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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:28,640 Thousands of years ago, ancient powers ruled our world. 2 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:33,240 Egypt. 3 00:00:34,180 --> 00:00:35,180 China. 4 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:36,920 India. 5 00:00:37,860 --> 00:00:38,860 Greece. 6 00:00:39,540 --> 00:00:40,940 And Rome. 7 00:00:42,100 --> 00:00:47,000 Players in a high stakes game of strategy and luck. 8 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,380 Success will bring them wealth and immortality. 9 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,060 failure, oblivion, and death. 10 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:07,620 In their battle for survival, each civilization will face the same 11 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,860 How they respond will shape their destiny. 12 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:25,080 In this episode, more and order 13 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:31,800 in an unruly world our ancient powers must 14 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:38,520 lead their people create ways to govern and keep rebellion 15 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:45,260 at bay who will find the right way to rule 16 00:02:09,419 --> 00:02:16,040 Our ancient powers have established their cultures, built monuments and 17 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:20,840 links, and fought battles to protect their homeland. 18 00:02:23,580 --> 00:02:26,820 Now they confront their next challenge. 19 00:02:56,270 --> 00:03:00,490 Egypt is peaceful, prosperous, and powerful. 20 00:03:01,550 --> 00:03:06,190 Its three million people are happy and well -fed. 21 00:03:08,810 --> 00:03:14,670 But the sudden death of its pharaoh, Thutmose II, plunges this ancient power 22 00:03:14,670 --> 00:03:15,930 into crisis. 23 00:03:17,110 --> 00:03:21,850 Because the heir to the throne is only a child. 24 00:03:30,350 --> 00:03:34,970 Thutmose was the second son. He was about two or three years of age. And so, 25 00:03:35,010 --> 00:03:38,090 although he was crowned king, he needed a regent. 26 00:03:39,830 --> 00:03:44,890 Without a strong guiding hand, the boy king's rule is in danger. 27 00:03:45,610 --> 00:03:48,670 Who can step in and take charge? 28 00:03:49,910 --> 00:03:55,050 The only choice is Thutmose's wife and queen. 29 00:04:00,230 --> 00:04:02,550 Hatshepsut was a woman of royal blood. 30 00:04:02,850 --> 00:04:09,270 But in terms of kingship, a king was male. So Hatshepsut being female was a 31 00:04:09,270 --> 00:04:10,270 little bit confusing. 32 00:04:12,390 --> 00:04:15,150 She needs a way to secure her reign. 33 00:04:17,350 --> 00:04:21,110 So Hatshepsut embarks on a radical transformation. 34 00:04:24,950 --> 00:04:31,250 She showed herself as a man dressed in Pharaoh's paraphernalia. There's nothing 35 00:04:31,250 --> 00:04:32,310 female about her. 36 00:04:33,490 --> 00:04:37,930 So for all the Egyptians, the Pharaoh is as he should be. 37 00:04:38,910 --> 00:04:40,410 It just happens to be she. 38 00:04:44,510 --> 00:04:51,130 While these visual tricks work for some, others see her rule as dangerous and 39 00:04:51,130 --> 00:04:52,130 unacceptable. 40 00:04:53,010 --> 00:04:55,950 But Hatshepsut understands her people. 41 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:01,480 And knows that to succeed, she needs to make a permanent mark. 42 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:04,240 And she has a plan. 43 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,840 The ancient Egyptians were big on propaganda and imagery, and that's how 44 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:15,180 communicated what was going on. So Hatshepsut built throughout Egypt, 45 00:05:15,180 --> 00:05:16,180 am king. 46 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,700 But building alone isn't the answer. 47 00:05:25,100 --> 00:05:28,140 She also needs to have the gods on her side. 48 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:36,460 At Karnak Temple in Thebes, Hatshepsut erects a huge obelisk. 49 00:05:37,820 --> 00:05:43,080 Carved from a single 30 -meter -high block of granite, it is dedicated to the 50 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:44,580 god Amun -Ra. 51 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,680 An obelisk is a symbol of the sun god. It's like a sunbeam. 52 00:05:52,140 --> 00:05:55,940 And that's why the top, which is also a little pyramid, would have been covered 53 00:05:55,940 --> 00:05:56,940 by electron. 54 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:02,500 And when the sun hit it, at certain times of day, the whole area would just 55 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:03,980 explode with light. 