Ancient Rome
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Boudica: Death to Rome
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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Rise of Herod
King Herod is considered one of the biggest villains in history, best remembered for a fabled, biblical slaughter. But this infamous legacy has overshadowed the rest of Herod’s extraordinary story. Born in the early 1st century BC, Herod fought his way to prominence during a time of great turmoil...
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Crossroads of History: Ancient Jordan with Dan Snow
1 season
History Hit goes on a special expedition to the Middle East - a spectacular journey through time in beautiful northern Jordan. Join Dan Snow in this two part series that takes us through this fascinating region of ancient wonders - from the Greeks to the Romans, Byzantines, the coming of Islam, ...
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Fire and Blood: Boudica's Vengeance
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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Rise of Caesar and Augustus
1 season
Rome in the 1st century BC was an age marked by conflict, upheaval and transformation. Among the ambitious and powerful figures of Pompey, Crassus, Cleopatra and Mark Antony two men stood above all others - Julius Caesar and his great nephew Augustus. Through their unparalleled ambition, ruthless...
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Enemies of Rome: In Search of the Picts
For centuries they were depicted as enemies and barbarians, only portrayed through the eyes of the Roman Empire. Now, through new archaeological discoveries and research, the story of the Picts is being rewritten.
Join Tristan Hughes as he travels across Scotland, meeting experts in stone-carvin...
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Decoding the Roman Dead
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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Sex Lives of the Ancient Romans
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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Pompeii: The Discovery
Dan Snow tells the incredible story of how Pompeii was discovered.
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Gladiators: History's Greatest Fighters
Gladiators, from Spartacus to Ridley Scott’s Maximus Decimus Meridius, we’ve been fascinated by them for hundreds of years. Dan Snow is on the hunt to find out why we’re still so obsessed with the men who controlled the Roman arena from the ground up!
Dan joins experts in Italy and England to in...
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The Ryedale Hoard: Yorkshire's Roman Mystery
History Hit's Tristan Hughes has special access to the Ryedale Hoard: A Roman Mystery exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum to speak to the people responsible for its discovery and investigate these incredible artefacts.
Featuring the remarkable 1,800 year old bust of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, ...
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Hannibal
1 season
The story of legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal. From his beginnings as an enemy of Rome in the Iberian Peninsula, to his daring crossing of the Alps and the decisive Battle of Zama against Roman general Scipio Africanus.
Alexander Siddig performs as Hannibal, supreme commander of the Carth...
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Lost City of Gaul: Unearthing Bibracte
In the heart of the French region of Burgundy, deep in a forest, lies a hidden city that had been dormant for 2,000 years. It’s called Bibracte, the most important oppidum in all of Gaul. That is where the Aedui, a Gallic tribe allied to the Romans, once built a fortified city on top of a mountai...
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Google Questions - The Roman Republic
We've asked ancient historian and archaeologist Dr. Simon Elliott to answer the most googled questions about the roman empire.
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Greatest Discoveries: Last Days of Pompeii
Tristan Hughes explores the destruction of Pompeii, using extraordinary eyewitness testimony and the revelations of archaeology to understand what really happened here nearly 2000 years ago.
In 79 AD, one of the greatest natural disasters in Roman history occurred in southern Italy, when Mount V...
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Rise of Augustus
Augustus was born into a world of chaos and upheaval. The Republic was crumbling and his great uncle Julius Caesar was gaining both power and enemies. After Caesar’s assassination, Augustus, still just a teenager, launched an ambitious power grab which changed the entire Mediterranean world.
Jo...
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Fortress Britain: Ardoch Roman Fort
Join Tristan Hughes in this short documentary as he explores the fascinating history of Ardoch Roman Fort in Scotland. Featuring historians Rebecca Jones and Andrew Tibbs.
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Hadrian with Dan Snow
Dan Snow presents this Bafta Cymru-winning film following the travels of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.
Dan journeys over Hadrian's domain and reveals the ruler's genius and also his ruthlessness. He also investigates Hadrian's relationship with a young Greek man, Antinous, his lover whom he ordered...
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Rise of Caesar
Julius Caesar lived a dramatic life filled with battles, conspiracies and unparalleled ambition. He sits amongst the greatest military leaders of all time but what made him cross the Rubicon and march on his own city, Rome? This documentary reveals the truth behind the legend.
Historians Adrian...
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Vindolanda Unearthed
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...
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Killing God: The Assassination of Julius Caesar
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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Scotland's Roman Hoard: The Traprain Treasure
Follow Tristan Hughes as he is given exclusive access to the National Museum of Scotland for a look at one of Britain’s most spectacular archaeological discoveries: the Traprain Treasure, a dazzling collection of over 250 pieces of late Roman silver.
Guided by curator Dr Fraser Hunter, we learn ...
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Greatest Discoveries: Pompeii
1 season
Tristan Hughes visits Pompeii to discover its incredible archaeology and the invaluable information it has revealed about this Roman town. Episode one explores the vibrant cosmopolitan centre that this prosperous port town was before its destruction - delving into the lives of particular Pompeiia...