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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:01,669 --> 00:00:04,570 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:04,672 --> 00:00:06,972 ♪ ♪ 3 00:00:07,074 --> 00:00:09,108 narrator: This week, on "Ancient Top 10"... 4 00:00:09,210 --> 00:00:11,577 the city that worshipped death. 5 00:00:11,679 --> 00:00:13,412 - The population would gather in the thousands, 6 00:00:13,514 --> 00:00:16,815 and they would watch grisly ritual sacrifices. 7 00:00:16,917 --> 00:00:18,384 narrator: A capital that took on 8 00:00:18,486 --> 00:00:20,753 the power of the Roman Empire. 9 00:00:20,855 --> 00:00:24,323 - The ancient city of Carthage was as big as Manhattan 10 00:00:24,425 --> 00:00:27,259 and every bit as classy. 11 00:00:27,395 --> 00:00:29,128 narrator: The eternal city that spawned 12 00:00:29,230 --> 00:00:31,630 the greatest ancient civilization. 13 00:00:31,732 --> 00:00:33,732 - Rome was truly one of the greatest metropolises 14 00:00:33,834 --> 00:00:35,667 of the ancient world. 15 00:00:35,770 --> 00:00:37,736 narrator: And a fortified metropolis 16 00:00:37,838 --> 00:00:40,439 that withstood sieges for a thousand years. 17 00:00:40,541 --> 00:00:42,975 - Constantinople was really the jewel of the East. 18 00:00:43,077 --> 00:00:45,577 Everybody in that area wanted it. 19 00:00:45,679 --> 00:00:48,514 Everybody in that area would do anything to get it. 20 00:00:48,616 --> 00:00:52,117 narrator: The most amazing cities in the ancient world... 21 00:00:52,219 --> 00:00:55,320 where will they be ranked on the only top ten list 22 00:00:55,389 --> 00:00:57,823 thousands of years in the making? 23 00:00:57,925 --> 00:01:00,759 [dramatic percussive music] 24 00:01:00,861 --> 00:01:08,267 ♪ ♪ 25 00:01:08,369 --> 00:01:11,336 narrator: Sprawling, powerful... 26 00:01:11,439 --> 00:01:14,506 the beating heart of civilizations. 27 00:01:14,608 --> 00:01:17,176 But what makes a great city? 28 00:01:17,278 --> 00:01:18,944 Innovation... 29 00:01:19,046 --> 00:01:20,813 monumental buildings... 30 00:01:20,915 --> 00:01:23,048 epic engineering. 31 00:01:23,150 --> 00:01:26,819 The more successful a city gets, the bigger it grows. 32 00:01:26,921 --> 00:01:29,555 And some of the most magnificent cities 33 00:01:29,657 --> 00:01:31,957 were built in ancient times. 34 00:01:32,059 --> 00:01:34,393 This week's ancient top ten... 35 00:01:34,495 --> 00:01:36,128 ♪ ♪ 36 00:01:36,230 --> 00:01:38,363 The greatest ancient metropolises... 37 00:01:38,466 --> 00:01:41,834 ranked according to their population size. 38 00:01:41,936 --> 00:01:44,803 And straight in at number ten, 39 00:01:44,905 --> 00:01:47,005 it's the ancient Egyptian capital... 40 00:01:47,108 --> 00:01:50,676 [epic music] 41 00:01:50,778 --> 00:01:52,511 Thebes. 42 00:01:52,613 --> 00:01:54,413 ♪ ♪ 43 00:01:54,515 --> 00:01:57,082 - Nearly 3,500 years ago, 44 00:01:57,184 --> 00:01:59,885 Thebes was the largest city in the world. 45 00:01:59,954 --> 00:02:02,621 Many of its awesome monuments are still standing today, 46 00:02:02,723 --> 00:02:04,656 and that's why it's gotta make our top ten. 47 00:02:04,758 --> 00:02:07,893 narrator: Ancient Egypt was one the greatest civilizations 48 00:02:07,995 --> 00:02:09,294 of the ancient world. 49 00:02:09,396 --> 00:02:11,163 [dramatic musical flourish] 50 00:02:11,265 --> 00:02:13,432 It was the land of the Great Sphinx 51 00:02:13,534 --> 00:02:15,868 and the mighty pyramids of Giza. 52 00:02:15,970 --> 00:02:17,669 ♪ ♪ 53 00:02:17,771 --> 00:02:19,771 And its capital was Thebes-- 54 00:02:19,874 --> 00:02:21,874 which is now Luxor city. 55 00:02:21,976 --> 00:02:23,542 ♪ ♪ 56 00:02:23,644 --> 00:02:25,511 - Thebes is unquestionably 57 00:02:25,613 --> 00:02:27,412 one of the great cities of the ancient world. 58 00:02:27,515 --> 00:02:29,548 It was massive, and we're talking massive 59 00:02:29,650 --> 00:02:31,550 from about 2000 BC onwards. 60 00:02:31,652 --> 00:02:33,118 For hundreds and hundreds of years, 61 00:02:33,220 --> 00:02:35,754 this was the seat of power in ancient Egypt. 62 00:02:35,856 --> 00:02:38,790 ♪ ♪ 63 00:02:38,893 --> 00:02:40,926 narrator: By 1500 BC, 64 00:02:41,028 --> 00:02:44,863 it had a population of 75,000, 65 00:02:44,965 --> 00:02:48,233 the biggest in the world at the time. 66 00:02:48,335 --> 00:02:50,502 Thebes was filled with soaring monuments 67 00:02:50,604 --> 00:02:53,305 dedicated to its rulers, the pharaohs. 68 00:02:53,407 --> 00:02:55,374 ♪ ♪ 69 00:02:55,476 --> 00:02:58,043 Towering symbols of power, wealth and glory, 70 00:02:58,145 --> 00:03:01,246 they cover over 36 square miles. 71 00:03:01,348 --> 00:03:03,549 The most impressive-- 72 00:03:03,651 --> 00:03:06,418 Karnak, an enormous complex of temples 73 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,588 that is nearly a mile long. 74 00:03:09,690 --> 00:03:12,524 - Karnak is the work of over 30 successive pharaohs 75 00:03:12,626 --> 00:03:15,594 all trying to make their mark. 76 00:03:15,696 --> 00:03:18,297 narrator: Inside is the Hypostyle hall... 77 00:03:18,399 --> 00:03:20,265 ♪ ♪ 78 00:03:20,367 --> 00:03:24,536 A vast forest of 134 towering columns... 79 00:03:24,638 --> 00:03:26,605 ♪ ♪ 80 00:03:26,707 --> 00:03:28,907 Some as tall as a six-story building. 81 00:03:29,009 --> 00:03:30,709 ♪ ♪ 82 00:03:30,811 --> 00:03:32,644 It's considered one of the greatest 83 00:03:32,746 --> 00:03:35,447 architectural achievements of all time. 84 00:03:35,549 --> 00:03:38,717 ♪ ♪ 85 00:03:38,819 --> 00:03:40,619 Karnak is connected to the equally impressive 86 00:03:40,721 --> 00:03:42,354 Luxor temple... 87 00:03:42,456 --> 00:03:44,289 ♪ ♪ 88 00:03:44,391 --> 00:03:46,558 By an avenue lined with sphinx statues, 89 00:03:46,660 --> 00:03:49,161 totaling 2 miles in length. 90 00:03:49,263 --> 00:03:51,897 The pharaohs portrayed themselves as gods 91 00:03:51,999 --> 00:03:54,433 in images on walls all across Thebes. 92 00:03:54,535 --> 00:03:56,501 - You have the great kings, 93 00:03:56,604 --> 00:03:59,438 the pharaohs building their palaces, statues of themselves. 94 00:03:59,540 --> 00:04:01,306 Amenhotep III for example, 95 00:04:01,408 --> 00:04:03,575 he not only built his great palace there, 96 00:04:03,677 --> 00:04:07,212 but he built an artificial lake that was 1.5 square miles. 97 00:04:07,314 --> 00:04:09,414 ♪ ♪ 98 00:04:09,516 --> 00:04:13,452 Ramesses II built a statue of himself 62 feet high. 99 00:04:13,554 --> 00:04:15,187 So the egos of the pharaohs were embedded 100 00:04:15,289 --> 00:04:17,756 in this great metropolis of Thebes. 101 00:04:17,858 --> 00:04:22,527 narrator: And not only in life, this continued in death. 102 00:04:22,630 --> 00:04:25,030 On the Western outskirts of the ancient city 103 00:04:25,132 --> 00:04:28,533 were a whole host of incredible mortuary temples 104 00:04:28,636 --> 00:04:30,135 like Medinet Habu... 105 00:04:30,204 --> 00:04:33,338 [intense music] 106 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:35,440 And Deir el-Bahari, 107 00:04:35,542 --> 00:04:37,609 built to honor dead rulers. 108 00:04:37,711 --> 00:04:41,446 ♪ ♪ 109 00:04:41,548 --> 00:04:43,982 But a few miles further outside the city limits 110 00:04:44,084 --> 00:04:46,051 was an even more elaborate dedication 111 00:04:46,153 --> 00:04:48,053 to the dead pharaohs-- 112 00:04:48,155 --> 00:04:51,690 a collection of 63 underground burial tombs 113 00:04:51,792 --> 00:04:53,659 filled with riches 114 00:04:53,761 --> 00:04:56,128 called the Valley of the Kings. 115 00:04:56,230 --> 00:04:58,664 [exciting music] 116 00:04:58,766 --> 00:05:01,400 Past pharaohs had been buried in grand pyramids, 117 00:05:01,502 --> 00:05:04,102 but their tombs had been plundered. 118 00:05:04,204 --> 00:05:05,904 The Valley of the Kings was designed 119 00:05:06,006 --> 00:05:08,073 to keep the pharaohs' belongings safe 120 00:05:08,175 --> 00:05:09,975 so they could use them in the afterlife. 121 00:05:10,077 --> 00:05:12,244 ♪ ♪ 122 00:05:12,346 --> 00:05:15,180 Sadly though, they, too, fell victim to grave robbers, 123 00:05:15,282 --> 00:05:16,815 and their riches were pillaged. 