PICK OF THE DAY

EIGHT DAYS THAT MADE ROME, 9PM, CH5

THE Roman Empire dominated the known world for hundreds of years. Though marked by violence and oppression, it was a remarkable empire that heralded an age of prosperity and stability and continues to shape our lives even today. In this new series, historian Bettany Hughes (pictured) explores eight days that were pivotal in establishing the Roman Empire as the world’s first superpower. She begins with October 19, 202 BC, the day of the momentous Battle of Zama, during which the Romans took on Hannibal’s Carthaginian army and revealed their flinty determination to make their mark on the world.