The Olympic Champion Who Won His Final After He Died
Choked to death in the Olympic final of 564 BC, Arrhachion of Phigalia still forced his opponent to submit, and the judges crowned his corpse.
Ancient: to AD 500
Prehistory and the ancient world, up to AD 500.
The Town That Fought the Romans With Bears and Bees
When Roman soldiers tunnelled under the walls of Themiskyra on the Black Sea, the defenders broke in and sent down bears, wild beasts and swarms of bees.
'Those About to Die Salute You': The Battle on Lake Fucinus
In AD 52 Emperor Claudius made 19,000 condemned men fight a real naval battle on an Italian lake, with soldiers and catapults waiting to kill any who fled.
The Gladiator Arena That Killed 20,000 in a Day
In AD 27 a former slave built a wooden arena near Rome on the cheap. It collapsed during its first gladiator show, killing or injuring tens of thousands.
The Tsunami that Devastated Ancient Britain
About 8,150 years ago a slide off Norway sent a tsunami across the North Sea, reaching Britain and the now lost Doggerland.