S01E01 Rome
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,...
Engineering an Empire
S01E07: Maya: Death Empire
At the height of its glory, this mysterious civilization ruled a territory of 125,000 square miles across parts of Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. What began as a modest population of hunters and gatherers expanded into more than forty flourishing city-states who engineered sky-high temple-pyramids, ornate palaces and advanced hydraulic systems. Where did they come from and what catastrophes caused the collapse of this innovative civilization? From the Temple-Pyramids at Tikal, to the royal tomb at Palenque, to the star observatory at Chichen Itza, this episode will examine the architecture and infrastructure that enabled the rise and fall of the ancient Maya civilization.
Overview
Engineering an Empire is a program on The History Channel that explores the engineering and/or architectural feats that were characteristic of some of the greatest societies on this planet. It is hosted by Peter Weller, famous for his acting role as RoboCop but also a lecturer at Syracuse University, where he completed his Master's in Roman and Renaissance Art. The executive producer is Delores Gavin. The show started as a documentary about the engineering feats of Ancient Rome and later evolved into a series. It originally ran for one full season of weekly episodes.
Episodes
S01E02 Egypt
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...
S01E04 Greece: Age of Alexander
See the engineering feats of Greece under Alexander the Great.
S01E05 Aztecs
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...
S01E06 Carthage
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...
S01E07 Maya: Death Empire
At the height of its glory, this mysterious civilization ruled a territory of 125,000 square miles across parts of Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. What began as a modest population of hunters and...
S01E08 Russia
At the height of its power the Russian Empire stretched across 15 times zones, incorporated nearly 160 different ethnicities, and made up one sixth of the entire world's landmass. What started as a few small...
S01E09 Great Britain: Blood and Steel
At its pinnacle, the British Empire spanned every continent and covered one quarter of the Earth's land mass. Through the centuries, the rulers of this enormous powerhouse used extraordinary engineering feats to become an industrial...
S01E10 The Persians
The Persian Empire was one of the most mysterious civilizations in the ancient world. Persia became an empire under the Cyrus the Great, who created a policy of religious and cultural tolerance that became the...
S01E11 China
For over 4,000 years the world's greatest empires have come and gone--only China has survived the test of time. Century after century, China's regal emperors mobilized peasant armies to accomplish engineering feats unparalleled in human...
S01E12 Napoleon: Steel Monster
Centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, French kings struggled for control against the church and the aristocracy. Chaos and bloody warfare rampaged and France stood on the edge of utter disaster as the...
S01E13 The Byzantines
As much of the world descended into the dark ages after the fall of Rome, one civilization shone brilliantly: the Byzantine Empire. With ruthless might and supreme ingenuity the Byzantines ruled over vast swaths of...
S01E14 Da Vinci's World
After the fall of Rome, Italy fell into a dark sleep, and wasn't reawakened until the 11th century. Autonomous city-states emerged and these tiny republics began to revitalize their cities and build on a massive...
Cast
Peter Weller
Himself / Host
Michael Carroll
 Narrator
