these stories come from plutarch a book called already a and part of part of that called sayings of the spartan women. and if you have not ever read this or sayings of the spartans, i highly recommend it. there are all these little nuggets. here are four stories. a messenger returned to sparta from the battle. and the women all gather around him to find out what happens. what has happened to their men. into one mother, the messenger says mother, your oldest son i'm sure to tell you your oldest son was killed facing the enemy. and the mother says, he is my son. and he says to her, your younger son is alive and unhurt. he ran away from the enemy. she says he is not my son. one story. second story, another messenger returned from another battle, and a mother approaches him and says how fair is our country? and he burst into tears as his mother, i'm so sorry to tell you, all five of your sons were killed facing the enemy. and she says, you fool, i did not ask you about my sons. i asked about our country. and he says mother, we were victorious. and she says then i am happy, and turns around

. >> we have that from plutarch who says outright there were many who could compare with her in termsrm of her presence that was irresistible. >> reporter: most of the few documented representations of cleopatra are found on coins. >> she has a very strong nose. >> reporter: that one she looks a little like george washington. >> yes. >> reporter: frank gauthier is an underwater archeologist who in 1996 discovered remains of cleopatra's alexandria. the magnificent city that was the capital of egypt in her time. >> it was fabulous. everything was there and waiting for us. >> reporter: while much of ancient alexandria was simply built over in the course of 2 thousand years natural disaster, earthquakes and tidal waves toppled part of the city into the sea. ironically preserving important artifacts under water. some have been rescued. restored and are on display in a traveling exhibit now at the cincinatti museum center. feels like we're walking in her footsteps. >> we are walking, absolutely in her footsteps. >> reporter: cleopatra would have stood before these statues to greet her subje

takes a long time to do a sentence, but plutarch served well for that. and he kept those things going. so that combination. but most of the deep letters are the ones that have dr were those to his best friend. they were hidden. obviously some legal, many weren't. they were hidden in gas mask canisters and dug up years later. people would find out where they were. none of this wouldn't have existed if not for him. he saved them. he made the book. >> it's an interesting fact in launching 24 series that in many ways they are not books someone sat down to write for a particular audience. also stitched together by the person who discovered those texts and sort of americanized them. bonn however would have never imagined that. there were scrines doing the work for him. the idea that the book affects people justifies the biography. the other thing that fascinates us about people and what we look to read about in their biographies are the turning points 234 their lives 245 mark a shift in their perspective or a new chapter. what turning points did you find in th

takes a long time to do a sentence, but plutarch served well for that. he kept those things going. so that combination. but most of the deep letters are the ones that have drawn the most attention on the world and were those to his best friend. and these were hidden. obviously, some of them were legal, but many weren't. they were hidden in gas mask canisters. they were dug up years later. people would find out where they were. and none of this would exist it can not for the best friend. he saved them. so many people asked to see them, and he stitched them together and made the book. >> and it's an interesting fact about all three of these books that are launching this series. in many ways they're not books that someone sat down to write for a particular audience, the tibetan book of the dead really also stitched together by the person who discovered those texts and sort of americanized them. bonhoeffer, certainly, never would have imagined his letter ors and papers being assembled in this form. and, of course, augustin, although we see him sitting and wr

takes a long time to do a sentence, but plutarch served well for that. and he kept those things going. so that combination. but most of the deep letters are the ones that have drawn the most attention on the world and were those to his best friend. and these were hidden. obviously, some of them were legal, but many weren't. they were hidden in gas mask canisters. they were dug up years later. people would find out where they were. and none of this would exist it can not for the best friend. he saved them. so many people asked to see them, and he stitched them together and made the book. >> and it's an interesting fact about all three of these books that are launching this series. in many ways they're not books that someone sat down to write for a particular audience, the tibetan book of the dead really also stitched together by the person who discovered those texts and sort of americanized them. bonhoeffer, certainly, never would have imagined his letter ors and papers being assembled in this form. and, of course, augustin, although we see him sitting an