30 TV Shows and Movies About the Roman Empire You Can Watch Online Right Now

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The Roman Empire was one of the greatest empires in world history, and its influence can still be seen in many aspects of civilization today. Given its enduring legacy, movies and TV shows about the Roman Empire and ancient Rome have fascinated viewers for decades. Hence, Ridley Scott’s upcoming Gladiator II and the new epic Those About to Die series have sparked much excitement.

If Those About to Die leaves you seeking more of Ancient Rome before Gladiator II, this guide will reveal the 30 best movies and TV shows on the Roman Empire you can stream right now on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, and more!

One of the movies that most frequently comes to mind regarding the Roman Empire is the original Gladiator. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film follows Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), a man who becomes a skilled gladiator on his mission of vengeance. Gladiator delves deep into one of the most intriguing aspects of ancient Rome while capturing the galore of the Roman Empire through breathtaking cinematography, leading it to critical acclaim.

Some of the best movies on the Roman Empire are much older than Gladiator, though, such as Ben-Hur (1959), Quo Vadis, and Spartacus (1960). Both religious epics Ben-Hur and Quo Vadis were released in the 1950s, making their enormous scale and innovative filmmaking techniques all the more impressive. Ben-Hur boasts one of the most iconic film sequences of all time with its chariot race, while Quo Vadis delves into the infamous reign of Nero. Meanwhile, Stanley Kubrick’s critically acclaimed Spartacus delves into the slave revolts that comprise the Servile Wars. Viewers may also enjoy The Fall of the Roman Empire, which many consider the 1964 version of Gladiator.

Since Egypt was once a province of the Roman Empire, unique films like Cleopatra (1963) and Agora blend Egyptian and Roman history. A few filmmakers have gotten even more creative with Ancient Rome by tackling history through comedies like A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum and Monty Python's Life of Brian. Life of Brian is considered one of the greatest comedies of all time, as it explores a young man born in Ancient Rome who is mistaken to be the Messiah.

Viewers looking for a more expansive exploration of Ancient Rome may prefer TV shows to film epics. The Spartacus TV show offers a more detailed look into the slave revolts against Rome, while docuseries like Roman Empire provide a more accurate deep dive into figures like Commodus and Julius Caesar. Rome is one of the most large-scale TV shows to delve into Rome’s transition from a Republic to an Empire, and Barbarians is a strong choice for those looking for a bloody historical series.

Where to watch movies and TV shows about the Roman Empire online

Check out our list below to find out where to watch 30 of the best movies and TV shows about the Roman Empire!

Netflix
Disney Plus
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Crunchyroll
fuboTV
Max
Max Amazon Channel
Epix Amazon Channel
Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
Peacock Premium
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Google Play Movies
YouTube
Paramount Plus
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Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel
Starz Apple TV Channel
AMC Plus Apple TV Channel
Britbox Apple TV Channel
Paramount+ Amazon Channel
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The Roku Channel
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Starz Roku Premium Channel
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AMC+
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YouTube Premium
YouTube Free
The CW
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Starz
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Criterion Channel
PBS
FXNow
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FlixHouse
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AMC
AMC Theatres
Fandor
Curiosity Stream
NBC
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Freeform
History
A&E
Lifetime
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Screambox
Acorn TV
Sundance Now
GuideDoc
BritBox
MUBI
Netflix Kids
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MyOutdoorTV
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PBS Kids Amazon Channel
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Spamflix
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Shudder Amazon Channel
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aha
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Starz Amazon Channel
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Runtime
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A&E Crime Central Apple TV Channel
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ScreenPix Apple TV Channel
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Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel
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Carnegie Hall+ Amazon Channel
Lifetime Movie Club Amazon Channel
Film Movement Plus
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
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Kino Film Collection
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Pluto TV Live
Cineverse LiveTV
Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
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ALLBLK Amazon channel
Apple TV Plus Amazon Channel
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Filters
  1. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

    #1

    A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.

  2. Agora

    Agora

    2009

    #2

    A historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria and her relationship with her slave Davus, who is torn between his love for her and the possibility of gaining his freedom by joining the rising tide of Christianity.

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  3. Barbarians

    Barbarians

    2020

    #3

    Three people's fates are interwoven in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D., during which Germanic warriors halt the spread of the Roman Empire.