124 00:05:16,917 --> 00:05:18,850 ♪ ♪ 125 00:05:18,952 --> 00:05:21,019 - The Valley of the Kings is full of empty tombs, 126 00:05:21,121 --> 00:05:22,621 and we'll never know what incredible treasure 127 00:05:22,723 --> 00:05:24,189 they once held. 128 00:05:24,291 --> 00:05:25,757 It's ironic that the smallest tomb discovered 129 00:05:25,859 --> 00:05:27,993 was full of gold, 130 00:05:28,095 --> 00:05:31,730 and the name of that pharaoh, now synonymous with treasure-- 131 00:05:31,832 --> 00:05:33,432 Tutankhamun. 132 00:05:33,567 --> 00:05:35,334 ♪ ♪ 133 00:05:35,436 --> 00:05:37,602 narrator: A vision of power and prosperity, 134 00:05:37,705 --> 00:05:39,705 just like the other legends of this magnificent city. 135 00:05:39,807 --> 00:05:41,573 [intense music] 136 00:05:41,675 --> 00:05:44,109 After nearly 2,000 years of glory, 137 00:05:44,211 --> 00:05:46,945 Thebes eventually declined in power 138 00:05:47,047 --> 00:05:49,881 as later pharaohs moved the capital to different cities 139 00:05:49,983 --> 00:05:52,851 and Egypt fell into economic difficulties. 140 00:05:52,953 --> 00:05:58,123 But its epic monuments live on as a reminder of its greatness. 141 00:05:58,225 --> 00:06:00,192 [exciting music] 142 00:06:00,294 --> 00:06:02,527 Across the Atlantic was another ancient city 143 00:06:02,629 --> 00:06:05,397 founded on the legacy of its dead. 144 00:06:05,499 --> 00:06:08,834 But this was built not on the tombs of its rulers 145 00:06:08,902 --> 00:06:11,036 but from the bones of its people. 146 00:06:11,138 --> 00:06:12,237 At number nine... 147 00:06:12,339 --> 00:06:16,108 [epic music] 148 00:06:16,210 --> 00:06:19,711 It's the Aztec city of Teotihuacan. 149 00:06:19,813 --> 00:06:21,913 [intense percussive music] 150 00:06:21,982 --> 00:06:24,149 - Teotihuacan was the biggest city in the Americas, 151 00:06:24,251 --> 00:06:25,984 of course until New York arrived. 152 00:06:26,086 --> 00:06:30,288 It had a population of possibly 200,000 people. 153 00:06:30,391 --> 00:06:32,491 narrator: Located about 30 miles north 154 00:06:32,593 --> 00:06:34,726 of present-day Mexico City, 155 00:06:34,828 --> 00:06:37,662 it was believed to be a sacred place by the Aztecs. 156 00:06:37,765 --> 00:06:39,331 ♪ ♪ 157 00:06:39,433 --> 00:06:41,933 The name they gave it, Teotihuacan, 158 00:06:42,035 --> 00:06:44,336 means "birthplace of the Gods." 159 00:06:44,438 --> 00:06:46,171 ♪ ♪ 160 00:06:46,273 --> 00:06:48,073 The city has a mysterious history, 161 00:06:48,175 --> 00:06:50,909 as the culture had no written language. 162 00:06:51,011 --> 00:06:53,512 We don't know exactly when it was founded, 163 00:06:53,614 --> 00:06:55,814 and it may be that it was already in ruins 164 00:06:55,916 --> 00:06:59,284 by the time the Aztecs arrived and populated it. 165 00:06:59,386 --> 00:07:03,588 Teotihuacan is famed for having pyramids that rival Egypt's. 166 00:07:03,690 --> 00:07:05,690 ♪ ♪ 167 00:07:05,793 --> 00:07:08,760 This is the magnificent Pyramid of the Sun, 168 00:07:08,862 --> 00:07:12,097 the third largest pyramid in the world. 169 00:07:12,199 --> 00:07:14,599 - The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan 170 00:07:14,701 --> 00:07:16,301 is absolutely massive. 171 00:07:16,403 --> 00:07:19,137 It's 760 feet wide at its base, 172 00:07:19,239 --> 00:07:22,274 which is the same width as the Great Pyramid in Egypt. 173 00:07:22,376 --> 00:07:24,142 ♪ ♪ 174 00:07:24,244 --> 00:07:27,179 - Standing before this pyramid, you're just amazed 175 00:07:27,281 --> 00:07:29,448 that something so enormous 176 00:07:29,550 --> 00:07:32,117 was built nearly 2,000 years ago 177 00:07:32,219 --> 00:07:36,721 and by a culture we still know so little about! 178 00:07:36,824 --> 00:07:38,290 narrator: But we do know 179 00:07:38,392 --> 00:07:40,492 that the pyramids hide a dark secret. 180 00:07:40,594 --> 00:07:42,360 - During certain calendrical rites, 181 00:07:42,463 --> 00:07:44,062 the population would gather in the thousands 182 00:07:44,164 --> 00:07:45,964 and they would watch grisly sacrificial rituals 183 00:07:46,066 --> 00:07:47,966 of children. 184 00:07:48,068 --> 00:07:50,235 And we find the evidence bones of these children 185 00:07:50,337 --> 00:07:52,804 at the foundations of the temples and the pyramids. 186 00:07:52,906 --> 00:07:54,473 narrator: And it wasn't just children 187 00:07:54,575 --> 00:07:56,408 who were sacrificed. 188 00:07:56,510 --> 00:07:58,510 Excavations of the Pyramid of the Moon, 189 00:07:58,579 --> 00:08:00,812 the second largest temple on the site, 190 00:08:00,914 --> 00:08:03,315 have discovered the bodies of adults too. 191 00:08:03,417 --> 00:08:05,250 ♪ ♪ 192 00:08:05,319 --> 00:08:07,252 Victims were often from other tribes, 193 00:08:07,354 --> 00:08:08,987 hunted like prey. 194 00:08:09,089 --> 00:08:11,256 The chase ended not in a kill... 195 00:08:11,358 --> 00:08:13,091 [men grunting, yelling] 196 00:08:13,193 --> 00:08:16,161 But a living offering of blood to the gods. 197 00:08:16,263 --> 00:08:19,130 The pyramids were where the gods received it. 198 00:08:19,233 --> 00:08:20,999 [yelling in native language] 199 00:08:21,101 --> 00:08:23,235 It was priests who led the gruesome ritual, 200 00:08:23,337 --> 00:08:27,172 armed with a knife, its blade made out of obsidian. 201 00:08:27,274 --> 00:08:30,442 narrator: Obsidian is a volcanic glass so sharp 202 00:08:30,544 --> 00:08:32,344 it can produce a cutting edge 203 00:08:32,446 --> 00:08:35,080 that is superior to a steel scalpel, 204 00:08:35,182 --> 00:08:38,450 and it is still used by some surgeons today. 205 00:08:38,552 --> 00:08:40,552 [crowd yelling] 206 00:08:40,654 --> 00:08:42,621 While the sacrificial victim was still alive, 207 00:08:42,723 --> 00:08:45,857 the priest would plunge the knife into his abdomen, 208 00:08:45,959 --> 00:08:49,661 rip open a hole the size of his hand, 209 00:08:49,730 --> 00:08:52,797 reach in, and grab the still-beating heart. 210 00:08:52,900 --> 00:08:54,799 ♪ ♪ 211 00:08:54,902 --> 00:08:58,703 He would then hold it up to show it to the gods. 212 00:08:58,805 --> 00:09:01,640 The offering of blood and sacrificial rituals 213 00:09:01,742 --> 00:09:04,209 were part of everyday life. 214 00:09:04,311 --> 00:09:07,379 Death wasn't feared. It was embraced. 215 00:09:07,481 --> 00:09:09,147 ♪ ♪ 216 00:09:09,249 --> 00:09:11,483 - At Teotihuacan, you can see this fascinating 217 00:09:11,585 --> 00:09:13,852 and everlasting relationship with the dead, 218 00:09:13,954 --> 00:09:15,954 with people burying their ancestors' remains 219 00:09:16,056 --> 00:09:19,324 in the foundations and the doorways of their own homes. 220 00:09:19,426 --> 00:09:21,159 ♪ ♪ 221 00:09:21,261 --> 00:09:23,228 narrator: The city was eventually burned, 222 00:09:23,330 --> 00:09:25,430 possibly in an uprising of the lower-class citizens. 223 00:09:25,532 --> 00:09:27,632 [intense music] 224 00:09:27,734 --> 00:09:31,169 The legend of this mighty metropolis never dies... 225 00:09:31,271 --> 00:09:33,805 built on Aztec religion, ritual, 226 00:09:33,907 --> 00:09:36,274 and most of all...blood. 227 00:09:36,343 --> 00:09:39,344 [epic music] 228 00:09:39,446 --> 00:09:42,380 And Teotihuacan was not the only place 229 00:09:42,482 --> 00:09:44,449 to get hearts racing. 230 00:09:44,551 --> 00:09:46,585 Coming up, 231 00:09:46,687 --> 00:09:49,988 a lush biblical city that was scandalized by sin. 232 00:09:50,057 --> 00:09:51,923 ♪ ♪ 233 00:09:52,025 --> 00:09:54,759 And which metropolis will be number one? 234 00:09:54,861 --> 00:09:59,631 [intense percussive music] 235 00:09:59,733 --> 00:10:01,666 ♪ ♪ 236 00:10:01,768 --> 00:10:03,468 narrator: We're back with the countdown 237 00:10:03,570 --> 00:10:05,403 of the greatest ancient metropolises, 238 00:10:05,505 --> 00:10:07,372 ranked by the size of their population. 239 00:10:07,474 --> 00:10:09,708 At number eight, we're off to a city 240 00:10:09,810 --> 00:10:12,043 that grew to biblical proportions... 