Persians

Terry Jones' Barbarians takes a completely unique approach to Roman history. No one nowadays would try to tell the story of the British Empire from the point of view of the British, but it's still the case that the story of the Roman Empire is always told from the perspective of Rome. Well, not any more!

New discoveries might lead investigators to the legendary group of 300 Spartan warriors who died fighting off one million invading Persians, and using cutting-edge tech, experts reconstruct the lost battlefield to uncover the secrets of their last stand.

Historian Bettany Hughes gives her personal take on the diverse cultures of the ancient world in this 2010 documentary series on More 4. The series begins with an examination of Alexandria, the city founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC to become the world’s first global centre of culture. The programme explores Alexandria’s role as a powerhouse of science and learning, and focuses on the female mathematician, astronomer and philosopher Hypatia, the subject of the feature film Agora, starring Rachel Weisz.

Greek travelers and writers from the ancient world mythologized the Amazons, but these legendary female warriors were very real. They hailed from the ferocious nomadic Scythian tribes that controlled a huge swath of Central Asia and kept the great powers of Greece, Persia, and China at bay. With the help of recent archaeological findings, uncover the lives of these Amazons through the tale of a Scythian who grows up to become a horse warrior and leader of her tribe in a defining battle against the Persians in 6th century BC.

For the first time since 1686, Versailles' Castle is recreating its "Royal Carrousel", a phenomenal and majestic performance of cavaliers and horses. Horses, baroque costumes and operatic music made this spectacle the most popular of all court entertainments, and the only one intended for a large audience.

Discover the mythical network of trade routes that for centuries linked the Far East to the West with Alfred de Montesquiou.