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- [Male Narrator] Our
history is no more
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than a series of
incredible events.
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00:00:06,066 --> 00:00:08,296
Every one of us can
influence its course.
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00:00:08,333 --> 00:00:11,203
(dramatic music)
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The most infinitesimal
of our decisions
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can influence the
future of humanity.
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To know the past is
to foresee the future.
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2018, Rome, restoration site
of the Temple of Jupiter.
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Consecrated in 509 BC,
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this monument is
among the world's
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oldest places of
worship still active.
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Soon, the inhabitants of
Italy would be able to pray
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to their great god, Jupiter.
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Upon the death of Julius Caesar,
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nobody could manage
the necessary reforms
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00:01:02,433 --> 00:01:06,183
in order to turn the Roman
republic into an empire.
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00:01:07,250 --> 00:01:09,270
Deprived of its
tremendous influence,
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Christianity has remained
confined to the Middle East
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and has not succeeded
in asserting itself.
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Nowadays, Jupiter is the
official religion of Italy.
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Jupiter Optimus
Maximus is worshiped
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by more than 100
million believers,
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but none of that ever happened.
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In 45 BC, a small grain of
sand will allow Augustus
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to exceed to power and to turn
the republic into an empire.
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January 11th in the year 49 BC,
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at the head of the 13th Legion,
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Caesar illegally enters Italy
before marching on Rome.
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Five years later, the will
of the late Julius Caesar
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designates his great
nephew, a certain Octavian,
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as his legitimate heir.
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September 2nd in the year 31
BC, the war fleet of Octavian
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00:02:02,350 --> 00:02:05,280
defeats Mark Antony's at
the naval battle of Actium.
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00:02:07,250 --> 00:02:09,330
These three events
are key moments
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that mark the transformation
of the republic
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into the Roman empire.
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September 27th in
the year 52 BC.
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The night was long.
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Yesterday, the Gallic armies
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rushed at the Roman
fortified camp.
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At the last minute,
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the legions of Julius
Caesar drove them back.
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Today, the Roman
proconsul lays waiting
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for the surrender of their
leader, Vercingetorix.
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The Roman republic is
about to conquer Gaul.
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Rome has come a long way,
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and today, there's nothing
left of the small town
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founded by the legendary
Romulus 700 years ago.
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With its armed forces, Rome
has conquered all of Italy,
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00:03:12,100 --> 00:03:13,250
then this city was led
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00:03:13,283 --> 00:03:16,403
in new wars of conquest
by ambitious generals.
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After its victory in
the city of Carthage,
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its great rival, Macedonia,
Greece, Asia Minor and Syria
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have each become
Roman provinces.
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00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,330
Endless victories have showered
the victorious generals
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with gold and populated
Rome with slaves.
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But an empire is not led
the same way a town is,
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and the republic is overtaken
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00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:43,280
by the dazzling
success of its legions.
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This tremendous expansion
has drastically changed
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the balance of the
original city state.
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00:03:49,166 --> 00:03:51,196
The administration
of the new provinces,
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sometimes thousands
of kilometers apart
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from one another, is complicated
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00:03:55,233 --> 00:03:58,353
and threatens the old
republican organization.
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Indeed, its institutions
have barely evolved
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since their origins.
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Power is still in the hands
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of a handful of big
aristocratic families,
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using their wealth
to rally partisans.
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The more partisans
a family possesses,
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the more influence on political
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00:04:16,216 --> 00:04:18,226
and military decisions it has.
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It is the system of clientelism.
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But in the first century BC,
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the balance of powers is
undergoing massive changes.
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The economy is disrupted.
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Inequalities gain ground.
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The people's dissatisfaction
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degenerates into
violent revolts.
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The republic lives in a
near continuous atmosphere
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of civil war.
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For ambitious and
charismatic men,
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it is the opportunity
to free themselves
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from the grip of great
aristocratic families
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and to climb the rungs of power.
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00:04:58,466 --> 00:05:01,446
The people of Rome now seem
ready to follow the leader
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who will promise them civil
peace, stability and order,
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a man like Julius Caesar.
