Ancient Rome

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  • Hannibal
    1 season

    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...

  • Bignor Roman Villa

    West Sussex has its fair share of stunning Roman sites: Fishbourne Roman Palace, Stane Street, the Novium, the list goes on. But one of the region's star Roman attractions has to be Bignor Roman Villa. Situated deep in the heart of the Sussex countryside Bignor is home to some of the most impress...

  • 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.

  • Vindolanda: Jewel of the North

    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...

  • 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...

  • The Wall: Rome's Great Northern Frontier

    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...

  • Colchester: Britain's First City

    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...

  • 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...

  • The Roman Republic

    We've asked ancient historian and archaeologist Dr. Simon Elliott to answer the most googled questions about the roman empire.

  • 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...

  • Life and Death in Roman London

    1 season

    Dr Simon Elliott explores the rise and fall of Roman London.

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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 ...

  • 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...

  • Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire

    1 season

    A docu-drama covering the rise and the fall of the Roman world, including the establishment of strong individual rule by Julius Caesar and the rebuilding of Rome under Nero.

  • Greatest Discoveries: Lost Lives of Pompeii

    The story of Pompeii’s destruction is renowned across the world. In 79 AD, this prosperous Roman town was destroyed by a massive, volcanic eruption. Pompeii became frozen in time, only to be rediscovered c.1500 years later.

    Warning: contains very strong language and sexual content.

    Vesuvius’ er...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Gladiators of Roman Britain

    History Hit’s Tristan Hughes heads behind the scenes at the British Museum to get a special look at items from their exhibition touring the UK in 2025-2026: Gladiators of Britain.

    Taking visitors back nearly 2,000 years to the Roman province of Britannia and beyond, the exhibition brings togethe...

  • 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...

  • The Roman Invasions: With Ray Mears

    1 season

    From 55 BC to the Claudian invasion almost a century later, join bushcraft and survival expert Ray Mears as he embarks on a journey to learn more about the Roman invasions of Britain.

  • Rise and Fall of Roman Richborough

    Richborough was one of the longest Roman-occupied sites in Britain, with history stretching from the Claudian invasion of Britain in 43 AD to the Roman departure almost 4 centuries later. During its long history Richborough transformed on several occasions. From military base to prosperous port t...

  • Fragments of History: Rome's Greatest Armour

    In 2017, the oldest and most complete set of Roman armour was unearthed in Kalkriese, Germany. Roughly 2,000 years old, it is one of the greatest examples of Roman military equipment ever discovered, we know it as the lorica segmentata. Consisting of 40 sheets of iron fastened together with leath...