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2,500 years ago,
the Greek philosopher Plato wrote of
an island he called Atlantis...
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..that was swallowed up by the sea in
a single day and night.
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Vanishing without a trace.
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00:00:41,052 --> 00:00:47,028
Ever since,
people have wondered where this
mysterious island might have been,
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00:00:47,028 --> 00:00:50,032
or whether it was all just a myth.
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New research suggests that
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Plato's story
was based on real events.
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Recent underwater explorations
off the Greek island of Santorini
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00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:07,052
have revealed deposits
from a massive volcanic eruption.
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00:01:07,052 --> 00:01:09,096
One of the greatest in human history.
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00:01:11,048 --> 00:01:16,096
And on Santorini itself,
archaeologists have uncovered
an ancient city.
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A lost world
buried by the catastrophe.
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00:01:25,052 --> 00:01:27,096
Based on the latest
scientific research,
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this is the story
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of an incredible island,
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00:01:32,072 --> 00:01:34,088
the people that lived there...
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..and the extraordinary last days
that inspired the legend of Atlantis.
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00:01:55,084 --> 00:02:03,056
3,500 years ago, the Greek islands
were home to a powerful and
advanced Bronze Age civilisation...
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..one that rivalled the
Egypt of the Pharaohs.
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These were the Minoans.
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CHEERING
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BULL SNORTS
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CHEERING
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00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:22,004
BULL SNORTS
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00:02:23,068 --> 00:02:24,084
CHEERING
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00:02:24,084 --> 00:02:27,060
BULL ROARS
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BULL ROARS
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CHEERING
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00:02:53,060 --> 00:02:55,096
CHEERING
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00:03:04,056 --> 00:03:08,092
WOMAN SINGS A HAUNTING MELODY
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In this world,
powerful priestesses presided over
strange and dangerous rituals.
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He's handsome, isn't he?
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Did you choose him for
you mother, or for me?
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My son is the finest
athlete in the whole of Thera.
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We're all terribly impressed, Rusa.
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CHEERING
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Plato wrote of great bulls
roaming the temples of Atlantis.
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00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,084
And the bull was certainly
central to Minoan culture.
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Hear me great Poseidon,
creator of the earth and sea.
Lend me the courage
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of our forefathers and accept this
wine as an offering.
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00:04:01,052 --> 00:04:04,024
EARTH RUMBLES
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00:04:04,024 --> 00:04:10,020
So important was the bull
that it gave birth to the legend
of the man-killing minotaur.
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00:04:12,004 --> 00:04:14,068
Half human, half beast.
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BULL ROARS
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Yishharu, you OK?
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JEERING
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You've shamed us all!
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Go home!
49
00:05:53,016 --> 00:05:59,068
Bull leaping is thought to have been
an important initiation rite
for young Minoan men.
50
00:05:59,068 --> 00:06:02,008
And possibly even women.
51
00:06:03,036 --> 00:06:10,052
A spectacle performed all over Crete
in temple palaces like
this one at Knossos,
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00:06:10,052 --> 00:06:15,040
a massive complex of
over 1,300 rooms.
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This was the cradle of
Western civilisation.
54
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Where's Yishharu?
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I was thinking I
might leave him here.
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Save us all the embarrassment.He's a boy.
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The wife creates the man.
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Come on.
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Men, pull. Pull.
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00:06:42,096 --> 00:06:49,020
The Minoans dominated the
Mediterranean for over 1,000 years.
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00:06:49,020 --> 00:06:55,056
Until an island 70 miles north
of Crete blew itself apart.
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The island of Thera,
known today as Santorini.
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00:07:02,004 --> 00:07:06,012
Reconstructions of Thera
show it consisted of
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circular belts of sea and land,
just as Plato described Atlantis.
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00:07:12,016 --> 00:07:16,056
Because the island
was the top of a gigantic volcano
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that erupts on a cataclysmic scale
roughly every 17,000 years.
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00:07:26,024 --> 00:07:29,000
By 1620 BC,
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00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,084
a pool of molten rock, large enough
to bury a city the size of London
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00:07:33,084 --> 00:07:38,028
had filled the magma chamber
seven miles beneath the island.
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00:07:42,052 --> 00:07:45,012
When did this start?Two days ago, master.
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Two days?
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You, pass me some fish.
Can I have two?
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00:07:51,076 --> 00:07:53,052
Where are you going with those?
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Poseidon's island.
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I've got an offering to make.You have a feast to attend.I won't be late.
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00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,084
Thera's wealth was built
on its mastery of the sea.
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00:08:13,036 --> 00:08:18,052
Its fleet dominated the trade
network of the Bronze Age world.
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00:08:18,052 --> 00:08:26,036
The islanders grew rich, buying
and selling goods from Africa
and Asia and other parts of Europe.
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00:08:26,036 --> 00:08:35,044
Their streets were lined with
multi-storey houses, decorated
with elaborate wall paintings.
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00:08:35,044 --> 00:08:39,060
They built the world's first
indoor toilets, connected
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to an underground sewage system -
a luxury most Europeans would not
enjoy for another 2,000 years.
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00:08:51,064 --> 00:08:57,072
Presiding over this prosperous
society was the priesthood.
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My son's wife, Pinaruti.
