The Greeks

From Aristotle to Hawking

Historian Bettany Hughes has embarked on an epic, personal journey. Inspired by Homer's The Odyssey, she will sail the unpredictable Mediterranean seas, tracing Odysseus's long journey home. Her mission: to experience what the Greek hero experienced and to uncover truths behind the myths and legends, all while enjoying the delights of ancient Greece today. Follow her 1,700-mile adventure as it takes her to over a dozen islands and 22 historic sites and puts her through two hair-raising storms and even an earthquake.

The Time Compass

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Tutored by Aristotle, helpless witness to his father's assassination, and a brilliant, pioneering tactician, Alexander the Great had conquered the known world--and sealed his legacy as one of history's most remarkable rulers--by the age of 25. In the year 334 B.C., 20-year-old King Alexander of Macedonia decided to bring the farthest reaches of the world under one domain. Over the next 12 years, he led a grand army across more than 20,000 miles and eventually brought all of Asia under his control, only to perish from battle wounds at the age of 32. Incorporating dramatic onsite reenactments with high-end computer graphics and the expertise of renowned scholars, THE TRUE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT is a special presentation from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®, examining the life and career of this military genius, impassioned lover, and fearless leader.

In the Eye of the Storm is a six-part documentary series about one of the foremost intellectuals and political figures of our age, Yanis Varoufakis. In the Eye of the Storm begins with a first-hand account of Varoufakis’ dramatic battle with the European establishment, but goes much further to weave a gripping political narrative about the fate of our civilization: where we are, how we got here, and where he believes we must go. We see up close, through Varoufakis’ unique story, how power works at the highest levels, entering a world so often shrouded in secrecy.

200 years after the Greek Revolution, this documentary revisits the key moments that led a nation to be reborn and reclaim its Hellenic identity, from the ideological factors that ignited a revolution to the battles that forever scarred it

Archaeologist and historian Richard Miles traces the development of Western civilization, from the first cities in Mesopotamia to the fall of the Roman Empire. In this six-part series, Miles travels through the Middle East, Egypt, Pakistan and the Mediterranean to discover how the challenges of society -- religion and politics, art and culture, war and diplomacy, technology and trade -- were dealt with and fought over in order to maintain a functioning civilization. Stories are told of disappeared, ruined and modern cities, from ancient Iraq to modern Damascus, to reveal how successes and failures of the ancients shaped the world today.

Discover the lives of nine memorable couples, whose relationships were directly, indirectly or unexpectedly involved in Greek history. Along with their romances, the era that 'fueled' them revives, too.

How was everyday life in Ancient Greece? Did it have anything in common with our lives today? With the help of specialized scientists and a rich audiovisual material, a journey back in time begins!

Join Dave Stotts on an adventure through world history as he tells the stories of the people, places, and events that shaped the ancient world, and how those ancient civilizations and the Christian faith shaped Western Civilization and the world we live in today.

It all starts on 1830, when young George Stephenson manufactures the first steam engine and the first railway networks are built soon after. Railway becomes a crucial factor in the development of trade and military strength for a country, with its ability to quickly transport soldiers and munitions. Railways expand rapidly in Europe and arrive soon in Greece.

In the fourth and fifth centuries, B.C., the Greeks built an empire that stretched across the Mediterranean from Asia to Spain. They laid the foundation of modern science, politics, warfare and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever seen. It was perhaps the most spectacular flourishing of imagination and achievement in recorded history.

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Working for their master’s dissertation, two history students investigate life in Ottoman Greece. A docudrama series that presents the course of Hellenism over the four centuries of Ottoman rule.

Explores every aspect of Sparta's culture, lifestyle, history and legacy. Author Steven Pressfield reflects on the significance of the Battle of Thermopylae, where a force led by 300 Spartan warriors stalled the advance of a hundred-thousand-plus strong Persian army for nearly a week. Scholars explore the factors that drove the Peloponnesian city-state to strive for martial excellence. Ancient accounts explain how Sparta's warriors were trained and detail their prowess in battle.

Alastair Sooke explores the riches and unique legacy of Greek art.

At a young age, Jason witnesses the brutal deposement and murder of his father at the hands of his uncle Pelias. Twenty years later, Jason returns home to claim his rightful place as king, but Pelias orders him to be executed, and in order to save himself Jason is forced to go on a dangerous quest to find the legendary Golden Fleece. So Jason gathers a motley crew of men and sets sail on the Argos.

Paris of Troy goes to Sparta on a diplomatic mission and falls in love with Helen, the wife of King Menelaus. When lovers flee to Troy, the bloody seeds of a long war, sown by King Agamemnon of Mycenae, finally sprout, so an old prophecy is fulfilled.

In a brewing war between the gods of Olympus and the titans, Heron, a commoner living on the outskirts of ancient Greece, becomes mankind's best hope of surviving an evil demon army, when he discovers the secrets of his past.