Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts

Alice Roberts begins her 1300-mile Roman journey at Pompeii, the best-preserved ancient city of the empire. She explores ingenious Roman engineering, racy artworks, the role of slaves and a surprising tax levied on local laundries.

Alice takes a train to Herculaneum, braving hand-dug tunnels in search of priceless scrolls. In Capua, she tracks down a secret cult and learns about the lives of gladiators. There's also time to handle the world's most famous sword.

In Rome, Alice learns the stories behind some of the city's world-famous ancient landmarks. And a new excavation unveils Rome's debt to their Etruscan predecessors. In Florence, it's time for cocktails.

Alice discovers ancient gems in Parma. In Turin, she learns all about Roman bread, before catching a train up and across the Alps with Hannibal on her mind.

After crossing the Alps by train, Alice arrives in Nîmes. She wants to see the French city's classical Roman landmarks, considered better than any outside of Rome itself. The image of a crocodile is everywhere, representing the subjugation of Egypt.

On the final leg of her journey, Alice heads south to Tarragona, once the capital of Iberian Rome. She learns how the Romans conquered Spain and gained control of the entire Mediterranean.