Bettany Hughes

Classical historian Bettany Hughes explores Athens - a city lauded as the mainspring of Western-style democracy, liberty and freedom of speech. Heady words are used to describe Athenian life in the 5th century BC, 'a Golden Age', 'the Greek Miracle'. Reality, of course, was richer and more complex. In this timely series, new archaeological evidence and contributions from experts in the period combine to generate a powerful TV resource for students of the classical world. (Lion Television)

Alexandria: The Greatest City" is another show about the ancient world hosted by Bettany Hughes. During the course of the show, she discussed the city's founding during the time of Alexander the Great (it was one of many cities named after him), the multinational aspects of the town, the university, the work of Galen and the great library--the greatest repository of knowledge in the ancient world. (imdb)

Documentary about an illustrated medieval book (Fechtbuch) on weapons and fighting, written in 1459 by Hans Talhoffer, kept in the Royal Library of Denmark. (imdb)

In this fascinating documentary, historian Bettany Hughes travels to the seven wonders of the Buddhist world and offers a unique insight into one of the most ancient belief systems still practised today. (bbc.co.uk)

Historian Bettany Hughes profiles three great thinkers of the ancient world - The Buddha, Socrates and Confucius. (bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06542cg)

This program contends that the popular perception of the Muslim occupation of Spain toward the end of the first millennium is largely wrong. The eighth century Muslim invasion of the Iberian Pennisula was largely welcomed by the locals and rejuvenated the area with advanced technology, agriculture and a construction boom. This program describes these innovations. All this changed in the eleventh century when the regional government fragmented. (imdb)

Historian Bettany Hughes selects eight pivotal days that defined the Roman Empire and its establishment as the world's first superpower. (imdb)

Historian Bettany Hughes retraces the lives of three great thinkers whose ideas shaped the modern world: Karl Marx, Frederick Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. (imdb)

The historian explores the land that inspired her passion for the past by embarking upon a 900-mile journey along the river Nile and examining how it shaped ancient Egypt. (imdb)

Best known for the myth of the Minotaur, Crete gave birth to Europe's first civilization. Yet little is known about those who inhabited the island. But now, with fresh archeological evidence, light is finally being shed on this ancient culture.

British historian Bettany Hughes tours the eastern Mediterranean in search of facts behind the legends of "the face that launched a thousand ships," exploring the ways Greeks made love and war circa 1300 B.C.

Bettany Hughes examines the story of the god of wine, revelry, theatre and excess. She visits Jordan, Georgia, Greece and Britain to discover his origins, modern presence and role in the development of civilisation.

A history of the ancient Spartans, featuring historian Bettany Hughes as presenter and narrator.

Documentary series aiming to shed new light on what happened on the last hours before Pompeii was destroyed by a volcanic eruption