Four hundred years after the founding of the Republic, Rome is the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people, epicenter of a sprawling empire. But now, the city's foundations are crumbling, eaten away by corruption and excess...And two soldiers unwittingly become entwined in historical events, their fates inexorably tied to the fate of Rome itself. The entire award-winning, critically-acclaimed series is available as a gift set.

Family dysfunction. Treachery. Betrayal. Coarse profanity. Brutal violence. Graphic (and sometimes brutal) sex. No, it's not The Sopranos, it's Rome, HBO's madly ambitious series that transfixed viewers with its lavishly mounted spectacle and human dramas of the historical figures and fictional characters. Set in 52 B.C., Rome charts the dramatic shifts in the balance of power between former friends Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), leader of the Senate, and Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), whose imminent return after eight years to Rome after conquering the Gauls, has the ruling class up in arms. At the heart of Rome is the odd couple friendship between two soldiers who fortuitously become heroes of the people. Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) is married, honorable, and steadfast. Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) is an amoral rogue whose philosophy is best summed up, "I kill my enemies, take their gold, and enjoy their women." Among Rome's most compelling subplots is Lucius's strained relationship with his wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), who is surprised to see her husband alive (but not as surprised as he is to find her upon his homecoming with a newborn baby in her arms!). Any viewer befuddlement over Rome's intrigues and machinations, and determining who is hero and who is foe, disappears the minute Golden Globe-nominee Polly Walker appears as Atia, Caesar's formidable niece and a villainess for the ages. In the first episode alone, she offers her already married daughter as a bride to the recently widowed Pompey, and the viewer eagerly awaits to see what (or who) she'll do next.

Season 2 begins in the wake of Julius Caesar's assassination, and charts the power struggle to fill his sandals between "vulgar beast" Mark Antony (James Purefoy) and "clever boy" Octavian (Simon Woods), who is surprisingly named Caesar's sole heir. The series' most compelling relationship is between fellow soldiers and unlikely friends, the honorable Lucius Vorenus and Titus "Violence is the only trade I know" Pullo, who somewhat reverse roles when Vorenus is overcome with grief in the wake of his wife's suicide. Season 2 considerably ups the ante in the rivalry between Atia, who is Antony's mistress, and Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) with attempted poisonings and sickening torture. Another gripping subplot is Vorenus's estrangement from his children, who, at the climax of the season opener are presumed slaughtered, but whose true fate may be even more devastating to the father who cursed them. Rome is a painstakingly mounted production that earned well-deserved Emmy nominations in such categories as costumes, set design, and art direction. In writing Rome's epitaph, we come to praise this series, not to bury it. Although two seasons was not enough to establish a Rome empire, it stands as one of HBO's crowning achievements. —Donald Liebenson

Blue-Ray edition. Of course, and by Jiminy, you need this one too!

Four hundred years after the founding of the Republic, Rome is the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people, epicenter of a sprawling empire. But now, the city's foundations are crumbling, eaten away by corruption and excess...And two soldiers unwittingly become entwined in historical events, their fates inexorably tied to the fate of Rome itself. The entire award-winning, critically-acclaimed series is available as a gift set.

Family dysfunction. Treachery. Betrayal. Coarse profanity. Brutal violence. Graphic (and sometimes brutal) sex. No, it's not The Sopranos, it's Rome, HBO's madly ambitious series that transfixed viewers with its lavishly mounted spectacle and human dramas of the historical figures and fictional characters. Set in 52 B.C., Rome charts the dramatic shifts in the balance of power between former friends Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), leader of the Senate, and Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), whose imminent return after eight years to Rome after conquering the Gauls, has the ruling class up in arms. At the heart of Rome is the odd couple friendship between two soldiers who fortuitously become heroes of the people. Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) is married, honorable, and steadfast. Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) is an amoral rogue whose philosophy is best summed up, "I kill my enemies, take their gold, and enjoy their women." Among Rome's most compelling subplots is Lucius's strained relationship with his wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), who is surprised to see her husband alive (but not as surprised as he is to find her upon his homecoming with a newborn baby in her arms!). Any viewer befuddlement over Rome's intrigues and machinations, and determining who is hero and who is foe, disappears the minute Golden Globe-nominee Polly Walker appears as Atia, Caesar's formidable niece and a villainess for the ages. In the first episode alone, she offers her already married daughter as a bride to the recently widowed Pompey, and the viewer eagerly awaits to see what (or who) she'll do next.

