A collection of films, documentaries, and clips from You Tube, etc. Suggestions are welcome. They have been sorted into the following categories:
The World of Alexander the Great
They are listed separately under this tab since they may disappear at any time.
Note : Feature films found on the internet have been moved to the Feature Film tab. Last checked 03/17/13.
Actium 31 B.C. 11 minutes. YouTube.
Age of Augustus. 43 minutes. YouTube.
Ancient Rome in 20 Minutes. Caesar, The Colosseum, Republic, Nero, geese, plebeians, legions — everything that you once knew, but forgot, in a crash course video by Arzamas.
Ascent of Trajan. 43 minutes. YouTube.
Battle of Ecnomus (256 B.C.). The Battle of Ecnomus in 256 BC is arguably the largest naval battle in history with 680 warships and an estimated 290,000 rowers and marines participating!!! This monumental clash was fought during the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage along the coast of Sicily.
Battle of Gergovia (52 BC) 2:57 min. : scene from the movie Vercingetorix. The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia, the chief town of the Arverni. The battle was fought between a Roman Republic army, led by proconsul Julius Caesar, and Gallic forces led by Vercingetorix. The Romans lost on this day.
Battle of Alesia (September, 52 B.C.) (YouTube) 9:45 min. : scene from the movie Vercingetorix. The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September, 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and hill fort of the Mandubii tribe. It was fought by the army of the Roman Republic commanded by Julius Caesar, aided by cavalry commanders Mark Antony, Titus Labienus and Gaius Trebonius, against a confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Averni, and was the last major engagement between Gauls and Romans, marking the turning point of the Gallic Wars in favour of Rome.
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. 10:52. YouTube. In 6 AD, Publius Quinctilius Varus was assigned to oversee the consolidation of the new province of Germania. Though an experienced administrator, Varus quickly developed a reputation for arrogance and cruelty. By pursuing policies of heavy taxation and showing disrespect for Germanic culture, he caused many of the Germanic tribes that were allied to Rome to reconsider their position as well as drove neutral tribes to open rebellion. During the summer of 9 AD, Varus and his legions worked to put down various small rebellions along the frontier. In these campaigns, Varus led three legions (XVII, XVIII, and XIX), six independent cohorts, and three squadrons of cavalry. A formidable army, it was further supplemented by allied German troops including those of the Cherusci tribe led by Arminius. A close advisor of Varus, Arminius had spent time in Rome as a hostage during which he had been educated in the theories and practice of Roman warfare. Aware that Varus' policies were causing unrest, Arminius secretly worked to unite many of the Germanic tribes against the Romans. As fall approached, Varus began moving the army from the Weser River towards its winter quarters along the Rhine. En route, he received reports of uprisings which required his attention. These were fabricated by Arminius who may have suggested that Varus move through the unfamiliar Teutoburg Forest to accelerate the march. Before moving out, a rival Cheruscan nobleman, Segestes, told Varus that Arminius was plotting against him. Varus dismissed this warning as the manifestation of a personal feud between the two Cheruscans. Prior to the army moving out, Arminius departed under the pretext of rallying more allies.
