The Western Tradition

Season 1

TV-G

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.

Where to Watch The Western Tradition • Season 1

52 Episodes

The Dawn of History
E1
The Dawn of HistoryThe origins of the human race are traced from anthropoid ancestors to the agricultural revolution.
The Ancient Egyptians
E2
The Ancient EgyptiansEgyptian irrigation created one of the first great civilizations.
Mesopotamia
E3
MesopotamiaSettlements in the Fertile Crescent gave rise to the great river civilizations of the Middle East.
From Bronze to Iron
E4
From Bronze to IronMetals revolutionized tools, as well as societies, in the empires of Assyria, Persia, and Neo-Babylonia.
The Rise of Greek Civilization
E5
The Rise of Greek CivilizationDemocracy and philosophy arose from Greek cities at the edge of the civilized world.
Greek Thought
E6
Greek ThoughtSocrates, Plato, and Aristotle laid the foundation of Western intellectual thought.
Alexander the Great
E7
Alexander the GreatAlexander's conquests quadrupled the size of the world known to the Greeks.
The Hellenistic Age
E8
The Hellenistic AgeHellenistic kingdoms extended Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean.
The Rise of Rome
E9
The Rise of RomeThrough its army, Rome built an empire that shaped the West.
The Roman Empire
E10
The Roman EmpireRome's civil engineering contributed as much to the empire as did its weapons.
Early Christianity
E11
Early ChristianityChristianity spread despite contempt and persecution from Rome.
The Rise of the Church
E12
The Rise of the ChurchThe old heresy became the Roman empire's official religion under the Emperor Constantine.
The Decline of Rome
E13
The Decline of RomeWhile enemies slashed at Rome's borders, civil war and economic collapse destroyed the empire from within.
The Fall of Rome
E14
The Fall of RomeDespite the success of emperors such as Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, Rome fell victim to barbarian invasions.
The Byzantine Empire
E15
The Byzantine EmpireFrom Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire carried on the traditions of Greece and Rome.
The Fall of Byzantium
E16
The Fall of ByzantiumNearly a thousand years after Rome's fall, Constantinople was conquered by the forces of Islam.
The Dark Ages
E17
The Dark AgesBarbarian kingdoms took possession of the fragments of the Roman Empire.
The Age of Charlemagne
E18
The Age of CharlemagneCharlemagne revived hopes for a new empire in Western Europe.
The Middle Ages
E19
The Middle AgesAmid invasion and civil disorder, a military aristocracy dominated the kingdoms of Europe.
The Feudal Order
E20
The Feudal OrderBishop, knight, and peasant exemplified some of the social divisions of the year 1000 A.D.
Common Life in the Middle Ages
E21
Common Life in the Middle AgesFamine, disease, and short life expectancies were the conditions that shaped medieval beliefs.
Cities and Cathedrals of the Middle Ages
E22
Cities and Cathedrals of the Middle AgesThe great churches embodied the material and spiritual ambitions of the age.
The Late Middle Ages
E23
The Late Middle AgesTwo hundred years of war and plague debilitated Europe.
The National Monarchies
E24
The National MonarchiesA new urban middle class emerged, while dynastic marriages established centralized monarchies.
Renaissance & the Age of Discovery
E25
Renaissance & the Age of DiscoveryRenaissance humanists made man "the measure of all things." Europe was possessed by a new passion for knowledge.
Renaissance & the New World
E26
Renaissance & the New WorldThe discovery of America challenged Europe.
The Reformation
E27
The ReformationVoiced by Martin Luther, Protestantism shattered the unity of the Catholic Church.
The Rise of the Middle Class
E28
The Rise of the Middle ClassAs the cities grew, new middle-class mores had an impact on religious life.
The Wars of Religion
E29
The Wars of ReligionFor more than a century, the quarrels of Protestants and Catholics tore Europe apart.
The Rise of the Trading Cities
E30
The Rise of the Trading CitiesAmid religious wars, a few cities learned that tolerance increased their prosperity.
The Age of Absolutism
E31
The Age of AbsolutismExhausted by war and civil strife, many Europeans exchanged earlier liberties and anarchies for greater peace.
Absolutism and the Social Contract
E32
Absolutism and the Social ContractArguments about the legitimate source of political power centered on divine right versus natural law.
The Enlightened Despots
E33
The Enlightened DespotsMonarchs considered reforms in order to create more efficient societies, but not at the expense of their own power.
The Enlightenment
E34
The EnlightenmentIntellectual theories about the nature of man and his potential came to the fore.
The Enlightenment and Society
E35
The Enlightenment and SocietyScientists and social reformers battled for universal human rights during a peaceful and prosperous period.
The Modern Philosophers
E36
The Modern PhilosophersFreedom of thought and expression opened new vistas explored by French, English, and American thinkers.
The American Revolution
E37
The American RevolutionThe British colonists created a society that tested Enlightenment ideas and resisted restrictions imposed by England.
The American Republic
E38
The American RepublicA new republic, the compromise of radicals and conservatives, was founded on universal freedoms.
The Death of the Old Regime
E39
The Death of the Old RegimeIn France the old order collapsed under revolutionaries' attacks and the monarchy's own weakness.
The French Revolution
E40
The French RevolutionLiberty, equality, and fraternity skidded into a reign of Terror.
The Industrial Revolution
E41
The Industrial RevolutionTechnology and mass production reduced famine and ushered in higher standards of living.
The Industrial World
E42
The Industrial WorldA consumer revolution was fueled by coal, public transportation, and new city services.
Revolution and Romantics
E43
Revolution and RomanticsLeaders in the arts, literature, and political theory argued for social justice and national liberation.
The Age of the Nation-States
E44
The Age of the Nation-StatesThe great powers cooperated to quell internal revolts, yet competed to acquire colonies.
A New Public
E45
A New PublicPublic education and mass communications created a new political life and leisure time.
Fin de Siècle
E46
Fin de SiècleEveryday life of the working class was transformed by leisure, prompting the birth of an elite avant-garde movement.
The First World War and the Rise of Fascism
E47
The First World War and the Rise of FascismOld empires crumbled during World War I to be replaced by right-wing dictatorships in Italy, Spain, and Germany.
The Second World War
E48
The Second World WarWorld War II was a war of new tactics and strategies. Civilian populations became targets as the Nazi holocaust exterminated millions of people.
The Cold War
E49
The Cold WarThe U.S. and Soviet Union dominated Europe and confronted each other in Korea.
Europe and the Third World
E50
Europe and the Third WorldBurdened with the legacy of colonial imperialism, the Third World rushed development to catch up with its Western counterparts.
The Technological Revolution
E51
The Technological RevolutionKeeping up with the ever-increasing pace of change became the standard of the day.
Toward the Future
E52
Toward the FutureModern medicine, atomic energy, computers, and new concepts of time, energy, and matter all have an important effect on life in the 20th century.