The Greek pantheon of gods acted like a dysfunctional feuding family. Though all-powerful, the deities displayed near-human frailties involving themselves in wars and petty jealousies of their mortal subjects. We'll visit magnificent monuments and temples to see how the gods' changing faces reflected the advancement of the Greeks.

The Iliad is one of the most famous literary works of the Western world. It's an epic tale of Greek gods, earthly soldiers, and a decade-long fight over the most beautiful woman in the world. Could the Iliad actually be based on fact? Could the Trojan War really have happened? Josh Bernstein travels to Greece and Turkey in search of ancient Troy. Along the way, he'll learn what it took to live and fight on the coasts of the Aegean in the late Bronze Age. He'll test the tools of the Trojan warriors, and he'll uncover a city in northern Turkey that just might prove the Iliad was far more than a simple work of fiction.

What is it about the legendary city that more than 3,000 years after its fall, we still try to unravel Troy's mysteries? Scholars attempt to answer the question by researching the Greek poet Homer, possibly one of the greatest poets in Western Europe's history, and his epic tale of love and war, and comparing his text to archaeological sites.

Real monsters are behind our greatest legends. Greek and Norse mythologies are the source of epic tales of gods and monsters battling it out to rule the world. But could any of these celebrated heroes and villains have been real? Thunder god Thor was a central figure in Scandinavian folklore, but was he based on a real warrior? And, if he was, could his hammer called Mjolnir really harness lightning? Plus, new evidence suggests the discovery of the birthplace of the legendary god Zeus, atop a mountain in Greece. Why does Medusa have a head of snakes, and what atrocity did she endure that still affects women today? And, could the true myth of Prometheus solve an ancient medical mystery?

Real monsters are behind our greatest legends. Stories of giants and beasts permeate our past and fascinate us in the present. From the Bible's Goliath to the Cyclops of Greek mythology, our colossal adversaries inspire tantalizing tales of terror. Now, new evidence suggests that many of these mythical creatures may have been anything but made up. Could the real labyrinth of a man-bull named the Minotaur have been discovered? Do fossils prove Cyclops legends are true? Could a monster named Grendel from the famous tale of Beowulf actually have stalked a banquet hall in Denmark? New evidence suggests many of our giants and beasts were real - but in ways you've surely never imagined.

Homer's The Odyssey is the most famous epic ever written. Follow its archetypal hero, Odysseus, as he sets sail on a twenty-year journey to return home from battle to reclaim his wife and kingdom. It's a timeless tale of adventure filled with mythological beasts, vengeful gods, and enchanting seductresses... But could it have actually happened? Astronomical clues and recent geological data now suggest evidence with direct links to the story of Odysseus.

We continue our story of Odysseus, Homer's hero from The Odyssey, as he continues his twenty-year journey to return home from battle to reclaim his wife and kingdom.

King Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table--are they figures from fanciful fable or portraits from a pagan past? Travel back to early England and Wales to unravel the Arthurian legend and learn why the yearning for Camelot and chivalry survives.