All language subtitles for Ultimate Treasure Countdown Series 1 4of6 Uncovering Pompeii 1080p

Bettany: Pompeii, a
unique ancient roman
city trapped in time.

In the space of a
single day and night,

Close on 2000 years ago, this
whole place was devastated by

What has to be one of the most
infamous volcanic eruptions in

The whole of human history.

It was horrific.

But it also preserved one of
the most astonishing treasures

From the ancient world.

I am professor bettany hughes.

I'm a historian and I spend my
life traveling the world to

Investigate the stories
of the cultures and
civilizations of the past

And I love having the chance to
share what I found with you.

(theme music plays).

Last time in our top
ten treasures of pompeii,

We counted down from
number ten to number six.

At number ten we jumped
into the virtual world
of abundance street.

Oh my god.

At nine, I met the
ferocious cave canem mosaic.

It's almost identical.

Number eight.

We popped into the
iconic stabian baths.

In number seven, we rubbed
shoulders with the people of

Pompeii at the forum.

At six we met the
extraordinary resin lady.

And in search of
my next treasure,

I'm heading just outside
pompeii's gates where there is

Something wonderful and
wonderfully mysterious that

I want to show you.

It's my treasure number five.

This is one of the most
beautiful villas in the whole

Of the city and it hides
something truly wonderful.

I absolutely love this
treasure because it
allows us to step into

The secretive underground
world of the roman elite.

The treasure's hidden at the
back of the house and it was

Only meant to be seen by
special selected guests.

So, um, I know where it is
though so keep following me

And I'll show you.

And here it is, one of the
greatest surviving artworks

From the whole of
roman civilization and

My treasure number five.

The world-famous fresco at
the villa of the mysteries.

Oh my goodness.

I have to say whenever I
come here I am completely

Blown away by this thing.

Um, it's partly because of
its pure beauty but it's also

Because of its pure power.

Covering every
inch of these walls,

This painting is packed
full of life-sized figures.

Really unusual in a fresco,
making it not just priceless

But truly one of a kind.

This is really, really,
really high-quality work.

I mean, the most
expensive kind.

And we know that
for a few reasons.

One is the color.

So it's this beautiful
pompeian red that was a

Very, very expensive pigment.

What really strikes you
is just how vivid and rich

This red still is.

And the secret to this fantastic
color lies in its science.

Luckily, some pots of
this original pigment
survived the eruption

And luigi has invited me back
to his lab to take a look.

Hi.

Bettany: Lovely to see you.
Lovely to see you again.

I'm particularly interested
in the pompeian red,

'cause you see so much of
it and it's there in the

Villa of the mysteries.

Do you have some of
that here as well?

Bettany: Luigi has hidden
in here some rather
magical paint supplies.

Bettany: Whoa. Ah.

Bettany: Yes, of course.

For years how the ancient
romans made this eye-catching

Red color, nicknamed pompeian
red, remained a mystery.

Until scientists made
an unexpected discovery.

The most expensive paint was
made from an unusual volcanic

Rock called cinnabar found
in the mountains of Spain.

The romans would crush it into
a powder to make the pigment

But unfortunately, this
mysterious rock also contains

Something much more sinister.

I know that, um, a lot of
the red pigment actually,

Um, had mercury sulphide in.

Which is really,
really, really poisonous.

Actually it's really tragic.

We know that because the, um,
the painters and the craftsmen

Who mixed this up
used cinnabar so much,

Particularly in places like
the villa of the mysteries,

They would have been poisoning
themselves basically because

Mercury is incredibly toxic.

It's so incredible getting
the chance to hold this.

You really do feel close to,
to the men and probably some

Women as well, uh,
female craftspeople,

Who used this to kind
of create that beautiful
art that we see.

It's just such a privilege.

It's such a privilege
to get close to it.

Slightly nervous of dropping
this on the lab floor...

So, um, is it okay if
I put this down here?

Luigi: Si.

Bettany: Okay.
Thank you. Great.

There we are. Ah.

So the last time
this was, you know,

Properly held and cherished
was close on 2,000 years ago.

This was the most expensive
paint in the roman world.

35 times the price of most
other paints and used in only

The most exclusive houses.

But it isn't just
the color or the cost,

Which makes this painting
really stand out for me.