56 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,300 For the common Egyptians, it would look as if the gods were really present and 57 00:06:16,300 --> 00:06:18,020 radiating their light out. 58 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:28,080 And by putting her obelisks here, it's establishing a close rapport and 59 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:33,480 relationship between Hatshepsut and the god Amun, which also is a way of giving 60 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:34,480 her more legitimacy. 61 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,620 Hatshepsut convinces her subjects of her power. 62 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:44,360 But there is another formidable group she must get on side. 63 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:46,740 The priests. 64 00:06:50,060 --> 00:06:54,260 They gather taxes and receive lucrative offerings for the gods. 65 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,200 They are powerful and influential. 66 00:07:00,460 --> 00:07:03,320 Strong enough to depose a pharaoh. 67 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:09,800 To buy their loyalty, Hatshepsut plans an enormous temple complex. 68 00:07:22,350 --> 00:07:26,210 This huge temple takes 13 years to construct. 69 00:07:26,910 --> 00:07:33,650 Built of dazzling limestone, it's a stunning architectural achievement and 70 00:07:33,650 --> 00:07:36,430 propaganda on the grandest possible scale. 71 00:07:38,830 --> 00:07:43,450 This is one of the most unusual of Egyptian funerary temples. 72 00:07:44,310 --> 00:07:47,430 The mountain is embracing this monument. 73 00:07:55,790 --> 00:07:59,530 approach was lined with sphinxes which all had her face. 74 00:08:03,490 --> 00:08:10,430 On the facade, Hatshepsut depicts herself as Osiris, the male god of the 75 00:08:13,190 --> 00:08:18,410 On the walls, she creates reliefs illustrating her royal exploits. 76 00:08:20,530 --> 00:08:25,830 And inside, in a sacred space, where only priests are allowed, 77 00:08:26,610 --> 00:08:29,390 Hatshepsut makes an audacious claim. 78 00:08:31,090 --> 00:08:34,289 Part of her divine origin myth. 79 00:08:45,610 --> 00:08:50,850 Here you have the goddess Hathor, who is crowning Hatshepsut and sort of 80 00:08:50,850 --> 00:08:52,450 presenting her to Amun. 81 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:54,060 as the rightful ruler. 82 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:59,240 Hathor is the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. 83 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,360 Here, she is represented as a cow. 84 00:09:04,140 --> 00:09:10,240 And we have these fabulous images of the goddess Hathor and Hatshepsut suckling. 85 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:15,720 And by taking in the milk, she herself is getting even more divine because 86 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:16,760 ingesting from the goddess. 87 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:29,480 Shepsut's remarkable power play pays off, and she rules for over 15 years. 88 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,480 Hatshepsut's reign was a wonderful time for Egypt. 89 00:09:39,100 --> 00:09:41,000 She was innovative. 90 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:48,160 She had good ideas with architecture, decoration, programs for establishing 91 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,100 the legitimacy of kingship. 92 00:09:50,350 --> 00:09:55,830 and setting up the whole mechanism for large -scale Egyptian propaganda for the 93 00:09:55,830 --> 00:09:57,130 new kingdom pharaohs. 94 00:10:01,230 --> 00:10:07,730 Hatshepsut changes history by proving a pharaoh's gender doesn't always matter. 95 00:10:10,210 --> 00:10:16,210 The people and priests can accept women who they believe are divine. 96 00:10:21,130 --> 00:10:25,650 And this pharaoh secures a golden age for Egypt. 97 00:10:27,170 --> 00:10:31,250 I have to say that she has always been one of my favorite pharaohs because when 98 00:10:31,250 --> 00:10:35,770 you have a woman pharaoh and you yourself are a woman, it's quite a buzz. 99 00:10:42,210 --> 00:10:42,730 In 100 00:10:42,730 --> 00:10:49,850 Egypt, 101 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,320 The power of the gods legitimizes a pharaoh's claim to rule. 102 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:02,740 To the east, ancient India has many different belief systems. 103 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:08,780 But here too, religion is key to maintaining law and order. 104 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,220 Power in India is fragmented. 105 00:11:46,140 --> 00:11:50,100 In the north, small kingdoms battle for control. 106 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:53,460 But soon, one wins out. 107 00:11:55,580 --> 00:11:57,000 The Guptas. 