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Thousands of years ago, ancient powers ruled our world.

Egypt.

China.

India.

Greece.

And Rome.

Players in a high -stakes game of strategy and luck.

Success will bring them wealth and immortality.

failure, oblivion, and death.

In their battle for survival, each civilization will face the same

How they respond will shape their destiny.

In this episode, Building your empire.

In an unpredictable world, our ancient powers must lay down the foundations

of their societies to show their strength and protect their people.

Who will build their way to glory?

Across the globe, our ancient powers have founded their civilizations.

They've tamed the land, allowing their people to settle and thrive.

Now they face their next challenge.

And in the yeast, they start by building big.

Over 2 ,000 years ago, China is ruled by the Han dynasty.

They've successfully cultivated the land around the fertile Yangtze and Yellow

River basins.

They are growing wealthy, but are threatened.

Their northern borders are under attack by the Xiongnu, nomadic horsemen

who roam the desert plains.

They possess few resources of their own, but are fast -moving and aggressive,

and repeatedly loot the Han's riches.

This ancient power needs to defend itself against these violent,

raiders.

But how can they protect their long, exposed desert border?

The Han come up with a remarkable solution.

121 BCE, they begin building a huge wall nearly three meters high,

made of pounded earth and strengthened with layers of gravel and reed.

This wall will end up an amazing three and a half thousand kilometers long.

But will it be enough to stop the rampaging Xiongnu?

The answer is recorded on delicate wooden strips.

The note paper of ancient China.

A staggering two and a half

thousand towers and forts.

punctuate the length of the wall, one every five kilometers,

allowing the hand soldiers to keep an eye on their arch enemy.

These towers aren't simply for observation.

but something far more strategic.

The Han soldiers are able to warn other forts of incoming attacks.

Using carefully choreographed signals, they can say when and where the Xiongnu

are attacking and how many of them there are.

This sword is the 14th sword in the Sessheng Fenghuopingyue.

Its content is mainly this.

If there are more than 1 ,000 people in the competition, then you have

to raise the wind, and at the same time, you have to burn two crystals.

But this wind is magnetic, so this can only be used during the day.

The crystals are like grass.

The crystals can be used during the day and at night.

The wall is more than a physical barrier.

It's a communication system.

Signals travel at over 30 kilometers an hour.

More than 600 kilometers in a day.

This allows Hand troops to rapidly organize counter -attacks, and

stop the Thiel invaders in their traps.

The Hand can now defend their territory, and even expand it.

At their peak, around 10 BCE, their lands stretch a remarkable 6 million

kilometers.

and a home to 60 million people.

The hands mastery of defensive construction secures their dynasty.

To the west, another ancient power is also building.

Not to fend off attack, but to take advantage of an opportunity.

Over a millennium, small isolated communities across the Greek mainland

islands have grown into city -states.

Almost a thousand of them.

Each one runs its own affairs and battles with its neighbors for

But by the turn of the 5th century BCE, Athens is one of the

frontrunners.

Wealth. is the thing that will keep them ahead of their competition.

But where can they find a ready source of cash?

Could the answer be buried deep in the rolling hills south of their city?

This mine can be dangerous.

First of all, because...

You have to protect your head from the overhanging rocks.

And then there are shafts that suddenly appear in front of your feet.

If you don't pay attention, you may fall down to 200 meters in depth.

Across 5 ,000 hectares of this arid landscape, the Athenians have been hard

work.

But they are not building homes or temples.

They are excavating beneath the ground.

The Athenians dig over 300 mines that snake more than 50 kilometers

deep into solid rock.

We can see here all around a labyrinth of galleries going up, down, left,

everywhere. And you can see how hard work they did because you can see the

marks.

The mines of Lavrion are delivering rich sources of lead, metal the

Athenians used to forge weapons and tools.

But digging it out comes at a terrible human cost.

We can see how very intense it would be to work and dig and dig again and again

and walk in this very short space.

People working naked, I mean, carrying stuff, miles

up to the shafts so that they would take the oil out.

