How to Survive the Roman Empire, by Pliny and Me: The Complete Series 1-3: The BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

Kieran Hodgson stars as Pliny the Younger in Hattie Naylor¿s engaging drama charting the fortunes of a household in Ancient Rome.

The Emperor Domitian has informers everywhere; no-one is safe. He rules Rome with a rod of iron, and he is dangerously unstable and paranoid. In the snake pit of Imperial Rome, all Pliny the Younger wants to do is get his letters ready for publication.

Except if he, his mother Marcella, their Greek cook Doris (who narrowly missed out on becoming the next Oracle at Delphi), and Venta, their slave with secretarial skills, have any chance of surveying, they are going to have to negotiate a political minefield, keep their eyes peeled for spies and, most of all, not do anything to annoy the Emperor.

Easier said than done.