All of them powerful.

But Rome wasn't always ruled by these dictators.

Once it was a largely democratic society.

Its leaders were elected, and no one could hold too much power.

They called it the Republic, and it lasted for 500 years.

So why did Rome give up on this apparently fair society

and turn to the emperors?

It's a story that begins with a small boy a long, long time ago.

Jupiter, god of our ancestors,

behold, in death, your most trustworthy soldier,

Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus,

statesman, general, despiser of kings,

champion of our great Republic!

Young Tiberius, your father will be praised

as long as Rome is remembered.

In an age before Rome was ruled by emperors,

young Tiberius Gracchus had been brought up to respect his father's principles

of honour and Justice.

But in Just 20 years, he will die defending his father's ideals.

Murdered by the aristocrats standing behind him.

His crime, starting a revolution so powerful, it changed Rome forever,

setting it on the path to its greatest triumphs and worst excesses.

He was a great man, Tiberius. Don't be sad.

You can be even greater one day.

Gracchus, Gracchus.

Tiberius Gracchus was to make his first mark on history

Just ten years after his father's death.

Rome was preparing for the final assault on its arch rival, Carthage.

The Republic's hopes for victory

rested on the shoulders of General Scipio Aemilianus.

Laelius, you will be ready to advance your units along this front,

- immediately I give the command. No delays. - Yes, Consul.

You won't learn anything from over there, Tiberius.

Gentlemen, my brother-in-law.

Then we launch the final attack,

and whoever scales the wall first will win the golden crown.

The Roman people have waited long enough.

Tomorrow, we'll assert justice over tyranny, decency over a barbaric people.

It will be a victory for civilisation, for Rome and the Republic.

The Republic!

Nervous?

I don't want to make a mess of it.

And I want to be first over the wall tomorrow.

Your mother would be very proud. She has great hopes for you.

I hope I don't let you all down.

You won't. You have your father's blood in your veins.

Jupiter, give me strength.

We're with you, sir.

The two superpowers, Rome and Carthage,

had been locked in conflict for 120 years.

Now, the victor would take control of the ancient world.

Come on, men. Give them hell!

That's it! That's it! Pull harder!

Come on! Up the ladder! Come on!

Look out, sir.

Inside the city walls, the Romans became locked in a bitter fight for every street.

To break the deadlock, Aemilianus ordered the city to be burnt.

Ancient sources describe how the streets ran with blood.

But eventually, after six days of brutal fighting, the Carthaginians surrendered.

This is your day, Tiberius. Hold your head high.

You did it.

If only your father could see you now.

Rome is proud of her son.

We have triumphed.

From now on, nothing can challenge the power of Rome!

But we're not finished. I want this damn city taken apart.

Reduce it to dust. And we'll plough the dust with salt,

so not even weeds will grow in memory of Carthage.

Carthage was utterly razed to the ground.

In a few months, nothing was left of this great civilisation.

Its wealth was looted, and its survivors sold into slavery.

Rome would now reign supreme for the next 600 years.

But its rulers'greed was sowing the seeds of the Republic's ultimate destruction.

Tiberius returned to a city

that hardly seemed worthy of its new position as capital of the ancient world.

While the rich were growing fat on the spoils from Carthage,

Rome's streets were overflowing with the poor.

How disgusting. Why do they keep coming into the city?

Ah, Cornelia. Welcome. How are you?

Nasica.

You must see what Aemilianus has brought me from Carthage.

It's exquisite.

Mmm, pity they won't be making any more.

The journey here was so frightening.

Soon we won't be able to go out at night if they keep flooding in.

Hmm, most of them do nothing for a living. Rome's become a cesspit.

- Ah, Aemilianus. - Nasica.

I was saying to Cornelia,

Rome's overflowing with the unwashed these days and I blame you.

Blame me? Why, what have I done?

Destroyed the one thing that kept the plebs in their place.

Oh, and what's that?

The fear of Carthage.

Nothing like the fear of an enemy to keep the plebs under control.

Perhaps, Nasica, we should create a new enemy,

a new fear to put them back in their place.

That's not a bad idea by your standards, Pulcher.

Carthage didn't just keep the plebs under control,

it kept us all in our place.

Now it's over, there's nothing to stop some in their relentless pursuit

of wealth and power.

Don't be such a sanctimonious old bore.

Come on.

What do you mean?

We have a responsibility,

a duty to take care of those less fortunate than ourselves.

Fail, and the Republic falls apart.

Tiberius, like most citizens, was a firm believer in the Roman Republic.

For 400 years,

this largely democratic society had tried to achieve peace and stability for all.

But now, the growing gap between rich and poor threatened its foundations.

Do you like that one?

You need to be wiser, Tiberius.

I saw you talking to Pulcher last night.

