Engineering an Empire

See the engineering feats that brought Rome to power in the ancient world. From Julius Caesar and the end of the Roman Republic to the birth of an empire that would transform Europe, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East for at least 500 years with grand feats of engineering.

From the year 3000 BC all the way to around 1212 BC, the Egyptians accomplished the impossibe and built the unimaginable. From the Great Pyramid of Giza to the temple at Abu Simbel, see all the incredible engineering feats of the Pharaohs of Egypt.

See the engineering feats that gave rise to the Greek empire.

See the engineering feats of Greece under Alexander the Great.

In less than 200 years the Aztec's transformed themselves from a band of wandering nomads to the greatest civilization the New World had ever known. What records remain of this amazing feat indicate they did it through brilliant military campaigns and by ingeniously applying technology to master the harsh environment they faced. They built their capital city where no city should have been possible: in the middle of a lake. The Aztec also practiced human sacrifice on an unprecedented scale and made many enemies. By the time the Spaniards landed they had no trouble recruiting tribal allies to destroy the Aztecs. Watch with host Peter Weller as we examine the architecture and infrastructure behind the New World's greatest, and last, indigenous society

Carthage, a remarkable city-state that dominated the Mediterranean for over 600 years, harnessed their extensive resources to develop some of the ancient world's most groundbreaking technology. For generations, Carthage defined power, strength and ingenuity, but by the third century B.C., the empire's existence was threatened by another emerging superpower, Rome. However, when the Romans engineered their empire, they were only following the lead of the Carthaginians. From the city's grand harbor to the rise of one of history's greatest generals, Hannibal Barca, we will examine the architecture and infrastructure that enabled the rise and fall of the Carthaginian Empire.