Another reason this is really
special is I don't think we

Were ever supposed
to see any of this.

Um, and frankly what's going
on is really pretty weird.

You've got one woman there
who's probably just about to

Unveil a giant
phallus, believe it or not.

Uh, there's a winged lady up
there whipping probably this

Woman over here who's
collapsed into the lap of a

Friend of hers.

And this is probably the
same woman who's then kind of

Rising up ecstatically and
clanging her castanets together.

It is totally, totally wild.

It feels as though I'm being
allowed to witness a forbidden

Moment in time as this fresco
is showing us pompeii's real

Women being initiated into
a secret orgiastic cult.

The romans worshipped
many different gods and the

Pompeian's, thanks to the
fertile vine growing slopes of

Vesuvius, were particularly
obsessed with one.

Bacchus the god of wine.

And it's totally appropriate
that bacchus is being honored

In this way here
because wine was really,

Really, really popular
with the pompeiians.

Everyone, from the lowliest
slave to the grandest emperor,

Drank wine in the roman world.

They drank it
like it was water,

Knocking back on
average a bottle a day.

But the owner's passion for wine
didn't stop with this fresco.

A wooden wine press
was also discovered in
the ruins of the home.

Clearly, this family
weren't just drinking wine and

Painting tributes to it,
they were making it too

Right in their house.

To find out how they did this,
I've come to the ruins of a

Roman villa
still be excavated,

Which has the same
passion for winemaking.

These are new excavations and
one of the things that were

Discovered was this
amazing row of amphorae,

Of huge pots that would have
had wine in them and each one

Of them contained
around 40 liters of wine.

That's enormous amounts
being produced just by

One villa, by one estate.

And it helps you imagine
what life was like in the

Villa of the mysteries.

Where you've got this super
posh house and then you're

Producing wine
right in it, right,

Right next to
where you're living.

It's no wonder that the owners
painted this fantastic tribute

To everybody's
favorite tipple.

Not only did wine
make them relaxed but
also fabulously rich.

This fresco deserves to be a
treasure because not only is

It truly exquisite, but it
lifts the veil on pompeii's

Beliefs and their
drinking habits.

And there's real bonus because
it shows us what some pompeian

Women did to go a bit wild and
literally let their hair down.

I'm counting down our top
ten treasures of pompeii.

On my journey through the
city I'm exploring how the

Devastating eruption of mount
vesuvius in 79 ad preserved

Intimate details of the
everyday lives of its

Inhabitants, allowing us to
piece together exactly what

The ancient romans got
up to, the food they ate,

The houses they lived in and of
course in one particular case,

Where and how they had sex.

Which leads me to my next
rather risqué treasure

In our countdown.

At number four, it's
the lupanare brothel.

There are actually around 25
locations in pompeii that we

Think would have been used
as brothels but this is

The most famous one.

This is the lupanare,
the she wolf's den.

The infamous lupanare is the
oldest surviving purpose-built

Brothel in the roman empire.

When it was first discovered,
the early excavators were so

Shocked by what
they found here,

They sealed it off from the
public for a whole century.

In its day there'd have been a
lantern lit here and hanging up

To prove that this
place was open for business.

Uh, we don't need that
now 'cause this is one of

Pompeii's most popular
attractions but I have got

Special before hours access.

Bettany: Buongiorno.
Perfect. Gracias.

Bettany: Thank you. Thank you.

Um, I should just warn you
that this is a treasure not

Because it's grand, it's
actually really pretty basic

Inside but it's a treasure
because it tells us an

Incredible amount about
people who are normally

Written out of history.

Bettany: The simple layout
just off one of pompeii's main

Streets, reveals this
wasn't a high-class joint.

The women of the
lupanare were slave girls.

Under the command
of their masters,

They would have spent much of
their lives awaiting clients

In these tiny
windowless rooms.

The first thing that really
strikes you are these horribly

Uncomfortable
looking stone beds.

Um, there are ten in total
here, five downstairs.

You know, I actually hate
coming here because there are

Descriptions of brothels from
the time and they're described

As filthy and hot and humid
and it still is here today.

And, kind of, as
soon as you come in,

It just all feels very grim.

Forced to work
for hours a day,

The slave girls
rarely left the lupanare.

Recent evidence shows
they ate simple food here,

A kind of vegetable stew.