241 00:10:12,145 --> 00:10:15,113 [epic music] 242 00:10:15,215 --> 00:10:16,314 Babylon. 243 00:10:16,416 --> 00:10:18,283 ♪ ♪ 244 00:10:18,385 --> 00:10:19,985 - Babylon was the first great metropolis 245 00:10:20,087 --> 00:10:21,453 of the ancient world, 246 00:10:21,555 --> 00:10:25,757 and it reached its peak nearly 4,000 years ago. 247 00:10:25,859 --> 00:10:28,560 narrator: Babylon was located in what is now Iraq. 248 00:10:28,662 --> 00:10:32,731 Tactically placed between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, 249 00:10:32,833 --> 00:10:34,566 it is credited with being 250 00:10:34,668 --> 00:10:36,668 one of the birthplaces of civilization. 251 00:10:36,770 --> 00:10:38,103 ♪ ♪ 252 00:10:38,205 --> 00:10:40,572 - Babylon. Just the name suggests grandeur. 253 00:10:40,674 --> 00:10:42,674 But in 2300 BC, 254 00:10:42,776 --> 00:10:46,878 Babylon was just a small city in the Akkadian Empire. 255 00:10:46,980 --> 00:10:49,180 It was about 300 years to 400 years later 256 00:10:49,249 --> 00:10:52,751 that it became the seat of the great Babylonian Empire. 257 00:10:52,853 --> 00:10:54,919 [dramatic music] 258 00:10:55,022 --> 00:10:56,755 narrator: Babylon was written about in the Bible 259 00:10:56,857 --> 00:10:58,523 and was the first city in history 260 00:10:58,625 --> 00:11:03,261 to exceed a population of over 200,000 people. 261 00:11:03,363 --> 00:11:05,163 It reached its great strength 262 00:11:05,265 --> 00:11:09,501 under the so-called mad king Nebuchadnezzar. 263 00:11:09,603 --> 00:11:12,971 He rebuilt its temples and the great royal palace 264 00:11:13,073 --> 00:11:16,274 and carried out work on its extraordinary city walls 265 00:11:16,376 --> 00:11:20,478 which were an impressive 56 miles long. 266 00:11:20,580 --> 00:11:22,814 - Most ancient cities had walls, 267 00:11:22,916 --> 00:11:25,150 but Babylon was so rich and wealthy 268 00:11:25,252 --> 00:11:30,121 it's believed its walls were encrusted with precious stones. 269 00:11:30,223 --> 00:11:33,124 Inside the city walls was another famous structure, 270 00:11:33,226 --> 00:11:34,526 the Ziggurat. 271 00:11:34,628 --> 00:11:36,928 [intense music] 272 00:11:37,030 --> 00:11:39,597 It's thought to be the Tower of Babel from the Bible, 273 00:11:39,700 --> 00:11:43,168 and it gave the Babylonians a reputation of sin. 274 00:11:43,270 --> 00:11:46,471 ♪ ♪ 275 00:11:46,573 --> 00:11:48,773 It's claimed they angered God 276 00:11:48,875 --> 00:11:52,077 by daring to build a tower high enough to reach heaven. 277 00:11:52,179 --> 00:11:54,345 Referring to its impressive height, 278 00:11:54,448 --> 00:11:58,516 the Bible describes it as having "its top in the sky." 279 00:11:58,618 --> 00:12:00,585 - The Tower of Babel must have been amazing, 280 00:12:00,687 --> 00:12:03,988 but there was something even more jaw-dropping in the city-- 281 00:12:04,091 --> 00:12:06,324 the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, 282 00:12:06,426 --> 00:12:09,294 one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. 283 00:12:09,396 --> 00:12:10,995 ♪ ♪ 284 00:12:11,098 --> 00:12:14,365 - Imagine an artificial mountain covered in huge trees, 285 00:12:14,468 --> 00:12:16,134 shrubs, and vines, 286 00:12:16,236 --> 00:12:18,970 kept lush, green, and fresh. 287 00:12:19,072 --> 00:12:20,805 ♪ ♪ 288 00:12:20,907 --> 00:12:22,874 narrator: A pioneering irrigation system 289 00:12:22,976 --> 00:12:26,111 transformed the garden's dry, sandy soil. 290 00:12:26,213 --> 00:12:28,279 It took water from a lake at the bottom, 291 00:12:28,381 --> 00:12:30,648 up 80 feet to the top. 292 00:12:30,751 --> 00:12:32,650 ♪ ♪ 293 00:12:32,753 --> 00:12:35,787 Historians think a pump resembling the Archimedes Screw 294 00:12:35,889 --> 00:12:37,889 may have been used to do this. 295 00:12:37,991 --> 00:12:39,991 ♪ ♪ 296 00:12:40,093 --> 00:12:41,893 - Babylon became this huge artificial creation 297 00:12:41,995 --> 00:12:44,462 in the great gardens and the lush orchards, 298 00:12:44,564 --> 00:12:46,131 and all of these things were achieved 299 00:12:46,233 --> 00:12:48,199 by immense hydraulic engineering, 300 00:12:48,301 --> 00:12:50,869 a feat unprecedented in the ancient world. 301 00:12:50,971 --> 00:12:53,671 narrator: After nearly 2,000 years of splendor, 302 00:12:53,774 --> 00:12:56,908 the city was conquered by the leader of the Macedonians, 303 00:12:57,010 --> 00:13:00,512 Alexander the Great, in 331 BC. 304 00:13:00,614 --> 00:13:03,681 Over the next century, the city was gradually emptied 305 00:13:03,784 --> 00:13:06,351 and its former glory was lost... 306 00:13:06,453 --> 00:13:08,253 but it has never been forgotten. 307 00:13:08,355 --> 00:13:10,388 [dramatic musical flourish] 308 00:13:10,490 --> 00:13:14,225 But greatness isn't always built out of bricks. 309 00:13:14,327 --> 00:13:18,062 Our next city gave the world one of the greatest gifts ever. 310 00:13:18,165 --> 00:13:19,531 At number seven... 311 00:13:19,633 --> 00:13:23,334 [epic music] 312 00:13:23,436 --> 00:13:25,036 It's Athens, 313 00:13:25,138 --> 00:13:27,505 the birthplace of democracy. 314 00:13:27,607 --> 00:13:31,075 - The population of Athens was 250,000. 315 00:13:31,178 --> 00:13:33,912 This was a city that had a remarkable impact 316 00:13:34,014 --> 00:13:37,348 on both the ancient and the modern worlds. 317 00:13:37,450 --> 00:13:38,850 narrator: The Greek city of Athens 318 00:13:38,952 --> 00:13:40,819 was a vibrant, cultured place. 319 00:13:40,921 --> 00:13:43,021 ♪ ♪ 320 00:13:43,123 --> 00:13:46,357 Great thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle 321 00:13:46,459 --> 00:13:48,793 turned it into a center of learning. 322 00:13:48,895 --> 00:13:50,929 And it was here 323 00:13:51,031 --> 00:13:53,031 that one of the most influential ideas in history 324 00:13:53,133 --> 00:13:56,401 was conceived--democracy. 325 00:13:56,503 --> 00:13:58,236 - Democracy is one of the greatest ideas 326 00:13:58,338 --> 00:13:59,938 we have from ancient times. 327 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:01,673 It all started in Athens. 328 00:14:01,775 --> 00:14:03,842 ♪ ♪ 329 00:14:03,910 --> 00:14:06,644 narrator: Athens was ruled exclusively by an aristocracy. 330 00:14:06,746 --> 00:14:08,947 But after a period of civil unrest, 331 00:14:09,049 --> 00:14:12,050 a new system was formed. 332 00:14:12,152 --> 00:14:14,085 Around the 5th century BC, 333 00:14:14,187 --> 00:14:17,822 male citizens were given the right to vote. 334 00:14:17,924 --> 00:14:22,327 It was the beginnings of a democratic society. 335 00:14:22,429 --> 00:14:25,763 narrator: Under democratic rule, the city flourished. 336 00:14:25,866 --> 00:14:27,799 And the most famous achievement-- 337 00:14:27,901 --> 00:14:31,369 Athens' iconic building... the Parthenon. 338 00:14:31,471 --> 00:14:33,304 [exciting music] 339 00:14:33,406 --> 00:14:35,206 Standing on the Acropolis, 340 00:14:35,308 --> 00:14:37,809 a rocky hill which looked out over the city, 341 00:14:37,911 --> 00:14:41,446 it was an architectural work of art. 342 00:14:41,548 --> 00:14:43,681 - The Parthenon in Athens 343 00:14:43,783 --> 00:14:48,319 is the only temple ever built entirely from marble. 344 00:14:48,421 --> 00:14:51,289 30,000 tons of it, 345 00:14:51,391 --> 00:14:54,993 and cut from a hillside 10 miles away. 346 00:14:55,095 --> 00:14:57,161 Now, that's pretty amazing. 347 00:14:57,264 --> 00:14:59,530 [uplifting music] 348 00:14:59,633 --> 00:15:01,666 narrator: Built in just eight or nine years, 349 00:15:01,768 --> 00:15:03,801 it's 228 feet long... 350 00:15:03,904 --> 00:15:06,304 ♪ ♪ 351 00:15:06,406 --> 00:15:09,641 Made out of approximately 13,400 blocks. 352 00:15:09,743 --> 00:15:11,709 ♪ ♪ 353 00:15:11,811 --> 00:15:15,113 Just these columns weigh up to 200 tons each. 354 00:15:15,215 --> 00:15:17,215 ♪ ♪ 355 00:15:17,317 --> 00:15:19,484 Carving the vertical grooves down each of them 356 00:15:19,586 --> 00:15:22,387 was likely to have cost as much as the quarrying, 357 00:15:22,489 --> 00:15:25,623 carrying, and assembly of the marble combined. 