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In 58 BC, then proconsul,
he gets a military command
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outside Italy, at
the gates of Gaul,
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an excellent occasion to earn
the military prestige he lacks
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and to accumulate a
tremendous war treasure.
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In less than eight years,
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Caesar conquers the
numerous Gallic tribes,
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crushes Vercingetorix's
uprising,
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and imposes Roman law on Gaul.
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In Rome, some begin to worry
about this ambitious general.
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As soon as both the war
and his mandate are over,
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he is commanded by the
senate to return his legions
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and to come back to Rome
as an ordinary citizen.
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If he obeys, he might be
kept in the background.
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If he refuses, he makes
himself an outlaw.
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On January 11 in the year
49 BC, he faces the Rubicon.
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This river marks a
symbolic frontier.
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Beyond it is the
sacred land of Italy.
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No general has the right
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to cross the Rubicon
with his armies.
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Caesar faces his fate.
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He decides to break the law
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and advances on Rome at
the head of his legions.
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The die is cast.
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- [Female Narrator] Welcome
to the memory of humanity.
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Every historical event,
regardless of how small,
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is recorded and connected.
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You only need to change one
to upset all the others.
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Here, we are able
to control time,
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00:07:02,350 --> 00:07:05,170
analyze and compare
billions of events
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in order to rewrite
history in infinite ways.
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In Latin, res publica
means public affair.
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It doesn't necessarily refer
to a democratic system.
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Indeed, Rome is lead by a
narrow aristocratic class.
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It is, therefore, an oligarchy.
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00:07:24,333 --> 00:07:28,323
For the Romans, the term
libertas for freedom
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00:07:28,350 --> 00:07:31,400
explain their government
system a lot better.
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00:07:31,433 --> 00:07:34,383
In the soul of the republic,
the libertas is embodied
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00:07:34,416 --> 00:07:37,476
by the union of the senate
and all the citizens,
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summed up by the phrase
Senatus Populusque Romanus,
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the famous SPQR.
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Senators are chosen according
to their prestige and dignity.
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They are looked upon as the
guardians of ancestral
customs.
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They promulgate laws and
manage the financial field.
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The representatives
of the population
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00:07:58,383 --> 00:08:01,423
elect the magistrates in
charge of executive power.
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00:08:01,450 --> 00:08:04,080
These senior
officials are endowed
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00:08:04,116 --> 00:08:07,146
with specific powers
for a determined period.
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00:08:07,183 --> 00:08:11,233
The consuls, the most
powerful of them, are invested
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00:08:11,266 --> 00:08:15,446
with the imperium, the civil
and military command power.
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00:08:15,483 --> 00:08:18,283
However, like every
magistrate,
the consuls must get rid
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00:08:18,316 --> 00:08:21,266
of their power once
their mandate has ended.
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00:08:21,300 --> 00:08:25,000
If they refuse to do so, they
are condemned by the senate,
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the one and only
guarantor for legitimacy.
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It is Caesar's choice.
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He breaks the law and becomes,
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by this very fact, an
enemy of the republic.
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- [Male Narrator] For Caesar,
it is the moment of truth.
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After he hunted down
the republican armies
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across the whole
Mediterranean, it is here
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on these Spanish slopes that
everything will be settled.
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(dramatic music)
(men screaming)
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On March 17 in the
year 45 BC in Munda,
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Julius Caesar defeats
the republican army
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and puts an end to a
dreadful civil war,
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Caesareans against republicans,
legions against legions.
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- [Man] Caesar!
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- [Male Narrator] He won his bet
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and goes back to Rome
as a conquering hero,
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proclaiming himself the true
defender of the republic.
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But the outcome is
not as yet certain.
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Now, he must
legitimize his power.
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Always abiding by the law,
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he will search for
the slightest flaws
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and exploit them
to his advantage.
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In the year 49 BC,
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he had already appointed
himself dictator,
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a position endowed
with exceptional powers
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normally used to deal
with emergency situations.