And when they
were allowed out,

They had to wear man's toga
to mark them out from other

Respectable women.

The dark, stinking rooms
at the lupanare catered to

Pompeii's poor,
market traders,

Sailors passing
through its bustling port
and even male slaves.

Because the girls
were illiterate,

They left no record
of their lives here.

But amazingly we do know of
some of their names thanks to

The hundreds of intimate
messages scrawled on the walls

By their clients.

Abiah, nika and januaria

Were clearly three of
the most popular girls.

There's graffiti everywhere
and you can read loads of it.

Um, so I don't know if
you can make this one out,

So this one, for
instance, says...

(speaking italian).

Uh, which means, um,
that the men of puteoli,

Which is a nearby
imperial port, uh,

Their kind of their great
go men, you're fantastic.

The graffiti reveals the cost
of a visit to the lupanare was

As little as two ass, enough
to buy a couple of glasses of

Pompeian wine if
you were lucky.

And of course, being slaves,
the women here wouldn't have

Seen a penny of that despite
the risks they faced earning it.

Std's were sadly very common
in the ancient world and

Whereas today we might
have used antibiotics,

In roman pompeii,

The only treatment was
milk and honey or chicory.

So catching one could
be a death sentence.

And for the girls,
disease wasn't the only risk.

When they were excavating
they found lots of bottles of

Vinegar, which are used as
a natural contraception.

So you can just imagine what the
girls here were going through.

While the owner of the
lupanare clearly didn't care

Much about the working
conditions of the girls,

They did attempt to give the
brothel a veneer of class.

Even in this very
humble treasure,

The romans are using art
to make a good impression.

So if you have a look, above
every room there's really

Beautifully
painted little frescos,

Uh, all with the same theme.

It's a bit like a kind of,
ancient roman kama sutra.

Actually, these paintings show
us something really interesting.

And in this fresco,
there's this woman.

She's got this
lovely little, kind of,

Blue bra strapped
round her breasts.

But bras were worn
by upper-class women.

I think there's a simple
reason why they're shown here.

Okay. So, um, what you're
looking at here is a fresco from

One of the really posh
villas in pompeii.

What you should notice is
what the woman is wearing.

So she's got one of
those same bras on.

And we actually know from
literary sources that it was

Considered very
respectable for a well-born,

A well to do roman woman, to
keep her bra on even when she

Was having sex.

I mean, god only knows why,
it must have been really

Uncomfortable, but it
was the thing to do.

So isn't that interesting that
the fresco images of the girls

In the brothel have
also got their bras on?

Is it that the owner is trying
to pretend that he's running a

Really high-class joint?

Or it could be that the
clients there were being

Encouraged to fantasize that
they were actually making love

To a well to do,
aristocratic roman lady.

Thinking about these
high-class women might have

Distracted clients from
the bleak, filthy reality

Of the lupanare.

Of all the treasures
I've encountered so far,

The lupanare has given me
the greatest insight into

The poor of pompeii.

From the hardships faced by
the workers of the lupanare to

The fantasies of the
lower-class men who visited it.

The lupanare brothel of
pompeii is one of our top ten

Treasures because it gives
us a rare and really valuable

Insight into the lives of not
just of the rich but of the

Poor here and not just the
pleasures but the pain of

Living in the
ancient roman empire.

The girls and boys who
lived here would have had

Absolutely nothing, no
possessions whatsoever.

So I really like to imagine
that when the disaster started

To strike, they
just got up and fled.

And maybe, just maybe,
some of them survived.

From the grit of pompeii's
sex trade to the jewel in this

City's crown, the next stop on
my journey through pompeii is

A true roman original.

When this amazing
monument was first built,

It was a wonder of
the roman world.

It was an unprecedented,
state of the art entertainment

Facility for the
lucky punters of pompeii.

It's treasure number three
in our countdown of

Top ten treasures of pompeii,

The city's ground-breaking
amphitheater.

This is a treasure
you just can't miss.

It's actually the
biggest building in
the whole of pompeii.

It is a hugely impressive,
jaw-droppingly amazing,

Open-air arena that
could accommodate

Up to 20,000 people
in a single day.

Originally
called a spectacula,

As the first amphitheater
to be built in stone

In the whole of the roman world,

This treasure of pompeii
was truly innovative.

