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, which aims to keep the wider public alive to the nuances of demos-kratia, new archaeological evidence and contributions from experts in the period combine to generate a powerful TV resource for students of the classical world.
Broadcaster: Channel 4/PBS
TX Date: July 2007
Total Episodes: 4
Duration: 2x48 mins, 2x56 mins
Executive Producer(s): Richard Bradley
Presenter(s): Bettany Hughes
Buy Merchandise: DVD