84
00:09:00,056 --> 00:09:02,020
Welcome.
85
00:09:02,020 --> 00:09:05,072
I've brought you oil,
to honour your island goddess.
86
00:09:05,072 --> 00:09:09,004
That's for the high
priestess, not for me.
87
00:09:09,004 --> 00:09:12,016
Come, I'll take you to her.
88
00:09:24,012 --> 00:09:26,088
High priestess? Yishharu's wife.
89
00:09:30,024 --> 00:09:35,008
Oil from the fields of sacred
Mount Juktas to honour
your island goddess.
90
00:09:39,044 --> 00:09:41,032
Come with me.
91
00:09:47,076 --> 00:09:51,068
Minoan women were remarkably
independent and influential.
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00:09:54,048 --> 00:09:57,084
The most influential of all
were the priestesses.
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00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,084
Their role was to communicate with
the gods,
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00:10:02,084 --> 00:10:06,012
often through elaborate rituals,
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00:10:06,012 --> 00:10:09,088
in which saffron seems to
have been used as a hallucinogenic.
96
00:10:09,088 --> 00:10:13,004
Querasia welcomes you to
Thera, Pinaruti.
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00:10:13,004 --> 00:10:15,080
And we welcome you in her name.
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00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:18,044
Join us to give thanks
for your safe arrival here.
99
00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:29,004
Don't forget your offering.
100
00:10:31,060 --> 00:10:38,008
Like other ancient civilisations,
the Minoans believed that all
things were inhabited by gods.
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00:10:41,032 --> 00:10:46,024
There were gods for every
natural phenomenon, from childbirth
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to earthquakes, to stormy seas,
to mountain peaks.
103
00:10:56,088 --> 00:11:04,028
These gods weren't all seen as benign
and merciful, but as temperamental
and sometimes vindictive.
104
00:11:23,096 --> 00:11:27,064
Offerings were made by those
seeking favour from the gods.
105
00:11:35,092 --> 00:11:43,048
And it was through ritual ceremonies
that the priesthood sought
clarity on the gods' desires.
106
00:12:02,004 --> 00:12:08,016
But in 1620 BC,
the Minoans' complex
belief system was
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00:12:08,016 --> 00:12:12,076
about to be blown apart by geological
forces beyond their understanding.
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PINARUTI GROANS
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It's OK, Pinaruti.
110
00:12:36,088 --> 00:12:41,056
One of the first signs that the
volcano was stirring would have been
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hydrothermal explosions triggered
by superheated ground water.
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00:12:50,036 --> 00:12:51,048
You saw something.
113
00:12:52,068 --> 00:12:56,072
What was it? It was Yishharu.
114
00:12:56,072 --> 00:13:00,056
He was in danger.
115
00:13:00,056 --> 00:13:02,048
What kind of danger?
116
00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,008
The sacrificial axe
was dripping in blood.
117
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His blood.
118
00:13:17,092 --> 00:13:20,012
Why would I see something like that?
119
00:13:23,004 --> 00:13:28,096
Sometimes our visions
don't come from the gods,
but from our own fears.
120
00:13:31,024 --> 00:13:33,024
This place is strange to you.
121
00:13:35,068 --> 00:13:38,056
And perhaps you're
unsure of your husband.
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Come.
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00:13:46,004 --> 00:13:48,096
We have a celebration
to prepare for.
124
00:13:56,044 --> 00:14:01,024
We're here to welcome
my son's new wife, Pinaruti.
125
00:14:01,024 --> 00:14:05,012
She's the daughter of my loyal
business companion, Piteri.
126
00:14:05,012 --> 00:14:10,012
She is a Cretan,
but let's not hold that against her.
127
00:14:10,012 --> 00:14:14,080
Ah,
good of you to join us, Yishharu.
128
00:14:19,024 --> 00:14:21,056
Welcome.
129
00:14:21,056 --> 00:14:23,044
ALL: Welcome. Welcome.
130
00:14:25,096 --> 00:14:29,012
Now, I've seen many
things in this world.
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00:14:29,012 --> 00:14:32,020
Dolphins in the Straits of Hazim.
132
00:14:32,020 --> 00:14:35,004
I've chased dolphins
across the Straits of Hazim.
133
00:14:36,084 --> 00:14:40,096
I've loaded my ships
with treasures from Egypt.
134
00:14:40,096 --> 00:14:43,060
I've fought
pirates off the shores of Elias.
135
00:14:43,060 --> 00:14:48,024
But none of it compares
to the magnificence of
this beautiful island.
136
00:14:48,024 --> 00:14:53,044
But none of it, none it compares
to the magnificence of this island.
137
00:14:53,044 --> 00:14:57,072
An island I like to believe I've
played a small part in making great.
138
00:14:57,072 --> 00:14:59,060
Sorry I was late.
139
00:14:59,060 --> 00:15:01,076
Without Cretan middlemen...
140
00:15:01,076 --> 00:15:03,040
Did you make your offering?
141
00:15:06,020 --> 00:15:08,008
Something happened at the sanctuary.
142
00:15:09,060 --> 00:15:11,056
The ground cracked. There was
this fountain of boiling water.
143
00:15:11,056 --> 00:15:13,056
I don't know where it came from.
