0:00:00.478,0:00:02.945 (dramatic music) 0:00:02.945,0:00:04.942 - [Voiceover] Ancient Greece. 0:00:04.942,0:00:07.983 The birthplace of Western civilization. 0:00:07.983,0:00:12.546 For over 1,000 years this[br]strong and charismatic people 0:00:12.546,0:00:15.281 devised the most advanced[br]technological feats 0:00:15.281,0:00:17.695 the world had ever seen. 0:00:17.695,0:00:20.642 - So you have the appearance[br]of a new generation 0:00:20.642,0:00:24.322 of thinkers, and you have[br]a reason to build things, 0:00:24.322,0:00:27.062 to understand nature,[br]to create technology. 0:00:27.062,0:00:29.559 - [Voiceover] Feats of[br]engineering so amazing 0:00:29.559,0:00:33.621 the ancients believed they[br]had been built by the gods. 0:00:33.621,0:00:36.096 - One thing that we should really wonder 0:00:36.096,0:00:38.532 is how on Earth these people managed 0:00:38.532,0:00:43.532 to lift these truly huge, gigantic stones. 0:00:43.733,0:00:45.439 - [Voiceover] These technological wonders 0:00:45.439,0:00:47.239 were fueled by leaders, 0:00:47.239,0:00:50.176 whose thirst for greatness united a people 0:00:50.176,0:00:53.799 and launched them to[br]the heights of empire. 0:00:53.799,0:00:57.344 (dramatic music) 0:00:57.344,0:01:00.758 But this brilliant burst[br]of culture and creativity 0:01:00.758,0:01:03.277 would fall victim to savage battles 0:01:03.277,0:01:06.353 that pitted brother against brother. 0:01:06.353,0:01:09.661 A duel to the death that[br]would lead to the end 0:01:09.661,0:01:11.607 of a golden age. 0:01:15.617,0:01:20.569 (dramatic music) 0:01:26.274,0:01:29.072 September, 480 BC, 0:01:29.072,0:01:31.975 morning breaks over the island of Salamis 0:01:31.975,0:01:33.901 and the thin, mile wide strait 0:01:33.901,0:01:36.868 that separates it from mainland Greece. 0:01:38.278,0:01:41.458 The calm sea provides no[br]hint of the great battle 0:01:41.458,0:01:44.001 that is about to begin here. 0:01:44.001,0:01:46.172 By day's end, the Mediterranean 0:01:46.172,0:01:49.023 will be flowing red with blood. 0:01:50.816,0:01:52.940 At stake is nothing less than the future 0:01:52.940,0:01:55.076 and independence of Greece, 0:01:55.076,0:01:57.270 a country of islands and city-states 0:01:57.270,0:01:59.453 which lie just outside the reach 0:01:59.453,0:02:02.378 of the greatest empire in the known world, 0:02:02.378,0:02:03.847 Persia. 0:02:07.255,0:02:10.271 - [Barry] Persia was the[br]world's superpower of it's day. 0:02:10.271,0:02:14.069 Enormously wealthy,[br]enormously self-confident. 0:02:14.069,0:02:16.878 The greatest multi-ethnic,[br]multi-cultural empire 0:02:16.878,0:02:19.269 the world had seen. 0:02:19.269,0:02:20.674 - [Voiceover] A Persian invasion force 0:02:20.674,0:02:24.302 of epic proportions is on the horizon. 0:02:27.988,0:02:32.771 As many as 700 ships,[br]carrying 150,000 warriors 0:02:32.771,0:02:36.892 determined to add Greece to their empire, 0:02:36.892,0:02:40.885 but one Greek is poised[br]and ready for battle, 0:02:40.885,0:02:43.567 his name is Themistocles. 0:02:43.567,0:02:45.436 An Athenian admiral and statesman 0:02:45.436,0:02:48.995 who has been preparing[br]for this moment for years. 0:02:51.195,0:02:52.751 - When going up against Persia, 0:02:52.751,0:02:54.468 the world's greatest[br]superpower of the time 0:02:54.468,0:02:57.184 would be no day at the[br]beach for Themistocles. 0:02:57.184,0:02:58.926 Hello, I'm Peter Weller. 0:02:58.926,0:03:00.249 First of all, the Greek naval fleet 0:03:00.249,0:03:02.152 was outnumbered two to one. 0:03:02.152,0:03:04.904 Second of all, Themistocles[br]faced the almost insurmountable 0:03:04.904,0:03:07.471 problem of trying to unite a completely 0:03:07.471,0:03:09.351 disparate and contentious[br]group of warriors 0:03:09.351,0:03:10.871 into one command. 0:03:10.871,0:03:12.833 You see, the good news[br]about the civic development 0:03:12.833,0:03:15.550 of Ancient Greece was the city-state. 0:03:15.550,0:03:17.790 Each of these city-states[br]was sort of a self-contained, 0:03:17.790,0:03:21.204 self-reliant mini country within Greece. 0:03:21.204,0:03:23.583 The bad news about the civic[br]development of Ancient Greece 0:03:23.583,0:03:25.510 was the city-state. 0:03:25.510,0:03:28.609 Because in as much as[br]each of these city-states 0:03:28.609,0:03:31.408 sort of spoke the same lingo,[br]worshiped the same gods, 0:03:31.408,0:03:33.729 there was really no sense[br]of a national unity, 0:03:33.729,0:03:35.842 and their only priority[br]was their own particular 0:03:35.842,0:03:38.002 regional and cultural agenda. 0:03:38.002,0:03:39.627 At best they didn't get along, 0:03:39.627,0:03:42.919 at worst they were violently[br]at each other's throats. 0:03:44.143,0:03:45.709 - [Voiceover] If there[br]was someone who could pull 0:03:45.709,0:03:48.868 the Athenians together,[br]it was Themistocles. 0:03:48.868,0:03:51.910 A man who didn't come from[br]the aristocratic ranks, 0:03:51.910,0:03:55.624 and wasn't ashamed to let[br]his fellow Athenians know it. 0:03:55.624,0:03:57.122 - [Barry] He was always an outsider, 0:03:57.122,0:03:59.385 and he saw himself as an outsider, 0:03:59.385,0:04:04.385 and he prided himself[br]on his lack of polish. 0:04:04.424,0:04:07.628 He said that he might not[br]know how to tune a lyre, 0:04:07.628,0:04:10.647 or to sing well, but he[br]knew all you needed to know 0:04:10.647,0:04:13.862 to make a city great and free. 0:04:13.862,0:04:15.580 - [Voiceover] Themistocles was no stranger 0:04:15.580,0:04:18.099 to facing the Persians in battle. 0:04:18.099,0:04:20.803 Ten years earlier, a smaller Persian force 0:04:20.803,0:04:23.137 had invaded Greece for the first time, 0:04:23.137,0:04:25.285 and fought the Athenians and her allies 0:04:25.285,0:04:27.340 at Marathon. 0:04:27.340,0:04:30.718 Now Themistocles would bring[br]that experience to Salamis, 0:04:30.718,0:04:33.481 and focus his strategy on[br]a fatal flaw he detected 0:04:33.481,0:04:37.637 in the Persian war machine, their navy. 0:04:37.637,0:04:40.400 - He understood that water[br]was not the Persian's 0:04:40.400,0:04:41.816 natural element. 0:04:41.816,0:04:43.616 Persia was a land power, 0:04:43.616,0:04:46.321 in fact, Persian religion[br]considered salt water 0:04:46.321,0:04:48.700 to be demonic. 0:04:48.700,0:04:50.279 - [Voiceover] Themistocles[br]wanted the Greeks 0:04:50.279,0:04:53.820 to build a navy unlike any[br]the world had ever seen. 0:04:53.820,0:04:56.920 Immediately, work began[br]at break-neck speed 0:04:56.920,0:04:59.682 to build a fleet of 200 triremes, 0:04:59.682,0:05:02.545 the deadliest ship in the ancient world. 0:05:03.443,0:05:06.718 - [Barry] Trireme's about 130 feet long, 0:05:06.718,0:05:08.239 it's light and sleek, 0:05:08.239,0:05:10.560 and it's tipped with a wooden ram 0:05:10.560,0:05:13.033 covered in bronze at the water level 0:05:13.033,0:05:16.312 and that is the offensive[br]weapon of the trireme. 0:05:18.094,0:05:19.638 Might think of the trireme, actually, 0:05:19.638,0:05:21.293 as a guided missile. 0:05:22.413,0:05:25.721 - [Voiceover] The trireme[br]consisted of 170 rowers 0:05:25.721,0:05:27.498 on three separate levels, 0:05:27.498,0:05:30.598 62 on the top level, 54 in the middle, 0:05:30.598,0:05:33.337 and 54 on the bottom. 