
Murder in Rome
This is a dramatized documentary of a famous Roman murder trial which established the law career of 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.
Released 4 Mar, 2005. 60 min. Director: David Stewart. TV documentary.