Petty squabbles and bloody battles – the life of an ancient Roman soldier
When one imagines life in the ancient Roman army, it’s easy to conjure images of historic, bloody battles fought at close range. But, as this video from the British Museum details, life in the Roman army was, at its core, a job, with its own distinct barriers to entry, bureaucracies, benefits, hierarchies and interpersonal conflicts. Providing a tour of the exhibition ‘Legion: Life in the Roman Army’, which was on display at the museum earlier this year, the curators Richard Abdy and Carolina Rangel de Lima explore the intricacies of Roman army life through the experiences of a foreign soldier named Claudius Terentianus, who left behind many letters detailing his rise through the ranks and ultimate retirement – complete with a pension and full Roman citizenship.
Video by the British Museum

videoHistory
In Stalin’s home city in Georgia, generations clash over his legacy
20 minutes

videoHistory
In the face of denial, this film uncovers the hidden scars of Indonesia’s 1998 riots
21 minutes

videoEngineering
How water-based clocks revolutionised the way we measure time
10 minutes

videoArchitecture
A 3D rendering of the Colosseum captures its architectural genius and symbolic power
17 minutes

videoValues and beliefs
Why a single tree, uprooted in a typhoon, means so much to one man in Hanoi
7 minutes

videoHistory
Hags, seductresses, feminist icons – how gender dynamics manifest in witches
13 minutes

videoWar and peace
Two Ukrainian boys’ summer unfolds just miles from the frontlines
22 minutes

videoFairness and equality
‘To my old master’ – a freed slave answers the request to return to his old plantation
7 minutes

videoInformation and communication
‘Astonished and somewhat terrified’ – Victorians’ reactions to the phonograph
36 minutes