- What's wrong with Pulcher? - Huh!

He's got principles. What he says makes a lot of sense.

He is not to be trusted.

So who would you have me trust, Mother? Nasica?

He doesn't care about anyone but himself.

You be careful, Tiberius. This idealism will get you enemies.

So what are you saying? That I should sacrifice my principles?

Is that what my father did?

Of course you must have principles.

But if you don't get the power first, nobody will ever listen to you.

Oh, Tiberius, you have the ability to become a great leader.

I don't want to be known as the mother-in-law of Aemilianus.

I want to be known as the mother of Tiberius Gracchus.

Tiberius hoped to satisfy his mother's expectations with further military glory.

He set off with reinforcements, to help crush a rebellion in Spain.

Leave the cart! No! Please. No...

Stop. No, my son.

What's going on here?

Tell them not to break the cart. It's all we have.

How are we going to get to Rome now?

They've taken our farm! Everything we've worked for!

- Who's taken your farm? - I lost my husband fighting for your lot!

We've no money, no food, nothing! What am I supposed to do? You tell me!

Mend the cart.

Give them food.

Tiberius.

Octavius. Good to see you.

- How long's it been? - Too long. Come in.

Do you remember all he used to serve you was that piss water?

And I loved it. Although it was worse than piss water.

- This, mercifully, is a little better. - I should bloody hope so.

It's not yours?

Grown right here.

Bring more, lots more.

You should try farming.

You can make a fortune out here.

Just grab some land.

Just grab some land?

Just grab some land.

Do you know, I met a family coming here. Someone had grabbed their land.

- The woman was screaming the place down. - She's a pain in the arse.

- You know her? - Yes.

Everybody round here knows her.

So who took her farm?

Octavius?

Well, the army took her husband. Hmm?

Anyway, where am I going to plant my grapes?

- Well, how many other farms have you taken? - Oh, come on, I'm not the only one.

You can't just take someone's land.

- What's going to happen to that family? - I don't know.

Go to Rome. Find their fortune.

Why should I care?

You don't give a shit, do you?

Tiberius, come, have another drink.

I don't think so.

We're leaving for Spain early.

It wasn't Just a few, but thousands of farmers who had lost their land.

The rich landowners had brought in slaves to replace them.

Many from Carthage.

When he reached Spain,

Tiberius fought the same tribe his father had confronted 40 years earlier,

the Numantines.

But this time there was no chance for glory. Battle after battle was lost to the fierce warriors.

The campaign was a disaster.

Consul Mancinus, the luckless commander, tried to lead his 20,000 troops to safety.

But his entire army was surrounded by the barbarians.

Facing annihilation, Mancinus's only option was to send out a peace envoy.

Why is he taking so bloody long?

They refuse to negotiate.

- Then we're all dead. - No. They won't negotiate with me.

- Only Tiberius. - What?

I can't allow it.

I can't put the lives of 20,000 Romans into the hands of a junior officer.

What alternative is there, sir?

What are they trying to do?

It must be a trap.

Sir?

Go then.

Why should I let you go? We could kill you all.

Why don't you, then?

Because of your father.

We fought him a long time, but he finally made peace with us.

Can you do the same?

- Yes. But my terms are... - Your terms?

My terms are that you free our men and allow them to return in safety.

And what do we get?

Equality with Rome, and a lasting peace.

Rome will agree to that?

I speak for Rome as my father did.

Give me your oath.

By Jupiter Lapis, I swear I will keep my word.

And if I fail, may I be cast out as this stone is now.

Your father never betrayed us. I know you won't either.

Tiberius returned to Rome

and to a hero's welcome from the families of the soldiers he'd saved.

But then he and Mancinus were summoned to appear before the Senate.

Prepare yourself.

How is it, members of the Senate, I ask myself,

that our great Republic,

supreme power in all the world,

now finds itself

asked to ratify a treaty with these barbarians?

Please, consider the...

Speak up.

Please consider the situation we were in.

It was the only chance we had to get out alive!

Alive? I don't understand.

Better killed in the glorious action

than skulking away with your tail between your legs.

Or maybe you're dead.

This is your ghost and this preposterous treaty is all a nightmare.

We can't let this treaty stand.

It was an oath made before the gods.

The Senate must honour it.

You should have thought about that before, young man.

What you are doing will dishonour Rome.

The only way we can show the gods and the Numantines

that we reject this treaty is to punish those who made it.

I say send Mancinus and his officer, Tiberius, back to the Numantines,

stripped naked and bound in chains.

Let's remember who the real culprit is here.

This young officer was only obeying the orders of an incompetent general.

And it is Mancinus, and Mancinus alone,

who should face the Numantines!

Tiberius, you have to see it from their point of view.

They're doing what's best for Rome.