The Great Myths: The Iliad | Patroclus and the Myrmidons (Episode 7)
Episode 7: Miraculously saved by Apollo, Hector goes back on the attack and leads the Trojans as far as the Greeks' ships. Soon the entire fleet will be set ablaze. Patroclus, a childhood friend of Achilles, rushes to him and implores him to re-join the battle...
Achilles refuses but agrees to let Patroclus wear his armour and lead the Myrmidons to save the Greeks. Believing they have seen Achilles, the Trojans beat a retreat. After killing Sarpedon, Zeus's son, Patroclus is filled with confidence and marches on Troy. First he is pushed back by Apollo, then he is killed by Hector, the eldest son of King Priam. Upon hearing this news, Achilles breaks down and vows to avenge the death of his friend. His mother Thetis promises to return the following morning with new armour and weapons for him.
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The Great Myths: The Iliad | Hera's Plan (Episode 6)
Episode 6: Odysseus and Ajax try to convince Achilles to return to combat, but the Greek warrior is obstinate and rejects their appeals. He wants to go home to Greece. On the battlefield, Agamemnon, Diomedes and even the cunning Odysseus are injured one after the other...
The wall built by the Greeks threatens to collapse. Angry about not being able to intervene, Hera concocts a plan and seduces her husband Zeus using Aphrodite's magic girdle. While he is sleeping, she rushes to warn Poseidon, who is also riled by having to obey orders from the god of Olympus. He rallies the Greek troops who retake the upper hand. Ajax takes on Hector, the eldest son of the king of Troy, and injures him. When Zeus wakes up, he is horrified to discover that Hector is dying.
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The Great Myths: The Iliad | The Sword and the Scales (Episode 5)
Episode 5: The chaos that reigns between Greeks and Trojans has now spread to Mount Olympus. Zeus decides that any god who helps either side again shall be struck down. Back on the battlefield, the Trojans have driven back the Greeks who, to protect their camp and their ships, have decided to build a long wall...
Hector, the king of Troy's eldest son, is confident. His sister, Cassandra, is much less so. She has always known that Paris would bring misfortune to the Trojans, and she forces her mother, Hecuba, to admit it. The battle resumes, and when Poseidon gets involved, so too does Zeus, weighing the two sides' fates and favouring the Trojans. The Greeks know that victory is impossible for them without Achilles their great hero. Agamemnon agrees to send a delegation to ask him to return to combat. But will Achilles accept their appeals?
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The Great Myths: The Iliad | The Blood of the Goddess (Episode 4)
Episode 4: Agamemnon has seen it in a dream: Troy will be taken today. The entire Greek army is amassed around the ancient city's walls and the battle rages on, but suddenly, Helen's husband Menelaus recognises Paris, the man who took his wife. The two men decide to face each other in a duel...
But just as Menelaus is about to kill Paris, Aphrodite plucks him from the battlefield. Zeus is furious to see the gods interfering in this war, but he cannot prevent it. Athena returns to the battle and grants the young king Diomedes great fury and the ability to distinguish gods from men. He attacks the goddess Aphrodite, who is there to defend her son Aeneas, injuring her on the hand. Then he takes on Ares, the god of war, who is there to defend Aphrodite's honour. As the battle rages, Achilles sits indifferently playing the lyre in his tent.
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The Great Myths: The Iliad | The Wrath of Achilles (Episode 3)
Episode 3: Ten years have passed since the Greek forces disembarked on the shores of Troy. But King Priam's city has still not fallen. Inside its walls, the king's eldest son, Hector, reproaches his brother Paris for causing this war with no end...But Paris loves Helen and will hear nothing of it.
In the Greek camp, a mysterious plague has been raging for several days. Calchas the seer tells the assembled kings that Apollo sent it as revenge for Agamemnon enslaving the beautiful Chryseis, the daughter of a priest who complained to the god. Achilles demands that Agamemnon return the girl to her father. Agamemnon finally accepts but says that Achilles must give him his protégée, Briseis, as compensation. Seething with rage, Achilles swears that he will fight no more and goes into isolation. His mother, Thetis, goes to Zeus and asks him to defend Achilles. Remembering who he once loved, the mighty Olympian god decides to take the side of the Trojans and sends a dream to Agamemnon to set a trap for him.
