A brief history of Constantinople

History is sometimes determined by individual leaders as much as by nations. We look to heroes for inspiration and guidance, but too often they disappoint with their all-too-human flaws.

Long intrigued by the origins of his surname, actor Cameron Daddo travels across the globe to the Channel Islands and discovers a thousand years of noble ancestors. Meanwhile, his mother's lineage, though devoid of noble origins, reveals a surprising parallel to his father's. Cameron will discover both sides of his family feature love stories of staggering proportions.

Explore how the Silk Road influenced conflict, from cavalry warfare to gunpowder. Two-thousand years ago, when the Roman Empire seemed unstoppable, the Battle of Carrhae saw one of Rome's worst military defeats when the Parthians used cavalry tactics to their advantage. The style of cavalry warfare developed by Central Asian horse archers would later dominate warfare, made possible by several innovations; the recurved composite bow, socketed bronze arrowheads and a psychological shift towards cohesive groups of soldiers under military command. It was also around this time that the Roman Empire began to covet Chinese silk. Long distance trade between the peoples of Eurasia was nothing new; for thousands of years, similar relations had been impacting societies.