Plot Synopsis

ANCIENT EMPIRES is a three-episode documentary series that explores the foundations of the greatest empires of all time, using narrative sequences and battle scenes as well as expert interviews and the latest contemporary scholarship. To survive and succeed they had to be strategic, ruthless, and charming. Each episode focuses on one of the three iconic rulers who amassed unbelievable power and transformed the world, chronicling each ruler's rise to influence and power with the events and choices that led to their eventual fall. Expert interviews include Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and historian Stacy Schiff, retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO General Wesley Clark, retired Major General Marcia Anderson, the first African American woman to achieve the rank and renowned classicist and Cleopatra expert Dr. Shelley Haley to name a few. ANCIENT EMPIRES debuted as a three-night event, kicking off with Alexander the Great (Mon Sep 4), followed by Julius Caesar (Tue Sep 5), and Cleopatra (Wed Sep 6). Episodes include:

"Alexander the Great" (Monday, September 4, 2023 from 8-10:30pm): The greatest conqueror and general in history, Alexander the Great of Macedon built one of the largest empires ever seen in just 13 years. But as he continues to push east, Alexander not only has to contend with an increasingly powerful enemy, but also the loyalty of his men, and his own growing dark side.

"Caesar" (Tuesday, September 5, 2023 from 8-10:30pm): Overcoming overwhelming odds fighting throughout the Mediterranean, Caesar's decisive actions bring him massive success and make him the most powerful man in the world. But every gambler knows that their luck runs out eventually.

"Cleopatra" (Wednesday, September 6, 2023 from 8-10pm): The enigmatic Egyptian Queen's untold true story is one of a ruthless genius, doing anything necessary to cling onto power in the face of an aggressively expanding Roman Empire. But as Cleopatra increases her influence across the Mediterranean, her ambitions grow--and new enemies rise up against her.