Living in the Roman Empire

You have to pity the producers who were charged with covering 2,000 years of history and culture in 15 minutes, yet somehow this excellent video manages to provide a very basic outline of the rise, decline and fall of the greatest empire in history, serving as a good introduction for middle-school students who might think Rome is a city in Georgia and that an "empire" has something to do with Darth Vader. While its brevity would not be suited to a high-school world history class (except perhaps as a review), much less a college-level course, this fine overview is highly recommended where affordable. Those looking for a longer, more in-depth production might want to consider Questar Video's Rome: Power and Glory, available as a 6-video set ($99.95) or a 2-DVD set ($44.95). Aud: I, J. (R. Reagan)