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Caesar ignores the
six-month term of office
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and makes his rule permanent,
but he doesn't stop there.
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He also gets the right to
appoint the other magistrates,
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governors, consuls and tribunes,
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as well as the army command.
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Caesar has all the powers
and dominates political life.
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He commands dozens and
thousands of veteran
legionaries
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entirely devoted to him,
appoints his nearest relatives
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to key position, is
loved and respected
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by the common people, and
above all, owns a huge wealth.
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The senate under
control can do nothing
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but notice the situation.
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For the ancient senatorial
families, holders of power
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since the beginnings of Rome,
Caesar is a real danger.
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In the restricted circles
of the Roman aristocracy,
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some people begin to
envisage assassination.
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That day of March
in the year 44 BC,
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while Caesar was on
his way to the Curia,
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where the senate stands,
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the ruler of Rome is at
the peak of his power.
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Caesar seems invincible.
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- [Female Narrator] Rome
wasn't built in a day.
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Originally a monarchy,
it became a real republic
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at the time of the
eviction of its last king,
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Tarquin the Proud.
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Romans have kept
a very traumatic,
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00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,150
almost mythical memory
from this period,
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00:11:26,183 --> 00:11:29,423
as well as a deep projection
of every form of monarchy.
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00:11:29,450 --> 00:11:32,200
Very attached to the
notion of libertas,
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00:11:32,233 --> 00:11:36,103
people have found new heroes
like Lucius Cincinnatus,
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this citizen who is said
to have left his field
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to lead the armies and save
the
homeland from a great peril.
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00:11:43,433 --> 00:11:46,253
Endowed with the extraordinary
and almost unlimited powers
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00:11:46,283 --> 00:11:49,033
of the dictatorship, he
is said to have defeated
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00:11:49,066 --> 00:11:51,366
the enemies of Rome then
given back his powers
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00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,270
to the senate before returning
to the plowing of his field
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00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:56,150
as a modest citizen.
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00:11:56,183 --> 00:11:58,323
With the passing
centuries, he has become
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00:11:58,350 --> 00:12:02,100
a semi-legendary paragon
of virtue and humility,
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00:12:02,133 --> 00:12:04,423
an example of devotion
to the public good.
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Numerous Roman politicians
will later claim
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00:12:07,050 --> 00:12:08,380
to be followers of this man.
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00:12:08,416 --> 00:12:11,416
As for Caesar, he does
precisely the opposite.
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He becomes an enemy of the
republic by advancing on Rome,
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subjugating the senate,
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00:12:16,466 --> 00:12:19,396
then seizing the
power for his own use.
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00:12:19,433 --> 00:12:22,473
For many people, the
ghost of Tarquin the Proud
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00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,420
and of the monarchy threatens
again their beloved republic.
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00:12:29,083 --> 00:12:31,273
- [Male Narrator] Stabbed
to death 23 times,
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Caesar lies on the
ground of the Curia,
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00:12:34,300 --> 00:12:37,300
assassinated in the
senate by 20 conspirators.
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00:12:38,450 --> 00:12:40,450
All the other
senators have fled,
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00:12:40,483 --> 00:12:43,223
afraid they might be
suspected of complicity.
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00:12:43,250 --> 00:12:44,420
Among conspirators,
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00:12:44,450 --> 00:12:47,200
there was a strong
evidence of indecision.
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00:12:47,233 --> 00:12:49,233
They first think about
getting rid of the corpse
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00:12:49,266 --> 00:12:51,466
in the Tiber, then
give up the idea.
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00:12:53,066 --> 00:12:55,396
Surprisingly, nobody
seems to have planned
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00:12:55,433 --> 00:12:58,173
what to do once the
dictator is dead.
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00:12:59,383 --> 00:13:03,003
Mark Antony, Caesar's loyal
lieutenant and a veteran
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00:13:03,033 --> 00:13:05,473
of all his campaigns,
jumps at the opportunity.
