1 00:00:03,646 --> 00:00:06,411 I'm Bettany Hughes, and I want to take you 2 00:00:06,436 --> 00:00:10,020 on the ultimate adventure across the Greek islands. 3 00:00:13,206 --> 00:00:17,541 This has to be one of the most exciting places on Earth, a place 4 00:00:17,566 --> 00:00:23,261 full of mystery and wonder and tens of thousands of years of history 5 00:00:23,286 --> 00:00:25,741 and human experience. 6 00:00:25,766 --> 00:00:30,131 A cradle of civilisation, the Greece of the ancient world hothoused. 7 00:00:30,156 --> 00:00:32,820 Everything from democracy to medicine. 8 00:00:32,845 --> 00:00:35,700 It gave us the Olympics, engineering triumphs 9 00:00:35,725 --> 00:00:39,311 and some of the most epic stories of all time, 10 00:00:39,336 --> 00:00:43,820 stories that have been passed down for thousands of years 11 00:00:43,845 --> 00:00:46,461 and that still influence us today. 12 00:00:46,486 --> 00:00:48,661 SHOUTING 13 00:00:48,686 --> 00:00:53,900 One of the very greatest centres on the Greek hero Odysseus, 14 00:00:53,925 --> 00:00:58,381 the legendary warrior whose cunning won the Trojan War. 15 00:00:59,725 --> 00:01:00,820 After the victory, 16 00:01:00,845 --> 00:01:04,261 he begins a long journey home to the far west of Greece, 17 00:01:04,286 --> 00:01:05,381 BCFOSS thGSG S885. 18 00:01:06,975 --> 00:01:11,181 His story, The Odyssey, is a brilliant hail of triumph 19 00:01:11,206 --> 00:01:16,741 over adversity and danger, inspiring books, movies and adventures. 20 00:01:16,766 --> 00:01:18,570 And on my personal odyssey, 21 00:01:18,595 --> 00:01:22,661 I'm following Odysseus's path from east to west. 22 00:01:22,686 --> 00:01:26,181 I want to try to experience what he experienced... 23 00:01:26,206 --> 00:01:27,301 Whoa! 24 00:01:29,286 --> 00:01:31,381 ...make amazing new discoveries... 25 00:01:32,795 --> 00:01:36,211 It's just perfect. Still bright yellow, isn't it? 26 00:01:36,236 --> 00:01:38,950 ...enjoy the delights of ancient Greece today... 27 00:01:38,975 --> 00:01:40,101 Mm! 28 00:01:40,126 --> 00:01:41,820 ...and uncover the truths 29 00:01:41,845 --> 00:01:44,661 behind these fabulous myths and legends... 30 00:01:44,686 --> 00:01:47,541 They killed one young lady. 31 00:01:49,366 --> 00:01:52,341 ...to see how they can help us understand the world 32 00:01:52,366 --> 00:01:54,661 and ourselves. 33 00:01:56,326 --> 00:01:59,981 Join me on this epic voyage, my Greek odyssey. 34 00:02:14,486 --> 00:02:18,051 I've been travelling here for 30 years. 35 00:02:18,076 --> 00:02:21,211 It's a hot spot of human history 36 00:02:21,236 --> 00:02:24,461 and where Odysseus's story is set. 37 00:02:24,486 --> 00:02:28,700 Now, it's debated whether he was a real or a mythical hero, 38 00:02:28,725 --> 00:02:32,020 but his journey has become the stuff of legend. 39 00:02:35,286 --> 00:02:38,411 The story of Odysseus is so incredible that the word 40 00:02:38,436 --> 00:02:41,770 for an epic journey, an odyssey, comes from his name. 41 00:02:42,845 --> 00:02:45,261 And it is an epic tale. 42 00:02:45,286 --> 00:02:49,591 After leading the Greeks to victory in the brutal Trojan War, 43 00:02:49,616 --> 00:02:51,900 Odysseus sets off for home, 44 00:02:51,925 --> 00:02:54,541 but his voyage doesn't quite go to plan. 45 00:02:56,366 --> 00:02:58,301 Odysseus gets high on drugs, 46 00:02:58,326 --> 00:03:00,131 he's seduced by goddesses, 47 00:03:00,156 --> 00:03:01,381 he battles monsters... 48 00:03:03,286 --> 00:03:08,051 A journey that should have taken weeks ends up taking ten years. 49 00:03:10,516 --> 00:03:13,541 We're told Odysseus's voyage took him from the battlefields 50 00:03:13,566 --> 00:03:18,591 of the Trojan War in present day Turkey to his home in Ithaca. 51 00:03:18,616 --> 00:03:22,101 So, like him, I'm beginning my 1,700 mile odyssey 52 00:03:22,126 --> 00:03:26,341 just off the Turkish coast, where - I've been tipped off - 53 00:03:26,366 --> 00:03:30,131 an underwater archaeology team is making some extraordinary 54 00:03:30,156 --> 00:03:33,411 discoveries, revealing hidden history 55 00:03:33,436 --> 00:03:35,661 and the titanic challenges 56 00:03:35,686 --> 00:03:38,591 our hero would have faced on the seas. 57 00:03:38,616 --> 00:03:42,131 It's a graveyard of lost ships. 58 00:03:42,156 --> 00:03:49,591 58 wrecks spanning 2,500 years litter this seabed around Fourni. 59 00:03:49,616 --> 00:03:54,461 These waters are as dangerous today as they were for the ancient Greeks. 60 00:03:55,616 --> 00:04:00,051 So, this is the bit of the journey where the seas start to get slightly 61 00:04:00,076 --> 00:04:02,820 more treacherous, and you can understand why 62 00:04:02,845 --> 00:04:05,690 there are lots of shipwrecks around here. 63 00:04:05,715 --> 00:04:08,101 I think I'm going to sit down for a bit. 64 00:04:11,616 --> 00:04:13,051 Whoa! 65 00:04:24,766 --> 00:04:28,381 Archaeologist George Koutsouflakis and his underwater cameraman 66 00:04:28,406 --> 00:04:32,131 Vassilis are about to explore a wreck that dates back 67 00:04:32,156 --> 00:04:34,741 over 1,500 years. 68 00:04:34,766 --> 00:04:36,491 Hello, hi! 69 00:04:36,516 --> 00:04:39,101 And they've invited me along as they dive 70 00:04:39,126 --> 00:04:41,900 45m down to the sea floor. 71 00:04:41,925 --> 00:04:44,461 Bettany. Hey, nice to see you. I'm George. 72 00:04:44,486 --> 00:04:46,101 How lovely to see you. 73 00:04:46,126 --> 00:04:48,661 We had a bit of weather coming over here. Yeah. 74 00:04:48,686 --> 00:04:50,178 It was a little bit rough. 75 00:04:50,203 --> 00:04:52,088 Is it OK to dive today? 76 00:04:56,503 --> 00:04:58,007 Fantastic. 77 00:04:58,032 --> 00:05:00,248 And what do you hope you're going to find down there? 78 00:05:03,193 --> 00:05:04,198 Yeah. 79 00:05:08,273 --> 00:05:10,807 I know there are a lot of wrecks here. 80 00:05:10,832 --> 00:05:13,757 But why? You know, why does it happen on this particular stretch? 81 00:05:30,653 --> 00:05:32,588 OK. The White Cape of Death. 82 00:05:32,613 --> 00:05:34,308 That sounds like, "Let's go!" 83 00:05:36,693 --> 00:05:39,748 Only specialist divers can brave these waters. 84 00:05:40,972 --> 00:05:44,498 Here, the freakish winds whip round like a whirlpool. 85 00:05:46,573 --> 00:05:50,058 In one of the most famous stories of The Odyssey, our hero is almost 86 00:05:50,083 --> 00:05:53,138 sucked into a monstrous whirlpool called Charybdis. 87 00:05:56,013 --> 00:05:58,858 Already, I'm seeing how the epic tales relate 88 00:05:58,883 --> 00:06:01,468 to real conditions here. 89 00:06:01,493 --> 00:06:04,388 So while George and Vassilis venture to the sea floor, 90 00:06:04,413 --> 00:06:07,108 we're going to wait in this sheltered bay. 91 00:06:07,133 --> 00:06:09,418 But just as we get settled, 92 00:06:09,443 --> 00:06:12,338 the weather takes a turn for the worse. 93 00:06:26,175 --> 00:06:28,590 I'm on a Greek island odyssey, 94 00:06:28,615 --> 00:06:31,900 following the trail of the legendary warrior Odysseus. 