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The Great Myths: The Iliad | Time for Sacrifice (Episode 2)
Episode 2: All of the Greek kings and their armies have responded to Agamemnon's call... All except two, that is: Odysseus, who pretends to be mad to avoid having to fight a war he does not believe in, although he is quickly found out, and Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior of all, who has never been fond of Agamemnon...
It is Achilles' mother, the sea nymph Thetis, who inadvertently causes him to change his mind. She tells him that his fate lies in his hands. He can fight and become a hero who will be remembered forever but die young, or he can live a long life, surrounded by his loved ones, and be consigned to oblivion. Achilles does not hesitate and goes off to join the Greek forces. Meanwhile, the seer Calchas reveals that, offended by Agamemnon, the goddess Artemis is preventing ships from leaving port. Agamemnon agrees to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia so he can assemble the largest fleet ever in order to attack Troy.
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The Great Myths: The Iliad | The Apple of Discord (Episode 1)
A 2019 Arte France - Rosebud Production, History, Animation, Fantasy Documentary series with English narration. Click on CC for subtitles.
The creators of ‘The Great Greek Myths’ bring to you ‘The Illiad’, an epic tale on the origins of the world and its inevitable downfall, that mixes animation and 3D iconography. A story in which gods and mortals intermingle, and whose poetic force has crossed the centuries. The first work of Western literature, ‘The Iliad’ is a fresco that traces the long Trojan War. During this conflict, the Achaeans, from Mainland Greece, set off to lay siege to Troy to recover the beautiful Helena, kidnapped by Paris from her husband, the King of Sparta Menelaus. After a ten-year siege under the walls of the city of Troy, the war turned to the advantage of the Achaeans thanks to the famous Achilles.
Episode 1: A golden apple inscribed "for the fairest" is sent to a feast at Olympus by Eris, the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Unable to decide between the goddesses Aphrodite, Hera and Athena, Zeus decides to let a mortal choose, and that man is Paris, the young son of King Priam of Troy. Paris gives the apple to Aphrodite who, in exchange, promises that he will have the love of the fairest mortal woman of them all. A few days later, Paris is invited to the house of Menelaus, the king of Sparta, where he falls in love with the king's wife, Helen. The two of them run away back to Troy under Aphrodite's spell. Filled with rage, Menelaus goes to see his brother, Agamemnon, the most powerful of all the Greek kings. At first, he is tempted to be wise and prudent, but then he is manipulated by Hera and Athena, who still harbour a grudge against Paris for not choosing them. Agamemnon finally summons all the kings of Greece to go and wage war on Troy.
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La Storia Siamo Noi | Bologna, 2 Agosto 1980 - La Strage
La strage di Bologna è stato un attentato commesso sabato 2 agosto 1980 alle 10:25 alla stazione ferroviaria di Bologna Centrale, a Bologna, in Italia. Nell'attentato rimasero uccise 85 persone e oltre 200 rimasero ferite.
Si tratta del più grave atto terroristico avvenuto nel Paese nel secondo dopoguerra, da molti indicato come uno degli ultimi atti della strategia della tensione. È uno dei più gravi attentati — anche per il numero di vittime — verificatisi negli anni di piombo, assieme alla strage di piazza Fontana del 12 dicembre 1969, alla strage di piazza della Loggia del 28 maggio 1974 e alla strage del treno Italicus del 4 agosto 1974.
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Operation GLADIO: NATO's Secret Armies
A 2009 History Channel UK/Italy/Spain/Germany and TSI Suisse Documentary narrated by David Riley.
They were to 'stay behind' if the Red Army overran Western Europe. Operating from secret hideouts behind enemy lines, they were to organise armed national resistance against the occupying Soviet forces. Recruited and trained by the CIA and MI-6 and coordinated by NATO, Europe's secret army was the most ambitious covert operation to defend democracy since the Second World War. But over time the top-secret stay-behind network set up by Britain and the United States in almost 20 European countries became involved in just the opposite: fixing elections, political assassinations, coups against democratically elected governments, and in what can only be described as acts of terrorism, which cost the lives of hundreds of Europeans. The story of Europe's stay-behind network with names like GLADIO in Italy or SDRA8 in Belgium is one of the most powerfully hidden secrets of recent American and European history.