108 00:11:57,740 --> 00:12:03,200 The territory they conquer stretches from coast to coast, across the northern 109 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,220 half of the Indian subcontinent. 110 00:12:06,060 --> 00:12:12,420 Two decades into their imperial rule, India's greatest king takes the throne. 111 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,200 Samudra Gupta. 112 00:12:34,170 --> 00:12:36,530 Samudra Gupta was a man of many, many talents. 113 00:12:37,250 --> 00:12:38,930 On the one hand, he was a great warrior. 114 00:12:39,310 --> 00:12:43,590 We read about how his body was adorned with the scars he received in various 115 00:12:43,590 --> 00:12:45,790 battles from axles and swords. 116 00:12:47,410 --> 00:12:51,530 But he was also something of a creative thinker, a poet king who composed a lot 117 00:12:51,530 --> 00:12:52,530 of poetry himself. 118 00:12:57,710 --> 00:13:02,690 Samudra Gupta has millions under his command, but faces a challenge. 119 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,180 How can he keep control of his vast and diverse kingdom? 120 00:13:13,180 --> 00:13:17,760 He turns to his religion, Hinduism, for answers. 121 00:13:34,030 --> 00:13:37,750 The Vedas are the sacred foundation of Hinduism. 122 00:14:14,140 --> 00:14:21,140 The oldest of these sacred texts, the Rig Veda, discusses rituals and 123 00:14:21,140 --> 00:14:27,420 the praise of gods, the origin of the universe, and the nature of the divine. 124 00:14:30,730 --> 00:14:37,290 But crucially for Emperor Sumudra Gupta, one of these hymns suggests how society 125 00:14:37,290 --> 00:14:38,550 should be structured. 126 00:14:40,830 --> 00:14:45,870 There's one controversial verse in the Rig Veda that talks about how from the 127 00:14:45,870 --> 00:14:49,710 body of the cosmic creator, God himself, it was from the mouth that the Brahmin 128 00:14:49,710 --> 00:14:50,710 emerged. 129 00:14:50,770 --> 00:14:53,750 The Brahmins are the sacred theological priestly community. 130 00:14:54,730 --> 00:14:56,970 It was from the arms of the Kshatriyas emerged. 131 00:14:57,570 --> 00:15:00,250 The Kshatriyas were the fighters and the warrior class. 132 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,980 It was from the Thais that the mercantile class emerged. 133 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,060 And finally the Shudras from the feet. 134 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:10,440 And the Shudras are the service communities that serve everybody else, 135 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:11,440 and so on. 136 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,080 This was used as a justification to say that in the most sacred of the Hindu 137 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,700 scriptures, there is reference to stratification. 138 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:25,540 Samudra Gupta and the other Gupta kings take this idea and build on it. 139 00:15:26,030 --> 00:15:30,310 dividing society into distinct classes or castes. 140 00:15:30,830 --> 00:15:34,950 This system proves to be a powerful form of control. 141 00:15:35,950 --> 00:15:39,950 The caste system in the early Gupta period wasn't necessarily set in stone. 142 00:15:39,950 --> 00:15:40,950 was a lot more fluid. 143 00:15:41,010 --> 00:15:44,270 There are strong indications that the Guptas might have been Brahmins 144 00:15:44,270 --> 00:15:47,810 themselves. And if the kings themselves were Brahmins, of course you see 145 00:15:47,810 --> 00:15:51,830 Brahmins receiving state power and thereby becoming stronger in Hindu 146 00:15:55,220 --> 00:16:01,420 Samuja Gupta cements his power at the top of the caste system and transforms 147 00:16:01,420 --> 00:16:02,860 Indian society. 148 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:13,860 You see that there's arts and culture thriving, the empire is stable, there's 149 00:16:13,860 --> 00:16:14,860 economic activity. 150 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:20,780 In fact, to many Hindus, this was the golden age of Hindu civilization. 151 00:16:30,990 --> 00:16:35,170 The Guptas use religion to organize and control their people. 152 00:16:40,770 --> 00:16:47,590 In China, the ruler of a new dynasty faces a similar problem, but will 153 00:16:47,590 --> 00:16:49,630 find a very different solution. 154 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,780 For over two centuries, different states compete for domination of China. 155 00:17:20,859 --> 00:17:24,380 Eventually, there's a winner, the Qin. 156 00:17:28,140 --> 00:17:32,700 But its new emperor, Qin Shi Huang, has a problem. 157 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:41,060 How can he unify over 30 million people from different cultures who have 158 00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:42,780 different customs and beliefs? 