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Roman

The ancient Roman goddess Venus with the gods Vulcan and Cupid, in a painting by Italian artist Sebastiano Ricci (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Roman gods and goddesses: 17 of the most important deities of ancient Rome

Pedro Pascal as General Acacius in Gladiator II

Gladiator III: what could happen in a new sequel, according to Roman history

A portrait of King John of England

9 of the worst monarchs in history

Connie Nielsen as Lucilla in Gladiator 2

Was Lucilla from Gladiator real? What her tragically short life tells us about women in ancient Rome

Paul Mescal as Lucius in Gladiator II

Sharks in the arena? Gladiator II's real history and historical accuracy explained

Engraving of Roman emperor Macrinus and Denzel Washington as Macrinus in Gladiator II

The real Macrinus: how Gladiator II’s power broker became a short-lived Roman emperor

Caracalla and Geta: the real lives of the mad emperors of Gladiator II

Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator

Was Maximus Decimus Meridius real? These five historical figures inspired Gladiator’s hero

Cicero denounces plot organised by Catiline to take the power, mural painting by Cesare Maccari.

The ultimate Romans quiz. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Gladiators do battle in a c320 AD mosaic, housed in the Borghese Gallery in Rome

Blood, guts and spectacle: 6 shocking events from the history of ancient Roman gladiators. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Gladiators and the colosseum

QuizWhat gladiator would you be?

Gladiator tales. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Video podcastRoman slavery: a brutal life in the ancient empire. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Roman slavery: a brutal life in the ancient empire. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A cup depicting a male couple making love

The boy that emperor Nero made his ‘wife’: what the tragedy of the castrated Sporus tells us about homosexuality in ancient Rome

Amanda Hart.

My life in historyManager at the Roman Baths and Pump Room. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The Roman emperor Tiberius. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Who are the most underrated Roman emperors?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Bust of the Roman Emperor Lucius Verus.

The Antonine Plague: the killer disease that devastated the Roman empire

Video podcastThe plague that brought the Roman empire to its knees. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The plague that brought the Roman empire to its knees. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Emperor Vespasian: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Roman soldiers on the detail of Trajan's Column

Why decimation was the most unfair punishment in the Roman Army

CaesarDeath of a Dictator. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

HistoryExtra AcademyRoman Britain, with Rob Collins. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Week fourLeaving the Roman empire. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Week threeWar and peace in Roman Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Week twoThe people of Roman Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Week oneJoining the Roman empire. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A section of the Via Flaminia – the ancient route linking Rome with Rimini – in Fossombrone (Photo by karayuschij/Getty Images)

“Roman roads turn up so often” | Catherine Fletcher on what the Romans did for European transport networks. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Illustration of the Circus Maximus

Fast, dangerous and bloody: inside the Circus Maximus, the home of Roman chariot racing