Art critic Alastair Sooke sets out to show the art of the Romans for what it really is - both the best insight to the Roman world and an important grounding for western art. The series traces how, during the Republic, the Romans went from being art thieves and copycats to pioneering a new artistic style. And by following in the footsteps of Rome's mad, bad and dangerous emperors, he finds that their taste in art chimes perfectly with their obsession with sex and violence. Enthusiastic, questioning and engaging, Treasures of Ancient Rome reveals how there was so much more to the Romans than just conquering and soldiering, and charts the decline and fall of the Roman Empire through some of its hidden and most magical artistic treasures.