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1
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'Rome. Holy city.'
2
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'Blessed by Pagan gods.'
3
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'Earthly capital of
a glorious empire
4
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'with a divine mission
to conquer and rule.'
5
00:00:18,580 --> 00:00:21,620
But Rome was to cast aside its
pantheon of idols
6
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to embrace a revolutionary
new faith from the East
7
00:00:25,140 --> 00:00:28,460
that would change its classical
skyline forever.
8
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'Personal salvation
and the worship of one God
9
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'eclipsed the gods of old.'
10
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'Soon after the crucifixion of Jesus
his message started to spread...
11
00:00:49,820 --> 00:00:53,580
'but there was nothing inevitable
about its ultimate triumph.'
12
00:00:54,740 --> 00:00:58,300
'The followers of Christ
were viciously persecuted.'
13
00:01:01,380 --> 00:01:05,900
'But the martyrdom of St Peter
gave Rome a new founding story
14
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'and a divine mission for
his successors, the Popes.'
15
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Rome became a vibrant centre
of Christian devotion.
16
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But it was the necessities of power
17
00:01:21,940 --> 00:01:24,340
that really decided
its sacred destiny.
18
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'I've come as both historian
and tourist,
19
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'to examine how the decision
of one emperor
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'changed the history of Western
civilisation and Rome itself.'
21
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'Its impact on the fabric
of the city
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00:01:50,700 --> 00:01:54,180
'and on the lives of its citizens,
nobles and high priests.'
23
00:01:57,940 --> 00:02:01,820
'Abandoning paganism risked
everything that Rome stood for.'
24
00:02:02,940 --> 00:02:06,300
'Triggering confusion, violence,
power struggles,
25
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'and setting Popes and Emperors
on a collision course.'
26
00:02:15,060 --> 00:02:19,180
So what transformed the Holy City
of Rome from the pagan heart
27
00:02:19,180 --> 00:02:23,020
of the Roman Empire to the capital
of Christendom?
28
00:02:48,220 --> 00:02:51,460
'On the outskirts of Rome,
a stadium once stood.
29
00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:56,940
'Horse-races were staged there to
entertain Emperors and citizens.'
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But in 64 AD the imperial race-track
became the site of a mass execution.
31
00:03:11,220 --> 00:03:13,580
'The centre of Rome had been
devastated by fire.
32
00:03:14,660 --> 00:03:17,980
'Angry Romans wanted
someone to blame.
33
00:03:17,980 --> 00:03:22,180
'So Emperor Nero offered them a new
religious sect - the Christians.
34
00:03:31,020 --> 00:03:34,580
'Some were torn to pieces
by wild dogs,
35
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'others set on fire
as human torches,
36
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'and a few were crucified.'
37
00:03:43,540 --> 00:03:47,180
Amongst them was Peter, a leader of
the Christian mission in Rome
38
00:03:47,180 --> 00:03:50,540
and one of the original
12 disciples.
39
00:03:50,540 --> 00:03:53,260
Tradition says that
out of respect for Jesus,
40
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he asked to be crucified
upside down.
41
00:04:01,940 --> 00:04:04,820
'In the centre of the race-track
stood an obelisk.'
42
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This is that same obelisk,
and 2,000 years later,
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it's still in roughly
the same place.
44
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It was probably the last thing
that Peter saw.
45
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And this is probably the last thing
that he could have imagined.
46
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St Peter's, the magnificent
basilica built in his honour
47
00:04:28,180 --> 00:04:30,900
and still towering over
the city of Rome.
48
00:04:46,260 --> 00:04:49,700
'Ultimately, Peter's execution
would transform Rome.
49
00:04:51,220 --> 00:04:55,380
'But when he died, Christianity was
just one of many Eastern cults,
50
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'struggling to survive, in a city
dominated by pagan gods.
51
00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:13,460
'For a thousand years, paganism had
brought success and prosperity
52
00:05:13,460 --> 00:05:15,060
'to the Eternal City.
53
00:05:16,340 --> 00:05:19,860
'The will of the Gods decided
every aspect of Roman society.
54
00:05:21,380 --> 00:05:23,540
'When it went to war.
Who its rulers were.
55
00:05:25,220 --> 00:05:29,340
'Paganism had brought Rome
domination of the ancient world.'
56
00:05:30,540 --> 00:05:34,060
The Roman Empire was flexible,
embracing and co-opting
57
00:05:34,060 --> 00:05:37,580
foreign gods into its own
state religion,
58
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but so far none had threatened
the status quo.
59
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'But Christianity was radically
different.'
60
00:05:50,380 --> 00:05:53,220
# Gloria
61
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# Gloria. #
62
00:05:55,020 --> 00:05:58,020
'Whereas paganism sought
the goodwill and protection
63
00:05:58,020 --> 00:05:59,780
'of the Gods in this life,
64
00:06:00,820 --> 00:06:06,340
'Christianity held out the promise
of eternal life in the next world.
65
00:06:06,340 --> 00:06:09,500
'But its rejection of pagan practice
marked it out.'
66
00:06:14,620 --> 00:06:17,980
The Christian refusal to sacrifice
to the ancestral Gods
67
00:06:17,980 --> 00:06:19,780
in honour of the Emperor
68
00:06:19,780 --> 00:06:23,380
made them a potential threat
to the Roman state itself.
69
00:06:26,740 --> 00:06:30,460
'As Christianity took hold
amongst Rome's under-classes,
70
00:06:30,460 --> 00:06:33,220
'the pagan establishment
sought to discredit it.
71
00:06:37,780 --> 00:06:41,020
'The ritual of Holy Communion, the
taking of Christ's body and blood,
72
00:06:41,020 --> 00:06:43,220
'was described as cannibalism.'
73
00:06:48,260 --> 00:06:52,300
'Yet, meeting in secret, the
Christian community began to grow.
74
00:06:55,340 --> 00:06:57,700
'Historian Alexander Evers
is taking me
75
00:06:57,700 --> 00:07:01,460
'to one of Rome's remaining house
churches from the second century.
76
00:07:04,500 --> 00:07:06,940
'What took place
in private dwellings like this
77
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'would sow the seeds of Rome's
unique Christian future.'
78
00:07:13,500 --> 00:07:16,980
So what was the early
church in Rome really like?
79
00:07:16,980 --> 00:07:21,780
Initially, you can safely say it was
an unorganised heap of people.
80
00:07:21,780 --> 00:07:26,260
Hardly any structure there. A large
group. A growing group within Rome.
81
00:07:27,740 --> 00:07:30,940
But not united. There are
differences of opinion
82
00:07:30,940 --> 00:07:33,420
about how to worship,
where to worship.
83
00:07:33,420 --> 00:07:38,340
And eventually, gradually, you have
those single figures of authority
84
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rising to the fore.
85
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The Bishop, who can pull
it all together.
86
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So where did the early Bishops of
Rome get their authority from?
87
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From a fairly early point onwards,
88
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they're beginning to place
themselves in one line
89
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with the apostle, Peter, who was
the right hand of Christ,
90
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who supposedly was
the first Bishop of Rome.
91
00:07:58,260 --> 00:08:01,780
Where that tradition comes from
is not entirely clear,
92
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but that tradition,
"I'm the successor to Peter",
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gives them an enormous source
of authority.
94
00:08:09,420 --> 00:08:12,140
# Sanctus
95
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# Sanctus. #
96
00:08:14,260 --> 00:08:16,540
'The lineage of Bishops
from St Peter
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'is known as the
apostolic succession.
98
00:08:19,740 --> 00:08:22,780
'It's the bedrock of the
Bishop of Rome's authority
99
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'and papal power to this day.
100
00:08:26,580 --> 00:08:28,980
'But in the third century,
the Bishops were leaders
101
00:08:28,980 --> 00:08:30,580
'of a religion on the margins.
102
00:08:32,860 --> 00:08:35,500
'And that's why I'm heading
to the outskirts of Rome,
103
00:08:35,500 --> 00:08:38,060
'and the catacombs of San Callisto.
104
00:08:44,300 --> 00:08:47,340
'Deep within its maze
of underground corridors,
105
00:08:47,340 --> 00:08:51,140
'there is something hard to find,
and yet very important.
106
00:08:53,020 --> 00:08:57,540
'Early evidence of how the Bishops
of Rome got their unique title.'
107
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This reads PP, which stands
for Papa or Pope,
108
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and it's the first example
we have of an inscription
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that refers to the Bishops of Rome
by that title.