  4. Ben-Hur

    Ben-Hur

    1959

    #4

    In 25 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of trying to kill the Roman governor, he is put into slavery and his mother and sister are taken away as prisoners.

  5. Britannia

    Britannia

    2018

    #5

    An epic drama set in 43AD as the Roman Imperial Army – determined and terrified in equal measure - returns to crush the Celtic heart of Britannia - a mysterious land ruled by warrior women and powerful druids who can channel the powerful forces of the underworld. Or so they say.

  6. Caligula

    Caligula

    1979

    #6

    After the death of the paranoid emperor Tiberius, Caligula, his heir, seizes power and plunges the empire into a bloody spiral of madness and depravity.

  7. Carry On Cleo

    Carry On Cleo

    1964

    #7

    Two Britons—inventor Hengist Pod, and Horse, a brave and cunning fighter—are captured and enslaved by invading Romans and taken to Rome. One of their first encounters in Rome leaves Hengist being mistaken for a fighter, and gets drafted into the Royal Guard to protect Cleopatra.

  8. Centurion

    Centurion

    2010

    #8

    Britain, A.D. 117. Quintus Dias, the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the Earth and destroy their leader, Gorlacon.

  9. Cleopatra

    Cleopatra

    1963

    #9

    Determined to hold on to the throne, Cleopatra seduces the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. When Caesar is murdered, she redirects her attentions to his general, Marc Antony, who vows to take power—but Caesar’s successor has other plans.

  10. Colosseum

    Colosseum

    2022

    #10

    It showcases the rise and fall of the Roman Empire through the Colosseum, one of the most exhilarating and brutal arenas in the history of humanity.

  11. Domina

    Domina

    2021

    #11

    The life and rise of Livia Drusilla, the powerful wife of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar.

  12. Gladiator

    Gladiator

    2000

    #12

    In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus is one of the Roman army's most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus' devious son Commodus ascends to the throne, Maximus is set to be executed. He escapes, but is captured by slave traders. Renamed Spaniard and forced to become a gladiator, Maximus must battle to the death with other men for the amusement of paying audiences..

  13. I, Claudius

    I, Claudius

    1976

    #13

    Acclaimed blackly comic historical drama series. Set amidst a web of power, corruption and lies, it chronicles the reigns of the Roman emperors - Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and finally Claudius.

  14. Julius Caesar

    Julius Caesar

    1953

    #14

    The assassination of the would be ruler of Rome at the hands of Brutus and company has tragic consequences for the idealist and the republic.

  15. Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit

    #15

    In this four-part series classicist and historian, Professor Mary Beard draws on her immense scholarship, unique viewpoints and myth-busting approach to Roman history, to give her definitive take on the Roman Empire. How and why did it happen? In search of answers, she takes us to the most telling sites and the most revealing artifacts, and she examines the legacy the Roman Empire has left behind.

  16. Masada

    Masada

    1981

    #16

    A Roman general leads the epic 1st-century siege of Masada, the mountain fortress where more than 900 Jews made a heroic stand against 5,000 Roman soldiers.

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  17. Life of Brian

    Life of Brian

    1979

    #17

    Brian Cohen is an average young Jewish man, but through a series of ridiculous events, he gains a reputation as the Messiah. When he's not dodging his followers or being scolded by his shrill mother, the hapless Brian has to contend with the pompous Pontius Pilate and acronym-obsessed members of a separatist movement. Rife with Monty Python's signature absurdity, the tale finds Brian's life paralleling Biblical lore, albeit with many more laughs.

  18. Plebs

    Plebs

    2013

    #18

    Sitcom about three desperate young men from the suburbs who try to get laid, hold down jobs and climb the social ladder in the big city - which just happens to be ancient Rome.

  19. Quo Vadis

    Quo Vadis

    1951

    #19

    After fierce Roman commander Marcus Vinicius becomes infatuated with beautiful Christian hostage Lygia, he begins to question the tyrannical leadership of the despotic emperor Nero.

  20. Roman Empire

    Roman Empire

    2016

    #20

    This stylish mix of documentary and historical epic chronicles the reign of Commodus, the emperor whose rule marked the beginning of Rome's fall.