SEVEN WONDERS OF ANCIENT ROME

THE GREATEST ARCHITECTURAL MARVELS OF ROME

Name: Seven Wonders of Ancient World

Production: Discovery Channel

Year: 2004

Episodes: One

Run time: 46 minutes

While you can find a myriad documentaries on the Roman Empire, its rulers and the wars that it was engaged with its many rivals, this one is different, as can be concluded from the title. As the settlement on the river Tiber in peninsular Italy grew to become the greatest empire that the world had ever seen, encompassing most of Europe and parts of Northern Africa and West Asia, the mighty Roman emperors adorned their capital with some most stunning buildings in the contemporary world. Be it the majestic Colosseum where the Romans enjoyed gory scenes of blood bath or the Pantheon built in the honor of the vast array of Gods in the Roman mythology, these emperors embellished their metropolis to make sure that the population was happy and that their legacy would endure for a long time to come. Besides serving their primary purpose, these monuments were constructed using the best quality material sourced from the far flung regions of the empire while employing the most innovative of contemporary building techniques, some of which continue to intrigue modern day architects and builders.

If you like history and have a flare for architecture, then this is the documentary for you. With a run time of little over 46 minutes, it gives you enough details of the seven sites that the makers have designated as the wonders of Rome. For all those who don't know this, please do not be shocked that buildings like the Saint Peter's Basilica or the other grand churches that adore Rome today have been omitted; this documentary is regarding those monuments of Rome that were built prior to the Christianization of the city. Meanwhile, taking one monument at a time, the user is informed about the emperor who built it and the reason, the purpose it served, the architects who designed it, the material used and the method employed in construction, the process of maintenance and the architectural marvels incorporated in them that make them fit to be adorned with the title of being amongst the 'Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome'.