In the 16th century a collection of 20,000 Germanic mercenaries attempt to breach the walls of Rome so that they can take the Pope hostage.

A profile of Sir William Wallace, the legendary Scottish knight who played an important role in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

A female samurai named Tomoe Gozen is famous for her bravery and fighting skills on the battlefield in 12th-century Japan.

The Season 2 premiere focuses on Vlad "The Impaler" Tepes, a 15th-century Romanian prince, and the legends of mass murder against his enemies and his own people. Tepes was the inspiration for Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula."

When Alexander the Great confronts a rebel warlord in an impregnable mountain stronghold, he dispatches 300 hand-picked warriors to scale the sheer rock face, at night, without being detected.

The Battle of Leuctra in 371 B.C. pits the Spartans versus the Thebans, with the decisive blow enabled by the Sacred Band of Thebes.

Eagle Warriors serve as the elite troops of the Aztec Empire, being trained not to kill, but to capture enemies; "La Noche Triste" tests the warriors' strength.

An elite special forces corps in ancient Germany appears out of the darkness to frighten their enemies.

Viking long ships roll up to Lindisfarne in 793 and launch a brutal attack on the island's monastery that forever impacts England's history.

Conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims tears away at 11th-century Persia when Ismailian Hassan-i Sabbah founds the Assassins.

Spartan youth learn to withstand pain and survive the harshest conditions, a training technique that comes in quite handy during the Battle of Thermopylae.

The elite units of the Byzantine Army, the Varangian Guard, served as personal bodyguards to the Byzantine Emperors, and originated primarily from Scandinavia and England. Along with the prowess in combat they wielded highly effective weapons.