Oh I love coming
to this place, um,

Just after dawn because
you get to share it with all

The lizards as
they're waking up.

It feels a real privilege.

Nothing captures what made
the people of pompeii tick

Quite like this place.

The punters were here for
blood, gore and machismo.

From animal hunts to
the biggest draw of all,

The world-famous
gladiator fights.

Where you got to sit
depended on your sex
and your social status.

Uh, so these seats down at the
front were reserved for the

Elite, where it
was thrillingly,

Sometimes dangerously,
close to the action.

But as a non-elite woman, I'd
have had to struggle all the

Way up here because women were
relegated to the cheap seats

Right at the back.

Even the posh women
were sent to sit up here.

Just like our arenas today,

You could buy fast food
and drink from vendors

But this was entertainment
with a dark heart.

Proof to romans and non-romans
alike that this was a

Civilization that
triumphed through fear,

Conquest and a kind
of macho virility.

People came here to hang out
and for the bars and to flirt

But they also came here
specifically to see a criminal

Mauled to death
by a wild animal or

Gladiators butchering
one another.

I know I shouldn't judge;
I know it's a different time

But it is really just sick.

In amphitheaters across the
roman empire you could get

Anything from panthers
to elephants being hunted

Here in the arena.

But I don't want to think
about this place from the

Point of view the spectators,
I wanna think about the people

Involved in the action.

Gladiators were always top
of the bill and coming up

I'll discover the secret
weapon that kept them
alive in this arena.

And we reach my extraordinary
treasure number two.

The home of wild
animals and butch gladiators,

Is the magnificent
amphitheater of pompeii.

The atmosphere down here
must have been petrifying,

Highly charged.

Imagine 20,000 people yelling
and stamping above your heads

As gladiators waited for
their moment of glory.

(cheering).

Forget emperors.
Forget generals.

Gladiators were the
names on everyone's lips.

They were the
celebrities of the roman age.

In fact, they were so
popular and they were
worth so much money,

That nine times out of ten
they didn't actually die

In the arena sands here.

Almost everything
possible was done to
physically keep them alive.

The walls here would have
been covered with painted
posters of the gladiators,

Just like rock stars
and premier league
footballers today.

Roman graffiti found
in pompeii shows just
how popular they were,

Not just with the men
but with women too.

(speaking italian).

Celadus the thracian
makes all the girls moan.

Um, it's, uh, pretty clear
what they were boasting about.

In fact, gladiators got such a
reputation for their success

With the ladies that brides
would smear their hair with

Gladiator blood, convinced
it would make them fertile.

Clearly, top gladiators
were worth looking after.

The gladiators were taught to
fight skillfully and to draw

Lots of blood but actually,
we only have records of six

Gladiators who
died here in pompeii,

Although that is six
too many if you ask me.

So, their life expectancy
wasn't as low as you might

Expect from this bloody sport.

Recent research analyzing
the bones of gladiators and

Studying ancient recipe books
has revealed how a healthy

Diet was key to how
they stayed alive.

I'm meeting gioacchino nocera,
a local chef, to find out more.

Hi. Bettany.

Gioacchino: Hi.
Bettany: Hi.

Gioacchino: Ciao, bettany.
Bettany: Ciao. Ciao.
Nice to see you.

Gioacchino: Nice to see you.

Bettany: Well, this
is very exciting.

Um, gioacchino has,
uh, learnt a recipe...

For... This is the,
this is the soup that the
gladiators would have eaten?

Gioacchino: Yes.

In the pan, olive oil.

Bettany: Yes.

Gioacchino: Celery,
onion and carrot.

Bettany: Yes.

Gioacchino: They become a
little bit brown.

Bettany: Yes.

Gioacchino: When they are
ready we put all the grains.

Bettany: We've got lentils...

Gioacchino: Yes. Different
kind of lentils, yes.

Bettany: Beans,
like fava beans.

Oh this is brilliant.

So I'm being given an ancient
roman cookery lesson here.

And it's really
interesting this,

Um, because, I don't know,
when you think of gladiators,

You often imagine them
as being, kind of,

Pumped up meat-eaters
like the, sort of,

You know, gym boys today.

But that appears to be
not the case at all.

And for once 'cause I'm,
'cause I'm vegetarian...