Manual work, hard work, and very, very, very hard conditions.

Harsh conditions of this human labor was only undertaken by slaves.

As you can see, these galleries are very small and not feasible for adults to go

in and out.

So it's most probable that children were used for this task.

These mines are key to Athens' success.

But in 483 BCE, they hit a rich seam of an even more

precious metal.

The Athenians discovered a huge amount of ore

producing silver.

This is Galena, and you would need half a mountain of ore to produce just

a kilo of.

This discovery is one of the largest sources of this valuable metal in the

ancient world.

And it promises untold wealth.

But first, the Athenians need to extract the silver from the ore.

So they start building on the surface.

The scale of these enterprises, which is 5 ,000 hectares of

mining works and metallurgical workshops, and all extended

over the mountains and the valleys of the area.

In the following years, this ancient industrial complex produces over 3 ,500

tons of silver.

worth roughly two billion dollars in today's money.

It is more than enough to cement Athens as Greece's leading light.

This large -scale exploitation of the underground world and these, again,

-scale metallurgical works were the material basis of the Athenian power.

The wealth of the Greeks' minds consolidates their strength and funds

ambitions.

But another ancient power is building, not for riches, but for

conquest.

Four centuries after its birth, Rome is growing.

No longer a city -state, it is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Controlling almost a third of the Italian peninsula, it's pushed its

south to Capua, home of the Samnite tribe.

Near modern day Naples.

But they are resisting Roman expansion.

And aren't going down without a fight.

Roman legionaries will be more than a match for this untrained rabble.

If they can get there.

But there's a problem.

The state of ancient track.

They would have been dirt, muddy in the wintertime.

They would have been very windy. It would have taken a much greater time to

reach the destination.

To stop the legionaries getting bogged down, Roman engineers come up with a

revolutionary new design, a layered road.

It's built by placing rocks and clay on top of compacted earth.

followed by crushed stone and lime, then a layer of gravel and sand,

and finally polished stones with a slightly curved surface, allowing

rain and mud to drain away.

In 312 BCE, work begins on this massive construction project.

Driving a route south from Rome towards Capua.

This is the Via Appiantica, the queen of Roman roads.

One of the great technological achievements of Rome.

The radical layered design isn't this road's only innovation.

Well, the Romans were very pragmatic and practical, and they decided that the

shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Keeping the line of the road straight is a challenge.

So Roman engineers make use of a precision surveying tool.

The groma.

I would stand here with my groma. I would sight down this line.

The weights have to align here. The plumb lines have to align.

I will give instructions to someone down the road to plant a pole on exactly

that line. And I'll say a little to the left, a little to the right.

Plant it.

And repeat.

And repeat for hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles.

Now the Romans can create strong straight roads.

They fire the Via Appia like an arrow.

through hills, marshes, and forests.

For 200 kilometers, nothing stands in its way.

Now, the armies could get through on time and in scale, so it was a huge

success. But laying down an absolutely straight road, which cut through hills

and went over...

It's not only an effective way to get from point A to point B, but it's also a

demonstration of the Roman mastery over nature.

Fresh legionaries march south at speed and

crush the rebellion,

making Capua

Rome.

The Via Appia becomes a keystone of Rome's military ambition.

In the centuries that follow, they build a massive network of roads, over 80

,000 kilometers in all, radiating out from the Eternal City, a vast

grid connecting this ancient empire.

The roads were a symbol of dominion, and it's a message.

We own this place, and we can come here whenever we want.

For anyone who sees them, Roman roads are a reminder, a mark in the landscape

of just who is in charge.

Rome builds a military route to consolidate its status as an ancient

To the south, Egypt is also looking to the future, but taking on a more

spiritual challenge.

After years of bloody wars, Egypt is unified.

This ancient power is ruled by pharaohs, anointed by the gods.

On the banks of the Nile, its people are blessed with fertile land and plenty of

food.

With few enemies threatening their kingdom, they are thriving.

But kings and commoners alike are all anxious about their future.

For an ancient Egyptian,

This life that we're living was just a temporary stage.

