Rating: 
Summary: Eye-Opener for Christians and Non-Christians Alike
Review: Absorbing and detailed 6-part DVD, 312 minutes in length. Additional features of this DVD include o A Timeline. o Virtual Reconstructions and descriptions of the Forum, Baths, Circus Maximus, Colosseum, public buildings, and the House of the Vestal Virgins. o Textual summary of The Twelve Caesars, Suetonius (69-140 A.D.), chronicling the exploits of Julius Caesar and the first 11 Roman emperors. - - - Comments follow: Fascinating overview of the Roman origins, Republic, Empire, Emperors, subjects, slaves, conquests, and the conquered. It skips over most of the conquests in the east, with the exception of Judea and the failed campaign against the Parthians. Many of the additions/segments with historians are of interest, some are distracting and seem out of place. The Greek influence on the Romans? Check elsewhere for details as that's given scant mention via this DVD. It uses a lot of old movie footage to depict wars, slavery, gladiators, etc., although there are original scenes with production value and quite a lot of modern day footage of the areas/topics covered. Unfortunately, some of the footage is used several times for different aspects of history, but only someone (like me) who focuses on detail would be bothered by that technique. The strengths of the show? The narration by Peter Coyote and the exhaustive coverage of some little-known or little-mentioned aspects of Roman history, such as o the nuances involved in the spread of chris- tianity which were in no small part a result of Roman subjugation of conquered territories combined with increasing proclivities towards enslaving/impoverishing said territories, o Rome's persistent focus on shifting resources to the very top of the empire with steadily degrading adversity for the vast majority of its subjects, over time, o the causality/impetus behind the endorsement/ official establishment of christianity by Roman emperor Constantine. Unfortunately, it gives scant mention to details on paganism, sun worship, the mystic cults, and other religions, for the most part. Parts of the show could be used by christian churches to promote christianity (and appear to have been constructed with a christian audience in mind). On the other hand, other parts (especially the details on pre- and post- Constantinian advocacy of christianity) would likely discomfort a christian audience ...
Rating: 
Summary: Your art is to rule, Roman
Review: At 5+ hours, this is certainly an ambitious documentary of the rise, hegemony & eventual decline and fall of the Roman Empire. For many subjects, one would think that a study of this length would be overkill. However, when you're talking about an empire which spanned nearly 1,200 years, 5 hours barely scratches the surface. Don't get me wrong, this is a fairly well-done piece. However, there is only so much that you can stick into a video of this duration. One of the most impressive aspects of the DVD is its inclusion of people of varying expertise. Sure, it has the normal college history professors, but it also summons an art professor, as well as a US Army general to discuss Roman military tactics, and a US Senator to analyze Roman politics & diplomacy. On the downside, some notable personages in history are omitted, such as Spartacus, Attila the Hun, Shapur, Vespasian (except for a brief biographical sketch) and Justinian. Again, 5 hours is hardly enough time to delve into every nook & cranny of Roman history, but one would think that these names would stand out, nonetheless. The worst feature of this documentary is the soundtrack. It is very amateurish and repetitive, basically the same musical phrase played over & over & over again. By the 3rd hour, hearing it gets quite annoying. One need only view "Greeks: Crucible of Civilization" to be convinced that there is no reason a historical documentary can't have a quality score. The melodramatic and redundant music is almost entirely offset by the professionalism of the narrator, however; Coyote's voice is pleasing to the ear & does not get tiresome to listen to. What the DVD does cover, it covers very well. As others have mentioned, some material does get repeated every so often, but it is sometimes necessary for what the creators are trying to accomplish. As an American, I found the nexus that was emphasized between the Roman Republic & the polemics of the United States' founding fathers quite interesting. However, I am sure that people from other parts of the globe will likely be disinterested in that digression. All in all, this is an excellent introduction to the ancient world of the Roman empire. One cannot admire too much a people who were so bloodthirsty as to stage gladatorial games where thousands of men & animals would be killed in a single day. The approach of this inquiry does a credible job of giving a balanced treatment to both the noble traits and the vices of the Roman people. If you have any interest in classical history at all, I would highly recommend this DVD. Both novice and historian have a lot to gain by owning this scholarly and insightful study of Rome.
Rating:
Summary: Your art is to rule, Roman
Review: At 5+ hours, this is certainly an ambitious documentary of the rise, hegemony & eventual decline and fall of the Roman Empire. For many subjects, one would think that a study of this length would be overkill. However, when you're talking about an empire which spanned nearly 1,200 years, 5 hours barely scratches the surface. Don't get me wrong, this is a fairly well-done piece. However, there is only so much that you can stick into a video of this duration. One of the most impressive aspects of the DVD is its inclusion of people of varying expertise. Sure, it has the normal college history professors, but it also summons an art professor, as well as a US Army general to discuss Roman military tactics, and a US Senator to analyze Roman politics & diplomacy. On the downside, some notable personages in history are omitted, such as Spartacus, Attila the Hun, Shapur, Vespasian (except for a brief biographical sketch) and Justinian. Again, 5 hours is hardly enough time to delve into every nook & cranny of Roman history, but one would think that these names would stand out, nonetheless. The worst feature of this documentary is the soundtrack. It is very amateurish and repetitive, basically the same musical phrase played over & over & over again. By the 3rd hour, hearing it gets quite annoying. One need only view "Greeks: Crucible of Civilization" to be convinced that there is no reason a historical documentary can't have a quality score. The melodramatic and redundant music is almost entirely offset by the professionalism of the narrator, however; Coyote's voice is pleasing to the ear & does not get tiresome to listen to. What the DVD does cover, it covers very well. As others have mentioned, some material does get repeated every so often, but it is sometimes necessary for what the creators are trying to accomplish. As an American, I found the nexus that was emphasized between the Roman Republic & the polemics of the United States' founding fathers quite interesting. However, I am sure that people from other parts of the globe will likely be disinterested in that digression. All in all, this is an excellent introduction to the ancient world of the Roman empire. One cannot admire too much a people who were so bloodthirsty as to stage gladatorial games where thousands of men & animals would be killed in a single day. The approach of this inquiry does a credible job of giving a balanced treatment to both the noble traits and the vices of the Roman people. If you have any interest in classical history at all, I would highly recommend this DVD. Both novice and historian have a lot to gain by owning this scholarly and insightful study of Rome.