Gioacchino: Yes.

Bettany: So I don't,
I don't eat any meat.

Gioacchino: Yes.
This is a vegetarian recipe.

Bettany: But this,
this is fascinating,

Uh, the fact that gladiators
are being given this soup.

This, kind of, vegetarian diet
is actually quite fattening

'cause you're getting all
your calories from carbs.

But they did
that for a reason.

So that they
have a fatty layer.

So when you get
sliced with, you know,

A sword or a
dagger or a spear,

Then you bleed a lot.

So that looks for the crowd
that looks very impressive and

Bloody, this kind
of gory spectacle.

Gioacchino: Yes.

Bettany: But you've got a
layer of fat so actually

You're not slicing through to
the muscle and to the organs.

So you're more likely
to survive the fight.

This is right?

Gioacchino: Yes. Yeah.

Bettany: And then go on and
carry on and fight another day.

That is smelling
very good already.

Imagine this and imagine
this smell coming out of

Those kitchens in pompeii.

Gioacchino: Now we have
the soup ready...

Bettany: Lovely.
Gioacchino: For tasting.

Bettany: Lovely.
Thank you.

I have to say this is pretty
much what I eat the whole time

Actually anyway.

While I've been here, these
amazing frescos have been

Uncovered in pompeii, which
show just how effectively this

Diet could create a
dramatic, bloody spectacle.

This special stew was like a
superfood for the gladiators

And boy would they need it.

The longest show here
went on for five days.

The amphitheater at pompeii is
one of my top ten treasures,

Not just because it's the
biggest monument in the city

But because it helps us
understand what made the

Romans tick.

And the people who came here
to the games fetishized and

Glorified macho
aggression to such an extent,

They turned it into a brutal
theatrical spectacle right here.

Bettany: From the brutality of
the arena to something a bit

More refined, I've come to
one of pompeii's poshest

Neighborhoods for
my next treasure.

This district was the beverley
hills of the roman world.

Only the super-elite could
afford to live here and there

Are clues inside this house
that link the owners to

Rome's notorious
playboy, emperor nero.

Welcome to one of
pompeii's most luxurious and,

Frankly, mega show off villas.

It's our treasure number two.

The jaw-dropping
house of menander.

When archaeologists started
digging here in the 1920s,

They had little idea of what
lay in store under layers of

Volcanic rock.

An incredible house
with more than 40 rooms.

So you're in for a treat.

This is no ordinary
house, it's more like a

2,000-year-old party palace.

Let me show you around as we
hunt for clues that link the

House to rome's
wildest hedonists.

It's all about flaunting it.

I mean, look at this view.

Talk about a high
impact entrance.

It's saying, I am
fabulously wealthy.

It took six whole years to fully
excavate this enormous house

And archaeologists
became increasingly puzzled

As to who on earth could afford
this lifestyle of luxury.

Two skeletons were
found and next to them was,

Was just a little ring.

It wasn't anything
particularly fancy.

But on it were written
the words q poppaeus.

And brilliantly that gives
us the name of the people

Who owned this place.

So quintus poppaeus
was a wealthy man
from a wealthy family.

So suddenly we can start to
piece together the story of

The people who lived here.

The poppaeus family were
extremely well connected and

One notorious member
even married into
rome's imperial family.

Poppaea sabina was the
second wife of the pretty

Highly colored
roman emperor, nero.

And all kinds of
things were said about her.

Um, it was gossiped that
she put golden shoes onto

The hooves of her mules.

That she bathed in ass's milk.

And even that she'd encouraged
nero to murder his own mother

Because she was getting
in the way of their
passionate romance.

In fact, their
relationship was so stormy,

It's even alleged by their
many enemies that nero kicked

Poppaea to death
in a fit of rage.

But in better times we know
that poppaea loved pompeii.

She was born here and visited
regularly and was renowned for

Her late-night partying,
which in roman times,

Usually involved a feast.

And this house was equipped
and ready with the largest

Dining room in the
whole of the city.

It is really
brilliant, isn't it,

To imagine poppaea enjoying
a lavish banquet here.

But actually, there
is something else.

When this place was excavated,
something truly extraordinary

Was discovered.

Let me show you.

For centuries, buried deep
in an underground cellar,

Lay a hidden treasure.