Season 2 begins in the wake of Julius Caesar's assassination, and charts the power struggle to fill his sandals between "vulgar beast" Mark Antony (James Purefoy) and "clever boy" Octavian (Simon Woods), who is surprisingly named Caesar's sole heir. The series' most compelling relationship is between fellow soldiers and unlikely friends, the honorable Lucius Vorenus and Titus "Violence is the only trade I know" Pullo, who somewhat reverse roles when Vorenus is overcome with grief in the wake of his wife's suicide. Season 2 considerably ups the ante in the rivalry between Atia, who is Antony's mistress, and Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) with attempted poisonings and sickening torture. Another gripping subplot is Vorenus's estrangement from his children, who, at the climax of the season opener are presumed slaughtered, but whose true fate may be even more devastating to the father who cursed them. Rome is a painstakingly mounted production that earned well-deserved Emmy nominations in such categories as costumes, set design, and art direction. In writing Rome's epitaph, we come to praise this series, not to bury it. Although two seasons was not enough to establish a Rome empire, it stands as one of HBO's crowning achievements. —Donald Liebenson

Epic filmmaking has fallen out of favor, but The Eagle fights hard to bring it back. In 2nd-Century Britain, celebrated Roman soldier Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) embarks on a dangerous quest to restore the tarnished reputation of his father and find the golden emblem that disappeared with him and thousands of troops twenty years earlier. Marcus, a decorated hero, had chose to lead a Roman garrison in occupied Britain, because that's where his father had been lost along with his Legion's "Eagle," the standard of the Legion — a gold eagle, that represented the glory of Imperial Rome. To reclaim his family honor, Aquila sets off on an expedition into the northern wilds — but the highlands of Caledonia are a savage wilderness and Marcus must rely on his embittered slave, Esca (Jamie Bell), to navigate the perilous region. Their journey pushes them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism.

The Eagle starts with engaging momentum; this is a work of fiction, but there's an impressive commitment to the details of life, evoking the sights, sounds, and smells of a raw and brutal time. Donald Sutherland co-stars in this gripping, gritty, action-packed adventure from acclaimed director Kevin Macdonald. (Director Kevin Macdonald began as a documentarian, which no doubt contributes to his appreciation for grit and sweat.) Tatum is not the most versatile actor, but he has enough solid charisma to anchor the movie; Bell's fluid emotional presence keeps their relationship dynamic. The movie loses steam in the last third, as the outcome is never really in doubt and the plot mechanics start to feel a bit rote. But for anyone with an interest in the era, or who simply enjoys a taste of blood and thunder, The Eagle has pleasures aplenty.

It's both a BluRay and DVD it seems. And... it's un-rated >>>>

Rome: Power & Glory is a six-volume comprehensive introduction to the rise, rule, and fall of the Roman Empire. The series covers the political, military, and social history of the empire from its miraculous engineering feats to the exorbitant taxation that contributed to its downfall. Learn about ancient sporting events and Roman opinions on sex, fashions, slavery, and taxes. The series also covers many of Rome's most famous, and in many cases infamous, figures, including Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero, and Caligula. One of the series' main strengths is its coverage of all levels of Roman society, depicting the diverse strata of Roman civilization in all respects: economic, religious, geographic, and such. For over a thousand years, Rome was the center of the known world. One of the most glorious empires in history, she brought to her subjects a common language, shared culture, and — for some-wealth beyond imagination. But, nothing lasts forever. War, barbarian attacks, and moral decay eventually took their toll and the empire slowly began to crumble. This six-part series presents the complete history of Rome, from its primitive beginnings, to the height of its glory and its eventual decline, as well as its legacies today. Filmed in ten countries, Rome: Power & Glory combines location footage of ancient monuments, detailed-re-enactments, period art writings, and insights from scholars and public figures to bring the ancient world to life.

Includes extra bonus featurettes.

