The Western TraditionSeason 11989 · 52 episodesEpisodes1The Dawn of HistoryThe origins of the human race are traced from anthropoid ancestors to the agricultural revolution.2The Ancient EgyptiansEgyptian irrigation created one of the first great civilizations.3MesopotamiaSettlements in the Fertile Crescent gave rise to the great river civilizations of the Middle East.4From Bronze to IronMetals revolutionized tools, as well as societies, in the empires of Assyria, Persia, and Neo-Babylonia.5The Rise of Greek CivilizationDemocracy and philosophy arose from Greek cities at the edge of the civilized world.6Greek ThoughtSocrates, Plato, and Aristotle laid the foundation of Western intellectual thought.7Alexander the GreatAlexander's conquests quadrupled the size of the world known to the Greeks.8The Hellenistic AgeHellenistic kingdoms extended Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean.9The Rise of RomeThrough its army, Rome built an empire that shaped the West.10The Roman EmpireRome's civil engineering contributed as much to the empire as did its weapons.11Early ChristianityChristianity spread despite contempt and persecution from Rome.12The Rise of the ChurchThe old heresy became the Roman empire's official religion under the Emperor Constantine.13The Decline of RomeWhile enemies slashed at Rome's borders, civil war and economic collapse destroyed the empire from within.14The Fall of RomeDespite the success of emperors such as Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, Rome fell victim to barbarian invasions.15The Byzantine EmpireFrom Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire carried on the traditions of Greece and Rome.16The Fall of ByzantiumNearly a thousand years after Rome's fall, Constantinople was conquered by the forces of Islam.17The Dark AgesBarbarian kingdoms took possession of the fragments of the Roman Empire.18The Age of CharlemagneCharlemagne revived hopes for a new empire in Western Europe.19The Middle AgesAmid invasion and civil disorder, a military aristocracy dominated the kingdoms of Europe.20The Feudal OrderBishop, knight, and peasant exemplified some of the social divisions of the year 1000 A.D.21Common Life in the Middle AgesFamine, disease, and short life expectancies were the conditions that shaped medieval beliefs.22Cities and Cathedrals of the Middle AgesThe great churches embodied the material and spiritual ambitions of the age.23The Late Middle AgesTwo hundred years of war and plague debilitated Europe.24The National MonarchiesA new urban middle class emerged, while dynastic marriages established centralized monarchies.25Renaissance & the Age of DiscoveryRenaissance humanists made man "the measure of all things." Europe was possessed by a new passion for knowledge.26Renaissance & the New WorldThe discovery of America challenged Europe.27The ReformationVoiced by Martin Luther, Protestantism shattered the unity of the Catholic Church.28The Rise of the Middle ClassAs the cities grew, new middle-class mores had an impact on religious life.29The Wars of ReligionFor more than a century, the quarrels of Protestants and Catholics tore Europe apart.30The Rise of the Trading CitiesAmid religious wars, a few cities learned that tolerance increased their prosperity.31The Age of AbsolutismExhausted by war and civil strife, many Europeans exchanged earlier liberties and anarchies for greater peace.32Absolutism and the Social ContractArguments about the legitimate source of political power centered on divine right versus natural law.33The Enlightened DespotsMonarchs considered reforms in order to create more efficient societies, but not at the expense of their own power.34The EnlightenmentIntellectual theories about the nature of man and his potential came to the fore.35The Enlightenment and SocietyScientists and social reformers battled for universal human rights during a peaceful and prosperous period.36The Modern PhilosophersFreedom of thought and expression opened new vistas explored by French, English, and American thinkers.37The American RevolutionThe British colonists created a society that tested Enlightenment ideas and resisted restrictions imposed by England.38The American RepublicA new republic, the compromise of radicals and conservatives, was founded on universal freedoms.39The Death of the Old RegimeIn France the old order collapsed under revolutionaries' attacks and the monarchy's own weakness.40The French RevolutionLiberty, equality, and fraternity skidded into a reign of Terror.41The Industrial RevolutionTechnology and mass production reduced famine and ushered in higher standards of living.42The Industrial WorldA consumer revolution was fueled by coal, public transportation, and new city services.43Revolution and RomanticsLeaders in the arts, literature, and political theory argued for social justice and national liberation.44The Age of the Nation-StatesThe great powers cooperated to quell internal revolts, yet competed to acquire colonies.45A New PublicPublic education and mass communications created a new political life and leisure time.46Fin de SiècleEveryday life of the working class was transformed by leisure, prompting the birth of an elite avant-garde movement.47The First World War and the Rise of FascismOld empires crumbled during World War I to be replaced by right-wing dictatorships in Italy, Spain, and Germany.48The Second World WarWorld War II was a war of new tactics and strategies. Civilian populations became targets as the Nazi holocaust exterminated millions of people.49The Cold WarThe U.S. and Soviet Union dominated Europe and confronted each other in Korea.50Europe and the Third WorldBurdened with the legacy of colonial imperialism, the Third World rushed development to catch up with its Western counterparts.51The Technological RevolutionKeeping up with the ever-increasing pace of change became the standard of the day.52Toward the FutureModern medicine, atomic energy, computers, and new concepts of time, energy, and matter all have an important effect on life in the 20th century.