One of the most amazing finds
discovered in pompeii and

It still exists in naples,
in the city's museum.

And the kind people here have
allowed me the rare privilege

Of a closer look at
this extraordinary find.

Oh my goodness.

Prepare to be blown away.

What you're looking at here is
an almost complete 118 piece

Set of silver dinnerware.

So this incredible thing was
found in the house of menander

And it was wrapped in a canvas
cloth inside something almost

Like a coffin-shaped box.

Uh, and isn't it incredible
to think that this is what the

Inhabitants of the house would
have used for their extra

Special, um, dinner parties.

So, I'll just show
you some of the pieces.

I mean, it's so brilliant.

So look at this amazing thing.

Little pepper shaker,
like we have pepper today.

It's exactly the same
design, which is incredible.

There are
delicate egg cups here.

And then probably the, kind of,
pièce de résistance are up here,

Um, so these
are the wine cups,

All decorated with these
brilliant mythological scenes.

And I'll tell you what I just
can't get out of my mind is

The fact that not only would
the inhabitants of the

House of menander use these,
but given that poppaea was the

Emperor nero's wife and we
know that nero liked pompeii

Just as poppaea did, it is
perfectly possible that the

Emperor nero could have
wrapped his wild lips

Around that very cup.

It's quite a
thought, isn't it?

And this priceless collection
also tells us something

Important about the roman
psyche, where extravagant,

Conspicuous consumption
had its place, albeit,

Within the privacy of your
home and behind closed doors.

The amazing house of menander
is one of my treasures because

It's such a brilliant example
of living roman high life

To the absolute max.

And it has the added advantage
of having a connection to a

Really intriguing
woman from roman history,

Who I like to think of as
enjoying life here on her own

Terms, not just as the
lover of an emperor.

Next up is our number
one treasure of pompeii.

A heartbreaking story
that gives us a whole new

Perspective on the tragic
destruction of the city.

I've counted down my favorite
ten treasures of pompeii.

Number five was the
brilliantly boozy fresco

At the villa of the mysteries.

Totally wild.

In number four, we heard
from the poor sex workers
of the lupanare.

Number three, we visited
a true roman original,

The amphitheater of pompeii.

At number two, we explored a
party palace fit for an empress.

(sniffing).

Ah, I just couldn't resist.

And now, we've reached
the end of my journey.

My number one
treasure of pompeii.

When it comes to
choosing my number one,

It's not the
incredible mosaics,

Buildings and frescos that
make pompeii so special,

It's something
much more tragic.

Probably the most famous
and also the most disturbing

Remnants of the eruption
of vesuvius are the victims,

The people of the city.

Trapped in their final
excruciating moments,

Each of these casts tells a
story of the final seconds of

The individuals
who lived here.

But there's one cast in
particular that never fails

To break my heart
every time I see it.

This young child is incredibly
moving because he's a symbol

Of the truth of the appalling
tragedy that happened here and

Of the lives that were
interrupted and that's why he

Deserves to be respected and
cherished as our number one.

The child was found in one
of pompeii's grandest villas

Next to a man and a woman
holding another small infant,

Most likely his family.

Doctor llorenç alapont has
studied the toddler of pompeii

In detail and I hope he can
shed some light on this little

Boy's short life.

So you've actually done a scan
or an x-ray of the toddler?

Doctor: Yeah.

Bettany: Really?

Bettany: Gosh. But he's
a young child really.

Bettany: But the
x-rays also reveal clues
about the boy's life.

The quality of his teeth and
bones shows he had a good diet.

He'd probably grown up in the
luxurious villa where he was

Found, cowering
under the staircase.

And amazingly, it's possible to
see clues on this little boy's

Body that show just how much
his parents cared about him.

And what's that?

'cause I can see
something on his neck.

I don't know if you can
see this, he's got, um,

There's definitely
something solid there.

Do you know what that is?

Bettany: A bulla was a locket
given to roman boys when they

Were nine days old to protect
them from evil spirits and

Other dangers.

But isn't that tragic that he's
got, he's got his little

Protecting symbol but of
course it hasn't worked.

But the story of this
little boy doesn't end here.

Scientists now believe he can
shed light on exactly how the

People of pompeii
died in the eruption.