159 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:59,120 He begins at ground level, creating 36 new administrative districts known as 160 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:06,080 commentaries, and building 7 ,000 kilometers of new roads to link 161 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:07,080 them. 162 00:18:09,700 --> 00:18:15,900 Next, to make trade between regions easier and collect taxes, he 163 00:18:15,900 --> 00:18:20,080 standardizes currency, units of length, and weights. 164 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:24,580 But he doesn't believe these unifying measures will be enough. 165 00:18:25,660 --> 00:18:27,540 Something else is needed. 166 00:18:31,020 --> 00:18:36,240 The text on these bamboo slips is Ching Shih Huang's solution to the problem. 167 00:18:37,140 --> 00:18:41,180 Hundreds of rules and instructions. A legal code. 168 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,560 Detailing the do's and don'ts of his new empire. 169 00:18:53,260 --> 00:18:54,600 This is the story of Shui Wu Li. 170 00:18:55,740 --> 00:19:01,240 You mentioned that the ancient people had their own customs. 171 00:19:01,660 --> 00:19:05,860 That is to say, in the past, the people had their own customs and habits. 172 00:19:06,420 --> 00:19:10,560 The goods were not convenient for the people and harmful to the people. 173 00:19:11,180 --> 00:19:14,800 Some were inconvenient for the people and harmful to the country. 174 00:19:39,860 --> 00:19:44,220 This new way of ruling is known as legalism. 175 00:20:08,860 --> 00:20:10,360 Brutal and absolute. 176 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,860 Legalism is strict authoritarian rule. 177 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,320 It makes Qin Shi Huang 178 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,420 China's most powerful emperor. 179 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,520 His enormous tomb reveals the secrets of his rule. 180 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:38,400 Covering over 56 square kilometers, this burial ground is a mirror of his 181 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:39,720 empire in life. 182 00:21:10,690 --> 00:21:15,650 He's buried with his fearsome army critical to enforcing his rule. 183 00:21:19,530 --> 00:21:23,650 But he's also accompanied by some less familiar figures. 184 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:51,640 When you write words, if you write the wrong words on the keyboard, you can use 185 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:57,300 the eraser to erase them. It's actually just like a piece of rubber now. 186 00:22:03,020 --> 00:22:06,980 Combining this with Taoyong, we will make a preliminary analysis to determine 187 00:22:06,980 --> 00:22:08,280 the nature of this pit. 188 00:22:08,780 --> 00:22:12,540 It should symbolize the Qin dynasty's Qin Wei organization. 189 00:22:13,740 --> 00:22:14,840 Qin Wei is... 190 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:28,200 These men are buried much closer to their emperor than his army. 191 00:22:46,570 --> 00:22:51,450 These officials write the laws that maintain the Emperor's eye and grip on 192 00:22:51,450 --> 00:22:52,450 power. 193 00:22:53,430 --> 00:23:00,130 So crucial to his rule that he keeps them close, even in death. 194 00:23:06,410 --> 00:23:12,170 In China, strict laws and regulations help unify this ancient power. 195 00:23:16,430 --> 00:23:22,910 Far to the west, Rome also needs to exert authority on its ever expanding 196 00:23:22,910 --> 00:23:23,910 territory. 197 00:23:44,750 --> 00:23:48,630 Rome's population is now almost 60 million people. 198 00:23:49,510 --> 00:23:52,210 But the empire is in turmoil. 199 00:23:55,830 --> 00:24:01,190 Divided by bloody civil war as different factions attempt to seize control. 200 00:24:04,370 --> 00:24:11,090 How can its new emperor, Vespasian, get the people back on side and restore law 201 00:24:11,090 --> 00:24:12,490 and order to the empire? 202 00:24:15,340 --> 00:24:19,280 His idea is a no -expense -spared gift to the people. 203 00:24:19,500 --> 00:24:24,100 A mighty monument to house the greatest show on Earth. 204 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,780 This is the largest arena the world has ever seen. 205 00:24:39,820 --> 00:24:45,500 A place where 50 ,000 people can witness spectacles of bloodlust. 206 00:25:07,630 --> 00:25:11,170 They have poetry, they have democracy, they have art. 207 00:25:13,930 --> 00:25:18,990 And then on the other hand, they appeal to the brutal side of man. 208 00:25:20,370 --> 00:25:24,270 It's this marriage between beauty and violence. 209 00:25:25,250 --> 00:25:27,710 The Romans love the games. 210 00:25:28,850 --> 00:25:32,050 They're a celebration of macho athleticism. 211 00:25:32,830 --> 00:25:34,570 And the gladiators... 212 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:38,040 are superstars. 