Series synopsis
Civilisations: Rise and Fall is a British documentary television series that premiered on BBC Two on November 24, 2025. It stars Sophie Okonedo.
Four mighty civilisations - Rome, Egypt, Japan's Samurai and the Aztecs. Their legends remain - now priceless artefacts reveal what led them to fall into the echoes of history.
Premise
Four mighty civilisations - Rome, Egypt, Japan's Samurai and the Aztecs. Their legends remain - now priceless artefacts reveal what led them to fall into the echoes of history.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Sophie Okonedo as Self - Narrator
Guest cast
- Luca Saraceni-Gunner as Honorius
- Leander Vyvey as Alaric
- Roberto Davide as Stilicho
- Jake Meniani as Mark Antony
- Melissanthi Mahut as Cleopatra
- Calin Bleau as Caesar
- David Bedella as Moctezuma
- Andressa Cardoso Fernandes as Malintzin
- Adam Bond as Cortes
- Yuya Sato as Shogun
- Joshua Jo as Saigo
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 4 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 4 | November 24, 2025 | December 15, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Rome A weak emperor. A divided empire. Barbarians at the gate. Does this perfect storm mean the end of ancient Rome? |
November 24, 2025 |
| 2 |
Egypt The 3,000-year-old civilisation of ancient Egypt faces disaster as war, famine and a toxic dynasty threaten its survival. Will Queen Cleopatra become the last of the pharaohs? |
December 1, 2025 |
| 3 |
Aztecs The Aztecs battle to save their civilisation from Spanish invaders – but is the real threat from the enemy within? |
December 8, 2025 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 24, 2025 |
| Last aired | December 15, 2025 |
| Runtime | 59 minutes |
| Status | continue |