It was horrific, a tragedy, but it also preserved one of the most astonishing treasures from the ancient world. Bettany Hughes, Secrets of Pompeii’s Greatest Treasures, Channel 5 2020
The top ten treasures of Pompeii:
The most complete [road] in existence. This is the Via dell’Abbondanza, Pompeii’s main shopping street. ibid.
As much as 40% of Pompeii were not free. The Roman Empire commanded the biggest slave population in human history. As many as 200 million people were enslaved during its lifetime. ibid.
ix. Cave Canem – the Dog Mosaic. ibid.
viii. The wonderful Stabian baths … the largest and most lavish of them all. ibid.
vii: The Forum of Pompeii … an area the size of the White House right in the centre of Pompeii. ibid.
vi. As the bodies decomposed they left these curious voids, kind of human-shaped holes inside. All that were left inside were skeletons and bones of Pompeii’s victims … Resin lady’s frantic and tragic last moments of life. ibid.
v. The secret underground world of the Roman elite … One of the greatest surviving artworks … the world-famous Fresco at the Villa of the Mysteries. ibid.
iv. The shocking truth of Romans’ sex lives … The Lupanare brothel. ibid.
The dark stinking rooms of the Lupanare catered to Pompeii’s poor. ibid.
The gardens and dining rooms of Pompeiians were filled with statues and paintings of erotic art. ibid.
iii. An unprecedented state-of-the-art entertainment facility for the lucky punters of Pompeii … the city’s groundbreaking amphitheatre. ibid.
ii. This district was the Beverly Hills of the Roman world … One of Pompeii’s most luxurious and frankly mega-show-off villas … the jaw-dropping House of Menander. ibid.
i. The victims that are the people of the city. ibid.
I’m travelling the world exploring secrets and wonders. And adventure by land and sea to the most fascinating places. Bettany Hughes’ Treasure of the World s1e1: Greece, Channel 4 2021
Greece: birthplace of an astonishing culture that gave us fantastic art, pioneering medicine and bold ideas. ibid.
The Acropolis: For over 3,500 years it’s borne witness to the incredible Greek civilisation. ibid.
Ottoman rule continued for a little over 100 years, until in 1821 the Greeks launched a revolt in a bid for independence. ibid.
When you come to visit Sparta it can be hard to imagine that this was once one of the most influential game-changing civilisations in the story of the world. ibid.
I’m exploring the fascinating island of Malta. Its story is unique and brilliantly rich. Bettany Hughes’ Treasure of the World s1e2: Malta
At only 17 miles across, Malta may be the world’s tenth smallest country, but this tiny island is a rich layer cake of history. ibid.
It’s a 500-year-old wonder of construction. A huge imposing fortress. A reminder that crises can inspire creativity. Fort St Angelo. ibid.
Malta vs Ottomans: There was desperation and horror and suffering on both sides. ibid.
Carivaggio vanished from his rock-cut cell and from the island of Malta. ibid.
An iconic landmark in sight of two continents – Europe and Africa. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s1e3: Gibraltar
From Neanderthal discoveries, to Admiral Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, great Islamic citadels and the top-secret tunnels that inspired James Bond. ibid.
The lost world of the Neanderthals who lived in the 200 caves which honeycomb the Rock. Ever since a groundbreaking discovery was made here back in 1848, Gibraltar has offered a rare glimpse into the lives of our prehistoric forebears. ibid.
The Neanderthals were cultural, spiritual people. ibid.
Tower of Homage: Built in the early 1300s and almost 100 feet tall, this treasure is the single largest tower constructed when much of Spain and Portugal were Islamic. ibid.
Nazi high command made detailed plans for the invasion of Gibraltar. ibid.
The Mediterranean has long fed the imaginations of travellers, writers and artists. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s1e4: Mediterranean Islands
A brand-new discovery hidden away within a cave inside the great Rock of Gibraltar itself … Gorham’s Cave … This is a shrine … This is a Medusa … A 2,500 sign saying watch out. ibid.
From the Bronze Age onwards Malta was a crossroads for cultures and ideas. ibid.
The arrival of these Arabs from north Africa was the beginning of a 200-year-old dominance that brought a new religion, Islam, to the island. ibid.
The magnificent Turkish city Istanbul. This is a metropolis that is so significant, so strategic, it became a power base for massive world cultures from the ancient Romans to the Byzantines. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s1e6: Istanbul
My favourite building on earth … Hagia Sophia, or Ayasofya which means holy wisdom … The dome is still one of the biggest in the world … The interior is decorated with over a thousand years of artwork. ibid.
In 1453 this church, well the whole city, was taken over by the Muslim Ottoman Turk, Mehmet II. ibid.
An incredible feat of engineering … Constantinople’s water system was one of the most sophisticated in the world, a network of aqueducts, channels and reservoirs. ibid.
So many details have been revealed from the digs that archaeologists have managed to recreate a perfect replica of that merchant ship. ibid.
The Topkapi Palace: The jewel in the Ottoman crown. ibid.
I’m making my way through one of the most epic landscapes on Earth – the Arabian desert. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s2e1: Rea Sea & Petra, Channel 4 2023
The north-western Arabian peninsula. From pre-history to antiquity a hub of great civilisations. ibid.
The staggering art of this extraordinary place, the Hisma Plateau. ibid.
‘The Red Sea and the coral reefs are some of the most bio-diverse in the world.’ ibid. local
The camel was the backbone of the Nabataean merchant [Arabian] enterprise. ibid.
The Nabataeans’ crowning achievement – a spectacular city carved into the landscape itself. ibid.
One of the most spectacular and enigmatic wonders of antiquity – the beautiful rock-cut city of Petra. ibid.
Jordan and its capital Amman has long been a melting pot of culture … described as a cradle of civilisation. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s2e2: Jordan
Voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the archaeological park of Petra is up there with the most iconic ancient sites on Earth. ibid.
The beautiful Jerash … one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world. ibid.
The Dead Sea: 430 metres below sea level making the Dead Sea the lowest dry land anywhere on Earth. ibid.
Cyprus sits at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. For centuries host to overseas’ powers and influence. And in myth the birthplace of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s2e3: Cyprus
First stop, Larnaca District Metropolitan Museum. ibid.
The triumph and the tragedy of Cyprus under Roman rule … Some of the very finest antiquities here do date from the time of the Roman Empire. ibid.
An island with a great variety of landscapes. ibid.
The art of these churches and the communities around them are a true treasure of this island. ibid.
Cyprus is a treasure trove of amazing historical riches. ibid.
It’s home to remarkable human stories from the private lives of an erotic dynasty to newly discovered secrets of a neglected civilisation from Roman riots to the legend of the Trojan war. I’m exploring the treasures of Turkey in the Mediterranean. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s2e4: Turkey
The Carian people were great artists, solders and seafarers. They were smart and distinctive. ibid.
A brilliant civilisation called the Lycians … their own language, alphabet and beliefs and often lived in cities overlooking these seas. ibid.
This story is an epic story and an enduring mystery – the world of Troy. ibid.
The first excavations were led in the 1870s by Heinrich Schleimann. They grabbed headlines. ibid.
One of the most spectacular archaeological wonders on Earth – welcome to Ephesus. ibid.