Civilisations: Rise and Fall S01E01 - Rome

A weak emperor. A divided empire. Barbarians at the gate. Does this perfect storm mean the end of ancient Rome?

At the turn of the fifth century, the Roman world faces its greatest crisis in 800 years: the sack of Rome in 410 AD. This seismic event marks the beginning of the end for the Western Roman Empire.

In 395 AD, the child emperor Honorius inherits a vast but fragile empire. Guided by General Stilicho, he must control a fractured system plagued by rebellion, economic decline and elite corruption. Gothic peoples, having been recruited by the Roman state but subsequently mistreated, now march against Rome, led by their commander Alaric.