1 00:00:05,087 --> 00:00:07,840 NARRATOR Over 2,000 years, they will forge a nation, 2 00:00:09,367 --> 00:00:10,686 dominate the globe, 3 00:00:11,767 --> 00:00:14,122 and invent the modern world. 4 00:00:18,087 --> 00:00:21,045 This is the story of how a small group of islands 5 00:00:21,127 --> 00:00:23,083 becomes a superpower. 6 00:00:24,567 --> 00:00:26,285 The British. 7 00:00:26,647 --> 00:00:29,605 This is our story. 8 00:00:41,687 --> 00:00:43,882 AD 58. 9 00:00:44,207 --> 00:00:48,405 A foraging party of Romans advance through the British woodland. 10 00:00:50,727 --> 00:00:52,797 After 1 5 years of struggle, 11 00:00:52,887 --> 00:00:58,484 the world's most powerful army is bogged down on the border of modern-day Wales. 12 00:01:03,127 --> 00:01:05,960 A war with no sign of an end. 13 00:01:15,047 --> 00:01:18,323 The Romans have stirred up a ferocious foe... 14 00:01:22,567 --> 00:01:24,478 our ancestors. 15 00:01:26,687 --> 00:01:27,961 (SHOUTS ORDER) 16 00:01:42,487 --> 00:01:43,476 (YELLING) 17 00:01:50,527 --> 00:01:51,516 (GRUNTS) 18 00:01:53,247 --> 00:01:56,444 The Romans consider Britain a land of barbarians. 19 00:01:56,527 --> 00:01:58,438 (SCREAMING IN THE DISTANCE) 20 00:02:01,247 --> 00:02:04,478 I think there's a great deal of savagery in the British character. 21 00:02:05,327 --> 00:02:09,764 There is an undercurrent, I think, of great potential for violence. 22 00:02:12,127 --> 00:02:16,200 NARRATOR Theirs is one of many invasions that will shape who we are. 23 00:02:17,407 --> 00:02:19,398 If you look at the history of Britain, 24 00:02:19,487 --> 00:02:22,240 it's been infused with other influences and cultures 25 00:02:22,327 --> 00:02:25,160 from very, very early on in its history. 26 00:02:26,407 --> 00:02:28,398 (CROWD ROARING) 27 00:02:29,727 --> 00:02:32,560 We British are mongrels. 28 00:02:32,647 --> 00:02:38,358 You know, we're Celtic, and Saxon, and Viking, and Norman. 29 00:02:43,487 --> 00:02:46,763 The island's nature is terribly important. 30 00:02:46,847 --> 00:02:52,160 The questing beyond the ocean has given us a wonderful reputation for discovery. 31 00:02:54,767 --> 00:02:55,756 (SIRENS) 32 00:02:55,847 --> 00:02:59,476 There's this island that is tiny, in geographic terms, 33 00:02:59,567 --> 00:03:03,719 and punches, and has punched, and still punches way above its weight. 34 00:03:07,207 --> 00:03:09,357 RUSSELL BRAND There's something riotous in our spirit. 35 00:03:09,447 --> 00:03:12,007 There's something anti-authoritarian. 36 00:03:12,087 --> 00:03:14,965 The British are proud, tenacious people. 37 00:03:17,927 --> 00:03:20,919 NARRATOR 2,000 years of history and struggle 38 00:03:21,767 --> 00:03:23,962 begins here. 39 00:03:27,287 --> 00:03:30,359 1n the mud, fighting the mighty Roman army. 40 00:03:30,447 --> 00:03:31,436 (EXHALES SHARPLY) 41 00:03:39,167 --> 00:03:41,806 After nearly two decades of resistance, 42 00:03:41,887 --> 00:03:44,355 Rome's patience finally snaps. 43 00:03:55,927 --> 00:03:57,804 1n AD 58, 44 00:03:57,887 --> 00:04:01,641 one of Rome's most feared generals lands on British soil. 45 00:04:09,887 --> 00:04:12,924 General Suetonius Paulinus. 46 00:04:16,127 --> 00:04:19,437 A man with a reputation for crushing insurgency. 47 00:04:23,967 --> 00:04:27,323 Rome controls much of south-eastern Britain, 48 00:04:27,407 --> 00:04:30,797 but the north and west remain beyond its grasp. 49 00:04:34,967 --> 00:04:37,925 This is a land worth conquering. 50 00:04:44,847 --> 00:04:47,839 Some of the most geologically rich islands in the world. 51 00:04:53,767 --> 00:04:57,521 Cornish tin has been traded across Europe for centuries. 52 00:05:04,687 --> 00:05:08,202 1ron in Kent and Sussex will make Roman weapons, 53 00:05:10,447 --> 00:05:14,679 and one day arm the world's most powerful naval force. 54 00:05:16,287 --> 00:05:18,084 Reserves of copper, 55 00:05:19,447 --> 00:05:20,721 silver, 56 00:05:20,807 --> 00:05:22,399 and even gold. 57 00:05:28,447 --> 00:05:30,119 A fertile land 58 00:05:30,207 --> 00:05:33,005 kept warm and wet by the Gulf Stream. 59 00:05:33,967 --> 00:05:37,926 And transformed into one of the most productive lands in Europe. 60 00:05:39,927 --> 00:05:43,761 An ancient society wealthy enough to build Europe's most sophisticated 61 00:05:43,847 --> 00:05:45,963 Stone Age monument. 62 00:05:50,247 --> 00:05:52,238 Stonehenge 63 00:05:52,367 --> 00:05:55,086 is as ancient as Egypt's pyramids. 64 00:06:01,527 --> 00:06:05,202 1 60 vast sacred stones, 65 00:06:05,287 --> 00:06:09,166 many somehow hauled 1 25 miles 66 00:06:09,247 --> 00:06:11,715 from the Preseli Hills of Wales. 67 00:06:15,927 --> 00:06:18,566 Aligned to the sun, 68 00:06:19,447 --> 00:06:22,405 renowned across Europe. 