The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization

Episode 3: The Empire of the Mind

February 9, 2000 • 52 min

Athens, at the height of her glory, engaged in a suicidal conflict with her greatest rival, Sparta. Through the eyes of Socrates, Athen’s first philosopher, we see the tragic descent of Athenian democracy into mob rule. As defeat piles on defeat, the Athenians, shattered and stripped of their Empire, take revenge on their most vocal critic and condemn Socrates to death before a people’s court.