Pharaohs: Rise and Fall — Season 1
Pharaohs were Gods among men. This series tells the story of these iconic figures—from the first pharaoh, Narmer, to Cleopatra VII.
About this season
Pharaohs were Gods among men. This series tells the story of these iconic figures—from the first pharaoh, Narmer, to Cleopatra VII.
Episodes (6)
1. The Rise of the Pharaohs
Aired 9 June 2025 • 52 min
A powerful military leader unites the lands we know as Egypt and assumes the title of Pharaoh. But how does he maintain this position of power? What tools does he use to build a system that will last 3,000 years?
2. The Pharaonic Renaissance
Aired 9 June 2025 • 52 min
Egypt is divided. Local rulers, nomarchs, vie for power, but only one will rise up to restore the kingdom and usher in a new era. Using literature, military might, and conquest, the pharaoh and his forebears regain their grasp on power.
3. The Pharaoh's Family
Aired 16 June 2025 • 52 min
As foreign invaders are expelled out of Egypt, a warrior king takes his place on the throne. In the age of the New Kingdom, royal women step into power and the empire expands. How does an internal struggle threaten an Egyptian golden age?
4. Akhenaten: The Heretic Pharaoh
Aired 23 June 2025 • 52 min
For thousands of years, the pharaohs have adhered to the same traditions and rituals. One pharaoh steps in to change the rules of the game. What happens when a king challenges the very institutions that granted him power?
5. The Warrior Pharaohs
Aired 30 June 2025 • 52 min
The Ramessides became some of the most powerful pharaohs in Egyptian history. But, a civil war ignited by a power vacuum threatens to destabilize an empire. With droughts, food shortages, and assassination attempts, how will Egypt survive?
6. Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh
Aired 7 July 2025 • 52 min
Egypt is unquestionably in decline. The once-mighty pharaohs are now rulers of a client state under the thumb of a great empire. Can the last pharaoh of Egypt outmanoeuvre her Roman rivals to restore Egypt to its former glory?