1
00:00:21,521 --> 00:00:23,732
Do not talk about
what you're about to see.

2
00:00:24,733 --> 00:00:25,734
Understand?

3
00:00:27,527 --> 00:00:28,362
Yes.

4
00:01:00,102 --> 00:01:00,936
May I?

5
00:01:04,439 --> 00:01:05,899
Just do what you need to do.

6
00:01:14,992 --> 00:01:16,493
Was this the first time?

7
00:01:19,621 --> 00:01:20,455
No.

8
00:01:23,417 --> 00:01:24,751
I've been having them for years.

9
00:01:27,129 --> 00:01:29,890
Though they are becoming more frequent.

10
00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:31,383
How have you been sleeping?

11
00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:32,634
Fine.

12
00:01:34,469 --> 00:01:36,540
Though I have been having headaches.

13
00:01:39,474 --> 00:01:40,309
I see.

14
00:01:44,354 --> 00:01:46,231
Drink tea with fennel and juniper.

15
00:01:46,565 --> 00:01:47,774
It will help the headaches.

16
00:01:49,776 --> 00:01:51,690
And what about the fits?

17
00:01:52,738 --> 00:01:54,948
Hopefully they will lessen over time.

18
00:01:55,115 --> 00:01:55,949
Hopefully?

19
00:01:57,701 --> 00:02:00,370
I'm afraid there's not much I can do.

20
00:02:02,539 --> 00:02:03,957
This illness...

21
00:02:06,430 --> 00:02:07,336
is of the gods.

22
00:02:20,307 --> 00:02:21,933
[Brutus] And this just started now?

23
00:02:23,180 --> 00:02:24,644
He's been having them for years.

24
00:02:25,270 --> 00:02:26,813
-You knew?
-No.

25
00:02:29,274 --> 00:02:30,233
Will this kill him?

26
00:02:32,819 --> 00:02:33,653
I don't know...

27
00:02:34,112 --> 00:02:35,300
no one does.

28
00:02:37,449 --> 00:02:39,117
I suppose it doesn't matter.

29
00:02:40,285 --> 00:02:41,286
Either way...

30
00:02:42,370 --> 00:02:42,913
he's finished.

31
00:02:45,582 --> 00:02:46,416
How's that?

32
00:02:48,752 --> 00:02:50,337
The Senate will tear him apart.

33
00:02:51,546 --> 00:02:52,798
How will they know?

34
00:02:56,900 --> 00:02:57,594
You're not going to tell them.

35
00:02:59,679 --> 00:03:00,555
Why wouldn't I?

36
00:03:01,973 --> 00:03:04,976
Because right now he's vulnerable.

37
00:03:07,479 --> 00:03:10,732
You should be looking for ways
to take advantage.

38
00:04:51,958 --> 00:04:55,504
[narrator] Julius Caesar
has appointed himself dictator of Rome,

39
00:04:56,171 --> 00:04:59,591
giving him authority to pass any law
he sees fit.

40
00:05:06,181 --> 00:05:09,142
But in the midst of achieving
this unprecedented power,

41
00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,314
he faces a mysterious illness
that has no apparent cure.

42
00:05:16,816 --> 00:05:19,236
[Toner] The ancient sources
described him as having

43
00:05:19,319 --> 00:05:23,532
a kind of falling sickness,
what we might describe as epilepsy.

44
00:05:24,574 --> 00:05:28,745
All of which, I suspect,
showed the kind of ongoing stresses

45
00:05:28,828 --> 00:05:31,164
involved in the job that he was doing.

46
00:05:36,545 --> 00:05:38,505
[narrator] Despite his health problems,

47
00:05:39,589 --> 00:05:43,343
Caesar focuses on making a stronger,
more unified Rome.

48
00:05:47,347 --> 00:05:49,990
Since returning from Egypt,

49
00:05:49,933 --> 00:05:52,227
he's fed a starving population

50
00:05:53,311 --> 00:05:55,438
and restored order to the Senate.

51
00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:02,612
Now, with the city under control,

52
00:06:03,863 --> 00:06:08,243
Caesar wants to fix a Republic
that he believes is broken.

53
00:06:23,717 --> 00:06:24,676
For decades,

54
00:06:25,552 --> 00:06:30,307
Caesar has watched an inefficient Senate
grow increasingly powerful.

55
00:06:32,580 --> 00:06:34,853
But he knows the future of Rome's success

56
00:06:35,854 --> 00:06:37,397
lies with the people.

57
00:06:40,191 --> 00:06:44,529
A consistent problem in the Roman state
had been the issue of the Roman economy.

58
00:06:45,614 --> 00:06:50,952
You had a number of poor Romans who filled
the city of Rome looking for work,

59
00:06:51,786 --> 00:06:53,380
and being unable to find jobs.

60
00:06:53,663 --> 00:06:55,415
So Caesar sought to reform this.

61
00:06:58,710 --> 00:07:01,212
[narrator] To get the Roman citizens
back to work,

62
00:07:02,339 --> 00:07:04,883
Caesar begins a massive
construction program.