69 00:06:25,527 --> 00:06:28,439 But now, in AD 60, 70 00:06:28,527 --> 00:06:30,722 Britons are fighting for their lives. 71 00:06:33,607 --> 00:06:36,997 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 72 00:06:39,687 --> 00:06:43,202 1n North Wales, on the island of Anglesey, 73 00:06:43,287 --> 00:06:46,006 Celtic resistance thrives. 74 00:06:48,487 --> 00:06:51,365 The island is a stronghold of the Druids, 75 00:06:51,447 --> 00:06:54,007 the religious leaders of Celtic society. 76 00:06:56,087 --> 00:07:01,081 Druids are said to train for 20 years to become judges, advisers, and priests. 77 00:07:02,487 --> 00:07:06,719 For them, Anglesey is one of the most sacred corners of Britain. 78 00:07:08,047 --> 00:07:10,925 The Romans take a darker view. 79 00:07:13,047 --> 00:07:15,038 The Romans certainly view 80 00:07:15,127 --> 00:07:19,439 the main centre of Druidism in Britain on the island of Anglesey 81 00:07:19,527 --> 00:07:24,647 as, effectively, a kind of terrorist training camp for military operations. 82 00:07:25,367 --> 00:07:27,244 (MUTTERING) 83 00:07:27,527 --> 00:07:30,837 The number one enemy the Romans faced, of course, were the Druids. 84 00:07:30,927 --> 00:07:33,760 And the Romans were fully aware of how powerful the Druids were. 85 00:07:34,287 --> 00:07:38,041 Their influence was the only really unifying feature in Britain. 86 00:07:39,447 --> 00:07:43,076 NARRATOR The Druids ferment resistance to the Roman invasion. 87 00:07:49,647 --> 00:07:54,402 Now, 1 0,000 Roman soldiers march hundreds of miles across Britain 88 00:07:54,487 --> 00:07:56,000 to Anglesey. 89 00:07:59,127 --> 00:08:02,085 1n charge, General Paulinus. 90 00:08:05,007 --> 00:08:08,443 Paulinus has made his name as a mountain warfare expert, 91 00:08:08,527 --> 00:08:11,599 perfectly equipped for the fight across North Wales. 92 00:08:13,967 --> 00:08:17,880 But his reputation for brutality will provoke complaints from senators 93 00:08:17,967 --> 00:08:19,798 back in Rome. 94 00:08:20,647 --> 00:08:23,241 The Roman historian, Tacitus, writes... 95 00:08:23,327 --> 00:08:25,158 MAN ''He proceeds against the vanquished, 96 00:08:25,247 --> 00:08:28,045 ''even after they have surrendered, with excessive vigour. '' 97 00:08:32,007 --> 00:08:34,999 NARRATOR 1n Anglesey, Celtic fighters are preparing. 98 00:08:38,567 --> 00:08:41,877 The Romans have learned to respect the warrior Britons. 99 00:08:48,767 --> 00:08:51,759 Across Europe, Celtic warriors have a reputation 100 00:08:51,847 --> 00:08:54,919 as skilled horsemen and headhunters. 101 00:08:57,407 --> 00:09:01,480 The decapitated heads of their enemies are prized war trophies, 102 00:09:01,567 --> 00:09:04,604 cut off and displayed after battle. 103 00:09:04,767 --> 00:09:05,756 Ha! 104 00:09:08,687 --> 00:09:10,803 (BOTH GRUNTING) 105 00:09:13,247 --> 00:09:15,807 Britain is known for its warrior queens 106 00:09:15,887 --> 00:09:18,481 and the freedoms of its women. 107 00:09:23,807 --> 00:09:28,119 Evidence suggests they could inherit both power and land. 108 00:09:30,327 --> 00:09:34,718 The warrior woman, Mother Courage if you like, I think 109 00:09:34,807 --> 00:09:37,685 has always been a part of being a woman. 110 00:09:37,767 --> 00:09:41,885 The fierceness, the extreme 111 00:09:41,967 --> 00:09:46,483 passion, or anger, or fear that would make you 112 00:09:46,567 --> 00:09:49,604 defend your house and home, and family. 113 00:09:58,207 --> 00:10:01,324 NARRATOR The Celts wait for their final stand, 114 00:10:01,407 --> 00:10:05,605 a fight that will shape the future of the British 1sles. 115 00:10:10,327 --> 00:10:13,080 Paulinus' troops arrive in North Wales. 116 00:10:17,527 --> 00:10:20,724 Each legionary carries a gladius, 117 00:10:21,567 --> 00:10:23,956 a short sword for close-quarter stabbing, 118 00:10:25,887 --> 00:10:29,038 a metal-edged shield that also serves as a weapon, 119 00:10:33,247 --> 00:10:34,566 and a javelin, 120 00:10:34,647 --> 00:10:37,320 designed to pierce through a Celtic shield. 121 00:10:42,527 --> 00:10:45,837 The Roman army was the finest army the world has ever seen, 122 00:10:45,927 --> 00:10:48,885 a fully paid professional force. 123 00:10:48,967 --> 00:10:51,561 Trained to perfection, tremendous morale, 124 00:10:51,647 --> 00:10:53,558 huge amount of combat experience, 125 00:10:53,647 --> 00:10:56,036 soldiers serving for 25 years, 126 00:10:56,127 --> 00:10:57,526 others even longer. 127 00:10:57,607 --> 00:10:59,723 On the whole, it was almost impossible to defeat, 128 00:10:59,807 --> 00:11:01,206 because even when you did defeat it, 129 00:11:01,287 --> 00:11:04,279 it just came back for more. It defeated all comers. 