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00:13:07,133 --> 00:13:10,323
At Caesar's funeral, he
delivers
a moving funeral oration
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that galvanizes the masses.
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Mad with rage and
thirsting for revenge,
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the inhabitants of Rome are
getting increasingly angry.
233
00:13:19,133 --> 00:13:22,003
Caesar's assassins find
themselves forced to flee.
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00:13:23,233 --> 00:13:26,373
From now on, Mark Antony
is free to do as he pleases
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00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,430
and cleverly acts as
Caesar's successor.
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00:13:29,466 --> 00:13:32,276
But the assassinated
ruler has written a will.
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00:13:34,233 --> 00:13:37,283
In this rigorously legal
document, it is stipulated
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00:13:37,316 --> 00:13:41,096
that he adopts Gaius
Octavius, his great nephew,
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00:13:41,133 --> 00:13:44,183
and that he bequeaths
his wealth to him.
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00:13:45,366 --> 00:13:47,376
A little known
18-year-old young man
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00:13:47,416 --> 00:13:50,446
becomes the legatee of the
prestigious name of Caesar.
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00:13:53,150 --> 00:13:55,450
Mark Antony gets the
military prestige
243
00:13:55,483 --> 00:13:57,173
and the people's favor.
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00:13:58,350 --> 00:14:01,300
Octavian inherits
Caesar's name and wealth,
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00:14:03,183 --> 00:14:05,253
at least on paper.
246
00:14:05,283 --> 00:14:08,153
Indeed, the young
Octavian is, in fact,
247
00:14:08,183 --> 00:14:10,373
deprived of his
legacy by Mark Antony.
248
00:14:13,233 --> 00:14:16,333
Between the two successors,
conflict is inevitable.
249
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,030
During this time, Caesar's
assassins take advantage
250
00:14:25,066 --> 00:14:28,016
of the situation to raise
a large army in the east
251
00:14:28,050 --> 00:14:29,430
in the name of the republic.
252
00:14:29,466 --> 00:14:31,166
In the face of danger,
253
00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,470
Octavian and Mark Antony are
forced to forego their
conflict
254
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,400
and seal a treaty of alliance.
255
00:14:37,433 --> 00:14:40,173
Rome lapses into
civil war again.
256
00:14:41,133 --> 00:14:43,353
(men scream)
257
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,120
During the dreadful Battle
of Philippi in 42 BC,
258
00:14:51,150 --> 00:14:53,180
Mark Antony proves
that he is indeed
259
00:14:53,216 --> 00:14:55,116
Caesar's worthy military heir.
260
00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,300
Once again, the
republicans are wiped out
261
00:15:03,333 --> 00:15:07,403
and Caesar's assassins are
forced to commit suicide.
262
00:15:07,433 --> 00:15:09,233
Two years later, in Rome,
263
00:15:09,266 --> 00:15:12,066
Mark Antony and
Octavian's common ovation
264
00:15:12,100 --> 00:15:15,120
gives the impression
that both men get along.
265
00:15:15,150 --> 00:15:16,480
Obviously, it is an illusion.
266
00:15:20,016 --> 00:15:22,346
An agreement gives the
east to Mark Antony,
267
00:15:22,383 --> 00:15:26,253
who lives a royal lifestyle
there with Queen Cleopatra.
268
00:15:26,283 --> 00:15:28,423
Octavian, the ruler of the west,
269
00:15:28,450 --> 00:15:32,320
sets up a smear campaign to
ruin his rival's reputation.
270
00:15:35,150 --> 00:15:37,480
It is thus said that
Mark Antony would disown
271
00:15:38,016 --> 00:15:42,076
his lawful wife for the
beautiful Egyptian queen.
272
00:15:42,116 --> 00:15:46,326
Bewitched, the general,
weakened
by Cleopatra's charisma,
273
00:15:46,366 --> 00:15:50,046
would have deserted Rome
and behaved like a monarch.
274
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,480
In front of a horrified senate,
275
00:15:54,016 --> 00:15:56,176
Octavian reads
Mark Antony's will,
276
00:15:56,216 --> 00:15:57,476
which was seized illegally.