63
00:07:09,471 --> 00:07:10,680
Building temples,

64
00:07:11,306 --> 00:07:12,140
libraries,

65
00:07:13,141 --> 00:07:14,309
and a new harbor,

66
00:07:15,393 --> 00:07:17,562
providing jobs for thousands of Romans.

67
00:07:21,650 --> 00:07:23,902
[Strauss] Caesar was a paradox
as a politician.

68
00:07:23,985 --> 00:07:25,820
On the one hand,
his priority was always Caesar.

69
00:07:26,363 --> 00:07:27,864
He wanted to advance himself.

70
00:07:28,823 --> 00:07:29,950
But on the other hand,

71
00:07:31,493 --> 00:07:35,413
instead of always supporting the side
of wealth and power,

72
00:07:36,706 --> 00:07:40,627
he would try to extend more benefits
to ordinary people.

73
00:07:47,676 --> 00:07:50,470
[narrator] While his construction projects
help the people,

74
00:07:51,930 --> 00:07:54,933
his most innovative
and long-lasting reform

75
00:07:55,809 --> 00:07:58,186
is the introduction of a new calendar.

76
00:08:00,939 --> 00:08:02,357
[Irvin] When Caesar returns to Rome,

77
00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,735
he finds that the calendar is off
by at least 40 days.

78
00:08:07,654 --> 00:08:10,365
The Roman government
had become so corrupt,

79
00:08:10,448 --> 00:08:13,743
so inept,
that they had literally lost track

80
00:08:13,827 --> 00:08:15,912
of the days, the months, the seasons.

81
00:08:18,123 --> 00:08:21,710
[narrator] Caesar bases the new calendar
on a solar year,

82
00:08:22,711 --> 00:08:26,297
putting the entire Republic
on a universal timetable,

83
00:08:27,340 --> 00:08:29,134
one that is still used today.

84
00:08:34,305 --> 00:08:37,100
While Caesar's reforms are popular
with the people,

85
00:08:38,393 --> 00:08:39,811
he's acting on his own.

86
00:08:40,895 --> 00:08:42,939
Without the support of the Senate.

87
00:08:45,817 --> 00:08:46,985
Over the past hundred years,

88
00:08:48,945 --> 00:08:52,157
Rome has experienced a time
of unprecedented growth.

89
00:08:53,199 --> 00:08:55,368
We've expanded our borders
north into Gaul,

90
00:08:55,785 --> 00:08:58,580
east into Macedonia,
and west into Hispania.

91
00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:01,750
Growth is good.

92
00:09:02,292 --> 00:09:03,710
It fuels the economy.

93
00:09:04,502 --> 00:09:05,754
It makes us stronger,

94
00:09:06,588 --> 00:09:07,714
more powerful.

95
00:09:11,801 --> 00:09:14,971
But in order to preserve that power,
we must consolidate it.

96
00:09:16,639 --> 00:09:17,474
Beginning...

97
00:09:18,725 --> 00:09:20,518
by granting full citizenship

98
00:09:21,269 --> 00:09:23,813
to those living in the conquered provinces
of Gaul.

99
00:09:26,524 --> 00:09:27,692
If we neglect them

100
00:09:28,651 --> 00:09:31,154
and continue to treat them
as prisoners of war,

101
00:09:31,237 --> 00:09:33,323
there will be another rebellion.

102
00:09:34,282 --> 00:09:36,451
If we acknowledge the Gauls
as Roman citizens,

103
00:09:36,534 --> 00:09:39,913
they will behave as Roman citizens.

104
00:09:41,414 --> 00:09:42,999
This is the cost

105
00:09:43,583 --> 00:09:45,293
of maintaining the peace.

106
00:09:47,295 --> 00:09:48,922
There will be no debate.

107
00:09:50,757 --> 00:09:52,500
This legislation

108
00:09:53,384 --> 00:09:54,969
takes effect immediately.

109
00:10:03,853 --> 00:10:07,398
[Strauss] Caesar wants to acquire
all the power that he can,

110
00:10:08,817 --> 00:10:10,568
but he's also trying to create

111
00:10:10,652 --> 00:10:14,405
a bigger, more impressive system
of Roman government

112
00:10:14,656 --> 00:10:20,578
that is fit for purpose when it comes
to ruling what is now a global empire

113
00:10:20,662 --> 00:10:23,248
stretching across the whole
Mediterranean world.

114
00:10:25,917 --> 00:10:29,921
And now Caesar can push through his own
legislative agenda,

115
00:10:30,130 --> 00:10:31,422
do whatever he wants,

116
00:10:31,506 --> 00:10:34,592
without having to worry
about getting the Senate's support.

117
00:10:42,183 --> 00:10:44,185
He's stripped us of all authority.

118
00:10:44,644 --> 00:10:46,771
We have no power whatsoever.

119
00:10:46,855 --> 00:10:48,565
It's only temporary.

