Cannabis, opium and ancient evidence: Invicta returns to daily life
The channel's new animated documentary explores intoxicants in antiquity, from Scythian vapor baths to Roman medicine.
Invicta
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Drugs in Ancient Rome - DOCUMENTARY
Things we can learn from the video
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- 4:02Herodotus describes Scythians using hemp in vapor baths, while other ancient accounts invite more tentative interpretations.
- 6:05Chemical residue in Pamir Mountain braziers provides archaeological evidence of cannabis burning around 500 BCE.
- 10:35The mushroom chapter distinguishes ancient imagery and ritual theories from explicit written evidence of consumption.
- 14:12Ancient authors describe opium extraction, followed by discussion of its medicinal uses and dangers.
- 21:13Xenophon's account describes soldiers becoming incapacitated after eating toxic honey in Anatolia.
- 23:03The documentary identifies wine, rather than the rarer substances discussed, as the dominant recreational intoxicant.
Were ancient Romans getting high, or are modern viewers reading too much into scattered clues? Invicta's only new upload of the week, "Drugs in Ancient Rome - DOCUMENTARY," makes that distinction part of the story rather than treating every mysterious ritual as proof.
The film has reached roughly 106,000 views and is currently Invicta's busiest video. Its illustrations take viewers through cannabis, mushrooms and opium, moving between ancient writers and archaeological evidence. A study of wooden braziers from the Pamir Mountains supplies evidence of cannabis burning; the mushroom chapter has a much less definite written trail. As the narrator puts it: "No one ever tells us: eat this mushroom and get high."
That caution gives this installment of "How They Did It" its character. There are accounts of intoxicating honey and discussions of medicinal preparations, but the documentary ultimately points back to a more familiar substance: wine, which it describes as the Roman Mediterranean's overwhelmingly common recreational intoxicant. Viewers, meanwhile, are discussing ancient medical texts and the everyday experiences that make distant history feel recognizable. One even initially read the title as a documentary about bugs.
Across the channel, the week brought nearly 470,000 views, with subscribers unchanged and the current daily viewing pace slightly below usual. WatchData and The People Profiles had larger viewing weeks among nearby education channels, while Philosophy Tube had a quieter one.
Invicta's older Roman subjects also remain active. "True Size of the Battle of Cannae (FULL DOCUMENTARY)," built with Unreal Engine 5 and commentary from historian Adrian Goldsworthy, is its next-busiest upload, followed by "The Mega Corporations Who Ruled Rome (DOCUMENTARY)." The new daily-life episode has joined, rather than displaced, that mix of battlefield scale and civilian history.
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What viewers say
I misread this as bugs in Ancient Rome lol
@bigredwolf6See it on YouTubeThis is why Invicta is one of the best history channels ever. The nitty gritty of history is so interesting, to see some of the same struggles that all humans go through no matter the time, location, or culture.
@maxs3810See it on YouTubeVery interesting video on a rarely discussed topic ❤
@Hungry-Hunting-FoxSee it on YouTube
3 more comments
This is an interesting one! Cheers!
@KrogrenSee it on YouTubeThanks for this trip. 😉
@AB-gk8csSee it on YouTubeVery interesting topic. Thx a lot for the Video
@SäbelzahnmöweSee it on YouTube
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The videos drawing views on Invicta right now
- Channel
- Invicta
- Subscribers
- 1,670,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 468,485
- Videos published this week
- 1
- Video published
- October 15, 2026
- Video views so far
- 106,454
- Views on its first day
- 45,749
The numbers
Here is Invicta's week in views and subscribers.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which drink does Invicta identify as the Roman Mediterranean's dominant recreational intoxicant?
The documentary emphasizes wine's widespread production and consumption across the Roman Mediterranean.