144
00:15:13,056 --> 00:15:18,012
It was as if the whole island was...
Was being torn apart.
145
00:15:19,056 --> 00:15:22,080
At the bull leaping,
you said that the ground shook.
146
00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,092
You should tell your father.
147
00:15:24,092 --> 00:15:30,072
I had hoped that my only son
would follow in my wake
and take to the seas.
148
00:15:30,072 --> 00:15:37,040
Until now he's
put his blood and sweat into bulls,
and temple priestesses.
149
00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:39,092
CHUCKLING
150
00:15:39,092 --> 00:15:43,076
Here's hoping that his wife
can make a better man of him.
151
00:15:46,092 --> 00:15:49,024
He's drunk, let's go.
152
00:15:49,024 --> 00:15:53,012
We can't. This is in our honour.You think this is for us?
153
00:16:15,016 --> 00:16:19,068
My advice
to anyone who marries is this.
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Enjoy every day,
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because you never know when the gods
will decide to take away what
is most precious to you.
156
00:16:29,092 --> 00:16:32,084
They've blessed you, Rusa.
157
00:16:32,084 --> 00:16:36,056
You tell us that they want
us to do this, do that.
158
00:16:36,056 --> 00:16:40,068
We do it because you say so.
This is intolerable.
159
00:16:42,036 --> 00:16:44,076
They don't speak to you.
160
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DOG BARKS
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SCREAMING
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Yishharu!
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00:17:06,008 --> 00:17:08,020
Yishharu!
164
00:17:25,072 --> 00:17:27,040
Get down!
165
00:17:37,004 --> 00:17:39,008
Where's Yishharu? I don't know.
166
00:17:49,008 --> 00:17:54,084
One of the Minoans' most
powerful gods was the Earth Shaker.
167
00:17:54,084 --> 00:17:57,032
And for good reason.
168
00:17:58,084 --> 00:18:04,020
Structural damage uncovered on Thera
shows that around 1620 BC
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00:18:04,020 --> 00:18:08,008
they were exposed
to an enormous earthquake.
170
00:18:08,008 --> 00:18:12,008
Measuring more than
seven on the Richter scale.
171
00:18:12,008 --> 00:18:18,016
Their buildings were designed to
withstand minor tremors and quakes.
172
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Thick timber frames had been
used to give them extra strength.
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Until finally, this quake, strong
enough to shatter these stone steps,
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set in motion an irreversible chain
of events for the people of Thera.
175
00:18:40,060 --> 00:18:43,060
Stay still.
176
00:18:50,016 --> 00:18:53,056
Hey, little lady.
177
00:18:53,056 --> 00:18:55,064
Has your husband left you already?
178
00:18:57,020 --> 00:19:00,008
You should try the temple.
179
00:19:00,008 --> 00:19:02,048
He used to find his peace there.
180
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,020
HE GRUNTS
181
00:19:21,004 --> 00:19:24,008
Quick - over here.
182
00:19:29,028 --> 00:19:30,068
Is he all right?
183
00:19:30,068 --> 00:19:34,072
Looks like he's alive.
184
00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,068
Hold on, there's someone else.
185
00:20:49,096 --> 00:20:52,096
Look, I only went to the temple
to get away from my father.
186
00:20:52,096 --> 00:20:54,080
I didn't know she'd be there.
187
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:59,056
I don't want your excuses.
Everyone knows what you've
been doing with that woman.
188
00:20:59,056 --> 00:21:02,088
Even your father jokes about it.
189
00:21:02,088 --> 00:21:05,036
You've humiliated me, Yishharu.
190
00:21:05,036 --> 00:21:07,040
I won't stand for it.
191
00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,068
As soon as I knew she
was there, I told her...
192
00:21:09,068 --> 00:21:11,024
You told her it was over.
193
00:21:12,076 --> 00:21:15,016
I told her that... It was a goodbye.
194
00:21:21,012 --> 00:21:22,076
Yeah, it was goodbye.
195
00:21:29,060 --> 00:21:33,036
We need to restore normality
as soon as possible.
196
00:21:33,036 --> 00:21:36,032
Get them back into their homes.It's too soon.
197
00:21:38,088 --> 00:21:40,088
Their homes aren't safe yet.
198
00:21:40,088 --> 00:21:43,084
The houses may be damaged, but
most of them are still standing.
199
00:21:43,084 --> 00:21:48,020
The houses have been weakened.
We need to make them safe
before the people return.
200
00:21:48,020 --> 00:21:53,000
And expect people to leave
everything behind for
thieves to steal?
201
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,096
Anything of value
can be safely stored.
202
00:21:54,096 --> 00:21:58,060
In the basements
or under the door frames
where the buildings are strongest.
203
00:21:58,060 --> 00:21:59,080
Then we seal up the doors.
204
00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,004
And the people go where?
205
00:22:06,004 --> 00:22:08,076
You expect them to
camp in the streets?
206
00:22:10,096 --> 00:22:13,080
I move them out of the city
while we repair the buildings.
207
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,080
Priestess?
208
00:22:18,056 --> 00:22:21,032
Enough lives have been lost.
209
00:22:21,032 --> 00:22:23,084
We set up camps until the
houses can be made safe.
