Synopsis
All Roman rulers put great value on spectacles and games, but only one, the son of Marcus Aurelius, steps out of the imperial box and onto the sands of the arena. As Emperor Commodus makes enemies amongst the ruling Senate, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.
- Programme: Colosseum
- Episode: 7: Commodus
- Channel: BBC Four
- Broadcast year: 2023
Licence: ERA Licence required
UK only
Staff and students of licensed education establishments only
Cannot be adapted
Add Notes
More clips from Colosseum

1: The Gladiators | Colosseum
1: The Gladiators | Colosseum
In AD80, the Colosseum is open for business. Roman emperor Titus plans 100 days of games to commemorate, including an epic battle to the death ...

2: The Builder | Colosseum
2: The Builder | Colosseum
Although master builder Haterius constructs the Colosseum where Nero’s Golden House once stood, his work is far from over. Rome's new emperor, Dom...

3: The Beastmaster | Colosseum
3: The Beastmaster | Colosseum
Over a million animals are slaughtered on the sands of the arena by trained beastmasters, none more famous than Carpophorus. But when met with...

4: The Gladiatrix | Colosseum
4: The Gladiatrix | Colosseum
When the Emperor Trajan stages his great games of AD107, the crowd is treated to a rare spectacle - female gladiators. A Roman named Mevia illu...

5: The Martyr | Colosseum
5: The Martyr | Colosseum
The public execution of criminals is a staple in the Colosseum, but during Trajan's games, one of these victims is no common prisoner. Bishop Ignat...

6: The Scientist | Colosseum
6: The Scientist | Colosseum
One of the most famous scientists of the ancient world, Galen of Pergamon, makes a name for himself as a doctor for gladiators in the arena.

8: The Pagan | Colosseum
8: The Pagan | Colosseum
By the 4th century AD, the Roman Empire is in decline, and the Colosseum, once a proud symbol of the Empire's glory, lies empty. One man turns to th...
More resources about Romans

1: Age of Conquest | Seven Ages of Britain
1: Age of Conquest | Seven Ages of Britain
David Dimbleby charts the last 2,000 years of Britain through its art and treasure. The first part begins with the Roman invasion ...

1: Boudicca's Rebellion | Battlefield Britain
1: Boudicca's Rebellion | Battlefield Britain
Peter and Dan Snow on the battles that shaped our nation, starting almost 2,000 years ago with the revolt of the Iceni, led by ...

1: Julius Caesar: I Am Not King, But Caesar | I, Caesar
1: Julius Caesar: I Am Not King, But Caesar | I, Caesar
First of a six-part series that charts the rise and fall of the Roman Empire as reflected through six of its greatest...

1: Medicine and Religion | History File
1: Medicine and Religion | History File
Programme begins with looking at Ancient Greece, then the Roman Empire then looking at Muslim and Christian links.

1: Roman Games | Games People Played
1: Roman Games | Games People Played
Michael Dean presents a programme about early forms of games, in this case those used by the Romans.

1: Romans to Normans | Michael Wood's Story of England
1: Romans to Normans | Michael Wood's Story of England
Michael Wood uncovers the history of Kibworth's first 1,000 years, with a Roman villa, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and evide...

1: The Gladiators | Colosseum
1: The Gladiators | Colosseum
In AD80, the Colosseum is open for business. Roman emperor Titus plans 100 days of games to commemorate, including an epic battle to the death ...

2: Augustus: First of the Emperors | I, Caesar
2: Augustus: First of the Emperors | I, Caesar
In 44 BC, a teenage relative of Julius Caesar stepped in and triumphed over Mark Antony and Cleopatra in a brutal civil war, b...

2: Medicine, Public Health and Government | History File
2: Medicine, Public Health and Government | History File
With the fall of the Roman Empire came the collapse of the public health system which they had initiated. What broug...

2: Streetlife | Meet the Romans with Mary Beard
2: Streetlife | Meet the Romans with Mary Beard
Professor Mary Beard discovers the crime and slum conditions in the world's first high-rise city.

2: The Builder | Colosseum
2: The Builder | Colosseum
Although master builder Haterius constructs the Colosseum where Nero’s Golden House once stood, his work is far from over. Rome's new emperor, Dom...

3: Attila the Hun | Heroes and Villains
3: Attila the Hun | Heroes and Villains
Exploring the myth of the crude savage Attila. Part genius, part psychopath, Attila is unlike the other Huns. A calculating, ruthless...

3: Behind Closed Doors | Meet the Romans with Mary Beard
3: Behind Closed Doors | Meet the Romans with Mary Beard
Mary Beard goes behind the closed doors of Roman homes to explore their family life.

3: Nero: Power and the Madness | I, Caesar
3: Nero: Power and the Madness | I, Caesar
Nero's rule was characterized by an obsession with his artistic talents, and sullied by corruption, sexual debauchery, matricide, ...

3: Romans | Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth
3: Romans | Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth
Dr Michael Scott explores how the Romans absorbed Greek theatre and how their empire provides a crucial connection bet...

3: The Beastmaster | Colosseum
3: The Beastmaster | Colosseum
Over a million animals are slaughtered on the sands of the arena by trained beastmasters, none more famous than Carpophorus. But when met with...

3: The Word and the Sword | Andrew Marr's History of the World
3: The Word and the Sword | Andrew Marr's History of the World
In this episode, Andrew Marr examines the spiritual revolutions that shook the world between 300 BC and 700 AD.

4: Hadrian: Within These Walls | I, Caesar
4: Hadrian: Within These Walls | I, Caesar
In AD 117, Hadrian came to power, shocking Rome with policies that halted expansion and focused on consolidation.

4: The Gladiatrix | Colosseum
4: The Gladiatrix | Colosseum
When the Emperor Trajan stages his great games of AD107, the crowd is treated to a rare spectacle - female gladiators. A Roman named Mevia illu...

5: Constantine: Bearing the Cross | I, Caesar
5: Constantine: Bearing the Cross | I, Caesar
This episode looks at the reign of Constantine, who in the 4th century revived a Roman world in crisis and changed the course o...