Could You Survive in the Roman Special Forces?

Step into the shadowy world of the Roman army’s special forces in this thrilling episode of Survive History!

Presenter Louee Dessent takes on the dangerous and secretive missions of the exploratores, speculatores, and frumentarii—the Roman Empire’s scouts, spies, and assassins.

Guided by Roman historian Dr. Simon Elliott, Louee learns the ancient art of espionage at the authentic reconstructed auxiliary fort of Park in the Past. From infiltrating enemy territory to gathering intelligence, Louee faces the challenges these covert operatives endured. With the incredible reenactment group Deva Victrix, he ventures deep into the wilderness to spy on a barbarian settlement, bringing to life the high-stakes world of ancient reconnaissance.

As excitement for Gladiator II builds, discover the untold stories of the real warriors behind Rome’s legendary dominance. Fans of Roman history, military tactics, and epic storytelling won't want to miss this action-packed episode!

📌 Filmed on location at Park in the Past, with reenactments by Deva Victrix and the Worcestershire Cavalry
📌 Special thanks to Dr. Simon Elliott for his expert insights
📌 Thanks to Antti Palosaari for creating our new animations - you can check out more of his work here: / @anttimation
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#RomanArmy #GladiatorII #AncientRome #RomanSpecialForces #SurviveHistory #HistoricalReenactment #RomanEspionage #DrSimonElliott #ParkInThePast

00:00 Introduction
02:50 Background to Roman special operations
06:42 Rome's intelligence disaster
08:10 Meeting my commander
15:32 Frumentarii - Rome's secret agents
18:09 Speculatores - Military spies
20:11 Exploratores - Special forces
23:13 Roman special operations
28:53 Scoping out the barbarian settlement
31:37 Pathfinders
33:55 Avoiding capture
34:41 Battle at the Harzhorn
35:44 Rome's elite auxiliaries
44:57 Park in the Past
45:39 Conclusion - could you survive?