Note: this post was based on ten YouTube clips, which have been taken down since then. The post corresponds to roughly one-tenth-length of the series.
Seize victory at all costs – The vision of the hero – The tyrant Peisistratus – Turn to the common Athenians, an extraordinary step – Chance of prosperity – The vase and a whole new style of painting – Outdoing each other – International economic power – Hippias succeeds Peisistratus – Freedoms stripped away – No cause other than self-preservation
Athens is under the rule of the tyrant Peisistratus, a popular ruler who has empowered common Athenians. Under his leadership, the city’s enterprise grows and its prosperity rises, giving its citizens much to live for.
When Peisistratus passes away, he’s succeeded by his son, Hippias.
The new tyrant is benevolent. When his brother is murdered, Hippias cracks down on all Athens to avenge him, an act which causes tension in the city.
Athenians gather up in protest. Cleisthenes, nobleman and visionary, forms a conspiracy to overthrow the mad tyrant.
From the phenomenal Atlantic Productions Documentary Series, Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
Narrator: Liam Neeson