Life, Death and Gladiators in Roman London

11 snips

Dec 5, 2025

Discover the fascinating history of Roman London in an actual amphitheatre beneath the Guildhall. Explore how the city became a multicultural hub after the Romans arrived in 43 CE. Learn about Boudica's fiery revolt and the archaeological evidence of her destruction. Unearth quirky fragments of Roman life, like wax tablets revealing daily transactions and the diverse origins of its inhabitants. The hosts also debunk myths about amphitheatre shows, emphasizing local entertainment instead of gladiators. This rich tapestry of history continues to shape modern London.

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INSIGHT

Why London Exists Where It Does

Roman London was founded deliberately at the lowest bridgeable point of the Thames and quickly became a major commercial hub.
Mary Beard and Charlotte Higgins show the city's Roman layout under the modern City of London, including walls and an amphitheatre that held c.7,000 people.

INSIGHT

Boudicca’s Burn Marked London

Archaeology confirms Boudicca burned much of early London, leaving a thick black layer of destruction across digs.
The city was rapidly rebuilt and became the main urban centre of Roman Britain within decades.

ANECDOTE

Roman Ruins Hidden In Plain Sight

Charlotte Higgins recounts finding a 10-foot Roman wall inside an underground car park at London Wall as a favourite discovery.
She also tells of a hairdresser who keeps a window showing part of a Roman basilica in their basement.

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Recorded live in an actual Roman amphitheatre underneath the Guildhall Art Gallery in London, Mary and Charlotte uncover the (Roman) origins of one of the world’s great cities.

London’s Roman amphitheatre may not be the Colosseum, but it’s thought it could hold up to 7,000 spectators, which is not nothing in the ancient world. London was founded soon after the invasion by the Romans in 43 CE as a port city, on the lowest bridgeable part of the Thames, and it quickly became a hub of trade and commerce. By the 60s CE, it was significant enough for Boudica to have a crack at burning it to the ground (and the archaeology suggests she was successful).

But what was the city like – and does it bear any relation to its modern counterpart? Evidence suggests, then as now, London was a multicultural city, and part of an administrative and trade network that connected it to the opposite edges of the empire and beyond. From London we have tombstones of men born in Antioch and Athens. And evidence of several religions with origins in far-flung parts of the empire, including the cult of Mithras, which developed in Iran; Isis, originally from Egypt; and Cybele, with its roots in Asia Minor.

Finally, Mary and Charlotte come back to the ground beneath their feet. Who would have come to this amphitheatre back in the day? And what took place? In all honesty it’s best not to think of Russell Crowe and lions. Rather some local pot-bellied thugs and wild boar from the local forests. But there’s space for both, right?

Our thanks to the Guildhall Art Gallery, the City of London Corporation and the Cultural Mile Business Improvement District for hosting us. And do visit London’s Roman Amphitheatre. It’s open Monday to Sunday 10am-5pm. It is very much worth a visit and it is FREE.

Content warning: Mary and Charlotte have a squeamish conversation about a Roman instrument now in the British Museum which may or may not have been used for castration.

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Mary and Charlotte recommend some further reading:

Mary recommends Charlotte’s Under Another Sky (Vintage pb, 2014), showing how the remains of the city still have an impact now.

Roman Britain, by Richard Hobbs and Ralph Jackson, is a beautifully illustrated and concise guide to the province – with a photo of the infamous castration tool (British Museum Press, pb, 2010)

A recent survey of the whole history of Roman London is: Richard Hingley, Londinium: A biography (Bloomsbury pb, 2018)

For more information on Roman shoes: https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/blog/these-boots-were-made-for-romans/

For a visit to the temple of Mithras: https://www.londonmithraeum.com/

The full text of the document of the sale of Fortunata is here: https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/Brit.34.22

Instant Classics handmade by Vespucci

Producer: Jonty Claypole

Executive Producer: Natalia Rodriguez Ford

DoP:Jéromo Monnot

Camera Operator 1 and Photgrapher: Guillaume Valli

Camera Operator 2: Vera Novikova

Sound Engineer: Nathan Cucharo

Video Editor: Jak Ford

Theme music: Casey Gibson

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