Hosted by prominent historian Dan Snow. The Colosseum with Dan Snow is described by Channel 5 as ‘an illuminating journey around this famous ancient building and the blood-soaked gladiator displays that took place within its walls’.
Dan Snow:
“The Colosseum is one of the world’s most iconic buildings. Once seen, never forgotten. It is a miracle of engineering. A symbol of Rome’s skill, determination and cruelty. This is the real story of the building and the gladiators, punishments and games that it hosted. It was quite a journey separating fact from fiction!”
Built almost 2,000 years ago at the heart of ancient Rome, the Colosseum is an ancient wonder that still captures our imagination today. Why are we still obsessed with this magnificent ruin? In this two-part special historian Dan embarks on a journey to investigate the real story of the Colosseum and explore what it reveals about life in ancient Rome.
During the episodes, Dan will marvel at the spectacular architecture and find out exactly how the Colosseum was built. He will learn the fascinating story of Vespasian, the new Emperor who ordered its construction and shed light on the stories behind those who were forced to bring his vision to life. Dan will also delve in to the Colosseum’s most notorious legacy – the bloody games of the gladiators, and the truth of what really happened when 65000 people were crammed into the building to watch the show of their life.
Lucy Willis, Commissioning Editor, Factual, Channel 5:
“Gladiator II promises to be one of the biggest movies of the year and this series will tell the remarkable story of the Colosseum, the arena which housed these giants of ancient Rome, over 2000 years ago. What’s amazing is that the Colosseum is still attracting the crowds as much as it did back then.”
The Colosseum with Dan Snow will air at a date that has yet to be finalised, but is expected to be early 2025.
