Bettany Hughes investigates charisma at The Acropolis, in a recording session with Live Aid founder Bob Geldof and on the pages of a best-selling novel with author Ben Okri.

The surprising and invigorating history of the most influential ideas in the story of civilisation, described as 'a double espresso shot of philosophy, history, science and the arts'. Award--winning historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes begins each programme with the first, extant evidence of a single word-idea in Ancient Greek culture and travels both forwards and backwards in time, investigating how these ideas have been moulded by history, and how they've shaped us.

In this programme Bettany investigates charisma with classicist Professor Paul Cartledge, Byzantinist Dr Dionysios Stathakopoulos, Live Aid founder Bob Geldof, sociologist Professor Linda Woodhead and writer Ben Okri.

Bettany travels to Athens to see where these ideas were born and then explores the street markets, churches, offices and homes where they continue to morph and influence our daily lives.

Ideas examined in the first series, in September 2013, were idea, desire, agony, fame and justice. The second series, in January 2014, considered wisdom, comedy, liberty, peace and hospitality. Other ideas in this series are psyche, irony, nemesis and virtue.

Series Producer: Dixi Stewart. Show less