Inside History Collection

In this series, you are taken back to the dramatic events, who have shaped world history for better or for worse. From the construction of the first cathedrals in Europe of the plague to the landing in Normandy in 1944. From the crusaders' bloody marches towards Jerusalem to the daring pilots who gave man air under his wings. Along the way, you will be enlightened in an entertaining way as to why the events took shape as they did. This series has the dramatic narrative as its focal point. You not only get an overview of history's most significant events, but also captivating human destinies, spectacular feats, and history's greatest heroes and villains brought to life.

ROME: ANTIQUITY’S SUPERPOWER

BIRTH OF ROME 753-218 BC • In just 500 years, Rome grew from being an insignificant refuge for mercenaries and bandits to a city that ruled over the entire Italian peninsula. With a mixture of military might and diplomatic ingenuity, the growing empire subjugated the peninsula’s many different peoples. At the same time, the Romans created a unique political system with a comprehensive set of written laws that exerted extensive power over both rich and poor.

THE PATH TO POWER 509 BC-AD 293 • Rome was built on the ideals of freedom, equality and citizenship, but the reality soon proved quite different. In the fierce struggle to secure high office in the Roman Republic, raw power and unscrupulous behaviour were often the first resort, and bribery, murder and military coups became commonplace. Then came the empire, where power- hungry military commanders used all possible means to reach the top.

THE EMPIRE’S IRON FIST 550 BC-AD 235 • For 800 years the Roman legions ruled the battlefield. The city’s early spear-wielding militia gradually evolved into the most fearsome killing machine in antiquity. With the most powerful weapons, the most advanced equipment, the most flexible organisation, and the most intimidating iron discipline, the legionaries defeated everyone they met from mighty Persian armies to hordes of howling Britons.

A LIFE OF SLAVERY 450 BC–AD 400 • From elegant attendants at the imperial court to starving labourers in rags – Roman slaves had many faces. They were transported to Italy in brutal conditions as prisoners of war and sold as chattels to Roman citizens. They came to constitute the kingdom’s lowest social stratum while also providing a vital labour force for the rich and ruling classes. But what they all had in common was that they had no rights whatsoever and lived entirely subject to the capricious desires and whims of their masters.

SPARTACUS SHOOK THE EMPIRE 73-71 BC • In 73 BC, a single slave suceeded in making a military superpower tremble with fear. Faced with the prospect of dying in the arena, the young gladiator Spartacus embarked on a bloody battle of rebellion. Together with 74 other slaves, he broke out of the gladiatorial school where he was being held captive and embarked upon a two-year journey through Italy. The small group of slaves grew to number around 60,000 vengeful warriors who plundered cities, crushed legions and spread death and destruction in their wake.

EMPERORS ENDED THE EMPIRE 27 BC-476 AD • For five centuries, the emperors of Rome was the most powerful men in the world. The entire empire obeyed their every command, and they had the largest army of the age at their disposal. No one could curtail their power, and even divinity was within reach. While some reined in their power to bring unprecedented prosperity to Rome, the temptations became too great for others, who employed a bizarre mix of paranoia, delusions of grandeur and sexual perversion to rule the empire.

THE ROMAN GODS • The early Romans shamelessly stole from the Greek’s world of gods and had a god for every occasion. The most important of was the god of war, Jupiter. Roman legions made...