358 00:15:25,725 --> 00:15:27,759 narrator: The Parthenon was breathtaking, 359 00:15:27,827 --> 00:15:29,794 but it could afford to be 360 00:15:29,896 --> 00:15:32,196 because it wasn't paid for by the Athenians 361 00:15:32,299 --> 00:15:34,165 but by protection money 362 00:15:34,267 --> 00:15:37,702 demanded from their allied city-states. 363 00:15:37,804 --> 00:15:42,006 - The Parthenon cost 30 million drachma to build. 364 00:15:42,075 --> 00:15:45,109 It's hard to calculate how much that is today, 365 00:15:45,211 --> 00:15:50,982 but possibly about $1.5 billion. 366 00:15:51,084 --> 00:15:52,383 [dramatic musical sting] 367 00:15:52,485 --> 00:15:54,519 narrator: A huge sum, 368 00:15:54,621 --> 00:15:56,854 but the value of what it represents is priceless. 369 00:15:56,957 --> 00:15:58,957 It's seen as a symbol of democracy, 370 00:15:59,059 --> 00:16:01,626 Athens' great gift to the world. 371 00:16:01,728 --> 00:16:06,130 Just like Babylon, Athens was conquered by the Macedonians. 372 00:16:06,232 --> 00:16:07,999 However, it continued to flourish 373 00:16:08,101 --> 00:16:10,134 until the 2nd century BC 374 00:16:10,236 --> 00:16:13,404 when it fell to the expanding Roman Empire. 375 00:16:13,506 --> 00:16:17,575 But the impact it had on our world is huge. 376 00:16:17,677 --> 00:16:19,277 [intense music] 377 00:16:19,379 --> 00:16:21,179 Coming up... 378 00:16:21,281 --> 00:16:23,214 the capital of an empire so powerful 379 00:16:23,316 --> 00:16:26,651 it almost sailed away with control of the Mediterranean... 380 00:16:26,753 --> 00:16:28,119 [crowd roars] And... 381 00:16:28,221 --> 00:16:30,421 an ancient stronghold city 382 00:16:30,523 --> 00:16:34,258 that was nearly burned to the ground by its own people. 383 00:16:34,361 --> 00:16:38,930 [intense percussive music] 384 00:16:39,032 --> 00:16:40,865 [intense music] 385 00:16:40,967 --> 00:16:42,633 narrator: This is "Ancient Top 10's" list 386 00:16:42,736 --> 00:16:44,535 of the greatest cities of the ancient world... 387 00:16:44,637 --> 00:16:46,738 ♪ ♪ 388 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,742 Ranked according to the size of their populations. 389 00:16:50,844 --> 00:16:54,178 And with a massive 700,000 people, 390 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:55,780 we've reached number six... 391 00:16:55,882 --> 00:16:59,017 [epic music] 392 00:16:59,119 --> 00:17:00,418 It's Carthage. 393 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,620 ♪ ♪ 394 00:17:02,722 --> 00:17:05,757 - The ancient city of Carthage on the coast of North Africa 395 00:17:05,859 --> 00:17:09,594 was as big as Manhattan and every bit as classy. 396 00:17:09,696 --> 00:17:13,431 And for that reason, it deserves to be in our top ten. 397 00:17:13,533 --> 00:17:16,534 narrator: Carthage, in what is now Tunisia, 398 00:17:16,636 --> 00:17:18,603 was founded in the 9th century BC 399 00:17:18,705 --> 00:17:22,273 by a mighty seafaring nation called the Phoenicians. 400 00:17:22,375 --> 00:17:24,542 - We think of the ancient Mediterranean world 401 00:17:24,644 --> 00:17:26,377 at this time and we think of the Greeks and the Romans, 402 00:17:26,479 --> 00:17:28,112 but there was a third great power, 403 00:17:28,214 --> 00:17:29,814 and this was the empire of Carthage. 404 00:17:29,916 --> 00:17:32,116 [waves rush, seagulls call] 405 00:17:32,218 --> 00:17:34,018 narrator: The Phoenicians were famous maritime traders 406 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:36,187 who grew Carthage from a small port. 407 00:17:36,289 --> 00:17:39,323 - 700,000 people lived there at its height. 408 00:17:39,426 --> 00:17:41,359 That's bigger than Detroit, bigger than Boston, 409 00:17:41,461 --> 00:17:43,928 bigger than Washington-- this is huge! 410 00:17:44,030 --> 00:17:46,197 narrator: In less than 100 years, 411 00:17:46,299 --> 00:17:49,834 Carthage became the richest city in the Mediterranean. 412 00:17:49,936 --> 00:17:52,703 - The Carthaginians had six-story apartment blocks 413 00:17:52,806 --> 00:17:55,573 all over the city, 414 00:17:55,675 --> 00:17:59,644 and water was pumped into the kitchens and bathrooms. 415 00:17:59,746 --> 00:18:02,013 [hammers clink] [waves splash] 416 00:18:02,115 --> 00:18:04,849 - The jewel in Carthage's crown was its harbor. 417 00:18:04,951 --> 00:18:07,885 It attracted trade and intellectuals 418 00:18:07,987 --> 00:18:09,821 from right across the ancient world, 419 00:18:09,923 --> 00:18:11,823 from beyond the Mediterranean. 420 00:18:11,925 --> 00:18:14,492 It really was the place to be. 421 00:18:14,594 --> 00:18:16,194 ♪ ♪ 422 00:18:16,296 --> 00:18:18,029 narrator: The harbor was home 423 00:18:18,131 --> 00:18:20,865 to the ancient world's most formidable navy-- 424 00:18:20,967 --> 00:18:23,401 220 warships... 425 00:18:23,503 --> 00:18:26,737 an intimidating presence to the rival across the sea 426 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,241 who had eyes on Carthage-- Rome. 427 00:18:30,343 --> 00:18:32,543 - Rome versus Carthage. 428 00:18:32,645 --> 00:18:35,847 One civilization on the rise to becoming great. 429 00:18:35,949 --> 00:18:38,049 The other, an established powerhouse 430 00:18:38,151 --> 00:18:39,584 in the ancient world. 431 00:18:39,686 --> 00:18:42,053 Bound to clash, but neither giving up 432 00:18:42,155 --> 00:18:45,389 until the other has been reduced to ashes. 433 00:18:45,492 --> 00:18:47,592 narrator: It became an epic feud, 434 00:18:47,694 --> 00:18:51,195 played out over three wars known as the Punic Wars, 435 00:18:51,297 --> 00:18:54,966 lasting more than 100 years. 436 00:18:55,068 --> 00:18:57,268 The first was mainly about control of Sicily, 437 00:18:57,370 --> 00:19:00,638 and Carthage suffered humiliating losses. 438 00:19:00,740 --> 00:19:02,507 ♪ ♪ 439 00:19:02,609 --> 00:19:04,642 The second Punic war was dominated 440 00:19:04,744 --> 00:19:07,378 by the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal. 441 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:09,313 ♪ ♪ 442 00:19:09,415 --> 00:19:12,049 He ravaged Italy with his army of war elephants 443 00:19:12,152 --> 00:19:14,552 after leading a daring assault through the Alps... 444 00:19:14,654 --> 00:19:16,287 [elephants trumpeting] 445 00:19:16,389 --> 00:19:18,322 And he took the Romans to the brink of defeat 446 00:19:18,424 --> 00:19:20,291 in the bloody Battle of Cannae. 447 00:19:20,393 --> 00:19:22,727 [men shouting] 448 00:19:22,829 --> 00:19:26,297 But the third war was to be the end of Carthage. 449 00:19:26,399 --> 00:19:28,833 The city came under siege from the Romans 450 00:19:28,935 --> 00:19:32,570 and fell in 146 BC when they burnt it to the ground, 451 00:19:32,672 --> 00:19:36,107 ending 700 years of Carthaginian rule. 452 00:19:36,209 --> 00:19:37,942 ♪ ♪ 453 00:19:38,044 --> 00:19:40,378 However, they rebuilt it as a Roman city 454 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:42,446 and took it to new heights. 455 00:19:42,549 --> 00:19:46,250 It was under Roman rule that it reached its peak population. 456 00:19:46,352 --> 00:19:48,252 [exciting music] 457 00:19:48,354 --> 00:19:50,621 Just as the Romans transformed Carthage, 458 00:19:50,723 --> 00:19:53,824 they took our next metropolis from an ancient Greek colony 459 00:19:53,927 --> 00:19:56,194 to the most powerful city in Europe. 460 00:19:56,296 --> 00:19:57,728 [intense music] 461 00:19:57,830 --> 00:19:59,597 In at number five, 462 00:19:59,699 --> 00:20:02,767 with a population size of between 750,000 463 00:20:02,869 --> 00:20:04,769 to a million people... 464 00:20:04,871 --> 00:20:08,172 [epic music] 465 00:20:08,274 --> 00:20:10,041 It's Constantinople. 466 00:20:10,143 --> 00:20:12,043 ♪ ♪ 467 00:20:12,145 --> 00:20:13,878 - Constantinople was called the New Rome, 468 00:20:13,980 --> 00:20:16,614 or the second Rome, and for a thousand years 469 00:20:16,716 --> 00:20:20,251 it was the biggest and most exciting city on Earth. 