Discover the first film in an exciting new partnership between History Hit and one of the world’s oldest and finest public museums, the University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum.
Over six captivating films, releasing throughout 2025, History Hit is going behind the scenes to discover some of the Ashmolean’s most precious and surprising objects, in depth and up close. From ancient Middle Eastern protective figurines to strange and exquisite 18th century Memento Mori reminding us of the inevitability of death; from Egyptian figures crafted before the first pharaohs to one of the greatest Anglo Saxon treasures of them all, the Alfred Jewel, this fascinating new series will cast remarkable light on the Ashmolean’s exceptionally rich and varied collection.
The films are presented by Dan Snow and Suzannah Lipscomb, with the expert guidance and insights of the museum’s world-renowned curators.
In this first film, The Ashmolean Up Close: Nero’s Golden House, Dan Snow invites us to imagine a dinner party with the Emperor Nero in his legendary ‘Domus Aurea’, his Golden House in Rome.
Watch NowA glimpse into Nero’s world
Dan’s journey begins with an extraordinary fresco from Nero’s palace. Discovered deep within the palace ruins near the Colosseum in 1688, this nearly 2,000 year old painting from a dining room offers a rare window into Nero’s aesthetic. It depicts Adonis being presented to the goddess Aphrodite, a scene hinting at the sensual atmosphere of Nero’s lavish banquets.
Yet, as Dan discovers, the latest conservation work in the Ashmolean studio is raising fascinating questions. As the fresco is prepared for display in the museum’s Roman galleries, conservator Alexandra Baldwin is meticulously cleaning away centuries of later repairs and over-paint using agar (a seaweed-derived material). Witness this delicate process as layers of history are peeled back, revealing the fresco’s original Roman splendour and raising questions about how much more of Nero’s original vision can be unveiled.
Research Keeper of Antiquities, Paul Roberts, guides Dan through the story of Nero’s opulent home, exploring how this fresco and other beautiful Roman dining artefacts from the Ashmolean’s collection offer clues to Nero’s often transgressive lifestyle.
Conservator Alexandra Baldwin from the Ashmolean team applying agar to clean away over-paint from a fresco from Nero’s Golden House, revealing its original Roman splendour
Image Credit: History Hit
Sensuality at the Roman table
Beyond the wall paintings, Paul guides Dan through exquisite Roman tableware, revealing how every detail, from hand-crafted silver cups adorned with myrtle leaves and berries to unique wine rituals, was designed to signal immense wealth and subtly encourage an atmosphere ripe for ‘loosening up’. The very air of these dinner parties would be charged with a deliberate, sensual allure.
Power and perception
The programme also delves into Nero’s coinage, offering surprising insights into the dynamics of his power. You’ll discover how early coins tell a different story about his relationship with his formidable mother, Agrippina the Younger.
All these objects within the Ashmolean’s collection converge to paint a compelling portrait of Nero: an emperor whose grand excesses and governmental failings ultimately led to his downfall and the ruin of his magnificent Domus Aurea.
Watch The Ashmolean Up Close: Nero’s Golden House and find out more about the sensory world of this enigmatic emperor hidden within his opulent palace.
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