Engineering an Empire

As many of us know, the History Channel has become a little too focused (in this writer's humble opinion) on more recent history and whether Jesus Christ is on his way back to Earth after catching a ride with ancient aliens and carting the formal apocalypse in his back pocket. However, there was a time when the History Channel did some truly amazing work, work that was as insightful as it was dazzling to watch.

Between 2005 and 2007, History televised easily one of their greatest endeavors celebrating the ancient world, "Engineering an Empire." The series, hosted by Peter Weller (aka Robocop), actually achieved the History Channel's mantra by bringing "the past alive" through computer generated simulations of the structures built by such greats as the Persians, Egyptians, Carthaginians, and, of course, the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. The series consulted legitimate scholars from around the globe to ensure academic authenticity and to lend credence to the show's claims. Overall, the series was, and frankly still is, one of the best programs of its class to date.

Posted below are complete episodes from Youtube featuring the Persian, Carthaginian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine empires. The series is far larger than these five episodes, but the complete series (14 episodes plus additional footage) can be found for as little as $25 on Amazon.

Enjoy!




The Persians

The Carthaginians

The Greeks

The Romans

The Byzantines