210
00:22:25,088 --> 00:22:27,076
And, Rusa,
211
00:22:27,076 --> 00:22:30,064
the buildings are not
all we have to repair.
212
00:22:30,064 --> 00:22:32,052
You take care of the gods, priestess.
213
00:22:32,052 --> 00:22:34,044
I'll get the town up and running.
214
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:45,052
Archaeological evidence reveals that
the earthquake damage was so severe
215
00:22:45,052 --> 00:22:48,032
that the Therans had to
leave their homes.
216
00:22:51,084 --> 00:22:54,028
Their precious possessions
were discovered stored
217
00:22:54,028 --> 00:22:59,000
beneath solid structures like
wooden doorways and under beds.
218
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,076
And the entrances to their houses
were found sealed.
219
00:23:06,032 --> 00:23:12,040
Unlike Pompeii, no human remains
have been found in the town,
220
00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:18,044
suggesting the islanders moved
to temporary camps, imagining
they'd be coming home soon.
221
00:23:47,048 --> 00:23:51,080
You're as pious
as a priestess, Pinaruti.
222
00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:56,068
There are others on this island
who could learn from your example.
223
00:23:57,052 --> 00:23:59,020
Rusa?
224
00:24:01,028 --> 00:24:03,020
He lost a wife.
225
00:24:04,072 --> 00:24:09,012
And he blames the priestess
for failing to placate
the Goddess Eileithyia.
226
00:24:09,012 --> 00:24:12,048
She died during childbirth?
227
00:24:12,048 --> 00:24:15,060
They were only newly married.
228
00:24:15,060 --> 00:24:20,068
Ever since, he's found it difficult
to put his trust in us.
229
00:24:22,092 --> 00:24:26,000
If we can't trust you,
who can we trust?
230
00:24:36,004 --> 00:24:41,056
For over 17,000 years, the magma
chamber under Thera had been sealed.
231
00:24:43,032 --> 00:24:47,012
But the earthquake
had fractured the chamber...
232
00:24:50,052 --> 00:24:56,060
Allowing magma to escape through
vents, releasing sulphur and other
poisonous gases.
233
00:25:00,004 --> 00:25:03,088
Are you sure it's safeto be this close? It's fine.
234
00:25:08,044 --> 00:25:10,000
But what's that smell?
235
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,088
It's like rotten eggs.
236
00:25:11,088 --> 00:25:13,068
That's the smell of the water.
237
00:25:13,068 --> 00:25:15,060
I believe it drives
the bad spirits away.
238
00:25:17,016 --> 00:25:20,036
We don't know why it smells.
239
00:25:20,036 --> 00:25:22,024
Or why it's so lovely and hot.
240
00:25:26,016 --> 00:25:27,064
Come in, it's great!
241
00:25:35,056 --> 00:25:36,064
What's wrong?
242
00:25:36,064 --> 00:25:38,016
Yishharu.
243
00:25:38,016 --> 00:25:40,016
Yishharu, quick, get back.
244
00:25:50,076 --> 00:25:53,044
The ocean... The ocean is turning!
245
00:26:06,060 --> 00:26:08,044
My father won't
believe it was a sign.
246
00:26:10,016 --> 00:26:12,052
I just wish I was better
at understanding the gods.
247
00:26:12,052 --> 00:26:18,020
They're trying to tell us something.
Your father's a powerfuland sensible man, Yishharu.
248
00:26:18,020 --> 00:26:20,000
When he talks,
everyone listens to him.
249
00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:24,020
If you can just convince him that
this is a warning from the gods.
250
00:26:24,020 --> 00:26:26,092
My father's faith in the gods
ended when they stole my mother.
251
00:26:39,016 --> 00:26:41,060
Where are you going? To the temple.
252
00:26:41,060 --> 00:26:44,000
Bansabira will know
what the gods want.
253
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:45,096
EXPLOSION
254
00:26:56,020 --> 00:26:59,072
Finally, pressure from rising magma
255
00:26:59,072 --> 00:27:05,084
blasted out a plug of rock that had
blocked the mouth of the volcano
for thousands of years.
256
00:27:16,064 --> 00:27:19,060
This was a pre-eruption.
257
00:27:19,060 --> 00:27:22,072
Simply the volcano
clearing its throat.
258
00:27:27,056 --> 00:27:33,016
Previous generations would have
witnessed small eruptions like this,
259
00:27:33,016 --> 00:27:37,040
and seen them
as signs from the gods.
260
00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:41,060
Signs that the priesthood
was expected to understand.
261
00:27:46,020 --> 00:27:47,076
What do we do?
262
00:27:50,060 --> 00:27:53,088
The Earth Shaker is speaking to us.
263
00:27:53,088 --> 00:27:56,040
Just as he spoke to our forefathers.
264
00:27:58,060 --> 00:28:00,088
We must respond as they did.
265
00:28:15,056 --> 00:28:20,064
For the Minoans, there was no
better way to appease unpredictable
266
00:28:20,064 --> 00:28:24,068
and violent gods than to make
an offering.
267
00:28:27,064 --> 00:28:31,000
Preferably of blood.
268
00:28:35,048 --> 00:28:39,024
Your father didn't seefit to join us. He's busy.