Death in the Woods: Advancing, the Roman army was strung out in a marching formation with camp followers interspersed. Reports also indicate that Varus neglected to send out scouting parties to prevent an ambush. As the army entered the Teutoburg Forest, a storm broke and a heavy rain began. This, along with poor roads and rough terrain, stretched the Roman column to between nine and twelve miles long. With the Romans struggling through the forest, the first Germanic attacks began. Conducting hit and run strikes, Arminius' men picked away at the strung out enemy. Aware that the wooded terrain prevented the Romans from forming for battle, the Germanic warriors worked to gain local superiority against isolated groups of legionaries. Taking losses through the day, the Romans constructed a fortified camp for the night. Pushing forward in the morning, they continued to suffer badly before reaching open country. Seeking relief, Varus began moving towards the Roman base at Halstern which was 60 miles to the southwest. This required re-entering wooded country. Enduring the heavy rain and continued attacks, the Romans pushed on through the night in an effort to escape. The next day, the Romans were faced with a trap prepared by the tribes near KalkrieseHill. Here the road was constricted by a large bog to the north and the wooded hill to the south. In preparation for meeting the Romans, the Germanic tribesmen had built ditches and walls blocking the road. With few choices remaining, the Romans began a series of assaults against the walls. These were repulsed and in the course of the fighting Numonius Vala fled with the Roman cavalry. With Varus' men reeling, the Germanic tribes swarmed over the walls and attacked. Slamming into the mass of Roman soldiers, the Germanic tribesmen overwhelmed the enemy and began a mass slaughter. With his army disintegrating, Varus committed suicide rather than be captured. His example was followed by many of his higher ranking officers.
Battle of Constantine (312 A.D.) In 312 A.D., Rome was crumbling, and Christians were being persecuted. However, they found a champion in Constantine..
Boudicca, History Channel. (9 minutes). The warrior queen of the Iceni confronts the Romans
Boudicca, Britain 60 A.D. : Battle of Midlands
Boudicca (Warrior Woman), part 1 (8:49), part 2 (9:07), part 3 (9:07), part 4 (9:14) , part 5 (9:11)
The Rebellion of Boudicca, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6. : Boudica (also spelled Boudicca, formerly better known as Boadicea) (d. AD 60 or 61 ) was a queen of the Iceni people of Norfolk in Eastern Britain who led an uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.
Caligula - The Most Evil Men In History, Part 1 (9 minutes), Part 2 (6:45 minutes), Part 3 (8 minutes). Caligula The Roman emperor's reign is a legendary frenzy of lunacy, murder, and perverse sexuality.
Craziest Things Ancient Romans Did!
End of the Pax Romana. 43 minutes. YouTube.
Engineering an Empire: Rome, Part 1 (10 minutes), Part 2 (10 minutes), Part 3 (10 minutes), Part 4 (10 minutes), Part 5 (10 minutes), Part 6 (10 minutes), Part 7 (10 minutes), Part 8 (10 minutes), Part 9 (6 minutes), Part 10 (6 minutes) History Channel. One of the most powerful civilizations in history, the Roman Empire roled the world for more than five centuries. Although renowned for its military prowess, Rome s real power stemmed from its unprecedented mastery of urban planning and engineering.
Four sisters in Ancient Rome. TED talk via YouTube by Ray Laurence. How did the young, wealthy women of Ancient Rome spend their days? Meet Domitia and her sister Domitia and her sister Domitia and her sister Domitia. Ray Laurence sketches the domestic life of leisure that these young girls lived, despite little recorded information on women from this otherwise well-documented era.
Germania: The Battle Against Rome - Documentary. Battle in the Teutoburg Forrest. Arminius - born as the son of a Cheruscan, abducted as a pawn of the Romans, and raised as a soldier, he returns to subdued Germania under Emperor Augustus. He makes himself the leader of the revolt against Rome, resulting in the destruction of the legions of Varus in the year 9 AD.
A glimpse of teenage life in ancient Rome TED talk via YouTube by Ray Laurence. Welcome to the world of Lucius Popidius Secundus, a 17-year old living in Rome in 73 AD. His life is a typical one of arranged marriages, coming-of-age festivals, and communal baths. Take a look at this exquisitely detailed lesson on life of a typical Roman teenager two thousand years ago.
The great conspiracy against Julius Caesar TED talk vai YouTube by Kathryn Tempest. On March 15th, 44 BCE, Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of about 60 of his own senators. Why did these self-titled Liberators want him dead? And why did Brutus, whose own life had been saved by Caesar, join in the plot? Kathryn Tempest investigates the personal and political assassination of Julius Caesar.
Julius Caesar, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 : Julius Caesar was the most famous Roman leader of all, conquered more land than any other Roman and had a celebrated love affair with the Egyptian empress Cleopatra.