0:05:33.337,0:05:37.238 On the lowest level, rowers[br]were seated so deep in the ship 0:05:37.238,0:05:39.792 that their oar ports were just 18 inches 0:05:39.792,0:05:42.519 above the water line. 0:05:42.519,0:05:45.956 - So you have a ship, a wooden ship, 0:05:45.956,0:05:48.718 that is powered from the oars. 0:05:48.718,0:05:50.054 It can go up to eight knots, 0:05:50.054,0:05:54.059 but nine knots was an amazing[br]speed for the ancient world. 0:05:54.059,0:05:56.526 And it can attack like a missile. 0:05:59.515,0:06:01.872 - And the rowers, of[br]course have to learn how to 0:06:01.872,0:06:05.436 work as a team, they have to[br]learn to row together in unison 0:06:05.436,0:06:07.769 which is an easy thing to begin to do 0:06:07.769,0:06:10.578 but a very difficult thing to master. 0:06:10.578,0:06:12.737 - [Voiceover] Themistocles'[br]fleet of triremes 0:06:12.737,0:06:14.874 was finished in just a few years 0:06:14.874,0:06:17.068 and in the nick of time. 0:06:17.068,0:06:19.970 In the spring of 480 BC, Persia launched 0:06:19.970,0:06:22.989 a massive invasion of Greece. 0:06:22.989,0:06:24.836 Themistocles knew that the Persian fleet 0:06:24.836,0:06:26.657 outnumbered the combined Greek fleet 0:06:26.657,0:06:28.551 by almost two to one. 0:06:28.551,0:06:31.196 So he devised a simple yet cunning plan 0:06:31.196,0:06:34.574 to keep the Greeks together[br]and level the odds. 0:06:34.574,0:06:36.828 - [George] He had to turn a[br]disadvantage into an advantage, 0:06:36.828,0:06:39.671 the fact that he had fewer[br]ships than the Persians. 0:06:39.671,0:06:42.190 So he had to lure the[br]Persians, if you like, 0:06:42.190,0:06:45.185 into such a battleground[br]that they could not 0:06:45.185,0:06:47.588 advance the whole ranks. 0:06:47.588,0:06:50.328 So he can actually concentrate their power 0:06:50.328,0:06:51.850 and strike it. 0:06:51.850,0:06:53.626 So the best place that he could do that 0:06:53.626,0:06:56.294 was the strait of Salamis. 0:06:56.294,0:06:58.164 - [Voiceover] Themistocles[br]would devise a ruse 0:06:58.164,0:07:00.265 to lure the Persian fleet into the narrows 0:07:00.265,0:07:02.633 Straits of Salamis. 0:07:02.633,0:07:04.828 - Themistocles was a very cunning man, 0:07:04.828,0:07:06.232 a great trickster. 0:07:08.462,0:07:10.737 Themistocles knew that the Persians 0:07:10.737,0:07:14.184 preferred to win battles[br]through diplomacy, 0:07:14.184,0:07:18.062 through intimidation, and[br]through buying traitors. 0:07:18.062,0:07:19.582 - [Voiceover] On the eve of the battle 0:07:19.582,0:07:21.464 Themistocles sent a trusted servant 0:07:21.464,0:07:25.503 across the straits to the Persian camp. 0:07:25.503,0:07:27.721 The servant played the role of a traitor, 0:07:27.721,0:07:30.774 telling the Persian king[br]the Greeks were in disarray, 0:07:30.774,0:07:33.374 and if the Persians sent[br]their ships in the night 0:07:33.374,0:07:37.253 they could surprise the[br]Greek navy in the morning. 0:07:37.253,0:07:39.626 The Persians took the bait. 0:07:44.356,0:07:47.699 - So at dawn, the Persians[br]discovered to their shock, 0:07:47.699,0:07:50.695 that the Greek fleet, instead[br]of being about to flee, 0:07:50.695,0:07:52.900 was getting into battle formation 0:07:52.900,0:07:56.232 and that they, the Persians,[br]would have to fight. 0:07:56.232,0:08:00.876 So it was a perfect setup[br]of a battle by Themistocles. 0:08:00.876,0:08:02.837 - [Voiceover] Now 200 triremes, 0:08:02.837,0:08:05.589 powered by 34,000 Greek rowers, 0:08:05.589,0:08:07.458 formed into a line. 0:08:07.458,0:08:09.455 There was no room for[br]the Persians to maneuver 0:08:09.455,0:08:11.835 in the narrow straits. 0:08:11.835,0:08:14.986 Themistocles had sprung the perfect trap. 0:08:16.398,0:08:18.731 The attacks raged all day long 0:08:18.731,0:08:21.692 as the Greek triremes[br]encircled the Persian ships, 0:08:21.692,0:08:25.196 then pounded them with their forward rams. 0:08:25.196,0:08:29.434 - The Persian officers died[br]in unusually high proportions. 0:08:29.434,0:08:31.210 - [Voiceover] The battle was so confused, 0:08:31.210,0:08:33.068 chaotic, and unnerving, 0:08:33.068,0:08:35.250 that at the end of the day[br]the Greeks weren't even sure 0:08:35.250,0:08:37.212 that they had won. 0:08:37.212,0:08:39.453 But thousands of lifeless enemy bodies 0:08:39.453,0:08:41.193 on the shores of Salamis 0:08:41.193,0:08:44.352 revealed a decisive Greek victory. 0:08:44.352,0:08:46.835 Some historical sources[br]claim the Persians lost 0:08:46.835,0:08:50.586 as many as 200 ships to the Greeks 40. 0:08:50.586,0:08:52.629 Any Persians that didn't drown 0:08:52.629,0:08:56.471 were slaughtered by Greek[br]soldiers waiting onshore. 0:08:56.471,0:09:00.047 - [George] Had the Greeks[br]not won the battle of Salamis 0:09:00.047,0:09:02.206 the Greek civilization, or Ancient Greece, 0:09:02.206,0:09:05.416 it's values that we all[br]share in today's world, 0:09:05.416,0:09:06.902 may never been there. 0:09:06.902,0:09:09.096 - [Voiceover] After the[br]stunning victory at Salamis, 0:09:09.096,0:09:11.719 Themistocles was hailed as a hero, 0:09:11.719,0:09:14.159 but his personal ambitions and greed 0:09:14.159,0:09:17.392 began to add to his[br]many political enemies. 0:09:19.021,0:09:21.019 It was only a matter of time 0:09:21.019,0:09:24.676 before the rage of the[br]assembly boiled over. 0:09:24.676,0:09:28.298 - Athens at this time had a[br]practice called ostracism, 0:09:28.298,0:09:31.130 an annual un-popularity contest, 0:09:31.130,0:09:33.638 in which the people would[br]vote for the politician 0:09:33.638,0:09:36.331 who they felt was most[br]disruptive, most dangerous 0:09:36.331,0:09:38.037 to the political process, 0:09:38.037,0:09:41.799 and they would exile him for ten years. 0:09:41.799,0:09:46.291 - [Voiceover] In 471 BC,[br]Themistocles was ostracized, 0:09:46.291,0:09:49.780 in a stunning irony he was[br]forced to embrace the enemy 0:09:49.780,0:09:52.579 he had fought so hard to defeat. 0:09:52.579,0:09:55.197 He would never see Athens again. 0:09:56.339,0:10:00.379 - Amazingly he was forced[br]to flee to Persia itself. 0:10:00.379,0:10:02.608 Where he found refuge[br]and he ended his life 0:10:02.608,0:10:05.405 speaking Persian, working[br]as an adminstrator 0:10:05.405,0:10:06.938 for the Persian king, 0:10:06.938,0:10:10.479 helping the Persians[br]govern western Asia Minor. 0:10:10.479,0:10:12.476 - [Voiceover] Themistocles[br]had played his part 0:10:12.476,0:10:15.819 in an epic story of Greek[br]power and achievement 0:10:15.819,0:10:19.697 that looked to a glorious[br]past for inspiration. 0:10:19.697,0:10:22.518 The legendary tales of the gods and heroes 0:10:22.518,0:10:25.994 told in epics like The[br]Iliad and The Odyssey. 0:10:27.184,0:10:29.181 The stories may be myth, 0:10:29.181,0:10:31.062 but the engineering achievements of these 0:10:31.062,0:10:34.184 Greek ancestors were very real, 0:10:34.184,0:10:36.768 and still stand today. 0:10:38.759,0:10:40.454 In the Greek city-state of Sparta, 0:10:40.454,0:10:43.652 boys began their military[br]training at age seven. 0:10:50.768,0:10:54.308 By 1300 BC, a people[br]speaking an early form 0:10:54.308,0:10:55.946 of the Greek language 0:10:55.946,0:10:59.638 had inhabited large[br]portions of mainland Greece. 