95 00:06:33,894 --> 00:06:37,619 After he left Troy on today's Turkish coast 96 00:06:37,644 --> 00:06:39,540 to travel to his home, 97 00:06:39,565 --> 00:06:42,829 the island of Ithaca in the west. 98 00:06:42,854 --> 00:06:44,790 To understand the dangers he faced, 99 00:06:44,815 --> 00:06:47,510 we're exploring an ancient ship, 100 00:06:47,535 --> 00:06:51,699 wrecked as it travelled to trade across the Mediterranean. 101 00:06:54,005 --> 00:06:57,749 Underwater archaeologist George and cameraman Vassilis film 102 00:06:57,774 --> 00:07:01,510 what they find - untouched human history. 103 00:07:25,854 --> 00:07:29,079 George and Vassilis have been gone two hours. 104 00:07:29,104 --> 00:07:31,420 But then a familiar boat appears. 105 00:07:33,644 --> 00:07:37,230 I'm glad they're OK. It was pretty gnarly out there. 106 00:07:38,365 --> 00:07:40,150 Hey, guys. Are you OK? 107 00:07:41,455 --> 00:07:42,470 You look tired. 108 00:07:45,615 --> 00:07:46,699 Was it? Yeah. 109 00:07:49,695 --> 00:07:51,790 Was it? Yeah, yeah. Was it? 110 00:07:54,615 --> 00:07:56,619 Gosh, you're heroes. 111 00:07:56,644 --> 00:07:58,470 THEY LAUGH 112 00:07:58,495 --> 00:08:00,430 These are my two Odysseuses. 113 00:08:00,455 --> 00:08:01,510 Huge containers. 114 00:08:01,535 --> 00:08:05,390 George and Vassilis have found what's left of a merchant vessel, 115 00:08:05,415 --> 00:08:09,260 wrecked over 1,500 years ago. 116 00:08:09,285 --> 00:08:12,590 The seabed here is littered with amphorae, 117 00:08:12,615 --> 00:08:17,230 huge jars used to ship olive oil, wine and grain. 118 00:08:17,255 --> 00:08:20,699 They are astonishingly well-preserved. 119 00:08:27,055 --> 00:08:28,150 So, the Black Sea? 120 00:08:31,415 --> 00:08:35,030 I love... Chios, I'm planning to spend time there. 121 00:08:35,055 --> 00:08:36,949 Yeah. Because it's, you know, where 122 00:08:36,974 --> 00:08:39,340 some of the stories of Odysseus begin. Yeah, yeah. 123 00:08:43,055 --> 00:08:45,060 Look at - it's huge, isn't it? 124 00:08:45,085 --> 00:08:46,929 What are they transporting in that amount? 125 00:08:46,954 --> 00:08:48,230 That's enormous! 126 00:08:52,974 --> 00:08:54,619 And I was just going to say, it's disgusting. 127 00:08:54,644 --> 00:08:57,069 So garum is this, like, fermented fish sauce 128 00:08:57,094 --> 00:08:58,670 and it's, for us... SHE GAGS 129 00:08:58,695 --> 00:09:00,869 Oh, my God, it's so horrible. But they loved it. 130 00:09:00,894 --> 00:09:02,340 The Romans couldn't get enough of it. 131 00:09:13,724 --> 00:09:14,790 That's amazing. 132 00:09:14,815 --> 00:09:17,670 You can see. So it's just like a pile, like a stack of plates 133 00:09:17,695 --> 00:09:19,310 from a cafe or something. 134 00:09:19,335 --> 00:09:21,470 But still in their original position. God, George, 135 00:09:21,495 --> 00:09:23,030 this is so incredible. 136 00:09:23,055 --> 00:09:26,390 That is so beautiful to see that, isn't it? 137 00:09:26,415 --> 00:09:28,390 Are there any human remains there? 138 00:09:28,415 --> 00:09:30,749 Because obviously the sailors would have would have gone down... 139 00:09:30,774 --> 00:09:32,540 ...most of them would have gone down with the ship. 140 00:09:37,945 --> 00:09:39,769 Yes. Yeah. 141 00:09:39,794 --> 00:09:41,920 But I mean, it makes you... All of this... 142 00:09:41,945 --> 00:09:43,089 Oh, my God, 143 00:09:43,114 --> 00:09:45,810 it really makes you respect those sailors and heroes. 144 00:09:45,835 --> 00:09:47,639 You know, what you've just done is pretty heroic. 145 00:09:47,664 --> 00:09:49,839 But it is! It is, guys. 146 00:09:49,864 --> 00:09:53,250 And if you think what they were doing 3,000 years ago, I mean, 147 00:09:53,275 --> 00:09:56,280 they were good sailors, but they're absolutely 148 00:09:56,305 --> 00:09:59,280 up against the elements and whatever the god of the sea throws at them, 149 00:09:59,305 --> 00:10:00,560 aren't they? 150 00:10:02,155 --> 00:10:03,280 No. 151 00:10:04,794 --> 00:10:08,769 And we're about to find out how Odysseus might have felt. 152 00:10:08,794 --> 00:10:12,450 A weather report's come in, and a storm is on its way. 153 00:10:13,945 --> 00:10:15,610 OK, so this is an interesting development. 154 00:10:15,635 --> 00:10:18,920 We can currently tell it from here, but it is really, 155 00:10:18,945 --> 00:10:20,130 really rough out there. 156 00:10:20,155 --> 00:10:21,920 There's a serious wind blowing up. 157 00:10:21,945 --> 00:10:27,330 So, apparently, we might be stuck here, in this bay. 158 00:10:27,355 --> 00:10:30,839 If we don't leave now, we could be stranded here 159 00:10:30,864 --> 00:10:33,000 for the next three days. 160 00:10:33,025 --> 00:10:35,889 So it's definitely time to set sail. 161 00:10:54,635 --> 00:10:57,480 It makes you realise, when they set out in seas like this, 162 00:10:57,505 --> 00:11:00,769 those ancient sailors had no idea whether they'd come back 163 00:11:00,794 --> 00:11:01,769 alive or not. 164 00:11:09,225 --> 00:11:12,530 The conditions finally calmed down. 165 00:11:12,555 --> 00:11:16,889 But experiencing such rough weather makes you realise how essential 166 00:11:16,914 --> 00:11:19,089 it is to have a really good captain. 167 00:11:20,635 --> 00:11:24,639 Luckily, I'm heading to Chios, an island that boasts some 168 00:11:24,664 --> 00:11:29,170 of the very best captains and crews in the whole of Greece. 169 00:11:29,195 --> 00:11:32,610 It's also claimed to be the birthplace of Homer, 170 00:11:32,635 --> 00:11:35,120 who composed The Odyssey. 171 00:11:35,145 --> 00:11:40,330 And it's home to an old friend who's helping me plan the logistics 172 00:11:40,355 --> 00:11:43,000 for the next 200 miles of my journey. 173 00:11:43,025 --> 00:11:44,920 Hello! 174 00:11:44,945 --> 00:11:46,410 Hey! 175 00:11:46,435 --> 00:11:47,690 Oh, my goodness. 176 00:11:47,715 --> 00:11:49,560 Hello, Bettany, welcome back. 177 00:11:49,585 --> 00:11:52,170 Oh, thank you. Nice to see you again in Chios. 178 00:11:52,195 --> 00:11:53,730 How lovely to see you. 179 00:11:53,755 --> 00:11:56,480 How lovely to see you. Let's go. Let's go. Fantastic. 180 00:12:00,585 --> 00:12:04,410 I met George when I came to Chios to research one of my first books, 181 00:12:04,435 --> 00:12:07,000 and now he's helping me prepare 182 00:12:07,025 --> 00:12:09,560 for the next leg of my ambitious odyssey. 183 00:12:09,585 --> 00:12:12,120 I'm very happy to see you in Chios again. 184 00:12:12,145 --> 00:12:14,360 I thought it would be a good place, because this is the island 185 00:12:14,385 --> 00:12:19,560 that claims it has the best sailors, the kind of best sailing conditions. 186 00:12:19,585 --> 00:12:24,200 Well, here deserves that, because in the vein of the people of Chios, 187 00:12:24,225 --> 00:12:25,920 the sea is circulating. 188 00:12:25,945 --> 00:12:28,450 That's good... That's good to hear. 189 00:12:28,475 --> 00:12:30,810 They've got sea water running in their veins. 