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[dramatic music]
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♪ ♪
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narrator: This week,
on "Ancient Top 10"...
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the city that worshipped death.
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- The population would gather
in the thousands,
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and they would watch
grisly ritual sacrifices.
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narrator:
A capital that took on
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the power of the Roman Empire.
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- The ancient city of Carthage
was as big as Manhattan
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and every bit as classy.
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narrator: The eternal city
that spawned
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the greatest
ancient civilization.
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- Rome was truly one of
the greatest metropolises
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of the ancient world.
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narrator:
And a fortified metropolis
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that withstood sieges
for a thousand years.
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- Constantinople was really
the jewel of the East.
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Everybody in that area
wanted it.
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Everybody in that area
would do anything to get it.
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narrator: The most amazing
cities in the ancient world...
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where will they be ranked
on the only top ten list
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thousands of years
in the making?
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[dramatic percussive music]
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♪ ♪
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narrator:
Sprawling, powerful...
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the beating heart of
civilizations.
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But what makes a great city?
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Innovation...
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monumental buildings...
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epic engineering.
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The more successful a city
gets, the bigger it grows.
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And some of the most
magnificent cities
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were built in ancient times.
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This week's
ancient top ten...
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♪ ♪
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The greatest ancient
metropolises...
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ranked according
to their population size.
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And straight in at number ten,
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it's the ancient
Egyptian capital...
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[epic music]
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Thebes.
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♪ ♪
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- Nearly 3,500 years ago,
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Thebes was the largest city
in the world.
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Many of its awesome monuments
are still standing today,
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and that's why it's gotta make
our top ten.
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narrator: Ancient Egypt was one
the greatest civilizations
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of the ancient world.
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[dramatic musical flourish]
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It was the land of
the Great Sphinx
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and the mighty pyramids
of Giza.
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♪ ♪
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And its capital was Thebes--
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which is now Luxor city.
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♪ ♪
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- Thebes is unquestionably
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one of the great cities
of the ancient world.
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It was massive,
and we're talking massive
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from about 2000 BC onwards.
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For hundreds
and hundreds of years,
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this was the seat of power
in ancient Egypt.
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♪ ♪
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narrator: By 1500 BC,
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it had a population of 75,000,
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the biggest in the world
at the time.
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Thebes was filled with
soaring monuments
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dedicated to its rulers,
the pharaohs.
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♪ ♪
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Towering symbols of power,
wealth and glory,
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they cover over
36 square miles.
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The most impressive--
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Karnak, an enormous
complex of temples
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that is nearly a mile long.
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- Karnak is the work of over
30 successive pharaohs
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all trying to make their mark.
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narrator: Inside
is the Hypostyle hall...
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♪ ♪
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A vast forest
of 134 towering columns...
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♪ ♪
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Some as tall as
a six-story building.
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♪ ♪
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It's considered
one of the greatest
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architectural achievements
of all time.
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♪ ♪
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Karnak is connected
to the equally impressive
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Luxor temple...
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♪ ♪
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By an avenue lined
with sphinx statues,
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totaling 2 miles in length.
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The pharaohs portrayed
themselves as gods
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in images on walls
all across Thebes.
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- You have the great kings,
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the pharaohs building their
palaces, statues of themselves.
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Amenhotep III for example,
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he not only built
his great palace there,
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but he built an artificial lake
that was 1.5 square miles.
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♪ ♪
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Ramesses II built a statue
of himself 62 feet high.
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So the egos of the pharaohs
were embedded
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in this great metropolis
of Thebes.
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narrator: And not only in life,
this continued in death.
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On the Western outskirts
of the ancient city
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were a whole host of incredible
mortuary temples
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like Medinet Habu...
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[intense music]
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And Deir el-Bahari,
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built to honor dead rulers.
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♪ ♪
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But a few miles further
outside the city limits
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was an even more
elaborate dedication
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to the dead pharaohs--
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a collection of 63
underground burial tombs
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filled with riches
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called
the Valley of the Kings.
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[exciting music]
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Past pharaohs had been buried
in grand pyramids,
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but their tombs
had been plundered.
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The Valley of the Kings
was designed
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to keep the pharaohs'
belongings safe
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so they could use them
in the afterlife.
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♪ ♪
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Sadly though, they, too,
fell victim to grave robbers,
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and their riches were pillaged.
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♪ ♪
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- The Valley of the Kings
is full of empty tombs,
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and we'll never know
what incredible treasure
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they once held.
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It's ironic that
the smallest tomb discovered
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was full of gold,
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and the name of that pharaoh,
now synonymous with treasure--
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Tutankhamun.
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♪ ♪
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narrator: A vision of power
and prosperity,
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just like the other legends
of this magnificent city.
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[intense music]
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After nearly
2,000 years of glory,
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Thebes eventually
declined in power
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as later pharaohs moved
the capital to different cities
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and Egypt fell into
economic difficulties.
