Ancient Rome

It is the time of Saturnalia, the most highly-anticipated festival across the whole of the Roman Empire. In the ancient city of Rome, citizens and slaves are preparing to honour the gods and to enjoy a time of freedom and revelry among family and friends....

They come in droves, busloads of tourists shepherded down through modern streets, shops and stalls, past souvenir stands and hordes of local guides offering insight and spectacle....

The World's Greatest Civilizations: The History of the Goths looks at the history of the "barbarians" who brought Rome to its knees in the late 4th century CE and helped bring about the final collapse of the Roman Empire....

Although the Romans gained the upper hand over Carthage in the wake of the First Punic War, the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal brought the Romans to their knees....

In A.D. 64, on the night of July 19, a fire began beneath the stands of Rome’s great stadium, the Circus Maximus. The fire would spread over the coming days to engulf much of the city of Rome...