Disc 1 : Views the rise and fall of ancient Greece through the eyes of prominent figures of the times, including Cleisthenes, Themistocles, Pericles, and Socrates -- Disc 2 : Tells the story of the emperors, slaves, poets, and peasants who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen, and shaped the Roman Empire in the first century -- Disc 3 : Examines the rise and fall of Egypt's New Kingdom, 1560 B.C. to 1080 B.C. -- Disc 4 : Explores the period between the 16th and 19th centuries in Japan by examining the lives of shoguns, samurai's, geisha's, and the very few westerners allowed into Japan. Japan was then a world unto itself, closed to outsiders, and ruled by shoguns with absolute control. During this period, Japan transitioned from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace -- Disc 5 : A tale of one family's ambition and of Europe's struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. The Medici used charm, skill, and ruthlessness to garner unparalleled wealth and power, ruling Europe for more than 300 years