470 00:20:20,353 --> 00:20:22,119 ♪ ♪ 471 00:20:22,222 --> 00:20:24,355 narrator: It was founded in 324 AD 472 00:20:24,457 --> 00:20:28,459 by Emperor Constantine the Great and named after him. 473 00:20:28,561 --> 00:20:30,328 ♪ ♪ 474 00:20:30,430 --> 00:20:32,163 The Roman Empire had grown so large 475 00:20:32,265 --> 00:20:33,965 that its historic capital, Rome, 476 00:20:34,067 --> 00:20:36,167 was too far from its frontiers. 477 00:20:36,269 --> 00:20:38,169 ♪ ♪ 478 00:20:38,271 --> 00:20:40,371 So Constantine stripped it of its powers 479 00:20:40,473 --> 00:20:42,473 and established Constantinople 480 00:20:42,575 --> 00:20:44,909 as the new capital of the empire. 481 00:20:45,011 --> 00:20:47,078 ♪ ♪ 482 00:20:47,180 --> 00:20:49,080 - Constantinople, which today we know as Istanbul 483 00:20:49,182 --> 00:20:51,849 in modern-day Turkey, was really the jewel of the East, 484 00:20:51,951 --> 00:20:53,484 the gateway to the east 485 00:20:53,586 --> 00:20:55,486 and the seat of power for Eastern Christendom. 486 00:20:55,588 --> 00:20:58,122 [intense music] 487 00:20:58,224 --> 00:21:00,458 ♪ ♪ 488 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,693 narrator: Constantinople's location on the Bosphorus, 489 00:21:02,795 --> 00:21:05,997 a narrow stretch of water dividing Europe and Asia, 490 00:21:06,099 --> 00:21:07,865 made it a prominent trading post 491 00:21:07,967 --> 00:21:10,501 and strongpoint between the East and West. 492 00:21:10,603 --> 00:21:12,837 In the new capital, 493 00:21:12,939 --> 00:21:16,107 the state-sponsored religion, Christianity, flourished. 494 00:21:16,209 --> 00:21:18,576 - Constantinople was a Christian city, 495 00:21:18,678 --> 00:21:20,444 so it banned gladiatorial games, 496 00:21:20,546 --> 00:21:22,079 but it replaced these 497 00:21:22,181 --> 00:21:25,283 with an absolute passion for chariot racing. 498 00:21:25,385 --> 00:21:27,952 [hard rock music] 499 00:21:28,054 --> 00:21:30,187 narrator: The greatest racing stadium in the world 500 00:21:30,290 --> 00:21:33,291 was built here-- the hippodrome. 501 00:21:33,393 --> 00:21:37,695 Tiered seating could fit up to 100,000 spectators 502 00:21:37,797 --> 00:21:40,998 watching eight chariots, powered by four horses each, 503 00:21:41,100 --> 00:21:44,101 competing for glory. 504 00:21:44,203 --> 00:21:46,437 The teams wore different colors 505 00:21:46,539 --> 00:21:50,207 and represented the political parties within the state. 506 00:21:50,310 --> 00:21:53,010 - There were these competing factions in the city: 507 00:21:53,112 --> 00:21:55,212 the reds, the blues, the greens, and the whites, 508 00:21:55,315 --> 00:21:58,049 and passions ran really high. 509 00:21:58,151 --> 00:22:00,151 I mean, these were like the kind of big football teams 510 00:22:00,253 --> 00:22:01,719 of their day. 511 00:22:01,821 --> 00:22:03,654 In fact, passions ran so high 512 00:22:03,756 --> 00:22:05,723 that at one point the competing teams 513 00:22:05,825 --> 00:22:08,793 actually generated a riot in the city, 514 00:22:08,895 --> 00:22:10,461 the great Nica riot, 515 00:22:10,563 --> 00:22:13,831 which nearly burnt Constantinople to the ground. 516 00:22:13,933 --> 00:22:16,400 narrator: The riots claimed 30,000 lives 517 00:22:16,502 --> 00:22:18,169 and destroyed half the city. 518 00:22:18,271 --> 00:22:20,404 [dramatic musical flourish] 519 00:22:20,506 --> 00:22:23,874 But its reconstruction gave us some of its finest buildings, 520 00:22:23,976 --> 00:22:28,245 including one of the greatest cathedrals ever. 521 00:22:28,348 --> 00:22:30,247 - The Hagia Sofia changed the history of architecture-- 522 00:22:30,350 --> 00:22:34,118 the largest cathedral in the world for over a thousand years. 523 00:22:34,220 --> 00:22:37,121 [inspiring music] 524 00:22:37,223 --> 00:22:40,324 ♪ ♪ 525 00:22:40,426 --> 00:22:42,960 The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, 526 00:22:43,062 --> 00:22:44,829 took six years to build. 527 00:22:44,931 --> 00:22:46,530 The Capitol in DC, 528 00:22:46,632 --> 00:22:49,967 just the dome alone, it took 11 years to build. 529 00:22:50,069 --> 00:22:51,369 So it's even more impressive when we look back 530 00:22:51,471 --> 00:22:53,504 at the Hagia Sophia. 531 00:22:53,606 --> 00:22:55,806 It took five years to build the entire structure 532 00:22:55,908 --> 00:22:58,642 with ancient technology. Amazing. 533 00:22:58,745 --> 00:23:01,011 narrator: Constantinople didn't rely on God 534 00:23:01,114 --> 00:23:02,880 to keep their city safe. 535 00:23:02,982 --> 00:23:04,682 It had some of the greatest defenses 536 00:23:04,784 --> 00:23:05,816 in the ancient world... 537 00:23:05,918 --> 00:23:07,685 ♪ ♪ 538 00:23:07,787 --> 00:23:12,356 And it took something explosive to eventually bring them down. 539 00:23:12,458 --> 00:23:15,793 It's coming up... on "Ancient Top 10." 540 00:23:15,895 --> 00:23:21,432 [intense percussive music] 541 00:23:21,534 --> 00:23:23,401 narrator: In this countdown 542 00:23:23,503 --> 00:23:25,536 of the top ten greatest ancient metropolises, 543 00:23:25,638 --> 00:23:27,738 we've started at number ten 544 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,908 with the astonishing monuments of Thebes in ancient Egypt. 545 00:23:31,010 --> 00:23:35,679 At number nine was the city of death, Teotihuacan... 546 00:23:35,782 --> 00:23:39,750 and number eight was the biblical city of Babylon. 547 00:23:39,852 --> 00:23:43,587 Number seven saw us visit the birthplace of democracy, 548 00:23:43,689 --> 00:23:45,856 Athens... 549 00:23:45,958 --> 00:23:50,261 while number six was the maritime powerhouse Carthage. 550 00:23:50,363 --> 00:23:54,532 But now we're at number five and we're in Constantinople, 551 00:23:54,634 --> 00:23:57,301 which ousted Rome as capital of the Roman Empire 552 00:23:57,403 --> 00:23:59,804 in the 4th century AD. 553 00:23:59,906 --> 00:24:02,106 The city itself was a prime target 554 00:24:02,208 --> 00:24:04,842 for the Empire's many enemies. 555 00:24:04,944 --> 00:24:07,144 - Everybody in that area wanted it. 556 00:24:07,246 --> 00:24:09,980 Everybody in that area would do anything to get it. 557 00:24:10,049 --> 00:24:12,016 narrator: Constantinople's enemies knew 558 00:24:12,118 --> 00:24:14,118 that the best way to take the city 559 00:24:14,220 --> 00:24:16,654 would be with siege warfare. 560 00:24:16,756 --> 00:24:18,856 In order for the population to survive sieges, 561 00:24:18,958 --> 00:24:21,459 they needed a secure source of water. 562 00:24:21,561 --> 00:24:24,328 So they built cisterns, or reservoirs, 563 00:24:24,430 --> 00:24:28,299 to store a fresh supply from springs outside the city. 564 00:24:28,401 --> 00:24:31,735 One of the biggest was the Basilica Cistern. 565 00:24:31,838 --> 00:24:36,373 It was an immense chamber of 336 marble columns, 566 00:24:36,476 --> 00:24:40,177 covering more than 96,000 square feet... 567 00:24:40,279 --> 00:24:44,181 sunk underground, right in the heart of the metropolis. 568 00:24:44,283 --> 00:24:46,684 It still exists today. 569 00:24:46,786 --> 00:24:49,320 - The amazing thing about Constantinople 570 00:24:49,422 --> 00:24:52,289 is that this was a city that was built to last. 571 00:24:52,358 --> 00:24:55,092 It had a whole cistern of water supplies underneath it. 572 00:24:55,194 --> 00:24:57,194 It was a city that was planned, 573 00:24:57,296 --> 00:25:00,764 and so it didn't just survive-- it thrived. 574 00:25:00,867 --> 00:25:03,100 narrator: And the city's exterior defenses 575 00:25:03,202 --> 00:25:05,603 were the best around. 576 00:25:05,705 --> 00:25:07,938 - The defense systems of Constantinople 577 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,808 comprised of a double wall up to 200 feet high 578 00:25:10,910 --> 00:25:12,510 and 12 feet thick, 579 00:25:12,612 --> 00:25:15,613 making it the strongest wall in the ancient world. 580 00:25:15,715 --> 00:25:18,282 [exciting music] 581 00:25:18,384 --> 00:25:22,186 narrator: In front of this was a moat stretching 60 feet wide. 582 00:25:22,288 --> 00:25:24,288 ♪ ♪ 583 00:25:24,390 --> 00:25:27,024 And more than 400 towers, bastions, and gates 584 00:25:27,126 --> 00:25:29,059 gave the wall extra strength. 