Modern documentaries about Rome

[Roma_Victrix]

They're available a dime a dozen on Youtube, so to speak, and while some of them are very good in terms of presenting facts and coherent narration, often they have terrible sets and outfits. Other times, the sets and outfits are spot on and very impressive, like something straight out of a Roman painting.

This video is certainly one of those with terrible, terrible interpretations of what the Romans wore. Particularly bad is the depiction of soldiers, wearing everything from stuff the Romans perhaps never wore to anachronistic lorica segmentata armor that in addition looks really funky and wrong.



However, you have to love some of the historians' comments in their remarks on the events being covered. For example, the one guy who says that the Germanic Suebi warlord Ariovistus was a "Saddam Hussein" in the Roman imagination. Another fantastic quote for comedic purposes: "I don't think Brutus could stand being second banana to Caesar."

Please share Roman documentaries you think are worthy, and at least have good narration or high production values. I'd like to think I've seen them all, but I've been surprised before.

Aside from clothing, this video is pretty awful also in terms of fighting styles and tactics. It makes no effort to show the classic Roman discipline in maintaining battle lines or formations, and shows them slashing instead of stabbing with their swords. In fact, one of the few redeeming qualities is the entertaining music in the background.