Aigai and Nafplion

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 Greek wonders to try to understand the story of humanity, exploring the Greek spirit of innovation and ambition that was at play, not just in Athens, but right across Greece, at different places and at different times. Bettany travels to Aigai in the heart of Northern Greece, a capitol of the ancient Kingdom of Macedon, which boasts the biggest palace of all Classical Antiquity and one of the most spectacular archaeological treasure troves ever discovered. Bettany visits the excavations of the Palace and the final resting place of Philip II of Macedon, King of the World, and marvels at the golden treasures of his son Alexander the Great's ancient Macedonian kingdom. Bettany's journey ends at Nafplion, one of Greece's most romantic cities and its first official capitol city. She finds that it is a place that embodies the compelling, complicated history of Greece, a story that spans East and West, Ancient and Modern worlds and has inspired heroes across many thousands of years.