Rich and Sinful: The Lost Pleasure Palace of Pompeii
1 Season • 2026
In first-century AD, the Bay of Naples is the playground of the rich. One villa stands out in luxury and scale. At Villa Oplontis, new discoveries reveal the lives of the rich and enslaved and hint at ties to Poppaea Sabina, Nero's second wife.
S1.E1 - Part 1
In the Bay of Naples, Villa Oplontis, a 2,000-year-old villa, reveals a buried world of luxury. As excavations resume, clues point to Poppaea Sabina, Nero's second wife, while volcanic material provides insights into a dramatic eruption.
S1.E2 - Part 2
In the shadows of the Villa Oplontis, slave quarters, amphora, and Villa B recall the lives of the enslaved. The bodies of Vesuvius' victims are reminders of Rome's social hierarchy and the dramatic lives of Poppaea Sabina and Nero foreshadow eruption.