585 00:25:29,161 --> 00:25:32,396 ♪ ♪ 586 00:25:32,498 --> 00:25:37,101 Constantinople survived 17 sieges over 1,000 years. 587 00:25:37,203 --> 00:25:39,737 It was only the advent of gunpowder siege cannons 588 00:25:39,839 --> 00:25:41,805 that overwhelmed them. 589 00:25:41,908 --> 00:25:45,509 Also used as a bombard, it was used by the Turk army 590 00:25:45,578 --> 00:25:48,946 when they invaded the city in 1453. 591 00:25:49,048 --> 00:25:51,715 It was more powerful than anything seen before-- 592 00:25:51,817 --> 00:25:54,285 40,000 pounds of bronze, 593 00:25:54,387 --> 00:25:57,988 needing 400 men and 60 oxen to move it. 594 00:25:58,090 --> 00:25:59,890 [exciting music] 595 00:25:59,992 --> 00:26:01,892 The chamber would be packed with gunpowder, 596 00:26:01,994 --> 00:26:05,496 enough to fire a 30-inch, 1,500-pound stone ball 597 00:26:05,565 --> 00:26:08,599 more than a mile. 598 00:26:08,701 --> 00:26:11,402 This reconstruction shows its devastating effect. 599 00:26:11,504 --> 00:26:14,405 [exciting music] 600 00:26:14,507 --> 00:26:18,509 ♪ ♪ 601 00:26:18,611 --> 00:26:21,845 Constantinople's walls didn't stand a chance... 602 00:26:21,948 --> 00:26:23,614 [boom] 603 00:26:23,716 --> 00:26:25,683 ♪ ♪ 604 00:26:25,785 --> 00:26:29,253 And in 1458, the city fell. 605 00:26:29,355 --> 00:26:32,489 The Turks re-named it Istanbul... 606 00:26:32,592 --> 00:26:34,825 ♪ ♪ 607 00:26:34,927 --> 00:26:37,428 And it is still a bustling metropolis, 608 00:26:37,530 --> 00:26:41,265 adorned with reminders of its ancient Roman past. 609 00:26:41,367 --> 00:26:43,801 [percussive music] 610 00:26:43,903 --> 00:26:46,503 A thousand miles east of Constantinople, 611 00:26:46,606 --> 00:26:48,806 the great Arab leader al-Mansur 612 00:26:48,908 --> 00:26:51,141 decided to build a city of his own. 613 00:26:51,243 --> 00:26:53,277 Rising out of the plains, it grew into 614 00:26:53,379 --> 00:26:55,846 most populous city in the world. 615 00:26:55,915 --> 00:26:57,114 At number four... 616 00:26:57,216 --> 00:27:00,351 [epic music] 617 00:27:00,453 --> 00:27:02,219 It's Baghdad. 618 00:27:02,321 --> 00:27:04,989 - This was once a glorious city, 619 00:27:05,091 --> 00:27:06,890 center of a great civilization, 620 00:27:06,993 --> 00:27:09,960 and a beacon of knowledge and culture. 621 00:27:10,062 --> 00:27:13,697 Baghdad, a thousand years ago, was one of the biggest 622 00:27:13,799 --> 00:27:17,134 and most magnificent ancient metropolises. 623 00:27:17,236 --> 00:27:19,370 narrator: Baghdad was founded on the Tigris River, 624 00:27:19,472 --> 00:27:22,806 in what is now Iraq, in the 760s AD. 625 00:27:22,908 --> 00:27:24,141 [exciting music] 626 00:27:24,243 --> 00:27:25,509 It was a strategic location, 627 00:27:25,611 --> 00:27:27,578 chosen by al-Mansur 628 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,381 for its importance in global trading routes. 629 00:27:30,483 --> 00:27:32,249 - Baghdad was a purpose-built city, 630 00:27:32,351 --> 00:27:34,485 and it went from being quite a modest place 631 00:27:34,587 --> 00:27:38,589 to, at its height, a city where 900,000 people lived. 632 00:27:38,691 --> 00:27:40,824 And that is quite an extraordinary number 633 00:27:40,926 --> 00:27:42,993 for the time. 634 00:27:43,095 --> 00:27:45,229 narrator: It was nicknamed the 'round city' 635 00:27:45,331 --> 00:27:48,999 because they created it in a unique, circular design. 636 00:27:49,101 --> 00:27:51,402 And it was one of the greatest construction projects 637 00:27:51,504 --> 00:27:54,104 in the Islamic world. 638 00:27:54,206 --> 00:27:56,106 Baghdad emerged in a period known as 639 00:27:56,208 --> 00:27:58,275 the Islamic Golden Age. 640 00:27:58,377 --> 00:28:00,577 In the 8th to the 13th centuries, 641 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,682 great cultural, economic, and intellectual growth took place. 642 00:28:04,784 --> 00:28:06,684 ♪ ♪ 643 00:28:06,786 --> 00:28:08,752 Baghdad's House of Wisdom led the way 644 00:28:08,854 --> 00:28:12,222 in technological and scientific development. 645 00:28:12,324 --> 00:28:14,024 - Baghdad wanted to be 646 00:28:14,126 --> 00:28:16,860 the globe's new intellectual center. 647 00:28:16,962 --> 00:28:18,762 The House of Wisdom was there, 648 00:28:18,864 --> 00:28:21,565 where all the biggest and best ideas from both east and west 649 00:28:21,667 --> 00:28:22,933 were gathered in. 650 00:28:23,035 --> 00:28:25,035 ♪ ♪ 651 00:28:25,137 --> 00:28:26,970 And if you actually translated a book there, 652 00:28:27,073 --> 00:28:30,674 then you were given that book's weight in gold as payment. 653 00:28:30,776 --> 00:28:32,876 ♪ ♪ 654 00:28:32,978 --> 00:28:35,112 narrator: The translated texts preserved ancient knowledge 655 00:28:35,214 --> 00:28:38,782 and passed it on to the next generation. 656 00:28:38,884 --> 00:28:41,819 This earned Baghdad the reputation of being 657 00:28:41,887 --> 00:28:44,588 the "center of the world" for its academic studies. 658 00:28:44,690 --> 00:28:46,256 ♪ ♪ 659 00:28:46,358 --> 00:28:48,225 - In that part of the world at that time, 660 00:28:48,327 --> 00:28:50,627 all roads led to Baghdad, 661 00:28:50,730 --> 00:28:54,098 a center of science, culture, and technology. 662 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,066 narrator: Sadly, ancient Baghdad 663 00:28:56,168 --> 00:28:59,336 was destroyed by the Mongols in 1258. 664 00:28:59,438 --> 00:29:02,072 It was said that they threw so many manuscripts 665 00:29:02,174 --> 00:29:06,977 into the Tigris, its waters ran black with ink. 666 00:29:07,079 --> 00:29:10,080 Thousands of years' worth of knowledge was lost. 667 00:29:10,182 --> 00:29:12,750 We are left wondering what the world could have been like 668 00:29:12,852 --> 00:29:16,687 if the knowledge of Baghdad hadn't been destroyed. 669 00:29:16,789 --> 00:29:18,522 Coming up... 670 00:29:18,624 --> 00:29:20,491 Asia's greatest metropolis, 671 00:29:20,593 --> 00:29:23,460 home to the largest palace ever built... 672 00:29:23,562 --> 00:29:25,629 and the shining light of Egypt, 673 00:29:25,731 --> 00:29:30,033 a city home to one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. 674 00:29:30,136 --> 00:29:36,006 [intense percussive music] 675 00:29:36,108 --> 00:29:38,175 [exciting music] 676 00:29:38,277 --> 00:29:40,077 narrator: This is "Ancient Top 10's" countdown 677 00:29:40,179 --> 00:29:42,679 of the greatest ancient metropolises. 678 00:29:42,782 --> 00:29:45,582 At number three is a city that gave the world 679 00:29:45,684 --> 00:29:48,218 something more precious than gold. 680 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:52,089 [epic music] 681 00:29:52,191 --> 00:29:55,659 It's the ancient Chinese capital of Xi'an. 682 00:29:55,761 --> 00:29:57,094 ♪ ♪ 683 00:29:57,196 --> 00:29:58,562 - The Chinese city of Xi'an 684 00:29:58,664 --> 00:30:00,998 is bigger than anything on our list so far. 685 00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:03,767 It had over a million inhabitants--it was massive. 686 00:30:03,869 --> 00:30:05,869 And for centuries it was booming. 687 00:30:05,971 --> 00:30:09,206 [percussive music] 688 00:30:09,308 --> 00:30:10,908 - The site of Xi'an in ancient China 689 00:30:11,010 --> 00:30:13,043 was an unbelievably important metropolis. 690 00:30:13,145 --> 00:30:16,513 I mean, there were a million inhabitants, 4,000 palaces. 691 00:30:16,649 --> 00:30:19,283 One of the most extraordinary places in the ancient world. 692 00:30:19,385 --> 00:30:21,952 narrator: Xi'an, in the center of China, 693 00:30:22,054 --> 00:30:24,555 was the country's capital for hundreds of years, 694 00:30:24,657 --> 00:30:28,125 and its rulers demanded to live in style. 695 00:30:28,227 --> 00:30:30,394 One of the most magnificent structures in the city 696 00:30:30,496 --> 00:30:33,030 was the huge Weiyang Palace. 697 00:30:33,132 --> 00:30:35,465 ♪ ♪ 698 00:30:35,568 --> 00:30:37,634 - The scale of the buildings was incredible. 699 00:30:37,736 --> 00:30:40,504 The Weiyang Palace, meaning "the endless palace," 700 00:30:40,606 --> 00:30:41,939 covered 2 square miles. 