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"Rome Week" on History Channel

• Message 1.Μύ

  Posted by RainbowFfolly (U3345048) on Wednesday, 9th May 2007

  Hi all,
  
  Next week on the History Channel there's a series of programmes on the Roman Empire in the 1st century. They're shown at 12:00 and 18:00, and although I'd expect them to be full of the usual "dramatic reconstructions" and CGI they might be of interest to posters on this board.
  
  
  MONDAY
  Who Burnt Rome?
  July, 64AD: a fire broke out near the Circus Maximus that raged for nine days and nights and left a 5km area burnt beyond recognition. Were arsonists responsible for Rome's great fire?
  
  TUESDAY
  THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE FIRST CENTURY: Order From Chaos
  Caesar Augustus' rise to greatness from troubled beginnings mirrors the ascendance of Rome. He transformed Rome but the glory would come at a terrible price.
  
  WEDNESDAY
  THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE FIRST CENTURY: Years Of Trial
  Rome was in chaos, the new emperor Caligula had ushered in an era of fear, conspiracy and crisis. While in Judea, a charismatic religious leader was emerging as a major force.
  
  THURSDAY
  THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE FIRST CENTURY: Winds Of Change
  Nero's disastrous rule shakes the empire to its foundation, Boudicca battles Roman legions in Britain, and Paul spreads Jesus' word. The empire is on the edge of disaster.
  
  FRIDAY
  THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE FIRST CENTURY: Years Of Eruption
  With Nero's death the Empire faces an uncertain future. Vesuvius erupts, burying Pompeii and thousands of people. But the Empire survives, as Emperor Trajan sets a bold course.
  Μύ
  
  Cheers,
  
  
  RF

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  Posted by irene (U2450323) on Wednesday, 9th May 2007

  Hi Rainbow thanks for the tip. However, will these be new showings or will they be the usual Sky repeats? I seem tohave viewed something like these before.

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  Posted by RainbowFfolly (U3345048) on Wednesday, 9th May 2007

  Hi tammylu,
  
  I've definitely seen the programme "Who Burnt Rome" that they're showing on Monday - and a lot more than once as well! I'm not sure about the others as they appear to be a small series of their own, but I always think it's nice to get four episodes over such a short period.
  
  Have you been watching their "Barbarians II" series where each episode was devoted to one tribe: Lombards, Franks, Vandals etc.? It's not a period that I know too much about, and although they were dramatic reconstructions with voiceovers, I have to say that I thought they were pretty good in an "info-tainment" kinda way.
  
  Cheers,
  
  
  RF

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  Posted by Stoggler (U1647829) on Wednesday, 9th May 2007

  History Channel shock! A whole series not based on World War 2!!

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• Message 5

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  Posted by irene (U2450323) on Saturday, 12th May 2007

  Hui again Rainbow - I'm very excited that maybe as you suggest, the Roman epics starting next week will not all be repeats. Must watch anyway. Have you noticed that Tony Robinsons
  Romans is on Sky again. I have seen some of the Barbarian episodes & they are good too, although I think these are repeats too. That's ok if you have missed them first time around but they do get tedious if they are shown too many times don't you think. Cheers.

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  Posted by thegoodbadugly (U2942713) on Sunday, 13th May 2007

  do the programe cover anything about the time the romans diverted a river through a mountain in spain to mine the gold and silver there,i thought that it was great thing to do when i seen it.
  
  and hello rainbow folly how are you.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by RainbowFfolly (U3345048) on Monday, 21st May 2007

  Hi GBU,
  
  I'm OK - I hope you're the same, and haven't been pestering any Viking warrior queens!
  
  I've no idea if they covered the Spanish gold/silver mining as I missed all the episodes due to work. I think the source source for the diverting rivers comes from Pliny the Elder's "Natural History", and as Pliny was a procurator in Spain, it's generally believed he witnessed this first-hand.
  
  So, if you ever find yourself in Spain with a mountain for company and a thirst for gold, this is what Pliny advises you to do...
  74. Another equally laborious and even more expensive task involves the feat of bringing streams along mountain-ridges - often a distance of 100 miles - to wash away the debris from mining operations. The minors call these water-channels "corrugi", a term derived from the word 'confluence', and they involve countless problems. The incline must be steep to produce a surge rather than a steady flow of water and consequently high-level sources are required. Gorges and crevasses are bridged by aqueducts. Elsewhere, impassable rocks are cut away to allow space for hollow wooden troughs.
  
  75. The workmen cutting out the rock hang suspended by ropes, so that viewed from a distance the operation seems to involve not so much a species of strange animals as of birds. Most hang suspended as they take the levels and mark out the route - man leads rivers to run where there is no place for him to plant his own footsteps. The washing of the ore is spoilt if the current of the stream brings silt, or "urium" as this residue is called. To avoid this the water is guided over flint or pebbles. On the ridge above the head of the mine reservoirs are excavated, measuring more than 200 feet each way and 10 feet deep. Five sluices each about 3 feet square, are constructed in the walls. When the reservoir is full, the sluices are knocked open so that the violent downward surge of water is sufficient to wash away the rock debris.
  
  76. The next process takes place on level ground. Water conduits, the Greek name for which is "agogae", are cut in steps and their floors covered with gorse - a plant resembling rosemary - which is rough and so traps the gold particles. The conduits are boarded with planks and carried on arches over steep pitches. Thus the tailings flow down to the sea and the shattered mountain is washed away. It is because of this that Spain has now encroached substantially on the sea.Μύ
  SOURCE : "Natural History", Book XXXIII Sections 74-76 - Pliny the Elder (Penguin Classics pgs.298-299, Trans John F. Healy)
  
  If you have a couple of spare quid then I'd definitely recommend you buy the Penguin Classics translation of the book; it's a selection (the Loeb version runs to about 10 volumes) and is extremely readable. Most importantly, because it has very short chapters it's perfect for reading on the toilet!
  
  Cheers,
  
  
  RF

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  Posted by thegoodbadugly (U2942713) on Monday, 21st May 2007

  i just thought it was a feat or an achivement of romans to do something on this scale and i think its mostly forgoten,i would love to see the programe again.

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