213 00:25:42,860 --> 00:25:46,420 They're the most sexually desired athletes of the Roman Empire. 214 00:25:46,980 --> 00:25:52,360 They are muscly, oiled -up men that ladies love and men want to be. 215 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,300 Each gladiator plays a different role. 216 00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:01,200 The secutor is a heavily armored warrior. 217 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,800 The mamillo, the enemy from Gaul. 218 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:08,460 And the Retiarius, a fisherman. 219 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:14,260 Each distinctive character fights with different armor and weaponry. 220 00:26:16,740 --> 00:26:22,780 But they are all heroes that the crowds can share on. 221 00:26:30,940 --> 00:26:33,760 The Retiarius has the Galera here. 222 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,960 Nice bit of armor on the shoulder, which protects the side of his face so he can 223 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:38,779 look over it. 224 00:26:38,780 --> 00:26:43,160 He's got the trident, and he's got the net. But his body's exposed. His leg's 225 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:45,660 exposed. You think that's hardly fair, because look at this guy. 226 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,140 This guy's got the scooter. 227 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:50,480 He's also got a wonderful helmet. 228 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:52,140 You'd say, I definitely want to be with this guy. 229 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:55,580 Well, don't let appearances fool you, because here's the problem. 230 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:56,920 He can't breathe very well. 231 00:26:58,140 --> 00:27:00,360 He is going to get tired way quicker. 232 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:02,680 And it's wonderful to see... 233 00:27:02,970 --> 00:27:04,750 what the outcome's going to be, because you don't know. 234 00:27:07,350 --> 00:27:10,450 But the games aren't simply gory entertainment. 235 00:27:11,170 --> 00:27:13,390 They are powerful propaganda. 236 00:27:14,790 --> 00:27:19,650 Reenactments of Rome's victories which celebrate its control over its dominion. 237 00:27:20,610 --> 00:27:24,170 The visceral spectacle that draws the crowd. 238 00:27:26,090 --> 00:27:28,150 The atmosphere would have been electric. 239 00:27:29,010 --> 00:27:32,790 First of all, you've got the roar of the crowds chanting for their teams. 240 00:27:33,830 --> 00:27:37,030 You've got the sounds from the beasts, so you can already hear them as you're 241 00:27:37,030 --> 00:27:38,030 walking towards the Coliseum. 242 00:27:39,070 --> 00:27:42,650 You can go to any sports stadium, and when you're walking with the crowds, you 243 00:27:42,650 --> 00:27:45,310 feel that enthusiasm, that passion, that excitement. 244 00:27:45,830 --> 00:27:49,490 For many people, it would have been the highlight of their week to go and see a 245 00:27:49,490 --> 00:27:50,490 gladiatorial contest. 246 00:27:52,930 --> 00:27:55,950 These violent displays bring the Romans together. 247 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:03,760 A trick repeated all across their empire in more than 200 amphitheaters, 248 00:28:03,860 --> 00:28:10,500 each built to impress, entertain, and assert the emperor's 249 00:28:10,500 --> 00:28:11,500 power. 250 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,640 Ultimately, if you take it from the emperor's point of view, well, why is 251 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:18,880 emperor putting on these lavish games? It's simple. 252 00:28:20,700 --> 00:28:24,480 He needs to distract you because there's famine coming through the city. There's 253 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:26,780 problems. It's fine. Watch the games. 254 00:28:27,620 --> 00:28:29,880 The Spasian's distraction works. 255 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:35,460 For over 400 years, the gladiatorial games helped keep the peace. 256 00:28:36,340 --> 00:28:39,820 All people need is food and distraction. 257 00:28:40,380 --> 00:28:42,580 Bread and circuses. Panin to Chensum. 258 00:28:43,020 --> 00:28:47,320 For the most part, the mob is happy, and that's what the emperor wants. Your 259 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:51,540 happiness, his popularity, his reign continues, and everyone's good. 260 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:57,100 And that's why the emperor does it. 261 00:29:05,980 --> 00:29:11,760 In ancient Rome, entertainment maintains law and order across its empire. 262 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:21,020 Further to the south, a belief in their gods has kept Egypt safe for millennia. 