Murder in Rome (Timewatch, 2005)

This is a dramatized documentary of a famous Roman murder trial which established the law career of Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Rome in 81 BC was under the dictatorship of Sulla after a civil war. Sulla proscribed perceived enemies of the state. Up to 9000 people, mainly nobles, were executed without trial as part of the proscriptions and had their property seized. It was in this environment of fear and extra-judicial killings that the trial takes place.
Roman trials were the ultimate in ancient entertainment, with life or death outcomes. Thousands flocked to see the spectacles, drawn by the prospect of lurid tales of murder, intrigue and violence. After all, there was no state prosecution service so the law was only open to the rich and famous, meaning the trials were a fascinating window on a world of debauched privilege. The stars of these bloody shows were the lawyers and the greatest of them all was Cicero.
Rome, 81 BC: Sextus Roscius is accused of patricide, if found guilty, he faces a brutal execution. Defending him is a young lawyer - Cicero. Cicero is up against one of the finest prosecutors in the city - Erucius. The facts seem simple: Roman gentleman Sextus Roscius has been stabbed in the street. It's an apparently motiveless killing. None of his valuables were stolen. The prime suspect is the old man's son.
Sextus Roscius Junior had means, motive and opportunity. Erucius calls witness after witness and builds a shocking case. The court learns that Sextus Junior has possibly committed an earlier murder - his elder brother Gaius, who stood to inherit the wealthy father's land.
It seems like an open and shut case. But Cicero's brilliant out-of-court detective work is about to dazzle the Roman courts for the first time. By the time he has finished, not only is Sextus Junior absolved, but Cicero has unmasked a conspiracy that goes to the top of Roman society. Using the actual trial record, this gripping drama reconstructs one of the most celebrated murder trials in history.

Narrated by Michael Praed.

-- This is shared without profit for educational and historical purposes.---