130 00:11:05,087 --> 00:11:09,046 NARRATOR An enemy that perhaps only the supernatural can help defeat. 131 00:11:10,567 --> 00:11:12,603 Nearly 2,000 years later, 132 00:11:12,687 --> 00:11:15,997 a gruesome relic will be found in a Cheshire peat bog, 133 00:11:18,567 --> 00:11:19,966 Lindow Man. 134 00:11:24,007 --> 00:11:27,602 The way he died - killed three times over, 135 00:11:29,927 --> 00:11:31,155 clubbed, 136 00:11:33,007 --> 00:11:34,360 strangled, 137 00:11:35,847 --> 00:11:37,644 and his throat cut, 138 00:11:39,807 --> 00:11:43,482 suggests he may have been a ritual sacrifice. 139 00:11:46,687 --> 00:11:50,316 Carbon dating puts his death in the first century, 140 00:11:50,407 --> 00:11:53,205 the time of the Roman invasion. 141 00:11:55,567 --> 00:11:59,162 Evidence, some believe, of a last ditch appeal to the gods 142 00:11:59,247 --> 00:12:02,080 to halt the Roman advance. 143 00:12:11,407 --> 00:12:13,796 1n summer AD 60, 144 00:12:14,087 --> 00:12:17,397 the Roman army arrives in Anglesey. 145 00:12:18,327 --> 00:12:21,558 It makes me incredibly proud, as a son of Wales, to think 146 00:12:21,647 --> 00:12:24,002 of that final moment when you're standing there with 147 00:12:24,087 --> 00:12:25,725 the Roman legions against you. 148 00:12:25,807 --> 00:12:28,275 Of course, you've got the terrain of Wales on your side, 149 00:12:28,367 --> 00:12:32,326 and yet, nevertheless, you're up against the most formidable military foe 150 00:12:32,407 --> 00:12:34,477 arguably, in history. 151 00:12:34,567 --> 00:12:37,035 (SCREAMING IN THE DISTANCE) 152 00:12:38,727 --> 00:12:43,243 NARRATOR The writer Tacitus describes their first sight of the Britons. 153 00:12:44,167 --> 00:12:47,716 MAN ''Women were seen running through the ranks in wild disorder. 154 00:12:48,207 --> 00:12:51,165 ''Their hair loose to the wind, their whole appearance resembling 155 00:12:51,247 --> 00:12:53,522 ''the frantic rage of the furious. '' 156 00:12:54,487 --> 00:12:56,842 HELEN MIRREN 1t's a fantastic notion, isn't it? 157 00:12:56,927 --> 00:12:59,839 The thought of those women standing there, 158 00:12:59,927 --> 00:13:02,725 confronting their invaders, 159 00:13:02,807 --> 00:13:05,526 and prepared to die 160 00:13:05,607 --> 00:13:07,837 in defence of their land. 161 00:13:08,767 --> 00:13:10,883 NARRATOR Tacitus continues... 162 00:13:11,247 --> 00:13:13,522 MAN ''The Druids were ranged in order, 163 00:13:13,607 --> 00:13:18,362 ''with hands uplifted, invoking the gods and pouring forth horrible curses. 164 00:13:20,487 --> 00:13:25,322 ''The novelty of the sight paralysed the Romans with awe and terror. '' 165 00:13:33,687 --> 00:13:36,281 I think one of the great characteristics of the British, 166 00:13:36,367 --> 00:13:38,835 which we don't like to recognise very much, 167 00:13:38,927 --> 00:13:42,124 is we are incredibly fierce, incredibly combative. 168 00:13:48,767 --> 00:13:51,725 NARRATOR Paulinus' strategy is simple, 169 00:13:51,807 --> 00:13:53,604 fire and sword. 170 00:13:53,687 --> 00:13:56,121 Kill every Druid. 171 00:13:56,207 --> 00:13:57,959 Destroy their culture. 172 00:14:02,687 --> 00:14:04,120 (ALL SHOUTING) 173 00:14:07,087 --> 00:14:08,486 (HORSE NEIGHS) 174 00:14:14,487 --> 00:14:16,876 (INAUDIBLE) 175 00:14:45,767 --> 00:14:47,678 (ALL SHOUTING) 176 00:14:49,527 --> 00:14:53,076 The Britons' tactic is to smash the enemies' ordered lines apart 177 00:14:53,167 --> 00:14:55,442 and engage in single combat. 178 00:14:57,527 --> 00:15:00,599 Welsh people, we have this thing we call the hwyl, right? 179 00:15:00,687 --> 00:15:04,396 And it's that thing that unifies us as much. 180 00:15:04,487 --> 00:15:09,038 We will fight until the end for a cause that we truly believe in. 181 00:15:14,487 --> 00:15:17,240 NARRATOR The Romans cut down all before them. 182 00:15:27,407 --> 00:15:28,396 (GROANS) 183 00:15:47,247 --> 00:15:48,805 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 184 00:16:02,367 --> 00:16:03,641 (PANTING) 185 00:16:37,367 --> 00:16:40,120 No one records how long the battle lasts. 186 00:16:41,167 --> 00:16:44,000 The sacred isle is desecrated. 187 00:16:46,287 --> 00:16:49,677 The massacre of the Druids is one of the great turning points 188 00:16:49,767 --> 00:16:51,644 in the story of Britain. 189 00:16:52,047 --> 00:16:54,117 Their political power is broken. 190 00:16:54,207 --> 00:16:57,358 Their ancient religion, driven underground. 191 00:16:59,567 --> 00:17:00,556 (SLICES) 192 00:17:02,087 --> 00:17:06,046 Some will find sanctuary in Scotland and across the sea in 1reland, 193 00:17:06,607 --> 00:17:11,123 where their religion will survive for over 500 years. 