Greeks: Crucible of Civilisation

The first programme in this series tells the story of the troubled birth of the world's first democracy, ancient Athens, through the life of an Athenian nobleman, Cleisthenes. In the brutal world of the 5th century BC, the Athenians struggle against a series of tyrants and their greatest rival, Sparta, to create a new 'society of equals'. The programme closes on the eve of the new society's first great test: invasion by the mighty empire of Persia. Part 1 of 3.