190 00:12:30,835 --> 00:12:33,639 We have the right boat and the qualified captain. 191 00:12:33,664 --> 00:12:34,889 Great. 192 00:12:39,305 --> 00:12:40,530 It's so beautiful. 193 00:12:40,555 --> 00:12:42,170 Hi, yasas, hi. 194 00:12:42,195 --> 00:12:45,050 Hi, Bettany. Hi, Bettany. 195 00:12:45,075 --> 00:12:46,560 Nice to see you. 196 00:12:46,585 --> 00:12:48,769 Yamas. Yamas. Yamas. 197 00:12:48,794 --> 00:12:50,480 Thank you, thank you so much. 198 00:12:50,505 --> 00:12:53,889 Yasas, pedia! Yasas. Aw, yasas. 199 00:12:53,914 --> 00:12:57,200 Look, George, I've got this, um... 200 00:12:57,225 --> 00:12:59,639 This is the kind of plan of where I'm going to go. Uh-huh. 201 00:12:59,664 --> 00:13:01,610 I'm going to put my specs on. 202 00:13:01,635 --> 00:13:03,969 So, basically, we're here, in Chios. 203 00:13:03,994 --> 00:13:08,810 We're going out to Lesbos and kind of zigzagging through these islands, 204 00:13:08,835 --> 00:13:12,250 and then go all the way round to Ithaca, where we finish. 205 00:13:12,275 --> 00:13:14,560 This is an unbelievable trip. 206 00:13:14,585 --> 00:13:17,639 You will meet different cultures and different people, 207 00:13:17,664 --> 00:13:20,730 but we are all original Greeks. 208 00:13:20,755 --> 00:13:22,200 Aw! OK. 209 00:13:22,225 --> 00:13:24,560 Well, I'm... No, I'm a... 210 00:13:24,585 --> 00:13:27,120 Honestly, I can't tell you how excited I am. 211 00:13:27,145 --> 00:13:29,759 Shall I give you a quick telephone call when I arrive safely in Ithaca? 212 00:13:29,784 --> 00:13:32,120 No, I want a call every morning. 213 00:13:32,145 --> 00:13:33,969 Do you? SHE LAUGHS 214 00:13:33,994 --> 00:13:35,000 OK. 215 00:13:35,025 --> 00:13:36,639 Because this is a real odyssey. 216 00:13:38,555 --> 00:13:42,969 It IS an ambitious journey, but I'm hoping that one of the oldest 217 00:13:42,994 --> 00:13:45,810 Greek customs will help us on our way. 218 00:13:45,835 --> 00:13:47,089 This is Greek salad. 219 00:13:47,114 --> 00:13:49,000 Perfect for me. Whenever I've come here, 220 00:13:49,025 --> 00:13:50,839 I've always been welcomed like this. 221 00:13:50,864 --> 00:13:52,639 Oh, nice. 222 00:13:52,664 --> 00:13:54,000 Yeah? What is this? 223 00:13:54,025 --> 00:13:56,610 This is... Green ball. 224 00:13:56,635 --> 00:13:59,200 Yes, special ball with herbs. 225 00:13:59,225 --> 00:14:01,810 A ball with herbs! Spinach, onions, everything. 226 00:14:01,835 --> 00:14:03,969 Lovely. Charming. Local, of course. 227 00:14:03,994 --> 00:14:05,730 Of course. Of course. 228 00:14:05,755 --> 00:14:07,690 So I'm always welcomed like this 229 00:14:07,715 --> 00:14:11,410 when I come, because there's this amazing Greek tradition 230 00:14:11,435 --> 00:14:14,250 which actually goes right the way back to ancient times, of xenia. 231 00:14:14,275 --> 00:14:16,690 You're very proud of xenia here. 232 00:14:16,715 --> 00:14:19,889 And it means that you have to welcome strangers 233 00:14:19,914 --> 00:14:23,330 and you have to make them feel as though they're the most important 234 00:14:23,355 --> 00:14:24,480 person at the table. 235 00:14:24,505 --> 00:14:26,120 I'm certainly getting that. 236 00:14:26,145 --> 00:14:28,050 George is hovering with... What's this? 237 00:14:28,075 --> 00:14:29,730 Tomato balls. Tomato balls. 238 00:14:29,755 --> 00:14:32,250 Tomato balls, cheese... Local tomato balls. 239 00:14:32,275 --> 00:14:33,810 Thank you. Efcharisto poli. 240 00:14:33,835 --> 00:14:37,000 Many kinds of...many kinds of vegetarian food here. 241 00:14:37,025 --> 00:14:40,839 And it's really interesting to me, this, because in ancient Greece, 242 00:14:40,864 --> 00:14:44,050 it was almost as though xenia was the mark of a civilisation. 243 00:14:44,075 --> 00:14:46,610 You couldn't be civilised unless you offered 244 00:14:46,635 --> 00:14:49,000 hospitality to strangers. 245 00:14:49,025 --> 00:14:52,450 That's true, isn't it? Yes. Xen-IA. Ah, OK. Xenia. 246 00:14:52,475 --> 00:14:57,480 We always welcome visitors with defend local tradition and food. 247 00:14:57,505 --> 00:14:58,920 And original food. Yes. 248 00:14:58,945 --> 00:15:01,690 Yes! 249 00:15:01,715 --> 00:15:03,530 TRADITIONAL GREEK MUSIC 250 00:15:06,635 --> 00:15:10,370 We share food, wine and dancing late into the night. 251 00:15:10,395 --> 00:15:15,400 Even our cameraman Tim is persuaded to down tools and get stuck in. 252 00:15:23,715 --> 00:15:25,759 It's a timeless send-off 253 00:15:25,784 --> 00:15:28,610 for the next phase of my epic adventure. 254 00:15:28,635 --> 00:15:30,730 SHIP HORN BELLOWS 255 00:15:33,475 --> 00:15:37,639 So with Greek songs of life on the open seas ringing in my ears, 256 00:15:37,664 --> 00:15:40,330 I'm heading to my next island. 257 00:15:40,355 --> 00:15:45,450 Just 45 miles from here is Lesbos, where our hero Odysseus landed 258 00:15:45,475 --> 00:15:49,000 for a gorilla attack. To get there, 259 00:15:49,025 --> 00:15:51,969 George has put me in contact with one of the best captains 260 00:15:51,994 --> 00:15:53,400 on the island, 261 00:15:53,425 --> 00:15:56,839 a fourth generation sailor called Nikos. 262 00:15:56,864 --> 00:15:59,370 George has told me to look out for a boat called Nemesis, 263 00:15:59,395 --> 00:16:01,610 which is the name of the Greek goddess 264 00:16:01,635 --> 00:16:02,969 of fate and retribution. 265 00:16:02,994 --> 00:16:05,170 So I hope that's not a bad omen. 266 00:16:07,755 --> 00:16:09,889 I can't actually see the name, but I think this is it. 267 00:16:09,914 --> 00:16:12,120 Looks like it. 268 00:16:12,145 --> 00:16:14,759 Hi. Are you Nikos? Hello, hello, hello. Hi. 269 00:16:14,784 --> 00:16:16,370 Hi. Welcome. 270 00:16:16,395 --> 00:16:19,050 Oh, thank you. Welcome to Greece. 271 00:16:19,075 --> 00:16:20,759 Aw, thank you. 272 00:16:23,555 --> 00:16:25,120 Bye. 273 00:16:25,145 --> 00:16:26,610 Thank you, efcharisto. 274 00:16:31,635 --> 00:16:34,040 I was just going through my bag, 275 00:16:34,065 --> 00:16:36,759 and I found that George has left me 276 00:16:36,784 --> 00:16:39,639 a little gift from Chios to take with me on my journey, 277 00:16:39,664 --> 00:16:41,009 and I know what these things are. 278 00:16:41,034 --> 00:16:42,610 They're absolutely lovely. 279 00:16:42,635 --> 00:16:44,889 So they're called tama or tamata, 280 00:16:44,914 --> 00:16:49,120 and they're basically like kind of religious good luck charms. 281 00:16:49,145 --> 00:16:53,450 So you've got a boat to keep you safe on a boat and a heart. 282 00:16:53,475 --> 00:16:55,040 How sweet is that? 283 00:16:55,065 --> 00:16:56,759 So I don't know whether the idea is 284 00:16:56,784 --> 00:17:00,330 I've left my heart in Chios or I'm taking the love of Chios 285 00:17:00,355 --> 00:17:02,610 and the islanders with me on my journey. 