194 00:17:12,047 --> 00:17:13,036 (SLICES) 195 00:17:16,407 --> 00:17:20,400 The butchery of the Druids in Anglesey is an absolute sign 196 00:17:20,487 --> 00:17:22,682 that the Romans are serious, that they're here to stay, 197 00:17:22,767 --> 00:17:24,405 and that our religious leaders, 198 00:17:24,487 --> 00:17:27,604 people we would have looked up to, are expendable. 199 00:17:30,567 --> 00:17:32,205 NARRATOR Despite his success, 200 00:17:32,287 --> 00:17:35,757 Paulinus is soon recalled to Rome by Emperor Nero 201 00:17:35,847 --> 00:17:38,486 for being too brutal, even for him. 202 00:17:45,727 --> 00:17:47,797 But due to his influence, 203 00:17:47,887 --> 00:17:51,038 life in Britain will never be the same again. 204 00:17:54,607 --> 00:17:56,882 Britain is transformed. 205 00:17:58,167 --> 00:18:01,603 New roads are built by advancing Roman legions. 206 00:18:03,567 --> 00:18:05,717 1n the next 300 years, 207 00:18:05,807 --> 00:18:09,595 the Romans construct over 1 0,000 miles of roads, 208 00:18:09,807 --> 00:18:13,083 four times the length of our modern motorway system. 209 00:18:13,527 --> 00:18:17,759 For the first time, the lands of Wales and England are bound together. 210 00:18:22,327 --> 00:18:25,160 Many of these roads still exist under our feet. 211 00:18:31,207 --> 00:18:36,327 The A 1, originally Ermine Street and now the Great North Road, 212 00:18:36,407 --> 00:18:39,956 and the A5 that links London to Wales. 213 00:18:43,407 --> 00:18:46,956 Straight lines to link garrison towns 214 00:18:47,607 --> 00:18:52,442 and Roman settlements that will one day become our cities. 215 00:18:52,527 --> 00:18:55,405 Lincoln, York, 216 00:18:56,007 --> 00:18:57,235 Chester, 217 00:18:57,887 --> 00:18:59,081 Gloucester, 218 00:18:59,567 --> 00:19:01,558 Bath, London. 219 00:19:07,607 --> 00:19:10,246 Many Britons continue their traditional ways, 220 00:19:10,327 --> 00:19:14,002 living in settlements of wattle and daub round houses. 221 00:19:16,327 --> 00:19:19,717 But others decide to embrace Roman culture 222 00:19:19,807 --> 00:19:21,877 and move into new towns, 223 00:19:21,967 --> 00:19:25,243 built for the first time from bricks and mortar. 224 00:19:28,327 --> 00:19:32,206 Garrison towns like Colchester begin to take a form we know today. 225 00:19:32,767 --> 00:19:35,565 Streets and business districts are planned. 226 00:19:42,287 --> 00:19:45,040 New buildings such as bath houses and temples, 227 00:19:45,127 --> 00:19:47,800 constructed in the same style as Rome. 228 00:19:49,167 --> 00:19:52,443 Roman civilisation comes to Britain. 229 00:20:04,167 --> 00:20:05,600 Theatres, 230 00:20:05,687 --> 00:20:10,966 giant open air buildings for actors, comedians and orators to entertain. 231 00:20:15,607 --> 00:20:17,996 And in important cities, 232 00:20:18,087 --> 00:20:19,566 the arena. 233 00:20:21,647 --> 00:20:23,444 (CHEERING) 234 00:20:28,727 --> 00:20:31,719 Little more than 1 00 years after the invasion, 235 00:20:32,047 --> 00:20:34,038 Britain is a Roman colony 236 00:20:34,127 --> 00:20:37,358 with Roman tastes and Roman distractions, 237 00:20:41,127 --> 00:20:43,880 and with evidence of gladiatorial games. 238 00:20:44,287 --> 00:20:47,085 MARK CORBY Though 80% of the population still remained 239 00:20:47,167 --> 00:20:48,964 out there in the dung covered fields, 240 00:20:49,047 --> 00:20:51,402 a small minority, perhaps 1 5%, 241 00:20:51,487 --> 00:20:54,638 would have been introduced to the supreme achievement of Roman life, 242 00:20:54,727 --> 00:20:56,365 life in the city. 243 00:20:58,327 --> 00:21:01,956 NARRATOR One gladiator's story will be recorded forever. 244 00:21:05,767 --> 00:21:08,235 His name is Memnon, 245 00:21:09,127 --> 00:21:10,560 a champion, 246 00:21:10,647 --> 00:21:13,480 winner of eight previous clashes. 247 00:21:14,047 --> 00:21:16,481 Though he has not chosen to take part in any. 248 00:21:20,327 --> 00:21:23,524 A vase commemorating Memnon's fight is dug up in Colchester 249 00:21:23,607 --> 00:21:25,962 nearly 2,000 years later, 250 00:21:26,367 --> 00:21:29,564 suggesting it may have taken place in a British arena. 251 00:21:31,847 --> 00:21:35,681 Slaves like Memnon are forced to fight in every corner of the Roman empire. 252 00:21:37,207 --> 00:21:40,722 North Africa, the Middle East, Europe. 253 00:21:44,727 --> 00:21:47,195 Memnon's name suggests he's Greek. 254 00:21:50,607 --> 00:21:54,043 Gladiatorial games introduce their own exotic habits. 255 00:21:55,367 --> 00:22:01,044 Slaves used bronze strigils to scrape the body clean of oil and sweat. 256 00:22:03,407 --> 00:22:05,967 There's even a market for it. 257 00:22:08,527 --> 00:22:11,803 These are men who command a loyal following. 