Scene #

Description

Narration

1

Roman soldiers are fighting. A statue of Octavian is shown, followed by a statue of Marc Antony.

Narrator: TWO RIVALS CAME FORWARD TO VIE FOR THE DEAD DICTATOR'S ABSOLUTE POWER -- OCTAVIAN, CAESAR'S 18-YEAR-OLD SON-IN-LAW AND HEIR, AND MARC ANTONY, CAESAR'S CLOSEST FRIEND AND ALLY, NO STRANGER TO THE POLITICS OF INTIMIDATION.

2

Ruins of Rome are showing. Images of writing, swords, and statues are shown.

IN 43 B.C., ANTONY RAISED AN ARMY AND SURROUNDED THE SENATE. THE REPUBLIC WAS ONCE AGAIN UNDER SIEGE. CICERO CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO ATTACK ANTONY. HE THOUGHT OCTAVIAN WAS THE REPUBLIC'S LAST CHANCE. CICERO CONFRONTED ANTONY IN THE SENATE. Cicero: YOUR AMBITION TO REIGN IS AS FIERCE AS CAESAR'S. I WOULD GLADLY OFFER MY OWN BODY IF MY DEATH COULD REDEEM THE FREEDOM OF OUR NATION. ANTONY TOOK CICERO AT HIS WORD. AND TWO MONTHS LATER, HIS THUGS MURDERED THE REPUBLIC'S BOLDEST DEFENDER. HIS HANDS WERE CUT OFF AND PUT ON PUBLIC DISPLAY IN ROME. ITS CONSCIENCE DEAD, THE ROMAN REPUBLIC WAS IN CRISIS.

3

Roman soldiers are fighting.

IN 33 B.C., 10 YEARS AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF JULIUS CAESAR, MARC ANTONY AND OCTAVIAN WERE STILL FIGHTING FOR CONTROL OF THE ROMAN WORLD. THE GHOST OF CIVIL WAR WAS BACK. THE ROMAN PEOPLE WERE DESPERATE FOR A CHANGE.

4

The city of Rome is in shadow. A statue of Marc Antony is show. A man is writing at a desk.

Tacitus: THE RULE OF A SINGLE MAN IS THE ONLY REMEDY FOR A COUNTRY IN TURMOIL. TACITUS. OCTAVIAN FINALLY DEFEATED ANTONY IN 31 B.C. TO BECOME THE UNDISPUTED RULER OF THE ENTIRE ROMAN WORLD. BUT HIS GREATEST VICTORY WOULD BE ONE OF STATESMANSHIP. OCTAVIAN WAS POISED TO REDEFINE THE VERY MEANING OF POWER IN ROME. HE UNDERSTOOD PATRONAGE WAS THE SECRET TO CONTROL IN ROMAN SOCIETY. WITH ROME'S VAST TREASURY AT HIS DISPOSAL, HE SET ABOUT MAKING EVERY ROMAN HIS CLIENT, OBLIGATED TO HIM, THE UNIVERSAL PATRON.

5

Gladiators are shown at the colosseum, lions are in the ring.

OCTAVIAN HANDED OUT HUGE CASH BONUSES TO ROME'S ARMY. HE NOW HAD THE UNDIVIDED LOYALTY OF OVER 400,000 SOLDIERS. HE THEN PLAYED TO THE PEOPLE LIKE NEVER BEFORE, INCREASING THE GRAIN HANDOUT AND BUILDING HUGE AQUEDUCTS TO BRING FRESH WATER TO ROME'S POOR. OCTAVIAN THEN FOCUSED ON THE MOST IMPORTANT RITUAL OF ALL. HE STAGED THE MOST LAVISH GAMES ROME HAD EVER SEEN. WILD BEASTS AND GLADIATORS FOUGHT FOR DAYS IN THE PACKED ARENA. [ CROWD CHEERING ] SEDUCED, THE PEOPLE VOTED HIM ALL THE POWER HE ASKED FOR.

6

Images of the Roman Senate are shown.