286 00:17:02,635 --> 00:17:07,190 I particularly love these things because they actually used them 287 00:17:07,215 --> 00:17:09,140 3,500 years ago. 288 00:17:09,165 --> 00:17:11,969 But isn't that brilliant that these are little things 289 00:17:11,994 --> 00:17:14,450 that have power in the ancient world 290 00:17:14,475 --> 00:17:17,200 and still have power in the modern world today? 291 00:17:21,505 --> 00:17:25,089 Now, the reason Odysseus travelled so far from his home, 292 00:17:25,114 --> 00:17:30,170 west of the Greek mainland, was to fight in the Trojan War, 293 00:17:30,195 --> 00:17:33,889 which all started with another famous Greek, 294 00:17:33,914 --> 00:17:40,170 Helen of Troy, heralded as the most beautiful woman in the world. 295 00:17:41,914 --> 00:17:44,610 Basically, she falls in love with a handsome Trojan prince, 296 00:17:44,635 --> 00:17:45,920 Paris, 297 00:17:45,945 --> 00:17:47,969 who then whisks her off to Troy. 298 00:17:47,994 --> 00:17:52,120 As you can imagine, Helen's husband is not best pleased by this. 299 00:17:53,275 --> 00:17:55,759 Odysseus summons up the Greek heroes 300 00:17:55,784 --> 00:17:57,530 so they can go and fight 301 00:17:57,555 --> 00:18:02,370 to put on a bloody, brutal ten-year siege to try to win her back. 302 00:18:04,275 --> 00:18:07,120 But before they launch their offensive against Troy, 303 00:18:07,145 --> 00:18:09,250 the Greeks raid Lesbos. 304 00:18:10,475 --> 00:18:13,730 Odysseus attacks the locals mercilessly. 305 00:18:13,755 --> 00:18:16,330 SWORD SLICES 306 00:18:16,355 --> 00:18:19,969 His eagerness to loot and raid earned him the nickname 307 00:18:19,994 --> 00:18:22,370 Sacker of Cities. 308 00:18:29,145 --> 00:18:30,120 Thank you. 309 00:18:32,945 --> 00:18:37,170 Lesbos is home to an intriguing architectural treasure that tells us 310 00:18:37,195 --> 00:18:39,920 just how important these bloodthirsty legends were 311 00:18:39,945 --> 00:18:41,889 to the ancient Greeks. 312 00:18:52,835 --> 00:18:56,400 This was the greatest theatre in the ancient world. 313 00:18:59,954 --> 00:19:04,210 Theatres were the ancient Greek equivalent of a Cineplex. 314 00:19:04,235 --> 00:19:07,640 Huge crowds would have flocked here to watch stories sparked 315 00:19:07,665 --> 00:19:12,330 by tales of the Trojan War and the adventures of its heroes, 316 00:19:12,355 --> 00:19:16,490 one way that myths were passed down through the generations. 317 00:19:19,235 --> 00:19:22,490 Roman troops conquered Lesbos in 88 BC 318 00:19:22,515 --> 00:19:25,929 and were inspired to make copies of this very theatre 319 00:19:25,954 --> 00:19:28,049 across their vast territories. 320 00:19:30,435 --> 00:19:33,880 One influential Roman general was so impressed by this place, 321 00:19:33,905 --> 00:19:38,490 he determined to build his own one, only bigger and more splendid, 322 00:19:38,515 --> 00:19:42,330 and that would become the first-ever stone-built theatre in Rome 323 00:19:42,355 --> 00:19:47,210 that was copied and replicated right the way across the Roman Empire. 324 00:19:49,515 --> 00:19:52,290 Where I'm walking now was originally called an orchestra - 325 00:19:52,315 --> 00:19:54,490 which, of course, gives us our word orchestra - 326 00:19:54,515 --> 00:19:57,290 and it means a singing or a dancing place. 327 00:19:57,315 --> 00:19:59,929 There's another cool word here - that slope, 328 00:19:59,954 --> 00:20:03,210 that was the theatron, which gives us our word theatre, 329 00:20:03,235 --> 00:20:06,360 but a theatron in Greek actually means a seating place. 330 00:20:06,385 --> 00:20:09,570 And we know that this theatre at Mytilene could seat 331 00:20:09,595 --> 00:20:12,490 up to 10,000 spectators. 332 00:20:12,515 --> 00:20:14,440 MUFFLED CHEERING OF CROWDS 333 00:20:16,665 --> 00:20:19,799 Now, this wall here is frankly a bit odd, because you never normally get 334 00:20:19,824 --> 00:20:21,610 walls like this in Greek theatres, 335 00:20:21,635 --> 00:20:23,969 but there's a very good reason that it's here. 336 00:20:23,994 --> 00:20:27,570 When the Romans took over, they slightly adapted this theatre. 337 00:20:27,595 --> 00:20:30,799 They were definitely more bloodthirsty than the Greeks, 338 00:20:30,824 --> 00:20:33,880 and they loved their gladiatorial games. 339 00:20:33,905 --> 00:20:35,880 So rather than just watching theatre here, 340 00:20:35,905 --> 00:20:39,490 they put on gladiatorial contests, and they had to build this wall 341 00:20:39,515 --> 00:20:41,520 because these are fights to the death. 342 00:20:41,545 --> 00:20:44,799 I mean, they were really gruesome and gory and bloody. 343 00:20:44,824 --> 00:20:47,690 And they built this so that the spectators behind 344 00:20:47,715 --> 00:20:50,330 could be protected from the action down here. 345 00:20:54,874 --> 00:20:58,130 Come over here. I just want to show you something really great. 346 00:20:58,155 --> 00:21:02,080 OK. At first glance, this might just look like a pile of rubble, 347 00:21:02,105 --> 00:21:05,360 but it's actually something much, much, much more exciting than that. 348 00:21:05,385 --> 00:21:07,049 Just a couple of months ago, 349 00:21:07,074 --> 00:21:10,130 archaeologists discovered a whole new temple here. 350 00:21:10,155 --> 00:21:11,640 So this was built by the Romans, 351 00:21:11,665 --> 00:21:14,520 and it was a temple to the goddess Nemesis, the goddess 352 00:21:14,545 --> 00:21:16,520 of fate and retribution. 353 00:21:16,545 --> 00:21:18,999 And, of course, that makes sense, if you think about it, 354 00:21:19,024 --> 00:21:23,290 because gladiators were fighting here, fighting to the death, 355 00:21:23,315 --> 00:21:24,580 meeting their match, 356 00:21:24,605 --> 00:21:29,170 and so they had to try to keep the goddess of fate on their side. 357 00:21:34,365 --> 00:21:37,370 It's a reminder that the gods were ever present in the lives 358 00:21:37,395 --> 00:21:40,700 of the ancients, even in entertainment. 359 00:21:40,725 --> 00:21:44,260 Now, as well as theatre, there's another great tradition 360 00:21:44,285 --> 00:21:46,859 we can thank the ancient Greeks for, 361 00:21:46,884 --> 00:21:50,170 and I'm on my way to discover what this is. 362 00:21:56,477 --> 00:21:59,422 When I first came to the Greek island of Lesbos to research 363 00:21:59,447 --> 00:22:04,221 its ancient history, I explored this beautiful place by jeep. 364 00:22:04,246 --> 00:22:09,502 And now I'm back, following the trial of one of the world's original 365 00:22:09,527 --> 00:22:12,862 action heroes, wily Odysseus. 366 00:22:14,807 --> 00:22:17,862 We know from the Odyssey that after being caught in a storm 367 00:22:17,887 --> 00:22:22,091 or a particularly tough journey that there was nothing our hero 368 00:22:22,116 --> 00:22:25,422 liked better than a hot soaking bath. 369 00:22:25,447 --> 00:22:29,422 And luckily for him - and me - many Greek islands boast 370 00:22:29,447 --> 00:22:32,252 natural volcanic hot springs. 