258 00:22:12,327 --> 00:22:15,876 Gladiators like Memnon are celebrity sportsmen. 259 00:22:18,887 --> 00:22:22,800 They are like the David Beckhams of our own age. 260 00:22:22,887 --> 00:22:25,447 The curious thing about the situation, of course, 261 00:22:25,527 --> 00:22:27,483 is that that they are also men 262 00:22:27,567 --> 00:22:31,480 who, every time they go into the arena, risk death. 263 00:22:31,807 --> 00:22:35,277 So this is a kind of celebrity of the damned. 264 00:22:38,047 --> 00:22:40,641 NARRATOR Memnon knows that despite his victories, 265 00:22:40,927 --> 00:22:43,885 one day he could step into the arena and die. 266 00:22:48,807 --> 00:22:50,525 (CROWD CHEERING) 267 00:22:50,687 --> 00:22:55,158 Today, Memnon faces Valentinus, 268 00:22:58,967 --> 00:23:02,596 the champion prize-fighter owned by Rome's 30th Legion. 269 00:23:04,287 --> 00:23:05,276 LENNOX LEWIS To be a gladiator, 270 00:23:05,367 --> 00:23:09,360 walking out in front of an audience of people that wanna see blood, 271 00:23:09,807 --> 00:23:13,800 I would say you feel a little bit scared, you feel strong, 272 00:23:13,887 --> 00:23:17,482 and I think you work off of the crowd as well. 273 00:23:17,567 --> 00:23:18,920 You know, when the crowd cheers 274 00:23:19,007 --> 00:23:21,441 you realise, okay, you're doing something right. 275 00:23:21,527 --> 00:23:23,119 (CROWD CHEERING) 276 00:23:25,527 --> 00:23:30,282 NARRATOR Roman women bid for the sweat and oil scraped from gladiators' skin, 277 00:23:30,367 --> 00:23:32,722 which they use as an aphrodisiac. 278 00:23:36,007 --> 00:23:39,397 But this is deadly entertainment. 279 00:23:40,047 --> 00:23:42,003 (CROWD CHEERING) 280 00:23:54,687 --> 00:23:57,201 An audience watches two champion gladiators 281 00:23:57,287 --> 00:23:58,925 fighting it out to the death. 282 00:24:04,047 --> 00:24:06,561 Entertainment for locals is sometimes subsidised 283 00:24:06,647 --> 00:24:10,322 by wealthy Romano-Brits who have profited from the Roman occupation. 284 00:24:12,807 --> 00:24:13,842 (GROANS) 285 00:24:13,927 --> 00:24:15,519 NEIL FAULKNER They're using their own wealth 286 00:24:15,607 --> 00:24:17,484 to pay for these expensive games 287 00:24:17,567 --> 00:24:20,798 and to make them available free to their fellow citizens. 288 00:24:22,767 --> 00:24:25,042 They're doing it because they're involved in a competition 289 00:24:25,127 --> 00:24:27,118 with other members of the elite, 290 00:24:27,207 --> 00:24:31,086 for rank, for status, for high office, for honour. 291 00:24:31,167 --> 00:24:34,284 And for those things, they need the support of their fellow citizens. 292 00:24:35,767 --> 00:24:37,564 (CHEERING) 293 00:24:41,087 --> 00:24:44,875 NARRATOR For the Roman soldiers and urbanised Celts, 294 00:24:44,967 --> 00:24:48,277 over a dozen amphitheatres have been built across Britain. 295 00:24:53,087 --> 00:24:56,045 The English have always been a very pugnacious people. 296 00:24:56,127 --> 00:24:58,038 We come from rough stock. 297 00:24:59,127 --> 00:25:04,326 And maybe that's why we embraced gladiatorial combat. 298 00:25:08,887 --> 00:25:11,355 NARRATOR Around the arena are souvenir sellers. 299 00:25:12,087 --> 00:25:14,123 The Romans have introduced new foods. 300 00:25:14,207 --> 00:25:17,916 Apples and pears are cultivated in Britain for the first time. 301 00:25:19,047 --> 00:25:21,515 (CHEERING) 302 00:25:29,367 --> 00:25:33,042 KWAMI KWEI-ARMAH We just have to look at modern primetime television. 303 00:25:33,127 --> 00:25:37,723 There is a need for the overwhelming majority of us to be diverted, 304 00:25:37,807 --> 00:25:42,403 to not think about our lot, and to lose ourself in entertainment. 305 00:25:46,527 --> 00:25:48,324 MIRREN 1 think the Romans were very clever. 306 00:25:48,407 --> 00:25:52,559 I think they understood entertainment was an important part 307 00:25:52,647 --> 00:25:56,356 of making people quiet and live their lives 308 00:25:56,487 --> 00:25:58,921 according to how the masters wanted them to live. 309 00:26:02,127 --> 00:26:06,040 NARRATOR Urbanised Britons begin dressing and behaving like Romans. 310 00:26:06,367 --> 00:26:07,880 Tacitus writes... 311 00:26:07,967 --> 00:26:10,083 MAN ''They coveted Rome's eloquence. 312 00:26:10,247 --> 00:26:12,807 ''A liking sprang up for our style of dress, 313 00:26:12,887 --> 00:26:14,605 ''and the toga became fashionable. '' 314 00:26:21,607 --> 00:26:24,360 NARRATOR 1n the early years of the arena games, 315 00:26:24,447 --> 00:26:27,803 most gladiators were spared so they could fight again. 