Tom Hiddleston visited Pompeii when he was 17. He studied Latin. Today, he is retracing his steps, hoping to bring back memories for those who lived through that tragedy in 79 AD. We’ve seen the images of bodies frozen in ash for eternity. But who were these people? They, too, had lives, loved ones, and dreams.
Drawing on the facts and bringing them to life as an actor might, Tom conducts a meticulous investigation. With the help of experts in Latin, archaeology, psychology, and geoscience, he follows the trail of three people: a young boy, a woman, and a Praetorian soldier. How did that fateful day unfold, and were they able to survive?
A beautiful historical investigative docuseries that is deeply human
The news constantly bombards us with tragedies. So we build up a defense, distancing ourselves from those anonymous lives that have been lost. When the passage of time is added to the mix, the victims become invisible. The ruins of Pompeii could have remained buried forever, in fact, since it wasn’t until the 17th century that the buried city was rediscovered, and excavations were undertaken in the 19th century.
I, too, had the chance to walk the streets of Pompeii and Herculaneum, to see the traces of those shattered lives and the destruction of thriving communities. But thanks to this docuseries, I was able to appreciate its full complexity and beauty.
Documentary: thorough research, explanations provided by passionate education experts -and National Geographic’s quality guarantee. Series: led by an actor who is by turns funny and touching, this gripping investigation sheds new light on the lives of three Romans affected by the eruption of Vesuvius. Because beyond the fascinating facts lie lives that were turned upside down.
Furthermore, in these uncertain times when crises of all kinds can arise unexpectedly, this documentary makes us think about how we might respond. Along the way, it offers a few survival tips.
A powerful and oh-so-useful series.
Mini docuseries, 3 episodes (45 mn), 2026, on Disney+
Hosted by Tom Hiddleston, WITH
- The experts: classicist Steven Tuck, archaeologist Caitie Barrett, geoscientist Chris Jackson, and disaster/survival psychologist Sarita Robinson
- The actors: Frankie Treadaway as Avianus, Lubna Azabal as Julia, Barry Aird as the Preatorian officer, Madeleine Walker as Claudia, Buket Kömür as Amalthea, Robert Bowman as Cassius, Theo Ogundipe as Marcus, Angelina Chudi as Aurelia