DVD 1:

• Part 1 - The Rise - This program sorts fact from fiction in the legends surrounding the birth of the mighty Empire. Famous stories and myths come to life including the story of Romulus and Remus. Romes influence spreads throughout the Mediterranean as it grows from a primitive village into a republic based on democracy.
• Part 2 - Legions of Conquest - The Romans were the most successful warriors in history, rising from an amateur citizens army to develop into the formidable legions that conquered the Western world and beyond.
• Part 3 - Seduction of Power — From the first peaceful elections to the corruption surrounding bids for total imperial rule, this story about the lust for power is filled with memorable characters, such as Julius Caesar, Augustus and Caligula.

DVD 2:

• Part 4 - Grasp of Empire — Rome built efficient cities and paved roads between them. But such progress came at a price. While Romans initially welcomed their conquered peoples into the Empire, they eventually began enslaving them.
• Part 5 -The Cult of Order — Rome was once one of historys most tolerant religious societies. But with unrest amongst rulers, the Roman people took solace in what was until then a marginal religious cult-Christianity. When the Emperor Diocletian perceived his subjects beliefs as a threat, he unleashed waves of persecution that left thousands dead.
• Part 6 - The Fall — The Roman Empire is crumbling. As Romans distract themselves with endless games, their enemies draw nearer and social unrest threatens to reach a boiling point. Emperor Constantine moves the capital east to Constantinople, abandoning the Western Empire. Rome limps along for several more decades, her glory faded, but the civilizations spirit lives on.

While providing a good general overview, Rome does not have time to make a detailed study of any one topic. The other disadvantage is a reliance on old gladiator movie footage that detracts from the seriousness of the topic. All in all, this is an excellent visual introduction to the history of the Roman Empire.

Rome’s daring conquest and occupation of the British Isles. Motivated by an emperor’s greed and political ambition, Rome added Britain to its empire in the first century CE, changing the land and its people forever. Join historian Bettany Hughes (When the Moors Ruled in Europe as she examines new research and the latest archaeological evidence to reveal the brutal realities of the Roman conquest. Meet scheming politicians, beleaguered generals, and fiery revolutionaries — including Queen Boudicca, the wronged woman who mobilized her people for a bloody and tragic revolt. Interviews with noted military experts and meticulous reenactments illuminate a little-known but pivotal period in British and Roman history.

Packed with drama and detail, this absorbing series reveals how a nation sprang from 400 years of subjugation. Oxford-educated author and historian Bettany Hughes has presented historical documentaries for the BBC, PBS, and the Discovery Channel. She serves on the Innovation Programs Committee of the U.K.’s National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.

• Comes with a 12-page viewer’s guide with timeline, questions to consider, history of Rome’s failed British invasions, background on Roman and Celtic weaponry, biography of Roman historian Tacitus, and an essay on daily life in ancient Britain
• Extended interviews with historians and bonus footage (14 min.)
• Biographies of major figures in the Roman conquest of Britain
• SDH subtitles

One of the pet peeves with almost all films these day is the background music or noise drowning out the audio but this copy did not have that problem as some others experienced even though we did still run the subtitles.

This presentation was well done, standard Hughes work. However this documentary is very heavy on re-enactments far exceeding that in her other offerings likely because, as a few others have mentioned, there's really not a lot of stuff to show in the way of structures and major artifacts. And some of these re-enactments are shown more than once as if their reenactment budget was limited (I don't think goober reviewers actualy understand reenacting... I wish we got paid). For those who are not big fans of reenactments, and I'm one, take note.

Virtually every historical point or aspect of this history is passed through rather quickly, never dwelling on much detail, due to trying to cover 400+ years in a comparatively short documentary tweet. But the producers and Hughes make the best use of their time, hit all the key highlights and move right along making good periodic use of commentary by guest historians and archeologists which really adds to the understanding of the topic. Hughes herself does her usual wonderful muted-dramatic voice inflections and visual tics to make points and emphasize key moments.

This documentary is divided into three episodes with multiple chapters within each. It's probable each episode could have been a separate documentary as in Invasion, Rule and Departure in the form of a series by offering more detail and showing more actual artifacts. One thing I did learn as a historian is how brutal the local Roman big cheeses were but I also felt less strongly than this program portrayed about exactly how dominating the Roman's actually were. I always felt the real extent of any Roman control in Britain usually didn't exceed much further than about 200 yards away from any Roman military fort or settlement, such was the difficulty they had trying to rule those rascal Celts for 400 years.