History Documentary hosted by Simon Chilvers, published by SBS in 2014 - English narration
Greeks, Romans, Vikings: The Founders of Europe What were the Vikings really like? What did the Romans accomplish? And do the singular achievements of the ancient Greeks live on in our society today? This series questions the myths and unravels age-old clichés about these ancient cultures. It examines their strange and sometimes amusing idiosyncrasies, gives fresh insights into who they really were, and provides a novel take on their societies, peppered with surprising new revelations. Democracy, science, theatre, plumbing, modern roads, laws, the Olympics, conquering the seas, and the onset of globalization are all at the heart of modern society, but in fact were inherited from the ancient worlds of the Greeks, the Romans and the Vikings. This is a new look at the ancient civilizations that will change our perception of them.
The Romans
The Romans created one of the greatest empires in history, built with the help of an incredible army of professional legionnaires and a well-oiled political machinery. At its height, a few hundred men ruled over a fifth of mankind and an area stretching from Britain to Syria and from Gibraltar to the Euphrates. They undertook some of the most ambitious building-projects of their time: endless roads, gigantic bridges and imposing aqueducts formed a complex infrastructure and left a lasting legacy. This film is a revelatory and unique journey into the world of ancient Rome