263 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:23,920 Until now. 264 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:49,820 In the century after Hatshepsut's reign, Egypt has gone from strength to 265 00:29:49,820 --> 00:29:50,820 strength. 266 00:29:51,060 --> 00:29:56,300 The great builder pharaoh, Amenhotep III, is on the throne. 267 00:29:56,900 --> 00:30:02,380 Like his predecessor, he uses architecture to celebrate his religion. 268 00:30:18,060 --> 00:30:19,940 Amenhotep III loved statues. 269 00:30:20,180 --> 00:30:21,700 The bigger, the better. 270 00:30:22,100 --> 00:30:24,380 He made gorgeous images of himself. 271 00:30:24,700 --> 00:30:27,700 He loved to show off himself and his power. 272 00:30:28,700 --> 00:30:33,220 Key to Amenhotep's authority are Egypt's many gods. 273 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:38,800 The gods were the foundation of the entire economy and the political 274 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:39,800 of ancient Egypt. 275 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,220 Without the gods, there wouldn't be an Egyptian state. 276 00:30:47,180 --> 00:30:54,120 Amenhotep, like all pharaohs, relies on religious belief to justify his rule and 277 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:58,900 maintain peace and stability in this life and the next. 278 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:16,320 When Amenhotep dies after 40 years on the throne, The priests transport his 279 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,360 to a huge underground tomb. 280 00:31:19,740 --> 00:31:23,880 Here, his people believe the gods of the underworld are waiting. 281 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:37,640 I have Amenhotep III here, portrayed as a young man heading off on his journey 282 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:38,599 to the afterlife. 283 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,740 And the god Anubis, the god of embalming, is taking him by the hand. 284 00:31:43,230 --> 00:31:45,330 and showing him the way to the other side. 285 00:31:48,650 --> 00:31:52,930 Over here, there's another version of Amenhotep III with the goddess Hathor. 286 00:31:53,030 --> 00:31:55,050 She's embracing him, holding the key of life. 287 00:31:55,490 --> 00:32:00,490 And over there, I can see Amenhotep III receiving life from the god of the 288 00:32:00,490 --> 00:32:01,610 underworld, Osiris. 289 00:32:02,450 --> 00:32:08,270 All of these gods are helping Amenhotep III make his way into the afterlife. 290 00:32:09,610 --> 00:32:16,030 But just as Amenhotep's body is entombed in his granite sarcophagus, his son and 291 00:32:16,030 --> 00:32:19,410 heir, Akhenaten, plots a religious revolution. 292 00:32:23,450 --> 00:32:28,210 To turn away from the gods would have been unfathomable to most ancient 293 00:32:28,210 --> 00:32:29,210 Egyptians. 294 00:32:29,590 --> 00:32:31,390 But not for Akhenaten. 295 00:32:31,850 --> 00:32:36,190 He closes down the temples and cults of Egypt's multiple deities. 296 00:32:36,810 --> 00:32:42,090 and replaces them with monotheism, the worship of just one god. 297 00:32:48,470 --> 00:32:51,730 Akhenaten became fascinated by the sun disk, Aten. 298 00:32:52,330 --> 00:32:57,930 This only one being that he thought was the source for all life, for everything, 299 00:32:58,030 --> 00:32:59,050 and was the only god. 300 00:33:08,159 --> 00:33:14,940 Akhenaten plans a huge new desert city to honor his god, known today 301 00:33:14,940 --> 00:33:16,220 as Amarna. 302 00:33:17,700 --> 00:33:21,380 It was challenging to build a new spot in the desert. He had to build 303 00:33:21,380 --> 00:33:25,320 everything, his own palace, temples, tombs. 304 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:32,480 Built in great haste, all is not well for this new city's 30 ,000 inhabitants. 305 00:33:33,540 --> 00:33:37,260 The rest of Egypt is enjoying a time of great bounty. 306 00:33:38,030 --> 00:33:42,110 But here, food is scarce and disease rife. 307 00:33:42,490 --> 00:33:45,710 Recent excavations show that people were suffering. 308 00:33:46,910 --> 00:33:50,070 That there was malnutrition, there was illness. 309 00:33:51,530 --> 00:33:55,830 But the biggest problem in Akhenaten's reign is that he ignored the rest of 310 00:33:55,830 --> 00:33:58,750 Egypt. He let the rest of the country fall apart. 311 00:34:01,490 --> 00:34:06,850 With the temples closed and gods banned, Egypt's economy suffers. 312 00:34:07,950 --> 00:34:12,010 People thought that he was a bad king. They thought that he was insane, that he 313 00:34:12,010 --> 00:34:13,010 ruined Egypt. 314 00:34:15,070 --> 00:34:21,170 But before things completely fall apart, Akhenaten mysteriously dies. 315 00:34:22,190 --> 00:34:24,790 And with him, his new religion. 316 00:34:26,690 --> 00:34:31,909 His son soon abandons Armana and reinstates the old gods. 317 00:34:34,449 --> 00:34:37,030 Akhenaten is branded a heretic. 