277
00:15:59,150 --> 00:16:02,050
The entire west sides with him.
278
00:16:02,083 --> 00:16:04,323
But Octavian is a cautious man
279
00:16:04,350 --> 00:16:07,370
and he doesn't openly attack
Caesar's former lieutenant.
280
00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:09,480
He claims to be the
defender of Rome
281
00:16:10,016 --> 00:16:12,996
and declares war
only on Cleopatra.
282
00:16:14,350 --> 00:16:16,330
Hostilities are reopened.
283
00:16:20,416 --> 00:16:23,466
- [Female Narrator] We are
now at a point of divergence.
284
00:16:25,166 --> 00:16:27,996
A point of divergence
is a key moment
285
00:16:28,033 --> 00:16:31,273
across roads in our history
where our world can swing
286
00:16:31,300 --> 00:16:33,430
from one side or the other.
287
00:16:33,466 --> 00:16:38,046
In his will, Caesar decides
to adopt his great nephew
288
00:16:38,083 --> 00:16:39,333
and to bequeath his name,
289
00:16:39,366 --> 00:16:42,296
his prestige and
his wealth to him.
290
00:16:42,333 --> 00:16:45,323
The dictator has probably
detected in Octavian
291
00:16:45,350 --> 00:16:49,320
the necessary competence and
intelligence to take over.
292
00:16:49,350 --> 00:16:51,470
Without this will, Mark Antony,
293
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,000
who already had a very
strong popular support,
294
00:16:55,033 --> 00:16:57,223
wouldn't have had
a serious rival.
295
00:16:57,250 --> 00:17:00,030
However, as brilliant as he was,
296
00:17:00,066 --> 00:17:01,446
there's a strong chance
that the republic
297
00:17:01,483 --> 00:17:04,383
wouldn't have turned into an
empire under his authority.
298
00:17:04,416 --> 00:17:07,466
It might have stagnated
then declined.
299
00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,370
Yet the empire has constantly
spread its Greco-Latin culture
300
00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,420
and its laws, but also
the Christian faith,
301
00:17:15,450 --> 00:17:19,170
which is permanently adopted
during the fourth century.
302
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,020
From that moment on,
303
00:17:21,050 --> 00:17:24,180
Christianity has become the
great religion of the west,
304
00:17:24,216 --> 00:17:27,196
to the detriment of the
polytheistic pagan worship
305
00:17:27,233 --> 00:17:30,223
nowadays almost
entirely extinct.
306
00:17:30,250 --> 00:17:32,230
It is very likely that
the Christian faith
307
00:17:32,266 --> 00:17:35,266
would have been restricted
to the Middle East.
308
00:17:35,300 --> 00:17:39,250
Today, the western world would
still be deeply polytheist.
309
00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,150
In Rome, Jupiter and Venus,
310
00:17:43,183 --> 00:17:46,073
and not Jesus Christ,
would be worshiped.
311
00:17:47,250 --> 00:17:50,250
- [Male Narrator] September
2nd in the year 31 BC,
312
00:17:50,283 --> 00:17:52,383
Western Greece, near
the town of Actium.
313
00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,150
The two strong fleets
confront each other
314
00:17:59,183 --> 00:18:01,083
in a huge fratricidal battle.
315
00:18:02,016 --> 00:18:03,326
Mark Antony and Cleopatra
316
00:18:03,366 --> 00:18:05,996
face the tactical
genius of Agrippa,
317
00:18:06,033 --> 00:18:08,183
Octavian's brilliant general,
318
00:18:08,216 --> 00:18:10,396
the final great
battle of civil wars.
319
00:18:14,283 --> 00:18:17,053
On the evening of an
indecisive confrontation,
320
00:18:17,083 --> 00:18:19,453
it seems that Mark Antony,
who has lost a big part
321
00:18:19,483 --> 00:18:23,083
of his fleet and of his
legions, has failed for good.
