Romans Abroad

Bettany Hughes explores archaeological finds in Turkey with some exclusive access to new discoveries. At Kibyra, she discovers an ancient powerhouse of Greek and Roman civilisation situated at the crossroads of historic trade routes. The site includes an odeon, agora, temples, a three-storey city-centre bazaar, and a vast stadium where many gladiatorial fights took place along with a recently uncovered school for gladiators. Bettany ends her journey with excavation teams at the monumental Temple of Serapis in the heart of Ephesus, who share the spectacular treasures unearthed by their digs. Serapis was a Greco-Egyptian god promoted by the Ptolemaic rulers to unite their Greek and Egyptian subjects. The magnificent temple, originally built for Egyptian grain traders, is testament to the glory days of this ancient city and includes internal water features replicating the running of the River Nile.