120
00:10:49,816 --> 00:10:50,859
I wouldn't be so sure.

121
00:10:52,277 --> 00:10:55,655
As soon as he's accomplished
his political goals, he will step down.

122
00:10:55,905 --> 00:11:00,118
Once you have power,
it's very hard to let it go.

123
00:11:04,956 --> 00:11:08,100
[narrator] While Brutus disagrees
with Caesar's methods,

124
00:11:08,751 --> 00:11:10,461
he works closely with him,

125
00:11:11,462 --> 00:11:13,590
helping Caesar write legislation.

126
00:11:15,842 --> 00:11:19,888
And Caesar begins considering Brutus
as a possible heir.

127
00:11:21,306 --> 00:11:23,570
Caesar was concerned with his legacy,

128
00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,436
because he did not have a male son
of his own.

129
00:11:26,686 --> 00:11:30,273
He was just taking thought
for the future success of his name.

130
00:11:30,815 --> 00:11:32,660
We need a census.

131
00:11:32,358 --> 00:11:35,612
-A proper census of the city.
-We've had surveys done in the past.

132
00:11:35,695 --> 00:11:37,710
But they weren't done properly.

133
00:11:37,864 --> 00:11:41,618
Brutus had long been considered by Caesar
something of a surrogate son.

134
00:11:42,452 --> 00:11:46,539
He wanted Brutus to recognize
that there was something

135
00:11:46,623 --> 00:11:49,420
maybe greater that they could do together.

136
00:11:49,959 --> 00:11:53,421
[narrator] For Brutus,
everything is about to change,

137
00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,341
with the arrival of a foreign ally

138
00:11:56,883 --> 00:11:59,302
with news that will shock the Republic.

139
00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,402
[Ruggeri] Cleopatra, within a year
of after Caesar leaves Egypt,

140
00:12:16,653 --> 00:12:17,820
follows him to Rome.

141
00:12:18,780 --> 00:12:22,909
Most Romans knew Caesar's reputation
as a bit of a playboy.

142
00:12:23,159 --> 00:12:28,247
Most Romans also understood
that commanders and leaders abroad

143
00:12:28,456 --> 00:12:29,958
tended to have flings.

144
00:12:35,463 --> 00:12:37,900
What was unusual

145
00:12:37,173 --> 00:12:39,425
was that person going to Rome,

146
00:12:41,260 --> 00:12:45,264
particularly if they had the reputation
of somebody like Cleopatra.

147
00:13:04,158 --> 00:13:06,703
This was not only a foreigner

148
00:13:06,786 --> 00:13:09,330
but a queen in her own right.

149
00:13:26,431 --> 00:13:30,685
She was so far outside the mold
of how Romans saw their women,

150
00:13:30,977 --> 00:13:33,146
it must have been
a bit of a shock to them.

151
00:13:40,778 --> 00:13:41,612
So...

152
00:13:42,655 --> 00:13:43,823
how was your journey?

153
00:13:44,991 --> 00:13:45,825
Long.

154
00:13:46,784 --> 00:13:48,161
But I hope worthwhile.

155
00:14:00,798 --> 00:14:01,841
What is this?

156
00:14:07,930 --> 00:14:09,474
His name is Cesarion.

157
00:14:11,184 --> 00:14:12,185
Your son.

158
00:14:19,108 --> 00:14:24,720
One of the most shocking features
of Caesar's return for Rome

159
00:14:24,155 --> 00:14:26,699
was the arrival in Rome of Cleopatra...

160
00:14:27,825 --> 00:14:28,785
with a son.

161
00:14:30,203 --> 00:14:33,289
For the de facto head of the Roman state

162
00:14:33,372 --> 00:14:36,420
to have a romantic relationship
and then a child

163
00:14:36,125 --> 00:14:40,400
with the queen of an autonomous
Mediterranean power,

164
00:14:40,505 --> 00:14:44,500
that sent shockwaves reverberating
around the world.

165
00:14:47,345 --> 00:14:49,639
She has him wrapped around her finger.

166
00:14:49,722 --> 00:14:53,590
-He barely said a word.
-He didn't have to. It was obvious.

167
00:14:53,601 --> 00:14:56,979
-We don't know if it's even his child.
-You think that makes any difference?

168
00:14:57,980 --> 00:14:59,273
Now he has a son.

169
00:14:59,357 --> 00:15:01,984
-To the Queen of Egypt.
-It doesn't change anything.

170
00:15:02,693 --> 00:15:05,710
-It changes everything.
-For Rome or for you?

171
00:15:07,310 --> 00:15:07,865
Excuse me?

172
00:15:09,700 --> 00:15:12,780
-I just meant--
-This isn't about me.

173
00:15:13,162 --> 00:15:13,996
Or Rome.

174
00:15:15,206 --> 00:15:16,624
This is about you.

175
00:15:17,959 --> 00:15:19,794
Whether or not you realize it,

176
00:15:20,711 --> 00:15:22,130
you've just been replaced.