322
00:18:25,166 --> 00:18:28,446
One year later, in
Alexandria, abandoned by all,
323
00:18:28,483 --> 00:18:32,103
he has no other choice
than committing suicide.
324
00:18:32,133 --> 00:18:34,003
The war is over.
325
00:18:34,033 --> 00:18:35,153
Octavian won.
326
00:18:36,333 --> 00:18:38,273
He restored order
and civil peace
327
00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:42,380
in the republic plagued by
disturbances during 18 years.
328
00:18:42,416 --> 00:18:45,296
However, he knows that he
can still lose everything
329
00:18:45,333 --> 00:18:47,353
and end up like his great uncle.
330
00:18:47,383 --> 00:18:49,433
Octavian is not Caesar.
331
00:18:49,466 --> 00:18:53,096
A cautious man, he keeps
on wearing his breastplate
332
00:18:53,133 --> 00:18:55,133
during the sessions
of the senate.
333
00:18:55,166 --> 00:18:58,226
He knows that even if
Romans are fiercely opposed
334
00:18:58,266 --> 00:19:01,116
to the very idea of
monarchy, they would support
335
00:19:01,150 --> 00:19:03,270
a strong leader regaining
control of the senate
336
00:19:03,300 --> 00:19:06,380
and ending the
chaos of civil wars.
337
00:19:06,416 --> 00:19:09,176
He cleverly gives back
his extraordinary powers
338
00:19:09,216 --> 00:19:11,476
to the senate during
an eloquent speech,
339
00:19:12,016 --> 00:19:14,126
obvious proof of
his complete respect
340
00:19:14,166 --> 00:19:16,146
towards the republican
institutions
341
00:19:16,183 --> 00:19:20,073
and of his love for the
sacrosanct libertas.
342
00:19:20,100 --> 00:19:21,330
The bet was won.
343
00:19:21,366 --> 00:19:24,276
The senate, seeing in
him the man it needs,
344
00:19:24,316 --> 00:19:27,026
the new Cincinnatus,
begs him to keep on
345
00:19:27,066 --> 00:19:30,226
serving the republic and
offers him a 10-year imperium.
346
00:19:33,150 --> 00:19:36,150
The senators even bestowed
the title of Augustus,
347
00:19:36,183 --> 00:19:39,053
the one whose word
is sacred on him.
348
00:19:39,083 --> 00:19:40,423
It is more than a simple name.
349
00:19:40,450 --> 00:19:44,230
From now on, Octavian
embodies the auctoritas,
350
00:19:44,266 --> 00:19:46,246
the moral authority
which makes of him
351
00:19:46,283 --> 00:19:48,003
a greater human being.
352
00:19:48,033 --> 00:19:50,153
He becomes the guardian
of the imperium,
353
00:19:50,183 --> 00:19:53,323
the first among the
citizens, the Princeps.
354
00:19:53,350 --> 00:19:55,380
To the rapturous
applause of the crowd
355
00:19:55,416 --> 00:19:58,196
Imperator Caesar
Divi Filius Augustus
356
00:19:58,233 --> 00:20:00,253
becomes the undisputed
master of Rome
357
00:20:00,283 --> 00:20:02,073
at the senate's request.
358
00:20:04,016 --> 00:20:06,296
Every institution is retained.
359
00:20:06,333 --> 00:20:08,123
People keep on voting.
360
00:20:08,150 --> 00:20:10,080
The senate continues to gather.
361
00:20:10,116 --> 00:20:12,066
The republic remains in power.
362
00:20:13,283 --> 00:20:16,323
The old magistratures, now all
under Augustus's authority,
363
00:20:16,350 --> 00:20:18,150
are all carefully maintained.
364
00:20:19,433 --> 00:20:22,223
That's how the
republic has died out,
365
00:20:22,250 --> 00:20:24,330
without any official
proclamation
366
00:20:24,366 --> 00:20:27,366
and has handed over
power to the empire.
367
00:20:30,333 --> 00:20:34,073
- [Female Narrator] Augustus
has managed an amazing feat.
