They were the dreaded forces on the fringes of civilization the bloodthirsty warriors who defied the Roman legions and terrorized the people of Europe. They were the Barbarians, and their names still evoke images of cruelty and chaos. But what do we really know of these legendary warriors? From the frigid North Sea to the Russian steppes, this ambitious series tells the fascinating stories of the most fabled groups of fighters in history, tracing 1,000 years of conquest and adventure through inspired scholarship and some of the most extensive reenactments ever filmed. Series 1 Vikings Vikings sails with the Norsemen from Arabia to the New World, stopping off for a bit of pillaging along the way. Goths Goths reveals why this once fearsome people subjected themselves to Roman rule, only to rise up again at the battle of Adrianople. Mongols Mongols rides with Genghis Khan and his descendants as they sweep from Asia to the heart of modern Germany in a frenzy of expansion. Huns Huns probes the truth behind the mysterious warriors who were led by man whose name remains synonymous with bloodshed and destruction – Attila. Series 2 Franks Witness the birth of a barbarian empire as the Franks, led by Merovich the legendary warrior said to be half man, half monster – descend upon Gaul, cutting a swath of devastation and conquering both the Roman and Visigoth armies. Lombards The ferocious tribe partial to severing their foes’ heads and stealing their women. Their brutal leader, Alboin, overcame Roman defenses, surrounded The Eternal City, and forced a captured foe’s wife to drink from her slain father’s skull. Vandals Ranging far from their roots in Germany, these power hungry pagans swept through Spain, then across North Africa, and eventually to the gates of Rome itself. Saxons Watch this Germanic horde ravage the British coast, destroy Roman defenses and plunder monasteries in an orgy of pagan worship, then turn to confront their barbarian brothers in a bloody battle for power and land.
