The Rise of the Praetorian Guard

Trap doors under toilets, hidden radio rooms in the back of wardrobes, secret bases behind waterfalls....Dan investigates an extraordinary network of secret resistance cells set up during Britain's "darkest hour".In the summer of 1940, Britain and its empire stood alone as the Na ...  Show more

The desperate, violent last stand that ended two centuries of crusading in the Holy Land. We hear how, outnumbered, divided and desperate, the Christian defenders decided to fight to the bitter end against the Mamluk forces of Al-Ashraf Khalil at the Siege of AcreFor this series, ...  Show more

16 January 27 BC is a date sometimes associated with the beginning of the Roman Empire. It was on that day that Octavian received the name Augustus, effectively becoming the first emperor of Rome. Augustus ordered the gates of Janus to be closed, marking an end to the period o ...

The story of the Roman emperor Heliogabalus is filled with sex, death, decadence and religious extremism, but it also touches on some key questions about imperial Rome. What were the limits of political power? How far should a ruler intervene in the life of his subjects? And what ...  Show more

When you picture ancient Roman Soldiers, an image of battle-hardened warriors equipped with iron breastplates, large rectangular shields and mighty helmets will no doubt come to mind. Immortalised in cinematic classics like 'Gladiator' or HBO Period Dramas - the depictions of ...

Known as the Eternal City, ancient Rome was one of the greatest civilisations in human history, but how did it come about?

With a turbulent history of Kings, civil wars and imperial desires - Rome has an incredible history. But who founded it? Were Romulus and Remus ...