Julius Caesar. 43 minutes. YouTube.
Julius Caesar (2002). A film by Uli Edel.
The Last Day of Pompeii - Pliny's Letter. Awesome Stories. This clip - from "Pompeii: The Last Day," is based - in large part - on Pliny the Younger's eyewitness accounts.
Lost Legions of Varus. 41 minutes. YouTube. In the autumn of 9 AD Roman forces occupying Northern Germany were lured into a death trap. Over 20,000 of the world's most feared troops, their families, even their animals, were slaughtered by Iron Age tribes. The bloody massacre defined forever the limits of Roman expansion and left Europe fatefully divided, yet for almost 2,000 years the exact site of this disaster was only guessed at. Then, in 1987, a British soldier made a find that suggested the true whereabouts of the 'Battle of Teutoburg'. Today a grim picture of deception, ambush and ritual slaughter is beginning to emerge...."In the autumn of A.D. 9 Varus marched his three legions from their summer camp to a winter camp further west. The army was huge, fifteen thousand men plus a train of ten thousand women, children, slaves and pack animals. The march was scheduled to take several days, over difficult terrain, and at times the column would be up to nine miles long as they wound through narrow forest tracks and ravines. Because of the fatal trust of Varus and the cunning of Arminius the Germans knew the exact route this long, lumbering army would take. Thousands of German warriors prepared the trail with trapdoors, hides and traps, and waited....Varus' army marched without incident for the first day then, just before dusk, when the entire army was far from the safety of camp and committed to the march, the Germans sprang their trap. Small-bands of warriors burst from their hides and cut down passing Romans then melted into the forest. Spears were hurled from trees or rocky outcrops. The Romans, trained to fight in large formations in the open field, were ambushed as they milled in complete disarray. Isolated and confused, they were cut to pieces by one attack after another. For three days and three nights the Germans hunted the shattered bands of Romans to extinction, deep in the dark rain-drenched forest. There were few survivors. Some, including Varus, chose suicide rather than fall into enemy hands. It was the German practice to sacrifice their prisoners to their Druidic gods by crucifying them on sacred oak trees. After the battle the heads of the Roman dead were nailed up along the trail; all except for Varus, whose head Arminius presented to Morboduus, the King of Bohemia, in an attempt to impress him....Legend has it that it was not until Morboduus forwarded Varus' head to the Emperor that Rome became aware of the disaster that had befallen the German garrison. Three entire legions, out of Rome's twenty-eight, were swallowed by the Teutoberg forest. But the defeat in Germany generated shockwaves far beyond the magnitude of the loss, which was smaller than Carrhae, and indeed smaller than the losses during the civil wars. Those three days in the German forest decided the course of history for millennia to come. Rome was already short of military manpower and the losses in Germany simply could not be made up. Those three legions disappeared form the roles forever and the Roman army would never again field more than twenty-five legions. As the old emperor Augustus drew near death, at the age of seventy-nine, he was seen by his servants wandering the palace weeping and crying "Quinctilius Varus give me back my legions!" The blow to Roman confidence was irreparable. In his will Augustus advised Tiberius to never again cross the Rhine -- "be satisfied with what we have and never desire to increase the size of the empire". This policy would hold until the fall of Rome."
Nero - Emperor of Rome. Film clip from Awesome Stories. Clip from the BBC's Ancient Rome: The Rise & Fall of an Empire.
Art of Pompeii (Photos from an exhibit at the Denver Museum)
A Day in Pompeii : 79 B.C. 7:33 minutes. YouTube. A surreal tour of the Roman town of Pompei - 2000 years ago during its day of destruction. The Exhibit at Boston Museum of Science.
