Ancient Mesopotamia proved that fertile land and the knowledge to cultivate it was a fortuitous recipe for wealth and civilization. Learn how this "land between two rivers" became the birthplace of the world's first cities, advancements in math and science, and the earliest evidence of literacy and a legal system.

Nelson Mandela goes against the advice of his advisors and party in the selection of the South African Rugby team, as he sees it as an opportunity to overcome past hatred and rebuild the nation.

Examines the role of women in Egyptian religion, especially "God's Wife of Amun," the highest priestess in the Egyptian religion and temple estate at Karnak.

Amid the McCarthy hearings and the launch of the civil rights movement in the 1950s, painter Jacob Lawrence sought to frame early American history the way he saw it. His ensuing work, the sprawling series “Struggle,” has been reassembled and is now on a national tour, with its first stop at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts. Special correspondent Jared Bowen of WGBH visits the exhibit.

Highlights the importance of drama as shared entertainment for ancient Greeks, who built theaters in all of their major cities and were particularly drawn to tragedies.