368
00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:35,230
Even though he cloaked himself
369
00:20:35,266 --> 00:20:37,296
in the role of the
republic's shield,
370
00:20:37,333 --> 00:20:40,423
he succeeded in depriving
the latter of its substance.
371
00:20:42,116 --> 00:20:43,416
If he had failed to do so,
372
00:20:43,450 --> 00:20:46,320
he would have been remembered
as a tyrant or a usurper.
373
00:20:49,100 --> 00:20:52,220
A similar situation is to be
found in the medieval Japan
374
00:20:52,250 --> 00:20:54,480
at the turn of the 17th century.
375
00:20:55,016 --> 00:20:57,246
At that time, the
country had been plagued
376
00:20:57,283 --> 00:21:00,453
by decades of
dreadful civil wars.
377
00:21:00,483 --> 00:21:05,003
Ieyasu from the clan
Tokugawa decides to rebel,
378
00:21:05,033 --> 00:21:07,033
officially to defend
the emperor's interest,
379
00:21:07,066 --> 00:21:08,416
but in fact, to seize power.
380
00:21:10,266 --> 00:21:13,416
Having won the Sekigahara
battle an extremist,
381
00:21:13,450 --> 00:21:17,330
he becomes shogun and seizes
the power for his dynasty.
382
00:21:17,366 --> 00:21:19,046
It is the beginning
383
00:21:19,083 --> 00:21:22,323
of a long period of
civil peace, the Edo era.
384
00:21:22,350 --> 00:21:26,200
Ieyasu and his entire clan
came very close to infamy.
385
00:21:27,283 --> 00:21:29,473
Both Caesar and Ieyasu
have risked their future
386
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:31,470
on a throw of the dice.
387
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,370
As for Augustus, he hasn't
left anything to chance.
388
00:21:37,450 --> 00:21:40,030
- [Male Narrator] Rome
in the year 14 AD.
389
00:21:43,066 --> 00:21:45,466
In his palace, the
75-year-old emperor
390
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,350
is living his last hours.
391
00:21:49,033 --> 00:21:51,123
Even though his long
40-year-old reign
392
00:21:51,150 --> 00:21:53,170
began with violent civil wars,
393
00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:57,200
it also witnessed art,
sciences
and architecture booming.
394
00:21:58,333 --> 00:22:01,273
The eternal city,
capital of the empire
395
00:22:01,300 --> 00:22:02,430
has been largely rebuilt
396
00:22:02,466 --> 00:22:05,166
and enriched with
prestigious buildings.
397
00:22:06,450 --> 00:22:09,080
Augustus inherited a brick town,
398
00:22:09,116 --> 00:22:11,226
which he turned
into a marble city.
399
00:22:12,433 --> 00:22:15,103
The borders of the empire
have been pushed back
400
00:22:15,133 --> 00:22:16,303
thanks to new conquests.
401
00:22:16,333 --> 00:22:20,173
Augustus's legions, subjected
to an iron discipline
402
00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,030
and equipped with
the best weapons,
403
00:22:22,066 --> 00:22:25,416
have won great victories, but
also encountered a few defeats
404
00:22:25,450 --> 00:22:27,230
such as the one of Teutoburg
405
00:22:27,266 --> 00:22:30,376
in the distant and dark
forests of Germania.
406
00:22:30,416 --> 00:22:32,046
After the beginning of a reign
407
00:22:32,083 --> 00:22:34,253
which was tainted with
violence and brutality,
408
00:22:34,283 --> 00:22:36,473
Augustus gave a new
image of himself,
409
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,270
the portrait of a thoughtful,
fair and stable emperor.
410
00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:45,300
His motto, festina
lente, translated into
make haste slowly,
411
00:22:46,166 --> 00:22:47,326
reveals his true nature.
412
00:22:49,050 --> 00:22:51,350
He was clever enough to
surround
himself with worthy people
413
00:22:51,383 --> 00:22:55,033
such as the General Agrippa
or the well-known Maecenas
414
00:22:55,066 --> 00:22:56,446
who devoted a big
amount of his wealth
415
00:22:56,483 --> 00:22:59,173
to the promotion
of men of letters.