The Real Pompeii (Full Documentary) 44 minutes. History Channel. When Mount Vesuvius erupted In 79 AD, it buried the booming city of Pompeii under tons of debris, sealing the fate of more than a thousand people. But It also sealed the ancient city - preserved it, protected it, like nowhere else on earth. Because of this, archaeologists and historians can clearly describe life in Pompeii up until its final moments. Now see the ancient city as never before with scenes from the motion picture, "Pompeii."
Pompeii Rediscovered 29 minutes.
Pompeii, Villa of Mysteries. courtesy of YouTube.
Pompeii : The Talking Walls. 47 minutes courtesy of YouTube. Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campanile, in the territory of the of PompeiI. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was partially destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
The Wonders of Pompeii courtesy of YouTube.
Reign of Marcus Aurelius. 43 minutes. YouTube.
Rise of the Republic. 43 minutes. YouTube.
Roman Bath PBS 55 minutes. Tour the crumbling public baths of Rome to learn intimate details of what life was really like for ancient Roman citizens, and in the process, discover the engineering feats that made these baths such an impressive achievement.
Roman Empire in the First Century : Order from Chaos. PBS . 54 minutes. Rome rises under Caesar Augustus' compassion and violence.
Roman Empire in the First Century : Years of Eruption PBS. 55 minutes. Rival generals fight for control in Rome; Mount Vesuvius erupts; Emperor Trajan expands the empire.
Rome : Engineering an Empire. One of the most powerful civilizations in history, the Roman Empire ruled the world for more than five centuries. Although renowned for its military prowess, Rome's real power stemmed from its unprecedented mastery of urban planning and engineering. Hosted by Peter Weller, ROME: ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE chronicles Rome's spectacular structural history from the rise of Julius Caesar in 55 BC to the Empire's eventual collapse in c. 537 AD. Each of Rome s legendary rulers left their mark on the city -- some stately, some sordid -- and their collective ambition caused a surge of innovation and ingenuity that led to Rome's glorious ascendance. Examine the planning and construction of the city's greatest masterpieces, including the awe-inspiring Colosseum and its mysterious subterranean aqueducts, and piece together Rome s magnificent past through its architectural triumphs. Abundant in exclusive location footage and cutting-edge CGI graphics, the multiple Emmy Award-winning ROME: ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE breathes new life into the incredible history and majesty of the epic Roman Empire.
Top 10 Horrifying Facts About the Roman Legions
Ancient Greece in 18 Minutes. (YouTube) Homer, The Minotaur, 300 spartans, Greek theatre, Parthenon, democracy — everything that you once knew, but forgot, in a crash course video by Arzamas.
The Battle of Thermopylae, Part 1 (7:15), Part 2 (4:53), Part 3 (7:12) : A historical documentary film from History Channel about the Spartans and the legendary Battle of Thermopylae.
Greece : Engineering an Empire. 44 minutes. Western Civilization has been influenced by many cultures, from Rome to America, but it was born in Ancient Greece. Centuries before Julius Caesar conquered much of the known world, the Ancient Greeks were laying a foundation that has supported nearly 3000 years of European history. Ancient Greece brings to mind philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates, Olympian gods, the beginnings of democracy, great conquering armies like those of Alexander the Great, and savage internecine battles, none more famous than the duel to the death between Athens and Sparta. Greece is a story about the human drive to explore, to wonder, to be curious. Their ruins now communicate that drive. Over 1000 years, this strong and charismatic people strategically harnessed the materials and people around them to create the most advanced technological feats the world had ever seen. From The Tunnel of Samos: a mile-long aqueduct dug through a large mountain of solid limestone, to Agamemnon's Tomb, to The Parthenon, this episode will examine the architecture and infrastructure engineered by the Greek Empire.
Orpheus and Eurydice - Greek Mythology. Awesome Stories. Clip from The StoryTeller: Greek Myths, Episode 102 - "Orpheus and Eurydice"
Perseus - Clash of the Titans. Awesome Stories. Clip from "The Storyteller: Greek Myths," Perseus & the Gorgon (1991).
