Civilisations: Rise and Fall

The reasons for the demise of four ancient civilisations, beginning with Rome

Sophie Okonedo narrates a docudrama examining the reasons for the demise of four ancient civilisations and what their destruction says about the fate of a divided modern society, beginning with Rome. In 395 AD, child emperor Honorius inherited a vast but fragile empire and had to control a fractured system plagued by rebellion, economic decline and elite corruption. Gothic peoples, having been recruited by the Roman state but subsequently mistreated, now marched against Rome, led by their commander Alaric. Sophie Okonedo narrates