David Macaulay: Roman City

I show this documentary every year to my world history classes at the high school I work at and my students find it both informative and entertaining. Based on the well written and illustrated works by David Macaulay, the film is part documentary and part animated story revealing not only how Roman cities were planned built, but also about life in the ancient Roman empire. I highly recommend it to any person interested in Roman history or for teachers wanting to employ its use in the classroom. At only sixty minutes in length, it is perfect for teachers to show on overview of ancient Rome without having the film take up too much of classroom time.

I have been a substitute teacher for twenty years, and I have watched countless DVD's on every subject. This is the best one ever! It covers all the most fascinating aspects of Roman history, and there's an incredibly exciting and romantic drama as well.

Roman Baths -- how they were built and who used them

Roman Aqueducts -- how they brought water from over thirty miles away.

Roman Gladiators -- how they fought and died

Roman Cities -- how they were planned and built

On top of all that, the story of the fictional city is dramatized with vivid characters and amazing drama and romance. The humble Roman city planner and the beautiful, brave and loyal girl from Gaul were so amazing!