Perseus - Severs the Head of Medusa. Awesome Stories. Clip from "The Storyteller: Greek Myths," Perseus & the Gorgon (1991).
Perseus - Son of Zeus. Awesome Stories. Clip from "The Storyteller: Greek Myths," Perseus & the Gorgon (1991).
Secrets of the Parthenon PBS. 53 minutes. For 25 centuries, the Parthenon has been shot at, set on fire, rocked by earthquakes, looted for its sculptures, and disfigured by misguided restorations. Now, a team of architects and engineers is investigating the many mysteries of this icon of Western Civilization: How did the ancient Greeks design and build their masterpiece so quickly?
Plato (Encyclopedia Channel) : The school founded by this antique philosopher, became a prototype of modern higher education. Contemporaries named him «the divine teacher»: in his works it was spoken about an ideal society structure and immortality of soul. Ancient Greek thinker Plato said, that «time is a moving similarity of eternity».
Socrates (Encyclopedia Channel) : Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was born in Athens in the year 469 B.C., into the family of the sculptor Sophroniscus and Phaenarete. Socrates became the new philosophy founder and the teacher of the many of great philosophers.
Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About Ancient Egypt! (Pablito's Way)
The pharaoh that wouldn't be forgotten TED talk via YouTube by Kate Narev. Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh during the New Kingdom in Egypt. Twenty years after her death, somebody smashed her statues, took a chisel and attempted to erase the pharaoh’s name and image from history. But who did it? And why? Kate Narev investigates Hatshepsut's history for clues to this ancient puzzle.
Carthage - Engineering an Empire - Full Documentary 44 minutes. YouTube.
Carthage : the Rise and Fall. 38 minutes. YouTube.
The True Story of Hannibal - History Channel. One of history's greatest military leaders, at age nine Hannibal accompanied his father Hamilcar Barca on the Carthaginian expedition to conquer Spain. Before embarking, the boy vowed eternal hatred for Rome, his people's bitter rival. Twenty years later, in 218 BC, he left New Carthage (now Cartagena, Spain) to wage war on "The Eternal City" with an army of about 40,000, including cavalry and elephants. After crossing the Pyrenees and Rhone River, he traversed the Alps while beset by snowstorms, landslides, and hostile mountain tribes. This 2-hour special brings to life the story of the Carthaginian general who struck fear in all Roman hearts and wreaked havoc with his masterful military tactics, bringing the mighty Roman Republic to the brink of ruin. Archaeologists, historians, and military experts guide us through ancient Carthage and give insight into his military strategy up to defeat at Zama in 203 BC.
First Punic War : Rome vs. Carthage (Round I) for control of the Mediterranean (264-241 BC).
The real story behind Archimedes’ Eureka! Ted talk vvia YouTube by Armand D'Angour
Second Punic War : Hannibal vs. Rome (218-202 BC)
Alexander the Great (Encyclopedia Channel) : Alexander was the son of Macedonian King Phillip II. Since his childhood Homer's heroic poems were favorite books of the heir of throne. And Alexander considered Achilles, the hero of the Trojan War, and mythical athlete Hercules as his idols. The huge power, which he created, appeared to be unstable and was divided by his military leaders. But the Greek culture distributed in Mesopotamia, Iran, Syria, Judea and Egypt. Alexander the Great from Macedonia brought together the civilizations of Greece and Middle East and started the period known as the Hellenic Age.
The Alexander Mosaic. Courtesy of the University of Warwick.
Seven Wonders : The Pharos Lighthouse at Alexandria Video Clip (3:28) via History Channel : Explore the Pharos Lighthouse at Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most powerful light in the classic world. For more information about the sevenwonders of the ancient world, see wikipedia entry.
The True Story of Alexander the Great, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14 : Always Macedonian never Greek.
