Documentary series · Netflix
Roman Empire
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Aaron Irvin
Himself
6 eps
Genevieve Aitken
Marcia
6 eps
Sean Bean
Narrateur
15 eps
Aaron Jakubenko
Commodus
6 eps
Edwin Wright
Cassius Dio
6 eps
Jared Turner
Cleander
6 eps
Tai Berdinner-Blades
Lucilla
6 eps
Calum Gittins
Saoterus
6 eps
John Bach
Marcus Aurelius
6 eps
Mike Edward
Narcissus
6 eps
Carl Bland
Avidius Cassius
6 eps
Lisa Chappell
Faustina
6 eps
Jessica Green
Cléopâtre
5 eps
James Gordon
Lucius Afranius
2 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Roman Empire actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Roman Empire reads strongest on Character Depth, Emotional Weight and Bingeability.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The story
What it's about
This stylish mix of documentary and historical epic chronicles the reign of Commodus, the emperor whose rule marked the beginning of Rome's fall.
The run
Seasons
3 seasons · 15 episodes.
Season 1 · Complete
Commodus: Reign of Blood
20166 episodes
7.0IMDbBest episode · S01E05 Fight for Glory
Season 2 · Complete
Julius Caesar: Master of Rome
20185 episodes
7.3IMDbBest episode · S02E02 The Great Conqueror
Season 3 · Complete
Caligula: The Mad Emperor
20194 episodes
6.0IMDbBest episode · S03E03 In Search of an Heir
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S02E02
The Great Conqueror
Caesar's wealth grows as one-third of the triumvirate, but his brutal tatics make enemies, forcing him to remake his image as a military conqueror.
S02E04
Queen of the Nile
After chasing Pompey to Alexandria, Caesar is victorious I the war, them swiftly makes a powerful ally and lover in Egypt's ruler, Cleopatra.
S01E05
Fight for Glory
A disastrous grain shortage reaveals Cleander's treachery and leaves Commodus isolated, inspiring him to trains as a gladiator in a bid to unite Rome.
S01E06
14 Days Of Blood
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.
S02E03
Crossing the Rubicon
Caesar's hard-won victory over Gaul endears him to the Roman people but leads to a military showdown with the Senate and his former ally, Pompey
S01E02
The Making of an Emperor
The Germanic tribes strike as Marcus Aurelius succumbs to disease, leaving a skeptical Emperor Commodus to prosecute a war that doesn't interest him.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S03E03
In Search of an Heir
S03E04
Descent into Madness
S03E01
The Rightful Heir
S03E02
A New Hope
S02E04
Queen of the Nile
S02E05
The Ides of March
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Direction
- David O'NeillDirector
- Richard LopezDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- The Great Courses Amazon ChannelStreaming
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
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Never stop watching
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