This attempted series by the renowned and Oxford educated comedian Terry Jones to show that the official history is too pro-Roman because historians have relied to heavily on them and Jones attempted to take a balanced view with what scientific evidence can tell us about the so called "barbarians", which is why at times he can be Anti-Roman because they had the last word in History.
The first two episodes were good but he tried to present the Celts as being too advanced for what they were. In fairness them and their German neighbours had culture but no civilisation like Rome or its advanced technology and infrastructure and absorption in to Rome gradually seemed inevitable no matter how long or the policy hard for the Celts and Soft for the Germans.
The other tribal peoples covered the Dacians and Huns were generally summarised based on archeological findings and Roman perceptions very informative but nothing extraordinary
The only episode that really makes an extraordinary difference is the Greeks and the Persians. It shows correctly that the Greeks were apart from the Romans and should not really be grouped with them in a single category.
Persia has always received a negative reception in the west and Jones refreshingly demonstrates their unique tolerance and lasting impact on knowledge to this day. It does not deserve the anathema it has got and he puts the record straight in this episode.
Terry examines in the final episode that the Catholic Church kept the Roman perceptions alive after the fall of empire. This is a slight exaggeration. The Catholic Church preserved Roman writings because they were readily available and were of value as it Christianised the empires remnants after its end the only exception to this was Atilla and his Huns whom they had direct conflict with.
But as an independent offshoot the Catholic Churches medieval relations with both Orthodox Christianity and Islam certainly was a continuation of Rome's conflict with Greece and Persia.
The first two episodes were good but he tried to present the Celts as being too advanced for what they were. In fairness them and their German neighbours had culture but no civilisation like Rome or its advanced technology and infrastructure and absorption in to Rome gradually seemed inevitable no matter how long or the policy hard for the Celts and Soft for the Germans.
The other tribal peoples covered the Dacians and Huns were generally summarised based on archeological findings and Roman perceptions very informative but nothing extraordinary
The only episode that really makes an extraordinary difference is the Greeks and the Persians. It shows correctly that the Greeks were apart from the Romans and should not really be grouped with them in a single category.
Persia has always received a negative reception in the west and Jones refreshingly demonstrates their unique tolerance and lasting impact on knowledge to this day. It does not deserve the anathema it has got and he puts the record straight in this episode.
Terry examines in the final episode that the Catholic Church kept the Roman perceptions alive after the fall of empire. This is a slight exaggeration. The Catholic Church preserved Roman writings because they were readily available and were of value as it Christianised the empires remnants after its end the only exception to this was Atilla and his Huns whom they had direct conflict with.
But as an independent offshoot the Catholic Churches medieval relations with both Orthodox Christianity and Islam certainly was a continuation of Rome's conflict with Greece and Persia.