Rating:
Summary: Great Tapes, lots of details, but no timeline.
Review: Great story of Rome, where each tape takes a subject and deals with it in more detail. Lots of old movies are used, which is something I found nice. Only one big problem, that was added to the DVD version, is that the VHS version has no timeline. One has to remember that the tapes deal with events that overlap the events and facts they talk about in other tapes. So a person might have trouble with realizing the overlapping cause and effect of the history. It is still a great set of tapes for the price, but if you want more details on certain subjects you will want to get a book (or look it up on some of the Roman web sites).
Rating:
Summary: Great Tapes, lots of details, but no timeline.
Review: Great story of Rome, where each tape takes a subject and deals with it in more detail. Lots of old movies are used, which is something I found nice. Only one big problem, that was added to the DVD version, is that the VHS version has no timeline. One has to remember that the tapes deal with events that overlap the events and facts they talk about in other tapes. So a person might have trouble with realizing the overlapping cause and effect of the history. It is still a great set of tapes for the price, but if you want more details on certain subjects you will want to get a book (or look it up on some of the Roman web sites).
Rating:
Summary: GREAT, but...
Review: I love history and civilizations, and this DVD was a great catch for me because of its educational value and entertaining side as well. It was little lengthy, so a guy who's not really interested in history might not want to sit down and watch through the whole thing. I have one complaint though, the events weren't told in order! There are six chapters, they start with the rising of the Roman empire and end with its collapse; However chapters overlap in their events and at times they become very confusing! That really annoyed me. It annoyed me that it deserved wiping out a whole star :)
Rating: 
Summary: Simple overview of Rome, no use in classroom!
Review: I purchased Rome: Power & Glory in order to complement my university studies. The content was disappointing: very few maps, too much emphasis on legends rather than historical facts. Some very necessary explanations are missing: surprising if you consider the participation of very good University professors. The image of the entire title is a mix of contemporary ruin scenes -very well photographed-, sketches from an old b&w movie, and some modestly produced scenes obviously to fill up. The reconstructions of ancient monuments are well made, but the 12 Caesars Biographies are barely one paragraph long: any general encyclopedia contains much more information. If you are looking for a basic overview of Rome the title is OK, but if you are seeking for a more historical content and analysis, to complement studies for instance, you will find it lacks professionalism. However the image quality is good and the photography of the ruins is excellent. No caption or subtitles in other languages.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing look at the rise and fall of the Roman Empire
Review: I saw this series originally on television. TLC ran it a couple of times, and I thought it was one of the best documentary type series I have seen. It was very interesting to learn about where the founders of the city of Rome came from, how the city grew, and how the empire expanded. If you are interested in Rome, this is a great series to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to Rome
Review: I thought it would be worse due to the importance given to fighting and gladiators, but it has a lot of information and is quite entertaining. Great for students. However, I was aiming at something more intellectual.
Rating: 
Summary: Order the Pasta! This Caesar Salad is not Roman
Review: I took a chance ordering my first DVD series about the power and glory of Rome. I felt it would be an excellent idea for my family to gain a complete perspective about the Roman Empire. I understood it was not going to have the same quality of "The Passion" or the blood and hoopla of "Braveheart," however, I was expecting to get an excellent historical perspective about the splendor and magnificence of Rome, the greatest empire of the World. Instead, my family viewed a hodgepodge of ruins, black and white blurred segments, 'candy-coated' imagery to soften the senses (the hysteria and shock could not be absorbed as to how Rome really functioned on a daily basis) and colossal amounts of repetitive film clips that became so nauseating that the narrative, in audio, intellectually overwhelmed the content presented on video. There was some beautiful footage of the countryside and fleeting glimpses of grandeur sprinkled throughout the series, but the splicing and cuts shut down any momentum. Regrettably, even the documentary got repetitive. Several comments were contradictory. Important aspects of Roman society were utterly dismissed, ignored or avoided. Many statements were biased, misrepresented and utterly false! For example, the narrative claims that the Barbarians and other cultures were more sadistic and treacherous than the Romans. Let us use some common sense! On the admission of the narrators, the Romans were embedding for centuries the fine art of sadism and treachery...while the video is showing repetitive scenes of earlier periods from Disc 1, 2 3 and 4. I was not very comfortable with the comparisons made between America and Rome. In fact, it was confusing without deeper analysis. Some incredible comparisons were made, but like many comments given on other subjects on the DVD, they needed to be backed up with evidence, proof and further discussion.
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