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Rome's Disaster: Battle of Teutoburg Forest - 1: The Great Betrayal
Episode 1
The Battle of Teutoburg forest is a story of betrayal, of one man’s vehement desire to liberate his people from Roman rule and the brutal, bloody lengths he would go to achieve it.
Tristan Hughes heads to Germany to investigate how these German 'barbarians' beat one of history’s most powerful a...
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26:00Episode 2
The Roman Republic
Episode 2
We've asked ancient historian and archaeologist Dr. Simon Elliott to answer the most googled questions about the roman empire.
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31:06Episode 3
Fire and Blood: Boudica's Vengeance
Episode 3
In 60 AD, the fledgling Roman town of Colchester witnessed ancient Armageddon. Thousands of British warriors descended on the settlement, turning what was then the capital of Roman Britain to ash. At the head of these attackers was one of the most well-known figures in British history - the warri...
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32:52Episode 4
Sex Lives of the Ancient Romans
Episode 4
Joined by historian Honor Cargill-Martin, Tristan Hughes explores the real sex lives of ancient Rome.
From popular series to kinky paintings, there is a recurring image today of Romans as sex-mad degenerates. And although there are sex stories in the dozens from the Roman period, when it comes ...
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25:11Episode 5
Secrets Of The Roman Baths
Episode 5
In this video, Alice Loxton visits one of the most fascinating Roman sites in Britain, the Roman baths in the glorious city of Bath. But don’t worry, this is not another dreaded Latin lesson.
Alice takes you, the subscribers of the History Hit YouTube channel, through the best bits of the histo...
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50:48Episode 6
Colchester: Britain's First City
Episode 6
Colchester has a rich and vibrant history, often claimed to be Britain’s oldest city. This talk will take you on a journey through Colchester’s history – from the Ancient world of Boudicca to the modern day, seeing how this town changed and developed through time. Michael will focus in on Colches...
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50:19Episode 7
The Emperor Justinian
Episode 7
Peter Heather, Professor of Medieval History at KCL, tackles the big questions about the Roman Emperor Justinian.
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28:37Episode 8
Decoding the Roman Dead
Episode 8
Colchester Museums have been working with archaeologists and specialists to ‘decode’ the hidden stories of 40 of Colchester’s earliest inhabitants.
Through new scientific research techniques, they have reconstructed the identity and lives of these people: where they came from in the empire, wha...
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28:53Episode 9
The Roman Emperors: With Mary Beard
Episode 9
Classicist and national treasure Mary Beard speaks to Dan about Ancient Rome and its emperors.
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18:21Episode 10
Mary Beard on Women and Power
Episode 10
In Greek and Roman antiquity, women’s voices were proof of their wickedness. The pitch and prattle was considered harmful, even unsanitary. In literature, powerful women were emblems of usurpation and mortal danger. Women speaking in public could not only jeopardize the men close to them, but bri...
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1:11:53Episode 11
The Road to Rome
Episode 11
The Roman Empire was one of the greatest in history. At its height it stretched from northern Britain to the Persian Gulf, its might epitomised by the effectiveness of its core military unit: the Roman legion. The aqueduct, sanitation, irrigation, medicine, education, wine, public baths – all thi...
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39:35Episode 12
The Wall: Rome's Great Northern Frontier
Episode 12
Hadrian’s Wall is celebrating its 1900th birthday… the perfect time for History Hit to investigate this potent embodiment of Roman dominance.
Dan Snow explores the physical remains of Hadrian’s vast project of 122AD - over 80 Roman miles of wall, turrets and forts, stretching from coast to coast...
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39:39Episode 13
Boudica: Death to Rome
Episode 13
In 60/61 AD turmoil seized southern Britain. A massive anti-Roman revolt reared its ugly head in East Anglia, as tens of thousands of Britons attempted to evict the recently-arrived Romans from the island by the spear. At its head was one of the most famous figures in the whole of British history...
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Killing God: The Assassination of Julius Caesar
Episode 14
15 March - 'The Ides of March'. It is arguably the most well known date in ancient history. On that day in 44 BC the Roman statesman Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senatorial conspirators in the heart of Rome. But why was this political giant of ancient Rome assassinated? How did th...
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38:00Episode 15
Settlement and Supply
Episode 15
Tristan Hughes visits two must see sites, situated near Hadrian's Wall. South Shields Roman Fort, at the mouth of the River Tyne, and Corbridge, the northernmost town in the Roman Empire.
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40:55Episode 16
Vindolanda: Jewel of the North
Episode 16
Situated roughly two miles south of Hadrian's Wall in the heart of the Northumberland countryside, Vindolanda is home to some of the most remarkable archaeology from Roman Britain. Its history spans several centuries; it is a must see site for anyone wanting to know more about the ancient history...
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02:11Episode 17
How to Cook Like a Roman
Episode 17
It's Masterchef, Roman style! Our chef reveals some surprising facts about Roman culinary tastes. Hint: not a tomato in sight!
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50:32Episode 18
How the Romans Changed the World
Episode 18
"The Ascent of Europe - How the Romans Changed the World
The Romans created one of the greatest empires in history, built with the help of an incredible army of professional legionnaires and a well-oiled political machinery. At its height, a few hundred men ruled over a fifth of mankind and an a...
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51:53Episode 19
The Rise of Judea
Episode 19
The Rise of Judea explores the tumultuous reign of King Herod and the ascent of Roman stewardship in Judea through the words of Flavius Josephus. From his strategic marriage and political wiles to his immense cultural development and architectural marvels, Herod's destructive ambition leads him t...
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Life and Death in Roman London: The City Falls
Episode 20
Today it is one of the greatest cities on Earth. But London, originally, was a Roman city. Join Dr Simon Elliott in this two part series where, with the help of leading experts Dr Sophie Jackson and Dr Rebecca Redfern, he tells the story of Roman London. From Boudica’s infamous destruction to how...
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Life and Death in Roman London: The City Rises
Episode 21
Today it is one of the greatest cities on Earth. But London, originally, was a Roman city. Join historian and archaeologist Dr Simon Elliott in this two part series. With the help of leading experts Dr Sophie Jackson and Dr Rebecca Redfern, Simon tells the story of Roman London. From Boudica’s in...
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The Roman Invasions With Ray Mears: Claudius' Conquest
Episode 22
In the second episode of this series, bushcraft and survival expert Ray Mears recounts the Claudian invasion of Britain in 43 AD and explores the ensuing Battle of the Medway in the lands of the Iron Age tribe of the Cantiaci. Featuring historians Dr Simon Elliot, Professor Matthias Strohn and Ro...
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The Roman Invasions with Ray Mears: Caesar's Mission
Episode 23
In 55 BC, Rome had its sights set on Britain. Across two attempts, a huge invasion force led by one of the greatest miltary leaders in history, Julius Caesar, landed in Kent. Eventually he would break through and conquer the southern heart of the island.
It had not been an easy task. In his firs...
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45:51Episode 24
Vindolanda Unearthed
Episode 24
Situated roughly one mile south of Hadrian’s Wall is one of the great jewels of Roman and early medieval archaeology: Vindolanda. Over the past 50 years, annual excavations at this site have revealed incredible amounts of new information. Information that has not only shone more light on the site...