NATO'S SECRET ARMIES examines three major terror attacks: The Brabant massacres in Belgium, The Oktoberfest bombing in Germany and the Piazza Fontana killings in Italy. Through the testimony of former Gladio terrorists, ex-CIA agents, diplomats, prosecutors and police investigators the film pieces together the disturbing trail of influence behind each of the attacks and considers whether hundreds may have died at the hands of state sponsored terrorism. More chillingly, it asks whether the strategy of tension might still be in use today.
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Intrigue in Istanbul
A 1997 Discovery Channel History Documentary narrated by Derek Jacobi.
While London was a swamp, and Paris, a fishing village, Istanbul, then known as Constantinople, reigned for a thousand years as the world's richest city. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it amassed more gold than both continents combined, and safeguarded Christendom's most sacred relics, including the True Cross and heads of the Apostles. The largest walls ever created protected Istanbul's treasures from endless waves of invaders. Immerse yourself in the city that has endured more warfare than any other place on Earth: Istanbul.
The world's oldest city, which spans the continents of Europe and Asia, holds many stories of intrigue. Spies, invaders and some of history's most diabolical minds plotted to seize Istanbul, and with it, rule the world. Relive the crushing crusade led by a blind and vengeful Venetian ruler. Enter Topkapi Palace and meet the harem beauty who seduced an emperor and brought down his kingdom. Board the Orient Express, carrying a Nazi time bomb meant for a high-ranking British diplomat. Uncover the terrors of the Cold War and the movements of Soviet double-agent, Kim Philby. Intrigue in Istanbul is your ticket to one of the most subversive, decadent and magnificent journeys in history.
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The Great War | "The Finished Fighter" (Extra 2)
Extra DVD material (Silent Film): A United States official war film used in the First World War to help instruct U.S. troops.
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The Great War | "Voices from the Western Front" (Extra 1)
Extra DVD material with rare archive films and interviews.
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The Great War | "...And We Were Young" (Episode 26)
Episode 26 - 1918: "...And We Were Young" (A. E. Housman)
War's end. Allied Hundred Days' Offensive in the West continues, US President Wilson offers Fourteen Points as peace terms. Germany's allies capitulate after defeats on other fronts. Revolution in Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates, Germany accepts peace terms. Human costs of war, reception and celebration of the armistice. Interviewees include Henry Williamson and Keith Officer.
IWM Interview with Herbert Sulzbach
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80004308
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The Great War | "The Iron Thrones Are Falling" (Episode 25)
Episode 25 - 1918: "The Iron Thrones Are Falling" (British officer)
War on the frontiers of Austria-Hungary, in the Balkans and in Italy. Allied troops in Greece establish the Macedonian Front but do not advance, the Central Powers occupy Romania. Allied intervention brings Greece to their side. Austrian and German troops breach the Italian front at the Battle of Caporetto and stop just short of Venice but next Austrian assault at the Piave fails. Allies breach the Macedonian Front, Bulgaria capitulates. Czechoslovakia and South Slavs declare independence, Italy launches counter-offensive Battle of Vittorio Veneto, Austria-Hungary capitulates and dissolves.
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The Great War | "Allah Made Mesopotamia – and Added Flies" (Episode 24)
Episode 24 - 1918: "Allah Made Mesopotamia – and Added Flies" (Arabian proverb)
War in the Middle East. British capture Basra and mount an unsuccessful campaign toward Baghdad. Ottomans fail to capture Suez but check the British advance Palestine campaign begins. Britain encourages Arab Revolt against the weakened Ottomans, then captures Baghdad, Jerusalem and in 1918, Damascus. The dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the seeds of future conflicts. Interviewees include George Langley.
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The Great War | "When Must the End Be?" (Episode 23)
Episode 23 - 1918: "When Must the End Be?" (Hindenburg)
Allied offensives in summer 1918. French counter-offensive at the Marne, the Battle of Amiens, the Second Battle of the Somme, advance to the Hindenburg Line. In Britain, public protests yield to sceptical optimism. In Germany, troops lose morale and leaders realise that victory is impossible. Interviewees include Douglas Wimberley.