The Byzantines : Engineering an Empire. Peter Weller. 43 minutes. Brilliance and brutality. Intellect and intrigue. Christianity and carnage. As much of the world descended into the Dark Ages after the fall of Rome, one civilization shone brilliantly: the Byzantine Empire. With ruthless might and supreme ingenuity, the Byzantines ruled over vast swaths of Europe and Asia for more than a thousand years. A bridge to antiquity, it was Byzantium that preserved the classical learning and science that would one day give rise to the Renaissance. Led by rulers who exercised absolute power and architects who pushed beyond Rome's engineering marvels, the Byzantines constructed the ancient world's longest aqueduct, virtually invincible city walls, a massive stadium, and a colossal domed cathedral that defied the laws of nature. The Byzantine Empire was the dominant civilization during the Dark Ages. But after a millennium of rule, its engineering feats would betray them - as an ancient light was extinguished in the glare of modern warfare.
Byzantium, the Lost Empire (3:19) : The Byzantine Empire, 330-1453. Images of churches, monasteries, books. The song is "All the Churches were Chanting" performed by Early Music Workshop, Album: Constantinople, my Beloved City.
Attila the Hun. A marauding barbarian with a reputation as one of history's monsters, even today Attila's name is a synonym for savagery. ... Attila (/ˈætɨlə/ or /əˈtɪlə/; ?--453), frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. ... During his reign he was one of the most feared enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. He crossed the Danube twice and plundered the Balkans, but was unable to take Constantinople. His unsuccessful campaign in Persia was followed in 441 by an invasion of the Eastern Roman Empire, the success of which emboldened Attila to invade the West . He also attempted to conquer Roman Gaul (modern France), crossing the Rhine in 451 and marching as far as Aurelianum (Orléans) before being defeated at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. ... Subsequently he invaded Italy, devastating the northern provinces, but was unable to take Rome. He planned for further campaigns against the Romans but died in 453. ... The historiography of Attila is faced with a major challenge, in that the only complete sources are written in Greek and Latin, by the enemies of the Huns. His contemporaries left many testimonials of his life, but only fragments of these remain. Priscus, a Roman diplomat and historian who wrote in Greek, was both a witness to and an actor in the story of Attila, as a member of the embassy of Theodosius II at the Hunnic court in 449. Although he was obviously biased by his political position, his writing is a major source for the life of Attila and he is the only person known to have recorded a physical description of him. He was the author of an eight-volume work of history covering the period from 434 to 452. ... Today we have only fragments of this work, but it was cited extensively by the 6th-century historians Procopius and Jordanes, especially in Jordanes's The Origins and Deeds of the Goths. As it contains numerous references to Priscus's history, it is an important source of information about the Hunnic empire and its neighbours. Here, he describes the legacy of Attila and the Hunnic people for a century after Attila's death. Marcellinus Comes, a chancellor of Justinian during the same era, also describes the relations between the Huns and the Eastern Roman Empire. ... Numerous ecclesiastical writings contain useful albeit scattered information
The Franks. 45 minutes.
The Goths. 43 minutes.
The Huns. 43 minutes.
The Saxons. 45 minutes.
The Vandals History Channel 45 minutes. Swarming across continents and oceans, ravaging the Roman empire just as it begins to crumble, in 406 A.D. they seize a new homeland cut from the heart of Rome, striking terror and laying waste to the wounded empire. Their very name comes to mean destruction -- they are the Vandals. Their dreaded force brings the civilized world to its knees. As the Huns sweep westward across Europe crushing all other barbarians in their path, all the Germanic peoples living in Central Europe were stirred up, among them the Vandals. In order to survive, they must continue moving west, fleeing the slaughter. Ranging far from their roots in Germany, these power-hungry pagans swept through Spain, then across North Africa, and eventually to the gates of Rome itself....This History Channel documentary series, Barbarians 2, tells the fascinating stories of four of the most fabled groups of fighters in history, the Saxons, the Lombards, the Franks, the Vandals, tracing 1,000 years of conquest and adventure through inspired scholarship and some of the most extensive reenactments ever filmed.
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