From 1453 with the fall of Constantinople until the revolution in 1821 Greece is under the rule of the Ottoman Turks who control the entire middle east, and the Balkans as far as the gates of Vienna.   The Ottomans are Seljuk Turks, a tribe from Central Asia who appeared in the area...
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  The Byzantine Period of Greek History is one of the least understood and the most important. The Byzantine Empire laid the foundations for Orthodox Christianity in Greece, the Balkans and Russia. The Fall of Constantinople meant the end of Christianity in the Middleast, the rise of Ottoman-Muslim power and the East-West friction that...
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  To the Romans, the Greek civilzation was a source of inspiration and as Athens prospered under the Emperor Hadrian, Rome prospered from the ideas of the ancient Athenians. In 168 BC the Romans defeat the Macedonians in the battle of Pydna. In 146 BC and 86 BC the Romans seize rebellious Corinth, killing...
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  Whether Alexander the Great was Greek or just loved things Greek is not important. What is important is that he spread Greek ideas throughout the world in what is known as the Hellenistic Period and was perhaps the most important single person in western civilization with the possible exception of Jesus Christ. During...
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The two most well known city-states during this period were the rivals: Athens and Sparta. It was the strengths of these two societies that brought the ancient world to its heights in art, culture and with the defeat of the Persians, warfare. It was the same two Greek states whose thirst for more power...
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  The most ancient primitive Greeks somewhere between 10000 and 3000 BC were known as the Pelasgians. They inhabited areas of  Thrace, Argos, Crete, and Halkidiki and are known to us through the writings of  Homer, Herodotus, and Thucydides. The remnants of the Pelasgasian civilization are found mostly in the form of scattered stones...
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Jason and the Golden Fleece By Michael Wood Michael Wood discovers a story of heroism, treachery, love and tragedy that would make Hollywood proud. Map showing the likely route of Jason’s legendary voyage  Classic tale The Greek tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece has been told for 3,000 years. It’s a classic hero’s...
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  Echoes of Plato’s Atlantis By Dr Iain Stewart First described by Plato, Atlantis and its catastrophic downfall is one of popular science’s most enduring controversies – the original location of the vanished civilisation is still hotly debated. Dr Iain Stewart investigates the myth of a lost city. An artist’s impression of the end...
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  The Fall of the Minoan Civilisation By Jessica Cecil The burning light of a magnificent civilisation, which awed the ancient Greeks, dimmed and then suddenly disappeared. Discover Dr Floyd McCoy’s theory of the Minoan collapse. The market place of Knossos on Crete at the height of the Minoan Empire Volcanic explosion Three and...
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    Alexander the Great: Hunting for a New Past By Professor Paul Cartledge Historical debate veers between admiring and denigrating Alexander the Great, but Professor Paul Cartledge puts him in his proper historical context. Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) Many-sided hero It seems there have been many Alexander the Greats – as many...
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