The Best Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern Entertainment
A History of Ideas Collection
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- StarsJimmy TappGerry BascombeDavid HartmanThe adventures of the heroic demigod of Greek mythology.
- StarsBrian BlessedThis film is one in a series of programs that takes a look at some of the most decisive military battles in the history of the world.
- This documentary is part of a series that describes wars, battles, and revolutions that were turning points in Western history.
- This documentary is part of a series that describes wars, battles, and revolutions that were turning points in Western history.
- This documentary is part of a series that describes wars, battles, and revolutions that were turning points in Western history.
- This documentary is part of a series that describes wars, battles, and revolutions that were turning points in Western history.
- This documentary is part of a series that describes wars, battles, and revolutions that were turning points in Western history.
- This documentary is part of a series that describes wars, battles, and revolutions that were turning points in Western history.
- DirectorDouglas W. Phillips
- DirectorDoug CampbellStarsDarren McGavinMichael Todd BehrensDoug GuibordA CBS primetime docudrama special, hosted by Darren McGavin, discussing ancient mysteries surrounding the Pyramids of Eqypt, Nostradamus, the Bermuda Triangle and the Shroud of Turin.
- StarsDavid Bryan JacksonMark HamillCharles FosterLearn about 11 different historical mysteries that so many are fascinated by. Learn the difference between Myth and what really happened.
- StarsJoseph CampbellBill MoyersGeorge LucasMythologist Joseph Campbell presents his ideas about comparative mythology and the ongoing role of myth in human society.
- StarsBekim FehmiuCarlo AlighieroLeonard SteckelOdysseus' journey told in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. After fighting in the Trojan War, Odysseus spends years trying to return home to Itaka.
- DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsEverett McGillRon PerlmanNicholas KadiThis story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.
- DirectorCarol HughesDavid HughesStarsPeter ElliottMichael GambonBrian AbrahamsA million years ago in Africa, the last of the Australopithecines is on flight from the humans, who killed the rest of his clan. Alone, seeking others of his kind, he traverses steppes, deserts and mountains until he reaches the coast. But there are already humans, there.
- DirectorMichael ChapmanStarsDaryl HannahPamela ReedJames RemarA young Cro-Magnon woman is raised by Neanderthals.
- DirectorChris GormlieStarsJessica RawsonColin RenfrewRichard RudgleyThe common thread that joined all great ancient powers was the need to trade. This episode of Secrets of Ancient Empires explains how trade was carried out across continents long before a single road was constructed. Nor was it only raw materials that were common currency,the program reveals how luxury items such as honey, jewelry and opium were bought and sold across the world via a complex network of trade routes.
- DirectorPaul PissanosStarsDavid BowlesRoy DotriceBrian BlessedThrough the eyes of the Narrator and ancient Philosophers of the time, we are taken on a dramatic journey through history; recounting the incredible and exciting dramas, ceremonies, games, and chariot races of the Ancient Greek OLYMPIAD; the Olympic Games of the 5th Century BC.
- StarsChristopher BurstallKenneth DoverFreddie JonesSeries of programmes looking at the significance of the Ancient Greek civilisation for the cultures which grew up in its wake. The series uses documentary footage shot in the Adriatic and and reconstruction of Greek drama.
- DirectorPaul PissanosTEMPLE OF POSEIDON - The history of the temple from Ancient Times to the present day. The god Poseidon, the construction of the temple, the statues, the fortress, the Propylon, the Barracks, the citizens' houses, the Naval Shipyard, the shrine of Athena... all enclosed within the manners and customs of the era.
- StarsPeter CoyoteJared DiamondA PBS documentary concerning Jared Diamond's theory on why there is such disparity between those who have advanced technology and those who still live primitively. He argues it is due to the acquisition of guns and steel and the changes brought about by germs.
- StarsKenneth ClarkIan RichardsonRonald LaceySir Kenneth Clarke walks through the ages exploring the glorious rise of civilization in Western man.
- DirectorPeter Spry-LevertonStarsJohn RomerNoted scholar John Romer takes us on a tour of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
- DirectorChris GormlieThink of Ancient Egypt and you think of the great Pyramids at Giza - but these incredible structures are not the only treasures left to us by a truly remarkable civilization. This program visits, explores and restores such wonders as the Temples at Al Karnak and Luxor, the Temple at Abu Simnel and more.