316 00:26:31,127 --> 00:26:35,518 But now, when the slave Memnon and Valentinus fight, 317 00:26:36,407 --> 00:26:37,840 their thirst for blood 318 00:26:39,367 --> 00:26:40,925 means someone will die. 319 00:26:47,607 --> 00:26:50,758 The only chance Valentinus has of survival 320 00:26:50,847 --> 00:26:53,315 is to raise his finger to beg for mercy. 321 00:26:57,487 --> 00:27:01,480 His fate lies in the hands of the man who paid for the fight. 322 00:27:02,087 --> 00:27:03,486 (CROWD BOOING) 323 00:27:12,527 --> 00:27:14,995 A raised thumb will mean death. 324 00:27:21,847 --> 00:27:26,602 The vase found in Colchester shows Valentinus' surrender. 325 00:27:35,287 --> 00:27:40,759 1n 2004, 80 skeletons are found in a Roman graveyard in York, 326 00:27:43,407 --> 00:27:45,682 many with gauges in the bones. 327 00:27:47,967 --> 00:27:51,243 One has a hip bone punctured by a wild animal, 328 00:27:52,367 --> 00:27:54,927 seen as evidence they were gladiators. 329 00:27:55,007 --> 00:27:56,679 (CROWD CHEERING) 330 00:27:56,887 --> 00:27:59,162 No one knows Valentinus' fate. 331 00:28:00,007 --> 00:28:01,326 But in Rome, 332 00:28:01,407 --> 00:28:05,878 a gladiator's death sentence is carried out by a blade to the throat. 333 00:28:07,607 --> 00:28:11,566 1n York, most of the skeletons are beheaded, 334 00:28:13,207 --> 00:28:16,119 a mysterious echo of the Celtic tradition... 335 00:28:16,487 --> 00:28:18,842 (RAPID SLICES) 336 00:28:19,247 --> 00:28:20,680 ...of decapitation. 337 00:28:26,607 --> 00:28:28,757 (WIND BLOWING) 338 00:28:30,607 --> 00:28:32,677 1n the next 200 years, 339 00:28:32,767 --> 00:28:36,601 Britain is transformed into a breadbasket for the northern empire. 340 00:28:41,567 --> 00:28:44,206 Britain's slow moving, navigable rivers 341 00:28:44,287 --> 00:28:48,326 transport a vast surplus of food from the country and overseas. 342 00:28:51,807 --> 00:28:55,561 And the profits from the farming boom are blown on a building spree 343 00:28:55,647 --> 00:28:58,445 that will not be surpassed for 1,000 years. 344 00:29:00,287 --> 00:29:02,596 Elaborate Roman villas, 345 00:29:04,567 --> 00:29:07,923 built with Britain's first central heating system, 346 00:29:08,007 --> 00:29:11,283 able to keep rooms warm, even in the British winter. 347 00:29:12,807 --> 00:29:14,445 And like the villas in Rome, 348 00:29:14,527 --> 00:29:17,758 the richest are adorned with fine mosaics. 349 00:29:21,407 --> 00:29:24,797 Even bathrooms with proper sewers and hand basins. 350 00:29:27,647 --> 00:29:30,115 A golden age of Roman Britain. 351 00:29:41,927 --> 00:29:46,205 But to the north lie an unconquered people. 352 00:29:49,447 --> 00:29:53,406 The Romans call them Picts, or ''Painted People''. 353 00:29:56,247 --> 00:29:59,319 They're hardy and fearsome. 354 00:29:59,407 --> 00:30:02,797 And their bodies are covered in elaborate tattoos. 355 00:30:09,647 --> 00:30:12,445 They've been sealed off from the rest of Roman Britain 356 00:30:12,527 --> 00:30:15,997 by a feat of engineering 75 miles long. 357 00:30:19,447 --> 00:30:24,521 A symbol of imperial might. 1n places, six metres high. 358 00:30:29,127 --> 00:30:32,756 From coast to coast, with a fort every mile. 359 00:30:36,287 --> 00:30:37,720 Hadrian's Wall. 360 00:30:42,407 --> 00:30:44,682 367 AD. 361 00:30:45,847 --> 00:30:49,965 The border is under the command of the Roman general, Fullofaudes. 362 00:30:51,167 --> 00:30:56,287 But an event on his watch is about to signal the end of Roman Britain. 363 00:31:08,367 --> 00:31:12,565 For 300 years, the people of today's Scotland have remained free. 364 00:31:12,927 --> 00:31:16,522 As the legendary chief Calgacus is said to have boasted... 365 00:31:18,527 --> 00:31:22,042 MAN ''We, the most distant dwellers upon the earth, 366 00:31:22,127 --> 00:31:26,086 ''the last of the free, have been shielded by our remoteness 367 00:31:26,167 --> 00:31:28,840 ''and by the obscurity that has shrouded our name. 368 00:31:28,927 --> 00:31:34,285 ''Beyond us lies no nation, nothing but waves and rocks. '' 369 00:31:38,087 --> 00:31:41,159 The Scots were an incredible, ferocious, fighting force, 370 00:31:41,247 --> 00:31:42,965 you know, going back to the Picts. 371 00:31:44,207 --> 00:31:49,235 We have a history of being very proud and ferocious in defending our country. 372 00:31:51,007 --> 00:31:56,161 The Picts are resolutely unwilling to sacrifice their independence 373 00:31:56,247 --> 00:31:59,557 and sense of self and buy into the Roman experiment. 374 00:31:59,647 --> 00:32:02,605 They want to maintain their own culture and their own values. 375 00:32:02,687 --> 00:32:05,326 They don't want to take on Roman ways. 376 00:32:11,207 --> 00:32:13,721 NARRATOR Hadrian's Wall is constantly fought over 377 00:32:13,807 --> 00:32:16,879 in the final few decades of Roman Britain. 