371 00:22:32,277 --> 00:22:36,532 Now, you might associate bathing with the Romans, but centuries 372 00:22:36,557 --> 00:22:40,732 before them, baths here tapped these mineral-rich waters 373 00:22:40,757 --> 00:22:44,502 from over 2km underground. 374 00:22:44,527 --> 00:22:47,522 Welcome. Oh, hi. Bettany. Hi, nice to meet you. Hi. 375 00:22:47,547 --> 00:22:49,192 PURRING 376 00:22:49,217 --> 00:22:50,732 Hello, beautiful. 377 00:23:00,996 --> 00:23:03,221 Oh, these waters are really lovely 378 00:23:03,246 --> 00:23:05,732 because they're just above blood heat. 379 00:23:05,757 --> 00:23:08,662 But in some places on the island, the temperatures in the waters 380 00:23:08,687 --> 00:23:11,971 can rise to as much as 90 degrees centigrade. 381 00:23:11,996 --> 00:23:15,422 And they are absolutely packed with minerals. 382 00:23:15,447 --> 00:23:18,862 You have people coming here day in, day out to treat all kinds 383 00:23:18,887 --> 00:23:22,732 of different conditions like arthritis and bronchitis. 384 00:23:22,757 --> 00:23:26,662 I'll tell you what I really, really love about this place is the fact 385 00:23:26,687 --> 00:23:29,372 that people have been coming here to take the health benefits 386 00:23:29,397 --> 00:23:32,652 of the waters - and writing about it, too - 387 00:23:32,677 --> 00:23:35,532 for over 2,500 years. 388 00:23:39,397 --> 00:23:43,332 Even here in the hot tub, it's clear the Greek tradition of xenia, 389 00:23:43,357 --> 00:23:47,652 welcoming strangers as friends, is still going strong. 390 00:23:47,677 --> 00:23:50,862 So I've been invited into this volcanic Jacuzzi by some 391 00:23:50,887 --> 00:23:54,782 very friendly locals who are enjoying volcanic waters. 392 00:23:54,807 --> 00:23:59,091 In the traditional baths, you had to be naked to enter them. Naked?! 393 00:23:59,116 --> 00:24:02,011 Now... Now they don't allow this. 394 00:24:04,197 --> 00:24:06,062 There was a lot of gossiping. 395 00:24:06,087 --> 00:24:08,502 That's interesting! 396 00:24:08,527 --> 00:24:10,532 So people used to gossip about each other? 397 00:24:10,557 --> 00:24:14,532 They used to, like, criticise their bodies? Eh... 398 00:24:14,557 --> 00:24:16,891 But it's still love me. I love it. 399 00:24:16,916 --> 00:24:19,942 Even with swim suits, it's beautiful being here, 400 00:24:19,967 --> 00:24:21,942 in these hot baths. She's great. She's very jolly. 401 00:24:21,967 --> 00:24:23,732 I love the fact she's holding on to me as well. 402 00:24:23,757 --> 00:24:26,452 We're having a kind of like hand-holding session underneath... 403 00:24:26,477 --> 00:24:28,612 ...underneath the water here. I love Elvira. 404 00:24:28,637 --> 00:24:30,782 So why...why do you come here? 405 00:24:30,807 --> 00:24:34,252 SHE SPEAKS GREEK 406 00:24:38,327 --> 00:24:40,702 She sort of likes it here. 407 00:24:40,727 --> 00:24:42,862 She's not coming often. Oh. 408 00:24:42,887 --> 00:24:44,502 SHE SPEAKS GREEK 409 00:24:44,527 --> 00:24:46,532 They...they bring her. Oh! 410 00:24:46,557 --> 00:24:51,341 She prefers... She has one at home. 411 00:24:51,366 --> 00:24:53,091 She prefers to stay at home. 412 00:24:53,116 --> 00:24:54,862 That's brilliant! 413 00:24:55,916 --> 00:24:58,862 Elvira... I thought Elvira came here every day, 414 00:24:58,887 --> 00:25:00,532 you know, it made her the healthy... 415 00:25:00,557 --> 00:25:02,452 But she doesn't like coming here! 416 00:25:02,477 --> 00:25:04,302 She just came because her friends came. 417 00:25:05,807 --> 00:25:08,221 Well, you look very healthy, Elvira. 418 00:25:08,246 --> 00:25:10,532 HE TRANSLATES 419 00:25:10,557 --> 00:25:12,172 Yeah. 420 00:25:12,197 --> 00:25:16,141 Healthy and jolly is what the water here seems to do to people. 421 00:25:16,166 --> 00:25:20,062 Bathing together gave the early Greeks a real sense 422 00:25:20,087 --> 00:25:24,252 of community - somewhere they could chat and share ideas. 423 00:25:27,317 --> 00:25:32,942 But the volcanic landscape here is both a blessing and a curse. 424 00:25:32,967 --> 00:25:35,782 Where three plates in the Earth's crust meet, 425 00:25:35,807 --> 00:25:39,091 these islands have been plagued by natural disasters... 426 00:25:39,116 --> 00:25:41,532 ...and man-made ones, too. 427 00:25:46,477 --> 00:25:51,062 Lesbos has long been the refuge for those fleeing nearby wars. 428 00:25:51,087 --> 00:25:54,942 Some things haven't changed since ancient times. 429 00:25:57,757 --> 00:26:00,652 So this is the biggest refugee camp on the island 430 00:26:00,677 --> 00:26:02,172 that I'm just going past. 431 00:26:02,197 --> 00:26:04,971 It was originally built for 3,000 people, 432 00:26:04,996 --> 00:26:07,942 and there's well over 10,000. 433 00:26:11,677 --> 00:26:15,172 You know what's so awful, seeing this? 434 00:26:15,197 --> 00:26:17,372 Is that this is a part of the world 435 00:26:17,397 --> 00:26:19,782 where, actually, refugees have been coming 436 00:26:19,807 --> 00:26:22,091 not just for decades or for centuries, 437 00:26:22,116 --> 00:26:24,011 but for thousands of years. 438 00:26:25,116 --> 00:26:28,502 Fleeing wars in Asia Minor and the Middle East, 439 00:26:28,527 --> 00:26:30,612 it's just so tragic that it doesn't stop. 440 00:26:34,967 --> 00:26:39,502 We're told the Trojan War generated a mass exodus of refugees 441 00:26:39,527 --> 00:26:41,812 from what is now Turkey. 442 00:26:41,837 --> 00:26:47,372 Some became legendary themselves, like the Trojan hero Aeneas. 443 00:26:47,397 --> 00:26:52,091 His descendants, Romulus and Remus, so it's said, would go on to found 444 00:26:52,116 --> 00:26:53,292 the city of Rome. 445 00:26:56,366 --> 00:27:01,221 In both ancient and modern times, migration has shaped these islands, 446 00:27:01,246 --> 00:27:04,732 and I'm now heading back across the seas to a place famous 447 00:27:04,757 --> 00:27:09,292 for building the ships that carried people across these waters - 448 00:27:09,317 --> 00:27:10,702 the island of Samos. 449 00:27:14,607 --> 00:27:16,982 I'm going to release these ropes so you can hold the wheel. 450 00:27:17,007 --> 00:27:20,011 Sure. Keep the course straight. Oh... Right. 451 00:27:20,036 --> 00:27:21,452 I'm going to open... Like actually... 452 00:27:21,477 --> 00:27:23,221 I'm going to open the zipper. 453 00:27:23,246 --> 00:27:25,732 Because am I actually steering it? You're steering it, yes. 454 00:27:25,757 --> 00:27:28,502 OK. OK... 455 00:27:34,807 --> 00:27:37,221 There's this... You know those lovely lines of The Odyssey 456 00:27:37,246 --> 00:27:41,612 when they talk about the sails bellying out suddenly, 457 00:27:41,637 --> 00:27:43,292 like a lady's belly. 458 00:27:43,317 --> 00:27:45,452 OK, straight on the mountain. 459 00:27:45,477 --> 00:27:47,341 OK. Where the clouds are. OK. 460 00:27:47,366 --> 00:27:49,141 Yes, Captain. 461 00:27:49,166 --> 00:27:53,341 I'll do it. And I'll try and miss the massive boat in front of us. 462 00:27:53,366 --> 00:27:54,782 HORN BELLOWS 463 00:27:54,807 --> 00:27:59,292 In his story Odysseus managed to navigate these seas with basic 464 00:27:59,317 --> 00:28:02,812 wooden sailing ships, even rafts. 