Olympia, Sparta and Epidaurus

Bettany Hughes travels to Greece, home to epic human stories and the birthplace of an astonishing culture that helped to change the way the world thinks. With unique access to discoveries that capture the exceptional and enduring spirit of Greece, Bettany shares with us her hand-picked wonders to try to understand the story of humanity. In this first episode, Bettany Hughes explores Athens, the crowning landmark of ancient Greek civilisation and a symbol of intellect and democracy the world over. She travels to Olympia, well known as the birthplace of the Olympics, and she finds there is much more to reveal about the wonders of the original Olympic site. In Sparta, Bettany discovers that it is not just their superb artistic achievements and epic monuments that made the Greeks world famous, it was above all their ideas and political ideologies. And lastly, at Epidaurus Bettany explores the acoustically-perfect ancient theatre and uncovers pioneering ancient medical innovations and the world's first health spa.