Season 1· 753 BC - 476 AD

Emperors of RomeThe Roman Empire, from Hannibal to Constantine

Legions that conquered the world, emperors between madness and genius, and games before 50,000 spectators: experience Rome from the war against Carthage to the rise of Christianity. The people, places and dramas that shaped an empire.

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Chapter 01

Power, marble and blood

We take you into the heart of the empire: From deadly whispers in the Senate to the roar of the Colosseum.

Ruling here means: Becoming a god or ending in the dust. Welcome to Eternal Rome.

Chapter 02

Six moments that shaped Rome

An armoured war elephant and Carthaginian warriors march through a snow-covered rocky gorge in the Alps.

Hannibal at the gates

In 218 BC, the Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed the Alps with his army and war elephants and brought Rome to the brink at Cannae. Only Scipio defeated him in 202 BC at Zama.

Julius Caesar in a red cloak rides through the Rubicon, his legionaries waiting on the bank with their standards at dusk.

Caesar and the Rubicon

In 49 BC, Caesar crossed the border river Rubicon with his legion and started a civil war. He became sole ruler, until senators murdered him on the Ides of March in 44 BC.

Germanic warriors with spears attack Roman legionaries carrying red shields in the misty Teutoburg Forest.

The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest

In AD 9, the Germanic leader Arminius lured three Roman legions into an ambush and destroyed them. Afterwards, Rome gave up its plans to conquer Germania up to the Elbe.

Emperor Nero looks out from a palace terrace over burning Rome, with thick clouds of smoke rising in the evening light.

The emperors: Nero and the Great Fire

From Augustus to Constantine, emperors ruled somewhere between genius and madness. In AD 64, Rome burned for days. That Nero played music while it burned is a legend, but he did blame the Christians.

Roman galleys with oarsmen and legionaries fight a staged sea battle in a flooded arena before packed stands.

Bread and circuses

Gladiators, chariot races and even naval battles: emperors had artificial lakes built for their games. According to ancient accounts, the arena itself was flooded when the Colosseum opened in AD 80.

Emperor Constantine in a purple cloak kneels before a banner bearing the Chi-Rho, with his legionaries behind him.

Constantine and the new faith

In AD 312, Constantine won at the Milvian Bridge under the sign of Christ. A year later he granted Christians religious freedom, and the once persecuted faith became the religion of the empire.

Chapter 03

These and many more legends await you

The gladiator Spartacus charges with two swords at a line of Roman legionaries with red shields and eagle standards. — Spartacus fights the Roman legions

Romans in togas and colourful robes fill the sunlit Forum Romanum between marble temples, statues and market stalls. — Bustle on the Forum Romanum

Thatched roundhouses of Celtic villages lie scattered across a green, wooded river valley in Gaul in warm light. — Celtic villages in a river valley of Gaul

A Roman aquilifer wearing a lion pelt over his helmet holds the golden legionary eagle against rising clouds of smoke. — The eagle-bearer of the legion

Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix lays down his sword before the seated Julius Caesar in the Roman camp at Alesia. — Vercingetorix lays down his arms before Caesar

A laurel-crowned general rides a chariot through a triumphal arch in Rome, flanked by legionaries and a cheering crowd. — Triumphal procession of a victorious general through Rome

Galleys and merchant ships lie in the harbour of Dubris, today's Dover, beneath the white chalk cliffs crowned by a lighthouse. — Roman harbour beneath the white cliffs of Dover

Romans recline at a banquet in the octagonal hall of Nero's Domus Aurea as rose petals drift down through the oculus. — Banquet in the octagonal hall of the Domus Aurea

Cheering Romans in the Colosseum watch venatores face elephants, giraffes and lions beneath the great canvas awning. — Wild beast hunt in the Colosseum beneath the awning

Roman workers layer fish and salt in large clay jars at a seaside workshop to make the fish sauce garum. — Roman workers salt fish for garum

Traders and travellers carrying baskets pass through the rocky gorge before the Treasury of Petra in the Roman province of Arabia. — Traders before the Treasury of Petra

Emperor Diocletian in purple robes and laurel wreath stands before a temple in Nicomedia, surrounded by Praetorian guards and citizens. — Emperor Diocletian before his temple in Nicomedia

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Chapter 04

What's inside the season

10h+of playtime

204lessonseach with its own collectible card

The whole picture · 204 entries across five categories

36 people49 places51 events37 ideas31 objects

Chapter 05

The Roman Empire: what you need to know

The Roman Empire was one of the largest and longest-lasting empires in history. From a small town on the Tiber, Rome came to rule the entire Mediterranean world at its height, from Britain to Mesopotamia.

How long did the Roman Empire last?

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC. From 509 BC it was a republic, and from 27 BC an empire. The Western Roman Empire ended in AD 476, while the Eastern Roman Empire lasted until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

Who was the first Roman emperor?

Augustus, Julius Caesar's great-nephew and adopted son, became the first emperor in 27 BC. Caesar himself was never emperor but dictator for life, until he was assassinated in 44 BC.

How big was the Roman Empire?

It reached its greatest extent around AD 117 under Emperor Trajan, covering about five million square kilometers. A network of roads, harbors and frontier defenses such as Hadrian's Wall held it together.

What was the Colosseum?

The Colosseum opened in AD 80 and held around 50,000 spectators. It hosted gladiator fights, wild beast hunts and executions, part of the games emperors used to win over the people.

How did the Romans live?

Most people in Rome lived in multi-storey apartment blocks. Public baths, aqueducts bringing fresh water and busy markets shaped daily life. A fish sauce called garum was the most popular seasoning.

Why did the Western Roman Empire fall?

There were many reasons: civil wars, economic crises, pressure from Germanic peoples on the borders and the division of the empire. In 476, the Germanic leader Odoacer deposed the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus.

In HistoryBytes, you experience the Roman Empire in short episodes: the people, places, events, ideas and objects of the era. Piece by piece, you build the whole picture, from Hannibal to Constantine. Season 1 is completely free.