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Luckily, where TV may have failed, streaming services can succeed. Each one has some strong contenders to deliver solid facts about the past. But here are some of the best ancient history documentaries people can find across the different streaming services out there.
Also known as Black and British: A Forgotten History, David Olusoga’s documentary series isn’t strictly about ancient history. Consisting of four 50-minute episodes, the latter three cover comparatively more modern events like the transatlantic slave trade, Queen Victoria’s black god-daughter, and the African kings who stood up to the British Empire. Fascinating, but not ancient.
However, the first episode reveals that ancient Britain, and Europe as a whole, was much more multicultural than people would care to admit. Africans settled across the continent and in England via the Roman Empire since the early CE years, and still maintained a presence across the Dark Ages and Medieval period. Olusoga delves into these ancient Black Britons’ stories to learn how they were discovered, how they made it to the UK, and why they moved there.
For something more solidly ancient, Hannibal: The Man Who Hated Rome goes into Carthage’s most famous general and his campaign against Rome. It’s a pretty old documentary, so its claims to use the latest 3D technology aren’t as exciting now as they were in 2003. Yet it’s still an enjoyable and informative source on how even Hannibal’s enemies grew to respect him as well as fear him.
The lives of the Egyptian Pharaohs, and their reigns through their different empires have inspired tons of movies, TV shows, and other documentaries. But this 2013 documentary aims to examine just how the average ancient Egyptian lived. What were they doing while their kings and queens had their squabbles? The documentary looks into it by examining their rituals, culture, and their remains.
XiveTV costs $4.99 per month on top of a $14.99 Prime subscription, past the requisite 7-day and 30-day free trials respectively. However, the documentary can also be seen on Pluto TV, which is completely free! So, if anyone just wants to see the documentary with little fuss and muss, leaving the jungle and heading to space with Pluto is the best way to go about it.
10 Horrible Histories- Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+
Okay, this one isn’t strictly about ancient history, nor is it really a serious documentary show. Based on the book series by Terry Deary, Horrible Histories is a BBC show that teaches history through the power of skits and songs. While it’s primarily for kids, it doesn’t skimp on detail for the sake of sanitization. It just presents them in a way that’s meant to be entertaining for the young and old alike.
It covers a broad range of ancient cultures too, from the Savage Stone Age to the Awful Egyptians. Groovy Greeks to Rotten Romans, Angry Aztecs to Incredible Incas. In the UK, its best seasons (1-5) are on Netflix. In North America, viewers can hit up Hulu, Disney+ or ESPN+ to find it.
Not to be confused with the BBC drama series Ancient Rome: Rise & Fall of an Empire, this documentary miniseries focuses on the history of Rome from its first barbarian war to its last. Through its thirteen 1-hr episodes, the series covers Rome’s biggest players in Spartacus and Julius Caesar, to its lowest moments with its internecine conflicts and eventual fall to tribes like the Visigoths.
8 Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show On Earth - Pluto TV, Magellan TV
Hopping over the sea to Italy’s elder neighbors, Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth follows Dr. Michael Scott as he looks into the origins of drama, comedy, tragedy, and theater in general via the ancient civilization. Not only that, but the show also goes into Greek theater’s connections to Athenian democracy, its success when Athens faltered, and its influence over other cultures like the Romans.
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The show can be watched on Magellan TV for $4.99 per month. It does come with a free trial in case people want to try it before they buy it. Whereas Pluto TV allows viewers to try without buying. Just sign up for the service and all their films and shows can be watched anytime and anywhere for no extra cost.
Going on about the Romans, Greeks, Celts, and the like might be all well and good. But is there anything out there for people tired of ancient Europeans? Yes, with a little digging. Directed by David Grubin, and narrated by Richard Gere, The Buddha: The Story of Siddhartha does exactly what it says on the tin: it tells the viewer the life, history, and teachings of the founder of Buddhism.
Alongside the religious discussion, it covers what life was like in ancient India with its hardships and different cultures. It can be watched through the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel, with the same 7-day free trial offer. Only it’s cheaper than the History Vault at $3.99 per month. That’s still on top of the regular price of a Prime subscription, but that’s still less of a strain on the wallet.
Besides, PBS Documentaries also offers this classic documentary on the most famous building within the Acropolis. For the same 7-day free trial, and the same $3.99 price per month after that, the show goes over the Parthenon’s history from its construction to the modern day.
It looks into its architectural quirks and how they’ve challenged modern-day masons in their efforts to restore the building. Not to mention the techniques they use to get around them, either with new methods or replicating the surprisingly accurate ones the original Greeks used to make it in the first place. It also goes into how the Greeks did it without involving spacemen, which is a plus.
5 Secrets Of The Saqqara Tomb - Netflix
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This documentary follows Mohammad Yousef and his team as they examine a freshly discovered tomb within the Saqqara necropolis. It dates back to the 25th century BCE and has been perfectly preserved in the 4,400 years since humans last went inside it. As such, it still had plenty of sights to see within that four millennia’s worth of grave robbers missed out on.
Alongside the rise of its culture and construction, the documentary goes into the history of Egypt’s most famous and infamous Pharaohs. From Akhenaton to Tutankhamen, Hatshepsut to Ramesses the Great, Egypt’s Golden Empire delves in deep into the country’s peak.
Dawn of the Maya, unsurprisingly enough, covers the early development of one of Mexico’s most iconic cultures. While most sources prefer to focus on the Mayans’ later years, this documentary goes to bat for its pre-classic years.
PBS covered the Buddha alone in their documentary. But what if people wanted more than just the one? The BBC’s series Genius of the Ancient World also covers the Buddha alongside Socrates and Confucius. The show examines their philosophies and how they influenced the world around them. How important is Confucianism to China? Or Socratic philosophy to Greece and beyond? Watch the documentary and find out.
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Still, human history goes longer than the Romans, Greeks, Chinese, Indians, or even the Egyptians. What’s there for people who really want to go back in time? Right to when the first ape decided walking on two legs was better than swinging from tree branches.
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