110
00:09:11,220 --> 00:09:14,620
At the time, any charismatic bishop
anywhere in Christendom
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might have been known as Pope,
but gradually, the Bishops of Rome
112
00:09:18,980 --> 00:09:22,620
came to be known by that name,
though, surprisingly,
113
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it wasn't for almost 800 years,
until the 11th century,
114
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that it became official.
115
00:09:30,980 --> 00:09:34,460
'But there is something else down
here that I really want to see.
116
00:09:38,540 --> 00:09:41,020
'Some of Rome's very first Popes
117
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'were buried in these
subterranean tombs.'
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What an extraordinary room this is.
This is the crypt of the Popes,
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and nine of the Bishops of Rome
are buried here,
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dating all the way back
to the early 3rd century.
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00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:08,740
It's an extraordinary thought
that these men
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00:10:08,740 --> 00:10:13,540
were the leaders of Christianity,
right at the very beginning,
123
00:10:13,540 --> 00:10:17,020
long before the Papacy became
the office of power,
124
00:10:17,020 --> 00:10:19,420
magnificence and wealth
that we know today.
125
00:10:25,260 --> 00:10:27,980
'But some of these Bishops,
just like St Peter,
126
00:10:27,980 --> 00:10:29,700
'were to die for their faith.'
127
00:10:40,220 --> 00:10:43,340
Sixtus II was celebrating mass
right here at the altar,
128
00:10:43,340 --> 00:10:45,740
when Roman soldiers burst in.
129
00:10:45,740 --> 00:10:49,300
When they drew their swords,
the entire congregation competed
130
00:10:49,300 --> 00:10:52,700
to offer themselves for
the honour of martyrdom,
131
00:10:52,700 --> 00:10:55,900
at which Sixtus pushed himself
forwards, bared his neck,
132
00:10:55,900 --> 00:10:57,820
and begged them to take his head.
133
00:10:57,820 --> 00:11:00,500
The soldiers were happy
to take him up on his offer.
134
00:11:03,340 --> 00:11:04,940
They beheaded him on the spot.
135
00:11:10,980 --> 00:11:14,780
'The persecution of the Christians
wasn't constant.
136
00:11:14,780 --> 00:11:16,580
'When the Roman Empire prospered,
137
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'the church was reluctantly
tolerated.
138
00:11:21,100 --> 00:11:22,700
'But in the mid 3rd century,
139
00:11:22,700 --> 00:11:25,780
'the empire tottered on
the edge of catastrophe.'
140
00:11:31,620 --> 00:11:34,820
Rome faced 50 years of disaster.
141
00:11:34,820 --> 00:11:39,820
Civil wars, invasions, and a
bewildering succession of emperors.
142
00:11:39,820 --> 00:11:43,060
The cracks in the imperial
edifice seemed terminal.
143
00:11:49,140 --> 00:11:52,140
'Some emperors believed that Rome
was being punished
144
00:11:52,140 --> 00:11:55,380
'for turning a blind eye
to the Christians.
145
00:11:55,380 --> 00:11:58,700
'The unity of city and empire
was at stake.
146
00:11:58,700 --> 00:12:00,420
'Something had to be done.'
147
00:12:04,300 --> 00:12:06,740
In 303, the Emperor Diocletian
148
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launched the bloodiest
persecution to date.
149
00:12:13,500 --> 00:12:16,380
'Churches were destroyed,
bishops decapitated.
150
00:12:17,420 --> 00:12:19,980
'The streets were awash with
the blood of the faithful.
151
00:12:26,980 --> 00:12:29,380
But the killings failed.
152
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The persecutions merely served
to promote and advertise
153
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the faith of the martyrs.
154
00:12:35,100 --> 00:12:37,740
The flame of Christianity
could not be extinguished.
155
00:12:42,180 --> 00:12:45,900
'Diocletian's victims would forever
leave their mark on Rome.
156
00:12:48,180 --> 00:12:51,340
'And remarkably, one has been
preserved to this day.
157
00:12:52,780 --> 00:12:55,380
'This figure,
one of the city's least known
158
00:12:55,380 --> 00:12:58,820
'but macabre sights,
appears to be a statue.
159
00:13:00,580 --> 00:13:04,300
'But closer inspection reveals
something far more spine-chilling.'
160
00:13:07,340 --> 00:13:11,220
When at first you look at this,
you think it must be a waxwork.
161
00:13:11,220 --> 00:13:15,220
But when you look a little closer
into the slightly open mouth,
162
00:13:15,220 --> 00:13:18,100
you see through the open lips
of the skeleton.
163
00:13:19,260 --> 00:13:23,420
And if you look at the hands, on the
outside, they appear to be wax,
164
00:13:23,420 --> 00:13:28,060
but look inside, you can see
not just the skeletal bones
165
00:13:28,060 --> 00:13:29,340
of the real hand and the body,
166
00:13:30,740 --> 00:13:32,980
but actually the dried
skin there, too.
167
00:13:35,180 --> 00:13:37,540
This is the body of Saint Vittoria.
168
00:13:42,300 --> 00:13:46,460
'The cruel deaths of the martyrs
didn't destroy Christianity.
169
00:13:46,460 --> 00:13:48,220
'Their stories kept it alive.
170
00:13:50,780 --> 00:13:53,140
'But it was still just one
of many religious sects
171
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'on the edges of Roman society.
172
00:13:56,740 --> 00:13:59,940
'Only the whim or faith
of an emperor
173
00:13:59,940 --> 00:14:01,980
'could change the course
of history.'
174
00:14:15,260 --> 00:14:18,060
'Emperor Constantine
was a ruthless general
175
00:14:18,060 --> 00:14:19,900
'who slashed his way to power.'
176
00:14:21,940 --> 00:14:26,380
He was a harsh warlord,
capable of terrifying violence.
177
00:14:26,380 --> 00:14:29,820
He even executed
his own wife and son.
178
00:14:29,820 --> 00:14:33,380
But he was also a visionary,
who in one decision
179
00:14:33,380 --> 00:14:36,740
changed the entire course
of Western civilization.
180
00:14:41,060 --> 00:14:42,460
'No-one knows for sure
181
00:14:42,460 --> 00:14:45,420
'why Constantine chose to
embrace Christianity.
182
00:14:46,860 --> 00:14:50,900
'But the decisive revelation took
place here at Milvian Bridge
183
00:14:50,900 --> 00:14:52,500
'on the outskirts of Rome.'
184
00:14:58,540 --> 00:15:02,540
'The over-extended empire had been
split in two - East and West.
185
00:15:03,940 --> 00:15:06,140
'Rome was no longer
the imperial capital.
186
00:15:08,220 --> 00:15:11,260
'Each region was ruled by
an Emperor and his deputy.'
187
00:15:13,780 --> 00:15:16,820
Constantine shared the West
with Maxentius,
188
00:15:16,820 --> 00:15:19,260
but they soon became bitter rivals.
189
00:15:24,580 --> 00:15:28,820
'In 312, Constantine had
cornered Maxentius' forces
190
00:15:28,820 --> 00:15:30,380
'on the banks of the Tiber.'
191
00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:40,540
Before battle commenced,
Constantine had a vision.
192
00:15:40,540 --> 00:15:43,780
He saw the sign of the cross
superimposed on the sun
193
00:15:43,780 --> 00:15:47,300
with the words "By this sign,
thou shalt conquer".
194
00:15:50,820 --> 00:15:53,900
At the very last moment, he ordered
his soldiers' shields
195
00:15:53,900 --> 00:15:55,700
to be emblazoned with the cross.
196
00:15:55,700 --> 00:15:57,780
Fighting under Christian banners,
197
00:15:57,780 --> 00:16:00,220
he won the greatest victory
of his life.
198
00:16:04,260 --> 00:16:08,260
'Constantine now saw Christ
not as the crucified lamb of God,
199
00:16:09,460 --> 00:16:11,300
'but as a potent God of victory.
200
00:16:13,020 --> 00:16:16,660
'He was about to turn his back
on everything that had made Rome.'
201
00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:21,620
'Exchange the protection
of many gods for just one.
202
00:16:22,980 --> 00:16:26,220
'Overturn a thousand
years of Roman history,
203
00:16:26,220 --> 00:16:29,220
'and embrace the faith
of persecuted radicals.
204
00:16:31,300 --> 00:16:34,780
'But could Rome withstand
this revolution?
205
00:16:34,780 --> 00:16:37,060
'Constantine was willing
to take that gamble.
206
00:16:41,460 --> 00:16:45,180
'But while an Emperor could
change his religion overnight,
207
00:16:45,180 --> 00:16:47,620
'Rome's pagan citizens
would take longer.
208
00:16:49,820 --> 00:16:52,580
'The arch built to mark
Constantine's victory
209
00:16:52,580 --> 00:16:55,420
'shows how controversial
this change of policy was.'
