The Western Tradition

1989
Ended
Documentary
~27m / ep
1 season
7.0/10

Covering the ancient world through the age of technology, this illustrated lecture by Eugen Weber presents a tapestry of political and social events woven with many strands — religion, industry, agriculture, demography, government, economics, and art. A visual feast of over 2,700 images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art portrays key events that shaped the development of Western thought, culture, and tradition.

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Latest: Season 1 · 1989

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E1. The Dawn of History
Jan 1, 1989 · 30m
The origins of the human race are traced from anthropoid ancestors to the agricultural revolution.
E2. The Ancient Egyptians
Jan 1, 1989 · 30m
Egyptian irrigation created one of the first great civilizations.
E3. Mesopotamia
Jan 1, 1989 · 30m
Settlements in the Fertile Crescent gave rise to the great river civilizations of the Middle East.
E4. From Bronze to Iron
Jan 1, 1989 · 30m
Metals revolutionized tools, as well as societies, in the empires of Assyria, Persia, and Neo-Babylonia.
E5. The Rise of Greek Civilization
Jan 1, 1989 · 30m
Democracy and philosophy arose from Greek cities at the edge of the civilized world.
E6. Greek Thought
Jan 1, 1989 · 30m
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle laid the foundation of Western intellectual thought.