Professor Haley will appear in the first, third and fifth episodes, beginning on Sunday, March 7. She has just returned from a month in South Africa as a foreign research fellow and guest of the University of South Africa at Pretoria, where she lectured on the classics and participated in the Biennial Conference of the Classical Association of South Africa.
The first episode, "The Rise," opens by foreshadowing Rome's greatness and brutality. It will be broadcast on Sunday, March 7 from 9-10 p.m. and midnight-1 a.m. The third, "The Seduction of Power," tracks political intrigue in Rome from the Republic through the Empire, including Caesar's dramatic rise from soldier to dictator. (Monday, March 8, 9-10 p.m. and midnight - 1 a.m.) "The Cult of Order," on Tuesday, March 9, follows the course of Rome's slow distintegration. (9-10 p.m. and midnight - 1 a.m.)
Haley's on-camera interviews include discussions on women in ancient Rome, the need for control, and the fear of Cleopatra and Hannibal. She recorded her segments at HBO studios in New York in late 1997.
Rome: Power & Glory was shot on location throughout the ancient Empire and is narrated by actor Peter Coyote. It is produced for TLC by Alexandria Productions, Inc., whose principals are the creative team behind the acclaimed NBC Lost Civilizations mini-series, which won a 1996 primetime Emmy Award.
The filmmakers organized the series around critical themes such as Rome's military might, bloody internal power struggles and cultural diversity. Throughout, this approach drives home the relevance of Rome to modern life, such as the role of ancient "spin doctors," the tensions between rich and poor, laws attempting to control sexual behavior, and the shift from religious tolerance to oppression.
Dr. Haley earned her bachelor's degree in classics at Syracuse University, then went on to the Univeristy of Michigan, where she received a doctorate in classical studies as a Danforth Graduate Fellow. She has published articles in various classical journals, such as Historia, Classical World and Classica et Mediaevalia.
