14% Ancient Egypt: Chronicles of an Empire
Ägypten – Welt der Pharaonen
Vorherige Episode
S01E08 - "Untergang"
Ausgestrahlt am Dec 22, 2022, 11:00 AM
Nächste Episode
Serie beendet
Beschreibung
Episoden (1 Staffel · 8 Episoden)
Lebensader Nil
Der Nil ist die Lebensader Ägyptens. Sein Wasser verwandelt ausgetrocknete Böden in ertragreiches Ackerland. Aus seinem Schlamm entstehen die ersten Häuser und Siedlungen. Doch wie fing alles an? Ab 5000 vor Christus beginnen Wüstennomaden im Niltal zu siedeln. Statt als Jäger und Sammler umherzuziehen, betreiben sie nun Ackerbau und Viehzucht. Der Grundstein für die ägyptische Zivilisation. Bereits in der 1. Dynastie wird das Land entlang des Nils in kleinere Verwaltungseinheiten aufgeteilt. Doch die ägyptische Verwaltung hätte nicht funktioniert ohne eine weitere bahnbrechende Erfindung – die Schrift – in Form kunstvoll gemalter Hieroglyphen. Doch der ganze Stolz der Ägypter ist der Nil. Und die wichtigste Handelsstraße des Landes. Ohne diesen Strom hätte es eine der faszinierendsten Hochkulturen der Geschichte nie gegeben.
Dec 22, 2022
52 Min.
Götter und Könige
Götter und Könige beherrschen das Alte Ägypten. Sie sind allgegenwärtig, führen das Land in tiefe Krisen und zu ungeahnter Größe. Von ihnen erzählt Folge 2 der Doku-Reihe. Vor rund 5000 Jahren schufen die Ägypter den ersten Nationalstaat der Geschichte. Ein Großreich am Nil, das nur durch die gerechte Herrschaft des Pharaos und den Glauben an eine gemeinsame Götterwelt zusammengehalten werden konnte. 31 Pharaonendynastien und über 1500 Götter und Göttinnen zählen Forscher heute. Sie sorgen 3000 Jahre für Beständigkeit, damit es dem Menschen am Nil gut geht. Bis das Reich mit Kleopatra, der letzten Pharaonin, untergeht. Aber das Alte Ägypten hinterlässt weitaus mehr als prächtige Tempel und beeindruckende Pyramiden. Einige Erfindungen oder Ideen gehören bis heute zu den Grundpfeilern von Staat und Gesellschaft.
Dec 22, 2022
53 Min.
Metropolen
In the realm of the pharaohs, some of mankind's oldest and largest cities are emerging.An urban revolution that has long been overlooked: For unlike the impressive stone temples, most traces of settlement have disappeared today. But research is gaining ever deeper insights into the urban life of the ancient Egyptians. The first major metropolis, Hierakonpolis, the ancient capital of Upper Egypt, emerges around 3,500 years B.C., when several villages coalesce into the oldest known urban settlement in Egypt. A city built of clay, the Egyptians' most important building material. However, for archaeologists, the perishable nature of the building material is a challenge.Thanks to modern methods, they can now form an astonishingly precise image of the structure of these cities and the everyday life of their inhabitants.
Dec 22, 2022
52 Min.
Totenkult
Ancient Egypt is famous for its cult of the dead. Tomb complexes, mummies and fabulous treasures fire people's imagination to this day. Back then, it played a central role for the Egyptians. Episode 4 of ANCIENT EGYPT – Chronicles of an Empire tells the story behind this cult. Long before King Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt for the first time around 3100 BC, the people along the Nile are burying their dead in the desert sand. They observe that a corpse does not decompose and that the body is preserved. This observation is the basis for a cult of the dead that has lasted for thousands of years. It is based on the belief that eternal life in the hereafter is only possible via a preserved body in this world. The documentary traces the development and the embellishment of the cult of the dead.
Dec 22, 2022
57 Min.
Pyramiden
Nothingrepresents the unique advanced civilization of ancient Egypt more than the pyramids. Much about them is still a mystery to researchers. Episode 5 of ANCIENT EGYPT – Chronicles of an Empire traces the history of Egyptian tomb architecture. We show how Egyptian tomb architecture evolved over the millennia. The journey begins about 5,000 years ago with the royal tombs in Abydos, where the first rulers of Egypt were buried in underground complexes.They are covered by a mound of earth, from which mastabas develop - impressive brick buildings. The climax of this development is the construction of the Pyramid of Khufu 4,500 years ago. With their pyramids, the Egyptians created monuments for eternity - and in the end, they actually became immortal.
Dec 22, 2022
52 Min.
Frauen und Macht
Women in ancient Egypt held a special fascination, even for their contemporaries. They enjoy a form of equality unparalleled in the ancient world. For over 3000 years, women influenced the fate of Ancient Egypt. Episode 6 of our documentary series tells their story.Women already played an important role in the pantheon of gods - like the goddesses Hathor and Isis, whose legacy reaches into Christianity. In the mortal world, too, women may wield extraordinary power. Like the kings' mothers, who take over the regency for their young sons and thus secure their throne.In addition, the film also tells the stories of famous women such as Nefertiti and Cleopatra. The fascination ancient Egypt continues to hold, is not only due to its great men. But also, to its cast of extraordinary women.
Dec 22, 2022
52 Min.
Kriege
Ever since Upper and Lower Egypt were united by warlike means around 3100 B.C., the military played a major role in the empire on the Nile. Wars were seen as a legitimate means to maintain the divine order, to protect the borders of the empire, and sometimes to expand it. At times, Egypt dominated an area that stretched from Nubia to Libya and as far as Asia Minor. Expansion was made possible by new military technologies such as the chariot, which the Egyptians perfected.Yet, the documentary also shows how Egypt, in moments of military weakness, became the target of foreign invaders. During peaceful periods, however, the pharaohs maintained extensive diplomatic contacts with neighboring empires.
Dec 22, 2022
53 Min.
Untergang
How did Egypt climb to its last period of splendor under the Ptolemies? And why did the empire nevertheless fall under their rule? Downfall tells the story of how Alexander the Great occupied Egypt in 333 AD and became Pharaoh. After his early death, Alexander's friend and general, Ptolemy, founded a new dynasty in Egypt that sought to combine Hellenistic and Egyptian culture. The newly founded city of Alexandria became a cultural melting pot. Yet, while the Ptolemies flaunted wealth and luxury, the second half of their reign saw famine and revolts.The final Episode of ANCIENT EGYPT – Chronicles of an Empire shows that even the alliance of the last Ptolemaic ruler, Cleopatra, with the might of Rome could not save the empire. After 3000 years, Egypt's time was up.
Dec 22, 2022
52 Min.
Galerie