0:11:02.174,0:11:04.392 They were known as the Mycenaeans, 0:11:04.392,0:11:06.911 and for years their wars and scandals, 0:11:06.911,0:11:08.688 exploits and achievements, 0:11:08.688,0:11:10.695 became the stuff of legend 0:11:10.695,0:11:13.998 and laid the foundation[br]of Greek civilization. 0:11:17.835,0:11:19.949 Their capital city of Mycenae 0:11:19.949,0:11:22.387 was surrounded by a massive citadel 0:11:22.387,0:11:25.515 built over the course of 150 years. 0:11:29.409,0:11:31.847 According to myth, it was from this city 0:11:31.847,0:11:35.968 that the Mycenaeans were led[br]by a king named Agamemnon. 0:11:35.968,0:11:37.826 Whose epic struggles were written down 0:11:37.826,0:11:40.832 by the 8th century BC poet, Homer, 0:11:40.832,0:11:43.571 in two of history's most famous tales, 0:11:43.571,0:11:46.259 The Iliad and The Odyssey. 0:11:49.689,0:11:52.731 - So, The Iliad was[br]something like the Bible 0:11:52.731,0:11:54.460 for Ancient Greeks. 0:11:54.460,0:11:57.526 It contains a moral story. 0:11:57.526,0:12:00.486 It told you how you should live. 0:12:00.486,0:12:03.307 It described gods, it described religion, 0:12:03.307,0:12:05.246 but also described people. 0:12:05.246,0:12:07.428 It described situations. 0:12:07.428,0:12:11.057 It gave ideals that you should look upon. 0:12:12.084,0:12:14.406 - [Voiceover] The tales of[br]The Iliad and The Odyssey 0:12:14.406,0:12:17.482 had become some of the[br]most famous in history. 0:12:17.482,0:12:19.560 The abduction of Helen by Paris, 0:12:19.560,0:12:22.300 Agamemnon's ten year siege of Troy, 0:12:22.300,0:12:24.180 and the giant wooden horse 0:12:24.180,0:12:28.250 which the Greeks used to enter[br]Troy and destroy the city. 0:12:31.505,0:12:34.965 Although Agamemnon's exploits[br]during the Trojan War 0:12:34.965,0:12:36.787 may have been heroic, 0:12:36.787,0:12:41.187 his return home to Mycenae[br]was far from a hero's welcome. 0:12:41.187,0:12:43.794 He was murdered by his own wife. 0:12:52.065,0:12:53.622 - Scholars have debated for centuries 0:12:53.622,0:12:55.246 whether or not Homer actually penned 0:12:55.246,0:12:56.546 The Iliad and The Odyssey, 0:12:56.546,0:12:58.740 or whether he just collected[br]the folktales of song, 0:12:58.740,0:13:01.016 or whether he had[br]anything with them at all. 0:13:01.016,0:13:02.745 But if the Ancient Greeks came back today 0:13:02.745,0:13:04.998 they'd scoff at this pithy harangue, 0:13:04.998,0:13:06.437 because of the Ancient Greeks, 0:13:06.437,0:13:09.560 Homer wasn't just some[br]top 40s folk singer, 0:13:09.560,0:13:11.475 nor was he the best-selling hack writer 0:13:11.475,0:13:13.101 of some piece of pulp fiction. 0:13:13.101,0:13:14.958 Home was an historian, 0:13:14.958,0:13:17.199 and these legends weren't[br]the bedtime stories 0:13:17.199,0:13:18.754 to be whispered to the kiddies 0:13:18.754,0:13:20.983 before the oil lamps were blown out. 0:13:20.983,0:13:23.038 These were accountable facts. 0:13:23.038,0:13:28.038 (dramatic music) 0:13:29.202,0:13:31.663 This is what is left of Mycenae, 0:13:31.663,0:13:33.556 the capital city of which Homer writes 0:13:33.556,0:13:35.692 and where many, including[br]me, would like to believe 0:13:35.692,0:13:39.220 that Agamemnon really ruled. 0:13:39.220,0:13:41.020 These ruins show us that not only 0:13:41.020,0:13:43.296 were these early Greeks master builders, 0:13:43.296,0:13:48.101 but they were capable of some[br]amazing engineering feats. 0:13:48.101,0:13:50.435 - As you approach Mycenae, first thing, 0:13:50.435,0:13:53.976 of course that you will see[br]is the fortification walls. 0:13:53.976,0:13:56.031 Which are very impressive, 0:13:56.031,0:14:00.640 and immediately you have[br]this feeling of awesome. 0:14:00.640,0:14:02.752 - [Voiceover] The citadel walls of Mycenae 0:14:02.752,0:14:04.610 are buttressed by stone blocks 0:14:04.610,0:14:07.976 which weigh up to ten tons a piece. 0:14:07.976,0:14:10.472 They were engineered with such precision 0:14:10.472,0:14:12.991 that each stone fit perfectly in place 0:14:12.991,0:14:15.145 to its adjacent block. 0:14:18.819,0:14:21.408 But for awe inspiring visuals, 0:14:21.408,0:14:23.776 nothing in Mycenae comes closer 0:14:23.776,0:14:26.817 than the colossal main[br]entrance to the citadel, 0:14:26.817,0:14:29.232 the Lion's Gate. 0:14:29.232,0:14:30.857 - This is the Lion's Gate. 0:14:30.857,0:14:34.676 The main gate to the citadel of Mycenae. 0:14:34.676,0:14:36.116 It is one of the most stunning structures 0:14:36.116,0:14:37.974 of all of early antiquity. 0:14:37.974,0:14:40.133 It is an imposing piece of symbolism, 0:14:40.133,0:14:42.909 it is an imposing piece of engineering. 0:14:42.909,0:14:45.067 Two lions standing fully upright, 0:14:45.067,0:14:47.226 their paws on the base of a column. 0:14:47.226,0:14:48.654 Their heads, which are missing, 0:14:48.654,0:14:50.268 would be turning outward. 0:14:50.268,0:14:51.789 Anybody approaching this gate would know 0:14:51.789,0:14:54.227 that Mycenae stood for one thing, 0:14:54.227,0:14:55.683 power. 0:14:58.069,0:15:00.089 Structurally the gate[br]looks to be a standard 0:15:00.089,0:15:02.945 engineering practice of post[br]and lintel construction. 0:15:02.945,0:15:05.394 These vertical elements[br]here are these massive piers 0:15:05.394,0:15:07.647 are the posts supporting the lintel, 0:15:07.647,0:15:08.645 the horizontal element, 0:15:08.645,0:15:10.375 which weighs about 12 tons. 0:15:10.375,0:15:12.754 But it is above the gate[br]where the lions live 0:15:12.754,0:15:14.809 that the engineers took[br]it one step further. 0:15:14.809,0:15:17.828 If you look at this[br]triangle of indented stones 0:15:17.828,0:15:19.291 right by the lions, 0:15:19.291,0:15:21.635 it develops an element that we call 0:15:21.635,0:15:24.074 the corebelled arch. 0:15:24.074,0:15:26.918 - Suppose you have these four stones, 0:15:26.918,0:15:29.217 and instead of piling them up, 0:15:29.217,0:15:32.536 you try to create an[br]opening from the outside 0:15:32.536,0:15:36.657 and you steal a little bit of space 0:15:36.657,0:15:38.190 by putting them this way. 0:15:38.190,0:15:39.734 This is corbeling. 0:15:39.734,0:15:41.266 If we are little bit more ambitious 0:15:41.266,0:15:44.447 because this is not sufficiently large, 0:15:44.447,0:15:48.952 and we try to displace[br]further these stones, 0:15:48.952,0:15:50.252 still in corbeling, 0:15:50.252,0:15:55.252 then we are running this risk[br]that this is falling down. 0:15:55.511,0:15:58.448 So what is the little trick? 0:15:58.448,0:15:59.829 It's simple. 0:15:59.829,0:16:03.923 You start putting counter weights 0:16:05.134,0:16:10.040 behind each of these corbelstones. 0:16:11.984,0:16:13.551 - [Clairy] Now this triangle, 0:16:13.551,0:16:16.244 first of all we should[br]say that this is a true 0:16:16.244,0:16:17.986 Mycenaean innovation, 0:16:17.986,0:16:21.131 this is something that we[br]see for the first time, 0:16:21.131,0:16:23.883 it was probably worldwide. 0:16:23.883,0:16:26.007 So in that sense we are[br]looking at something 0:16:26.007,0:16:28.932 that's very innovative, very new. 0:16:28.932,0:16:30.372 - [Voiceover] The Mycenaean engineers 0:16:30.372,0:16:33.750 took the corbelled arch one step further. 