Re-aired June 2019
They were an extraordinary people born of white rock and blue sea. They invented democracy, distilled logic and reason, wrote plays to plumb the deepest recesses of the soul, and captured the perfection of the human form in athletics and art. Quite simply, the Greeks created our world. Today, of course, Greece conjures very different images: civic unrest, financial meltdowns, long ATM lines.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Providing Support for PBS.org
Comparing democracy in the U.S. today to its original version in Athens.
In this iconic battle, a mere 10,000 Athenians withstand the invasion of Persian forces.
Episode 3 Preview | Chasing Greatness
See how the ancient Greeks reached the peak of civilization.
Revisit the sacred origins of ancient Greece’s famous athletic competitions: the Olympics.
The first use of Greek letters we have is not a decree or contract but an expression of lo
In 507 BC, the people of Athens discovered their voice and democracy was born.
Episode 2 Preview | The Good Strife
Witness the Greeks’ emergence from the dark ages to construct the world’s first democracy.
The Oldest Piece of Greek Writing Ever Discovered
Archaeologists inspect an artifact that changes our understanding of how states formed.
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