177
00:15:24,340 --> 00:15:28,594
As long as Cleopatra's in power
and their son is alive,

178
00:15:29,220 --> 00:15:30,346
you don't matter.

179
00:15:31,347 --> 00:15:33,391
Let's not overreact.

180
00:15:34,559 --> 00:15:37,645
Whatever position of power you think
you've secured for yourself,

181
00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:39,630
it's temporary.

182
00:15:40,398 --> 00:15:41,691
So what do you want me to do?

183
00:15:45,690 --> 00:15:47,655
Make friends with the Senate,
you'll need them.

184
00:15:50,783 --> 00:15:51,742
Is that all?

185
00:15:53,202 --> 00:15:54,780
For now.

186
00:15:55,997 --> 00:15:57,498
And keep your eyes open.

187
00:15:58,541 --> 00:16:02,753
People in your position of power
don't last very long.

188
00:16:05,673 --> 00:16:09,760
It's hard to imagine that Servilia
didn't see Cleopatra as a rival,

189
00:16:09,927 --> 00:16:12,430
especially when Cleopatra came to Rome.

190
00:16:13,264 --> 00:16:15,892
Servilia's chief loyalty was to her son,
Brutus.

191
00:16:15,975 --> 00:16:17,643
After all, he was her son

192
00:16:17,768 --> 00:16:20,313
and he did represent the future
of her house

193
00:16:20,438 --> 00:16:22,106
in a way that Caesar never could.

194
00:16:41,709 --> 00:16:42,752
He has your eyes.

195
00:16:48,883 --> 00:16:50,426
One day, he'll be the King of Egypt.

196
00:16:51,636 --> 00:16:52,762
And maybe Rome.

197
00:16:54,805 --> 00:16:56,599
Rome won't accept a king.

198
00:16:57,934 --> 00:16:58,893
It did once.

199
00:17:01,620 --> 00:17:02,396
That was a long time ago.

200
00:17:06,567 --> 00:17:07,652
Then it could again.

201
00:17:13,199 --> 00:17:16,369
[Strauss] I think that Cleopatra plants
the seed of monarchy

202
00:17:16,827 --> 00:17:18,788
and all it can be in Caesar's head.

203
00:17:19,372 --> 00:17:23,840
Does Caesar come away from Cleopatra
thinking, "I want to be a king"?

204
00:17:23,376 --> 00:17:25,920
Perhaps not quite in such bald terms,

205
00:17:26,337 --> 00:17:30,341
but I think he comes away convinced
that there's really no future for Rome

206
00:17:30,424 --> 00:17:34,178
without him being the man who runs it
in one form or another.

207
00:18:02,123 --> 00:18:03,958
[narrator] By 45 B.C.,

208
00:18:04,583 --> 00:18:09,880
Julius Caesar has conquered
over 200,000 miles of territory,

209
00:18:10,890 --> 00:18:12,133
pulled Rome out of chaos,

210
00:18:13,843 --> 00:18:17,972
and named himself dictator
for the next ten years.

211
00:18:19,181 --> 00:18:20,850
But with the arrival of a son,

212
00:18:21,642 --> 00:18:24,145
Caesar begins thinking about a dynasty.

213
00:18:26,897 --> 00:18:29,660
[Strauss] The conclusion
that Caesar reached

214
00:18:29,150 --> 00:18:31,319
is that Roman politics should be dominated

215
00:18:31,402 --> 00:18:33,362
by just one family,

216
00:18:33,946 --> 00:18:35,406
by his family.

217
00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:40,953
He's feeling his way toward some kind
of monarchy.

218
00:18:43,122 --> 00:18:44,749
[narrator] To secure his legacy,

219
00:18:45,333 --> 00:18:49,450
Caesar begins a citywide project
celebrating his image

220
00:18:49,795 --> 00:18:53,382
which he puts on display
alongside Roman gods.

221
00:18:54,842 --> 00:18:57,940
Ivory towers are built in his honor,

222
00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,766
including the Basilica Julia,
which still exists today.

223
00:19:02,850 --> 00:19:04,852
[Strauss] Caesar was an arrogant man.

224
00:19:05,610 --> 00:19:06,896
He had broken all the rules,

225
00:19:06,979 --> 00:19:10,983
so he felt that he was entitled
to make all the rules.

226
00:19:11,650 --> 00:19:15,237
It's hard to avoid the conclusion
that power had gone to his head.

227
00:19:16,655 --> 00:19:19,325
[narrator] His birthday is declared
a public holiday,

228
00:19:19,909 --> 00:19:22,286
and he begins wearing a purple robe,

229
00:19:22,870 --> 00:19:25,623
a garment once reserved for Roman kings.

230
00:19:27,708 --> 00:19:30,961
I think everyone saw some form
of autocracy,

231
00:19:31,504 --> 00:19:35,700
but how severe it would be
was anyone's guess.

232
00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:39,110
Whether Caesar viewed himself as a king
or something else,

233
00:19:39,950 --> 00:19:41,680
I think he really did want to be a god.