701 00:30:42,007 --> 00:30:44,608 That's 11 times the size of the Vatican, 702 00:30:44,710 --> 00:30:47,144 making it the largest palace ever built. 703 00:30:47,246 --> 00:30:48,812 ♪ ♪ 704 00:30:48,914 --> 00:30:50,814 - The palace had 40 halls, 705 00:30:50,916 --> 00:30:52,749 the largest of which was big enough 706 00:30:52,852 --> 00:30:54,985 to fit the White House inside. 707 00:30:55,087 --> 00:30:57,754 narrator: Sadly, the palace was burnt to the ground, 708 00:30:57,857 --> 00:31:01,124 and we are left wondering as to its splendor. 709 00:31:01,227 --> 00:31:04,394 Xi'an could fund the building of colossal projects like this, 710 00:31:04,496 --> 00:31:06,663 thanks to the world's oldest trade route, 711 00:31:06,765 --> 00:31:09,933 which connected to this bustling capital. 712 00:31:10,035 --> 00:31:11,668 - Xi'an was at the center of the business 713 00:31:11,770 --> 00:31:13,737 that made China fabulously rich-- 714 00:31:13,839 --> 00:31:15,272 the silk trade. 715 00:31:15,374 --> 00:31:17,674 And, boy, did it make them a lot of money. 716 00:31:17,776 --> 00:31:19,710 [crowd chatter] 717 00:31:19,812 --> 00:31:20,878 narrator: Xi'an was the starting point 718 00:31:20,946 --> 00:31:23,113 of the Silk Road, 719 00:31:23,215 --> 00:31:25,916 a famous network of trading routes to eastern Europe. 720 00:31:26,018 --> 00:31:30,921 Silk was exported all the way to Rome, 5,000 miles away, 721 00:31:31,023 --> 00:31:33,724 and considered more precious than gold. 722 00:31:33,826 --> 00:31:35,659 Xi'an boomed. 723 00:31:35,761 --> 00:31:37,961 There was building on an immense scale. 724 00:31:38,063 --> 00:31:40,030 [dramatic music] 725 00:31:40,132 --> 00:31:42,599 Sadly, most of Xi'an has been lost to time 726 00:31:42,701 --> 00:31:45,869 as it fell into decline around 900 AD. 727 00:31:45,971 --> 00:31:49,640 But its status as a metropolis has lived on, 728 00:31:49,742 --> 00:31:52,776 and today it is home to 8 million people. 729 00:31:52,878 --> 00:31:54,945 ♪ ♪ 730 00:31:55,047 --> 00:31:58,181 Next on our list was the ultimate Egyptian city, 731 00:31:58,284 --> 00:32:00,384 a bustling center of knowledge 732 00:32:00,486 --> 00:32:03,487 founded by the greatest general of the ancient world. 733 00:32:03,589 --> 00:32:05,222 At number two... 734 00:32:05,324 --> 00:32:08,959 [epic music] 735 00:32:09,061 --> 00:32:11,795 It's Alexandria. 736 00:32:11,897 --> 00:32:13,797 - The great ancient city of Alexandria. 737 00:32:13,899 --> 00:32:15,832 This was one of the great centers of learning 738 00:32:15,935 --> 00:32:18,302 in the entire planet. 739 00:32:18,404 --> 00:32:21,605 narrator: Lying on the coast of the Mediterranean in Egypt, 740 00:32:21,707 --> 00:32:23,540 Alexandria was founded 741 00:32:23,642 --> 00:32:27,878 by the legendary Greek military commander Alexander the Great 742 00:32:27,980 --> 00:32:31,415 after he invaded Egypt in 331 BC. 743 00:32:31,517 --> 00:32:34,885 He wanted to spread Greek culture throughout his empire, 744 00:32:34,987 --> 00:32:38,822 and his new city was to be at the very heart of it. 745 00:32:38,924 --> 00:32:41,925 - Egypt was an ultimate prize for Alexander the Great, 746 00:32:42,027 --> 00:32:44,061 and when he managed to take the region, 747 00:32:44,163 --> 00:32:46,363 he put a jewel in that crown, 748 00:32:46,465 --> 00:32:49,599 and that jewel was the city of Alexandria. 749 00:32:49,702 --> 00:32:52,336 [percussive music] 750 00:32:52,438 --> 00:32:54,504 narrator: Alexander left Egypt 751 00:32:54,606 --> 00:32:56,173 only a few months after the city's formation 752 00:32:56,275 --> 00:32:57,674 and never returned. 753 00:32:57,776 --> 00:32:59,943 ♪ ♪ 754 00:33:00,045 --> 00:33:02,045 But his city continued to prosper. 755 00:33:02,147 --> 00:33:04,114 ♪ ♪ 756 00:33:04,183 --> 00:33:07,117 Designed in a grid system just like modern-day Manhattan, 757 00:33:07,219 --> 00:33:09,353 in just over a hundred years, 758 00:33:09,455 --> 00:33:12,456 it became the largest city in the world at the time. 759 00:33:12,558 --> 00:33:15,559 It's been said that the city became so grand 760 00:33:15,661 --> 00:33:17,594 that 1/3 of it was covered 761 00:33:17,663 --> 00:33:20,430 in extravagant monuments and palaces. 762 00:33:20,532 --> 00:33:23,100 - This was a place where there was street lighting. 763 00:33:23,202 --> 00:33:26,203 Some of the streets were 30 meters wide, 764 00:33:26,305 --> 00:33:28,572 and it was filled with some of the greatest treasures 765 00:33:28,674 --> 00:33:30,974 from the known world. 766 00:33:31,076 --> 00:33:34,277 narrator: Alexandria attracted the greatest scholars. 767 00:33:34,380 --> 00:33:37,547 Greek expertise, influenced by the ancient Egyptian heritage, 768 00:33:37,649 --> 00:33:39,416 produced stunning results. 769 00:33:39,518 --> 00:33:41,284 ♪ ♪ 770 00:33:41,387 --> 00:33:43,387 Such as the mighty Pharos, 771 00:33:43,489 --> 00:33:45,756 the lighthouse of Alexandria 772 00:33:45,858 --> 00:33:49,926 and one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. 773 00:33:50,029 --> 00:33:52,229 At over 400 feet high, 774 00:33:52,331 --> 00:33:55,132 the Pharos was one of the tallest man-made structures 775 00:33:55,234 --> 00:33:57,768 and was famous around the world. 776 00:33:57,870 --> 00:34:01,338 - So much so, the word pharos in many languages 777 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,007 still means lighthouse. 778 00:34:04,109 --> 00:34:05,409 ♪ ♪ 779 00:34:05,511 --> 00:34:07,444 narrator: It's another example 780 00:34:07,546 --> 00:34:09,346 of the engineering excellence of the city. 781 00:34:09,448 --> 00:34:11,348 [dramatic music] 782 00:34:11,450 --> 00:34:13,483 - The most important thing about this place 783 00:34:13,585 --> 00:34:16,953 was that this was the center of all the knowledge on earth. 784 00:34:17,056 --> 00:34:18,522 Everything that was written down 785 00:34:18,624 --> 00:34:21,291 was stored in the great Library of Alexandria. 786 00:34:21,393 --> 00:34:24,027 It was like a kind of living internet of its day. 787 00:34:24,129 --> 00:34:25,929 ♪ ♪ 788 00:34:26,031 --> 00:34:27,597 narrator: The Library at Alexandria 789 00:34:27,699 --> 00:34:30,167 was the largest in the world. 790 00:34:30,269 --> 00:34:32,169 Its purpose was to collect and preserve 791 00:34:32,271 --> 00:34:36,673 all the world's wisdom, and it attracted the brightest minds-- 792 00:34:36,775 --> 00:34:40,877 Philo of Byzantium, Ctesibius, Archimedes. 793 00:34:40,979 --> 00:34:44,948 - In the great Library, there were 550,000 volumes, 794 00:34:45,050 --> 00:34:47,484 and if you read a new one every day, 795 00:34:47,586 --> 00:34:52,189 you would be sitting in that library for over 1,500 years. 796 00:34:52,291 --> 00:34:55,058 narrator: Scientists studying at the Library 797 00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:58,161 made discoveries the modern world didn't catch up with 798 00:34:58,263 --> 00:35:00,797 for over a thousand years. 799 00:35:00,899 --> 00:35:02,899 - Mathematicians in ancient Alexandria 800 00:35:03,001 --> 00:35:05,469 were calculating the circumference of the earth 801 00:35:05,571 --> 00:35:07,737 in the 300-200 BC range. 802 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:08,839 This is unbelievable! 803 00:35:08,941 --> 00:35:10,841 ♪ ♪ 804 00:35:10,943 --> 00:35:11,975 narrator: Tragically, many of the texts 805 00:35:12,077 --> 00:35:14,244 were destroyed by fire. 806 00:35:14,346 --> 00:35:16,980 It's thought that this may have happened in 48 BC, 807 00:35:17,082 --> 00:35:19,649 when the Romans conquered the city. 808 00:35:19,751 --> 00:35:23,086 So much ancient knowledge, lost to history. 809 00:35:23,188 --> 00:35:25,422 [epic music] 810 00:35:25,491 --> 00:35:27,424 Alexandria's influence over the ancient world 811 00:35:27,526 --> 00:35:31,661 was surpassed only by one other city. 812 00:35:31,763 --> 00:35:33,563 Coming up is "Ancient Top 10's" 813 00:35:33,665 --> 00:35:35,665 greatest ancient metropolis. 