Ancient Rome

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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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • The Roman Republic

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

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • The Ninth: Mystery of the Lost Legion

    1 season

    It is one of the great mysteries of ancient Mediterranean history. In the 2nd century AD, Rome’s 9th Legion – Legio IX Hispana – vanished from the historical record. Immortalised through Rosemary Sutcliff’s famous novel The Eagle of the Ninth, the question of what happened to this ‘Lost Legion’ h...

  • 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 ...

  • Pompeii: Life in the City - Episode 1

    Dan and Kate explore working lives in Pompeii, from the very rich to the very poor.

  • 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.

  • 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...

  • Life and Death in Roman London

    1 season

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

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...