03: Building Britain | What the Romans Did for Us

Duration: 29'00''

Synopsis

Adam Hart-Davis analyses the Romans' ingenious farming methods and looks at the creation of early towns. He visits York and discovers the remains of the Roman city.

Further Information

More clips from What the Romans Did for Us

01: Life of Luxury | What the Romans Did for Us

01: Life of Luxury | What the Romans Did for Us

BBC Two | 2000 | 28'47''

Adam Hart-Davis investigates the lavish lifestyles of the Romans, visiting the sumptuous villa at Fishbourne, the famous bath...

02: Invasion | What the Romans Did for Us

02: Invasion | What the Romans Did for Us

BBC Two | 2000 | 28'43''

Hart-Davis analyses the military strength and effectiveness of the Roman army and visits the Lunt, a reconstruction of an early woo...

04: Arteries of the Empire | What the Romans Did for Us

04: Arteries of the Empire | What the Romans Did for Us

BBC Two | 2000 | 28'56''

Hart-Davis analyses the Romans' ingenious surveying methods that enabled them to build their arrow-straight roads. He...

05: Edge of Empire | What the Romans Did for Us

05: Edge of Empire | What the Romans Did for Us

BBC Two | 2000 | 28'50''

Adam Hart-Davis visits Hadrian's Wall and demonstrates how communications were the key to the success of the Roman military m...

06: Ahead of Their Time | What the Romans Did for Us

06: Ahead of Their Time | What the Romans Did for Us

BBC Two | 2000 | 28'52''

In the last of the series, Hart-Davis looks at how the Romans kept the citizens of the empire entertained, taps his fing...

More resources about The Romans

Horrible Histories: The Movie (2019)

Horrible Histories: The Movie (2019)

CBBC | 2021 | 1'28'05''

When Roman lad Atti offends edgy Emperor Nero, he is drafted to fight in far-flung Britain, where local Celt lass Orla itches to join Bo...

02: Augustus: First of the Emperors | I, Caesar

02: Augustus: First of the Emperors | I, Caesar

BBC Two | 1997 | 48'58''

In 44 BC, a teenage relative of Julius Caesar stepped in and triumphed over Mark Antony and Cleopatra in a brutal civil war, ...

Mount Vesuvius erupts | Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time

Mount Vesuvius erupts | Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time

BBC One | 2013 | 2'32''

An exploration of what happened when Mount Vesuvius first erupted in 79AD.

01: Boudicca's Rebellion | Battlefield Britain

01: Boudicca's Rebellion | Battlefield Britain

BBC Two | 2004 | 58'57''

Peter and Dan Snow on the battles that shaped our nation, starting almost 2,000 years ago with the revolt of the Iceni, led by...

03: The Beastmaster | Colosseum

03: The Beastmaster | Colosseum

BBC Four | 2023 | 46'32''

Over a million animals are slaughtered on the sands of the arena by trained beastmasters, none more famous than Carpophorus. But when met wit...

Medicine Through Time (1998): 01: Medicine and Religion | History File

Medicine Through Time (1998): 01: Medicine and Religion | History File

BBC Two | 1998 | 24'02''

Programme begins with looking at Ancient Greece, then the Roman Empire then looking at Muslim and Chri...

What historians now believe happened at Pompeii | Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time

What historians now believe happened at Pompeii | Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time

BBC One | 2013 | 3'41''

What historians now believe happened at Pompeii

Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death

Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death

BBC One | 2003 | 57'25''

Drama documentary real-life gladiator, Verus, who fought during the opening games of the Colosseum in Rome AD 80. The programme follows Veru...

Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time

Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time

BBC One | 2013 | 58'36''

Margaret Mountford examines new evidence to reveal the sequence of events that destroyed the city of Pompeii and attempts t...

The first recorded Pyroclastic current | Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time

The first recorded Pyroclastic current | Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time

BBC One | 2013 | 3'58''

A witness account of the 79AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius reveals that the eruption...

03: The Final Hours | Pompeii: The New Dig

03: The Final Hours | Pompeii: The New Dig

BBC Two | 2024 | 58'06''

In Pompeii, the excavation of a wealthy villa, bakery and laundry reaches its climax with chilling revelations about what people w...

01: Life of Luxury | What the Romans Did for Us

01: Life of Luxury | What the Romans Did for Us

BBC Two | 2000 | 28'47''

Adam Hart-Davis investigates the lavish lifestyles of the Romans, visiting the sumptuous villa at Fishbourne, the famous bath...

