Mankind: The Story of all of Us (Part 3: Empires)

Beginning in 2012 (nearly 10 years ago), the History Channel has released this 12-episode docu-series about some of the most famous events of the 2 million years of the existence of our species.

This is Part 3 of this 12-part wiki page series about the Docu-series. In this page, we will cover the episode "Empires", now the episode talks mostly about Europe's legendary empire; The Roman Empire, and how it became the west's first superpower, and how Christians used the empire to spread the message of the legendary "Jesus of Nazareth".

## Empires

### The Crucifixion

This episode begins in the holy city of Jerusalem where Jesus would be crucified.

Jesus of Nazareth has mysterious origins. But he would create a religion which was considered for the time radical, and because of this and once he was caught by the Romans, he would be crucified. After meeting with the women in Jerusalem, falling 3 times, and with a guy named Simon helping him carry his cross. His robe was stripped, nailed to his cross and presented as an example.

Now, crucifixions in the Roman Empire is like lethal injections here in the United States today, they were very common, in fact so common that the Roman Guards sometimes wouldn't bother to register the death of the victims, and Jesus was no different, after 3 days of being hanged, he would die and those who watched him die would place his body in a tomb. This is where his followers would try to use the power of the Roman Empire to spread Jesus' message. This would be no easy task with the Empire having strict laws against worshiping what was considered for the time more powerful than the emperor.

### The Roman Empire

The Episode goes to Rome (in modern day Italy) to talk a bit about the Roman Empire (which began after their victory over Carthage in 27 BC) and how the Empire had to endure some hardships before the Roman Emperor Claudius.

Claudius was the Roman Emperor from 41 to 54 AD, and he had the problem of trying to keep the citizens of Rome fed, and after an attempted assassination on his life, he decides to come up with a plan to supply Rome with enough food and water, and his idea was to build Aqueducts.

Aqueducts are a building marvel which even people today still are a wonder. Back during the Roman Empire, they were crucial to the growing of Rome and other cities across the Empire. the engineers use precision engineering, making sure the Aqueducts drop 1 foot for every 30 feet to make sure the right amount of water gets into Rome, not too much and not too little. They also use concrete (made from volcanic ash) which allows for better building design and arches which can easily distribute weight and balance as well as providing a tough stable hold. After 15 years, the Aqueduct was complete, and bringing thousands of gallons of water into Rome, enough for fountains, baths, and even commune toilets. Rome is quickly grow into one of the world's biggest cities at the time, and the Empire is still growing as they have to expand their influence, and they'll do it through military force.

### Roman Conquest

The Episode goes to Britain where the Romans defeat a tribe of Druids.

The Romans were definitely a "force to be reckoned with" for their time. After their defeat of Carthage, they went on to conquer more land in Europe (namely the Mediterranean) but they want to take the island which would be known as Britain because it was rich in resources the Romans need to keep going such as Lead (for Aqueducts) Tin, Copper, and Iron (to make new weapons and tools), and Silver (to keep the Roman Military going financially). In 61 AD, the Roman Military (led by "Gaius Suetonius Paulinus") invaded Britain (in what would be known as Wales) as they go toe-to-toe with an army of Druids.

These Druids (led by a woman named "Boudica", a name I picked up from my British Competitors) may have a standing army, but unfortunately for "Boudica" and her Druid army, they were no match for the Romans as they had the weapon and number advantage, and were defeated easily.

But there's more to the Roman Empire than the Military and Aqueducts. They also came up with glory fights, and their warriors which are known to us as "Gladiators".

Gladiators were their time's professional athletes, and even celebrities as they had fame and fortune as they even sell off their sweat and used as like perfume or even cologne, this is despite that most of them being slaves (forced to fight) and the mortality rate for Gladiators being very high as before they reach 24, they die.

### The Silk Road

The Episode takes another journey to China (the Tang Dynasty) for the other topic, which is the creation of the Silk Road.

The Tang Dynasty doesn't get a lot of foreign visitors, and the Romans that took the long, long \*LONG\* journey to the Tang Dynasty (modern day China) they came to trade for Silk, a rare commodity in the Roman Empire. They requested an audience with the Tang Emperor, and after a long time of negotiations, the Emperor agree with the Romans to trade between the 2 Empires, this would lead to the creation of the world famous "Silk Road" where the 2 Empires would trade in goods. Though the catch is that the Tang Dynasty doesn't tell the Roman Empire on how they make silk, or where it comes from.

Today, we know how silk is made \*and\* where it comes from. From the silk worm and naturally stronger than steel and flexible.

### The Christians Rise

The episode goes to Damascus to talk about a Christian Apostle.

Several decades after the crucifixion of Jesus, his followers were struggling to spread his word. But during the 50s AD, a follower named "Paul the Apostle" was in Damascus where we was pursued by Roman guards as he was a spreader of Christianity (though, before then he persecuted Christians, what got him to convert is still unknown) he would write up letters and have fellow believers send them to other Christians, his writings as well as his followers would make up most of the New testament of the Bible.

As the years went on, there would be more and more Christian converts across the Empire, especially women who usually don't have a voice otherwise in the Roman Empire would have a voice in Christianity. One such woman is "Perpetua" a Christian Convert who would practice the controversial religion, even when she was eventually caught she still believes in her religion, even willing to die. Eventually, the religion would become so huge, the Roman Empire would be forced to lift all laws against it.

Then, a big moment of the time of the Roman Emperors as "Constantine the 1st", before his death in 337 AD was requested to be Baptized (as he was himself a Christian), in honor of the Christian Emperor, the Romans decided to build a city after him, "Constantinople" (modern day Istanbul) and in the center, they build "Hagia Sophia" (the Church of the Holy Wisdom). But what Christianity would do is be one of the leading causes of the fall of the once mighty Roman Empire, and that is what we'll cover in the next part.

That'll do it for this part, in the next part (click here) We will talk about the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of Islam and the worlds first gold rush, the Vikings, and the Crusades. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.