465 00:28:02,837 --> 00:28:07,862 A relief to see that Captain Nikos sails with the latest technology. 466 00:28:07,887 --> 00:28:11,172 That's cool. ls this us? Yes, that's us. Ah, cool. 467 00:28:11,197 --> 00:28:13,582 This is the course we're heading. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 468 00:28:13,607 --> 00:28:15,011 200 years ago, 469 00:28:15,036 --> 00:28:16,292 they have these instruments. 470 00:28:16,317 --> 00:28:19,862 I mean, there was... Always, there was an idea that the people 471 00:28:19,887 --> 00:28:22,292 in ancient Greece, they used to follow the coast. 472 00:28:22,317 --> 00:28:24,091 But, no, they didn't. No. 473 00:28:24,116 --> 00:28:26,982 They knew how to navigate in the open sea. 474 00:28:27,007 --> 00:28:29,582 You know, the story is that Odysseus took ten years, 475 00:28:29,607 --> 00:28:30,862 to Ithaca from Troy. 476 00:28:30,887 --> 00:28:32,582 I mean, just directly, 477 00:28:32,607 --> 00:28:36,341 how many clays do you think it would've taken him to sail that? 478 00:28:36,366 --> 00:28:37,782 With any kind of conditions, 479 00:28:37,807 --> 00:28:41,252 I mean, like, 20 days, one month. Maximum? Maximum. 480 00:28:41,277 --> 00:28:45,652 No more. Ten years sailing in the Mediterranean... 481 00:28:45,677 --> 00:28:47,292 It's impossible. True. 482 00:28:47,317 --> 00:28:49,252 But he kept on getting distracted. 483 00:28:49,277 --> 00:28:52,452 All sorts of things happen to him along the way, don't they? 484 00:28:52,477 --> 00:28:54,862 Yeah. Quite easy... 485 00:28:57,727 --> 00:29:02,141 Odysseus was waylaid by the delights of these islands. 486 00:29:02,166 --> 00:29:06,372 And we know heroes like him and real ancient sailors 487 00:29:06,397 --> 00:29:09,452 provisioned their boats with local delicacies. 488 00:29:10,637 --> 00:29:13,221 I don't... I think it would be very hard, Nikos, 489 00:29:13,246 --> 00:29:16,141 for it to be more idyllic right now. 490 00:29:16,166 --> 00:29:17,652 Is it? Well, what could be...? 491 00:29:17,677 --> 00:29:20,502 Just tell me one thing that would make it more beautiful. 492 00:29:20,527 --> 00:29:22,612 It's impossible. There isn't anything. 493 00:29:25,166 --> 00:29:27,292 We've got some honey. Mm! 494 00:29:27,317 --> 00:29:30,062 I love proper Greek honey. 495 00:29:30,087 --> 00:29:31,502 Yeah. Bread with it. Bread. 496 00:29:31,527 --> 00:29:33,422 Ah! Look at that. 497 00:29:33,447 --> 00:29:35,592 It's like liquid gold, isn't it? 498 00:29:35,617 --> 00:29:37,752 It's so lovely. 499 00:29:37,777 --> 00:29:38,672 Thank you. 500 00:29:42,297 --> 00:29:43,552 Mm! 501 00:29:46,056 --> 00:29:47,522 That is fantastic! 502 00:29:54,297 --> 00:29:56,642 In The Odyssey, our hero is shipwrecked 503 00:29:56,667 --> 00:29:59,272 on the mythical island of Ogygia, 504 00:29:59,297 --> 00:30:02,051 where, after a stay of seven years, 505 00:30:02,076 --> 00:30:06,392 he singlehandedly builds another boat to continue home. 506 00:30:06,417 --> 00:30:09,752 Now, I've always wondered where this island was meant to be. 507 00:30:09,777 --> 00:30:13,111 So I've come to the real life boat-building capital 508 00:30:13,136 --> 00:30:16,272 of the Greek islands, Samos... 509 00:30:17,577 --> 00:30:22,672 ...which would have been an ideal place. In ancient times, 510 00:30:22,697 --> 00:30:27,952 Samos was a rich and powerful city state with a fantastic navy. 511 00:30:27,977 --> 00:30:31,642 It's all down to the plentiful forests of supple wood 512 00:30:31,667 --> 00:30:33,192 that cover the island. 513 00:30:35,667 --> 00:30:39,472 These pine forests are the island's secret weapon. 514 00:30:39,497 --> 00:30:41,752 Pine is the perfect wood to make boats, 515 00:30:41,777 --> 00:30:43,442 just like the wooden ships 516 00:30:43,467 --> 00:30:45,802 that Odysseus and his crew sailed in, 517 00:30:45,827 --> 00:30:49,752 and Samos ended up commanding 100 ships, 518 00:30:49,777 --> 00:30:53,002 and not just any old boat, but warships, 519 00:30:53,027 --> 00:30:56,882 which meant this island was uber powerful. 520 00:31:03,857 --> 00:31:06,882 Samos may be able to give you the best wood for your boat, 521 00:31:06,907 --> 00:31:10,231 but to really succeed in your journey, Odysseus 522 00:31:10,256 --> 00:31:13,832 and the ancient Greeks believed they had to get the blessings 523 00:31:13,857 --> 00:31:15,442 of the gods. 524 00:31:15,467 --> 00:31:20,722 And not too far from the beautiful forests is a wonderful site claimed 525 00:31:20,747 --> 00:31:25,082 by the Greeks to be the largest temple in the world. 526 00:31:26,687 --> 00:31:29,592 This has to be one of the most romantic places in Greece, 527 00:31:29,617 --> 00:31:32,472 and it's got a pretty romantic story attached. 528 00:31:32,497 --> 00:31:35,472 It was said that this was the birthplace of the goddess Hera, 529 00:31:35,497 --> 00:31:38,752 and it's also where she married the king of the gods, Zeus, 530 00:31:38,777 --> 00:31:42,722 making her the kind of first lady of the Greek pantheon. 531 00:31:45,027 --> 00:31:48,642 In the adventures of Odysseus, it was Hera who helped the Greeks 532 00:31:48,667 --> 00:31:50,002 win the Trojan War. 533 00:31:51,617 --> 00:31:54,332 As soon as you arrive, you get a real sense of the status 534 00:31:54,357 --> 00:31:56,492 of Hera in this place because it's approached 535 00:31:56,517 --> 00:31:58,642 by this beautiful, sacred way. 536 00:32:00,337 --> 00:32:02,472 It was the road that led from the ancient town 537 00:32:02,497 --> 00:32:03,522 right to the temple. 538 00:32:06,417 --> 00:32:08,002 This site was actually so rich 539 00:32:08,027 --> 00:32:10,522 that most of it has been nicked down the centuries. 540 00:32:10,547 --> 00:32:14,472 So there are hardly any stones left here, but you just have to try 541 00:32:14,497 --> 00:32:17,552 to imagine this place in its heyday. 542 00:32:17,577 --> 00:32:22,361 It would have been a brilliant, buzzing, heady, cosmopolitan place. 543 00:32:22,386 --> 00:32:24,802 MUFFLED MUSIC PLAYS 544 00:32:24,827 --> 00:32:29,031 We also know that sailors, like the mythical Odysseus, 545 00:32:29,056 --> 00:32:31,952 came here to leave offerings to the goddess Hera in exchange 546 00:32:31,977 --> 00:32:33,161 for safe passage. 547 00:32:34,217 --> 00:32:37,872 So when archaeologists were excavating here, they found tiny 548 00:32:37,897 --> 00:32:42,392 fragments of what was originally a 30m-long ship 549 00:32:42,417 --> 00:32:44,672 that was dedicated here to the goddess 550 00:32:44,697 --> 00:32:47,161 over 2,500 years ago. 551 00:32:49,186 --> 00:32:52,692 In the adventures of Odysseus, there's a beautiful description 552 00:32:52,717 --> 00:32:57,161 of the goddess Hera preparing to seduce her husband Zeus. 553 00:32:57,186 --> 00:33:02,312 She oils her body with olive oil and kneads her skin with perfume 554 00:33:02,337 --> 00:33:03,592 and dresses her hair 555 00:33:03,617 --> 00:33:06,952 so it tumbles down in these kind of lustrous tendrils. 