269
00:28:39,024 --> 00:28:41,036
Is that so?
270
00:28:41,036 --> 00:28:44,092
Our mayor is too busy
to honour the gods!
271
00:28:44,092 --> 00:28:46,056
MUTTERING
272
00:28:52,076 --> 00:28:57,024
Their peak sanctuaries have been
found littered with animal bones.
273
00:28:59,048 --> 00:29:02,088
Goats, sheep, pigs,
274
00:29:02,088 --> 00:29:04,040
even bulls.
275
00:29:32,096 --> 00:29:35,096
ALL: Hail, Poseidon.
276
00:29:35,096 --> 00:29:40,056
Poseidon, raging lord of the deep,
277
00:29:42,012 --> 00:29:46,040
we offer you
the sacred blood of bulls.
278
00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:50,072
May it drown your anger,
mighty dark-haired lord.
279
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:57,000
Let us live in stillness
and peace once more.
280
00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,064
Hail, Poseidon,
ruler of the earth and seven seas.
281
00:30:35,060 --> 00:30:41,044
The priesthood's power hinged on its
ability to keep the gods in check.
282
00:30:56,068 --> 00:31:01,080
But the forces unleashed beneath
Thera were now unstoppable.
283
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:05,008
RUMBLING AND SCREAMING
284
00:31:19,060 --> 00:31:23,060
From volcanic deposits, we know that
the early stages of the eruption
285
00:31:23,060 --> 00:31:27,044
covered the island
with a sprinkling of light ash.
286
00:31:27,044 --> 00:31:31,060
Enough to contaminate
the water supply.
287
00:31:31,060 --> 00:31:35,032
What are you doing?
Are you trying to poison me?!
288
00:31:38,036 --> 00:31:40,076
They're taking against Pinaruti.
289
00:31:42,028 --> 00:31:45,004
I'm sure she means no harm.
290
00:31:45,004 --> 00:31:48,092
This trouble began when SHE
arrived here. You know that.
291
00:31:50,044 --> 00:31:54,040
Rusa brought her here and we
know the gods don't favour him.
292
00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:58,036
Perhaps they're providing a way
for both of us to get what we want.
293
00:32:20,096 --> 00:32:23,040
Forgive me, priestess.
294
00:32:24,092 --> 00:32:27,036
I think I know what
Poseidon's asking for.
295
00:32:32,012 --> 00:32:34,012
Speak.
296
00:32:37,044 --> 00:32:40,076
I should have shared it earlier.
297
00:32:40,076 --> 00:32:43,060
When Pinaruti told me
about her vision...
298
00:32:43,060 --> 00:32:47,016
Go on. She saw a sacrifice.
299
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:50,040
But it was not a bull.
300
00:32:53,028 --> 00:32:54,060
It was a person.
301
00:33:07,048 --> 00:33:09,004
Who?
302
00:33:13,056 --> 00:33:16,028
It was her own blood that was spilt.
303
00:33:19,044 --> 00:33:21,072
She was the sacrifice.
304
00:33:24,020 --> 00:33:28,008
Perhaps her vision
305
00:33:28,008 --> 00:33:31,068
is the gods' way of telling us
that she's not welcome.
306
00:33:33,076 --> 00:33:35,072
She's cursed.
307
00:33:40,004 --> 00:33:42,088
Tell Yidini to gather the people.
308
00:33:42,088 --> 00:33:45,036
I will speak to them
and restore order.
309
00:33:47,052 --> 00:33:50,088
What would make this eruption
different from any other
310
00:33:50,088 --> 00:33:56,064
the Therans had experienced was the
interaction of two kinds of magma,
311
00:33:56,064 --> 00:34:00,028
triggering a catastrophic
chemical reaction.
312
00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:11,096
This chemical reaction would thrust
313
00:34:11,096 --> 00:34:17,064
an estimated 150 billion
tons of magma to the surface.
314
00:34:17,064 --> 00:34:19,072
Hail, priestess. Hail, priestess.
315
00:34:27,020 --> 00:34:33,008
And transform this eruption
into the greatest disaster
the ancient world had ever seen.
316
00:34:47,036 --> 00:34:50,076
High priestess,
the people wait to hear you.
317
00:34:56,028 --> 00:34:58,004
< People of Thera.
318
00:34:58,004 --> 00:35:01,048
Everyone.
319
00:35:01,048 --> 00:35:04,060
Friends and colleagues.
320
00:35:04,060 --> 00:35:06,044
You must listen to me.
321
00:35:06,044 --> 00:35:08,032
This is preposterous.
322
00:35:10,008 --> 00:35:13,016
The blood of bulls is not enough.
323
00:35:13,016 --> 00:35:15,040
There is nothing more we can offer.
324
00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:18,056
The gods have given
us enough warning.
325
00:35:18,056 --> 00:35:22,080
My fleet will sail at sunset.
We will leave the island
326
00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,072
till it is safe to return.
327
00:35:25,072 --> 00:35:30,048
There is only one authority we can
trust on this island. The truth.
328
00:35:34,092 --> 00:35:37,088
People of Thera,
329
00:35:37,088 --> 00:35:41,068
in order to restore
peace on our island,
330
00:35:41,068 --> 00:35:45,024
Poseidon has asked
for something more.