It was not the eternity.

They wanted to live an eternal life.

Making it to the afterlife is every Egyptian's dream.

They believe if your body isn't properly entombed, you've no hope of making the

journey.

and risk being stuck in limbo forever.

For an ancient Egyptian, it was really important to spend your life preparing

for your afterlife.

And the more power you had, the bigger and grander your tomb.

To house their mortal remains, wealthy nobles build mastabas.

These huge single -story tombs are highly decorated and multi -chambered.

This is one impressive matzvah.

You know this person was wealthy, this person had influence, and he confused.

When rich men like Mereruka are entombed, elaborate funeral possessions

everything they need for the afterlife.

Jars of food and wine, chests of gold and fine jewelry, and even boats

for their final journey.

Egyptian, the next life was similar to this life, except it was much better.

So if you had one or two serpents in this life, you would want to have 100 in

the next life.

If you had a couple of ducks and a cow, you would want to have 100 cows.

The decoration in Mararuka's tomb reflects his rich life.

Hunting, fishing,

and collecting his pharaoh's taxes.

Mararuka was very close to the king.

This is what makes him a powerful man, and probably his afterlife would have

been very powerful as well.

But his single -story tomb has a major flaw.

Over time, it will disappear beneath the desert sands, and Mararuka's name.

will be forgotten.

For the pharaohs, this isn't good enough.

They want their names to be known forever.

They want immortality.

If you wanted to be remembered, you would have to stand up.

Therefore, Egyptians had to think, what's next?

One pharaoh wonders if he can build a tomb that won't just stand out from the

crowd, but will also last for eternity.

He is Josa.

And what he comes up with is both bold and brilliant.

He wanted something that looked like a stairway to the heavens.

And what more was than to tack up a few most of us on top of each other?

So rather than having one, how about having six?

Joseph's builders invent an entirely new architectural form.

Something never seen before.

It is the tallest man -made structure in the world.

The very first pyramid.

And it is revolutionary in more ways than one.

Joseph changes everything in Egypt.

He sets the new rules.

And he puts his foot down and says, we're not using mud brick anymore.

Mud brick is for the living people.

But the dead are going to live in stone. They're going to be eternal.

No matter how many layers of time are covering the earth, he was going to

be there.

Strong, powerful, and magnificent.

Joseph's tomb is visible from miles across the desert.

A massive symbol of this pharaoh's power.

And inside, it is equally impressive.

So incredible, endless tunnels, and you go on and on and on, and it's so

squashed to the point where you feel like, oh, my God, where am I going?

30 meters underground lies Joseph's burial chamber.

Wow.

And the giant granite sarcophagus.

that holds its mortal remains.

So beautiful.

This place is magic.

These were not just tombs. They were a transition.

He came to resurrect himself.

And this is what the kings do.

They became gods.

For Djoser, this pyramid is his pathway to everlasting life.

A peaceful kingdom, vast wealth, and their religious beliefs dictate what the

pharaohs choose to build.

In India, there is a new ruler and he is building to try and secure stability.

For the very first time, after years of fighting, almost the entire

subcontinent is unified.

A vast kingdom of 20 million people.

All ruled by Ashoka the Great.

A ferocious warrior who keeps control with violence, cruelty, and

math. executions and when his brother threatened his throne he

murdered them but after

his brutal wars and savage behavior this king is stricken with guilt

Ashoka writes about the pain he felt.

Thousands of people were killed and displaced or imprisoned, and that made

feel intense, intense remorse.

After that, it is said that he wanted to change his ways.

In the brutal ancient world where violence equals power, for Ashoka, this

is a risk.

But he is determined to change.

And for answers, turns to a new philosophy.

But it says that each of us, we are travelers on this path.

Every living being.

It says that if you want a prosperous and peaceful kingdom, you have to be

generous. You have to invest back in your society and cultivate qualities of

loving kindness and compassion.

Buddha's message entrances the repentant king.

So he adopts it and in an unusual move asks his people to do

the same.