- StarsKeith DavidPeter EganJohn ShrapnelEGYPT'S GOLDEN EMPIRE comes to life through letters and records evoking the passion and riches of a time when Egypt was the center of the known world, its Pharaohs called gods, and great cities, temples and tombs built.
- StarsFrank LangellaWilliam MesnikCovers the history of more than three millenaries of ancient Egypt through the eyes of its most important and influential rulers.
- StarsFrank DelaneyProinsias Mac CanaGwyn A. WilliamsThis TV documentary series was produced by the BBC back in 1986 and is about the people known as The Celts who lived in many areas of Europe around 2000 years ago.
- DirectorChris GormlieStarsJohn VinerLong-buried treasures and newly discovered monuments are shedding new light on Celtic society. Classical writers condemned what they saw as the barbarian society - a lifestyle built around rituals, bloody sacrifices and savage fighting. This program reveals that there was a rich sophisticated element to Celtic culture.
- StarsChristina HarrisonPaul JacksonRichard MarshThis revealing program shows that the search for the Celtic Gods of Britian is an extremely difficult task. Their origins are shrouded in mystery, but they are kept alive in a series of enduring stories. This program presents many of these stories, which have been passed down from generation to generation.
- DirectorLeo EatonStarsMichael BaillieEdel BhreathnachFriar Christopher DillonA history of fabled Erin comes alive through stunning imagery, original music, and timeless stories in this vivid portrait of the island nation's remarkable past and enduring impact on Western Civilization. This 3-part documentary spans the centuries, from 3,000 BC to 1170 AD.
- DirectorChris GormlieThe story of the Holy city, and the dominant building, the Temple, which once contained the Ark of the Covenant. "Lost Treasures..." visits the sacred city exploring its famous walls and gates, and the mysterious temple under which so many secrets maybe buried.
- StarsAbba Eban
- DirectorCarl BykerMitch WilsonStarsF. Murray AbrahamRene AuberjonoisJake BorowskiIn 586 B.C., the Babylonians lead almost all that remains of the tribe of Judah - the Israelites - to exile in Babylon. Only a few generations earlier, the northern tribes of the Israelites were taken into exile and vanished forever. Now the Judeans, too, seem destined to disappear. They fight back, however, by writing a book. Using Judean stories from the past to explain present disastrous situations, the book becomes the earliest edition of the most influential work in history: the Bible. This episode introduces the early and profoundly influential figures of Judaism: Abraham, who is the first to recognize the concept of one God; Moses, who receives the Ten Commandments from God; and David, whose sins teach the Israelites that no one is above the law of God.
- StarsLiam NeesonNigel SpiveyVictor Davis HansonA documentary, narrated by actor Liam Neeson, that chronicles the rise and fall of the civilization of ancient Greece.
- StarsBettany HughesRay LonnenMargaret RobertsonA history of the ancient Spartans, featuring historian Bettany Hughes as presenter and narrator.
- StarsMichael WoodJohn ChadwickColin RenfrewOver six hour-long programs, Michael Wood marshals the disparate strands of evidence to present as fully rounded a portrait as possible of both the historical and the legendary city of Troy, its central place in Western culture, and the Mycenaean Age itself. From Schliemann's initial cavalier bulldozing of the mound at Hisarlik, to Homer's epics, the Hittite Empire, and the role of slave women, Wood journeys back and forth across the Aegean and elsewhere, from a pre-unification Berlin to Liverpool, to illuminate the dawn of Western literature, myth, and history. Did the Trojan war ever happen, or was the city destroyed by natural causes? Wood doesn't claim to find a definitive answer, of course, but for the viewer it's rewarding enough simply to accompany him on this fascinating journey.
- StarsEdward HerrmannTravis WojcikThe history of the great militaristic Ancient Greek city state.
- StarsLeonard NimoyKathleen TurnerCarole FontaineAncient Mysteries is a documentary television series that deals with historical mysteries.
- DirectorJean-Claude BragardStarsJonathan EdwardsThrough dramatic reconstructions, former Olympic athlete Jonathan Edwards takes a voyage back in time, following Odysseus (Ulysses) as he leads his men to fight in the Trojan War and their perilous journey home to Ithaca.
- StarsEmilia FoxJames CallisDaniel LapaineThe abduction of beautiful Helen, wife of Spartan King Menelaus, by Paris of Troy triggers a long war.
- StarsArmand AssanteGreta ScacchiIsabella RosselliniFollows Odysseus on his wanderings back to Ithaca following the Trojan War.
