Building the Ancient CityBuilding the Ancient City: Athens

The first town of over one million people was built more than 2000 years ago. Without any of our modern conveniences, and what we would consider necessities today, how did they function? Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill explores the remains of these ancient megalopolises, explaining how to make a city work without the benefits of modern technology. In the first episode, Andrew takes us on a journey across stunning locations in Greece to find out how 2,500 years ago, Athens gave birth to the idea of a city run by free citizens. Every aspect of daily life from defence to waste disposal was controlled, not by a king, but by the Athenians themselves.

Building the Ancient City was broadcast on SBS ONE at Thursday 3 May 2018, 07:30. This episode was initially placed on Sunday 8 November 2015.