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0:00:00 > 0:00:02- 888- - 888
0:00:06 > 0:00:11- While the western world lived under - a cloud of ignorance and cruelty...
0:00:11 > 0:00:14- ..people living here - were assuming power.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21- People who would build - cities of marble...
0:00:21 > 0:00:25- ..and worship their gods - in high places within them.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27- These people loved wisdom.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31- Their philosophers would ask - questions about heaven and earth...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33- ..their astronomers - would map the sky...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37- ..and their mathematicians - would measure the planet.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41- They would create such amazing art, - drama and architecture...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- ..that the Romans would copy them.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45- Their general, Alexander...
0:00:45 > 0:00:50- ..would create the greatest empire - the world had ever seen.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- They established democracy - and Europe's first civilisation.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56- They were the Greeks.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32- It's 2000 BC.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38- The Greek mainland is being overrun - by foreign barbarians.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42- Civilisations don't grow - under such conditions.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46- To tell the story of the Greeks - and their gods...
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- ..we must go to the place - where it all began.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- Egypt, Sumeria and Mesopotamia - were already old...
0:01:59 > 0:02:02- ..when Europe's - first advanced civilisation...
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- ..flourished on the island of Crete.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10- These people were known as Minoans.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13- In an ideal place - in the Mediterranean...
0:02:14 > 0:02:16- ..they grew strong and wealthy.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25- The secret of their success lay - hidden in the shelter of the hills.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32- Grain, wood and olives to be traded - for gold, ivory and precious stones.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37- But what about their gods?
0:02:40 > 0:02:45- From the earliest times, they had - worshipped the earth goddess...
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- ..who blessed their land - and made it fertile.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51- When a sky god arrived...
0:02:51 > 0:02:54- ..with immigrants - from south east Asia...
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- ..the Minoans responded with - a marriage between earth and sky.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03- Uniting the kingdoms of heaven and - earth would produce two families...
0:03:03 > 0:03:06- ..the gods above - and mortals below.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12- The gods gave form and meaning - to the mysteries of creation...
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- ..and the mortals paid their dues - through worship.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- This union between - heaven and earth...
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- ..gave rise to religious art - and architecture.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- Knossos was the jewel in the crown.
0:03:42 > 0:03:48- The palace at Knossos was a hive - of activity with its 1,500 rooms...
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- ..on a five-acre site.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56- There were workshops, kitchens - and storerooms filled with jars.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02- It had terracotta plumbing...
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- ..and two floors of rooms, - and underground tunnels.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- Religious processions of past ages - have been recorded in frescoes...
0:04:15 > 0:04:17- ..painted upon wet plaster.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- Decorative stone staircases...
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- ..connect the common folk's rooms - to those of the king.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40- The focus of power - this alabaster - throne - still remains here.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- On each side - are benches for counsellors...
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- ..guarded by harmless griffins.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- In the queen's chamber, - dolphins cavort all over the walls.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09- But the bull-leapers are Knossos's - most famous works of art.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- It was a popular entertainment - of the time.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20- Bulls were sacred to the Minoans, - symbolising the power of the gods.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- But it was all destroyed.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35- In 1650 BC, the nearby island - of Thera - or Santorini - erupted...
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- ..engulfing Crete - in a shower of volcanic ash.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44- 200 years later, Crete itself - was hit by an earthquake.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- By now, Minoan art, religion - and architecture...
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- ..had retreated towards Greece - - and towards glory.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- It was popularly believed...
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- ..that the family of Greek gods - was expanding...
0:06:05 > 0:06:06- ..and fighting among themselves.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- The battles above - were reflected down on earth.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- City states competed for power.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20- But they united when a common enemy - - the Persians - appeared.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25- In the midst of the Persian crisis, - Pericles came to power.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30- He insisted that the cities - work together for their cause.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35- Persia was defeated, - and Athens came to rule Greece.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- The Acropolis was - its jewel in the crown.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42- This was the beginning - of the golden age.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- Acropolis means 'high'.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- And high denotes the sacred.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- It was a shelter against attack...
0:07:04 > 0:07:09- ..close to farms but far - from the sea with its pirates.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16- The gods, according to myth, - resided on Mount Olympus.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- Their statues were kept - and worshipped here.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- But which god did - the people of Athens worship?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- Naturally, there were arguments.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35- The god Poseidon created a spring - of salt water on the Acropolis.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- But the goddess Athena planted - an olive tree...
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- ..and she received - the people's support.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- This is a descendant of the tree...