0:16:33.750,0:16:35.364 They applied the idea to create 0:16:35.364,0:16:37.802 a revolutionary interior space, 0:16:37.802,0:16:40.786 called a corbelled dome. 0:16:40.786,0:16:44.466 The dome was used in only[br]one kind of construction, 0:16:44.466,0:16:46.126 a tomb. 0:16:46.126,0:16:47.368 Like the Egyptians, 0:16:47.368,0:16:49.864 the Mycenaeans built incredible structures 0:16:49.864,0:16:53.184 to house their leaders in the afterlife. 0:16:53.184,0:16:55.564 These tombs are called tholos. 0:16:55.564,0:16:57.340 Their construction departed from anything 0:16:57.340,0:17:00.841 the Mycenaean engineers[br]had ever done before. 0:17:01.948,0:17:04.549 - The circular form,[br]it's completely absent 0:17:04.549,0:17:07.684 in the architectural[br]minds of the Mycenaeans. 0:17:07.684,0:17:12.465 The Mycenaeans work with[br]straight lines and right angles. 0:17:12.465,0:17:17.387 So the circle is just for[br]this kind of structure. 0:17:17.387,0:17:20.059 So that makes the[br]impression and the symbolism 0:17:20.059,0:17:24.621 of the circle as related[br]to death, even stronger. 0:17:24.621,0:17:28.057 - [Voiceover] Building a tholos[br]was a giant engineering feat 0:17:28.057,0:17:29.845 The first step would[br]have been to hollow out 0:17:29.845,0:17:32.260 the side of a hill. 0:17:32.260,0:17:34.304 - So they dug this trench, 0:17:34.304,0:17:36.718 and this trench would form the dromos, 0:17:36.718,0:17:39.167 which means in Greek, road or way, 0:17:39.167,0:17:42.104 in this case it's a walkway to the tomb, 0:17:42.104,0:17:44.496 and it's flanked on each[br]side by these beautiful 0:17:44.496,0:17:49.418 almond stones set in[br]linked wise and edgewise. 0:17:49.418,0:17:52.146 Now 3,200 years ago in 1200 BC, 0:17:52.146,0:17:54.619 a visitor approaching[br]would walk down this dromos 0:17:54.619,0:17:55.862 and then he would be confronted by 0:17:55.862,0:17:58.578 an unbelievably magnificent[br]and stunning site, 0:17:58.578,0:18:00.731 this massive doorway. 0:18:02.200,0:18:05.299 The doorway would be flanked[br]by two fantastic columns, 0:18:05.299,0:18:07.284 carved out of solid green marble, 0:18:07.284,0:18:10.808 with zigzag and spiral[br]designs going all the way up. 0:18:13.681,0:18:16.479 Each one of these massive stones[br]is two and a half feet tall 0:18:16.479,0:18:18.603 and there are 33 rings of these stones 0:18:18.603,0:18:20.263 laid out in a conical shape. 0:18:20.263,0:18:23.096 Now each layer of stone[br]is laid over the lower one 0:18:23.096,0:18:24.976 in a sort of protruding fashion, 0:18:24.976,0:18:27.263 that's what we mean by[br]the corbelled style. 0:18:27.263,0:18:31.257 Then they're shaved down[br]to make it all very smooth. 0:18:31.257,0:18:34.356 - [Clairy] In order for[br]this structure to be stable, 0:18:34.356,0:18:37.259 you need a constant pressure 0:18:37.259,0:18:39.800 from outwards, inwards. 0:18:39.800,0:18:42.715 Very much like a barrel, 0:18:42.715,0:18:46.093 where you need this[br]band, this metallic band 0:18:46.093,0:18:49.018 around to keep the rings together. 0:18:49.018,0:18:52.432 This pressure comes from[br]the addition of earth. 0:18:52.432,0:18:55.671 As they build, they add earth from around 0:18:55.671,0:18:58.479 and quite a lot of earth,[br]and there comes a point 0:18:58.479,0:19:01.231 when they have finished the[br]beehive structure inside 0:19:01.231,0:19:04.029 at the same time they have built a whole 0:19:04.029,0:19:06.567 earthen mound on top. 0:19:09.752,0:19:12.039 - [Voiceover] Around 1,100 BC, 0:19:12.039,0:19:15.650 this early Greek civilization[br]suddenly and mysteriously 0:19:15.650,0:19:18.442 disintegrated and disappeared. 0:19:20.757,0:19:22.336 - [George] There's a lot[br]of theories about that. 0:19:22.336,0:19:24.449 I think the most dominant[br]one is new tribes, 0:19:24.449,0:19:27.537 new barbarian tribes came from the steps, 0:19:27.537,0:19:29.952 and they attacked the[br]civilizations of Egypt, 0:19:29.952,0:19:32.088 they attacked the[br]civilization of Mesopotamia, 0:19:32.088,0:19:34.433 causing disruption in the trade routes. 0:19:34.433,0:19:36.627 But that became their fall. 0:19:36.627,0:19:38.414 - [Voiceover] With the fall of Mycenaea, 0:19:38.414,0:19:41.015 Greece entered a dark age. 0:19:41.015,0:19:45.067 Over four centuries, it's[br]culture fell into a deep slumber. 0:19:45.067,0:19:47.574 Then, in the 8th century BC, 0:19:47.574,0:19:51.672 individual city-states began[br]to develop and flourish. 0:19:51.672,0:19:54.251 Each one forging its own identity, 0:19:54.251,0:19:56.733 competing for economic, military, 0:19:56.733,0:19:59.392 and engineering prominence. 0:19:59.392,0:20:02.515 One Greek island in particular, Samos, 0:20:02.515,0:20:04.407 would see the construction[br]of one of the most 0:20:04.407,0:20:08.992 amazing engineering feats[br]seen in the ancient world. 0:20:08.992,0:20:12.679 Moving mountains to bring[br]water to the people. 0:20:15.726,0:20:17.363 - [Voiceover] The Ancient[br]Greeks believed that Homer, 0:20:17.363,0:20:19.812 the 8th century poet who[br]wrote The Iliad and Odyssey, 0:20:19.812,0:20:21.514 was actually blind. 0:20:22.785,0:20:27.289 (dramatic music) 0:20:27.289,0:20:31.131 - [Voiceover] Sparta,[br]Athens, Corinth, Thebes, 0:20:31.131,0:20:33.801 these are just a few of the more than 100 0:20:33.801,0:20:36.704 city-states that emerged all around Greece 0:20:36.704,0:20:38.851 400 years after the disappearance 0:20:38.851,0:20:41.655 of the Mycenaean civilization. 0:20:42.624,0:20:45.643 Before the advent of democracy in Greece, 0:20:45.643,0:20:49.090 many of these city-states[br]were led by a single ruler, 0:20:49.090,0:20:51.836 called a tyrant in Ancient Greek. 0:20:53.560,0:20:57.530 Around 540 BC, a tyrant named Polycrates 0:20:57.530,0:21:00.850 came to rule over the[br]island city-state of Samos 0:21:00.850,0:21:04.426 in the Eastern Aegean Sea. 0:21:04.426,0:21:06.469 - He was quite a player on[br]the international scene. 0:21:06.469,0:21:09.360 He made tactical alliances,[br]not just with the Persians, 0:21:09.360,0:21:11.507 but also, for example, with the Egyptians. 0:21:11.507,0:21:13.319 He was an ambitious figure. 0:21:13.319,0:21:15.686 - [Voiceover] Polycrates[br]saw that the path to power 0:21:15.686,0:21:17.346 for an island like Samos, 0:21:17.346,0:21:19.198 lay through the sea. 0:21:20.150,0:21:22.773 He built a fleet of 100 triremes, 0:21:22.773,0:21:25.050 terrorizing neighboring city-states 0:21:25.050,0:21:28.783 and taxing ships that passed[br]through the surrounding waters. 0:21:31.492,0:21:35.985 - Under Polycrates Samos, his home island, 0:21:35.985,0:21:38.191 became the dominant sea power, 0:21:38.191,0:21:41.627 and that was the basis[br]of his wealth and power. 0:21:41.627,0:21:43.566 - [Voiceover] With his newly found riches, 0:21:43.566,0:21:45.529 Polycrates built up defensive walls 0:21:45.529,0:21:47.327 around his capital city 0:21:47.327,0:21:49.068 and set about to solve a problem 0:21:49.068,0:21:52.910 that plagued many cities in[br]the arid Mediterranean climate, 0:21:52.910,0:21:54.525 drinking water. 0:21:54.525,0:21:58.924 - Samos was a very, very[br]important and powerful city 0:21:58.924,0:22:01.664 They were needing a lot of water, 0:22:01.664,0:22:03.869 and they were short of water. 