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Roman

Illustration of Hannibal leading soldiers and war elephants across snowy Alpine mountains during his campaign against Rome.

General ancient history

Have archaeologists just found proof of ancient Carthage's legendary anti-Roman war weapon?

Roman mosaic showing two children in tunics, one running and the other holding a small animal, set against a blue patterned background.

This ordinary ancient Roman object is still used today – and has hardly changed

Why Rome fell. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Toilets through time, from sponges on sticks to medieval privies. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A Roman statue against a red background

From secret cults to Christianity, how did ancient Roman religion change so dramatically?

Going on strike in ancient Rome. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A statue of Roman emperor Domitian with the sun rising behind him.

Meet the “grossly underappreciated” Roman emperor who became the enemy of the ancient world

Why Pompeii's tragedy still captivates us today. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

How ancient Pompeii was rediscovered. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This engraving depicts the battle of Zama in 202 BC, the decisive clash of the Second Punic War. Led by Scipio Africanus, Roman forces defeated Hannibal’s Carthaginian army, ending Carthage’s challenge to Roman power and marking Rome’s emergence as the dominant force in the western Mediterranean.

General ancient history

Long before the ancient Roman empire, a rival superpower looked set for supremacy

The final days of Pompeii. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

How to dress like a ROMAN woman in ancient Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Busts of Julius Caesar (right) and Octavia, who became the first Roman emperor.

He was ancient Rome’s mightiest figure – and rumours said he had a secret affair with Julius Caesar

Secrets of the Romans' spectacular success. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A weathered Roman fresco depicts several figures wearing laurel wreaths and classical garments, painted in warm earth tones against a textured wall

Before the volcano: life in ancient Pompeii. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Beyond the podcast: Pompeii

Step inside a Roman home, and you might be surprised by what you find

Augustus: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Did the ancient Romans wear underwear? The truth is surprisingly complicated

This Roman mosaic depicts Orestes and Iphigenia, with Iphigenia holding a small statue of Artemis — imagery drawn from Greek myth and popular across the Roman world. Mosaics like this often decorated the floors of bath complexes and latrines, where vibrant storytelling scenes enlivened communal spaces.

Ancient Roman culture would be baffling to modern eyes – and their toilet habits prove it

A marble bust of a man

Julius Caesar's hellraising youth: did he really defy tyrants and crucify pirates?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 4th-century AD mosaic from Terranova near Tuscolo depicts gladiators locked in combat, capturing the drama and choreography of the arena in late Roman Italy. Even as public spectacles waned in some parts of the empire, scenes like this show how gladiatorial fighting remained a potent form of popular entertainment.

Female gladiators shocked the ancient Roman world — but not for the reason you think

An image of Roman ruins, including tall structures with 6 columns in the background. There is a large curved wall in the foreground

Think you know everything about ancient Rome? These 25 facts will prove otherwise. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 2nd-century AD mosaic from La Chebba, part of a larger scene showing the Triumph of Neptune, includes a boy gathering fruit — a small detail that reflects broader Roman ideas about health and diet. Fresh fruit played an important role in Roman nutrition, valued for its balance, seasonality, and association with natural well-being.

If ancient Romans didn't understand calories, how was their theory of nutrition so accurate?

This Roman mosaic depicts gladiators locked in combat. Created to celebrate the spectacle of the arena, it offers a glimpse into one of the most popular, and most brutal, entertainments of the Roman world.

Step inside the ancient Roman empire's gladiatorial arenas, and witness 24 hours of shocking violence

Episode 1Roman latrines. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 3rd-century AD Roman mosaic shows two murmillones — gladiators named Symmachus and Maternus — locked in combat as their trainers watch from the arena’s edge.

Think you know what an ancient Roman gladiator looked like? The reality will make you think again

A day in the life of a gladiator. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 2nd-century AD Roman mosaic from Mérida’s Casa del Anfiteatro depicts workers treading grapes to make wine. Scenes like this captured the rhythms of daily life across the Roman world, celebrating both agricultural labour and the pleasures of wine culture.

The ingenious Roman invention that sparked the ancient empire’s obsession with luxury

How Julius Caesar's funeral drama fuelled the mob. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.