416
00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,100
Despite the deep
aversion of Romans
417
00:23:01,133 --> 00:23:03,403
to the monarchy,
Augustus even succeeded
418
00:23:03,433 --> 00:23:07,223
in gradually imposing
the idea of a successor.
419
00:23:07,250 --> 00:23:09,350
The empire seems eternal.
420
00:23:09,383 --> 00:23:13,023
In fact, it is
only the beginning.
421
00:23:13,050 --> 00:23:15,420
At its peak in the
second century AD,
422
00:23:15,450 --> 00:23:17,180
its territory will stretch
423
00:23:17,216 --> 00:23:19,216
to five million
square kilometers,
424
00:23:19,250 --> 00:23:21,270
where more than 60
million inhabitants
425
00:23:21,300 --> 00:23:24,180
will live in peace
under the Pax Romana.
426
00:23:27,083 --> 00:23:30,003
Two centuries later,
waves of barbarians
427
00:23:30,033 --> 00:23:31,223
coming from the north of Europe
428
00:23:31,250 --> 00:23:33,370
will flood over the
imperial borders.
429
00:23:35,033 --> 00:23:38,123
Overcome by force of numbers,
undermined by bribery,
430
00:23:38,150 --> 00:23:41,070
budget deficit and
conflicts of succession,
431
00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:45,350
the empire will totter,
but that is another story.
432
00:23:48,433 --> 00:23:50,203
- [Female Narrator] Augustus
has never been an emperor
433
00:23:50,233 --> 00:23:53,123
as we understand
this title nowadays.
434
00:23:53,150 --> 00:23:56,070
He contented himself with
controlling every key
position,
435
00:23:56,100 --> 00:23:58,030
gathering all the powers.
436
00:23:59,316 --> 00:24:02,196
It is as if in our
present day democracies,
437
00:24:02,233 --> 00:24:04,483
only one man could be
president for life,
438
00:24:05,016 --> 00:24:06,316
could appoint the
Prime Minister,
439
00:24:06,350 --> 00:24:09,000
the director of finance
in the central bank,
440
00:24:09,033 --> 00:24:10,223
the military chief of staff,
441
00:24:10,250 --> 00:24:12,280
the first secretary
of the syndicates,
442
00:24:12,316 --> 00:24:14,996
and the chief of
religious affairs.
443
00:24:15,033 --> 00:24:18,103
A clever man, Augustus has
succeeded in offering Rome
444
00:24:18,133 --> 00:24:22,183
security and stability in
exchange for supreme power.
445
00:24:24,283 --> 00:24:27,423
Augustus's great gift was
using
every tool at his disposal
446
00:24:27,450 --> 00:24:29,280
to consolidate his power,
447
00:24:31,383 --> 00:24:33,223
war, political action,
448
00:24:33,250 --> 00:24:37,220
but also plot and manipulation
of public opinion.
449
00:24:37,250 --> 00:24:39,050
He has even often showed himself
450
00:24:39,083 --> 00:24:42,033
implacable, cruel and merciless.
451
00:24:42,066 --> 00:24:46,196
However, after the came to
power
after decades of civil war,
452
00:24:46,233 --> 00:24:50,373
he has constantly sought
peace by all possible means.
453
00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,170
He hasn't simply seized
power for his own use,
454
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,350
but also, he strove
for Rome's greatness,
455
00:24:57,066 --> 00:25:00,326
adopting the utmost strictness
and an austere way of life.
456
00:25:01,366 --> 00:25:04,226
He gave the Pax Romana,
a common future,
457
00:25:04,266 --> 00:25:08,316
and a tremendous empire to the
peoples of the Mediterranean,
458
00:25:08,350 --> 00:25:13,350
a 1,000-year-old empire,
the Roman empire.
459
00:25:14,150 --> 00:25:16,270
(dramatic music)
37218
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