378 00:32:20,727 --> 00:32:23,844 But the Scottish lands will never lose their independence. 379 00:32:25,687 --> 00:32:26,676 (SLICES) 380 00:32:31,127 --> 00:32:32,799 (SHOUTING) 381 00:32:34,287 --> 00:32:35,800 1t's a slow death, 382 00:32:36,007 --> 00:32:39,317 but Roman authority in Britain is collapsing. 383 00:32:40,207 --> 00:32:41,606 (URINATING) 384 00:32:43,047 --> 00:32:44,526 (SOUNDS OF SWORDS) 385 00:32:57,807 --> 00:32:58,796 (LOUD THUD) 386 00:33:07,247 --> 00:33:10,319 An event that marks a change for Roman rule. 387 00:33:11,327 --> 00:33:16,196 Across the empire, Rome's authority has started to be challenged. 388 00:33:19,087 --> 00:33:22,318 The entire Roman empire is under attack. 389 00:33:22,527 --> 00:33:26,725 From what is now Germany, the Visigoths storm Rome. 390 00:33:28,927 --> 00:33:33,796 For the first time in 800 years, the city falls. 391 00:33:33,887 --> 00:33:36,117 Britain, too, is in chaos. 392 00:33:39,687 --> 00:33:43,043 1ndustries like ceramics grind to a halt. 393 00:33:47,007 --> 00:33:51,319 From 406 AD, no new coins are sent to Britain. 394 00:33:56,527 --> 00:33:59,997 The effects send shockwaves across Roman Britain. 395 00:34:02,487 --> 00:34:06,321 Forts across the country are abandoned and left to ruin. 396 00:34:08,047 --> 00:34:11,562 1n 4 1 0 AD, the Emperor Honorius 397 00:34:11,647 --> 00:34:15,196 tells the British that Rome can no longer police the country. 398 00:34:17,487 --> 00:34:20,001 FAULKNER With the withdrawal of the Roman army 399 00:34:20,087 --> 00:34:23,284 and the break-up of the Roman administration, 400 00:34:23,367 --> 00:34:26,837 we get local warlords setting themselves up 401 00:34:26,927 --> 00:34:29,521 in control of chunks of territory. 402 00:34:32,127 --> 00:34:35,005 NARRATOR Hadrian's Wall, the great barrier 403 00:34:35,087 --> 00:34:38,841 protecting Rome's northern border, is abandoned. 404 00:34:44,567 --> 00:34:46,603 As the Romans withdraw, 405 00:34:46,687 --> 00:34:50,885 a rich Romano-Britain decides to protect his future. 406 00:34:51,647 --> 00:34:54,480 There are no banks, no vaults to protect his wealth. 407 00:34:54,567 --> 00:34:55,556 (HORSES APPROACHING) 408 00:34:55,647 --> 00:34:59,196 Just a discreet hole on some Suffolk farmland. 409 00:35:06,407 --> 00:35:10,002 Over 1 5,000 gold and silver coins are buried, 410 00:35:10,447 --> 00:35:11,846 along with jewellery 411 00:35:11,927 --> 00:35:15,636 and fine silver bowls decorated with Christian symbols. 412 00:35:17,607 --> 00:35:22,635 1nscriptions on the silverware suggest he's called Aurelius Ursicinus. 413 00:35:28,967 --> 00:35:33,279 He plans to recover his treasures when the army returns to Britain. 414 00:35:35,527 --> 00:35:37,404 But that will never happen. 415 00:35:38,887 --> 00:35:41,526 The Roman empire is dying. 416 00:35:47,967 --> 00:35:52,483 1,600 years later, in November 1 992, 417 00:35:52,567 --> 00:35:55,559 the hoard is found near the village of Hoxne 418 00:35:55,647 --> 00:35:59,640 by a farmer with a metal detector looking for a lost hammer. 419 00:36:01,247 --> 00:36:02,999 (COINS CLANKING) 420 00:36:03,407 --> 00:36:07,798 The richest cash of Roman treasure ever found on our shores. 421 00:36:11,687 --> 00:36:15,475 A symbol of the death of Romano-Britain. 422 00:36:17,047 --> 00:36:19,925 CORBY Mid-5th century Britain, absolute disaster. 423 00:36:20,007 --> 00:36:23,044 The lights have gone out, civilisation has fled. 424 00:36:23,127 --> 00:36:25,960 The country has imploded. Everything is closing down. 425 00:36:26,047 --> 00:36:29,483 This is the end of the world as they know it. 426 00:36:37,367 --> 00:36:40,598 NARRATOR But one legacy of Roman rule will survive. 427 00:36:41,807 --> 00:36:46,835 70 years before the fall of Rome, the Emperor Constantine falls ill. 428 00:36:49,167 --> 00:36:52,318 His dying wish, to be baptised. 429 00:36:55,847 --> 00:37:00,762 Christianity was once a mere cult, and its followers hunted down. 430 00:37:07,247 --> 00:37:11,798 Constantine's conversion turned Rome into a Christian empire. 431 00:37:21,127 --> 00:37:23,163 As the Romans withdraw, 432 00:37:23,247 --> 00:37:26,557 the Christianity they introduced to these shores survives 433 00:37:26,647 --> 00:37:29,002 in small pockets across the country, 434 00:37:29,687 --> 00:37:31,962 especially among the Romanised elite. 435 00:37:38,527 --> 00:37:41,325 Living just outside a small west coast town 436 00:37:41,407 --> 00:37:44,319 is a family of these Romanised Britons. 437 00:37:44,407 --> 00:37:47,126 Head of the family, Calpurnius. 