THE ROMAN SENATE THEN STUNNED EVERYONE. IN 27 B.C., THEY ALLOWED OCTAVIAN WHAT THEY HAD DENIED CAESAR – THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO ABSOLUTE POWER FOR LIFE. OCTAVIAN TOOK THE NAME AUGUSTUS – “THE SACRED ONE.” ROME, ONCE A BASTION OF OPEN GOVERNMENT, HAD WILLINGLY BECOME AN EMPIRE, RULED BY A SINGLE MAN.

7

A statue of Octavian is shown. Mussolini is standing in front of the statue. His army is marching through Rome

OCTAVIAN AUGUSTUS HAD BECOME THE ROMAN EMPIRE'S FIRST EMPEROR. 2,000 YEARS LATER, BENITO MUSSOLINI, ROME'S LAST FASCIST DICTATOR, STYLED HIMSELF ON ROME'S FIRST EMPEROR IN REVEALING WAYS. LIKE AUGUSTUS, MUSSOLINI SEIZED POWER BY FORCE. LIKE MUSSOLINI, AUGUSTUS FORCED A CONSENSUS THROUGH INTIMIDATION. BUT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE, THAT DIDN'T MATTER.

8

A wintery scene of Rome is being shown. Art work showing Roman people doing everyday things, such as farming, talking, going to a market place is being shown.

FOR THEM, AUGUSTUS WAS A SAVIOR. HE OFFERED THE PEACE AND STABILITY THEY HAD CRAVED FOR NEARLY A CENTURY. FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE EUPHRATES, FROM SPAIN TO SYRIA, PEOPLE WERE FREE TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN WAR. IT WAS THE PAX ROMANA, ROME’S GOLDEN AGE – THE LONGEST PERIOD OF PEACE EUROPE HAS EVER KNOWN.

9

A statue of Augustus is shown followed by a statue of his wife.

YET THE ARCHITECT OF PEACE WOULD NEVER ENJOY HIS OWN TRIUMPH. FOR AUGUSTUS WAS OBSESSED BY A QUESTION THAT PLAGUED ALL ROMAN EMPERORS. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN ROME WHEN HE DIED? THE DILEMMA OF DYNASTIC SUCCESSION WOULD HAUNT AUGUSTUS FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HIS MARRIAGE TO LIVIA HAD PRODUCED NO MALE HEIRS. THE BURDEN OF PRODUCING ONE FELL ON HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER JULIA.

10

A Roman woman is surrounded by Roman men.

AUGUSTUS CAREFULLY SELECTED HER PARTNERS. JULIA WAS MARRIED FIRST TO HER COUSIN MARCELLUS. BUT HE DIED TRAGICALLY AT THE AGE OF 19. SHE WAS THEN MARRIED TO MARCUS AGRIPPA, HER FATHER'S MILITARY ADVISOR. HE WAS 30 YEARS OLDER THAN HER. HE DIED, TOO. FINALLY, JULIA WAS PAIRED WITH TIBERIUS, HER OWN STEPBROTHER. THE ONLY THING THEY SHARED WAS A MUTUAL DISLIKE FOR EACH OTHER'S COMPANY. POOR JULIA WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE ARRANGED MARRIAGES. INEVITABLY, SHE LOOKED ELSEWHERE FOR INTIMACY.

11

A statue of Augustus is showing.

AUGUSTUS WAS TRAPPED. TEN YEARS EARLIER, HE'D PASSED DRACONIAN LAWS BANNING ADULTERY ON PUNISHMENT OF EXILE OR DEATH. THE EMPEROR WAS FORCED TO BANISH HIS OWN DAUGHTER TO AN ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF ITALY. JULIA WAS NEVER ALLOWED TO RETURN TO ROME. THE PRESSURES OF DYNASTIC SUCCESSION HAD CLAIMED ITS FIRST VICTIM. ROME'S FIRST EMPEROR EVENTUALLY DIED IN 14 A.D. AT THE AGE OF 76. HE'D RULED ROME PEACEFULLY FOR OVER 40 YEARS. Augustus: I RESTORED, I COMPLETED, I BUILT, I GAVE. AUGUSTUS.