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The Western Tradition

The Western Tradition

1989 TV-G ★ 7.0 1 Seasons Documentary

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Overview

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.

Episodes

Seasons 1

Seasons 1

The Dawn of History

The Western Tradition

S01E01 1989-01-01

The Dawn of History

The origins of the human race are traced from anthropoid ancestors to the agricultural revolution.

The Ancient Egyptians

The Western Tradition

S01E02 1989-01-01

The Ancient Egyptians

Egyptian irrigation created one of the first great civilizations.

Mesopotamia

The Western Tradition

S01E03 1989-01-01

Mesopotamia

Settlements in the Fertile Crescent gave rise to the great river civilizations of the Middle East.

From Bronze to Iron

The Western Tradition

S01E04 1989-01-01

From Bronze to Iron

Metals revolutionized tools, as well as societies, in the empires of Assyria, Persia, and Neo-Babyl...

The Rise of Greek Civilization

The Western Tradition

S01E05 1989-01-01

The Rise of Greek Civilization

Democracy and philosophy arose from Greek cities at the edge of the civilized world.

Greek Thought

The Western Tradition

S01E06 1989-01-01

Greek Thought

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle laid the foundation of Western intellectual thought.

Alexander the Great

The Western Tradition

S01E07 1989-01-01

Alexander the Great

Alexander's conquests quadrupled the size of the world known to the Greeks.

The Hellenistic Age

The Western Tradition

S01E08 1989-01-01

The Hellenistic Age

Hellenistic kingdoms extended Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean.

The Rise of Rome

The Western Tradition

S01E09 1989-01-01

The Rise of Rome

Through its army, Rome built an empire that shaped the West.

The Roman Empire

The Western Tradition

S01E10 1989-01-01

The Roman Empire

Rome's civil engineering contributed as much to the empire as did its weapons.

Early Christianity

The Western Tradition

S01E11 1989-01-01

Early Christianity

Christianity spread despite contempt and persecution from Rome.

The Rise of the Church

The Western Tradition

S01E12 1989-01-01

The Rise of the Church

The old heresy became the Roman empire's official religion under the Emperor Constantine.

The Decline of Rome

The Western Tradition

S01E13 1989-01-01

The Decline of Rome

While enemies slashed at Rome's borders, civil war and economic collapse destroyed the empire from...

The Fall of Rome

The Western Tradition

S01E14 1989-01-01

The Fall of Rome

Despite the success of emperors such as Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, Rome fell victim to barbarian...

The Byzantine Empire

The Western Tradition

S01E15 1989-01-01

The Byzantine Empire

From Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire carried on the traditions of Greece and Rome.

The Fall of Byzantium

The Western Tradition

S01E16 1989-01-01

The Fall of Byzantium

Nearly a thousand years after Rome's fall, Constantinople was conquered by the forces of Islam.

The Dark Ages

The Western Tradition

S01E17 1989-01-01

The Dark Ages

Barbarian kingdoms took possession of the fragments of the Roman Empire.

The Age of Charlemagne

The Western Tradition

S01E18 1989-01-01

The Age of Charlemagne

Charlemagne revived hopes for a new empire in Western Europe.

The Middle Ages

The Western Tradition

S01E19 1989-01-01

The Middle Ages

Amid invasion and civil disorder, a military aristocracy dominated the kingdoms of Europe.

The Feudal Order

The Western Tradition

S01E20 1989-01-01

The Feudal Order

Bishop, knight, and peasant exemplified some of the social divisions of the year 1000 A.D.

Common Life in the Middle Ages

The Western Tradition

S01E21 1989-01-01

Common Life in the Middle Ages

Famine, disease, and short life expectancies were the conditions that shaped medieval beliefs.

Cities and Cathedrals of the Middle Ages

The Western Tradition

S01E22 1989-01-01

Cities and Cathedrals of the Middle Ages

The great churches embodied the material and spiritual ambitions of the age.

The Late Middle Ages

The Western Tradition

S01E23 1989-01-01

The Late Middle Ages

Two hundred years of war and plague debilitated Europe.

The National Monarchies

The Western Tradition

S01E24 1989-01-01

The National Monarchies

A new urban middle class emerged, while dynastic marriages established centralized monarchies.

Renaissance & the Age of Discovery

The Western Tradition

S01E25 1989-01-01

Renaissance & the Age of Discovery

Renaissance humanists made man "the measure of all things." Europe was possessed by a new passion f...

Renaissance & the New World

The Western Tradition

S01E26 1989-01-01

Renaissance & the New World

The discovery of America challenged Europe.