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- ..that was worshipped - by generations of Athenians.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56- Poseidon's consolation prize - was the Erechtheion...
0:07:57 > 0:08:01- ..an architectural masterpiece - built in 420 BC.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- Six Ionic columns - still stand on its northern side.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15- Scrolls adorn the top, - and pearls decorate the abacus.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- Facing south is a rare - and imaginative feature.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- These figures - are known as Caryatids.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- The six handmaidens - support the portico.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- Unlike the temples of Christians, - Muslims and Jews...
0:08:44 > 0:08:49- ..Greek temples were the homes - of gods, not places of worship.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- This is the stunning home of Athena, - the city's patron goddess.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- The Parthenon - is the Acropolis's pinnacle.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09- It looks like a natural extension - of the hillside.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19- It was built of marble - in the Doric style.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- Inside it was a huge statue - of Athena.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32- The gold and ivory statue - cost more than the building itself.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- The Athenians - never forgot the Persians.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- Plaques on the temple...
0:09:53 > 0:09:57- ..show scenes depicting the triumph - of good over evil...
0:09:57 > 0:09:58- ..civilisation over barbarity.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- Some of them have survived - 2,500 years.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- The Acropolis was a high city...
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- ..intended to be a glorious, - eternal home for the gods.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- But what about the mortals - who built it?
0:10:29 > 0:10:31- The Kerameikos cemetery...
0:10:31 > 0:10:36- ..was a resting place for the - Athenian elite for over 2,000 years.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44- Some of the tombs - portray the heroism of martyrs.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- Others show the pain - of the bereaved.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- Some recall the powerful symbols - of the old days.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- But where did the dead go?
0:11:04 > 0:11:09- Did they cross the River Styx in - the underworld, on Charon's boat?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- And what awaited them after that?
0:11:12 > 0:11:14- Paradise, punishment...
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- ..or what one writer - called eternal misery?
0:11:26 > 0:11:26- 888
0:11:26 > 0:11:28- 888- - 888
0:11:42 > 0:11:47- Zeus - god of the sky - released - two eagles in different directions.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51- Where they met - would be the earth's centre.
0:11:51 > 0:11:57- And, here it is, in Delphi, marked - by this stone omphalos or navel.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- Delphi, like the Vatican - in the Middle Ages...
0:12:12 > 0:12:13- ..wielded enormous power.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- The temple of Apollo - - the most famous altar in Greece...
0:12:20 > 0:12:23- ..was built in the form of terraces.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- It had colonnades, meeting rooms, - and a stadium.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Apollo had killed the Python...
0:12:36 > 0:12:40- ..a huge serpent - which had attacked his mother...
0:12:40 > 0:12:46- ..and the Pythian Games were held - here in his honour every four years.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- It was a religious festival...
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- ..which included sports, music - and drama competitions.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- The festival could be compared - with the Olympic Games.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- What about the afterlife?
0:13:12 > 0:13:16- For the Greeks, - the afterlife was a vague concept.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- They concentrated more on this life.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- The desire for information - about the future...
0:13:23 > 0:13:28- ..attracted kings and common people - on pilgrimages to the omphalos.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- Delphi and its priesthood - flourished.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37- The pilgrims gave generous offerings.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- They placed over 3,000 statues - and treasure houses...
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- ..along the sacred way, - to show their gratitude.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50- Only one treasure house remains.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- It commemorates - the Greeks' gratitude...
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- ..for their victory at Marathon.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- Apollo was worshipped as the god - of light, harmony and order.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- He also had the gift of prophecy.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26- Apollo answered questions - through his priestess - the Oracle.
0:14:27 > 0:14:33- She sat on a three-legged stool - above a volcanic vent in the ground.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38- Her mumbled, incomprehensible - answers were interpreted by priests.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50- The Oracle's answer...
0:14:50 > 0:14:55- ..was always interpreted in a manner - that was advantageous to Delphi.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- Only Delphi could bestow - its blessing on new colonies.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- It did so - for a price.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10- Delphi had a network of spies - who gave the priests information...
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- ..as they bargained for power - with political leaders.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25- When the united state - was threatened by the Persians...
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- ..the Greeks, led by their leader, - Pericles...
0:15:28 > 0:15:30- ..came to ask a question.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42- But the Oracle made a mistake.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- A mistake... a mistake... a mistake.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52- The Greeks wanted to know - if they should resist the Persians.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54- "No," said the Oracle...
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- ..hoping, apparently, that Delphi - would become the Greek capital...
0:15:59 > 0:16:01- ..if the Persians gained power.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- But Pericles ignored the Oracle.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- He went on to defeat the Persians...
