In the morning fights and hunts of exotic animals like lions or elephants, at noon mass slaughters of convicted criminals and prisoners of war and in the evening the royal class - gladiator fights. A completely normal day in the Colosseum in ancient times.

What at first reads only as bloodthirsty and cruel had a purpose for the programme makers. Rome's virtues as a world power were to be portrayed in this way. The exotic animals showed the greatness of the empire, the slaughtered prisoners the destruction of the Roman enemies, the gladiators the bravery and death courage of the Roman legions.