The Reformation

The Western Tradition

S01E27 1989-01-01

The Reformation

Voiced by Martin Luther, Protestantism shattered the unity of the Catholic Church.

The Rise of the Middle Class

The Western Tradition

S01E28 1989-01-01

The Rise of the Middle Class

As the cities grew, new middle-class mores had an impact on religious life.

The Wars of Religion

The Western Tradition

S01E29 1989-01-01

The Wars of Religion

For more than a century, the quarrels of Protestants and Catholics tore Europe apart.

The Rise of the Trading Cities

The Western Tradition

S01E30 1989-01-01

The Rise of the Trading Cities

Amid religious wars, a few cities learned that tolerance increased their prosperity.

The Age of Absolutism

The Western Tradition

S01E31 1989-01-01

The Age of Absolutism

Exhausted by war and civil strife, many Europeans exchanged earlier liberties and anarchies for gre...

Absolutism and the Social Contract

The Western Tradition

S01E32 1989-01-01

Absolutism and the Social Contract

Arguments about the legitimate source of political power centered on divine right versus natural la...

The Enlightened Despots

The Western Tradition

S01E33 1989-01-01

The Enlightened Despots

Monarchs considered reforms in order to create more efficient societies, but not at the expense of...

The Enlightenment

The Western Tradition

S01E34 1989-01-01

The Enlightenment

Intellectual theories about the nature of man and his potential came to the fore.

The Enlightenment and Society

The Western Tradition

S01E35 1989-01-01

The Enlightenment and Society

Scientists and social reformers battled for universal human rights during a peaceful and prosperous...

The Modern Philosophers

The Western Tradition

S01E36 1989-01-01

The Modern Philosophers

Freedom of thought and expression opened new vistas explored by French, English, and American think...

The American Revolution

The Western Tradition

S01E37 1989-01-01

The American Revolution

The British colonists created a society that tested Enlightenment ideas and resisted restrictions i...

The American Republic

The Western Tradition

S01E38 1989-01-01

The American Republic

A new republic, the compromise of radicals and conservatives, was founded on universal freedoms.

The Death of the Old Regime

The Western Tradition

S01E39 1989-01-01

The Death of the Old Regime

In France the old order collapsed under revolutionaries' attacks and the monarchy's own weakness.

The French Revolution

The Western Tradition

S01E40 1989-01-01

The French Revolution

Liberty, equality, and fraternity skidded into a reign of Terror.

The Industrial Revolution

The Western Tradition

S01E41 1989-01-01

The Industrial Revolution

Technology and mass production reduced famine and ushered in higher standards of living.

The Industrial World

The Western Tradition

S01E42 1989-01-01

The Industrial World

A consumer revolution was fueled by coal, public transportation, and new city services.

Revolution and Romantics

The Western Tradition

S01E43 1989-01-01

Revolution and Romantics

Leaders in the arts, literature, and political theory argued for social justice and national libera...

The Age of the Nation-States

The Western Tradition

S01E44 1989-01-01

The Age of the Nation-States

The great powers cooperated to quell internal revolts, yet competed to acquire colonies.

A New Public

The Western Tradition

S01E45 1989-01-01

A New Public

Public education and mass communications created a new political life and leisure time.

Fin de Siècle

The Western Tradition

S01E46 1989-01-01

Fin de Siècle

Everyday life of the working class was transformed by leisure, prompting the birth of an elite avan...

The First World War and the Rise of Fascism

The Western Tradition

S01E47 1989-01-01

The First World War and the Rise of Fascism

Old empires crumbled during World War I to be replaced by right-wing dictatorships in Italy, Spain,...

The Second World War

The Western Tradition

S01E48 1989-01-01

The Second World War

World War II was a war of new tactics and strategies. Civilian populations became targets as the Na...

The Cold War

The Western Tradition

S01E49 1989-01-01

The Cold War

The U.S. and Soviet Union dominated Europe and confronted each other in Korea.

Europe and the Third World

The Western Tradition

S01E50 1989-01-01

Europe and the Third World

Burdened with the legacy of colonial imperialism, the Third World rushed development to catch up wi...

The Technological Revolution

The Western Tradition

S01E51 1989-01-01

The Technological Revolution

Keeping up with the ever-increasing pace of change became the standard of the day.

Toward the Future

The Western Tradition

S01E52 1989-01-01

Toward the Future

Modern medicine, atomic energy, computers, and new concepts of time, energy, and matter all have an...

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