The Triumph of the West

9.0

1985•45m

Hosted by historian John Roberts, the series focuses on the origins and evolution of Western civilization, and the transformative challenges and influence it has exerted on the rest of the world, including the socio-economic, political, and cultural movements that helped shape history.

Seasons

13 Episodes • Premiered 1985

1. Dangerous Gifts

John Roberts visits East Asia, exploring how and why western forces remain far stronger than anything left by the legacy of 19th and 20th century imperialism.

2. A New Direction

Roberts explores the origins of western civilisation and religion, through the Greeks, the Jews, the Romans, and the Byzantines - and how Christianity emerged across the centuries.

3. The Heart of the West

John Roberts explores the rise of philosophical and Christian thought in Europe of the Middle Ages, and how the shift took place from the era of the Roman Empire to a sense of 'Europe' as concept.

4. The World's Debate

The rise of Islam and the West's response to this great debate during the Middle Ages, including the Crusades and the conquest of Spain.

5. East of Europe

The rise and decline of the Byzantine Empire, and the rise of Russia from Kievan Rus until WWI, and an examination of how the East of Europe separated, culturally and spiritually, from the West.