234
00:19:43,307 --> 00:19:46,600
[narrator] Caesar believes leading Rome
is his destiny,

235
00:19:47,186 --> 00:19:49,397
so he looks to solidify his power.

236
00:19:50,189 --> 00:19:51,232
Permanently.

237
00:20:40,322 --> 00:20:43,617
Julius Caesar has faithfully served
the Republic of Rome.

238
00:20:44,618 --> 00:20:48,706
Through his dedication and sacrifice,
he has ushered in an unprecedented era

239
00:20:48,789 --> 00:20:50,749
of peace and prosperity.

240
00:20:52,168 --> 00:20:54,300
He's conquered foreign enemies,

241
00:20:55,870 --> 00:20:56,422
expanded our borders

242
00:20:57,214 --> 00:21:00,801
and eased the burden
of our less fortunate citizens.

243
00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:06,150
His astounding achievements deserve honors
of equal merit.

244
00:21:09,310 --> 00:21:12,813
It is with that in mind,
that I hereby name Julius Caesar

245
00:21:15,232 --> 00:21:16,984
Dictator in perpetuity.

246
00:21:19,690 --> 00:21:19,987
On me!

247
00:21:25,367 --> 00:21:26,368
Cover it up!

248
00:21:31,415 --> 00:21:33,501
Julia... has passed.

249
00:21:52,895 --> 00:21:53,729
Stay back.

250
00:22:35,729 --> 00:22:39,233
The man has himself proclaimed
as dictator for life

251
00:22:39,608 --> 00:22:41,861
and then collapses in a convulsive fit.

252
00:22:43,696 --> 00:22:44,947
I don't know where to begin.

253
00:22:45,239 --> 00:22:47,866
He's going to step down.
Isn't that what you told us?

254
00:22:48,492 --> 00:22:49,869
I can't see that happening.

255
00:22:50,452 --> 00:22:52,663
-Did you know he was sick?
-Of course not.

256
00:22:55,583 --> 00:22:56,542
I think you did.

257
00:22:56,875 --> 00:22:59,211
Perhaps that's how you finagled
your position?

258
00:22:59,295 --> 00:23:00,421
I earned my place.

259
00:23:00,504 --> 00:23:02,923
What else aren't you telling us?

260
00:23:06,552 --> 00:23:09,346
Are you questioning my loyalty
to the Republic?

261
00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,393
Don't ever question my loyalty.

262
00:23:14,727 --> 00:23:18,188
Then we can count on you
to do whatever's necessary

263
00:23:19,356 --> 00:23:21,984
if and when the time comes?

264
00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:24,111
War is coming.

265
00:23:25,362 --> 00:23:26,780
It's time you picked a side.

266
00:23:39,209 --> 00:23:42,379
[Strauss] Emotionally,
Brutus was conflicted.

267
00:23:43,500 --> 00:23:45,799
On the one hand, Caesar was a great man.

268
00:23:46,425 --> 00:23:49,637
Brutus had known him since he was a boy.

269
00:23:50,540 --> 00:23:53,766
On the other hand,
Caesar was the dictator for life,

270
00:23:53,974 --> 00:23:56,769
the man who posed a threat
to the Roman Republic

271
00:23:57,190 --> 00:23:59,647
and everything that Brutus held dear.

272
00:24:01,940 --> 00:24:04,680
[narrator] Despite their personal history,

273
00:24:04,401 --> 00:24:07,321
Brutus is forced by his colleagues
to make a choice,

274
00:24:09,990 --> 00:24:12,910
while Caesar looks to distract the Senate
from his illness

275
00:24:13,452 --> 00:24:15,996
with plans of a shocking new conquest.

276
00:24:33,550 --> 00:24:36,580
Knowing his sickness
could make him seem weak to the Senate,

277
00:24:36,850 --> 00:24:39,603
Caesar decides to temporarily leave Rome.

278
00:24:42,523 --> 00:24:45,776
[Strauss] I think Caesar was frustrated
by being in Rome,

279
00:24:46,110 --> 00:24:48,404
dealing with the minutia
of Roman politics,

280
00:24:48,821 --> 00:24:53,742
jousting with Senators,
having to negotiate with people

281
00:24:53,826 --> 00:24:56,780
he no longer considered his equals.

282
00:24:56,745 --> 00:25:00,290
On the battlefield,
everything was simpler and cleaner.

283
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,336
[narrator] 
So Caesar declares he'll invade Parthia,

284
00:25:05,546 --> 00:25:08,900
the same empire that defeated Crassus.

285
00:25:10,134 --> 00:25:12,803
[Toner] Caesar decided to invade Parthia

286
00:25:13,178 --> 00:25:15,264
to keep the Roman people on side.

287
00:25:17,891 --> 00:25:20,394
It may have been a ploy
to distract the people,

288
00:25:21,270 --> 00:25:24,732
but it also shows that he's something
of a conquest junkie.

