Qin Shi Huangdi’s story is a tale of rare treasures and booby-trapped tombs, of assassination attempts and military prowess, and of a life-size terra-cotta army buried in battle formation by the thousands in Xi’an. Reviled and revered, he was not only China’s first emperor, he profoundly influenced the shape of Chinese imperial power for centuries to come. His most visible legacy was glittering palaces, sweeping defensive walls, stunning artwork, and the remarkable terra-cotta figures. Comprising soldiers, cavalrymen, servants, musicians, and others, they display individualized facial features, hairstyles, and poses. The entourage was created to accompany and protect the emperor in the afterlife.

Tonight, Robert DeCaroli explores this 3rd-century B.C. man who founded an empire and whose ideas about governance, religion, and authority brought him to the heights of power but also sowed the seeds of his downfall.

DeCaroli is an associate professor of art history at George Mason University.