The crucial clue lies in a
similar contorted positions of

His and his family's bodies,
they all have their arms

Raised like a boxer.

And this boxer pose is
seen in hundreds of other
victims in pompeii.

Evidence suggests
that most people,

Including the toddler, survived
the first day of the disaster.

But then the
eruption suddenly changed,

Unleashing a deadly new force
that contorted its victims

Into the boxer pose.

And to find out what that
is, I'm going up in this.

Man: Hi.
Bettany: Hi. Hi.

Thank you so much.
Thank you. Hello. Hello.

Alessandro: Hello.
Bettany: Hi. It's bettany.

Alessandro: Nice to meet you.
Alessandro.

Bettany: Yeah.

Great. Thank you,
'cause we're flying with
the door off, are we?

With the door off?

Alessandro: Yeah.
Bettany: Yeah, okay. Okay.

Bettany: Up here it's possible
to see how eruptions from

Vesuvius have shaped the
landscape and also how exactly

These eruptions killed the
toddler and his family in 79 ad.

These steep, rocky
outcrops point to one thing.

Pyroclastic flows.

Superheated avalanches of
rock, ash and poisonous gas.

These toxic 500 degree clouds
exploded down vesuvius's slopes.

Located six miles
from the volcano's base,

The first three deadly
pyroclastic flows

Failed to reach pompeii.

But then the
fourth wave struck.

This enormous pyroclastic
flow, three miles wide,

Scorched a path all
the way to pompeii.

The direction that we're
going now is exactly the

Same direction as
the pyroclastic flow,

So particularly the one
that killed so many
people in pompeii.

We're following
its exact route.

So it came out of the
volcano like a kind of

Malign starburst
and hit pompeii,

Which I can see straight
ahead of me now.

From where I am now, a boiling
cloud of gas hurtled out of

The volcano traveling at
over 100 miles an hour and

Inundated the city.

Scientists believe it sucked
water from the bodies of the

People in pompeii so rapidly,
it caused their muscles to

Spasm into the
iconic boxer pose.

The exact pose we see in the
toddler and over half of the

Other victims in pompeii.

This devastating wave engulfed
and obliterated pompeii and

Then tragically it came to a
stop just a few hundred meters

Beyond the city walls.

Oh it's unbearable.

It's unbearable to see it.

Being up here is giving me a
totally different perspective

On pompeii.

But it's also bringing me
right up close to the

Biggest character in
the story of the city.

My god.

I've studied this volcano for
so long and I never thought

I'd see it from here.

It's actually making me feel
slightly sick because you know

There's this terrible inequity
of power between it and its

Eruption and the
people of pompeii.

Oh my god.
Actually, look at that.

Bettany: It is. I didn't think
we'd be able to get this close.

I'm very glad you know
what you're doing alessandro.

Bettany: I do remember.

Bettany: You have to think
this volcano erupted in 79 ad.

It went off with the energy
of 100,000 times that of a

Hiroshima bomb.

With nearly a million
people living just nine
miles from vesuvius,

Even a moderate eruption
today would be devastating.

This is still considered
the most dangerous
volcano in the world.

We're aware of its threat and
aren't allowed to get too close.

But the people of
pompeii had no choice.

It's so worth us remembering
the people and their pain.

That they really hoped they
would have good lives here.

You've got the beauty of the
sea beyond but they were

No match for vesuvius and its
terrible, terrible power.

It's really hard.

It's really hard to look at
that and think about them

And their suffering.

Fantastic.

Coming here and counting down
the top ten treasures of this

Extraordinary city, I've
experienced so much about

Pompeii and the
people who called it home.

From their love of drink, fine
dining and gory entertainment,

To their
remarkable beauty rituals,

Toilet habits and
sexual fantasies.

But what will stay with me
forever is the appalling truth

Behind the tragedy
that happened here.

And that is why the toddler,
the symbol of everyone in

Pompeii who lost their lives,
is my treasure number one.

We should never forget what
a uniquely remarkable and

Uniquely tragic
place pompeii is.

And perhaps that's why this
whole town is a treasure.

Not just because of the
insights it gives us to the

Roman world.

Not just because it reminds us
to be interested in the past.

But because it
reminds us to care.

To care about all the people
we share this earth with even

If we're separated from
them by thousands of years.

Captioned by cotter
captioning services.