Rome Unwrapped

Documentary telling the story of the disaster in the year 79 AD. When Mount Vesuvius erupted, it rained seven million tonnes of debris onto Pompeii and sealed the fate of more than 1,000 people. But it also sealed the city off from the world - preserved it and protected it. Like nowhere else on earth, the rediscovered Pompeii gives access to the ancient world. Now, with new findings, insights and technologies, the story of the ordinary people caught up in this disaster can be told.

Documentary exploring the surviving ruins of ancient Rome, beginning with a look at the Colosseum, built to house 50,000 spectators. While gladiatorial games pre-dated the stadium, there had never been permanent structures for the purpose, and there was a great deal of concern at what might happen when thousands of excitable citizens were corralled in one place. The programme features surviving eyewitness accounts from the day the Colosseum opened its doors to the public, showcasing executions, battles between wild animals and a duel to the death.