Battles BC
Encyclopedia
Battles BC was a 2009
documentary series looking at key battles in ancient history. The show was known for its very gritty nature, visual effects similar to the movie 300
and its highly choreographed fight scenes with various weapons.
This episode follows the career of Hannibal. It focuses on his hatred of Rome and his three dramatic victories at Trebia, Trasimene
, and Cannae
. It culminates with the battle between Hannibal and Scipio Africanus
at Zama
.
This episode follows the story of the Jewish King David's rise from obscurity to greatness. "Giant Slayer" is not only a reference to Goliath, but also to the great odds David faced throughout his life. It uses the Bible as a main source of material.
This episode follows the story of the Joshua
as he leads the Israelite
people back to the Promised Land. It tells of the sieges and subsequent massacres at Ai
and Jericho
. It also gives a theoretical explanation for the destruction of the Walls of Jericho.
This episode focuses on the Battle of Alesia
. It describes the famous double-sided fortifications created by Julius Caesar
that besieged Vercingetorix's
forces on one side and protected Caesar's flanks from reinforcements.
This episode follows the story of the Moses
leading the Israelites out of Egypt
. The episode describes the Israelites not as slaves, but as a warrior class within Egypt. It uses the Bible and historical documents as a main source of material.
This episode focuses on the Indian campaigns of Alexander the Great. It goes into great detail of Battle of the Hydaspes.
This episode focuses on the clash between Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II
and the Hittite
Emperor Muwatalli II
at the Battle of Kadesh
.
This episode focuses on the Battle of Marathon
, the ill-fated invasion of Greece
by Persian king Darius I.
2009 in television
The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2009. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel launches.-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-June:-July:-August:...
documentary series looking at key battles in ancient history. The show was known for its very gritty nature, visual effects similar to the movie 300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
and its highly choreographed fight scenes with various weapons.
"Hannibal: The Annihilator"
Original Airdate: 3/09/2009This episode follows the career of Hannibal. It focuses on his hatred of Rome and his three dramatic victories at Trebia, Trasimene
Battle of Lake Trasimene
The Battle of Lake Trasimene was a Roman defeat in the Second Punic War between the Carthaginians under Hannibal and the Romans under the consul Gaius Flaminius...
, and Cannae
Battle of Cannae
The Battle of Cannae was a major battle of the Second Punic War, which took place on August 2, 216 BC near the town of Cannae in Apulia in southeast Italy. The army of Carthage under Hannibal decisively defeated a numerically superior army of the Roman Republic under command of the consuls Lucius...
. It culminates with the battle between Hannibal and Scipio Africanus
Scipio Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
at Zama
Battle of Zama
The Battle of Zama, fought around October 19, 202 BC, marked the final and decisive end of the Second Punic War. A Roman army led by Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus defeated a Carthaginian force led by the legendary commander Hannibal...
.
"David: Giant Slayer"
Original Airdate: 3/16/2009This episode follows the story of the Jewish King David's rise from obscurity to greatness. "Giant Slayer" is not only a reference to Goliath, but also to the great odds David faced throughout his life. It uses the Bible as a main source of material.
"Joshua: Epic Slaughter"
Original Airdate: 3/23/2009This episode follows the story of the Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
as he leads the Israelite
Israelite
According to the Bible the Israelites were a Hebrew-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited the Land of Canaan during the monarchic period .The word "Israelite" derives from the Biblical Hebrew ישראל...
people back to the Promised Land. It tells of the sieges and subsequent massacres at Ai
Ai (Bible)
Ai refers to one or two places in ancient Israel:*A city mentioned along with Heshbon by Jeremiah 49:3, whose location is currently unknown, and which may or may not be the same as:...
and Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
. It also gives a theoretical explanation for the destruction of the Walls of Jericho.
"Caesar: Super Siege"
Original Airdate: 3/30/2009This episode focuses on the Battle of Alesia
Battle of Alesia
The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September, 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and hill fort of the Mandubii tribe...
. It describes the famous double-sided fortifications created by Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
that besieged Vercingetorix's
Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix was the chieftain of the Arverni tribe, who united the Gauls in an ultimately unsuccessful revolt against Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars....
forces on one side and protected Caesar's flanks from reinforcements.
"Moses: Death Chase"
Original Airdate: 4/13/2009This episode follows the story of the Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
leading the Israelites out of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The episode describes the Israelites not as slaves, but as a warrior class within Egypt. It uses the Bible and historical documents as a main source of material.
"Alexander: Lord of War"
Original Airdate: 4/19/2009This episode focuses on the Indian campaigns of Alexander the Great. It goes into great detail of Battle of the Hydaspes.
"Ramses: Raging Chariots"
Original Airdate: 4/26/2009This episode focuses on the clash between Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II
Ramesses II
Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...
and the Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
Emperor Muwatalli II
Muwatalli II
Muwatalli II was a king of the New kingdom of the Hittite empire .- Biography :He was the eldest son of Mursili II and Queen Gassulawiya, and he had several siblings....
at the Battle of Kadesh
Battle of Kadesh
The Battle of Kadesh took place between the forces of the Egyptian Empire under Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire under Muwatalli II at the city of Kadesh on the Orontes River, in what is now the Syrian Arab Republic....
.
"Judgment Day at Marathon"
Original Airdate: 5/01/2009This episode focuses on the Battle of Marathon
Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. It was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate...
, the ill-fated invasion of Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
by Persian king Darius I.