Alexandria: The Greatest City
2010
Documentary

Alexandria: The Greatest City
2010
Documentary
Plot summary
Bettany Hughes goes in search of this lost civilisation, revealing the story of a city founded out of the desert by Alexander the Great in 331 BC to become the world's first global centre of culture. The documentary also looks at the role of astronomer and philosopher Hypatia, and incorporates stunning footage from the feature film 'Agora'.
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Very very poor
Fascinating history that we would do well to understand and remember
This was a very good summary of Alexandria's history. Of course, there is always more to tell but no one can capture everything in a short hour. This was a fine piece describing the fascinating streams of influence and the great scholars that studied there and made Alexandria the jewel that it was. Most people do not know who Hypatia was. I appreciate the narrator taking the time to explain her significant contributions. We are facing an eerily similar challenge, as people who consider themselves to be righteous turn away from science and call for the banning of books. This is an important story to tell and to tell in a compelling way, which is what this documentary did.