It's surprising because not only is it a complete change of heart from a...

warrior to someone who wants to practice non -violence but also to ask all of

his people not to convert but to follow the new rules of buddhism and that i

think is the biggest shock is asking people to change and adopt more non

-violent means of living

if

a shocker is to keep his throne by peaceful means

He needs to spread this new idea across his enormous realm.

In the beginning, he sent his ministers to spread his message. But then, of

course, he also wanted to make sure that those messages are heard, are seen, are

followed. So he also chose to write them down, not on paper, but on stone.

To ensure his message is getting through.

Ashoka embarks on a grand tour of his kingdom, erecting stone pillars

he goes, including one in modern -day Nepal

at the most sacred Buddhist site.

What we have here is the Lumbini pillar.

It is here to indicate that it is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha.

So, of course, it's a very important site in Buddhism, and that is one of the

reasons why we find this pillar here.

But these pillars aren't just built at religious locations.

Ashoka built them on key spots throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Some of them were on important trade routes.

A new phenomena, it must have attracted a lot of people to them to see what it

is.

These intriguing structures announce Ashoka's ownership of the land.

But it is the writing on them that carries his vision of peace.

Words that are read out to his subjects.

The pillar we have here... And similar pillars that are found all over the

Indian subcontinent are engraved with inscriptions left behind by King Ashoka.

He mentions the code of conduct he would like his people to follow.

The messages were mainly to do with being kind to one another.

He goes on to say how you should always treat your subordinates, your co

-workers, everyone with equality.

And of course, the most important message is to practice non -violence.

The pillars broadcast Ashoka's Buddhist ideals, and they are effective.

It is fair to say that the message that he was trying to get across to people

actually made an impact, because we see a relatively peaceful rule

for Ashoka until the day he dies.

These stone pillars are built to last, and many are still standing.

a visible legacy of Ashoka's successful and peaceful empire.

He really wanted to make sure that his message would always resonate for future

generations to come, which is why I think he also wrote it down in stone,

because that was the best way he could do that.

In ancient India, the king builds monuments to promote peace.

But in Greece, war is coming.

They need a way to protect themselves, and fast.

The discovery of a rich theme of silver makes Athens the most powerful force in

Greece.

But to the east lie the vast, threatening superpower.

The Persians.

A constant adversary.

They lust greedily after Greek land.

And the precious metal the Athenians are digging from their mines.

And they are now...

poised to invade.

The Greeks must defend themselves.

And with their seafaring heritage, they build what they know best.

Ships.

The fastest, most maneuverable warships of the ancient world.

This ship is a trireme.

The trireme has a length of 36 .8 meters.

It has a width of about 6 meters.

It is the most expensive old warship of the classical antiquity.

It costs a lot, one talent.

One talent is a huge amount of money. It's about 26 kilograms of silver.

Triremes are so called because of the three decks of oarsmen that power them.

And with a treasury full of mined silver, Athens' pockets are deep enough

construct a fleet of more than 200 of them.

They are manned by pre -born Athenian men, most of them experienced sailors.

These ships were pretty maneuverable. They were 30 % faster than

enemy triremes because their crews were much more trained.

The Greeks are ready, but when the Persians finally attack Athens,

they don't come by sea, but by land.

In just a few short days, they ransacked the city, destroying homes,

plundering temples, and burning it to the ground.

The Athenian warships are used as rescue boats, evacuating people from their

devastated homes.

But the Athenians aren't backing down from this fight.

The great thing about Athens is that they were not fighting about their city.

Their city was already destroyed.

It was already occupied.

Instead of fighting for their particular city, they fought for their liberty

because the idea of Greece was a very potent one at that time.

Athens is battling for its life.

In open water, the Persian ships outnumber the Greeks, almost three to

making a full frontal attack impossible.

But the Greeks have a plan.

In a narrow stretch of water, 15 kilometers west of their burning city,

gamble on a risky strategy.

The battle began at about 9 o 'clock in the morning.

Shortly after the beginning of the battle, the Greek fleet withdrew towards

coast of Salamis.