- DirectorFranco PiavoliStarsLuigi MezzanotteBranca de CamargoAlex CarozzoAt the end of the war, Odysseus, the wandering hero, with his companions begins his sail back home to the Mediterranean. The conclusion of his adventure is delayed by many natural obstacles and he takes an internal journey of fleeting memories of his childhood, his parents, love for a beautiful girl, nostalgia for the past, regret for what he did, and the deep silence that envelops everything. He confronts the most terrible loneliness following a shipwreck in which all the comrades perish.
- StarsDerek JacobiOlivia WilliamsAngus MacfadyenOne of the most legendary adventures in all mythology is brought to life in an epic saga of one man's quest for the Golden Fleece, a gift from the gods.
- DirectorDavid PadruschStarsJeffery A. BakerOrion BarnesErin Bennett"Last Stand of the 300" is a 2007 special that tells the tale of when in 480 BCE, a small number of Greeks stood against the might of the Persian empire at Thermopylae.
- DirectorRoberto RosselliniStarsJean SylvèreAnne CaprileGiuseppe MannajuoloA false accusation leads the philosopher Socrates to trial and condemnation in 4th century BC Athens.
- DirectorGeorge SchaeferStarsPeter UstinovGeraldine PageAnthony QuayleThe last few days in the life of Socrates, including his trial.
- StarsJames MasonJane LapotaireRobert StephensFriends, contemporaries and even enemies of Alexander the Great gather to tell his tale through their eyes.
- StarsMichael WoodDocumentary series retracing the journey of Alexander the Great across sixteen countries.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsColin FarrellAnthony HopkinsRosario DawsonAlexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest army leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.
- DirectorJim LindsayStarsPeter WoodwardRafael FerrerMichael CardelleAlexander the Great conquered Greece, Turkey, most of Asia (present Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of others) and Egypt in Africa, before age 32. Even now, his innovations in battle continue to be studied.
- StarsSiân PhillipsMichael GothardPatti LoveIt is 61. The Romans rule Britain. Prasutagus, King of the Iceni, is dying. In his will, he bequeaths one half of his kingdom to his two daughters; the other half is to be ceded to the Roman Emperor, Nero. Prasutagus' widow, Queen Boudicca, invites the Roman Procurator, Catus Decianus, to attend his burial. Catus Decianus, however, has no intention of attending "this flea-bitten King's funeral". Instead, he arrives when it is over. It is an ominous sign.
- StarsMichelle NewellGraham CrowdenHelen SparksThe lives of a series of queens belonging to the Ptolemaic Dynasty of ancient Egypt, culminating in its final active ruler Cleopatra VII.
- StarsJeremy SistoRichard HarrisChristopher WalkenTwenty-year-old Julius Caeser flees Rome for his life during the reign of Sulla, but through skill and ambition rises four decades later to become Rome's supreme dictator.
- StarsAnthony HigginsChristian RodskaPeter WhitbreadIn Britannia in 130, a young Roman officer named Marcus Flavius Aquila and his freed slave Esca search for the Ninth Legion's gold eagle standard, which vanished with the legion 13 years earlier.
- StarsLeif AndersSam MercurioKarl OtterThe historical drama details the Roman military campaigns against the barbarians. It shows how continuous wars depleted resources, a key factor in the fall of the Empire.
- StarsLyall B. WatsonMichael SheenJames D'ArcyA docu-drama covering the rise and the fall of the Roman world, including the establishment of strong individual rule by Julius Caesar and the rebuilding of Rome under Nero.
- StarsShelley HaleyRichard BrilliantCarl J. RichardA six part documentary on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire
- StarsDerek JacobiJohn HurtSiân PhillipsThe personal and governmental affairs of the Julio-Claudian dynasty at the beginning of the Roman Empire, as recalled by one of its rulers.
- StarsFreddie JonesAndré MorellCaroline BlakistonAfter years of civil war following the assassination of Julius Caesar, his adopted son Octavian manages to unite the various factions and assume control of the Roman Empire. Taking the name Augustus, he presides over an unparalleled period of growth and prosperity, but when he dies, the Empire is thrown into confusion by the corrupt and violent reigns of Tiberius and the insane Caligula.
- DirectorChris GormlieExamine the spectacular wonders of the ancient city which stood on the northern coast of Africa, near modern day Tunis. This "Lost Treasures" program allows us a unique glimpse of the "new city", including the mighty walled fortress of Byrsa, which overlooked Carthage's splendid twin harbors.