289
00:25:25,650 --> 00:25:29,690
He's addicted to the thrill
that comes from conquest

290
00:25:29,153 --> 00:25:31,822
and the power and money
that it generates for him.

291
00:25:32,948 --> 00:25:36,410
[narrator] A victory in Parthia
would bring Caesar not only riches,

292
00:25:37,745 --> 00:25:41,390
it would make him even more popular
with the Roman people.

293
00:25:42,291 --> 00:25:44,840
Caesar's career followed a course

294
00:25:44,501 --> 00:25:48,714
where when he's out on campaign
conquering new territory for Rome,

295
00:25:48,797 --> 00:25:52,900
defeating Rome's enemies,
he's very popular, everything is great.

296
00:25:52,801 --> 00:25:55,137
Once he has to actually come back
and govern,

297
00:25:55,888 --> 00:25:57,598
things get stickier, things get harder.

298
00:25:58,515 --> 00:26:00,170
If we come up through the north,

299
00:26:00,225 --> 00:26:01,727
we can cross the mountains.

300
00:26:02,644 --> 00:26:05,481
The only other option is the desert route,
but we don't want to do that.

301
00:26:06,273 --> 00:26:08,942
-Well, Crassus went through the desert.
-Crassus died in the desert.

302
00:26:09,943 --> 00:26:13,655
All the armies in the world can't save you
from dying of thirst.

303
00:26:14,990 --> 00:26:16,492
Do not underestimate the risk.

304
00:26:17,743 --> 00:26:18,660
He was arrogant.

305
00:26:19,828 --> 00:26:22,390
He listened to the wrong people.
That's what killed him.

306
00:26:24,917 --> 00:26:25,959
You called for me.

307
00:26:26,502 --> 00:26:28,253
Ah, you're here. It's all right.

308
00:26:30,464 --> 00:26:32,549
I want you to call a meeting
with the Senate.

309
00:26:33,759 --> 00:26:35,511
I'm announcing a new campaign.

310
00:26:37,221 --> 00:26:39,223
We're going to conquer Parthia.

311
00:26:42,893 --> 00:26:43,727
Parthia?

312
00:26:45,620 --> 00:26:46,814
That's a bold choice.

313
00:26:50,108 --> 00:26:51,527
I'll arrange a meeting immediately.

314
00:26:53,529 --> 00:26:55,300
Tomorrow will be fine.

315
00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:02,663
Now, where were we?

316
00:27:08,836 --> 00:27:13,340
[narrator] For Brutus, an invasion
of Parthia shows that Caesar values power

317
00:27:13,966 --> 00:27:15,926
over the welfare of the Republic.

318
00:27:17,344 --> 00:27:21,265
[Strauss] I think Brutus saw
as much as anyone

319
00:27:21,348 --> 00:27:24,852
that Caesar was a threat
to the long-established

320
00:27:24,935 --> 00:27:28,105
constitutional order
of the Roman Republic.

321
00:27:28,188 --> 00:27:30,149
Brutus was a philosopher,

322
00:27:30,774 --> 00:27:34,778
and he saw that Caesar threatened
Roman ideals.

323
00:27:35,654 --> 00:27:41,340
Brutus also felt that as the descendant
of the founder of the Roman Republic,

324
00:27:41,118 --> 00:27:43,579
he had a particular responsibility

325
00:27:43,662 --> 00:27:48,584
to defend the Republic against someone
who was opposing it.

326
00:28:04,266 --> 00:28:06,727
-Thank you for meeting with me.
-Your message was cryptic.

327
00:28:07,394 --> 00:28:08,645
Let him speak.

328
00:28:11,231 --> 00:28:14,670
Caesar is calling an emergency meeting
of the Senate.

329
00:28:15,193 --> 00:28:18,710
He's going to announce his plans
to invade Parthia.

330
00:28:18,655 --> 00:28:20,991
He thinks another conquest will serve
as a distraction.

331
00:28:21,740 --> 00:28:21,909
He's not serious.

332
00:28:22,367 --> 00:28:23,952
Are you really that surprised?

333
00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:25,621
We don't have the funds to finance--

334
00:28:25,704 --> 00:28:27,998
There are far bigger implications
than finances.

335
00:28:28,665 --> 00:28:30,334
The last thing we need is another war.

336
00:28:30,417 --> 00:28:31,335
Then talk to him.

337
00:28:31,710 --> 00:28:33,754
It's too late for that.
He's already made up his mind.

338
00:28:33,837 --> 00:28:36,506
-There's no talking him out of it.
-Then perhaps we should let him go.

339
00:28:36,590 --> 00:28:38,675
When he's gone, we can take back control
of the Senate.

340
00:28:38,759 --> 00:28:41,428
We can't risk him returning more powerful
than he already is.

341
00:28:41,511 --> 00:28:43,513
Well, that's assuming he's successful.

342
00:28:43,597 --> 00:28:46,391
If he fails,
he'll bring the Republic down with him.

343
00:28:46,475 --> 00:28:48,310
How are we supposed to stop him?