210
00:16:57,820 --> 00:17:00,020
This arch contains a surprise.
211
00:17:00,020 --> 00:17:04,980
If you look up here on line three,
you'll see the divinity
212
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that Constantine thanks for his
victory is subtly ambiguous.
213
00:17:09,500 --> 00:17:11,540
It could be either
Christian or pagan.
214
00:17:13,580 --> 00:17:18,020
'Constantine doesn't give thanks
to the pagan god of war,
215
00:17:18,020 --> 00:17:20,340
'but neither does he reveal
his new faith.
216
00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:24,740
'He uses a general term
for divinity - divinitas,
217
00:17:24,740 --> 00:17:27,820
'which was acceptable to
both pagans and Christians.
218
00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:34,940
'Promoting Christianity in a world
where the majority was still pagan
219
00:17:34,940 --> 00:17:40,260
'would need tact and diplomacy, even
from an all-conquering emperor.
220
00:17:44,220 --> 00:17:48,220
'Constantine's cautious approach
to conversion is reflected
221
00:17:48,220 --> 00:17:51,300
'in the 4th century church
of Santa Pudenziana.'
222
00:17:56,580 --> 00:17:58,700
The facade of this church
wouldn't have looked
223
00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:00,860
at all out of place in pagan Rome.
224
00:18:00,860 --> 00:18:03,220
It's a basilica,
literally, a king's hall,
225
00:18:03,220 --> 00:18:07,180
and this was the typical rectangular
building of Roman public life,
226
00:18:07,180 --> 00:18:09,980
where emperors and governors
held court.
227
00:18:14,100 --> 00:18:17,980
'The need to fit in is further
revealed when you step inside.
228
00:18:20,900 --> 00:18:25,860
'The image of a humble saviour has
received a grand Roman makeover.
229
00:18:33,340 --> 00:18:36,620
'Jesus isn't nailed to the cross
like a common criminal.
230
00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:42,180
'He's depicted ostentatiously on a
throne, like a king or an emperor,
231
00:18:43,540 --> 00:18:47,020
'and his disciples are dressed
in the togas of the aristocracy,
232
00:18:47,020 --> 00:18:50,300
'like senators holding court
in a classical city.'
233
00:18:57,740 --> 00:19:00,500
Pagan Romans coming in here
wouldn't have been shocked
234
00:19:00,500 --> 00:19:02,900
or put off by anything they saw.
235
00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:05,580
But this wasn't the lower-class,
radical religion
236
00:19:05,580 --> 00:19:07,060
of the early church.
237
00:19:07,060 --> 00:19:11,820
This was imperial Christianity,
designed to attract and impress
238
00:19:11,820 --> 00:19:13,380
Romans high and low.
239
00:19:19,820 --> 00:19:21,900
'Christianity was becoming Roman.
240
00:19:22,980 --> 00:19:24,580
'Rome was becoming Christian.
241
00:19:28,380 --> 00:19:31,660
'But Rome's rebirth as a sacred
city of Christendom
242
00:19:31,660 --> 00:19:34,140
'required a transfer of holiness
243
00:19:34,140 --> 00:19:36,940
'from Christianity's
first holy city.
244
00:19:38,860 --> 00:19:40,820
'Constantine dispatched
his mother, Helena,
245
00:19:40,820 --> 00:19:43,380
'on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
246
00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:50,380
'Helena returned with a precious
collection of Christian relics.
247
00:19:51,540 --> 00:19:52,980
'And I'm just about to witness
248
00:19:52,980 --> 00:19:55,980
'the most monumental treasure
of them all.'
249
00:20:01,460 --> 00:20:04,980
This is one of Empress Helena's
most extraordinary finds.
250
00:20:04,980 --> 00:20:06,700
The Scala Sancta.
251
00:20:06,700 --> 00:20:08,860
This staircase is believed to be
252
00:20:08,860 --> 00:20:13,140
from the palace of Pontius Pilate
in Jerusalem.
253
00:20:13,140 --> 00:20:16,740
Jesus walked down these steps
after he was sentenced to death.
254
00:20:21,860 --> 00:20:24,180
'Unlike the remote pagan Gods,
255
00:20:24,180 --> 00:20:29,220
'the Christian God had a son whom
he had sacrificed for humanity.
256
00:20:30,940 --> 00:20:35,220
'And what Christ had touched,
his followers also wanted to touch.'
257
00:20:37,420 --> 00:20:41,700
For centuries, pilgrims have climbed
these steps on their knees
258
00:20:41,700 --> 00:20:46,620
as an act of piety, to get closer
to Christ and honour his suffering.
259
00:20:52,100 --> 00:20:54,380
It's not often, in our secular age,
260
00:20:54,380 --> 00:21:00,100
that you see a place of such
intense, passionate devotion,
261
00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:02,900
but this tells you something
about Rome as a holy city.
262
00:21:02,900 --> 00:21:05,660
A holy city is a place
where God meets man.
263
00:21:05,660 --> 00:21:08,780
And that is exactly what
these pilgrims are doing.
264
00:21:20,260 --> 00:21:23,580
While Helena was importing
holiness from Jerusalem,
265
00:21:23,580 --> 00:21:28,180
Constantine was keen to promote the
city's home-grown Christian sites.
266
00:21:28,180 --> 00:21:29,780
But he had to be careful.
267
00:21:29,780 --> 00:21:32,340
Rome was still overwhelmingly pagan,
268
00:21:32,340 --> 00:21:35,980
and that's why he built his first
churches away from the centre.
269
00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:45,420
'Constantine built seven
churches in Rome.
270
00:21:47,020 --> 00:21:49,420
'But one took on supreme
importance.
271
00:21:51,860 --> 00:21:55,900
'Nero's Circus had become a holy
place for Rome's Christians,
272
00:21:55,900 --> 00:21:58,940
'as the location of Peter's
crucifixion and burial.
273
00:22:00,620 --> 00:22:03,380
'A simple shrine had been
erected over his grave.'
274
00:22:05,620 --> 00:22:09,060
Constantine recognised
the importance of the site.
275
00:22:09,060 --> 00:22:13,220
A direct link between Rome
and Jesus Christ himself,
276
00:22:13,220 --> 00:22:16,020
through his right-hand man, Peter.
277
00:22:16,020 --> 00:22:20,900
So Constantine decided to build his
biggest basilica over Peter's tomb.
278
00:22:32,700 --> 00:22:35,500
'Constantine's basilica
gave Rome's Christians
279
00:22:35,500 --> 00:22:37,180
'a new focus for devotion.
280
00:22:41,940 --> 00:22:44,580
'It stood for over a thousand years,
281
00:22:44,580 --> 00:22:47,420
'until it was rebuilt
during the Renaissance.
282
00:22:53,660 --> 00:22:55,860
'Jesus said that Peter
would be the rock
283
00:22:55,860 --> 00:22:57,940
'on which his church was built.
284
00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:03,100
'Constantine's basilica literally
fulfilled that prophecy.
285
00:23:08,780 --> 00:23:12,700
'Over the centuries, St Peter's
was to become the cornerstone
286
00:23:12,700 --> 00:23:14,180
'of the Catholic Church
287
00:23:14,180 --> 00:23:18,060
'and the headquarters for
an empire of Christian souls.
288
00:23:20,180 --> 00:23:22,460
'But when Constantine
commissioned it,
289
00:23:22,460 --> 00:23:24,860
'it was still an act
of wishful thinking.'
290
00:23:33,380 --> 00:23:38,260
Constantine's St Peter's promoted
Rome as a Christian centre.
291
00:23:38,260 --> 00:23:41,500
But he died leaving
a hybrid holy city,
292
00:23:41,500 --> 00:23:43,540
part Christian, but part pagan.
293
00:23:47,660 --> 00:23:50,700
'The temples of the old Gods
still dominated the skyline.
294
00:23:51,860 --> 00:23:53,940
'Pagans still dominated the city.
295
00:23:55,620 --> 00:23:58,700
'Constantine's divine gamble
now lay in the hands
296
00:23:58,700 --> 00:24:00,500
'of Rome's new high priests.'
297
00:24:03,180 --> 00:24:06,220
It was now down to the Popes,
Rome's Bishops,
298
00:24:06,220 --> 00:24:07,940
to really make Rome Christian.
299
00:24:11,020 --> 00:24:14,020
BELL TOLLS
300
00:24:24,620 --> 00:24:28,580
Before Constantine, Rome's Bishops
had been persecuted leaders.
301
00:24:30,020 --> 00:24:33,180
Now they were important officials
with real influence.