- DirectorJoseph MaxwellStarsRichard MilesWhen Rome was still in its infancy, Carthage was the dominant power of the Mediterranean. As Rome grew, Carthage remained its only great rival. It was that rivalry that drove Rome to utterly destroy Carthage, and massacre its people.
- DirectorEdward BazalgetteStarsAlexander SiddigEmilio DoorgasinghBashar RahalIt is 200 years before the birth of Christ and Rome is the new superpower of the ancient world. She believes she is invincible - but one man is destined to change that. He is a man bound by oath to avenge the wrongs inflicted on his home and, in pursuit of revenge, he will stop at nothing. Hannibal explores the man behind the myth, revealing what drove the 26-year-old to mastermind one of the most audacious military moves in history. With 40,000 soldiers and 37 elephants, he marched 1,500 miles to challenge his enemies on their own soil. It was an act so daring that few people believed it possible. Hannibal combines drama, the latest historical research and state-of-the-art CGI to bring this spectacular story to life.
- StarsGoran VisnjicAlan BatesAngus MacfadyenAfter he is bought by the owner of a Roman gladiator school and trained as a gladiator, a slave leads a rebellion of slaves and gladiators into revolt against Rome.
- StarsBilly ZaneTimothy DaltonRupert GravesPrincess Cleopatra becomes Egypt's Queen and has an out-of-wedlock son with the son-less Roman ruler Julius Caesar. Through two romances, she strives to protect Egypt from the Romans, and make her son the heir to Caesar's Roman Empire.
- StarsPeter O'ToolePeter StraussBarbara CarreraAfter the destruction of the Second Temple, nine hundred Jewish zealots hold out against a five thousand man Roman legion on the mountaintop fortress of Masada.
- DirectorBill AndersonStarsAlex KingstonSteven WaddingtonEmily BluntBoudica, the Warrior Queen on Britain, leads her tribe into rebellion against the Roman Empire and the mad Emperor of Rome Nero.
- StarsSiân PhillipsMichael GothardPatti LoveIt is 61. The Romans rule Britain. Prasutagus, King of the Iceni, is dying. In his will, he bequeaths one half of his kingdom to his two daughters; the other half is to be ceded to the Roman Emperor, Nero. Prasutagus' widow, Queen Boudicca, invites the Roman Procurator, Catus Decianus, to attend his burial. Catus Decianus, however, has no intention of attending "this flea-bitten King's funeral". Instead, he arrives when it is over. It is an ominous sign.
- DirectorTilman RemmeStarsRobert ShannonDerek LeaJamel ArouiVerus, a slave captured in the Balkans, sees a gladiatorial career in the arena as a preferable alternative to life in a rock quarry.
- DirectorMax BartoliMaximilian Coleman
- DirectorGiorgos PetritsisStarsRobert MacLeanIren TheotokatouTelis ZotosThe Seven Wisest Men of Ancient Greece did not include Socrates, Plato or Aristotle. However, even the Seven Sages would choose only One as the Wisest of All.
- StarsJohn RomerJohn Romer recreates the glory and history of Byzantium. From the Hagia Sophia in present-day Istanbul to the looted treasures of the empire now located in St. Marks in Venice.
- StarsPauline LynchSteven BerkoffAndrew PleavinIn 400 AD, the Roman Empire is the greatest power in the world. But to the east a fierce people arose: the Huns. They believe in a prophecy about a great king who will unite the tribes and challenge Rome for control of the world.
- StarsClancy BrownThomas BurnsMichael KulikowskiThis 4 part series documents the history of the Vikings, Goths, Mongols, and Huns.
- StarsBob BovingKelly DeVriesThomas R. MartinIn this second series, the History Channel presents a different set of Barbarians, the Vandals, Saxons, Franks, and Lombards.
- DirectorChristopher CasselStarsPhilip DaileaderKelly DeVriesBonnie EffrosThe History Channel examines the Dark Ages from the fall of the Roman Empire to the First Crusade.
- DirectorSidney HayersPat JacksonPeter SasdyStarsOliver TobiasJack WatsonMichael GothardThis is the inspiring, epic journey of a noble warrior's quest to prove his worth, his might, and his destined fate to become the next ruler of Britain.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsClive OwenStephen DillaneKeira KnightleyA demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
- StarsFelicity DeanDavid RobbMaureen O'BrienThe classic story of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.