The Persians were encouraged by this and they pursued the Greek fleet towards

the coast of Salamis.

After the Greeks lured the Persians, they counterattacked.

With the Persians trapped in the narrow straits, the Greeks row forward, using

their triremes as weapons, driving the warships' bronze rams hard below

the enemy's waterline.

The Greeks quickly

gain the upper hand.

There is all this disastrous.

Two hundred.

Persian triremes are lost within a day, whereas only 40

Greek triremes are lost during that battle.

Against the odds, it is a stunning victory that ends the Persians' packing.

Without the victory at the Battle of Salamis, the Greeks could have not

avoided enslavement to the Persians.

Thalamus gave Athens security, freedom, confidence, and

the ability to preserve its democratic constitution.

But if the Athenians are to stay ahead of the game, they will need to defend

their city and their ships.

They finally turn from building in wood to building in stone.

They construct two massive walls.

over eight meters tall and three meters wide.

They encircle their port in precious warships, creating a protected corridor

their city.

They also raise a wall around their natural citadel, the Acropolis, turning

into a fortress.

And inside, they construct the Parthenon, part treasury, part temple.

This architectural wonder is the city's crowning glory.

For the next century, Athens is ascendant, all thanks to their

unconventional building project.

It was a wise decision to spend all the silver from Lavrion to

constructing this great fleet that fought and won at Salamis.

This decision made Athens rich. This decision gave Athens an empire.

Greece stares death in the face and emerges victorious, stronger than

ever.

To the south, in Egypt, they are focused on marking their territory with ever

-grander statements.

King Joseph's stepped pyramid is a monumental success, a symbol of wealth,

power, and immortality.

But a generation after his death, when another godlike pharaoh, Sneferu, takes

control, his ego demands something even bigger.

Can he go one better than his predecessor?

Tashur is the first true pyramid site.

So coming here, you see the transition, what happened next after the step

pyramid.

Sneferu's pyramid is new and improved, adding smooth sides to Joseph's step

design.

But his builders make a terrible error.

The pyramid was carried on on the original angle. It was going to collapse

because this angle was too steep for that design.

Realizing their mistake, the builders simply finished the job with a shallower

angle, a drastic change that gives rise to its modern name, the Bent

Pyramid.

But this botched job isn't good enough to sniff through.

So he insists his builders try again.

And just two kilometers away, they construct this.

And here?

We are seeing the testimony of Snapper's success.

The first true pyramid.

And once he got the correct angle, everything was just perfect from that.

It's precisely engineered on the outside.

And the inside, too.

The vaulted ceiling in Sneferu's burial chamber is more than just decoration.

They have not only worked out how the pyramid works from the outside.

But coming in here, you can see that they have worked out the inner

And you can see the weight distribution is equal.

You are actually in the pyramid. You can feel the space.

So it's really beautiful to be here.

Sneferu is delighted with his pyramid.

But for his son, Khufu...

Even this isn't big enough.

This point in time here is where the Great Pyramid comes from.

If it wasn't for this pyramid, we wouldn't have the Great Pyramid.

In 2570 BCE, construction starts on Khufu's pyramid.

It will take 23 years and 2 .3 million stone blocks to complete.

Towering over 146 meters, it will be the tallest man -made structure on

Earth for thousands of years.

Covered in brilliant white polished limestone and capped in gold, it

passes into legend as...

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

A pyramid showed what a king of Egypt is capable of doing.

These massive structures are Egypt's great national building project.

Houses of eternity that broadcast the Pharaoh's belief in the afterlife.

Ancient power has overcome their second challenge.

Responding to the threats they face and the beliefs they hold, cementing their

power and creating icons for the future.

Egypt and India construct elaborate monuments, driven by the desires of

powerful rulers.

Greece and China build vastly different defenses.

to counter threat to their existence.

Whilst Rome marches on using their engineering expertise to consolidate

an expanding empire.

Each ancient power has succeeded in building foundations for their

civilizations. But to continue growing, they need to make some money.