Troy Fall of a City

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.

Homer wrote his epic, The Iliad, in 700 BC 500 years after the Trojan Wars were supposed to have taken place. On what did he base his story? Where was Troy situated? Did Paris and Helen really exist? What was the significance of the famous wooden horse? Can archaeology help us to recreate a Bronze Age citadel which stood at the cross roads of the major trading routes of the day? Did the Trojan war ever happen,or was the city destroyed by natural causes?It's fascinated poets, painters and Hollywood directors for over 2,500 years.