331
00:35:45,024 --> 00:35:48,088
What are you going to offer him now?
Lions? Elephants?
332
00:35:50,064 --> 00:35:55,024
Until peace and calm can be restored,
333
00:35:55,024 --> 00:36:00,040
those that want
to leave the island may do so.
334
00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:05,060
- You cannot stay here, surely?
- You have to do your duty, Rusa.
335
00:36:05,060 --> 00:36:07,084
And I have to do mine.
336
00:36:12,088 --> 00:36:16,016
There will be another sacrifice.
337
00:36:16,016 --> 00:36:18,096
This time I...
338
00:36:18,096 --> 00:36:22,044
will undertake it
on behalf of all of us.
339
00:36:24,032 --> 00:36:27,092
RUMBLING
340
00:37:17,012 --> 00:37:20,052
The sound of the eruption
was heard as far away as Egypt.
341
00:37:22,004 --> 00:37:29,008
A superheated column of gas, ash
and rock blasted six miles
into the stratosphere...
342
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:35,044
..forming a mushroom cloud
similar to an atomic bomb.
343
00:37:40,032 --> 00:37:47,088
This was a Plinian eruption, the
most deadly of all volcanic events.
344
00:37:47,088 --> 00:37:52,072
Everyone!
We need to leave the island now.
345
00:37:52,072 --> 00:37:54,076
To stay here is madness.
346
00:37:54,076 --> 00:37:57,084
Everyone, follow me. To the ships.
347
00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:06,084
Get your things
and meet me at the harbour.
348
00:38:08,024 --> 00:38:09,084
What now?
349
00:38:11,064 --> 00:38:14,016
We do as we planned.
350
00:38:14,016 --> 00:38:16,096
Bring me Pinaruti.
351
00:38:26,036 --> 00:38:28,048
We need every inch of every ship.
352
00:38:28,048 --> 00:38:32,048
OK, everybody. Cargo overboard.
353
00:38:38,020 --> 00:38:40,028
Make space, come on.
354
00:38:40,028 --> 00:38:42,064
Come on, move, move.
355
00:38:46,064 --> 00:38:50,012
We're leaving the city with my
father. You're free to go, Yishharu.
356
00:38:50,012 --> 00:38:52,000
We're BOTH leaving. No!
357
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,020
Pinaruti must fulfil her destiny.
The gods have demanded it.
358
00:38:55,020 --> 00:38:57,076
Her destiny is with me.
359
00:38:59,044 --> 00:39:03,096
Your vision, Pinaruti,
spelled out your destiny.
360
00:39:03,096 --> 00:39:09,016
We do not choose these things.
The gods decide for us.
361
00:39:09,016 --> 00:39:11,016
We must ensure it is fulfilled.
362
00:39:11,016 --> 00:39:14,052
What vision?
363
00:39:15,092 --> 00:39:19,020
What vision?!You said it wasn't clear.
364
00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:26,048
That it wasn't the gods speaking, it
was my own fears. And it wasn't me!
365
00:39:31,076 --> 00:39:34,040
It's not what I saw.
366
00:39:37,068 --> 00:39:41,052
What did you see?
367
00:39:47,008 --> 00:39:49,024
Who did you see?
368
00:39:52,012 --> 00:39:54,084
Who did you see?!
369
00:40:05,056 --> 00:40:07,088
After them!
370
00:40:20,092 --> 00:40:24,052
Just move up. There's enough room.
We can get you all on board.
371
00:40:26,008 --> 00:40:28,020
Yishharu, where are you?
372
00:40:34,076 --> 00:40:38,064
It was Yishharu's blood
she saw sacrificed.
373
00:40:39,056 --> 00:40:45,004
May the gods forgive your deception,
Ariad. I'm not sure I can.
374
00:40:53,060 --> 00:40:58,044
We know what the gods have asked
for. The vision must be fulfilled.
375
00:40:58,044 --> 00:41:02,016
It wasn't clear enough.I don't think... Start thinking.
376
00:41:02,016 --> 00:41:04,076
The gods are tearing Thera apart.
377
00:41:04,076 --> 00:41:07,064
If you can't tell us why,
if you can't stop it,
378
00:41:07,064 --> 00:41:09,084
then what must the people think?
379
00:41:11,008 --> 00:41:15,088
Where is your power, Bansabira,
if you can't appease the gods?
380
00:41:15,088 --> 00:41:23,020
They've demanded a life and have
shown us who it must be.
381
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,096
Find him.
382
00:41:38,004 --> 00:41:43,052
Keep going, come on.I'm slowing you down.
383
00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:59,032
What are you doing?If they catch you, they'll kill you.
384
00:41:59,032 --> 00:42:02,024
I'll get rid of them and comeback for you. What if you don't?
385
00:42:03,092 --> 00:42:07,028
Then you must find my father
and tell him what's happened?
386
00:42:07,028 --> 00:42:12,004
I'm scared, Yishharu.
I'm scared of losing you.
387
00:42:19,028 --> 00:42:23,016
SHE SOBS
388
00:43:15,032 --> 00:43:18,004
You think killing me
will stop this, Bansabira?
389
00:43:18,004 --> 00:43:20,060
The gods want us all dead!
