1300 BC. The mighty Egyptian civilization is in its golden age. Its ruler is Ramses II, a man who intends to be the greatest of the Pharaohs.

In the 5th century BC, one man leads his city to greatness and paves the way for western civilization. The city is Athens, and Pericles is not a king or prince, but an elected man.

In the late Stone Age, the pagan people of the British Isles constructed some of the greatest monuments of the ancient world. Fabulous constructions of wood, earth, and stone arose. In this hour, we enter the world of their builders.

At the end of the 13th century, Scotland was a country under attack. Defeat seemed inevitable.

In a country torn by bloody civil war, a young man seizes power. In his native tongue, he is called Dracula. This is not the vampire, Count Dracula, but a real historical figure: a Romanian prince.

Ivan the Terrible, Russia's first Tsar, led a brutal and unpredictable life. A renowned sadist, Ivan was the originator of Russia's secret police.

The Vikings were fearsome warriors from Denmark and Norway who burst upon Western Europe, raiding and plundering at the end of the 8th century.

Four hundred years ago, Emperor Shah Jahan was the most powerful man in the world. The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India was built to honor his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The Taj Mahal is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.