302
00:24:35,580 --> 00:24:39,580
One Pope, Damasus I,
revelled in this new status.
303
00:24:45,220 --> 00:24:47,340
Nearly 70 when he came to power,
304
00:24:47,340 --> 00:24:51,140
Damasus didn't allow old age
to dampen his pleasures.
305
00:24:51,140 --> 00:24:54,580
Corrupt and egotistical,
his enemies described him
306
00:24:54,580 --> 00:24:57,860
as a smooth-talking adulterer,
or as they put it,
307
00:24:57,860 --> 00:25:00,380
"A tickler of the ears
of middle-aged women."
308
00:25:04,820 --> 00:25:07,300
'But Damasus was also a poet
309
00:25:07,300 --> 00:25:11,380
'who used his literary gifts
to win Christian souls.
310
00:25:11,380 --> 00:25:13,940
'He took Rome's earliest sites
of martyrdom
311
00:25:13,940 --> 00:25:16,060
'and celebrated them in poetry.
312
00:25:19,060 --> 00:25:22,940
'This poetical propaganda has been
studied by Marianne Saghy,
313
00:25:22,940 --> 00:25:26,540
'an historian who I'm meeting
at the Church of Sant' Agnese.'
314
00:25:29,500 --> 00:25:35,820
Pope Damasus went into every single
catacomb, more than sixty catacombs,
315
00:25:35,820 --> 00:25:41,340
placing poetic inscriptions
above the holy graves.
316
00:25:41,340 --> 00:25:46,300
Damasus' inscriptions were like huge
billboards in the labyrinthine
317
00:25:46,300 --> 00:25:48,500
darkness of the catacombs.
318
00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:55,500
And it attracted huge throngs, huge
crowds to the graves of the martyrs.
319
00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:57,780
What was Damasus' impact
on the church?
320
00:25:57,780 --> 00:26:03,540
Damasus understood and saw the power
radiating from the holy ashes
321
00:26:03,540 --> 00:26:08,620
and holy relics, and therefore
he wanted to put the stamp
322
00:26:08,620 --> 00:26:12,020
of the Church on the tombs
of the martyrs.
323
00:26:16,660 --> 00:26:20,300
'Damasus had created a ring
of holy sites around the city.
324
00:26:21,780 --> 00:26:25,620
'But Christianity faced a stiffer
challenge in the centre of Rome.
325
00:26:30,700 --> 00:26:33,780
'Culturally, Romans were still
attached to the rhythms
326
00:26:33,780 --> 00:26:35,940
'and festivals of
the pagan calendar,
327
00:26:35,940 --> 00:26:37,860
'which promised feasting and fun.
328
00:26:40,380 --> 00:26:43,380
'Christianity had to compete
on a social level, too.'
329
00:26:45,900 --> 00:26:48,380
By a mixture of accident and design,
330
00:26:48,380 --> 00:26:52,140
the Christian calendar began
to overlap with the pagan.
331
00:26:52,140 --> 00:26:55,700
St Peter's birthday coincided
with Caristia,
332
00:26:55,700 --> 00:26:58,460
a pagan festival of banqueting
and gift giving.
333
00:27:02,020 --> 00:27:05,180
'By the end of the 4th century,
Romans could have two parties,
334
00:27:05,180 --> 00:27:08,700
'one pagan, one Christian,
on fourteen days of the year.'
335
00:27:10,500 --> 00:27:14,660
Some Christians even continued to
participate in the shameless
336
00:27:14,660 --> 00:27:18,460
immodesty of the Lupercalia
fertility festival,
337
00:27:18,460 --> 00:27:20,700
running half naked through
the streets
338
00:27:20,700 --> 00:27:23,540
while whipping girls
with strips of goat hide.
339
00:27:26,180 --> 00:27:29,500
'To persuade Rome's citizens
to fully embrace Christianity,
340
00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:32,220
'Damasus turned his gift
for propaganda
341
00:27:32,220 --> 00:27:35,100
'to the city's greatest
spiritual asset.'
342
00:27:38,100 --> 00:27:40,940
Damasus had claimed Rome
for St Peter.
343
00:27:40,940 --> 00:27:45,060
Now, cleverly, he claimed
St Peter for Rome.
344
00:27:45,060 --> 00:27:47,180
St Peter had been martyred in Rome,
345
00:27:47,180 --> 00:27:49,900
and therefore,
he was a Roman citizen,
346
00:27:49,900 --> 00:27:55,140
and this gave his direct heirs, the
Bishops of Rome, special authority.
347
00:27:59,300 --> 00:28:02,260
'By commandeering St Peter's
legacy for the city,
348
00:28:02,260 --> 00:28:05,900
'Damasus asserted Rome's
primacy in the wider church,
349
00:28:05,900 --> 00:28:08,620
'and enhanced the status
of Christianity at home.'
350
00:28:19,660 --> 00:28:22,660
'Meanwhile, events beyond
the reaches of the Empire
351
00:28:22,660 --> 00:28:25,380
'were to have a devastating effect
on Rome,
352
00:28:25,380 --> 00:28:28,100
'changing the Holy City forever.
353
00:28:34,860 --> 00:28:38,980
'By the beginning of 5th century,
barbarian tribes were on the move.
354
00:28:41,020 --> 00:28:43,220
'The Huns migrated
into central Europe,
355
00:28:43,220 --> 00:28:45,820
'displacing the Germanic Goths,
356
00:28:45,820 --> 00:28:49,020
'who became refugees on the
borders of the Roman Empire.'
357
00:28:53,540 --> 00:28:56,660
Defenceless and hungry,
the Goths were forced to trade
358
00:28:56,660 --> 00:29:00,860
their own children for food,
but the Romans sold them dog meat.
359
00:29:00,860 --> 00:29:04,780
Tensions reached boiling point
and the barbarians mobilised.
360
00:29:08,340 --> 00:29:11,820
'With the Western Empire weakened
by dynastic infighting,
361
00:29:11,820 --> 00:29:15,780
'the Goths, under their King,
Alaric, made a bold move.'
362
00:29:18,100 --> 00:29:20,300
Rome was no longer
the Imperial capital,
363
00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:23,300
but it was the symbol of Empire.
364
00:29:23,300 --> 00:29:25,140
Bewitched by its faded glories,
365
00:29:25,140 --> 00:29:27,740
Alaric wanted to share
in its majesty.
366
00:29:27,740 --> 00:29:32,300
But what he really wanted, like
every barbarian, was to be a Roman.
367
00:29:35,900 --> 00:29:39,020
'Alaric besieged Rome
and tried to cut a deal.
368
00:29:42,420 --> 00:29:45,300
'He wanted land
for the Goths to settle.
369
00:29:46,580 --> 00:29:50,220
'Rome's elite, inheritors
of an illustrious past,
370
00:29:50,220 --> 00:29:53,900
'refused to meet the demands
of impertinent barbarians.'
371
00:29:56,220 --> 00:29:58,300
Alaric's response was chilling.
372
00:29:58,300 --> 00:30:02,100
"The thicker the grass," he said,
"the easier to scythe it down."
373
00:30:02,100 --> 00:30:05,340
His dagger was at the throat
of the Western Empire,
374
00:30:05,340 --> 00:30:07,540
but still no compromise
could be found.
375
00:30:16,140 --> 00:30:17,540
'Starvation set in.
376
00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:21,740
'The Romans couldn't bury their dead
inside the city walls
377
00:30:21,740 --> 00:30:24,460
'so putrefying bodies
littered the streets.
378
00:30:29,420 --> 00:30:32,060
'Desperate to put the population
out of its misery,
379
00:30:32,060 --> 00:30:34,220
'a noblewoman opened
the city gates.
380
00:30:37,860 --> 00:30:40,540
'Alaric's 40,000 Goths burst in.
381
00:30:44,140 --> 00:30:46,740
'Mansions were plundered,
the rich were tortured
382
00:30:46,740 --> 00:30:48,940
'to give up their treasure.
383
00:30:48,940 --> 00:30:52,660
'And those who couldn't flee
were terrorized or killed.
384
00:30:52,660 --> 00:30:55,100
'Their women, raped.'
385
00:30:56,540 --> 00:30:59,940
The Goths were Arians,
a sect of heretical Christians,
386
00:30:59,940 --> 00:31:02,300
so they showed some restraint.
387
00:31:02,300 --> 00:31:04,540
They respected
the sanctity of the holy sites.
388
00:31:04,540 --> 00:31:06,620
St Peter's was left unscathed,
389
00:31:06,620 --> 00:31:09,460
and by the standards
of barbarian sackings,
390
00:31:09,460 --> 00:31:12,060
this one was less barbaric
than expected.