0:22:03.869,0:22:06.029 - [Voiceover] There was a[br]plentiful spring available, 0:22:06.029,0:22:07.469 but it was separated from the city 0:22:07.469,0:22:10.591 by the 900 foot high Mt. Castro. 0:22:10.591,0:22:13.285 Somehow, Polycrates and his engineers 0:22:13.285,0:22:16.907 had to figure out how to[br]connect the city and the spring. 0:22:16.907,0:22:19.102 Running an aqueduct around the mountain 0:22:19.102,0:22:20.483 was not an option. 0:22:20.483,0:22:23.303 - You could construct[br]a water supply system 0:22:23.303,0:22:24.649 around the mountain, 0:22:24.649,0:22:27.448 but the first thing a[br]besieging enemy would do 0:22:27.448,0:22:29.282 to cut off that water line, 0:22:29.282,0:22:32.940 and there you are with your[br]wonderful fortification, 0:22:32.940,0:22:35.028 with your wonderful new walls, 0:22:35.028,0:22:37.420 and you're drying out. 0:22:37.420,0:22:40.868 - [Voiceover] A solution required[br]thinking outside the box. 0:22:40.868,0:22:44.861 Polycrates turned to an[br]engineer named Eupalinos. 0:22:44.861,0:22:47.066 Eupalinos came up with a solution 0:22:47.066,0:22:49.783 that literally meant moving a mountain. 0:22:49.783,0:22:53.302 A tunnel running straight[br]through Mt. Castro. 0:22:53.302,0:22:56.784 It would be a huge[br]project, and a lengthy one. 0:22:56.784,0:22:59.883 - [Theodosios] The time[br]needed for such tunneling 0:22:59.883,0:23:02.797 should be enormous, therefore, 0:23:02.797,0:23:05.223 the decision was taken to drive 0:23:05.223,0:23:08.416 tunnels from both sides. 0:23:08.416,0:23:12.444 This is a mathematical[br]and a technical problem. 0:23:12.444,0:23:14.836 - [Voiceover] Like the engineers[br]of the modern day chunnel 0:23:14.836,0:23:16.682 under the English Channel, 0:23:16.682,0:23:19.978 Eupalinos dug tunnels from[br]each side of the mountain 0:23:19.978,0:23:22.044 until they met in the middle. 0:23:22.044,0:23:25.283 To succeed, Eupalinos[br]would have to be sure 0:23:25.283,0:23:28.325 that each tunnel started[br]at the same vertical height 0:23:28.325,0:23:31.577 on opposite sides of the mountain. 0:23:31.577,0:23:35.302 The tunnels also had to match[br]up on a horizontal plane. 0:23:35.302,0:23:37.078 Otherwise they would pass each other 0:23:37.078,0:23:39.075 like ships in the night. 0:23:39.075,0:23:41.734 Without sophisticated surveying equipment, 0:23:41.734,0:23:46.121 it was a remarkable challenge[br]for an engineer to take on. 0:23:46.121,0:23:50.463 One theory involves a short[br]walk around a large mountain. 0:23:50.463,0:23:53.401 By forging a path from[br]the spring to the city, 0:23:53.401,0:23:55.792 in short perpendicular lines, 0:23:55.792,0:23:58.660 Eupalinos could measure each small length 0:23:58.660,0:24:02.734 in order to calculate two[br]sides of a right triangle. 0:24:02.734,0:24:05.277 With two known sides of the triangle, 0:24:05.277,0:24:07.715 the hypotenuse became[br]the path of the tunnel 0:24:07.715,0:24:10.140 through the mountain. 0:24:10.140,0:24:12.857 What made this prodigious[br]feat of engineering 0:24:12.857,0:24:16.990 even more amazing is that[br]it involved not one tunnel, 0:24:16.990,0:24:18.315 but two. 0:24:18.315,0:24:20.635 The main tunnel was dug[br]at a height and length 0:24:20.635,0:24:23.272 of about six feet by six feet, 0:24:23.272,0:24:26.893 but was only used as a[br]workspace to dig a second tunnel 0:24:26.893,0:24:29.052 adjacent and below the main one. 0:24:29.052,0:24:31.629 That would serve as the actual aqueduct. 0:24:31.629,0:24:34.415 While the work tunnel was[br]dug on a straight plane, 0:24:34.415,0:24:37.910 the aqueduct tunnel was dug[br]along the side and below. 0:24:37.910,0:24:41.694 This second tunnel needed to[br]be angled on a slight gradient 0:24:41.694,0:24:45.931 to allow the water to flow[br]gently downward toward the city. 0:24:45.931,0:24:47.568 It was a matter of life and death 0:24:47.568,0:24:50.855 in the dark and dangerous[br]bowels of the mountain. 0:24:50.855,0:24:53.337 - [Lothar] Once they[br]were in the mountains, 0:24:53.337,0:24:56.472 the difficulties must have been paramount 0:24:56.472,0:25:00.628 because rock may be moving[br]in unpredictable ways, 0:25:00.628,0:25:05.155 water may all of a sudden[br]splash up and cause havoc. 0:25:05.155,0:25:08.035 This was probably a constant danger. 0:25:08.035,0:25:10.508 Apart from that it was dark, 0:25:10.508,0:25:12.388 and needed to be illuminated 0:25:12.388,0:25:16.254 and you needed to constantly[br]know where you are 0:25:16.254,0:25:20.526 in order to keep your line straight. 0:25:20.526,0:25:22.210 - [Voiceover] After slight adjustments, 0:25:22.210,0:25:23.626 the two crews met in the middle 0:25:23.626,0:25:27.445 almost exactly where Eupalinos[br]had originally determined. 0:25:27.445,0:25:29.245 The floors of each tunnel connected 0:25:29.245,0:25:32.530 with only 24 inches[br]difference between them. 0:25:32.530,0:25:35.491 A discrepancy of less[br]than 1/8th of a percent 0:25:35.491,0:25:39.426 of the tunnel's 3,500 foot length. 0:25:39.426,0:25:41.829 This stunning engineering acheivement 0:25:41.829,0:25:43.304 may have been the shining moment 0:25:43.304,0:25:45.311 of Polycrates reign. 0:25:45.311,0:25:49.080 But his political fortunes[br]would not prove so bright. 0:25:50.769,0:25:55.769 - The Persian governor on[br]the coast of Asia Minor 0:25:55.922,0:25:58.870 decided that that degree of autonomy 0:25:58.870,0:26:02.504 that Polycrates enjoyed was unsuitable 0:26:02.504,0:26:04.803 to the development of Persian power 0:26:04.803,0:26:06.788 and he was arrested, 0:26:06.788,0:26:10.660 and brutally tortured and crucified. 0:26:12.768,0:26:15.970 - [Voiceover] Polycrates was[br]just one tyrant among many 0:26:15.970,0:26:18.547 who ruled the city-states[br]of Ancient Greece 0:26:18.547,0:26:22.959 between 800 BC and 500 BC. 0:26:22.959,0:26:25.304 The rule of the few over the many 0:26:25.304,0:26:26.687 was the only form of government 0:26:26.687,0:26:28.520 humans had ever known. 0:26:28.520,0:26:31.027 But that was about to change. 0:26:31.027,0:26:32.688 The city-state of Athens 0:26:32.688,0:26:36.763 was going to change the[br]course of world history. 0:26:36.763,0:26:39.142 The visionary leader[br]who would make it happen 0:26:39.142,0:26:41.789 was named Pericles. 0:26:41.789,0:26:44.727 His legacy would be an[br]everlasting monument 0:26:44.727,0:26:48.986 on the Athenian acropolis[br]that rose above the clouds. 0:26:48.986,0:26:51.925 An amazing piece of precision engineering 0:26:51.925,0:26:54.113 call the Parthenon. 0:26:57.299,0:26:59.156 - [Voiceover] The word[br]encyclopedia comes from 0:26:59.156,0:27:02.634 two Greek words meaning[br]"a circle of learning." 0:27:05.506,0:27:08.920 - [Voiceover] In 480 BC,[br]when Themistocles defeated 0:27:08.920,0:27:11.416 the Persians at the Battle of Salamis, 0:27:11.416,0:27:13.296 he saved not only Athens, 0:27:13.296,0:27:15.606 but also it's young democracy, 0:27:15.606,0:27:19.043 which had been born[br]about 25 years earlier. 0:27:19.043,0:27:21.597 For Athens, the age of the single ruler 0:27:21.597,0:27:23.779 was over. 0:27:23.779,0:27:26.577 Athens was rich in military might, 0:27:26.577,0:27:30.176 treasure, technology, and ideas. 0:27:30.176,0:27:32.741 She was poised for her golden age, 0:27:32.741,0:27:35.563 and one man would take her there. 