- DirectorDavid WinningStarsJason ConneryDeborah MooreGareth ThomasThe young wizard Merlin must rescue the helpless people from the evil King Vidus and his ruthless high counselor.
- StarsGeorge WinterTrevor PeacockRoger AlboroughA star-studded TV production of the classic tale by Mary Stewart which follows Merlin down through history to the days of King Arthur.
- DirectorJohn Michael PhillipsStarsMalcolm StorryValerie GoganJason DurrOne Christmas, a knight garbed all in green appears in King Arthur's Court and challenges any knight to hew off his head on the proviso that he be allowed to return the axe stroke afterwards. All of King Arthur's other knights being frightened, Sir Gawain takes up the challenge and hacks off the green knight's head. The green knight then gives Gawain a year to find his home and live a little before the cut is returned.
- DirectorStephen WeeksStarsMurray HeadCiaran MaddenNigel GreenThe medieval legend of a supernatural knight who challenges the king's men to kill him.
- DirectorPeter JefferiesStarsAdam BarehamBrian BlessedAnna Calder-MarshallIn 1066, weakened Anglo-Saxon King Harold II faces the invasion of enemy French forces led by Norman-French Duke William II of Normandy. Harold makes the fateful decision to fortify himself at Hastings Castle. The rest is history.
- DirectorGilles GrangierSergiu NicolaescuStarsHervé BellonJohn TerryMircea AlbulescuWilliam's government blended elements of the English and Norman systems into a new one that laid the foundations of the later medieval English kingdom.[141] How abrupt and far-reaching the changes were is still a matter of debate among historians, with some such as Richard Southern claiming that the Conquest was the single most radical change in European history between the Fall of Rome and the 20th century.
- StarsKen MarshallDenholm ElliottTony VogelThe life and experiences of the thirteenth century explorer, who sought to connect the civilizations of China and Europe through trade.
- StarsDerek JacobiMichael CulverJulian FirthThe medieval era cases of a Crusader-turned-Monk who investigates mysteries in the Norman English town of Shrewsbury.
- DirectorClive DonnerStarsDavid HemmingsMichael YorkPrunella RansomeWhile Old England is being ransacked by roving Danes in the ninth century, Alfred is planning to join the priesthood. But observing the rape of his land, he puts away his religious vows, to take up arms against the invaders, leading the English Christians to fight for their country. Alfred soundly defeats the Danes and becomes a hero. Although Alfred still longs for the priesthood, he is torn between his passion for God and his lust for blood.Alfred I
- DirectorAnthony HarveyStarsPeter O'TooleKatharine HepburnAnthony Hopkins1183 A.D.: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. When he allows his imprisoned wife Eleanor of Aquitaine out for a Christmas visit, they all variously plot to force him into a decision.Henry II
- DirectorAndrey KonchalovskiyStarsGlenn ClosePatrick StewartJonathan Rhys MeyersKing Henry II meets with Eleanor of Aquitaine at Christmastide 1183 to choose one of his sons as his successor.Henry II
- StarsJane LapotaireJohn DuttineChristopher GableHenry Plantagenet (later King Henry II), sees his opportunity to seize the crown of England and create a kingdom of law and order.Henry II
- DirectorRichard BedserStarsDerek LeaVolker LechtenbrinkHichem RostomRichard I
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghDerek JacobiSimon ShepherdIn the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.Henry V
- StarsJames MaxwellBruce HodgkinsNorma WestA series recording the key events in the reign of Henry Tudor and his founding of the Tudor DynastyHenry VII
- StarsDavid StarkeyCaroline LintottDavid FleeshmanA dramatic documentary narrated and presented by controversial historian David Starkey about the lives as wives and Queens of the six wives of Tudor king Henry VIII.Henry VIII
- StarsKeith MichellAnthony QuaylePatrick TroughtonA six-episode dramatization of Henry VIII's relationships with each of his six wives. Each episode is devoted to one wife, and is a complete play in itself.Henry VIII
- DirectorWaris HusseinStarsKeith MichellDonald PleasenceCharlotte RamplingOn his deathbed, King Henry VIII looks back over his eventful life and his six marriages.Henry VIII
- DirectorPete TravisStarsRay WinstoneJoss AcklandSid MitchellTwo part mini-series documenting the stormy thirty-eight-year reign of King Henry VIII.Henry VIII
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsPaul ScofieldWendy HillerRobert ShawThe story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.Henry VIII