391
00:31:19,780 --> 00:31:22,260
'Nevertheless,
the psychological effect
392
00:31:22,260 --> 00:31:24,060
'of the sacking was shattering.
393
00:31:25,340 --> 00:31:27,900
'The city that had conquered
the whole world
394
00:31:27,900 --> 00:31:29,900
'was believed to have
been murdered.
395
00:31:31,100 --> 00:31:33,900
'A sense of instability
pervaded Rome.'
396
00:31:36,100 --> 00:31:39,700
The great theologian of the day,
St Augustine, believed the reason
397
00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:43,260
Rome had fallen because it was
still essentially pagan,
398
00:31:43,260 --> 00:31:45,620
and steeped in sin.
399
00:31:45,620 --> 00:31:48,900
The kingdom of heaven was
the only salvation.
400
00:31:48,900 --> 00:31:50,820
The Imperial City was doomed.
401
00:31:57,900 --> 00:31:59,740
'Rome's mythological past -
402
00:31:59,740 --> 00:32:04,500
'its founding fathers, Romulus and
Remus - couldn't be erased.
403
00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:06,980
'Paganism was still deeply
ingrained.
404
00:32:10,260 --> 00:32:13,300
'But one Pope who witnessed
the sacking, Leo the Great,
405
00:32:13,300 --> 00:32:17,700
'saw a way of channelling
the prestige of the pagan world
406
00:32:17,700 --> 00:32:20,100
'into the magnificence
of the Christian.
407
00:32:26,220 --> 00:32:29,140
'To find out how Leo shaped the
Christian identity of Rome,
408
00:32:29,140 --> 00:32:32,540
'I'm meeting historian
Michele Renee Salzman.'
409
00:32:35,220 --> 00:32:38,820
Michele, how did pope Leo promote
Christianity in a city that still
410
00:32:38,820 --> 00:32:41,700
had such a strong classical
Roman tradition?
411
00:32:43,500 --> 00:32:45,780
Leo was very proud of the
412
00:32:45,780 --> 00:32:47,340
Roman tradition in the Pagan past,
413
00:32:47,340 --> 00:32:48,540
he is the first Pope to
414
00:32:48,540 --> 00:32:51,620
actually mention Romulus and Remus,
415
00:32:51,620 --> 00:32:55,300
and to take pride in the Roman
Empire in one of his sermons,
416
00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:57,660
but a better empire,
a stronger empire,
417
00:32:57,660 --> 00:33:00,980
a greater empire resides
with Christ.
418
00:33:00,980 --> 00:33:06,260
So he is very involved in
maintaining the physical fabric
419
00:33:06,260 --> 00:33:08,780
of the city,
but as a Christian centre.
420
00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:13,100
So what was Leo's personal
relationship with St Peter?
421
00:33:14,980 --> 00:33:18,860
Leo felt very intimately connected
to St Peter.
422
00:33:18,860 --> 00:33:21,740
Of course, every bishop could claim
that their authority
423
00:33:21,740 --> 00:33:24,940
comes from Peter, the
very first Bishop of Rome,
424
00:33:24,940 --> 00:33:30,020
but Leo makes it a very intimate tie
in his ordination sermons.
425
00:33:30,020 --> 00:33:32,940
He talks about Peter's spirit
almost living through him,
426
00:33:32,940 --> 00:33:36,540
and I think it's very telling
that when Leo is buried,
427
00:33:36,540 --> 00:33:39,580
he is the first Pope
buried in St Peter's,
428
00:33:39,580 --> 00:33:42,300
so that tie, that intimate tie,
lives on forever.
429
00:33:47,180 --> 00:33:51,340
'Leo had exploited the unique
link between Rome and St Peter
430
00:33:51,340 --> 00:33:54,260
'to mobilize the Christian spirit
of the city.
431
00:33:55,660 --> 00:33:58,580
'But it was also a reminder,
to the wider church,
432
00:33:58,580 --> 00:34:02,460
'that Bishops of Rome were the
ultimate authority in Christendom.
433
00:34:03,940 --> 00:34:06,300
'And this new confidence
was reflected
434
00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:07,980
'in the centre of the city.'
435
00:34:10,460 --> 00:34:13,660
In just over a century since
the time of Constantine,
436
00:34:13,660 --> 00:34:17,820
the pagan city was now infused
with the spirit of St Peter.
437
00:34:19,100 --> 00:34:22,260
Pristine, lavishly-decorated
churches overshadowed
438
00:34:22,260 --> 00:34:24,260
the temples to the old Gods.
439
00:34:28,820 --> 00:34:32,220
'Rome now had the skyline
of a Christian capital.
440
00:34:32,220 --> 00:34:34,980
'One God, one credo, one Pope.
441
00:34:37,620 --> 00:34:41,100
'But with spiritual authority
concentrated in one figure,
442
00:34:41,100 --> 00:34:43,700
'Rome's fate was now bound
to one man.
443
00:34:45,340 --> 00:34:48,540
'A good Pope could lead
the Holy City to further glory.
444
00:34:50,740 --> 00:34:53,340
'A bad Pope would spell disaster.
445
00:34:59,300 --> 00:35:03,340
'By 536, Rome and all of Italy
was controlled
446
00:35:03,340 --> 00:35:05,420
'by barbarian Christian kings.
447
00:35:07,220 --> 00:35:12,180
'Emperor Justinian ruled the entire
Eastern Empire from Constantinople.'
448
00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:17,460
He had a vision of reuniting
the old Roman empire,
449
00:35:17,460 --> 00:35:20,540
with himself as Christ's
sacred emperor.
450
00:35:23,620 --> 00:35:27,420
The jewel of Italy was, of course,
the old imperial capital,
451
00:35:27,420 --> 00:35:31,060
but to control Rome,
Justinian needed a puppet Pope.
452
00:35:36,580 --> 00:35:38,860
'So he cut a deal with Vigilius,
453
00:35:38,860 --> 00:35:41,180
'the greedy papal ambassador
to the East.'
454
00:35:44,700 --> 00:35:48,140
Vigilius agreed
to be Justinian's Pope
455
00:35:48,140 --> 00:35:52,820
in return for the sum
of 700 pounds of gold.
456
00:36:00,780 --> 00:36:04,380
But first, Justinian had to take
Italy from the Goths.
457
00:36:04,380 --> 00:36:05,820
He dispatched an expedition
458
00:36:05,820 --> 00:36:09,420
under his brilliant general,
Count Belisarius.
459
00:36:09,420 --> 00:36:13,900
In a remarkable display of
military virtuosity, Belisarius,
460
00:36:13,900 --> 00:36:17,220
with just a few thousand men,
captured Rome.
461
00:36:24,460 --> 00:36:28,220
'Justinian ousted the old Pope
and installed Vigilius.
462
00:36:28,220 --> 00:36:30,740
'Everything seemed to be
going according to plan.'
463
00:36:32,420 --> 00:36:36,460
Vigilius now regarded himself
as the direct heir of St Peter.
464
00:36:36,460 --> 00:36:39,740
Justinian,
Christ's vice-regent on earth,
465
00:36:39,740 --> 00:36:42,420
had little time for
self-promoting bishops.
466
00:36:42,420 --> 00:36:44,580
The two were on collision course.
467
00:36:47,700 --> 00:36:50,700
Vigilius tried to assert
Rome's authority.
468
00:36:50,700 --> 00:36:53,740
But he was ineffectual,
pleasing nobody.
469
00:36:53,740 --> 00:36:56,340
Eventually, Justinian's
patience snapped.
470
00:36:57,980 --> 00:37:00,660
He kidnapped the Pope
and sent him back to the East.
471
00:37:01,900 --> 00:37:05,340
As the Pope's boat left the Tiber
wharf, his reputation
472
00:37:05,340 --> 00:37:09,220
was in tatters. The crowd
threw stones and yelled insults.
473
00:37:12,300 --> 00:37:16,580
Vigilius was even more
humiliated in Constantinople.
474
00:37:16,580 --> 00:37:19,820
He called a council of bishops,
but it descended into a brawl.
475
00:37:22,100 --> 00:37:24,660
Vigilius sought refuge
in the palace church.
476
00:37:24,660 --> 00:37:28,300
He clung to the altar,
but was dragged out by his beard
477
00:37:28,300 --> 00:37:32,620
and forced to sign a document
recognising Justinian's supremacy.
478
00:37:37,620 --> 00:37:41,540
'Justinian's attempt to harness
Rome's holy authority
479
00:37:41,540 --> 00:37:43,100
'had all but destroyed it.
480
00:37:47,020 --> 00:37:50,780
'The Papacy had hit it's lowest
point, and the city would follow.'
