Rome Unwrapped S01 • E01 Colosseum

Rome's history is being rewritten. New excavations are giving us groundbreaking insights into the events that defined the Empire and the personal stories of its people - not just emperors and the elite, but the working classes, engineers and common soldiers. Through their experiences, we are gaining a radically different perspective on Rome's history - leading experts to challenge the traditional view of the Empire. Now they can tell Rome's previously untold story, based on more, and broader, sources than ever before. This series joins experts as they uncover the lives of the working class during Pompeii's last twenty-four hours in a newly excavated area of the city; discover the real face of Caesar with a bust recently found under the River Tiber; and reveal the secret of Rome's military success through lost weapons and letters written on waxed tablets on the frontline of the Empire. Rome Unwrapped uncovers a fresh take on key events such as the invasion of Britain, the destruction of Pompeii and the opening of the Colosseum. With unique access to new excavations and combining innovative use of CGI with stylish dramatisation this series uncovers a fresh, darker Rome that is disarmingly modern. A stadium for 50,000. A modern architectural miracle 2000 years old. Here, stars were made. Lives were ended. Rome's glory was revealed but so was its ugly heart. From the archaeological evidence, and the sole surviving eyewitness account we reconstruct the day the Colosseum first opened its doors through beast fights, executions, and a legendary duel. It was glorious, brutal, ingenious, spectacular; terrifying. The Colosseum was Rome and its first day saw the birth of the entertainment industry. Dewey: 937 COL.

ClickView-logo-inverted-RGBClickView-logo-white-RGBhyperlink-circle