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The Great War | "Damn Them, Are They Never Coming In?" (Episode 22)
Episode 22 - 1918: "Damn Them, Are They Never Coming In?" (F. S. Oliver)
The end of German advance in the West. Delayed deployment of US troops, German offensive in Champagne hastens their arrival. First AEF engagements. The final German assault halted, again at the Second Battle of the Marne. Brief footage of African American regiments. Interviewees include Melvin Krulewitch and Charles Carrington.
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The Great War | "It Was Like the End of the World" (Episode 21)
Episode 21 - 1918: "It Was Like the End of the World" (German soldier)
The start of German Spring Offensives in 1918. Shortage of manpower in Allied lines, German reinforcements from the East. German offensives Operation Michael at the Somme and the Battle of the Lys in Flanders.
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The Great War | "Only War, Nothing but War" (Episode 20)
Episode 20 - 1918: "Only War, Nothing but War" (Clemenceau)
Impact of war on everyday life. Shell shock. Censorship and propaganda. British naval blockade leads to starvation diets in Germany. German submarine warfare, countermeasures, food shortages and rationing in Britain. Use of women's labour, better labour policies, women's suffrage. Zeppelin air raids, air defence, Gotha Raids, Mustard gas, railway guns and Paris Gun. Interviewees include Benjamin Muse and Egbert Cadbury.
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The Great War | "The Hell Where Youth and Laughter Go" (Episode 19)
Episode 19 - 1917: "The Hell Where Youth and Laughter Go" (Siegfried Sassoon)
The Western Front at the end of 1917. Experiences: artistic portrayals, sounds and smells of the war, aerial photographs. The discrepancy in perceptions between soldiers and civilians, psychological breakdowns, sense of belonging to the unit. Georges Clemenceau becomes French Prime Minister, the Battle of Cambrai ends in stalemate. Interviewees include Charles Carrington, Horace Birks and Henry Williamson.
IWM Interview with Horace Birks
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80000864
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The Great War | "Fat Rodzianko Has Sent Me Some Nonsense" (Episode 18)
Episode 18 - 1917: "Fat Rodzianko Has Sent Me Some Nonsense" (Tsar Nicholas II)
Russian revolutions of 1917. Overview of life in imperial Russia and of consequences of war. Food revolts lead to February Revolution, the Czar abdicates. The Provisional Government continues the war, Germany helps Vladimir Lenin return to Petrograd. Failure of Kerensky Offensive, widespread desertions, October Revolution. Germany supports independence of Ukraine and Finland, forces the punitive Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on the Bolsheviks.
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The Great War | "Surely We Have Perished" (Episode 17)
Episode 17 - 1917: "Surely We Have Perished" (Wilfred Owen)
British and Dominion offensives in Flanders in 1917, originating from the Ypres Salient. The successful capture of Messines Ridge is followed by the Battle of Passchendaele, with many casualties on both sides. Rainy weather sets in early and armies bog down in mud. Interviewees include Cecil Arthur Lewis.
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The Great War | "Right Is More Precious Than Peace" (Episode 16)
Episode 16 - 1917: "Right Is More Precious Than Peace" (President Wilson)
United States enters the war. US foreign policy in early 20th century. Non-interventionism at war's start, swings of public opinion, industrial production favouring the Allies. Wilson's re-election and the declaration of war on Germany, prompted by the Zimmermann Telegram and unrestricted submarine warfare. Preparations for war, conscription, General Pershing's arrival in Europe.
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The Great War | "We Are Betrayed, Sold, Lost" (Episode 15)
Episode 15 - 1917: "We Are Betrayed, Sold, Lost" (French soldier)
The Western Front in 1917 prior to the arrival of US troops. German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, successful British diversion at Arras, French failure in the Nivelle Offensive. Mutinies in the French Army follow but are resolved by General Philippe Pétain. Interviewees include Edward Spears and Henry Williamson.
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The Great War | "All This It Is Our Duty to Bear" (Episode 14)
Episode 14 - 1916: "All This It Is Our Duty to Bear" (Lord Lansdowne)
War-weariness in Europe. In Britain, conscription, loss of shipping to German U-boats, Easter Rising in Dublin, the Battle of Jutland and the death of Earl Kitchener. In Germany and Austria, loss of morale, construction of the Hindenburg Line and the death of Emperor Franz Joseph. In Russia, discontent bordering on revolution. A change of guard in Britain, Germany and France, favouring continuation of war.
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