481
00:38:00,220 --> 00:38:03,300
The Eastern Empire
struggled to hold Italy.
482
00:38:04,660 --> 00:38:06,700
Within less than a generation
483
00:38:06,700 --> 00:38:10,380
another Germanic tribe
had its sights on Rome.
484
00:38:12,140 --> 00:38:17,140
The Lombards marched south.
First plundering, then settling.
485
00:38:17,140 --> 00:38:19,860
By 590, Rome was desperate
and battled-scarred.
486
00:38:24,340 --> 00:38:27,980
Rome's aqueducts,
the embodiment of imperial might,
487
00:38:27,980 --> 00:38:33,180
were left to crumble, the city's
vital water supplies seeping away.
488
00:38:36,340 --> 00:38:40,340
Impoverished and starving,
its population reduced to 90,000,
489
00:38:40,340 --> 00:38:42,580
the once-glorious capital
490
00:38:42,580 --> 00:38:45,900
was now just a beleaguered outpost
on the fringes of Empire.
491
00:38:45,900 --> 00:38:48,180
Rome needed a new hero,
492
00:38:48,180 --> 00:38:52,380
and the Pope was the only and last
person who could save the city.
493
00:38:59,460 --> 00:39:01,540
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
494
00:39:07,100 --> 00:39:09,220
Gregory was a super-rich aristocrat
495
00:39:09,220 --> 00:39:14,340
who had already served as city
prefect - in effect, Mayor of Rome.
496
00:39:14,340 --> 00:39:17,100
But the messy business of politics
disgusted him
497
00:39:17,100 --> 00:39:19,900
and he suffered an
existential crisis.
498
00:39:19,900 --> 00:39:22,660
He craved a life of quiet
contemplation.
499
00:39:28,740 --> 00:39:32,100
'Resigning his city post,
he withdrew to the family mansion
500
00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:34,300
'here on the Caelian hill,
501
00:39:34,300 --> 00:39:36,900
'which he converted into
a monastic community.'
502
00:39:38,180 --> 00:39:41,940
A church dedicated to
Gregory, Gregorio Magno,
503
00:39:41,940 --> 00:39:44,380
now stands on the same site.
504
00:39:44,380 --> 00:39:48,020
And his spirit lives on in
the custodians of the church,
505
00:39:48,020 --> 00:39:50,020
the monks of the Camaldolese order.
506
00:39:53,740 --> 00:39:57,620
Freed from the stresses of public
office, the years spent in prayer
507
00:39:57,620 --> 00:40:01,420
and reflection here were
the happiest of Gregory's life.
508
00:40:06,220 --> 00:40:09,900
This is said to be
Gregory's monastic cell,
509
00:40:09,900 --> 00:40:13,660
but there's a feature of this room
that a lot of visitors miss.
510
00:40:13,660 --> 00:40:15,260
That's behind this grille.
511
00:40:15,260 --> 00:40:20,980
If you open it and look inside,
there's just room in there
512
00:40:20,980 --> 00:40:23,700
for a small man to sleep.
513
00:40:23,700 --> 00:40:27,220
This is a very serene place,
and it must have seemed as if
514
00:40:27,220 --> 00:40:32,580
Gregory would never return to the
dirty world of power and intrigue.
515
00:40:37,700 --> 00:40:40,220
But Gregory's seclusion
was short lived.
516
00:40:45,620 --> 00:40:49,820
Rome was cut off from
Constantinople by Lombard forces,
517
00:40:49,820 --> 00:40:52,540
and all but abandoned
by imperial officials.
518
00:40:54,020 --> 00:40:56,180
In a city on the verge of collapse,
519
00:40:56,180 --> 00:41:00,820
only one organization was left
standing - the Church.
520
00:41:00,820 --> 00:41:04,180
Reluctantly, Gregory was drawn
back into civil affairs.
521
00:41:05,900 --> 00:41:09,260
Ordained against his will,
he ran a section of the city,
522
00:41:09,260 --> 00:41:11,180
and when Pope Pelagius
died of plague,
523
00:41:11,180 --> 00:41:13,540
he was elected his successor.
524
00:41:18,220 --> 00:41:20,860
Gregory took charge
of the running of the city
525
00:41:20,860 --> 00:41:25,260
and he proved to be brilliant at
finance, planning and diplomacy.
526
00:41:27,340 --> 00:41:30,980
He bought a truce with the Lombards
and paid the wages of the military.
527
00:41:33,460 --> 00:41:37,940
He donated his estates in Southern
Italy and Sicily to the Church
528
00:41:37,940 --> 00:41:40,660
and used them to feed
the hungry Romans.
529
00:41:43,700 --> 00:41:46,540
Gregory set up welfare centres
across the city,
530
00:41:46,540 --> 00:41:50,260
and he himself dined with
12 poor people every day.
531
00:41:56,340 --> 00:41:59,180
Gregory had expanded
his religious power
532
00:41:59,180 --> 00:42:02,100
into the realm of political
authority.
533
00:42:02,100 --> 00:42:04,380
But he had set his sights
much further afield.
534
00:42:06,660 --> 00:42:11,220
'No pope before had seriously
thought about taking Christianity
535
00:42:11,220 --> 00:42:13,340
'into faraway pagan lands.'
536
00:42:15,820 --> 00:42:19,380
When he was a young deacon, Gregory
had seen some fair-haired
537
00:42:19,380 --> 00:42:22,660
Anglo-Saxon boys at
a Roman slave market.
538
00:42:22,660 --> 00:42:24,620
When he was told
they were Anglo-Saxon,
539
00:42:24,620 --> 00:42:28,380
he said, "They're not Angles,
they're Angels."
540
00:42:28,380 --> 00:42:33,460
Now he was keen to expand papal
powers and convert new peoples.
541
00:42:33,460 --> 00:42:37,900
He dispatched a mission to England
that was remarkably successful.
542
00:42:37,900 --> 00:42:43,460
At Christmas 597, 10,000 Angles
were baptised as Christians.
543
00:42:47,860 --> 00:42:52,180
'Gregory's missionary success made
Rome the Holy City of the West.
544
00:42:53,700 --> 00:42:55,860
'Pilgrims from Europe's
northern territories
545
00:42:55,860 --> 00:42:57,300
'came in their thousands.'
546
00:43:00,620 --> 00:43:04,180
The religious gold-rush was
intensified by the ever-stronger
547
00:43:04,180 --> 00:43:08,020
belief in the sacred power of
martyrs' tombs and relics.
548
00:43:11,980 --> 00:43:15,460
'Guidebooks from the period ignore
Rome's classical monuments,
549
00:43:15,460 --> 00:43:18,300
'directing visitors instead
to Christian sites
550
00:43:18,300 --> 00:43:20,740
'associated with lives
of the martyrs.'
551
00:43:23,300 --> 00:43:27,780
At the church of St Lorenzo,
pilgrims could see the actual grill
552
00:43:27,780 --> 00:43:30,620
on which St Lawrence was roasted.
553
00:43:30,620 --> 00:43:33,700
At the church of St Sebastiano,
they could see the arrows
554
00:43:33,700 --> 00:43:36,340
that had pierced the side
of the great martyr.
555
00:43:38,540 --> 00:43:42,540
'Gruesome stories of the sadistic
torments suffered
556
00:43:42,540 --> 00:43:46,220
'by early Christians were
complied and repeated,
557
00:43:46,220 --> 00:43:49,300
'stories that horrified
and enthralled
558
00:43:49,300 --> 00:43:51,700
'Rome's new spiritual tourists.'
559
00:43:53,820 --> 00:43:56,860
But there was a darker side
to the pilgrim boom.
560
00:43:56,860 --> 00:44:00,300
Everybody literally wanted
a piece of the martyrs.
561
00:44:00,300 --> 00:44:04,580
Soon there was a macabre black
market in the wizened body parts
562
00:44:04,580 --> 00:44:08,100
of the saints - sometimes they
just snatched the entire body.
563
00:44:10,900 --> 00:44:15,060
'The trafficking in body parts
appalled Pope Gregory, who believed
564
00:44:15,060 --> 00:44:18,740
'that contact with the
supernaturally powerful bones
565
00:44:18,740 --> 00:44:20,020
'brought instant death.'
566
00:44:22,260 --> 00:44:25,300
But Gregory understood
the value of relics.
567
00:44:25,300 --> 00:44:29,580
He had special boxes made,
containing filings from the chains
568
00:44:29,580 --> 00:44:33,820
of St Peter, and by sending them
to bishops in faraway territories,
569
00:44:33,820 --> 00:44:36,060
he strengthened their loyalty
to the Pope.
