Customer Reviews

Macedonia,The Land of a God, Vol. 2 (Amphipolis, Philippi & Thessaloniki) [VHS]

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In the 2 part set (I can't imagine anyone buying one but not the other) these video documentaries take us on an exploration of 7 of the most pivotal cities of ancient Macedon: Aina, Aiges, Dion, Pella, Amphipolis, Phillippi and Thessaloniki. Of the 7, only Thessaloniki is still existent as a thriving metropolis in the present day. The study of Pella is uniquely fascinating as it was the ancient capital of this great nation.

Of the rest of the sites, there are mainly ruins + a large number of artifacts and treasures that have been excavated over the years. However, every so often the viewer has the opportunity to see an artificial barrier or piece of architecture that was viewed over 2,000 years ago by the historians Herodotus and Thucydides. So exciting!

Herein lies the story of country that spawned the empires of Phillip II and Alexander the Great. At one point, the Macedon extended its hegemony over most all the known world (the Hellenic Age), until the rise of the Roman empire. Within this study we find the rich history of this dynamic culture, from its earliest ages to the Hellenic Age, and from the Hellenic Age thru the epoch of the Romans and the eventual importance that Macedon had for the early Christians. As a resource on these significant time for the classical scholar, I doubt if there is a better tool out there anywhere.

As the presentation of documentaries go, this one is pretty drab. The narration is very dry, and the music consists of a redundant drum-cadence accompanied by an archaic sounding guitar. However, these videos are too full of information to be passed up by any serious student of classical history. A must have!