* The Riddle of Pompeii (2001)

In AD 79 the legendary volcano Vesuvius erupted in one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of all time, destroying the town of Pompeii. For 400 years archaeologists have studied the ancient bodies found buried beneath layers of ash and rock. The explanation for the victims' deaths has always been that they were killed by flying rocks and boiling lava. This is the interpretation still given to tourists who visit the site at Pompeii today. Yet an intriguing mystery lies at the centre of this explanation.

The people of Pompeii had ample warning that the volcano was about to erupt, and yet they apparently stayed awaiting death in their hundreds. Why? The skeletons of those who stayed behind were miraculously preserved in the dust and very few show any sign of damage, violence or attempts to flee. How, then, did they die? This film reveals the terrible truth of what happened to the people of Pompeii on that fated day.

* Rome's Lost Empire (2012)

Dan Snow attempts to use the latest satellite technology to reveal the secrets of the Roman Empire. Together with space archaeologist Sarah Parcak, Dan sets out to identify and then track down lost cities, amphitheatres and forts in an adventure that sees him travel through some of the most spectacular parts of the vast empire. Cutting-edge technology and traditional archaeology help build a better understanding of how Rome held such a large empire together for so long.

* Caligula (2013)

Caligula has now become known as Rome's most capricious tyrant, and the stories told about him are some of the most extraordinary told about any Roman emperor. He was said to have made his horse a consul, proclaimed himself a living God, and indulged in scandalous orgies - even with his own three sisters - and that's before you mention building vast bridges across land and sea, prostituting senators' wives and killing half the Roman elite seemingly on a whim. All that in just four short years in power before a violent and speedy assassination in a back alley of his own palace at just 28-years-old.

But how much of his story is true? Travelling across the Roman world - from Germany and Capri in the bay of Naples to the astonishing luxury of his life in imperial Rome - Mary attempts to peel away the myths. Some stories are difficult to get to the bottom of as they were written by hacks long after his death, but there is plenty of surviving evidence where the 'real' Caligula can be glimpsed. Such as in the extraordinary luxury of his private yachts outside Rome; in the designs he chose for his coins when he became Emperor; in an eye-witness account of Caligula's withering humour written in 41AD; the trial documents covering the mysterious death of his father when he was just seven-years-old; and even in a record of his imperial slaves - from the palace spy to his personal trainer.

Piecing together the evidence, Mary puts Caligula back into the context of his times to reveal an astonishing story of murder, intrigue and dynastic family power. Above all, she explains why Caligula has ended up with such a seemingly unredeemable reputation. In the process, she reveals a more intriguing portrait of not just the monster, but the man.