Athens is revered as the birthplace of Western philosophy, art, science and perhaps the greatest political idea of all time: democracy.... More >
Athens is revered as the birthplace of Western philosophy, art, science and perhaps the greatest political idea of all time: democracy. But in this fascinating documentary (first shown on Channel 4 in July 2007), historian Bettany Hughes looks behind some of the myths of Athensas golden age. She finds a very warlike and aggressive state, which was also capable of terrible mistakes, misdeeds and atrocities.
Part 2
Bettany Hughes looks in detail at the extraordinary new ideas of the new democracy, against the powerful and dramatic story of Socrates, celebrated as one of the authors of the new thinking but who ultimately pushed even democracy beyond its limits and wa