0:27:35.563,0:27:37.733 His name was Pericles, 0:27:37.733,0:27:40.404 a democrat and enlightened intellectual 0:27:40.404,0:27:43.061 who encouraged the arts. 0:27:43.061,0:27:46.254 But Pericles would also[br]expand Athenian power 0:27:46.254,0:27:49.679 through any means,[br]including threats, bribery, 0:27:49.679,0:27:51.803 and naked force. 0:27:51.803,0:27:54.775 - Pericles came from one of[br]the old aristocratic families 0:27:54.775,0:27:55.959 of Athens. 0:27:55.959,0:27:58.873 So he came from the kind[br]of family background 0:27:58.873,0:28:02.716 in which a career of political[br]and military leadership 0:28:02.716,0:28:04.451 was expected. 0:28:06.896,0:28:08.671 - [Voiceover] His rise to power began 0:28:08.671,0:28:10.436 when he was elected as a young man 0:28:10.436,0:28:12.559 to the position of strategos, 0:28:12.559,0:28:15.451 one of ten such men who commanded the army 0:28:15.451,0:28:18.178 and set foreign policy. 0:28:18.178,0:28:21.290 A natural at politics and a gifted orator, 0:28:21.290,0:28:24.274 Pericles was soon Athens' most influential 0:28:24.274,0:28:26.456 and powerful statesmen. 0:28:26.456,0:28:30.797 - Pericles was the typical[br]political animal, if you like. 0:28:30.797,0:28:32.690 This guy was a politician. 0:28:32.690,0:28:35.534 He was able to speak and convince. 0:28:35.534,0:28:39.110 He was completely[br]dedicated to what he did. 0:28:39.110,0:28:41.548 - [Voiceover] Pericles[br]became leader of Athens 0:28:41.548,0:28:44.217 in 461 BC. 0:28:44.217,0:28:47.793 Thanks to the fleet of triremes[br]Themistocles had built, 0:28:47.793,0:28:50.591 the Athenian navy held unrivaled power 0:28:50.591,0:28:53.110 in the Eastern Mediterranean. 0:28:53.110,0:28:56.547 But despite the defeat of the[br]Persian empire at Salamis, 0:28:56.547,0:29:00.586 the threat of another[br]invasion was always looming. 0:29:00.586,0:29:04.835 In 478 BC, Athens, together[br]with the city-states 0:29:04.835,0:29:08.492 of the Aegean, formed a[br]mutual defense alliance 0:29:08.492,0:29:10.675 called the Delian League. 0:29:10.675,0:29:13.745 The ancient world's version of NATO. 0:29:16.026,0:29:20.495 - By 450 BC Athens has[br]become the undisputed leader 0:29:20.495,0:29:22.087 of the Delian League, 0:29:22.087,0:29:23.514 which is nothing more than a money faucet 0:29:23.514,0:29:24.953 for the city-state. 0:29:24.953,0:29:28.088 But Pericles, as undisputed[br]leader of Athens, 0:29:28.088,0:29:31.130 finds ways to put this money[br]to the best possible use 0:29:31.130,0:29:33.405 by building massive public structures 0:29:33.405,0:29:37.254 that best reflect the grandeur[br]and magnificence of Athens. 0:29:39.046,0:29:42.263 Now legend has it that[br]Poseidon, god of the sea, 0:29:42.263,0:29:44.051 and Athena, goddess of wisdom, 0:29:44.051,0:29:46.187 each came to the Acropolis to compete 0:29:46.187,0:29:47.811 for the patronage of the city, 0:29:47.811,0:29:50.865 the outcome to be decided[br]by the inhabitants. 0:29:50.865,0:29:53.012 Poseidon struck the[br]ground with his trident 0:29:53.012,0:29:54.905 and up popped a spring. 0:29:54.905,0:29:56.844 Athena struck the ground with her spear 0:29:56.844,0:29:58.550 and up came an olive tree, 0:29:58.550,0:30:01.730 which not only suggested[br]sustenance for the Greeks, 0:30:01.730,0:30:04.389 but a possible outlet[br]for commercial venue. 0:30:04.389,0:30:07.861 Thus Athena became the[br]patron goddess of the city. 0:30:07.861,0:30:11.587 Over the centuries there were[br]several temples to Athena, 0:30:11.587,0:30:13.131 most of them destroyed. 0:30:13.131,0:30:15.105 But we leave it to Pericles 0:30:15.105,0:30:18.123 to give the world the most[br]remarkable piece of architecture 0:30:18.123,0:30:20.143 in all of Greek antiquity, 0:30:20.143,0:30:22.134 the Parthenon. 0:30:26.586,0:30:29.465 - [Voiceover] Pericles decided[br]to rebuild the Parthenon 0:30:29.465,0:30:30.963 on the Acropolis, 0:30:30.963,0:30:33.308 using the crumbling[br]foundations of an older 0:30:33.308,0:30:35.218 Athenian temple. 0:30:36.384,0:30:40.226 It would take thousands of[br]laborers and skilled craftsman 0:30:40.226,0:30:43.024 to create this magnificent temple. 0:30:43.024,0:30:44.846 And it would cost more than any building 0:30:44.846,0:30:46.983 the Greeks had ever engineered. 0:30:46.983,0:30:49.084 30 million dracmas. 0:30:49.084,0:30:52.462 In our terms, billions of dollars. 0:30:52.462,0:30:54.762 - That's an amazing amount, 0:30:54.762,0:30:59.706 but keep in mind that was[br]a huge state enterprise. 0:30:59.706,0:31:01.181 - [Voiceover] Construction[br]on the gargantuan 0:31:01.181,0:31:05.185 building project began in 447 BC. 0:31:05.185,0:31:07.659 The Parthenon was to be[br]about 2/3rds the length 0:31:07.659,0:31:09.504 of a football field, 0:31:09.504,0:31:12.697 it's outer dimensions, 228 feet long, 0:31:12.697,0:31:15.482 by 101 feet wide. 0:31:15.482,0:31:17.538 The first challenge was[br]to cleave the marble 0:31:17.538,0:31:21.242 from a mountain quarry ten miles away. 0:31:21.242,0:31:24.957 In all, about 30,000 tons[br]of the fine white stone 0:31:24.957,0:31:26.803 would be needed. 0:31:26.803,0:31:30.841 In the quarry, workers used[br]the natural cracks of the stone 0:31:30.841,0:31:34.800 to separate giant marble[br]slabs from the mountainside. 0:31:34.800,0:31:37.423 - The first step is to locate this crux 0:31:37.423,0:31:41.301 and calculate if this piece of marble 0:31:41.301,0:31:44.297 is sufficient for my specific purpose. 0:31:44.297,0:31:47.152 The second step is to[br]put within these cracks, 0:31:47.152,0:31:50.381 those horizontal cracks[br]and vertical cracks 0:31:50.381,0:31:52.957 wedges, iron wedges, why? 0:31:52.957,0:31:57.613 Because an enormous energy 0:31:57.613,0:32:00.876 was given by hammering 0:32:00.876,0:32:04.812 all these wedges simultaneously, 0:32:04.812,0:32:08.515 so that the brittleness of the material 0:32:08.515,0:32:12.056 makes further cracking. 0:32:12.056,0:32:14.331 - [Voiceover] Once the[br]giant slabs were ready, 0:32:14.331,0:32:17.477 gangs of men used levers,[br]ropes, and pulleys, 0:32:17.477,0:32:20.054 to maneuver the marble[br]and prepare the stone 0:32:20.054,0:32:23.050 for transportation to the Acropolis. 0:32:23.050,0:32:26.114 But accidents often happened. 0:32:26.114,0:32:28.448 - It was an enormous risk 0:32:28.448,0:32:32.319 that this big block 0:32:32.319,0:32:33.945 would slide further down 0:32:33.945,0:32:36.053 killing people underneath. 0:32:38.276,0:32:40.157 - [Voiceover] But cutting[br]and transporting the marble 0:32:40.157,0:32:41.619 from the side of the mountain 0:32:41.619,0:32:43.581 was only half the battle[br]in the construction 0:32:43.581,0:32:45.583 of the Parthenon. 0:32:46.563,0:32:49.176 Engineers now had to answer the question 0:32:49.176,0:32:52.415 of how to lift these[br]ten ton marble behemoths 0:32:52.415,0:32:56.530 and erect the greatest temple[br]the world had ever seen. 0:32:59.636,0:33:02.399 - [Voiceover] No medals were[br]awarded in the ancient Olympics 0:33:02.399,0:33:05.470 A winner received an[br]olive wreath on his head. 0:33:08.261,0:33:11.279 - [Voiceover] July, 447 BC. 0:33:11.279,0:33:13.997 Construction began on a magnificent temple 0:33:13.997,0:33:16.539 on the Athenian Acropolis. 