318 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:44,580 He failed to take into account how important the gods were to the Egyptian 319 00:34:44,580 --> 00:34:46,480 people and to the Egyptian state. 320 00:34:47,300 --> 00:34:50,820 Without the temples, this society crumbled. 321 00:34:53,159 --> 00:34:58,820 As Akhenaten statues are smashed and his name is erased from history, 322 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,520 order is restored. 323 00:35:06,620 --> 00:35:07,920 In Egypt. 324 00:35:08,380 --> 00:35:11,740 Religious revolution comes close to bringing down society. 325 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:21,620 In Greece, traditionally, power has rested with whoever seizes control. 326 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,420 But now, change is in the air. 327 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,920 Greece is a loose collection of individual city -states. 328 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,600 Athens is one of the most powerful. 329 00:35:51,900 --> 00:35:57,880 It is populated by slaves, ordinary men and women, and wealthy hereditary 330 00:35:57,880 --> 00:35:58,880 nobles. 331 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:04,980 And whichever noble manages to grab power rules the city. 332 00:36:05,260 --> 00:36:11,200 They are known as tyrants. And the role is now shared by brothers 333 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:13,960 Hipparchus, Hippias. 334 00:36:27,340 --> 00:36:32,700 Our historical sources make it very clear that Hippias is the one actually 335 00:36:32,700 --> 00:36:38,700 ruling, whereas Hipparchus, the brother, is concerned primarily with enjoying a 336 00:36:38,700 --> 00:36:39,700 good life. 337 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:44,640 Hippias seems to have ruled without many problems for a number of years. 338 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:53,240 But in 514 BCE, everything changes when a love rival murders 339 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:54,240 Hipparchus. 340 00:37:08,430 --> 00:37:12,590 The assassination occurred at a famous Athenian shrine called the Laocorion, 341 00:37:12,810 --> 00:37:18,070 which was the shrine to the daughters of the hero Laos. And we think that we've 342 00:37:18,070 --> 00:37:21,550 discovered that shrine because we've discovered a number of inscriptions that 343 00:37:21,550 --> 00:37:22,670 mention the hero Laos. 344 00:37:24,650 --> 00:37:31,130 The impact of his brother's murder is devastating for both Hippias and the 345 00:37:31,130 --> 00:37:32,130 Athenians. 346 00:37:32,630 --> 00:37:36,330 After the assassination, his rule becomes more cruel. 347 00:37:38,090 --> 00:37:39,130 He's paranoid. 348 00:37:40,270 --> 00:37:43,610 He kills people in the city that he thinks were co -conspirators. 349 00:37:46,370 --> 00:37:47,890 And exiles others. 350 00:37:49,510 --> 00:37:56,390 Hippias' brutal rule, harsh taxes, exiles, and executions soon 351 00:37:56,390 --> 00:37:58,090 lead to civil strife. 352 00:37:59,510 --> 00:38:02,310 And eventually, he is deposed. 353 00:38:04,140 --> 00:38:09,920 But the Athenians are reluctant to live under another brutal tyrant and begin to 354 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:13,340 ask, could there be another way? 355 00:38:18,300 --> 00:38:21,020 The man with a plan is Cleisthenes. 356 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:27,040 He is a wealthy noble, but wants to overturn the idea of hereditary 357 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:29,480 and hand power to the people. 358 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:36,040 He proposes any Athenian can attend its governing body, the assembly. 359 00:38:47,060 --> 00:38:51,720 We're at the Pnyx. We're above the Athenian Agora, and we're also in front 360 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:52,720 the Acropolis Hill. 361 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:57,140 This is the place where the citizen assembly, the Ecclesia, would have met. 362 00:38:58,380 --> 00:39:02,080 There is a stand where the speaker could have addressed the crowd, that's called 363 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:06,280 the beamer, and then there's a large open space where the crowd can sit or 364 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:07,280 stand. 365 00:39:07,380 --> 00:39:11,880 And we think that there was probably space here for about 6 ,000 people, 366 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:13,260 upwards of 10 ,000. 367 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,420 This is the centre of political life. 368 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:23,200 But this early form of democracy has its quirks. 369 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:29,300 Members are not elected, but randomly selected. 