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But its epic monuments live on
as a reminder of its greatness.
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[exciting music]
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Across the Atlantic
was another ancient city
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founded on the legacy
of its dead.
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But this was built not on
the tombs of its rulers
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but from the bones
of its people.
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At number nine...
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[epic music]
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It's the Aztec city
of Teotihuacan.
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[intense percussive music]
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- Teotihuacan was the biggest
city in the Americas,
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of course until
New York arrived.
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It had a population
of possibly 200,000 people.
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narrator:
Located about 30 miles north
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of present-day Mexico City,
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it was believed to be
a sacred place by the Aztecs.
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♪ ♪
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The name they gave it,
Teotihuacan,
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means
"birthplace of the Gods."
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♪ ♪
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The city
has a mysterious history,
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as the culture
had no written language.
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We don't know exactly
when it was founded,
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and it may be that
it was already in ruins
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by the time the Aztecs
arrived and populated it.
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Teotihuacan is famed for having
pyramids that rival Egypt's.
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♪ ♪
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This is the magnificent
Pyramid of the Sun,
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the third largest pyramid
in the world.
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- The Pyramid of the Sun
at Teotihuacan
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is absolutely massive.
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It's 760 feet wide at its base,
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which is the same width
as the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
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♪ ♪
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- Standing before this pyramid,
you're just amazed
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that something so enormous
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was built
nearly 2,000 years ago
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and by a culture we still know
so little about!
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narrator: But we do know
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that the pyramids hide
a dark secret.
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- During certain
calendrical rites,
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the population would gather
in the thousands
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and they would watch
grisly sacrificial rituals
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of children.
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And we find the evidence
bones of these children
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at the foundations of the
temples and the pyramids.
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narrator: And it wasn't
just children
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who were sacrificed.
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Excavations of the Pyramid
of the Moon,
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the second largest temple
on the site,
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have discovered the bodies
of adults too.
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♪ ♪
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Victims were often
from other tribes,
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hunted like prey.
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The chase ended
not in a kill...
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[men grunting, yelling]
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But a living offering of blood
to the gods.
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The pyramids were where
the gods received it.
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[yelling in native language]
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It was priests who led
the gruesome ritual,
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armed with a knife, its blade
made out of obsidian.
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narrator: Obsidian
is a volcanic glass so sharp
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it can produce a cutting edge
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that is superior
to a steel scalpel,
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and it is still used
by some surgeons today.
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[crowd yelling]
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While the sacrificial victim
was still alive,
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the priest would plunge
the knife into his abdomen,
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rip open a hole
the size of his hand,
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reach in, and grab
the still-beating heart.
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♪ ♪
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He would then hold it up
to show it to the gods.
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The offering of blood
and sacrificial rituals
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00:09:01,742 --> 00:09:04,209
were part of everyday life.
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Death wasn't feared.
It was embraced.
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♪ ♪
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- At Teotihuacan,
you can see this fascinating
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00:09:11,585 --> 00:09:13,852
and everlasting relationship
with the dead,
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00:09:13,954 --> 00:09:15,954
with people burying
their ancestors' remains
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00:09:16,056 --> 00:09:19,324
in the foundations and the
doorways of their own homes.
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♪ ♪
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narrator: The city
was eventually burned,
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possibly in an uprising
of the lower-class citizens.
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[intense music]
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The legend of this mighty
metropolis never dies...
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built on Aztec religion,
ritual,
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00:09:33,907 --> 00:09:36,274
and most of all...blood.
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00:09:36,343 --> 00:09:39,344
[epic music]
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00:09:39,446 --> 00:09:42,380
And Teotihuacan
was not the only place
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00:09:42,482 --> 00:09:44,449
to get hearts racing.
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Coming up,
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a lush biblical city
that was scandalized by sin.
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♪ ♪
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And which metropolis
will be number one?
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[intense percussive music]
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00:09:59,733 --> 00:10:01,666
♪ ♪
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00:10:01,768 --> 00:10:03,468
narrator: We're back
with the countdown
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00:10:03,570 --> 00:10:05,403
of the greatest
ancient metropolises,
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00:10:05,505 --> 00:10:07,372
ranked by the size
of their population.
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00:10:07,474 --> 00:10:09,708
At number eight,
we're off to a city
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00:10:09,810 --> 00:10:12,043
that grew to biblical
proportions...
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00:10:12,145 --> 00:10:15,113
[epic music]
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Babylon.
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♪ ♪
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- Babylon was
the first great metropolis
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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,
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00:10:32,833 --> 00:10:34,566
it is credited with being
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00:10:34,668 --> 00:10:36,668
one of the birthplaces
of civilization.
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♪ ♪
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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.
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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]
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00:10:55,022 --> 00:10:56,755
narrator: Babylon was
written about in the Bible
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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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