0:33:16.539,0:33:19.660 The Parthenon was the vision of Pericles, 0:33:19.660,0:33:22.041 a dynamic and ambitious leader 0:33:22.041,0:33:24.990 who would take Athens into a golden age 0:33:24.990,0:33:28.612 never before seen in ancient Greece. 0:33:28.612,0:33:30.191 - It was a statement, 0:33:30.191,0:33:32.710 We are the most powerful city. 0:33:32.710,0:33:37.051 We are the cauldron of[br]democracy and freethinking. 0:33:37.051,0:33:39.734 We have the best people,[br]we have the best army, 0:33:39.734,0:33:42.282 the best navy, we are the leaders. 0:33:43.414,0:33:44.655 - [Voiceover] The Parthenon would differ 0:33:44.655,0:33:46.571 from most temples of the day 0:33:46.571,0:33:49.613 which consisted of a[br]hexistyle construction, 0:33:49.613,0:33:51.796 featuring six columns on one end 0:33:51.796,0:33:54.036 and 13 on the side. 0:33:54.036,0:33:57.008 The Parthenon would be a larger octistyle, 0:33:57.008,0:33:59.661 with 8 by 17 columns. 0:34:00.932,0:34:03.254 - That makes the building very different 0:34:03.254,0:34:06.168 because they basically have[br]all the same proportions. 0:34:06.168,0:34:11.031 When you make them larger you[br]simply scale up everything. 0:34:11.031,0:34:14.705 To make it wider was to[br]give it an extra dimension. 0:34:16.128,0:34:18.112 - [Voiceover] The columns[br]provide the main support 0:34:18.112,0:34:19.864 for the structure. 0:34:19.864,0:34:22.989 Each column consisted of 11 separate drums 0:34:22.989,0:34:26.147 stacked one on top of[br]the other like checkers. 0:34:26.147,0:34:28.608 They were carved so that[br]they would perfectly fit 0:34:28.608,0:34:31.847 when laid together in a column. 0:34:31.847,0:34:34.655 To do this, the top of[br]each drum was divided 0:34:34.655,0:34:37.070 into four concentric circles, 0:34:37.070,0:34:39.914 with each ring either[br]smoothed or roughed out, 0:34:39.914,0:34:41.888 depending on the amount of grit needed 0:34:41.888,0:34:44.605 to interlock with the next drum. 0:34:44.605,0:34:46.230 In the center of each drum 0:34:46.230,0:34:48.563 masons cut a rectangular notch 0:34:48.563,0:34:51.290 measuring about four to six inches square 0:34:51.290,0:34:53.404 and three to four inches deep. 0:34:53.404,0:34:56.887 Carpenters then inserted[br]wooden plugs into the notches 0:34:56.887,0:34:59.267 which served to align and center each drum 0:34:59.267,0:35:02.053 with the one above it. 0:35:02.053,0:35:03.748 The next challenge was in lifting 0:35:03.748,0:35:05.943 the enormously heavy drums, 0:35:05.943,0:35:07.742 especially those for the upper sections 0:35:07.742,0:35:09.192 of the columns. 0:35:09.192,0:35:11.211 A single column of the Parthenon 0:35:11.211,0:35:16.211 could weigh between 63 and 119 tons. 0:35:16.390,0:35:20.000 - A crane is an extremely simple device. 0:35:20.000,0:35:22.728 You have just the boom, and then 0:35:22.728,0:35:25.364 you have a series of pulleys, 0:35:25.364,0:35:29.520 which, as we know, just[br]give you the possibility 0:35:29.520,0:35:34.070 of taking up a weight of say, 0:35:34.070,0:35:39.070 ten tons by pulling down only 100 kilos. 0:35:39.202,0:35:41.303 - [Voiceover] Engineers[br]attached the stone to the crane 0:35:41.303,0:35:43.463 in one of several ways. 0:35:43.463,0:35:45.447 The method most often used 0:35:45.447,0:35:47.745 was to tie the end of[br]the rope to the top part 0:35:47.745,0:35:49.766 of a metal S-hook, 0:35:49.766,0:35:52.644 fasten shorter ropes to[br]the bottom of the hook, 0:35:52.644,0:35:55.744 and then loop these around[br]small protruding knobs 0:35:55.744,0:35:59.540 called bosses, that had been[br]left uncut from the marble 0:35:59.540,0:36:01.399 for this very purpose. 0:36:01.399,0:36:03.442 Typically four bosses would be left 0:36:03.442,0:36:05.822 surrounding the drum or stone block, 0:36:05.822,0:36:07.620 evenly distributing the force needed 0:36:07.620,0:36:10.059 to hoist the object. 0:36:10.059,0:36:12.381 The walls enclosing interior spaces 0:36:12.381,0:36:15.282 had to be laid down with extreme precision 0:36:15.282,0:36:18.742 since the builders did not use mortar. 0:36:18.742,0:36:21.076 To hold the ends of each block together, 0:36:21.076,0:36:22.597 builders hollowed out the ends 0:36:22.597,0:36:25.023 in a double T design. 0:36:25.023,0:36:28.877 Then, iron rods were inserted[br]to clamp them together. 0:36:28.877,0:36:31.721 After the columns and[br]blocks were put in place, 0:36:31.721,0:36:33.962 the bosses used to lift[br]them were chipped off 0:36:33.962,0:36:35.872 and smoothed over. 0:36:40.997,0:36:43.574 - There's a saying that[br]there are no straight lines 0:36:43.574,0:36:45.095 in the Parthenon. 0:36:45.095,0:36:47.335 Now what's meant by this is the architects 0:36:47.335,0:36:49.379 incorporated a series of sort of 0:36:49.379,0:36:52.303 optical illusions when they built it. 0:36:52.303,0:36:53.558 It starts with the stairs, 0:36:53.558,0:36:54.602 goes up to the columns, 0:36:54.602,0:36:56.019 all the way up to the top of the building, 0:36:56.019,0:36:59.560 the pediment, that triangular[br]element at the top. 0:36:59.560,0:37:01.173 So let's take a look at the stairs, 0:37:01.173,0:37:02.717 they seem to be straight, but no, 0:37:02.717,0:37:04.795 a closer look they bow in the center 0:37:04.795,0:37:06.501 and they go back down at the end. 0:37:06.501,0:37:07.814 Now this conceit, if you will, 0:37:07.814,0:37:09.973 continues right up to the columns. 0:37:09.973,0:37:14.059 This column is of the Doric[br]order, there's no base. 0:37:14.059,0:37:16.892 It seems to grow right[br]up out of the stone. 0:37:16.892,0:37:19.213 Each column has 20 flutes, 0:37:19.213,0:37:21.071 which makes the column sort of ungulate 0:37:21.071,0:37:22.616 as you look around it. 0:37:22.616,0:37:25.854 Then the column bows out in the center 0:37:25.854,0:37:27.677 and bows back up at the top. 0:37:27.677,0:37:30.870 This is a process called entasis. 0:37:30.870,0:37:33.075 - [Clairy] Such long lines,[br]which are more or less 0:37:33.075,0:37:35.130 at the level of your horizon, 0:37:35.130,0:37:37.371 tend to curve. 0:37:37.371,0:37:41.596 So in order to extinguish this effect, 0:37:41.596,0:37:44.371 they curve them the other way 0:37:44.371,0:37:48.596 so the result, again, is[br]more harmonious and you 0:37:48.596,0:37:50.871 see it as being straight, 0:37:50.871,0:37:54.471 because if it was all[br]straight, perfect right angles, 0:37:54.471,0:37:57.546 then you will see it like that. 0:37:57.546,0:37:59.555 - [Voiceover] The[br]Parthenon's main function 0:37:59.555,0:38:02.133 was to provide shelter[br]for the monumental statue 0:38:02.133,0:38:04.453 of Athena. 0:38:04.453,0:38:07.566 - Parthenon was an extremely[br]expensive building. 0:38:07.566,0:38:11.465 But the statue inside of[br]it was almost equal in cost 0:38:11.465,0:38:15.564 to the building itself, if[br]not even more expensive. 0:38:15.564,0:38:20.509 - Athena's statue was[br]about 10, 11 meters high, 0:38:20.509,0:38:24.445 it means 30 to 35 feet or so. 0:38:24.445,0:38:29.445 And it was of the[br]materials gold and ivory. 0:38:29.553,0:38:30.726 - [Voiceover] Hundreds of sculptures 0:38:30.726,0:38:34.243 created lifelike figures that[br]proved that craftsmanship 0:38:34.243,0:38:37.063 wasn't simply in the engineering. 