The compelling PBS Empires series explores the first hundred years of the Roman Empire in this fascinating documentary. The story begins with the ascent of Augustus, who almost single handedly rescued Rome from the chaos of civil war and forged a collection of colonies into an empire. Augustus was a shrewd statesman, and his manipulation of the common people allowed him to begin a dynasty that would eventually endanger everything he had created. After the death of Augustus in A.D. 14 the Roman Empire continued to expand even as the imperial family fell into turmoil. Augustus s successor was Tiberius, who was then followed by the notorious Caligula, but it fell to Claudius, who came reluctantly to power after Caligula s murder, to further Augustus s imperial ambitions. Under Claudius Rome finally occupied the distant island of Britain, and letters from the period offer fascinating glimpses into everyday life at the edge of the world.

Ancient Rome, it has oft been said, pioneered bizarre sexual proclivities, but even Caligula never thought to slake his notorious carnal desires with a cantaloupe. Besides, he lacked a microwave. After all, it was the application of this 20th-century gadget that proved our fellow countryman’s undoing and ensured his inclusion on 101 Embarrassing Sexual Accidents.