Gladiators, Sports and Entertainment in the Roman Era

Examine the multiculturalism that defined Imperial Rome, a city of nearly a million people drawn from across the Roman Empire. Much like the melting pot of modern New York, ancient Rome was home to a vast array of cultures, with immigrants bringing their own customs, languages, and gods to the capital.

Ancient Rome was a city of 1 million inhabitants. How were they fed? With bread! We’ll explore feeding Rome by baking bread just as they did in Rome and Pompeii. We’ll also explore ancient bakeries in Ostia Antica and the tomb of a baker!

The episode looks at the historical significance of sports in ancient cultures, emphasizing the immense popularity of events like the Olympics in Greece and the Ludi Romani, or "Roman Games," in Rome. Arya explains how these events were deeply intertwined with religious rituals, aimed at venerating and appeasing the gods who were believed to protect the city and its people. The spectators were not