556 00:33:06,977 --> 00:33:10,832 So the two of them obviously enjoyed a pretty hot relationship. 557 00:33:10,857 --> 00:33:14,442 But the problem was Zeus was not a faithful husband 558 00:33:14,467 --> 00:33:17,722 and he continually had affairs with mortals 559 00:33:17,747 --> 00:33:20,111 and priestesses and goddesses. 560 00:33:20,136 --> 00:33:24,472 And as you can imagine, Hera was not too pleased about this. 561 00:33:24,497 --> 00:33:28,952 And the two of them often had the most almighty rows. 562 00:33:32,027 --> 00:33:35,952 After one infidelity, Hera was so furious, 563 00:33:35,977 --> 00:33:38,642 she took herself off, and with her pure rage, 564 00:33:38,667 --> 00:33:42,392 managed to make herself pregnant without the involvement of any man. 565 00:33:42,417 --> 00:33:44,031 But there was a problem. 566 00:33:44,056 --> 00:33:45,582 When the child was born, 567 00:33:45,607 --> 00:33:50,371 Hera considered him to be so ugly, she threw him off Mount Olympus. 568 00:33:51,907 --> 00:33:53,812 The mountain in mainland Greece 569 00:33:53,837 --> 00:33:55,962 where the premiere gods and goddesses 570 00:33:55,987 --> 00:33:57,522 were believed to hang out. 571 00:33:57,547 --> 00:34:00,962 Now, that young child would become the god Hephaestus, 572 00:34:00,987 --> 00:34:04,241 the God of volcanoes, and the Greeks explained 573 00:34:04,266 --> 00:34:07,121 the fire and fury of volcanic eruptions 574 00:34:07,146 --> 00:34:09,092 as a fact of Hephaestus's 575 00:34:09,117 --> 00:34:12,682 dramatic and traumatic conception and childhood. 576 00:34:18,907 --> 00:34:22,402 What I love about these legends is the insight they give us 577 00:34:22,427 --> 00:34:27,241 into human nature. Notjust worshipped, the gods were used 578 00:34:27,266 --> 00:34:31,842 as a model for how humans should and shouldn't behave. 579 00:34:31,867 --> 00:34:35,652 The Greeks sought wisdom of all kinds - 580 00:34:35,677 --> 00:34:37,652 not just myths, 581 00:34:37,677 --> 00:34:40,092 but also maths. 582 00:34:40,117 --> 00:34:42,602 And I want to take you to the birthplace here 583 00:34:42,627 --> 00:34:46,562 of an ancient Greek whose mathematical genius touches 584 00:34:46,587 --> 00:34:47,762 all of our lives. 585 00:34:49,347 --> 00:34:52,452 When you come to a beautiful little Greek fishing harbour, 586 00:34:52,477 --> 00:34:55,452 then mathematical theories probably aren't the first thing 587 00:34:55,477 --> 00:34:56,932 that would spring to mind. 588 00:34:56,957 --> 00:34:59,322 But this place is called Pythagoreio, 589 00:34:59,347 --> 00:35:03,932 and it was home to arguably one of the most influential mathematicians 590 00:35:03,957 --> 00:35:05,562 in the story of the world. 591 00:35:10,196 --> 00:35:12,012 Hello, my dear. Hello. 592 00:35:12,037 --> 00:35:13,402 A nice salad. 593 00:35:13,427 --> 00:35:16,732 Lovely, lovely Greek salad. Thank you. Here we go. Delicious. 594 00:35:16,757 --> 00:35:19,202 Special wine leaves, home-made. Yeah. 595 00:35:19,227 --> 00:35:21,652 Great. And we have the thick aubergine rolls. 596 00:35:21,677 --> 00:35:23,882 Thank you. With grated thyme and herbs. Perfect. Thank you. 597 00:35:23,907 --> 00:35:26,092 Thank you. Efcharisto. 598 00:35:26,117 --> 00:35:30,562 So Pythagoras lived and worked here most of his life. 599 00:35:30,587 --> 00:35:33,322 We think he actually taught his students in a cave. 600 00:35:33,347 --> 00:35:36,121 And, of course, one of the brilliant things that he came 601 00:35:36,146 --> 00:35:38,752 up with was his theorem, which probably bugged 602 00:35:38,777 --> 00:35:40,952 you all at school, which was... 603 00:35:40,977 --> 00:35:44,682 ...A squared plus B squared 604 00:35:44,707 --> 00:35:47,012 equals C squared. 605 00:35:47,037 --> 00:35:50,241 And it's a bit of geometry that allows all kinds of things 606 00:35:50,266 --> 00:35:53,652 to happen - architecture and technology and science. 607 00:35:53,677 --> 00:35:55,842 So that is obviously very cool. 608 00:35:58,477 --> 00:36:02,732 But as well as the grand challenges of civilisation, Pythagoras also 609 00:36:02,757 --> 00:36:07,402 seems to have applied his brilliance to the temptations of the flesh. 610 00:36:07,427 --> 00:36:13,182 LIQUID POURING Genuinely, genuinely impressive. 611 00:36:15,688 --> 00:36:20,103 I'm on the Greek island of Samos, the birthplace of an ancient Greek 612 00:36:20,128 --> 00:36:23,153 whose mathematical genius has made a difference 613 00:36:23,178 --> 00:36:25,382 to each and every one of us. 614 00:36:25,407 --> 00:36:28,663 I'm talking about Pythagoras. 615 00:36:30,327 --> 00:36:33,823 I'm told there's a souvenir that I absolutely have to get, 616 00:36:33,848 --> 00:36:38,512 which apparently is a cup invented by Pythagoras, which I have to say 617 00:36:38,537 --> 00:36:40,182 I find slightly hard to believe, 618 00:36:40,207 --> 00:36:41,823 but I'm going to go and check it out. 619 00:36:47,407 --> 00:36:49,023 Hi. Hello. 620 00:36:49,048 --> 00:36:51,543 I've heard about this Pythagoras cup. 621 00:36:51,568 --> 00:36:53,743 The ancient writers talk about it, 622 00:36:53,768 --> 00:36:56,463 and they say that basically it stops you getting drunk. 623 00:36:56,488 --> 00:37:00,302 But I don't... Yes, there is a line here, that is the limit. Uh-huh. 624 00:37:00,327 --> 00:37:03,153 So if I put water or wine until the line... 625 00:37:04,407 --> 00:37:06,073 Stop there. OK. 626 00:37:06,098 --> 00:37:07,302 Here, I'm OK. 627 00:37:07,327 --> 00:37:11,153 If I put more and pass the line, then I lose everything. 628 00:37:11,178 --> 00:37:12,432 How does that work? 629 00:37:12,457 --> 00:37:15,103 That's really... Because you can't see any holes inside. 630 00:37:15,128 --> 00:37:17,103 Yes, but actually there are three holes. 631 00:37:17,128 --> 00:37:19,353 Are there? How does that work? 632 00:37:19,378 --> 00:37:20,903 You must see the inside 633 00:37:20,928 --> 00:37:22,743 to understand how it works. OK. 634 00:37:22,768 --> 00:37:25,823 That's genuinely, genuinely impressive. 635 00:37:25,848 --> 00:37:28,463 So you see, it's totally empty. 636 00:37:28,488 --> 00:37:29,743 Yes, totally empty. 637 00:37:29,768 --> 00:37:31,103 That's very tragic. 638 00:37:31,128 --> 00:37:35,023 All your wine gone. And now is the mystery. 639 00:37:35,048 --> 00:37:37,973 There are two holes here and one here. Yeah. 640 00:37:37,998 --> 00:37:41,073 So the water passes from that two holes, 641 00:37:41,098 --> 00:37:42,463 it comes up here, 642 00:37:42,488 --> 00:37:46,182 and when it reaches that hole, that is the line outside. 643 00:37:46,207 --> 00:37:50,382 Then it makes a syphon, and the air press all the water down. 644 00:37:50,407 --> 00:37:53,153 That's extremely sneaky! 