570
00:44:39,340 --> 00:44:44,380
'Pilgrimage to the Holy City paid
rich dividends for the papacy.'
571
00:44:44,380 --> 00:44:47,020
'Holy travellers returned
home with relics
572
00:44:47,020 --> 00:44:51,140
'but also with Roman practices,
which allowed Gregory to become
573
00:44:51,140 --> 00:44:54,220
'the arbiter and leader
of Christianity across Europe.'
574
00:44:55,740 --> 00:44:59,500
'When Gregory died in 604
he was buried in St Peter's,
575
00:44:59,500 --> 00:45:03,580
'where his epitaph read,
"God's consul".'
576
00:45:03,580 --> 00:45:06,100
He'd enriched and empowered
the papacy,
577
00:45:06,100 --> 00:45:08,860
combining the old with the new.
578
00:45:08,860 --> 00:45:11,780
He was truly the high priest
of city and church.
579
00:45:19,300 --> 00:45:22,420
'The Pope now headed the most
influential organisation
580
00:45:22,420 --> 00:45:23,980
'in Western Europe.
581
00:45:23,980 --> 00:45:25,580
'And Rome was its power base.
582
00:45:27,940 --> 00:45:31,660
'The modern papacy, as we know it,
was taking shape.'
583
00:45:39,220 --> 00:45:42,100
But Rome now faced
a completely new threat.
584
00:45:43,900 --> 00:45:47,700
A new religious revelation
was on the march.
585
00:45:47,700 --> 00:45:48,700
Islam.
586
00:45:51,460 --> 00:45:55,620
In a few decades, the Arabs
had conquered a vast empire.
587
00:45:58,060 --> 00:45:59,780
They captured Jerusalem,
588
00:45:59,780 --> 00:46:04,060
leaving Rome the one and only
Holy City of Christendom.
589
00:46:06,900 --> 00:46:08,660
'Rome feared it would be next.
590
00:46:09,820 --> 00:46:11,060
'The city needed an ally.
591
00:46:17,020 --> 00:46:21,500
'Charlemagne, King of the Franks,
was a gifted soldier-statesman
592
00:46:21,500 --> 00:46:24,300
'who had conquered much of
western and central Europe.
593
00:46:25,740 --> 00:46:31,420
'But he aspired to the highest
crown of all - Roman Emperor.
594
00:46:31,420 --> 00:46:35,180
'As a devout Christian,
he craved Rome's stamp of approval.
595
00:46:36,740 --> 00:46:39,820
'But he didn't need to conquer
Rome, Rome would come to him.'
596
00:46:41,900 --> 00:46:46,580
On 25th April 799,
Pope Leo III was near here,
597
00:46:46,580 --> 00:46:49,300
on his way to the Church
of San Lorenzo in Lucina,
598
00:46:49,300 --> 00:46:52,700
when he was ambushed by armed
retainers of the previous Pope.
599
00:46:54,780 --> 00:46:57,900
They tried to gouge out his eyes
and slice off his tongue.
600
00:47:02,620 --> 00:47:06,420
Pope Leo needed Charlemagne's
protection from his rivals,
601
00:47:06,420 --> 00:47:09,220
and from the threat of Arab
and Lombard invasion.
602
00:47:11,260 --> 00:47:13,180
'And Leo could offer Charlemagne
603
00:47:13,180 --> 00:47:15,380
'the one thing
he didn't already have.'
604
00:47:19,020 --> 00:47:21,580
There was a story,
told in this fresco,
605
00:47:21,580 --> 00:47:27,300
that Pope Sylvester had healed
Constantine the Great of leprosy.
606
00:47:27,300 --> 00:47:31,220
Sylvester's reward was Constantine's
conversion to Christianity.
607
00:47:34,260 --> 00:47:35,820
But that wasn't the only thing
608
00:47:35,820 --> 00:47:38,260
that Constantine was said
to have given the Pope.
609
00:47:39,700 --> 00:47:42,540
Pope Sylvester is in firm control.
610
00:47:42,540 --> 00:47:46,740
He's sitting on his throne and
there's the Emperor Constantine,
611
00:47:46,740 --> 00:47:50,580
kneeling and compliantly
surrendering his crown
612
00:47:50,580 --> 00:47:51,820
to the dominant Pope.
613
00:47:54,540 --> 00:47:57,140
This account was a complete
fabrication,
614
00:47:57,140 --> 00:48:00,740
but it allowed Leo to invent
a new tradition.
615
00:48:00,740 --> 00:48:03,620
The power of Popes
to anoint Emperors.
616
00:48:05,500 --> 00:48:07,540
On Christmas day 800,
617
00:48:07,540 --> 00:48:11,460
Charlemagne arrived to celebrate
mass in St Peter's.
618
00:48:11,460 --> 00:48:13,540
He knelt down before the tomb.
619
00:48:23,380 --> 00:48:26,140
As he bent down, the Pope placed
a crown on his head
620
00:48:26,140 --> 00:48:29,300
and anointed him Holy Roman Emperor.
621
00:48:36,980 --> 00:48:41,260
The new imperial alliance seemed
to increase papal authority
622
00:48:41,260 --> 00:48:42,660
and protect Rome.
623
00:48:44,300 --> 00:48:46,780
But actually, it was
flawed from the start.
624
00:48:49,140 --> 00:48:52,980
The Popes believed that they were
the ultimate source of political
625
00:48:52,980 --> 00:48:56,700
and religious authority, so only
a Pope could crown an Emperor.
626
00:48:57,940 --> 00:49:01,420
But the Emperors believed
that they were the supreme power,
627
00:49:01,420 --> 00:49:05,580
so an Emperor could appoint the Pope
whose job it was to crown him.
628
00:49:08,060 --> 00:49:10,460
'The deal didn't live up
to its promise.'
629
00:49:16,420 --> 00:49:19,980
In 846, Arab forces
attacked the city.
630
00:49:21,940 --> 00:49:24,500
For the first time,
St Peter's Basilica,
631
00:49:24,500 --> 00:49:27,940
the essence of Rome's sanctity,
was wrecked and looted.
632
00:49:32,820 --> 00:49:36,260
When the raiders had gone,
633
00:49:36,260 --> 00:49:38,860
Pope Leo IV put his faith
in something more solid.
634
00:49:43,020 --> 00:49:47,580
It's easy to forget that St Peter's
was still outside the city walls,
635
00:49:47,580 --> 00:49:50,100
and therefore vulnerable to attack.
636
00:49:50,100 --> 00:49:54,180
Now Pope Leo embarked on building
these massive fortifications.
637
00:49:55,660 --> 00:50:00,580
The Leonine Walls were 40 feet high
and 12 feet deep,
638
00:50:00,580 --> 00:50:03,260
and they forever changed
the shape of Rome.
639
00:50:09,740 --> 00:50:13,900
The source of Rome's divine power
was now not just sanctified,
640
00:50:13,900 --> 00:50:15,180
but fortified.
641
00:50:20,660 --> 00:50:22,460
Rome's holiness was protected.
642
00:50:24,940 --> 00:50:27,740
Only for it to be poisoned
from the inside.
643
00:50:29,620 --> 00:50:32,220
As the political power
of the Popes had grown,
644
00:50:32,220 --> 00:50:34,940
their position became
highly sought-after.
645
00:50:42,820 --> 00:50:47,180
The papacy became the prize and
plaything in the blood-splattered
646
00:50:47,180 --> 00:50:50,500
power struggle between
competing Italian families.
647
00:50:50,500 --> 00:50:54,980
Several popes were murdered
here at the Castel St Angelo.
648
00:50:54,980 --> 00:50:59,180
Once the mausoleum of the Emperor
Hadrian, and now the fortress,
649
00:50:59,180 --> 00:51:02,380
prison and torture chamber
of the papacy.
650
00:51:08,460 --> 00:51:11,020
'The Popes became power-hungry
players
651
00:51:11,020 --> 00:51:14,060
'in the savage scheming
of Italian politics.'
652
00:51:16,260 --> 00:51:20,780
'And their abuse of papal authority
dragged the Holy City
653
00:51:20,780 --> 00:51:22,700
'into its darkest period yet.
654
00:51:35,300 --> 00:51:37,860
'In 897, Pope Stephen VI
gave an order
655
00:51:37,860 --> 00:51:40,220
'of the most twisted
and malicious kind.'
656
00:51:42,820 --> 00:51:46,620
'He ordered the digging up of
the corpse of a former Pope
657
00:51:46,620 --> 00:51:47,900
'whom he hated.'