438 00:37:47,607 --> 00:37:48,642 (MUTTERING) 439 00:37:48,727 --> 00:37:51,161 His son, Patrick, is about to change 440 00:37:51,247 --> 00:37:54,398 the religious landscape of Britain and 1reland forever. 441 00:37:59,727 --> 00:38:03,197 But first, his life will be torn apart. 442 00:38:08,247 --> 00:38:11,922 The Roman withdrawal leaves Britain with few defences. 443 00:38:14,127 --> 00:38:16,925 1rish pirates start making raiding trips, 444 00:38:17,007 --> 00:38:20,522 not for gold or silver, but for the Britons themselves. 445 00:38:20,647 --> 00:38:22,319 (SHOUTING) 446 00:38:24,127 --> 00:38:26,004 They are slave hunters. 447 00:38:30,967 --> 00:38:33,242 Patrick is taken hostage. 448 00:38:38,087 --> 00:38:39,759 Anarchy rules. 449 00:38:39,887 --> 00:38:42,447 Britain is an island of warring factions. 450 00:38:54,847 --> 00:38:59,159 Dragged to 1reland, Patrick will survive his ordeal. 451 00:39:03,167 --> 00:39:05,840 And it only strengthens his Christian faith. 452 00:39:09,807 --> 00:39:12,765 A faith shaped by his Celtic roots. 453 00:39:25,127 --> 00:39:29,678 When he eventually escapes from slavery, he embarks on a mission. 454 00:39:31,487 --> 00:39:34,957 Preaching in the local language rather than Roman Latin, 455 00:39:35,047 --> 00:39:38,437 he begins to spread Christianity beyond the elite 456 00:39:38,527 --> 00:39:40,643 to normal 1rish Celts. 457 00:39:43,687 --> 00:39:46,440 Patrick's approach to the conversion 458 00:39:46,527 --> 00:39:51,555 is to embrace the existing Celtic culture of the people. 459 00:39:51,647 --> 00:39:54,241 So he's packaging the Christian message 460 00:39:54,327 --> 00:39:58,036 in a way that makes it highly accessible to the ordinary people of 1reland. 461 00:39:58,127 --> 00:40:02,882 And in a way that a top Roman cleric couldn't possibly have done. 462 00:40:05,687 --> 00:40:08,326 NARRATOR 1n 1reland, Patrick's Christian teachings 463 00:40:08,407 --> 00:40:11,319 embrace the traditions of a pagan world, 464 00:40:11,407 --> 00:40:15,082 one that has survived the Roman conquest of England and Wales. 465 00:40:21,167 --> 00:40:24,000 He will become known as Saint Patrick. 466 00:40:26,247 --> 00:40:28,044 SAUL DAVID 1 think there were two reasons why Saint Patrick 467 00:40:28,127 --> 00:40:31,836 succeeds in establishing religion where the Romans failed. 468 00:40:31,927 --> 00:40:33,519 One, because he's a Brit, 469 00:40:33,607 --> 00:40:37,361 and two, because these early Christians were incredibly brave. 470 00:40:37,447 --> 00:40:39,961 And I think that struck a particular chord 471 00:40:40,047 --> 00:40:42,003 in the Celts and the Britons, generally, 472 00:40:42,087 --> 00:40:45,318 that this religion was something to be taken seriously. 473 00:40:45,407 --> 00:40:46,806 That there was something in it. 474 00:40:49,967 --> 00:40:53,437 NARRATOR The symbol of their religion, the Celtic Cross. 475 00:40:55,087 --> 00:40:59,842 Around its heart, a circle, the Celtic symbol of the sun. 476 00:41:03,887 --> 00:41:06,321 An amalgamation of two cultures, 477 00:41:07,087 --> 00:41:10,557 the Roman Christian and the Ancient Celtic. 478 00:41:16,807 --> 00:41:18,559 Patrick and his followers spread the faith 479 00:41:18,647 --> 00:41:21,207 across Scotland and the north of England. 480 00:41:25,607 --> 00:41:27,438 During the so-called Dark Ages, 481 00:41:27,527 --> 00:41:33,238 Britain is in the forefront of learning, of philosophy, of religion. 482 00:41:33,327 --> 00:41:36,364 And it really makes a fantastic contribution 483 00:41:36,447 --> 00:41:38,642 to the intellectual wealth of the world. 484 00:41:42,567 --> 00:41:45,877 The monks of Ireland kept Christian culture, 485 00:41:45,967 --> 00:41:50,324 Christian writing, alive during the Dark Ages in Europe. 486 00:41:50,407 --> 00:41:53,797 1rish Christianity played a major role. 487 00:41:53,887 --> 00:41:57,038 And I suppose we owe it all to Saint Patrick. 488 00:41:58,767 --> 00:42:00,519 NARRATOR Through a network of monasteries, 489 00:42:00,607 --> 00:42:02,882 this new Celtic Christianity, 490 00:42:02,967 --> 00:42:07,802 humble and accessible to all, begins to define the British 1sles. 491 00:42:10,127 --> 00:42:11,765 1n the next 1,000 years, 492 00:42:11,847 --> 00:42:15,999 it will play a crucial part in shaping Britain's destiny. 493 00:42:21,887 --> 00:42:23,559 (BATTLE SOUNDS) 494 00:42:23,647 --> 00:42:25,126 But in the next millennium, 495 00:42:25,807 --> 00:42:28,924 another invasion will change the course of our history. 496 00:42:32,127 --> 00:42:36,040 A series of epic catastrophes will transform the land and its people. 497 00:42:42,127 --> 00:42:44,516 Yet these struggles will lay the foundations 498 00:42:44,607 --> 00:42:46,757 of the nation we know today.