645 00:37:53,178 --> 00:37:54,993 So it's like a kind of... 646 00:37:55,018 --> 00:37:57,302 It's a sort of... Well, it's a kind of morality lesson 647 00:37:57,327 --> 00:38:00,302 and a kind of practicaljoke at the same time. Yes, exactly. 648 00:38:00,327 --> 00:38:01,973 It's a lesson for the life. 649 00:38:01,998 --> 00:38:03,943 Don't want more and more and more, 650 00:38:03,968 --> 00:38:06,153 because, at the end, you have nothing. 651 00:38:06,178 --> 00:38:09,663 You see, that is one of the reasons I love Greece, ancient and modern, 652 00:38:09,688 --> 00:38:13,903 because there are these little kinds of, you know, little life lessons 653 00:38:13,928 --> 00:38:17,023 in everything, even in a simple thing like a cup. 654 00:38:17,048 --> 00:38:18,823 Pythagoras made this for his students 655 00:38:18,848 --> 00:38:21,713 because he want all to drink the same quantity of wine. 656 00:38:21,738 --> 00:38:23,993 So it's a little. Yeah. Good. Good for him. 657 00:38:24,018 --> 00:38:26,262 I'll have those. Thank you so much. 658 00:38:26,287 --> 00:38:27,713 Brilliant. 659 00:38:27,738 --> 00:38:29,262 Genius. 660 00:38:29,287 --> 00:38:33,512 A full cup of wine and a morality lesson, 661 00:38:33,537 --> 00:38:36,023 all in one swift purchase. 662 00:38:36,048 --> 00:38:37,253 Thank you. 663 00:38:42,698 --> 00:38:47,163 It's said that Pythagoras designed his cup in the 6th century BC, 664 00:38:47,188 --> 00:38:52,442 when Greek civilisation flourished, leaving us feats of ingenuity 665 00:38:52,467 --> 00:38:54,723 we can still marvel at today. 666 00:38:54,748 --> 00:38:57,803 And there's one here I really want to show you - 667 00:38:57,828 --> 00:39:00,392 an underground aqueduct, 668 00:39:00,417 --> 00:39:04,623 built to supply the city state of Samos with fresh water all year 669 00:39:04,648 --> 00:39:09,272 round so the city could survive a siege, a fate suffered by Troy 670 00:39:09,297 --> 00:39:10,833 during the Trojan War. 671 00:39:13,028 --> 00:39:14,723 You know why it's narrow? 672 00:39:16,748 --> 00:39:20,913 Helping me explore is archaeologist Irene Haralambakis. 673 00:39:20,938 --> 00:39:22,272 Look up. 674 00:39:22,297 --> 00:39:24,473 Up there? Yep. Wow. 675 00:39:25,828 --> 00:39:28,473 Work began in the mid-6th century BC, 676 00:39:28,498 --> 00:39:32,272 with two teams digging simultaneously from either side, 677 00:39:32,297 --> 00:39:35,233 carving a kilometre-long tunnel 678 00:39:35,258 --> 00:39:36,753 through the solid rock. 679 00:39:36,778 --> 00:39:39,723 Putting their geometric theories to the test - 680 00:39:39,748 --> 00:39:43,623 pretty impressively - they managed to meet in the middle. 681 00:39:45,938 --> 00:39:48,553 You are out of the narrow part. 682 00:39:48,578 --> 00:39:50,833 Now you can breathe and stand up. Look at this! 683 00:39:50,858 --> 00:39:52,233 This is amazing. 684 00:39:53,938 --> 00:39:56,553 It goes all the way through the mountain, one kilometre. 685 00:39:56,578 --> 00:39:58,913 This is just a tiny fraction of what you're seeing. 686 00:40:00,618 --> 00:40:01,723 Incredible. 687 00:40:01,748 --> 00:40:04,083 And that would have fed the city for... 688 00:40:04,108 --> 00:40:06,083 ...1,500 years, then? 689 00:40:06,108 --> 00:40:08,312 Yeah. Yeah. Over 1,000 years. 690 00:40:09,858 --> 00:40:11,442 Really remarkable. 691 00:40:11,467 --> 00:40:14,033 And why was it so important for them to create this? 692 00:40:14,058 --> 00:40:18,262 It was the solution to a very simple problem - 60,000 thirsty people, 693 00:40:18,287 --> 00:40:20,473 the only good supply behind the mountain, 694 00:40:20,498 --> 00:40:23,873 a secret source of water that no enemy could find. 695 00:40:23,898 --> 00:40:27,083 And they've got pretty simple tools still then. Very simple tools. 696 00:40:27,108 --> 00:40:30,113 Are those the chisel marks you can see? Yes. Look at that! 697 00:40:30,138 --> 00:40:33,003 That's incredible, isn't it? 698 00:40:33,028 --> 00:40:35,473 And here - all of these are chisel marks. 699 00:40:35,498 --> 00:40:38,083 I mean, it's terrible, though, to think of it, really. 700 00:40:38,108 --> 00:40:41,192 I'm presuming slaves or prisoners of war? 701 00:40:41,217 --> 00:40:42,593 Yes. 702 00:40:42,618 --> 00:40:44,003 You always have to remember that. 703 00:40:44,028 --> 00:40:45,553 So you've got these extraordinary 704 00:40:45,578 --> 00:40:47,363 achievements of civilisation... True. 705 00:40:47,388 --> 00:40:52,873 ...but there were almost always men, and women often too, who achieved 706 00:40:52,898 --> 00:40:55,673 that through their own blood and sweat. Yeah, that's true. 707 00:41:03,978 --> 00:41:06,642 I'm back on the high seas again. 708 00:41:06,667 --> 00:41:10,192 I've still got many miles of my own odyssey ahead of me, 709 00:41:10,217 --> 00:41:14,392 so it's wonderful to see my boat has attracted some 710 00:41:14,417 --> 00:41:17,083 very auspicious visitors. 711 00:41:17,108 --> 00:41:19,512 Guys, dolphins in front of us. 712 00:41:19,537 --> 00:41:22,873 Wow! Look straight by the boat, by the boat. 713 00:41:22,898 --> 00:41:26,113 I can see! Yeah, we can see. We can see it here. 714 00:41:28,108 --> 00:41:30,312 This is the most incredible thing. 715 00:41:30,337 --> 00:41:33,153 So four, five, six dolphins have just come to play 716 00:41:33,178 --> 00:41:34,673 with the prow of the boat, 717 00:41:34,698 --> 00:41:36,873 and they're swimming over - you can see them there - 718 00:41:36,898 --> 00:41:40,153 and diving out and actually whistling to us. 719 00:41:40,178 --> 00:41:43,262 It's so beautiful! Of course, dolphins were supposed to be 720 00:41:43,287 --> 00:41:45,903 the messengers of the god of the sea, Poseidon, 721 00:41:45,928 --> 00:41:48,113 and if they came to visit your boat, 722 00:41:48,138 --> 00:41:50,953 it was thought to be very, very good luck. 723 00:41:52,498 --> 00:41:55,262 That's just so lovely. Look. 724 00:41:58,778 --> 00:42:00,593 GIGGLES: Hello! 725 00:42:02,388 --> 00:42:03,903 Here they go. 726 00:42:11,417 --> 00:42:13,312 When you come here and when you sail on the sea, 727 00:42:13,337 --> 00:42:16,803 you are living as the ancients did. 728 00:42:16,828 --> 00:42:19,392 It's at times like this, you can so imagine Odysseus 729 00:42:19,417 --> 00:42:21,953 and his crew heading towards the setting sun, 730 00:42:21,978 --> 00:42:25,262 not sure what adventures lay beyond the horizon. 731 00:42:31,578 --> 00:42:34,953 Next time, as I continue my journey, 732 00:42:34,978 --> 00:42:38,903 I go in search of the biggest archaeological site 733 00:42:38,928 --> 00:42:40,262 in all of Greece... 734 00:42:40,287 --> 00:42:41,723 SHE GASPS 735 00:42:41,748 --> 00:42:44,723 ...seek out the delights of ancient wine... 736 00:42:44,748 --> 00:42:47,233 Can we taste some, then? Of course. 737 00:42:48,337 --> 00:42:50,113 ...and following Odysseus's trail, 738 00:42:50,138 --> 00:42:52,192 I battle the elements. 739 00:42:52,217 --> 00:42:56,953 I just got completely...completely drenched!