Civilizations: Rise and Fall

How a perfect storm of calamitous events destroyed the once mighty Roman Empire.

Despite forging bold alliances with Rome, Cleopatra couldn't save the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Emperor Moctezuma built the mighty Aztec civilization. But his grip on power was fragile.

For centuries, Japan had been cut off from outside influence. During that time, much of the rest of the world made extraordinary leaps forward in science, industry and military technology, while Japan remained a feudal medieval society. At the heart of this feudal system were the samurai. But when American steamships arrived on Japan’s shores, the days of the samurai were numbered.