814 00:35:35,767 --> 00:35:38,001 It's our number one! 815 00:35:38,103 --> 00:35:43,106 [intense percussive music] 816 00:35:43,842 --> 00:35:45,909 ♪ ♪ 817 00:35:46,011 --> 00:35:48,111 narrator: This is "Ancient Top 10's" countdown 818 00:35:48,213 --> 00:35:50,514 of the greatest metropolises of the ancient world. 819 00:35:50,616 --> 00:35:52,616 With iconic buildings, innovation, 820 00:35:52,718 --> 00:35:54,751 and mind-blowing technology, 821 00:35:54,853 --> 00:35:58,655 many cities were centuries ahead of their time. 822 00:35:58,757 --> 00:36:02,025 At number ten was the monumental city of Thebes 823 00:36:02,127 --> 00:36:04,027 in ancient Egypt. 824 00:36:04,129 --> 00:36:08,465 Number nine was the greatest of the Americas--Teotihuacan. 825 00:36:08,567 --> 00:36:12,302 At number eight was the legendary city of Babylon. 826 00:36:12,404 --> 00:36:16,139 At number seven, history-making Athens. 827 00:36:16,241 --> 00:36:21,044 Number six, that great Mediterranean power, Carthage. 828 00:36:21,146 --> 00:36:25,015 At number five, the magnificent Constantinople. 829 00:36:25,117 --> 00:36:28,952 Number four was the historic Baghdad... 830 00:36:29,054 --> 00:36:33,023 and number three, the capital of ancient China, Xi'an. 831 00:36:33,125 --> 00:36:38,361 Our number two was the great center of learning, Alexandria. 832 00:36:38,463 --> 00:36:41,031 But now it's time for the greatest-- 833 00:36:41,133 --> 00:36:44,301 the number one ancient metropolis, 834 00:36:44,403 --> 00:36:47,704 the biggest city in the world until modern times... 835 00:36:47,806 --> 00:36:50,974 [epic music] 836 00:36:51,076 --> 00:36:53,176 Rome. 837 00:36:53,278 --> 00:36:55,478 - Rome was truly one of the greatest metropolises 838 00:36:55,581 --> 00:36:57,247 of the ancient world. 839 00:36:57,349 --> 00:37:01,017 People from all over the empire would flock to that city. 840 00:37:01,086 --> 00:37:02,686 narrator: Lying in central Italy 841 00:37:02,788 --> 00:37:04,254 in the heart of the Mediterranean 842 00:37:04,356 --> 00:37:06,323 and Roman civilization... 843 00:37:06,425 --> 00:37:08,992 at its peak, Rome attracted a population 844 00:37:09,094 --> 00:37:13,396 of somewhere between 1 and 1 1/2 million people. 845 00:37:13,498 --> 00:37:15,432 - When you got your Roman citizenship, 846 00:37:15,534 --> 00:37:17,400 it didn't matter what color your skin was 847 00:37:17,502 --> 00:37:18,702 or what language you spoke. 848 00:37:18,804 --> 00:37:20,503 You were considered Roman. 849 00:37:20,606 --> 00:37:22,906 And so naturally lots of people from different backgrounds 850 00:37:23,008 --> 00:37:27,244 moved into Rome, making it the most culturally diverse hub 851 00:37:27,346 --> 00:37:30,213 we would probably see up until modern times. 852 00:37:30,315 --> 00:37:32,382 ♪ ♪ 853 00:37:32,484 --> 00:37:34,451 narrator: The people were seduced by its glamour 854 00:37:34,553 --> 00:37:36,419 and cutting-edge engineering and construction 855 00:37:36,488 --> 00:37:38,922 that was way ahead of its time. 856 00:37:39,024 --> 00:37:41,625 The population boomed. [crowd cheering] 857 00:37:41,727 --> 00:37:44,261 - Ancient Rome had three times more people 858 00:37:44,363 --> 00:37:46,730 per square mile than modern-day New York. 859 00:37:46,832 --> 00:37:49,266 And you thought New York city was a busy place. 860 00:37:49,368 --> 00:37:51,935 Try shopping on main street, ancient Rome. 861 00:37:52,037 --> 00:37:54,871 narrator: And shop they did. 862 00:37:54,973 --> 00:37:56,773 This is Trajan's Market. 863 00:37:56,875 --> 00:38:00,710 2,000 years ago it had over 150 stores 864 00:38:00,812 --> 00:38:04,381 under one roof spread over six stories. 865 00:38:04,483 --> 00:38:06,082 - Trajan's Market is the first 866 00:38:06,184 --> 00:38:08,118 multi-functioning shopping mall. 867 00:38:08,220 --> 00:38:10,153 You've got offices, you've got shops. 868 00:38:10,255 --> 00:38:11,421 You could pretty much get anything 869 00:38:11,523 --> 00:38:13,323 from all over the Empire. 870 00:38:13,425 --> 00:38:15,992 Think of it like a Macy's with an emporium rolled into one. 871 00:38:16,094 --> 00:38:18,128 [intense music] 872 00:38:18,230 --> 00:38:19,929 narrator: If a day out shopping wasn't enough entertainment, 873 00:38:20,032 --> 00:38:21,898 ancient Romans could also head 874 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,267 to the city's most iconic building... 875 00:38:24,369 --> 00:38:26,269 the Colosseum... 876 00:38:26,371 --> 00:38:28,905 the largest amphitheater ever built, 877 00:38:29,041 --> 00:38:33,843 and a model for all modern-day sports arenas. 878 00:38:33,945 --> 00:38:36,479 Up to 80,000 people flocked there 879 00:38:36,581 --> 00:38:39,949 to watch brutal gladiatorial games, 880 00:38:40,052 --> 00:38:41,851 public executions, 881 00:38:41,953 --> 00:38:43,953 and animal hunts. 882 00:38:44,056 --> 00:38:47,457 - The Colosseum, the Arena of Death. 883 00:38:47,559 --> 00:38:49,826 A million animals slaughtered, 884 00:38:49,928 --> 00:38:52,529 500,000 people murdered 885 00:38:52,631 --> 00:38:54,497 in the name of entertainment! 886 00:38:54,599 --> 00:38:57,667 [crowd cheering] 887 00:38:57,769 --> 00:39:00,937 ♪ ♪ 888 00:39:01,039 --> 00:39:02,972 narrator: As well as entertaining the masses, 889 00:39:03,075 --> 00:39:05,642 the city provided for their basic needs. 890 00:39:05,744 --> 00:39:07,777 With a population as big as Rome's, 891 00:39:07,879 --> 00:39:10,714 it was vital to have a controlled water source. 892 00:39:10,816 --> 00:39:15,352 Rome solved this problem by using a series of aqueducts. 893 00:39:15,454 --> 00:39:19,856 - 11 aqueducts totaling more than 300 miles in length. 894 00:39:19,958 --> 00:39:23,960 That's 183 Golden Gate Bridges. 895 00:39:24,062 --> 00:39:26,029 [inspiring music] 896 00:39:26,131 --> 00:39:30,233 - In total, over 300 million gallons of water 897 00:39:30,335 --> 00:39:32,302 flowed into Rome each day. 898 00:39:32,404 --> 00:39:36,339 That's more per person than modern day New York City. 899 00:39:36,441 --> 00:39:38,908 narrator: Water was fundamental to city life. 900 00:39:39,010 --> 00:39:42,412 It supplied 144 public toilets, 901 00:39:42,514 --> 00:39:46,316 1,300 fountains, and 900 Roman baths. 902 00:39:46,418 --> 00:39:49,386 [epic music] 903 00:39:49,488 --> 00:39:51,588 narrator: The Roman Empire's engineering genius 904 00:39:51,656 --> 00:39:53,390 allowed Rome to grow and prosper 905 00:39:53,492 --> 00:39:55,425 more than any other city had. 906 00:39:55,527 --> 00:39:57,360 ♪ ♪ 907 00:39:57,462 --> 00:39:59,629 - How are humans so successful on planet Earth? 908 00:39:59,731 --> 00:40:01,398 The real reason is, we can manipulate 909 00:40:01,466 --> 00:40:03,767 everything around us to our benefit. 910 00:40:03,869 --> 00:40:06,169 The Romans did that with incredible engineering 911 00:40:06,271 --> 00:40:09,139 and because of it, they literally conquered the world. 912 00:40:09,241 --> 00:40:11,174 narrator: This timeless metropolis 913 00:40:11,276 --> 00:40:15,779 was the center of power in the world for over 1,000 years. 914 00:40:15,914 --> 00:40:18,615 The ancient Romans named it the Eternal City 915 00:40:18,717 --> 00:40:21,551 because they believed it would go on forever. 916 00:40:21,653 --> 00:40:23,286 [epic music] 917 00:40:23,388 --> 00:40:25,455 The greatest of all ancient cities-- 918 00:40:25,557 --> 00:40:28,925 its impact on history can't be matched. 919 00:40:29,027 --> 00:40:32,061 [triumphant music] 920 00:40:32,164 --> 00:40:34,230 The cities of the ancient world 921 00:40:34,332 --> 00:40:37,300 have left great tales in history and archaeology 922 00:40:37,402 --> 00:40:39,269 to amaze us. 923 00:40:39,371 --> 00:40:41,971 And they left a legacy of surviving architecture 924 00:40:42,073 --> 00:40:44,874 to remind us that it's not just our modern cities 925 00:40:44,976 --> 00:40:47,644 than can truly be amazing. 926 00:40:47,746 --> 00:40:50,647 They were the blueprints for the thriving metropolises 927 00:40:50,749 --> 00:40:53,950 of the world today, full of incredible engineering 928 00:40:54,052 --> 00:40:58,620 that has meant they have never been forgotten. 79242

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