# Barbarians Rising (2016)

> A four-episode docudrama that retells the rebellions of peoples the Roman Empire called barbarians, told from the rebel leaders' side.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/58713

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 4
- Episode runtime: 84 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: history, documentary
- Network: History
- Cast: Michael Ealy, Nicholas Pinnock, Jefferson Hall, Ben Batt, Tom Hopper, Emil Hostina, Richard Brake, Kirsty Mitchell
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5807292/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: sober, epic, dramatic, reflective

## Synopsis

Barbarians Rising (2016) is a Spanish-American history docudrama miniseries broadcast on History. Across four episodes of roughly 84 minutes each, it retells a wave of uprisings against the Roman Empire from the viewpoint of the rebel leaders, using a narrator (Michael Ealy) to frame the story. Reenacted scenes center on figures such as Arminius (Tom Hopper), Boudica (Kirsty Mitchell), Hannibal (Nicholas Pinnock), Viriathus (Jefferson Hall) and Spartacus (Ben Batt), each episode following a different struggle against a sprawling imperial power. The engine is simple and concrete: tribal leaders gathering armies, facing Roman legions, and building resistance over generations. The tone is sober and epic, with battlefield violence and a weighty sense of history shaping the world to come. Shaped as a single limited run of self-contained campaigns rather than one continuing plot, it suits viewers who enjoy ancient warfare and historical documentary storytelling. Fans of Spartacus, Rome and Vikings will find resonance in its blend of ancient battles, rebel heroism and sweeping imperial conflict.

## Shows like Barbarians Rising

- [Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/79296)
- [Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/12500)
- [Medal of Honor (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/70931)
- [Spartacus: House of Ashur (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/156960)
- [Spartacus (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/44179)
- [Those About to Die (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/138495)
- [Colosseum (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/127218)
- [The Lost Pirate Kingdom (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/98789)
- [Barbarians (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/79325)
- [The Liberator (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/92971)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt