“I’ve been looking at the way that burials and funerary practice have changed over time for ages - documenting some of those changes in my recent trilogy ‘Ancestors, Buried and Crypt’,” says Professor Alice Roberts. She has captivated audiences with more than a hundred documentaries, including ‘Digging for Britain’ and ‘Britain’s Most Historic Town’, and has recently been filming a new series on the Roman Empire for Channel 4. She is a bestselling author, a brilliant public speaker and now, she is embarking of a tour of the UK called Domination: the Rise and Fall of an Empire, to coincide with her latest book, of the same name.

“One of the questions that arises is whether you can track changes in belief systems - and indeed, political alliances - through such rituals. I’ve been surprised to discover how some rituals persisted through time. The graveside feasting rituals of the Romans are a great example, as these continued and became absorbed into the Christian calendar, as I documented in ‘Buried’. Over time, lots of observations and questions coalesced into a big question - how did Christianity spread through the Roman Empire?”

“I wanted to tackle that big question using not just historical sources but archaeology as well - going on a journey of investigation to dig out the clues. I ended up looking at clues buried in ancient letters and genealogies, in new discoveries on archaeological digs - and in the meaning of symbols - in mosaics, on coins and sculptures. Reading perspectives from economists and political historians was also important. And I had conversations with lots of different academics - each of whom helped me to understand another angle in my investigation.”

Professor Alice Roberts will be bringing Domination: the Rise and Fall of an Empire to Symphony Hall on Thursday 4 September, taking us on an investigative journey to establish who spread Christianity, how and why; the story of the fall of an Empire – and the rise of another.

From a secluded valley in South Wales to the shores of Brittany; from the heart of the Roman Empire in a time of political turmoil to the ancient city of Corinth in the footsteps of the apostle Paul; from Alexandria in the fourth century to Constantinople.

As the Roman Empire crumbled in Western Europe, a shadow of power remained, almost perfectly mapping onto its disappearing territories. And then, it continued to spread. Unearthing the archaeological clues and challenging long-established histories, Professor Roberts tells a remarkable story about the relationship between the Roman Empire and Christianity.

“I’ll be taking the audience along with me on a journey of exploration and investigation - looking at finds from archaeological sites - from monasteries and villas to mosaics and coins - piecing the puzzle together,” she says.

“There are some things I’ve discovered during my research that surprised me - and other archaeologists, even.” Don’t miss Professor Alice Roberts’s Domination: the Rise and Fall of an Empire to Symphony Hall on Thursday 4 September. “Not to spill all the beans,” Professor Roberts says. “But I think the thing that surprised me the most is the conclusion I reached - that the western Roman Empire never really fell.”Top of Form