DocumentaryRecommended
The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
PBS, narrated by Liam Neeson
2000
A three-part series that traces the rise of Athens from Cleisthenes to Pericles and Socrates, and still the best introduction on screen.
Read the reviewIn 1901 sponge divers off the island of Antikythera recovered a lump of corroded bronze from a shipwreck of the first century BC. More than a century of study has revealed it to be a geared astronomical calculator, able to predict eclipses and track the movements of the Sun, the Moon and the planets.
In 2021 a team at University College London published a new reconstruction of the device’s whole front display, and their accompanying video walks viewers through its dozens of interlocking gears with clear animations. It takes only a few minutes to watch and transforms how you think about ancient technology.
Our verdict
Free, brief and mind-blowing. Watch it today.
Every review reflects the personal perspective of the Hellenic Heritage Club.
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- DocumentaryRecommended
Meet the Romans with Mary Beard
BBC Two
2012Not about Greece, but a model of sceptical, accessible history from one of the great classicists.
Read the review - DocumentaryWorth watching
Ancient Impossible
History Channel
2014A popular series on ancient engineering that treats Greek ingenuity with more care than its channel’s reputation suggests.
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