390
00:43:22,084 --> 00:43:25,048
In the first hours of the eruption,
391
00:43:25,048 --> 00:43:28,088
the volcano would have
ejected billions of tons
392
00:43:28,088 --> 00:43:32,020
of magma into the sky.
393
00:43:35,008 --> 00:43:37,068
Rapidly cooling, it fell as pumice.
394
00:43:37,068 --> 00:43:40,044
THUDDING AND RATTLING
395
00:43:42,052 --> 00:43:44,052
These small stones and rocks
396
00:43:44,052 --> 00:43:49,032
filled with tiny bubbles of air,
began to bury the island.
397
00:43:49,032 --> 00:43:51,052
SCREAMING AND SHOUTING
398
00:43:51,052 --> 00:43:57,056
One at a time! Don't push!
Master, we've got to set sail!
399
00:44:00,072 --> 00:44:04,076
We need to make for the ships.
We should go now.
400
00:44:08,060 --> 00:44:10,052
Look at him, Bansabira.
401
00:44:10,052 --> 00:44:13,032
Even your own people
don't believe in this.
402
00:44:15,016 --> 00:44:16,084
Silence him.
403
00:44:19,088 --> 00:44:21,008
Forgive me.
404
00:44:24,072 --> 00:44:27,020
But it was ash, not pumice,
405
00:44:27,020 --> 00:44:32,020
that posed the more immediate
threat. Help! Help me!
406
00:44:32,020 --> 00:44:37,096
Volcanic ash isn't like ordinary
ash. It contains silicone.
407
00:44:37,096 --> 00:44:40,000
Once inhaled,
408
00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:45,068
it mixes with the moisture in the
lungs to form a liquid cement.
409
00:44:45,068 --> 00:44:48,068
Somebody, please help me.
410
00:44:48,068 --> 00:44:51,016
Please help!
411
00:44:51,016 --> 00:44:53,052
Help me, please!
412
00:44:56,048 --> 00:44:59,000
It makes breathing difficult.
413
00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:00,064
THEY GASP AND COUGH
414
00:45:00,064 --> 00:45:04,020
Then impossible.
415
00:45:36,072 --> 00:45:41,008
Rusa! Pinaruti!
416
00:45:42,036 --> 00:45:45,040
Where's Yishharu?
The priests came after us.
417
00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:51,036
They wanted me as a sacrifice.He said he'd be back.SHE SOBS
418
00:45:51,036 --> 00:45:56,072
Rusa, we've got to go! Take her
to her father in Crete. No. No!
419
00:45:56,072 --> 00:46:02,056
No, I don't want to go without him.
Tie her up if you have to. No. No!
420
00:46:02,056 --> 00:46:07,092
Rusa! Rusa! Let me go!
421
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,028
Let me go!
422
00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:25,000
EXPLOSION
423
00:46:38,088 --> 00:46:41,032
Halt! Out of my way!
424
00:46:50,064 --> 00:46:53,060
As the crater widened,
sea water poured into it.
425
00:46:53,060 --> 00:46:58,004
On contact with the magma,
the water exploded as steam,
426
00:46:58,004 --> 00:47:02,040
triggering the next volcanic phase.
427
00:47:08,012 --> 00:47:10,096
The violent reaction
between water and magma
428
00:47:10,096 --> 00:47:14,044
created a phreatomagmatic eruption.
429
00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:31,072
It's estimated the sound
pressure from this explosion
430
00:47:31,072 --> 00:47:33,092
would have reached 300 decibels.
431
00:47:45,072 --> 00:47:49,064
The sheer force ripped
rocks from inside the crater,
432
00:47:49,064 --> 00:47:53,044
catapulting them
into the air like deadly missiles.
433
00:47:55,016 --> 00:47:57,060
Lava bombs.
434
00:48:02,036 --> 00:48:06,024
These burning chunks of magma
can be the size of a small truck
435
00:48:06,024 --> 00:48:09,012
and weigh up to eight tons.
436
00:48:53,032 --> 00:48:55,008
HE GROANS
437
00:48:55,008 --> 00:48:59,096
Turn back! Turn back!
438
00:49:01,076 --> 00:49:04,084
Turn back.SHE SOBS
439
00:49:04,084 --> 00:49:07,032
There's nothing to go back to.
440
00:49:09,084 --> 00:49:16,008
Please, turn back. Please.SHE SOBS
441
00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:35,096
With the crater widening,
442
00:49:35,096 --> 00:49:39,036
the pressure forcing the column
upwards started to drop.
443
00:49:45,004 --> 00:49:49,052
Gas and rock spilled from the sides
of the collapsing column.
444
00:49:59,036 --> 00:50:01,028
Known as pyroclastic flows,
445
00:50:01,028 --> 00:50:05,012
these superheated waves of gas
and rock reached speeds
446
00:50:05,012 --> 00:50:07,012
of up to 180 miles an hour,
447
00:50:07,012 --> 00:50:12,028
and temperatures of
700 degrees Celsius.
448
00:50:47,052 --> 00:50:53,020
You've taken all that's precious
to me. Is this all you have left?!
