'ROMAN EMPIRE' EPIC SERIES
WITH AARON JAKUBENKO AND SEAN BEAN AS NARRATOR


REIGN OF BLOOD!
In the first, opening episode of the six hour series, that airs today, titled Born in Purple, fighting an implacable enemy in Germany, Marcus Aurelius trains his decadent son Commodus to succeed him, while
rumour and intrigues brew back in Rome. The Germanic tribes strike as Marcus Aurelius succumbs to disease, leaving a skeptical Emperor Commodus to prosecute a war that doesn't interest him. The death of
Marcus Aurelius brings a century of Roman triumphs and victories to an end, transferring power to his spoiled, unprepared son Commodus. He rises to power as Rome's new emperor, but not everyone supports his
ascent. Among those conspiring against him: his older sister Lucilla. Commodus defeats his sister's coup but withdraws from governing, allowing others to amass power while he engages in an affair and banishes his wife. Later on a disastrous grain shortage leaves
Commodus isolated, inspiring him to train as a gladiator in a bid to unite Rome. Lavish imperial games at the Colosseum are highlighted by the emperor's bloody victories, but his paranoid abuses of power lead to a final betrayal.
In the first, opening episode of the six hour series, that airs today, titled Born in Purple, fighting an implacable enemy in Germany, Marcus Aurelius trains his decadent son Commodus to succeed him, while



