52070}As news|of Aurelius' recovery reaches Egypt, {52089}{52203}Empress Faustina knows|she must face her husband in Germania. {52257}{52378}While Avidius Cassius chooses to continue|his campaign for the throne. {52408}{52475}Avidius Cassius, I think,|had little choice {52477}{52544}but to continue with his campaign. {52617}{52664}If he backed away at that point, {52666}{52714}then everybody's going to know, {52716}{52781}including Marcus, is going to know {52783}{52891}that he was ready to seize the power|from Marcus's own son, {52907}{53004}who was the closest person|in line for the succession. {53653}{53710}Avidius Cassius|has raised seven legions already. {53733}{53818}Three in Syria, two in Judaea,|one in Arabia, and one in Egypt. {53842}{53910}So only Cappadocia and Bithynia|have remained loyal. {53943}{53980}If we split our forces in half, {53997}{54068}we send ten legions across|the Mediterranean to Alexandria-- {54070}{54121}No, no. Ten legions are not enough|to hold the front here. {54123}{54166}Our men would be spread|as far as Vetera. {54168}{54205}They'd be practically useless. {54207}{54235}With all due respect, Emperor, {54237}{54296}-your wife has put Rome--|-My wife has nothing to do with it. {54307}{54366}Mother? She's involved? {54368}{54391}No. {54406}{54443}Rumors only, nothing more. {54501}{54551}Listen, if we move the fifteenth north, {54584}{54605}to Dacia. {54618}{54647}We take the twelfth... {54649}{54713} {55464}{55537}After inadvertently starting|a war for the throne, {55557}{55642}Faustina knows|she must return to her husband... {55665}{55744}and try to maintain|her place as Empress. {55896}{55966}Faustina, unfortunately,|overplayed her hand. {56013}{56081}The great women in Roman society {56084}{56142}always supported their men,|elevated their men, {56145}{56268}pushed the men that they represented|into greater positions of power, {56271}{56312}greater positions of competition, {56315}{56359}and helped to drive them forward. {56412}{56447}We can see this|playing out, of course, {56450}{56516}directly in the case of|Avidius Cassius. {56533}{56615}Where she clearly trusted him|and had every reason to believe {56618}{56681}that he would make|a fantastic emperor. {56684}{56748}Unfortunately, of course,|we have a miscommunication {56751}{56830}that ends up backfiring|on that entire situation. {57330}{57362}I need to talk to my mother. {57677}{57715}The generals in there|want you dead. {57750}{57816}By the Gods,|how has this gotten so out of control? {57829}{57863}I never intended this. {57876}{57900}Well is it true? {57919}{57950}Did you betray us? {57996}{58041}I thought your father was dead. {58057}{58102}I knew what that meant, {58118}{58154}how they would come for us. {58186}{58234}I was only trying to protect us, {58256}{58285}to protect you. {58313}{58352}So it was a misunderstanding. {58373}{58414}So tell father that. {58447}{58478}He'll never believe me. {58497}{58542}It's the truth.|Of course he'll believe you. {58606}{58640}The truth... {58662}{58702}He'll understand. He has to. {59809}{59832}Is it true? {59867}{59926}-You know me better than that.|-That is not an answer. {59991}{60033}You think I'd betray my own family? {60050}{60072}My husband? {60084}{60140}I think someone|can be driven to do anything, {60156}{60186}when their life's in jeopardy. {60216}{60278}And some things are beyond|even imagining. {60303}{60341}Faustina. Tell me the truth. {60344}{60397}-I don't know what you want.|-I need the truth! {60464}{60540}You tell me plainly. Now. {60639}{60687}I've been faithful to you. {60714}{60743}Always. {60809}{60836}And these stories, {60848}{60930}concerning you|and Avidius Cassius? {60933}{60968}They're lies. {61007}{61055}It's rumors... {61084}{61144}If there is one thing that's true, {61155}{61189}it's that I love you. {61209}{61283}And I would not do|anything to hurt you. {61308}{61371}Anything else is a lie. {61503}{61548}I just needed to hear it {61567}{61601}from your own lips. {61909}{61937}Marcus. {62038}{62068}Protect Commodus. {62732}{62753}Sir... {63055}{63108}Being a Roman Emperor|was a difficult job. {63126}{63162}You are atop of a system {63164}{63247}that managed one of the largest empires|the world had ever known. {63277}{63336}But there were also|problems of loyalty. {63338}{63409}In such a big empire,|you need to delegate. {63411}{63449}But who can you trust? {63451}{63510}Can you trust even|members of your own family? {63521}{63554}Often, sadly, not. {65586}{65610} {65736}{65790} {66309}{66337}Mother... {66361}{66456}www.NapiProjekt.pl - nowa jakoœæ napisów.|Napisy zosta³y specjalnie dopasowane do Twojej wersji filmu. {66481}{67981}Best Flights , Hotels and Food Accounts|https://fland.atshop.io/