344
00:28:49,853 --> 00:28:52,220
I thought you were prepared to do
whatever's necessary?

345
00:29:01,730 --> 00:29:02,240
Inside Rome,

346
00:29:02,324 --> 00:29:05,410
there's a real fear
that's beginning to set in

347
00:29:05,494 --> 00:29:08,997
that what Caesar's gonna do
is make himself king of Rome.

348
00:29:10,958 --> 00:29:13,585
The idea that there would be
a king of Rome

349
00:29:13,961 --> 00:29:17,589
was anathema
to Roman political psychology.

350
00:29:21,551 --> 00:29:22,678
Inside the Senate,

351
00:29:23,553 --> 00:29:27,766
this is really the moment when they say,
"We have to get rid of Caesar."

352
00:29:45,659 --> 00:29:49,162
[narrator] Three days before Caesar
is scheduled to leave for Parthia,

353
00:29:50,789 --> 00:29:52,100
an emergency Senate meeting is called.

354
00:29:55,460 --> 00:29:58,296
[Strauss] Caesar's planned war
with Parthia

355
00:29:58,380 --> 00:30:00,966
frightened his political opponents,

356
00:30:01,490 --> 00:30:03,218
because they knew that once he left Rome,

357
00:30:03,510 --> 00:30:05,721
and took his position as a general,

358
00:30:05,887 --> 00:30:08,223
he would be defended by a bodyguard.

359
00:30:08,724 --> 00:30:11,893
In Rome, Caesar had no formal bodyguard.

360
00:30:12,269 --> 00:30:17,232
So he would be virtually untouchable
 once he was a general in the field.

361
00:30:22,988 --> 00:30:25,449
[narrator]
To guarantee there are no intruders,

362
00:30:27,951 --> 00:30:31,413
the Senate hire guards to stand watch
outside the theater.

363
00:30:50,570 --> 00:30:55,187
[Toner] I think most of the reason why
Brutus decided to conspire against Caesar

364
00:30:55,395 --> 00:30:56,563
was political.

365
00:30:58,857 --> 00:31:01,109
He could never tolerate a situation

366
00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:05,322
where the Republic had been defeated
by an individual man

367
00:31:05,822 --> 00:31:09,451
who had taken powers to himself
in perpetuity.

368
00:32:06,258 --> 00:32:08,426
May I have a word regarding my brother?
He's in exile.

369
00:32:08,844 --> 00:32:10,262
-After the session
-Please!

370
00:32:17,477 --> 00:32:18,311
Let me through.

371
00:32:19,813 --> 00:32:22,732
-Please. I'm not above begging.
-You can bring it up with the magistrates.

372
00:32:22,816 --> 00:32:24,109
I haven't seen him in a decade.

373
00:32:24,192 --> 00:32:26,528
Then a few more hours won't matter.

374
00:32:26,611 --> 00:32:27,445
Please!

375
00:32:27,529 --> 00:32:28,989
Get off me.

376
00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:30,824
Get him off me!

377
00:33:57,202 --> 00:34:00,163
-[Caesar] And what's your name?
-Brutus.

378
00:34:21,810 --> 00:34:25,230
[narrator] On the 14th of March, 44 B.C.,

379
00:34:26,606 --> 00:34:30,260
Julius Caesar is stabbed 23 times

380
00:34:30,944 --> 00:34:32,696
by a faction of senators,

381
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:35,730
led by Brutus.

382
00:34:43,999 --> 00:34:45,625
[Duncan] Caesar knew that he had enemies.

383
00:34:45,709 --> 00:34:48,545
Caesar knew that some of those enemies
would kill him

384
00:34:48,628 --> 00:34:50,255
if they had the opportunity to.

385
00:34:50,338 --> 00:34:55,135
I don't think that Caesar thought
that they had the balls to do it.

386
00:35:16,698 --> 00:35:20,760
[narrator] The assassination
of Julius Caesar shocks Rome.

387
00:35:26,583 --> 00:35:29,200
Slaves carry his body through the streets

388
00:35:30,860 --> 00:35:31,838
as the city mourns.

389
00:35:37,635 --> 00:35:40,680
Brutus and his conspirators
try to restore order,

390
00:35:41,639 --> 00:35:44,267
but things quickly spiral out of control.

391
00:35:45,393 --> 00:35:48,646
The death of Caesar created
a huge political vacuum

392
00:35:48,730 --> 00:35:50,357
at the top of the processes

393
00:35:50,690 --> 00:35:54,778
and men immediately started to fight
for how to achieve

394
00:35:54,861 --> 00:35:57,113
clarity in the system going forward.

395
00:36:05,830 --> 00:36:07,791
[narrator] In the months that follow,

396
00:36:07,874 --> 00:36:11,860
Brutus and Mark Antony become
bitter rivals

397
00:36:12,170 --> 00:36:14,381
fighting for power on the battlefield.