658
00:51:50,980 --> 00:51:55,020
Pope Formosus' mummified body
was dressed up in papal robes,
659
00:51:55,020 --> 00:51:59,860
propped up on a mock throne and put
on trial before the Holy Synod.
660
00:51:59,860 --> 00:52:02,460
His crime, violation of canon law.
661
00:52:04,580 --> 00:52:06,340
'The charges were read out,
662
00:52:06,340 --> 00:52:09,740
'and a deacon assigned to
defend the accused Pope.'
663
00:52:11,900 --> 00:52:16,580
Found guilty as charged,
Formosus was stripped and mutilated.
664
00:52:16,580 --> 00:52:20,380
The three fingers he'd used for
papal blessings were chopped off.
665
00:52:23,180 --> 00:52:26,380
'He was dragged
and tossed into the Tiber.'
666
00:52:28,940 --> 00:52:32,020
But this grisly masquerade
was only the start.
667
00:52:32,020 --> 00:52:34,860
From now on, nothing was sacred.
668
00:52:34,860 --> 00:52:38,420
The Popes played a vicious
game of power and pleasure.
669
00:52:38,420 --> 00:52:42,340
No crime was too diabolical
for these heirs of St Peter.
670
00:52:52,300 --> 00:52:55,820
'In the early tenth century,
the papacy became dominated
671
00:52:55,820 --> 00:52:58,820
'by one aristocratic family,
672
00:52:58,820 --> 00:53:02,460
'the debauched and merciless house
of Theophylact.
673
00:53:04,940 --> 00:53:07,700
'The scurrilous chronicler
of their rise to power
674
00:53:07,700 --> 00:53:09,740
'was bishop Liudprand of Cremona.'
675
00:53:11,620 --> 00:53:14,340
Liudprand doesn't
exactly hold back,
676
00:53:14,340 --> 00:53:16,180
especially with the women
of the family,
677
00:53:16,180 --> 00:53:18,740
who are described,
without exception,
678
00:53:18,740 --> 00:53:21,980
as a tribe of sex-mad megalomaniacs.
679
00:53:21,980 --> 00:53:26,860
He says Count Theophylact's wife
Theodora was a "shameless harlot",
680
00:53:26,860 --> 00:53:29,860
and that her two daughters were,
if anything,
681
00:53:29,860 --> 00:53:33,140
"faster in the exercise of Venus".
682
00:53:35,260 --> 00:53:37,420
The most infamous was Marozia.
683
00:53:39,420 --> 00:53:43,900
A wily politician and murderous
man-eater, Marozia must have been
684
00:53:43,900 --> 00:53:48,180
as gorgeously depraved as
she was dynastically effective.
685
00:53:48,180 --> 00:53:51,900
She seduced or married an entire
apostolic succession
686
00:53:51,900 --> 00:53:56,460
of popes and kings, and managed
to dominate Rome for years.
687
00:54:00,500 --> 00:54:03,820
'Drawn deeper into the mire,
Rome's once-mighty Popes
688
00:54:03,820 --> 00:54:07,020
'became pawns in the cesspit
of local politics.'
689
00:54:09,100 --> 00:54:14,100
'At just 15, Marozia had a "wicked
affair" with Pope Sergius III,
690
00:54:14,100 --> 00:54:15,380
'producing a son.'
691
00:54:18,780 --> 00:54:22,820
'Later, Marozia became mistress
of another Pope, John X,
692
00:54:22,820 --> 00:54:26,980
'but she turned against him and
married his enemy, Guy of Tuscany.'
693
00:54:29,740 --> 00:54:33,060
In 928, they successfully
carried out a coup d'etat
694
00:54:33,060 --> 00:54:35,900
in the Lateran palace,
the papal residence.
695
00:54:35,900 --> 00:54:40,220
Marozia had John X arrested,
imprisoned and then strangled
696
00:54:40,220 --> 00:54:44,820
in the Castel St Angelo, leaving
her as de facto ruler of the city.
697
00:54:48,300 --> 00:54:52,900
'The papacy and Rome sank to ever
greater depths of moral depravity.
698
00:54:54,380 --> 00:54:59,900
'Marozia even raised her own bastard
son to the throne of St Peter.'
699
00:55:02,700 --> 00:55:05,500
But things began to fall
apart for Marozia.
700
00:55:05,500 --> 00:55:09,620
Her other son, Alberic,
invaded Rome, arrested John XI
701
00:55:09,620 --> 00:55:13,900
and imprisoned his mother
in the Castel St Angelo.
702
00:55:13,900 --> 00:55:18,260
Marozia died in there,
probably murdered by her own son.
703
00:55:18,260 --> 00:55:23,540
As for Alberic, he ruled Rome for
20 years with the majestic title
704
00:55:23,540 --> 00:55:26,700
Prince and Senator
of all the Romans.
705
00:55:30,500 --> 00:55:32,660
'The Holy City was on its knees.
706
00:55:36,060 --> 00:55:38,660
'The Emperors,
once Rome's protectors,
707
00:55:38,660 --> 00:55:41,540
'were now in the ascendant,
dominating Italy.'
708
00:55:44,980 --> 00:55:48,700
The Holy Roman Emperors, successors
of Charlemagne and, in effect,
709
00:55:48,700 --> 00:55:50,140
Kings of Germany,
710
00:55:50,140 --> 00:55:54,700
repeatedly marched south to attack
Rome and terrorise its Popes.
711
00:56:01,420 --> 00:56:05,300
'Only a few Popes had the strength
to fight back by reinvigorating
712
00:56:05,300 --> 00:56:08,300
'papal authority
and the sanctity of the city.'
713
00:56:11,740 --> 00:56:15,180
In 1075, Pope Gregory VII
took a stand.
714
00:56:15,180 --> 00:56:18,060
He published the Dicatatus Papae,
715
00:56:18,060 --> 00:56:22,820
that declared the absolute
supremacy of the papacy and Rome.
716
00:56:22,820 --> 00:56:25,460
From now on,
Emperors would bow to Popes.
717
00:56:30,980 --> 00:56:35,580
Gregory's posturing infuriated
the German Emperor, Henry IV.
718
00:56:35,580 --> 00:56:37,340
He deposed the Pope.
719
00:56:39,980 --> 00:56:43,500
But Gregory hit back,
ex-communicating Henry -
720
00:56:43,500 --> 00:56:46,500
in effect, stripping him
of all his powers.
721
00:56:52,420 --> 00:56:55,060
The toxic relationship between Pope
and Emperor had ignited,
722
00:56:55,060 --> 00:56:56,580
and Rome was its victim.
723
00:57:06,580 --> 00:57:08,940
Gregory allied himself
with the Normans,
724
00:57:08,940 --> 00:57:13,660
but when they occupied the city
in 1084, things turned violent.
725
00:57:16,780 --> 00:57:18,740
Rome became a blazing inferno.
726
00:57:35,100 --> 00:57:40,020
A thousand years earlier, a pagan
emperor had burnt Christians alive
727
00:57:40,020 --> 00:57:41,940
and crucified St Peter.
728
00:57:41,940 --> 00:57:44,020
But their martyrdom had helped keep
729
00:57:44,020 --> 00:57:47,100
the flame of Christianity
alive in Rome.
730
00:57:53,460 --> 00:57:56,220
Constantine had taken
an underground religion
731
00:57:56,220 --> 00:57:59,300
and staked all of Rome's
glory on its success.
732
00:58:01,860 --> 00:58:05,580
Now the ambitions of a Pope had
brought ruin on the Holy City.
733
00:58:09,980 --> 00:58:12,980
'The Popes were to abandon
Rome altogether,
734
00:58:12,980 --> 00:58:15,980
'and seek the protection
of the Kings of France.'
735
00:58:19,180 --> 00:58:20,900
It seemed like the end.
736
00:58:20,900 --> 00:58:23,980
After 2000 years as head
of the world,
737
00:58:23,980 --> 00:58:26,500
the capital of Emperors and Popes,
738
00:58:26,500 --> 00:58:29,900
the very definition
of sacred power,
739
00:58:29,900 --> 00:58:34,380
the city blessed by God
was now cursed by invasion,
740
00:58:34,380 --> 00:58:36,180
intrigue and depravity.
741
00:58:38,820 --> 00:58:41,020
Its sanctity, debased.
742
00:58:41,020 --> 00:58:44,260
Holy no more, time had run
out for the Eternal City.
743
00:58:55,500 --> 00:58:59,820
'Next time, Rome rises
from the ashes.'
744
00:58:59,820 --> 00:59:02,860
'How the debauchery and avarice
of the Renaissance
745
00:59:02,860 --> 00:59:06,100
'transformed Rome into the city
we see today.'
65115
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