02: Invasion | What the Romans Did for Us

02: Invasion | What the Romans Did for Us

BBC Two | 2000 | 28'43''

Hart-Davis analyses the military strength and effectiveness of the Roman army and visits the Lunt, a reconstruction of an early woo...

02: The Builder | Colosseum

02: The Builder | Colosseum

BBC Four | 2023 | 46'28''

Although master builder Haterius constructs the Colosseum where Nero’s Golden House once stood, his work is far from over. Rome's new emperor, Do...

03: Nero: Power and the Madness | I, Caesar

03: Nero: Power and the Madness | I, Caesar

BBC Two | 1997 | 48'49''

Nero's rule was characterized by an obsession with his artistic talents, and sullied by corruption, sexual debauchery, matricide,...

Hannibal: Rome's Worst Nightmare

Hannibal: Rome's Worst Nightmare

BBC One | 2006 | 1'29'11''

Drama combined with the last historical evidence and computer graphics to tell the story of history's most famous military genius as Hanniba...

S01E01: Dark Ages | The Worst Jobs In History

S01E01: Dark Ages | The Worst Jobs In History

Channel 4 | 2004 | 48'53''

Some of the worst jobs of the Dark Ages in Britain were mining gold for the Romans, ploughing fields with a wooden plough and o...

01: Rome | Civilisations: Rise and Fall

01: Rome | Civilisations: Rise and Fall

BBC Two | 2025 | 59'31''

At the turn of the fifth century, the Roman world faces its greatest crisis in 800 years: the sack of Rome in 410 AD. This seismic ev...

07: The Romans | What the Ancients Did for Us

07: The Romans | What the Ancients Did for Us

BBC Two | 2008 | 59'07''

Adam Hart-Davis builds and tests some of the greatest inventions from the world of ancient Rome.

Caligula with Mary Beard

Caligula with Mary Beard

BBC Two | 2013 | 59'03''

Professor Mary Beard explores the life of Caligula. Many extraordinary stories surround the Roman emperor, but are they true? Mary attempts to peel ...

More from Adam Hart-Davis

S02E06: South East | Local Heroes

S02E06: South East | Local Heroes

BBC Two | 1997 | 29'01''

Adam Hart-Davis's search for Britain's greatest scientific pioneers is in South-East England, where he looks at the work of Hertha Ayrton, ...

The Clock That Changed the World | A History of the World

The Clock That Changed the World | A History of the World

BBC One | 2010 | 29'09''

Adam Hart-Davis tells the story of the amazing 280-year-old wooden clock, made in Lincolnshire, that changed timeke...

03: The Aztecs, Maya and Incas | What the Ancients Did for Us

03: The Aztecs, Maya and Incas | What the Ancients Did for Us

BBC Two | 2008 | 58'57''

Roving reporter Hermione Cockburn describes Aztec, Mayan and Incan inventions, including chocolate, suspension ...

20: Anglesey | Hart-Davis on History

20: Anglesey | Hart-Davis on History

BBC Two | 2006 | 27'58''

Adam Hart-Davis and Jayne Constantinis visit Anglesey, featuring a look at the Menai Straits, Welsh music, Beaumaris Castle, Amlwch Port...

02: The Applyance of Science | What the Stuarts Did for Us

02: The Applyance of Science | What the Stuarts Did for Us

BBC Two | 2002 | 29'04''

Hart-Davis travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Stuart Period in science and enginee...

01: Seeying the Worlde | What The Tudors Did For Us

01: Seeying the Worlde | What The Tudors Did For Us

BBC Two | 2002 | 32'54''

The development of scientific instruments gave the Tudors new worlds to explore, both on land and on sea. And did the Eng...

04: Crime and Punishment | What the Victorians Did For Us

04: Crime and Punishment | What the Victorians Did For Us

BBC Two | 2001 | 28'52''

Adam Hart-Davis investigates the Victorian innovations that left a lasting impression on British society. In this p...

06: Ahead of Their Time | What the Romans Did for Us

06: Ahead of Their Time | What the Romans Did for Us

BBC Two | 2000 | 28'52''

In the last of the series, Hart-Davis looks at how the Romans kept the citizens of the empire entertained, taps his fing...

09: River Thames | The History Hour

09: River Thames | The History Hour

BBC Two | 1997 | 58'55''

Adam Hart-Davis explores the history of the River Thames in Surrey, and looks at how newspapers can be used for historical research.