398
00:36:17,592 --> 00:36:18,968
Brutus is defeated

399
00:36:19,761 --> 00:36:21,262
and as he's being captured,

400
00:36:21,971 --> 00:36:22,972
takes his own life.

401
00:36:30,210 --> 00:36:33,108
Mark Antony's allies will soon conspire
against him,

402
00:36:34,192 --> 00:36:37,946
and he flees to Egypt,
where he marries Cleopatra.

403
00:36:42,242 --> 00:36:44,953
After war breaks out
between Egypt and Rome,

404
00:36:45,954 --> 00:36:49,290
Antony and Cleopatra die
in a double suicide.

405
00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,384
Caesar's child, Caesarion,
rules Egypt for two weeks,

406
00:37:00,900 --> 00:37:02,262
before he's killed at age seventeen.

407
00:37:16,192 --> 00:37:17,610
By assassinating Caesar,

408
00:37:18,690 --> 00:37:21,114
the Roman senators believed
they were saving the Republic.

409
00:37:22,657 --> 00:37:24,159
But the opposite occurs.

410
00:37:27,412 --> 00:37:29,581
And after years of violence and upheaval

411
00:37:30,373 --> 00:37:34,836
the only way to restore peace
is through the leadership of one man.

412
00:37:35,837 --> 00:37:39,632
His name is Octavian,
the nephew of Julius Caesar.

413
00:37:41,900 --> 00:37:44,262
And on the 16th of January 27 B.C.,

414
00:37:44,762 --> 00:37:46,890
he becomes Rome's first emperor,

415
00:37:48,570 --> 00:37:50,310
ruling for the next 40 years.

416
00:37:51,728 --> 00:37:54,981
Caesar, in the end,
destroyed the Republic.

417
00:37:55,899 --> 00:38:00,904
The example that he set,
the wheels that he set in motion.

418
00:38:01,290 --> 00:38:04,949
After Caesar,
nothing could be the way that it was.

419
00:38:08,161 --> 00:38:10,663
[narrator] Just 20 years
after Caesar's death,

420
00:38:11,956 --> 00:38:13,583
Rome is an empire...

421
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,381
with over 50 million people
living within its borders,

422
00:38:21,341 --> 00:38:24,385
roughly twenty percent
of the world's population.

423
00:38:26,346 --> 00:38:29,349
No man helped shape
that transformation more...

424
00:38:29,933 --> 00:38:31,476
than Julius Caesar.

425
00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:41,778
Caesar has been one
of the most influential figures

426
00:38:42,700 --> 00:38:44,322
in the history of Western civilization.

427
00:38:45,198 --> 00:38:49,285
His assassination directly tied
to the end of the Republic

428
00:38:49,702 --> 00:38:52,956
and the start
of this imperial autocratic rule.

429
00:38:53,957 --> 00:38:56,334
So he's been hugely influential
in that sense.

430
00:39:01,256 --> 00:39:04,592
[Tempest] Caesar certainly stands
as one of the great men of history today.

431
00:39:05,260 --> 00:39:08,120
He did take steps to curb corruption,

432
00:39:08,137 --> 00:39:09,430
to eliminate debt,

433
00:39:09,681 --> 00:39:11,766
to make life a bit better
for the poorer citizens

434
00:39:11,849 --> 00:39:12,934
and they loved him for it.

435
00:39:14,394 --> 00:39:17,605
So, part of his legacy is bound up
with that reputation.

436
00:39:25,905 --> 00:39:28,825
[narrator] Caesar's legacy goes beyond
the borders of Rome.

437
00:39:30,910 --> 00:39:31,828
Foreign leaders,

438
00:39:32,453 --> 00:39:35,123
including Russian Tsars and German Kaisers

439
00:39:35,498 --> 00:39:37,375
use translations of his name,

440
00:39:39,669 --> 00:39:42,630
and the month of July
is named in his honor.

441
00:39:45,758 --> 00:39:48,344
[Duncan] Caesar's legacy is enormous.

442
00:39:49,950 --> 00:39:54,170
He's one of the two or three most famous
human beings that has ever lived.

443
00:39:55,184 --> 00:39:58,730
Every subsequent leader
for the last 2,000 years,

444
00:39:58,813 --> 00:40:01,858
anybody who's politically ambitious,
militarily ambitious,

445
00:40:02,358 --> 00:40:05,361
knows about Julius Caesar,
and whether consciously or not,

446
00:40:05,445 --> 00:40:07,780
is comparing themselves to Julius Caesar.

447
00:40:07,864 --> 00:40:12,350
He looms enormous
in the political and military history

448
00:40:12,368 --> 00:40:14,662
of the Western world and the whole world.

449
00:40:14,996 --> 00:40:17,415
And of course he stands
at one of the most famous

450
00:40:17,540 --> 00:40:19,459
political transitions in human history,

451
00:40:19,542 --> 00:40:22,420
which is when the Roman Republic
becomes the Roman Empire.

452
00:40:22,712 --> 00:40:25,381
And who's at the very center of that?
It's Julius Caesar.