Episode 2: Gods and Kings

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Gods and Kings rule over ancient Egypt. They are omnipresent, leading the country into deep crises and to unimagined greatness. Episode 2 of the documentary series tells their story. Around 5000 years ago, the Egyptians created the first state in history. A great empire on the Nile, which could only be held together by the just rule of the pharaoh and the belief in a common world of gods. Researchers list 31 pharaonic dynasties and over 1500 gods and goddesses. For 3,000 years, they ensured consistency so that the people on the Nile would prosper. Until the empire perished with Cleopatra, the last pharaoh. Yet, Ancient Egypt leaves behind much more than magnificent temples and impressive pyramids. Some inventions or ideas are cornerstones of state and society even today.

The Nile is Egypt’s lifeline. Its water transforms parched soils into productive farmland. The first houses and settlements are built from its mud. Yet, how did it all begin? From 5000 BC, desert…

Gods and Kings rule over ancient Egypt. They are omnipresent, leading the country into deep crises and to unimagined greatness. Episode 2 of the documentary series tells their story. Around 5000…

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…

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…

Nothing represents 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…

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…

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…

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…