0:38:37.063,0:38:38.850 The most famous carving in the decoration 0:38:38.850,0:38:42.683 of the temple is the frieze[br]running on the interior walls 0:38:42.683,0:38:44.608 of the Parthenon. 0:38:44.608,0:38:46.468 It was carved in a low relief, 0:38:46.468,0:38:48.510 just inches off the stone, 0:38:48.510,0:38:50.390 and depicts the panathenia, 0:38:50.390,0:38:52.284 a celebration to the goddess Athena 0:38:52.284,0:38:55.743 held in Athens every four years. 0:38:55.743,0:38:58.367 - What survives on the[br]side of the Parthenon today 0:38:58.367,0:39:00.443 are the white marble[br]remains of the building. 0:39:00.443,0:39:02.359 In antiquity, not only the sculptures, 0:39:02.359,0:39:04.368 but also many other parts of the building 0:39:04.368,0:39:07.409 were richly decorated with paint. 0:39:07.409,0:39:09.070 - [Voiceover] But not every[br]citizen was enthralled 0:39:09.070,0:39:10.567 by the Parthenon. 0:39:10.567,0:39:12.924 Some saw Pericles' pet project 0:39:12.924,0:39:14.979 as an Athenian eyesore 0:39:14.979,0:39:18.821 and simply a monument to his own glory. 0:39:18.821,0:39:22.943 - Now many Athenians hated[br]the Parthenon, the temples. 0:39:22.943,0:39:24.707 They thought it was disgusting. 0:39:24.707,0:39:26.820 They thought it was terrible. 0:39:26.820,0:39:29.060 Plato didn't like it at all. 0:39:29.060,0:39:31.242 For many Athenians, when they saw in their 0:39:31.242,0:39:33.380 holiest of holies, if you like, 0:39:33.380,0:39:35.399 those new buildings coming up, 0:39:35.399,0:39:38.244 buildings that had incorporated novelties, 0:39:38.244,0:39:41.145 buildings that were making[br]a break from the tide. 0:39:41.145,0:39:43.119 - [Voiceover] The whispers[br]of discontent in Athens 0:39:43.119,0:39:45.499 weren't limited to the Parthenon. 0:39:45.499,0:39:49.097 As Pericles continued to[br]expand Athens domination 0:39:49.097,0:39:52.905 his rivals began to conspire against him. 0:39:52.905,0:39:56.643 Soon they lashed out and[br]attacked his close associates. 0:39:56.643,0:40:00.381 At the top of the list was[br]an elegant and educated woman 0:40:00.381,0:40:02.123 named Aspasia, 0:40:02.123,0:40:05.258 a member of the elite[br]Hetaerae social caste, 0:40:05.258,0:40:07.551 and Pericles consort. 0:40:08.901,0:40:12.664 - Hetaerae were high-class courtesans, 0:40:12.664,0:40:15.079 often compared, for example, 0:40:15.079,0:40:19.013 to Geishas in Japanese culture. 0:40:19.013,0:40:22.277 Hetaerae moved in the top circles 0:40:22.277,0:40:25.642 in Athenian and Greek cultural life. 0:40:25.642,0:40:27.220 - [Voiceover] In classical Athens, 0:40:27.220,0:40:30.042 a woman's role lay under[br]the dominion of men, 0:40:30.042,0:40:32.794 but Aspasia was the exception to the rule. 0:40:32.794,0:40:35.499 Pericles treated Aspasia as an equal, 0:40:35.499,0:40:37.855 and his consort quickly became part 0:40:37.855,0:40:40.316 of the Athenian elite. 0:40:40.316,0:40:42.580 - But they became a well-known couple 0:40:42.580,0:40:47.131 and to the sort of astonishment 0:40:47.131,0:40:52.131 and some scandal of the Athenian people, 0:40:52.158,0:40:54.096 Pericles was even to be seen actually 0:40:54.096,0:40:57.312 kissing Aspasia publicly. 0:40:57.312,0:40:59.332 And of course, public[br]displays of affection 0:40:59.332,0:41:01.933 were not anything that one expected to see 0:41:01.933,0:41:03.785 in classical Athens. 0:41:05.996,0:41:10.570 - [Voiceover] By 432, after[br]nearly 15 years of construction, 0:41:10.570,0:41:13.379 the Parthenon was completed. 0:41:13.379,0:41:17.511 This temple to Athena did[br]just what Pericles wanted, 0:41:17.511,0:41:21.656 it advertised the power[br]of Athens to the world. 0:41:21.656,0:41:25.312 Ironically, the supremacy[br]the Parthenon symbolized 0:41:25.312,0:41:27.135 was already waning, 0:41:27.135,0:41:29.655 and Athens long time enemy, Sparta 0:41:29.655,0:41:31.438 was on the rise. 0:41:36.551,0:41:40.289 - Once Athens had established[br]this great alliance system, 0:41:40.289,0:41:43.213 or as some people put[br]it, this Athenian empire, 0:41:43.213,0:41:45.873 and arguably that's what it became, 0:41:45.873,0:41:49.007 the Spartans began more and more to look 0:41:49.007,0:41:51.492 askance, as it were, at the Athenians 0:41:51.492,0:41:54.847 and eventually, by the 430s, 0:41:54.847,0:41:58.526 to feel threatened by the Athenians. 0:41:58.526,0:42:00.535 - [Voiceover] In 431 BC, 0:42:00.535,0:42:03.193 Sparta moved on Athens. 0:42:03.193,0:42:05.712 For two long years, Athens held out 0:42:05.712,0:42:08.104 against the Spartan siege. 0:42:08.104,0:42:11.250 But Pericles' shining city[br]was about to come under attack 0:42:11.250,0:42:14.048 by an invisible enemy. 0:42:14.048,0:42:15.892 - After a couple of years, 0:42:15.892,0:42:19.212 because of the overcrowding[br]in the city of Athens, 0:42:19.212,0:42:21.709 disease that seems to have come originally 0:42:21.709,0:42:23.625 from the near East, 0:42:23.625,0:42:25.413 attacked the Athenian people. 0:42:25.413,0:42:29.093 It's known as the Great Athenian Plague. 0:42:29.093,0:42:32.594 Large numbers of Athenians[br]died in this plague. 0:42:33.492,0:42:36.046 - [Voiceover] Pericles,[br]now in his early 60s, 0:42:36.046,0:42:39.390 survived the plague, but[br]was physically weakened 0:42:39.390,0:42:41.142 and bore the brunt of the blame 0:42:41.142,0:42:44.023 for the city's misfortune. 0:42:44.023,0:42:47.885 In 429, with plague and war 0:42:47.885,0:42:52.885 overshadowing his beloved[br]city, Pericles died. 0:42:53.539,0:42:58.432 (somber music) 0:43:01.839,0:43:05.705 The bloody and brutal conflict[br]between Athens and Sparta 0:43:05.705,0:43:08.062 known as the Peloponnesian War, 0:43:08.062,0:43:10.964 continued for another 25 years, 0:43:10.964,0:43:14.122 until finally in 404 BC, 0:43:14.122,0:43:16.055 Athens fell. 0:43:18.242,0:43:19.798 - With the end of the Peloponnesian War 0:43:19.798,0:43:23.304 the time of Pericles and the[br]dominance of Athens was over. 0:43:23.304,0:43:25.823 Great marvels of Greek[br]culture and Greek engineering 0:43:25.823,0:43:27.077 would live on, 0:43:27.077,0:43:29.399 and the irony was that the two men, 0:43:29.399,0:43:32.301 the two purveyors of the fantastic legacy 0:43:32.301,0:43:34.578 of classical age of Athens, 0:43:34.578,0:43:36.811 were not Athenians at all. 0:43:40.822,0:43:43.039 The names of these two[br]men would be synonymous 0:43:43.039,0:43:46.011 not only with conquest, but with Helenism, 0:43:46.011,0:43:48.601 the spreading of the Greek[br]ideal of culture and value 0:43:48.601,0:43:50.075 throughout the world right on up 0:43:50.075,0:43:52.048 to our own modern day. 0:43:52.048,0:43:54.717 These two men were[br]Phillip II of Macedonia, 0:43:54.717,0:43:57.457 and his son, a man who would be the envy 0:43:57.457,0:43:59.291 of every single general and emperor 0:43:59.291,0:44:02.634 from Julius Caesar and[br]Napoleon, to George Patton. 0:44:02.634,0:44:05.293 A man who would traverse[br]most of his known world 0:44:05.293,0:44:07.789 in his short 33 years, 0:44:07.789,0:44:09.868 that student of Aristotle, 0:44:09.868,0:44:12.410 and self-proclaimed god, 0:44:12.410,0:44:14.435 Alexander the Great. 0:44:15.451,0:44:18.806 I'm Peter Weller for the History Channel. 0:44:18.806,0:44:23.806 (dramatic music)