0:16:07 > 0:16:12- ..and that Greek victory was the - beginning of the end for Delphi.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- As Delphi declined in the - third century BC, Greece expanded.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- As they sailed to the colonies...
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- ..trireme ships carried with them - Greek gods, art and architecture...
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- ..and the same old question - - what about the afterlife?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- Colonists are always tempted to - recreate the place they have left.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- Certainly, Paestum in southern Italy - is like a part of Greece.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25- A temple was built to Poseidon, - god of the sea, in 450 BC.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- Doric architecture, - the most popular Greek style...
0:17:43 > 0:17:48- ..is recreated here in these thick - columns topped with plain capitals.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- But local limestone - has been used instead of marble.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13- Built next to it, - within 100 years in age...
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- ..the basilica - also conforms to an old design.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21- But unusually, it has nine columns - on the shorter side...
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- ..and fourteen on the longer side.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34- The most important member - of the pantheon in Paestum...
0:18:34 > 0:18:38- ..was Hera, Zeus's jealous wife, - goddess of motherhood and fertility.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53- Other gods have been represented - on pottery and in sculpture.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- This is a small statue of Demeter...
0:19:09 > 0:19:14- ..goddess of the harvest and - fertility, holding a bowl of fruit.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- A brightly-decorated amphora depicts - Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty...
0:19:21 > 0:19:25- ..rising gracefully - from the foam of the sea.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33- For the Greeks, - Paestum was a home from home.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- On June 3, 1968, - the archaeologist Marco Napoli...
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- ..discovered something new - and exciting.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54- At first sight - it seemed like an ordinary tomb.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59- But it contained the oldest - and best examples of Greek murals.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09- Five slabs of travertine stone - covered in white stucco...
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- ..and painted with bright colours.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23- The paintings show a symposium - - a party and drinks after dinner...
0:20:23 > 0:20:24- ..attended only by men.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- These usually included - singing and poetry...
0:20:28 > 0:20:34- ..and a game of kottabos, where - wine dregs were thrown at a target.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38- These scenes speak more of this life - than the next.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- But there's a picture of - a dead young man - the Diver...
0:20:44 > 0:20:45- ..on the tomb lid.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49- His muscular, toned body - has a reddish tint.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- It's an idealised figure, - in the tradition of Greek sculpture.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- Some experts believe this is - more than just a work of art.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02- They believe the platform symbolises - the Pillars of Hercules...
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- ..which marked the end of the world.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10- The Diver dives to his death, - knowing he will be reborn.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16- The philosopher Pythagoras...
0:21:16 > 0:21:20- ..had already advanced the concept - of reincarnation in Greece.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22- The other pictures...
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- ..are an elegy to the end of life - and its pleasures.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31- But the Diver - seems to be diving joyfully...
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- ..full of hope for the afterlife.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- The small ripple caused - by the Diver in Paestum...
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- ..was a powerful wave - by the time it reached Athens.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- Athens had become - a kingdom of intellect.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51- Plato preached the doctrine - of specific virtues...
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- ..transferring the emphasis - from god to virtue.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- Aristarchus announced that - the earth circles around the sun.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03- The plays of Sophocles...
0:22:03 > 0:22:07- ..expressed doubts - about the justice of the gods.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10- Aristotle and others - placed reason above mystery.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31- Camus, the writer, wrote - that once man begins to think...
0:22:31 > 0:22:33- ..he begins to be undermined.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37- That's what happened to Olympus, - the mountain of the gods.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- It was dismantled, one myth - at a time, by questions.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Where did the Greek gods go?
0:22:46 > 0:22:50- The high city, home of the gods, - knows their fate.
0:22:53 > 0:22:59- The Acropolis, and Greece, were - seized by the Romans in 147 BC.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02- And the gods?
0:23:02 > 0:23:06- They changed their names - to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva...
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- ..and they were taken to Rome - as spoils of war.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21- The lofty, sacred Acropolis - would be disregarded...
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- ..and new temples - would usurp the old ones.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53- The church of St George was - consecrated to the new Roman god...
0:23:54 > 0:23:55- ..Jesus of Nazareth.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- Christianity would replace - the old Greek gods...
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- ..and answer the question - regarding the afterlife.
0:24:22 > 0:24:28- But the gods of the Mount of Olives - would be remembered for ever...
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- ..in Greek art, architecture, - sculpture and drama...
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- ..the living heritage - of the lost gods.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- S4C subtitles by TROSOL Cyf.