449
00:51:31,080 --> 00:51:35,024
As the pyroclastic
flows hit the sea,
450
00:51:35,024 --> 00:51:38,016
hot ash caused the water surface
to boil,
451
00:51:38,016 --> 00:51:40,072
propelling them along
452
00:51:40,072 --> 00:51:46,000
at an even faster
speed on superheated beds of steam.
453
00:51:54,092 --> 00:51:57,028
Come on, come on, row!
454
00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:19,044
Row, row, row, come on!
455
00:52:22,044 --> 00:52:24,012
Come on, row!
456
00:52:48,096 --> 00:52:52,012
The deadly impact of the eruption
457
00:52:52,012 --> 00:52:54,088
extended far beyond
the island of Thera.
458
00:52:56,052 --> 00:53:00,056
Pyroclastic flows pushed volcanic
debris out into the sea,
459
00:53:00,056 --> 00:53:03,064
generating huge waves.
460
00:53:05,036 --> 00:53:07,028
Tsunamis.
461
00:53:18,072 --> 00:53:24,020
People on the nearby island of Crete
might have seen the warning signs.
462
00:53:24,020 --> 00:53:27,016
But had little time to react.
463
00:53:30,016 --> 00:53:33,048
Travelling at 200 miles an hour,
it would have taken
464
00:53:33,048 --> 00:53:37,080
only 20 minutes for the first
tsunami to reach Crete.
465
00:53:45,012 --> 00:53:48,056
Experts estimate that by the time
the waves hit the coastline,
466
00:53:48,056 --> 00:53:51,060
they would have been
over 60 feet high.
467
00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:54,004
Run!
468
00:54:54,004 --> 00:54:59,096
New research has revealed that
a series of tsunamis ravaged towns
469
00:54:59,096 --> 00:55:03,000
all along Crete's northern
coastline for hours,
470
00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:05,048
if not days after the eruption.
471
00:55:10,004 --> 00:55:14,088
Killing an estimated 30,000 people.
472
00:55:22,044 --> 00:55:26,080
It was a disaster
on an unimaginable scale.
473
00:55:31,036 --> 00:55:35,088
Three times larger than Krakatoa.
474
00:55:35,088 --> 00:55:39,084
100 times larger than
Mount St Helens.
475
00:55:39,084 --> 00:55:44,036
And 40,000 times more powerful
than the Hiroshima bomb.
476
00:55:50,032 --> 00:55:53,064
The ash from the eruption
plunged the Mediterranean
477
00:55:53,064 --> 00:55:55,028
into weeks of darkness.
478
00:55:56,080 --> 00:56:02,032
Global temperatures dipped, stunting
plant growth as far away as Britain.
479
00:56:11,060 --> 00:56:14,040
Minoan society was
shaken to the core.
480
00:56:19,032 --> 00:56:25,000
Archaeological evidence reveals
that there was deep social unrest.
481
00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:30,020
Towns and temple palaces
were sacked and burnt.
482
00:56:30,020 --> 00:56:31,076
Humans sacrificed.
483
00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:39,068
Finally, a civilisation that
had lasted for over 1300 years
484
00:56:39,068 --> 00:56:41,088
was invaded and absorbed
485
00:56:41,088 --> 00:56:46,000
by a warring Greek tribe
called the Mycenaeans.
486
00:56:51,020 --> 00:56:57,052
Stories of the disaster, however,
were passed on, retold, embellished.
487
00:57:01,012 --> 00:57:04,052
Many experts now believe
that accounts of Thera's destruction
488
00:57:04,052 --> 00:57:09,064
inspired Plato to write
a morality tale about the rise
489
00:57:09,064 --> 00:57:14,032
and fall of a great civilisation
he called Atlantis.
490
00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:20,036
He wrote, "The island
consists of circular belts of sea
491
00:57:20,036 --> 00:57:25,048
"and land enclosing one another.
492
00:57:25,048 --> 00:57:28,060
"A seaway
and harbour filled with vessels
493
00:57:28,060 --> 00:57:31,012
"and merchants from all quarters.
494
00:57:31,012 --> 00:57:33,064
"And the wealth they possessed
495
00:57:33,064 --> 00:57:37,040
"was so immense, that the like
had never been seen before.
496
00:57:41,004 --> 00:57:45,012
"In the sacred precincts of Poseidon
there were bulls at large,
497
00:57:45,012 --> 00:57:50,008
"and the ten princes hunted after
the bulls with staves and nooses.
498
00:57:53,056 --> 00:57:57,060
"Then there occurred portentous
earthquakes and floods,
499
00:57:57,060 --> 00:58:00,044
"and one grievous day and night
500
00:58:00,044 --> 00:58:03,040
"the island of Atlantis
was swallowed up by the sea...
501
00:58:05,080 --> 00:58:07,052
"..and vanished."
502
00:58:18,028 --> 00:58:22,080
And so a great and wonderful world,
503
00:58:22,080 --> 00:58:26,080
cut off in its prime by a disaster
of cataclysmic proportions,
504
00:58:26,080 --> 00:58:30,084
became the birthplace of one of
the greatest legends of all time...
505
00:58:33,060 --> 00:58:35,044
..Atlantis.
506
00:58:42,056 --> 00:58:45,056
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
507
00:58:45,056 --> 00:58:48,044
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
40684
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