Time Life's Lost civilizations. Volume 2, Greece ; China ; Rome
(DVD) 

Originally produced as a television series in 1995.

The fourth through sixth episodes of a ten episode program series.

Director of photography, Phillip Bonham Carter, Robert Hanna ; opening theme by Joe Delia, music and sound design, Skip SoRelle ; editors, Barr Weissman, Catharine Shields ; series editor, Tony Black ; series consultant, Brian M. Fagan.

Greece: Narrated by Sam Waterston ; with J. Carter Brown, Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, Byron Polydoras, Nanno Marinatos, Yula Gavala, Stephen Miller.

China: Narrated by Sam Waterston ; with Robert Murowchick, Zhang Guang Li, Han Wei, Xiong Chuan Xin, Yuan Chong Yi.

Rome: Narrated by Sam Waterston ; with Keith Hopkins, James Packer, Ronald Mellor, Pierre Bikai, Jane Taylor, Robin Birley, Baldassare Conticello, Jennifer Roberts.

Greece: Five hundred years before the birth of Christ, the small city-states of Greece began a period of cultural excellence, but none was more advanced than Athens. Under Pericles, the entire city strove for perfection in all things, and lead developments in poetry, dramatic theater, and athletic achievement, as exemplified in the Olympic Games. Discover the architectural, intellectual, and artistic achievements of the period, and the elements that led to the end of this glorious "moment of excellence."

China: One of the world's oldest continuous civilizations, China experienced many "dynasties of power" from the 2nd century B.C. through the rise of the first emperor. The achievements of ancient China are illustrated by three dynasties: the Shang (1600 - 1046 BC), the Zhou (1046 - 476 BC), and the Ch'in or Qin (221- 206 BC), under whom China was first unified. While uniting a vast land the Chinese built the 2,600-mile Great Wall, invented paper, printing, the compass, and the world's first system of justice.

Rome: Originally a village on the Tiber River, the republic of Rome rose to become one of the world's first super power, dominating the known world under their Pax Romana. From Petra to Hadrian's Wall to Gibraltar, peace was kept by the Legions, while technological development was driven by the demands of administering far-flung military outposts. Thanks to the Roman passion for organization, archaeologists have discovered much about life in ancient Rome's spectacular empire.

DVD, Dolby digital.

Closed-captioned.