Featured on The Learning Channel, this six-hour series chronicles the beginning of Western civilization with the rise and fall of the great Roman Empire. Produced by Alexandria Productions, it charts the Roman Empire from its roots at a bend in the Tiber River, where legendary brothers Romulus and Remus fought to the death; to its flowering as a Republic formed in 510 B.C. after Romans routed Etruscan tyrants; through its military conquests and vast expansion into a masterfully organized empire under such leaders as Julius Caesar and Augustus; and into its decline, beset by internal strife, eccentric emperors, plague, barbarian raids and the rise of an equally compelling power: the Christian Church. Filmed on location, this series uses startling computer graphics, arresting re-creations and penetrating original research to uncover the real Rome and its incredible characters.