370 00:39:31,940 --> 00:39:36,260 It means that you can't become a career politician, you can't try and corrupt 371 00:39:36,260 --> 00:39:41,480 people towards making certain decisions. It means that the whole citizen body is 372 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:43,280 represented as fairly as possible. 373 00:39:45,240 --> 00:39:49,160 But not everyone is eligible to take part in making decisions. 374 00:39:51,420 --> 00:39:54,580 It's just the adult males who are over 18. 375 00:39:55,340 --> 00:39:56,560 and are Athenians. 376 00:39:57,240 --> 00:40:03,220 That means no women, no children, no slaves, and also no resident foreigners. 377 00:40:04,740 --> 00:40:10,220 Despite only representing 10 % of the city's population, this version of 378 00:40:10,220 --> 00:40:11,840 democracy works. 379 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:19,640 It brings political stability and allows culture and arts to thrive, making 380 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,320 Athens the dominant force in the growing Greek Empire. 381 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:29,660 It is an idea so successful that it spreads. 382 00:40:30,260 --> 00:40:36,380 So this move from a system of tyranny to this direct democracy, 383 00:40:36,540 --> 00:40:40,020 that's quite a radical political revolution. 384 00:40:42,300 --> 00:40:48,040 It's something that will take hold throughout the Greek world later, but 385 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:51,060 is the place where this sort of idea begins. 386 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:13,160 Democracy transforms ancient Greece and ushers in a new age. 387 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:22,400 To the east, the ancient Chinese are also looking for a different way to 388 00:41:43,470 --> 00:41:48,010 The Qin's severe laws and punishments have kept their people in check for 389 00:41:48,010 --> 00:41:49,010 decades. 390 00:41:50,810 --> 00:41:54,610 But they are beginning to tire of authoritarian rule. 391 00:41:56,630 --> 00:42:03,210 So when a new dynasty and an ambitious teenage emperor, Wu, comes to power, 392 00:42:03,370 --> 00:42:06,190 he seeks a new way to rule. 393 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:24,780 The system he discovers resonates in modern China to the present day. 394 00:42:26,700 --> 00:42:27,700 Confucianism. 395 00:43:03,470 --> 00:43:07,630 Orphaned in childhood, the young Confucius is self -taught. 396 00:43:08,070 --> 00:43:13,650 He spends most of his career working for the government, where his radical ideas 397 00:43:13,650 --> 00:43:15,650 make him political enemies. 398 00:43:32,359 --> 00:43:36,840 Confucius advocates a kinder, more harmonious approach to life. 399 00:44:06,509 --> 00:44:11,250 Confucius proposes that these acts don't just apply to personal relationships 400 00:44:11,250 --> 00:44:14,630 but also how the country is run. 401 00:44:25,459 --> 00:44:32,340 But as civil war engulfs China, the people forget Confucius and his ideas. 402 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:41,640 Until three centuries later, Emperor Wu is introduced to them by one of his 403 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:42,640 advisors. 404 00:45:07,869 --> 00:45:14,590 But more than this, Dong convinces the emperor that he should adopt 405 00:45:14,590 --> 00:45:15,810 for his government. 406 00:45:20,490 --> 00:45:24,350 and that only students of this philosophy can work in it. 407 00:45:28,970 --> 00:45:35,830 Confucianism transforms Chinese society, and it helps Emperor Wu enjoy a 408 00:45:35,830 --> 00:45:41,910 long and prosperous reign, and consolidates the Han Dynasty's grip on 409 00:45:49,610 --> 00:45:55,650 . . . . 410 00:45:55,650 --> 00:45:56,970 . . 411 00:46:15,850 --> 00:46:21,870 Every ancient power has found a way to control their people with their own 412 00:46:21,870 --> 00:46:22,870 of authority. 413 00:46:24,450 --> 00:46:29,790 In Egypt, the old gods helped the pharaohs reinforce their rule of law. 414 00:46:31,250 --> 00:46:34,350 And beware those who challenge tradition. 415 00:46:38,210 --> 00:46:42,790 China finds that whilst harsh rules can keep people in check, 416 00:46:45,100 --> 00:46:48,500 It's a more caring philosophy that endures. 417 00:46:53,160 --> 00:46:58,240 The ancient Indians impose a caste system to organize society. 418 00:47:03,900 --> 00:47:10,880 While the Greek, tired of tyranny, hand control over 419 00:47:10,880 --> 00:47:11,880 to their citizens. 420 00:47:14,190 --> 00:47:18,710 And in Rome, the masses are kept happy by bloody spectacle. 421 00:47:21,630 --> 00:47:27,650 But soon, each will learn the harsh lesson that nothing lasts forever. 422 00:47:29,810 --> 00:47:35,010 Our ancient powers are approaching the endgame. 37936

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