Dan Snow will reveal some of the hidden stories behind the Colosseum, one of the most recognisable buildings in the world, in a new series airing on Channel 5.
Produced by streaming service History Hit, The Colosseum with Dan Snow is billed as “an illuminating journey around this famous ancient building and the blood-soaked gladiator displays that took place within its walls.”
The two-part special (2 x 60’) sees Snow embark on a journey to investigate the real story of the Colosseum and explore what it reveals about life in ancient Rome.
During the episodes, he’ll 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.
Snow 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.
Channel 5 is owned by Paramount which will shortly return cinema audiences to the Colosseum in Sir Ridley Scott’s much anticipated new film, Gladiator II.
Dan Snow, Presenter and Creative Director at History Hit, commented: “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!”
Lucy Willis, Commissioning Editor, Factual, Channel 5 added: “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.”